Exercise 2. Translate the sentences from English into Russian:

1. The building of the school really needs repairing. It has gone to the dogs.

2. Kevin found out about the painting straight from the horse’s mouth, from the painter himself.

3. I’m out of my wits because of Sam’s childish pranks. His younger brother is a horse of a different color. So well-bred and much more serious!

4. Children, don’t horse around! Your Dad is very tired and trying to fall asleep.

5. Jane is feeling left out at our party. We’d better give her more attention. – Oh, come on! This Jane is so fishy. I don’t like her. Look, her eyes are piercing into your Kevin. Be careful with her!

6. Bob decided to take the bull by the horns and demanded an increment in salary even though it might cost him his job.

7. I’ve already let the cat out of the bag, Mr. Corthell, and I might as well tell you the whole truth now.

8. When the cowboy entered the saloon, he immediately smelled a rat and he put his hand on the gun.

9. How did you manage to miss out on the finest opportunity of being taken to La Scala? All our rehearsals went to the dogs.

10. Why are you having a black eye? Have you been fighting again with Henry? Tell me right now. Cat got your tongue? – No, it’s not Henry. While riding the bike, I lost my grip and fell my face down the ground.

11. This arm-chair looks like new again. How did you manage to fix it up? It was really for the birds.

12. Our upper floor neighbors’ children were so naughty. They were always horsing around. One day I got tired of this noise and decided to take the bull by the horns. The conversation with the parents wasn’t pleasant but now I can rest in silence.

13. We roamed Europe and saw many wonderful countries. Then we changed a little our plan and went to Finland. But it’s a horse of a different color.

14. I smell a rat. John and Claris have come back bored and restless. Claris’ eyes are red, she must have been crying.

15. Are you playing a joke on me? If it’s so, this is a foolish joke. – But I swear you, Margaret and Terry are getting married. Margaret’s sister, you know that chatter-box, let the cat out of the bag. So, this news is straight from the horse’s mouth.

Exercise 3. Choose one of the three alternatives to complete the idioms:

1. You boys have been (horsing, housing, horning) around again, getting yourselves dirty.

2. Well, had the (rat, cat, mat) got your tongue? Why didn’t you ask at once?

3. He smelled a (chat, rate, rat) the minute he came into the room.

4. Edith Barclay was really in love with him, that made it different … and a (host, horse, hot) of a different color. (J.Jones, “Some came …”)

5. “See here”, he exclaimed suddenly, looking sharply at the musician and deciding to take the (pull, bullet, bull) by the (horns, hop, hood), “You are in quite as delicate situation as I am, if you only stop to think.” (Th. Dreiser “The Titan”)

6. My whole life seems to be going to the (doors, dots, dogs).

7. In my opinion winter weather is for the (birch, birth, birds).

8. The girl who opened the door gave us a (fist, fitch, fishy) glance.

9. Are you sure that you received this information straight from the (horse’s, mouse’s, spouse’s) mouth?

10. I didn’t want to let the (cap, can, cat) out of the bag. Unfortunately it happened by accident.

11. The man (went, want, sent) to the dogs after he started hard drinking.

12. What did you spend so much money on, Sally? Answer me. Cat got your (tongue, tank, tone)?

13. Gregory is a man of vision. If something goes wrong, he immediately (tells, smells, sells) a rat .

14. When the children were running and horsing (about, across, around) the yard, one of them fell on and burst into tears.

15. You can trust these data, they are (right, straight, strait) from the horse’s mouth.