8. Arrange the word-groups according to the degree of their motivation, starting with the highest.

1) gay bird, beautiful bird, blackbird;

2) cold wind, cold feet, cold war, cold hands;

3) light hand, light burden, light supper, light artillery;

4) blue funk (cтрах), blue skirt, blue stocking, blue fox;

5) big cheese, delicious cheese, white cheese, Swiss cheese;

6) wicked tongue, smoked tongue, coated tongue;

7) big boy, big house, big money, big talk;

8) angry tone, high tone, mental tone.

Phraseological units

1. State which of the italicized units are phraseologisms and which are free word-combinations. Give proof of your answer.

1. He asked to warm a glass of juice but they left it rather cold on the table.

2. Instrumental music, oddly enough, left me rather cold.

3. Where do you think you lost your purse.

4.1 couldn't stand that noise any longer. I lost my temper.

5. Have a look at the reverse side of the coat.

6. The reverse side of the medal is that we'll have to do it ourselves.

7. Keep the butter in the refrigerator.

8. Keep the eye on the child.

9. He threw some cold water on his face to wake up.

10.1 didn't expect that he would throw cold water upon our project.

11. The tourists left the beaten track and saw a lot of interesting places.

12. The author leaves the beaten track and offers a new treatment of the subject.

2. Analyze the structural invariability of the given phraseological units. State cases when various changes (such as componential extension, substi­tutions, or grammatical changes) are possible (group a) and impossible (group b).

Mode 1: So you say, but anybody who experiments with drugs is riding a tiger/panther.

• In the phraseological unit to ride a tiger the component tiger cannot be replaced by the word panther without destroying the semantic integrity and meaning of this idiom. This phraseologism belongs to group b).

1. T can take it or leave it.' 'So you say, but anybody who experiments with drugs is riding a tiger/panther'. 2. It was unbearable. Her behaviour made me fly off the handle/handles. 3. My father hated the idea of me joining the army. He always said it wasn't a suitable occupation for the fair/fairer sex. 4. When I saw the nurse's face, my heart sank into my boots/into my brown boots. 5. Jackson is a hot-tempered man; I wouldn't cross swords/a sword with him, if I were you. 6. His enemy was close behind him, and the bridge over the ravine was rotten and swaying. Caught between the devil and the deep sea/the deep blue sea, he hesitated. 7. We can make our own decisions without you putting/sticking your oar in. 8. Our builder is taking his time/his free time, isn't he? He's been three days on that job already. 9. Politics is meant to be boring, and boring people carry it out more competently than flash Harries/a flash Harry. 10. We must make it a hard andfast/firm rule not to allow any parent to enter a classroom without first speaking to the headmaster. 11.1 could do that with one arm/hand behind my back. 12. But when he learns that officialdom has again reared its head/its ugly head and is planning the destruction of his last home, his fighting spirit returns.