Seminar № 7 Phraseology

1. Free word-combinations and phraseological units. The problem of definition of phraseological word combination. The essential features of phraseological units (idiomacity, stability, reproducibility)

2.Different classifications of phraseological units: contextual, structural, functional

3. Vinogradov’s classification of phraseological units.

4. N.N.Amosova’s classification of phraseological units.

5. A.V.Koonin’s concept of phraseological units.

6. Phraseological stability.

7. Proverbs, sayings, familiar quotations and clichés.

Literature: [5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 18, 20, 21, 28-32, 34-37, 46, 47, 50, 52]

Exercises

Ex.1 Arrange the following phraseological units into three groups: a) word combinations, b) phraseological units, c) phraseological fusions:

to see the world through rosy spectacles; to show the white feather; to kiss the hare’s foot; to call a spade a spade; to make friends; to take revenge; a house of cards; to make up one’s mind; to shed crocodile tears; to commit suicide; Judas kiss; to play the first fiddle; to find faults with somebody; the apple of one’s eye; to get in touch with somebody; true to fact; to dot the I’s and cross the T’s; I’m fed up with it!; a pretty kettle of fish; to give way; to nip in the bud; to wash one’s hands; to rest on one’s oars; Let sleeping dogs lie; to have all the trumps in one hand; between wind and water; to lose one’s way (temper); to go a long way; a slip of the tongue (pen); blank verse; to establish control; a hard nut to crack.

Ex.2 State from what languages the following phraseological units were borrowed:

the horn of plenty; blue blood; through thick and thin; Achilles’ heel; the apple of discord; it goes without saying; a storm in a tea-cup; the fifth column; a marriage of convenience; snake in the grass; to lead somebody by the nose; one’s place in the sun; to burn the candle at both ends; the bed of Procrustes; the game is not worth the candle; to pull the devil by the nail.

Ex.3 Group the following phraseological units according to the classification based on the structural principle. Give their Ukrainian equivalents:

to mind one’s p’s and q’s; as cool as a cucumber; cat-and-dog life; at sixes and sevens; spick and span; strong language; to get the upper hand; as mad as a hatter; high and low; to look through one’s fingers; by heart; search me!; to set one’s cap at smb; glad rags; in full blast; great guns!; horse opera; to make a song and dance about smth; when pig’s fly; a big bug; a pretty kettle of fish; a cool card; safe and sound; a smart Aleck; to fish in troubled waters; a dog in the manger; to take part; in cold blood; by Jove!; through thick and thin; sharp as a needle; like anything; to run for one’s dear life; neck and crop; as weak as a kitten; Dutch treat; the twinkling of an eye; to dance on a tight rope; on shank’s mare; hang it all!; as thick as thieves.

Ex.4 Group the following phraseological units into synonymous pairs. Give their Ukrainian equivalents:

to smooth the ice; safe and sound; the day pigs fly; every day is not Sunday; by a short cut; to catch in hot; to ride Shank’s mare; an old salt; that’s where the shoe pinches; to turn a blind eye to smth; to pin smb to the wall; after a Christmas comes a Lent; to kick up a dust; to come to the wrong shop; such master, such servant; to spoil one’s game; in a bee line; to take wind out of one’s sails; on tomorrow come never; to leg it; to drive smb into a corner; to have one’s heart into one’s mouth; to paint the lily; after dinner comes the reckoning; a sea dog; to close one’s eyes to smth; alive and hearty; to raise a big smoke; such as a tree is, such is the fruit; to get it in the neck; there’s the rub; one’s heart sinks into one’s boots; if you dance, you must pay the fiddler; to bark up a wrong tree.

Ex.5 Choose antonyms to the following phraseological units (Use the list in brackets below):

Milk for babes; Tom Thumb; to know smth from A to Z; to keep one’s chin up; under a bushel; a green hand at smth; within one’s reach; big wings; as slow as a snail; to keep one’s tongue between one’s teeth; cold as a fish; not to care a rap for smth; to be worse than one’s word; not to have a penny; to bless oneself with; to be in one’s good books; as rich as Croesus; to open a door to smth (as quick as a Hash; to be in one’s bad books; to close the door to smth; not to know A from B; as poor as a church mouse; to keep ones’ word; a hard nut to crack; hot as pepper; to wag one’s tongue; above board; to hang down one’s head; an old hand at smth; to make much of smth; above one’s reach; small potatoes; to roll in money; long drink of water).

Ex.6 Give the English equivalents for the following Ukrainian proverbs and sayings:

1. Буде й на нашій вулиці свято. 2. Вовків боятися - в ліс не ходити. 3. Куй залізо, поки гаряче. 4. На безвідді і рак риба. 5. Не все те золото, що блищить. 6. Соловей п’ясними не ситий. 7. У тихому болоті чорти водяться. 8. Порожня бочка гучить, а повна мовчить. 9. Горбатого могила виправить. 10. З дурної голови та на здорову.

Ex.7 Give proverbs synonymous to the following ones. Suggest Ukrainian equivalents:

Don’t count your chicken before they are hatched. Strike while the sun shines. So many man, so many minds. Misfortunes never come singly. Between two stools one falls to the ground. Business first, pleasure afterwards. Every man has his taste.