Exercises

I. What is the source of the following idioms? If in doubt consult your reference books.

The Trojan horse, Achilles heel, a labour of Her­cules, an apple of discord, forbidden fruit, the serpent in the tree, an ugly duckling, the fifth column, to hide one's head in the sand.

II. Substitute phraseological units with the noun "heart" for the italicized words. What is the difference between the two sentences?

1. He is not a man who shows his feelings openly. 2. She may seem cold but she has true, kind feelings. 3.1 learned that piece of poetry by memory. 4. When I think about my examination tomorrow I feel in de­spair. 5. When I heard that strange cry in the darkness I was terribly afraid. 6. It was the job I liked very much. 7.1 didn't win the prize but I'm not discour­aged.

III. Show that you understand the meaning of the follow­ing phraseological units by using each of them in a sen­tence.

1. Between the devil and the deep sea; 2. to have one's heart in one's boots; 3. to have one's heart in the right place; 4. to wear one's heart on one's sleeve; 5. in the blues; 6. once in a blue moon; 7. to swear black is white; 8. out of the blue; 9. to talk till all is blue; 10. to talk oneself blue in the face.

IV. Explain whether the semantic changes in the follow­ing phraseological units are complete or partial. Para­phrase them.

To wear one's heart on one's sleeve; a wolf in a sheep's clothing; to fly into a temper; to stick to one's word; bosom friend; small talk; to cast pearls before swine; to beat about the bush; to add fuel to the fire; to fall ill; to fall in love; to sail under false colours; to be at sea.

V. Read the following jokes. Identify the phraseological units using the two major criteria: structural and seman­tic. What are the jokes based on?

1. He: Don't you hate people who talk behind your back?

S h e: Yes, especially at the movies.

2. "I'd hate to be in your shoes," said a woman yes­terday, as she was quarrelling with a neighbour.

"You couldn't get in them," sarcastically remarked the neighbour.

3. H e r b e r t: Arthur hasn't been out one night for three weeks.

F l o r a: Has he turned over a new leaf?

Herbert: No, he's turned over a new car.

4. Motorist: How far is it to the next town?
N a t i v e: Nigh to five miles as the crow flies.
Motorist: Well, how far is it if a damned crow has to walk and carry an empty gasoline can?

5. "So, she turned you down, eh?"

"Yes, I made the mistake of confessing that my heart was in my mouth when I proposed."

"What has it to do with it?"

"Oh, she said she couldn't think of marrying a man whose heart wasn't in the right place."

VI. Read the following proverbs. Give their Russian equiv­alents or explain their meanings.

A bargain is a bargain. A cat in gloves catches no mice. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. A good beginning is half the battle. A new broom sweeps clean. An hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. It never rains but it pours. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Make hay while the sun shines.

VII. Give the English equivalents for the following Rus­sian proverbs.

Нет худа без добра. В гостях хорошо, а дома луч­ше. С глаз долой, из сердца вон. Дуракам закон не писан. Он пороху не выдумает. Слезами горю не по­можешь. Поспешишь — людей насмешишь. Взялся за гуж, не говори, что не дюж.

VIII. Give the proverbs from which the following phraseo­logical units have developed.

Birds of a feather; to catch at a straw; to put all one's eggs in one basket; to cast pearls before swine; the first blow; a bird in the bush; to cry over spilt milk; the last straw.

IX. a. Read the following text. Compile a list of the phra­seological units used in it.¹ Classify them according to Ac­ademician Vinogradov's classification system for phraseo­logical units.

English has many colloquial expressions to do with parts of the human body — from head to toe! Here are some of the commonest ones.

To keep your head is to remain calm, but to lose it is to panic and do something foolish. If something is above or over your head, it is too difficult for you to un­derstand. An egg-head is an intellectual, and someone who has their head screwed on, is very sensible.

If you split hairs, you are very pedantic, but if you don't turn a hair you are very calm.

To pay through the nose is to pay a very high price for something, but if you turn up your nose at some­thing you despise it. If you are all ears, you listen very attentively, and if you keep your ear to the ground, you listen and watch out for signs of future events. To see eye to eye with someone is to agree with them, and if you don't bat an eyelid, you show no surprise or ex­citement. If you are down in the mouth, you're rather depressed. A stiff upper lip is the traditionally British quality of not showing any emotions in times of trou­ble.

To have your tongue in your cheek is to say one thing and mean something else. To have a sweet tooth is to have a taste for sweet food, and to do something by the skin of your teeth is to just manage to do it.

To stick your neck out is to do something risky or dangerous, and to keep someone at arm's length is to avoid getting too friendly with them. To be high-hand­ed is to behave in a superior fashion, but to lend some­one a hand is to help them. If you have a finger in every pie, you are involved in a lot of different projects, and if you have green fingers, you are very good at gardening. To be all fingers and thumbs is to be very clumsy, and to be under someone's thumb is to be under their influence. If you pull someone's leg, you tease them, and if you haven't a leg to stand on, you have no reason or justification for what you do. To put your foot down is to insist on something and to fall on your feet is to be very fortunate. To find your feet is to become used to a new situation, but to get cold feet is to become frightened or nervous about something. If you put your foot in it, you say or do something to up­set or annoy someone else, and if you tread on some­one's toes you do the same without meaning to.

Bear in mind that some of the examples explained in the text do not represent phraseology, but simply words with trans­ferred meanings. So be careful in your choice.

X. Complete the following sentences, using the phraseolog­ical units given in the list below. Translate them into Rus­sian.

1. If I pay my rent, I won't have any money to buy food. I'm between ——. 2. It's no use grumbling about your problems — we're all ------. 3. He's sold his house and his business to go to Australia, so he's really-------.4. She prefers not to rely on anyone else, she likes to — —. 5. They didn't know whether to get married or not, but they finally --------.6. You can't expect everything to go right all the time, you must learn to--------.

to take the rough with the smooth; between the devil and the deep sea; to take the plunge; in the same boat; to paddle one's own canoe; to burn one's boats

XI. Complete the following similes. Translate the phraseo­logical units into Russian. If necessary, use your dictio­nary.

A. as black as----------------- B. ------ as a loon

as green as------------------------- ------- ------as a lamb

as cold as------------------------ ------as a mouse

as white as------------------------- ------as a cat

as old as------------------------ ------as a kitten

as changeable as--------------------------- ------as an eel

as safe a s------------------------ ------as an owl

as brown as-------------------------- ------as a wolf

as clean as -------------------------------- ------as a cricket
as dull as------------------------- --------- ------as a bee

XII. Complete the following sentences, using the words from the list below. Translate the phraseological units into Russian.

1. She was so embarrassed that she went as red as a. 2.1 can carry the suitcase easily, it's as light

as a ——. 3. The room is as warm as------------------------. 4. My sis­ter does so many things that she's always as busy as a ——. 5. He is as proud as a----------------------------------------------------------- of his new car. 6. It's as cold as -— in that office. 7. Once he's made up his mind, he'll never change it, he's as stubborn as a -----------------. 8. She was so frightened that her face went as white as a. 9. The postman always calls at 8 o'clock, he's as regular as--------------. 10. However much he eats, he's always as thin as a.

ice, beetroot, mule, feather, sheet, toast, clockwork, bee, rail, peacock

XIII. In the examples given below identify the phraseolog­ical units and classify them on the semantic principle.

1. The operation started badly and everyone was in a temper throughout. 2.1 know a man who would love meeting you. The perfect nut for you to crack your teeth on. 3. I wish I had you for Maths (my favourite subject). But alas, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. 4. He said: "Well, never mind, Nurse. Don't make such heavy weather about it." 5. Did you know that 50% of the time I've been barking up all the wrong trees. 6. However, while appreciating that the best way to deal with a bully is to bully back, I never quite had the nerve. 7. What is it — First Aid? All you need know is how to treat shock and how to stop haemorrhage, which I've drummed into you till I'm blue in the face. 8. Don't let them (pupils) lead you by the nose. 9. But I thought he was afraid I might take him at his word. 10. Ruth made no bones about the time she was accus­tomed to have her dinner. 11. Poor Eleanor — what a mess she made of her life, marrying that man Grey! 12. There was a list of diets up in the kitchen, but Aun­tie had it all at her finger-tips. 13. "Bob, give me a hand with the screen," Diana said. "Now be very careful, won't you, sweetie?" 14. My common sense tells me that I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. 15. She thought, he's obviously a very sensitive man, he can read between the lines. 16. Oh, said Arthur, someone might've bought the things cheap at an auction and put them by for a rainy day. 17. "I played like a fool," said Guy, breaking a silence. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather."

XIV. Read the following jokes. Classify the italicized word-groups, using Professor Smirnitsky's classification system for phraseological units.

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