Expression of the Fortnight - 2

TO HAVE A SKELETON IN THE CUPBOARD

This colloquial expression refers to a dark, embarassing secret that we don't want other people to know about! If other people discovered our skeleton, it could have a negative effect on our life. The secret can be something scandalous that we have done in the past. (In American English they say a skeleton in the closet)

If you want to be a successful politician, you can't have too many skeletons in your cupboard.

Every family has got one or two skeletons in the cupboard.

It has been suggested that the origin of this expression lies with the medical profession. In the past, doctors were not allowed to work on dead bodies for research unless they were the bodies of executed criminals. Therefore, bodies for research were hard to find and so when a doctor managed to get hold of one he would keep the skeleton for further research. It was not publicly acceptable for doctors to display these skeletons for everyone to see so they had to hide them away. The most obvious place for storage was of course a cupboard or a closet and that is where this expression comes from.

Idioms with bread

To continue the theme of sandwiches this week I thought we could look at some set idiomatic expressions using bread or loaves.

My teachers at school used to be quite impatient and if they thought we should know the answer to something they always shouted 'Use your loaf!' This meant that we should think more carefully. The expression originates from the cockney slang loaf of bread meaning head.

Another expression using bread is 'the best thing since sliced bread'. If you think somebody or something is absolutely fantastic you can say that he / she / it is the best thing since sliced bread. I hope you think this blog is the best thing since sliced bread!

If you here somebody saying that something is their bread and butter, they are talking about what they do to make a living and survive. Teaching English is my bread and butter. What's yours?

Finally, do you know what side your bread is buttered on? You should do because you can have problems in life if not. You always need to know what is advantegeous for you and who you need to look after in life to get places!

Rhyming Slang

To lead on from the article I posted about the girl who wanted a cab and instead got a cabinet, I thought we could look at Cockney rhyming slang. If you remember, the girl phoned Directory Enquiries asking for a Joe Baxi which is slang in parts of London for a taxi.

Cockney Rhyming Slang is a specialised form of slang used in the East of London. It is a kind of anti-language where words are replaced by phrases that sound the same or rhyme.

Dog and bone = phone
Adam and Eve = believe

Sometimes, the last word is dropped, which can make it very difficult to understand unless you are used to it. An example of this is with the Cockney slang for lies. The original phrase was 'to tell pork pies', but now the second word is rarely used and the term has been shortened to 'porkies'.

Most Cockney rhyming slang would be difficult for many natives to understand but some forms are widely used. For example, if you want to say that you are alone, you can say that you are on your Jack Jones. And some men still refer to their wife as the trouble and strife!

If you would like to learn more about the history of Cockney Slang and see some more examples, you should check out this website.

Confusing pieces of paper

Students often get very confused about the different names of pieces of paper in English. This confusion is caused by two things, the first being the difference between British and American English, and the second being the problem of false friends or false cognates. This false friend problem is particularly noticeable between Spanish and English. Let's look at some of these confusing bits of paper.

A receipt ( ri'si:t) is a piece of paper that you are given when you buy something in a shop to prove that you have paid, and in case you want to exchange the item at a later date. A receipt is not something that you use in cooking, as that would be a recipe ('resipi), nor is it something that you get from your doctor to take to the pharmacy because that's a prescription.

Now maybe you are wondering what ticket means, since it obviously doesn't refer to the piece of paper you receive when you buy something in a shop. You do receive a ticket when you pay for something, but this is usually for access into a building, a form of transport, or to show that you have paid to take part in an organised game such as the lottery. Also, if you park your car illegally, you will get a parking ticket! The word ticket in Spanish is sometimes 'billete' and sometimes 'entrada', which can lead to further confusion since the word 'bill' exists in English too.

In British English a bill is what you ask the waiter for in a restaurant when you have finished eating and you wish to pay. In American English this is the check. A bill is also the letter you receive notifying you of the charges for a service you have used such as the telephone bill, the gas bill and the electricity bill. A bill in American English can also be the piece of paper that you pay with, for example a five-dollar bill. Although in British English this is known as a note; a five-pound note.

This leads us on to the final false friend for today. If a note is paper money and sometimes just a little message scribbled on a piece of paper, what do you call the numbers on the report that your teachers send to your parents? These are called marks or grades.

So let's practise! What words do you need to use to fill in the following gaps? Answers in the comments box please.

1. Our electricity has been cut off because we forgot to pay the _______!

2. My numbers came up on the lottery but I couldn't claim my prize because my dog had eaten my ________!

3. If you haven't got the ________, we can't exchange or refund the trousers.

4. I followed the _________ perfectly. I don't understand how I messed up the cake!

5. My parents are going to kill me, my _____ are terrible!

6. I'll pay the ______ this time, next time we eat out, you can get it.

More Australian English

It hasn't been such a great Tour for the Aussies, but Australia's Special Broadcasting Service site has some excellent coverage of the different stages and the Tour in general, including video and audio. There are also some hilarious short promotional videos by one of my favourite [AmEng favorite] riders, sprinter Robbie McEwen, who unfortunately is out of the race at this stage.

Listen up!

Fancy a bit of listening pratice?

The Australia network has some short videos called The Business of English. As the name suggests, they're role plays on business-related subjects. They can be watched in your browser and are accompanied by a tapescript. A good chance to practice your listening skills, here an accent you probably don't get much opportunity to listen to and get a bit of business vocabulary.

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Canada's national holiday, Canada Day.

To celebrate, why not read up on Canadian English, eh? You could also check out the NHL Web site. Or even treat your friends to a rousing rendition of Oh, Canada!

For a French version of the country, why not plan a trip to Montréal?