Today’s edition is all about expressions and sayings, as you already know, we native speakers love using them.  English is a very rich and colourful language which is made that bit brighter by using expressions and sayings. As a learner of English, not only is it important to be able to understand some of them, but it is also important to be able to use them too. 

If you want to use idioms, expressions, or sayings when communicating in English, try and learn just a few and use them. When you know them and can use them well, learn a few more and repeat the cycle. You will find that you will like some of them more than others! Those are the ones to learn. Remember to learn what is relevant to you and what you like to use. 

It’s interesting that in some cases, some idioms and expressions, such as “crocodile tears” or “Achilles’ heel” seem to have been “globalised” and appear in many world languages, while others are particular to their own language and don’t translate directly into others.

I don’t know if you are like me, but I am fascinated by the origins of expressions and sayings, things we say every day but don’t really know why. So many of the expressions we use have a really interesting history and that is what I would like to tell you about today. I have chosen 8 really common expressions/idioms to tell you about because the story behind them, in my opinion, is curious, to say the least.  

A little history behind 8 interesting sayings and expressions: 

1. To cost an arm and a leg- meaning something is extremely expensive. 

There are several possible origins of this idiom but the most plausible may be this version due to the fact that the phrase seems to have come into the English language after the war. 

When soldiers arrived back from the war without limbs such as their legs or arms, the war was said to have cost them an arm and a leg. Literally. They paid a high price fighting for their country. 

2. Crocodile Tears - this expression is used to describe fake crying. 

Many moons ago, it was thought that crocodiles cried when they ate, perhaps because they felt bad about killing their prey. However, that is not the case. Science has recently proved the real reason for crocodile tears. It is said that crocodiles can’t sweat. For this reason, they release tears from their eyes in order to remove excess salt from their bodies! So, when crocodiles cry, they are not sad at all they are just getting rid of salt. 

3. Achilles’ heel  - This idiom is used to talk about a weak point or something vulnerable.

The Styx river, in Greek Mythology, was thought to give anyone touched by the water an incredible amount of power and make them almost untouchable. Achilles’ mother, Thetis, dipped him in the river but in order to not drop him, she held him by the heel. This was the only part of his body that didn’t touch the water. This meant that his heel was weak, it was his weak point. According to Greek Mythology, later in life, Achilles was shot in the heel by an arrow and died. 

 4. To let the cat out of the bag - to reveal a secret: 

This idiom goes back to Medieval times. People used to buy things at the market and it was very common to be deceived by the market sellers. One of the most common tricks played on innocent buyers had to do with cats and piglets! Those who wanted to buy a piglet were often shown a piglet but then the sellers would turn their backs when the buyer wasn’t really paying attention and instead of putting the chosen piglet into the bag, they would replace it with a cat! So when the buyer got home and opened the bag, they would find the cat. The cat would be let out of the bag. The secret would be revealed! 

5. To be as mad as a hatter: to describe someone who is crazy and behaves in an unpredictable way. 

You must all know the story of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and you will know the Hatter. Why do we use this expression? Well, in the Middle Ages, hatmakers used a very poisonous substance called mercurous nitrate to make hats. The acid had irreparable consequences on their health and it caused them to shake. People considered hatters to be a bit crazy because of these symptoms and the erratic way in which they began to behave over time.  

6. Freelancer - a self-employed person.

This expression is now used in many languages to talk about a self-employed person. In the Middle Ages, soldiers were often needed to fight. A soldier who was hired for a particular battle or job was a “free-lancer”. 

7. To be given the sack - to lose your job 

In times gone by, craftsmen and traders would not stick around in the same job for long and they would move about from place to place working here and there. In order to be able to move freely around and to make their lives easier, they carried their tools around in sacks. 

Normally, when they began a new job, their employer would put the sack away until they needed it to move on to another job. When they were literally given the sack it was because their services were no longer needed. 

8. To be fired - to lose your job (for doing something bad) 

This is similar to the explanation above but, when the worker had done something bad the employer would not return the tools or sack to the employee. They would be burnt so that the worker had no possibility of being able to go and work somewhere else.

TEXT VOCABULARY

Limbs - Arms / Legs

Many moons ago - A long time ago

Release - to allow something to be free / to let liquid flow

Getting rid - To get rid of something - To remove something you no longer want

Weak - The opposite of strong

Dip - to put something into liquid for a short time. He dips his biscuits in his tea.

Drop - to let something fall

Heel - the back part of the foot

Arrow - a weapon which is shot using a bow, made of a long stick and a pointy end

Deceived - to hide the truth from someone

Piglet - A baby pig

Pay attention - to take notice of something

Replace - to substitute

Poisonous - toxic

Erratic - unpredictable

In times gone by - in the past

Craftsmen - a skilled person who makes things by hand

Traders - a person who buys and sells goods

Put the sack away - To put something away - (separable) - to put something in its place

LISTENING PRACTICE

There is no doubt in my mind that English is hard to learn. It’s a crazy language where there are rules but many exceptions. The spelling of words has nothing to do with their pronunciation. I feel your pain as an English learner. This video may give you an insight into why Engish is just so crazy! Due to all our invasions throughout history, it seems that we have taken things from so many languages and made a hybrid language out of all of them which is known today as English: 

This video may give you an insight into why English is just so crazy! It’s not you, it’s English in itself! 

A brief history of the English language

CURIOUS FACTS ABOUT ENGLISH

* The shortest sentence in English is: “I am.”

* There are no words in the English language that rhyme with:

Month, queue, purple, silver, or orange

* The most common letter in the English language is “E”

* Queueing is the only word with 5 consecutive vowels in English.

* English is the official language of 67 countries

* There is no official organisation that organises English.

* Shakespeare added over 1000 words to the English Language 

PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE

Listen to the audio podcast to correct your pronunciation mistakes with these words.

CRocodile - /ˈkrɒkədaɪl/

Bag -/bæɡ/

Leg - /leɡ/

Egg - /eg/

Pig - /pɪɡ/

Mug - /mʌɡ/

Heel - /hiːl/

Hill - /hɪl/

That’s all for this week folks! Thanks so much for reading and listening. I hope you enjoyed this week’s Woodside Weekly. If you did, please like and share with friends and family. Your support means a lot!

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