Idioms:

It’s all Greek to me

Idiomatische Wendungen sind Bestandteil jeder Sprache. Nur leider ist ihre Bedeutung für Nichtmuttersprachler oft schwer verständlich. Testen Sie mit diesen Übungen, wie

gut Sie mit englischen Wendungen zurechtkommen.

1. Here’s to you! (10 points)

At the beginning of the New Year’s reception, Woollen’s CEO, Henry Carter, gives a review of the past year. Fill in the missing vowels in the words in bold.

“Welcome, everybody, to this New Year’s reception. A lot has happened since we met here a year ago. We had a very (A) r gh r d from January to June, and some of our competitors hoped that it would be (B) c rt ns for Woollen. Of course, we had to overcome some

(C) b mps in the road. But each one of you put your (D) h rt nd s l into your work, and your efforts (E) b r fr t.

If we all roll up our (F) sl v s, there will be more than just a (G) r y fh p that we soon stand out from the (H) cr wd again. To make a (I) l ng st ry sh rt: a year ago, they were painting a (J) gr m p ct r of our future, but we have managed to get through our troubles intact. So, I’d like to raise my glass and thank you for the great job you’ve all done this past year. Cheers!”

2. It’s all right for you! (6 points)

Julia Rawling, who works in customer service, was invited to say a few words about her job. She has written down some thoughts and now reads them to her colleagues. Choose the right option from the words in bold.

“Those who say that working in customer service is like (A) shooting/catching fish in a barrel: • have never been (B) snowed under / flooded over; • have never dealt with customers who were as stubborn as a (C) donkey/mule; • have never sat next to a phone that was ringing off the (D) hook/line; • and have never had to answer questions that are a real pain in the (E) neck/stomach.

Well, I work in customer service and I like my work, come rain or (F) sun/shine!”

3. Help is at hand (5 points)

Bill Norton coordinates production at Woollen Ltd. Here, he is talking about the current situation in the mills and workshops. Match each sentence from A to E with a sentence from 1 to 5.

A. As you all know, our machines are quite old, and some of them can no longer be used.

B. We will not be able to work while the old machines are being replaced. So we will have to get help elsewhere.

C. Although we are already in contact with a renowned textile factory near Lisbon, this issue has not been decided yet.

D. But as our deadlines are very tight, we cannot wait too long.

E. Mr Carter himself has promised to take care of this issue immediately.

1. This means that we will have to farm out part of the production, possibly to Portugal.

2. This means that the writing’s on the wall and something has to be done soon.

3. This means that we have to weed them out and replace them with new ones.

4. So this idea is still

half-baked.

5. This means that we mustn’t let the grass grow under our feet.

4. They got the boot (6 points)

Mark Thunders and Carol White are both members of the works council. They are discussing what the company’s head of HR, Christine Johnson, has told them about the current staff situation. Choose the right words to complete the sentences.

Mark: Christine was as tough as usual. If she really thinks all our staff are the (A) cream/top of the crop, why did she say that management had to separate the wheat from the

(B) chaff/straw last March?

Carol: I think the problems were caused by the

(C) elephant/wildcat strike by some people from production at the beginning of the year. Mark: That’s what she called it! But didn’t they have every right to go on strike? They had worked their fingers to the (D) bone/nails to meet the deadlines. They even worked on Saturdays. And to sweeten the (E) cake/pill, she had promised a bonus to everybody who put in extra hours. But they never got the money.

Carol: She should be more careful with what she says. Nowadays, qualified people are very difficult to find. It’s like looking for a () (F) needle/pin p in a haystack. y

5. What’s it all about? (8 points)

Gary Smith from the PR department answers questions from the staff. Complete each idiom with the correct form of one of the verbs in the list.

Gary Smith: As you all know, there have been quite a lot of rumours about the company’s financial situation. Although it is true that we are not exactly (A) in it at the moment, it is simply not true that our female workers (B) peanuts.

Question: Some news media have reported that the company

(C) the books and that the CEO wanted to (D) his own nest. What do you say to that?

Gary Smith: This is what one of our competitors maintained. But they (E) through their teeth. When we asked them to prove this, they didn’t have a leg to

(F) on.

Question: Can’t you stop such false rumours by taking legal action?

Gary Smith: We tried to, but they have their headquarters somewhere in Asia, and the authorities there

(G) a blind eye so far. It’s like (H) to a brick wall.

• cook

• feather • lie

• pay

• roll

• stand

• talk

• turn

6. A light-bulb moment (7 points)

Karen Myers and Ralph Thurber from R&D are talking about their latest achievements. Choose the right option from the list to complete the English idiom that corresponds to each German phrase in brackets.

Karen: Last Monday was truly a

(A) ( ein ganz besonderer Tag sein) day for all of us, wasn’t it?

Ralph: It sure was! It was the crowning achievement of two and a half years of working (B)

( auf Hochtouren arbeiten) to develop and test this new material.

Karen: That’s true. In the beginning, we hit a (C) ( auf Schwierigkeiten stoßen) and, twice, we had to start again from (D)

( ganz von vorne anfangen).

Ralph: But Susan was really great! She put on her (E)

( scharf nachdenken) — and then she set the wheels in (F) ( die Dinge ins Rollen bringen).

Karen: I think it was good that we kept our research work under

(G) ( geheim halten), as everyone was surprised when we presented our innovation.

• flat out

• motion

• red-letter

• scratch

• snag

• thinking

cap

• wraps

7. Let’s step on it! (8 points)

At the end of the official part of the reception, Henry Carter, the company’s CEO, discusses the prospects for the coming year. The verbs in bold have been put in the wrong sentence. Place them in the correct idiom.

“And now, I’d like to (A) put you all up to speed on the prospects for the coming year.

As with other textile companies, we could (B) sell the pinch in the next year. We have therefore decided to (C) drum our belts and (D) hit the extension of our mills on the back burner for a while.

For the next two years, our order books are more or less full, as we were able to (E) bring up business from a fashion- store chain in Italy. And I’m sure that our new fashion line will

(F) go like hotcakes elsewhere, too.

I really appreciate your willingness to (G) feel the extra mile when times were hard in the past year. Let’s

(H) tighten the ground running again this year. Thank you!”