In room 13, we have been discussing proverbs and idioms (also called cliches) during language time. We got into bus-stop groups and shared our ideas. We had some very interesting ideas, but finally figured out their real meanings.
Here are some that we talked about. Discuss them at home with your family and see what they think they mean. I would be interested in your parents' interpretations. Can you think of any more? PROVERBS
all that glitters is not gold
look before you leap
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
beauty is only skin deep
it's no use crying over spilt milk
when the cat's away the mice will play
forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest
don't count your chickens before they hatch
the language of truth is simple
many hands make light work
the early bird catches the worm
look before you leap
you can't judge a book by its covergreat minds think alike
IDIOMS
your eyes are bigger than your stomach
she has turned over a new leaf
I can see right through you
I bit off more than I could chew
he screamed his head off
I nearly jumped out of my skin
it's raining cats and dogs
I was beside myself
you let the cat out of the bag
sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me posted by Mrs P :)
Dear Mrs Penberthy,
ReplyDeleteMy mum and I thought of another proverb:
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"
which means that sometimes it is better to be happy with what you already have.
and another idiom:
"Kill two birds with one stone" which means trying to do two things at once with the same effort.
Have we put them in the correct categories?
P.S. Last comment was from Isaac.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased you realised that you had not signed your name and sent another message. I was wondering who had written it! hmmmm I reckon that "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" is a proverb and yes "killing two birds with one stone" - I had that one in our idioms list at school. Proverbs give a wise message and idioms are just a 'saying' really (not literal). Many cliches or idioms are specific to each culture. It is important for people who come to live in another country to learn the idioms of that country/culture. When my mother was learning English (she came from Hungary in 1956) she had to learn heaps of idioms specific to NZ. She told me that once she went to a party and was asked to 'bring a plate' so that is exactly what she did, she brought a plate - she did not know that she had to have food on it! She was so embarrassed, but she did not know the meaning of that idiom. Quite funny really. I know a really nice Ethiopian proverb, I will tell you tomorrow Isaac. from Mrs P :)
ReplyDeleteIsaac, I wonder if maybe you could write a wee story with some idioms and proverbs in it. No rush, just a little challenge for you. Mrs P
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea - I will do it tomorrow as I am finishing off my music project today.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited Ireland the people there used lots of funny idioms that I didn't understand.
From Isaac
Dear Mrs P,
ReplyDeleteI wrote a blog about proverbs and idioms in my individual blog.
From Isaac