3.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1: Body Idioms I

Body Idioms I

1.  To see eye to eye: To agree with someone completely

Husbands and wives don’t always see eye to eye about how to raise their children.  This can often cause arguments between parents.  My friend Roger and I are best friends, but we don’t always see eye to eye about some politicians.

2.  To toe the line: To do what is expected of you; to do what you are supposed to do; to act responsibly

My sons were always expected to toe the line when it came to school work and school behavior.  At work, employees must toe the line and obey the company rules if they want to keep their jobs.

3. To give someone the cold shoulder: To ignore someone; to act as if someone whom you know and were friends with did not exist; to show someone that you don’t like them or are angry with them

After the man got drunk and threw up at a party, the hostess was very angry with him and didn’t want to talk to him again, and she gave him the cold shoulder the next time she saw him.  My friend’s wife gave him the cold shoulder when he promised to clean up the kitchen before she and her guests came home, but he didn’t clean anything and the house was a mess when his wife and her guests arrived home.

4. To keep a straight face: To experience something that is funny and not laugh; to play a joke on someone and pretend to be serious, but really be trying very hard not to laugh

Sometimes when parents tell young children that they were very bad, the parents have a hard time keeping a straight face.  When telling children that Santa Clause will come down a chimney at Christmas with presents for them, it is hard to keep a straight face.  It is difficult to keep a straight face when talking to little children.  They are so cute that you can’t help but smile.

5. To take it on the chin: To suffer a big defeat or loss; often to lose at love or in business

The young man took it on the chin when his girlfriend told him that she didn’t want to marry him.  My friend took it on the chin when he lost a lot of money in the stock market on Wall Street.  My friends took it on the chin when their restaurant went out of business.  Very young children can often tell a lie with a straight face.

6. A brain freeze:  When a person can’t remember something easy to remember, it is called a brain freeze.  Sometimes brain freezes are caused by nervousness or surprise.

When the student stood in front of the class to make a presentation, he had a major brain freeze and couldn’t remember what he wanted to say.  He just stood in front of the class with his mind blank.  When the teacher saw one of his students at the Pike Place Market, he had a brain freeze and couldn’t remember the student’s name.

7. To breathe down someone's neck: To watch someone very carefully to make sure they don't make any mistakes or that they do exactly what you want

When my sons cook food at my house, my wife breathes down their necks to make sure they cook the food properly and don’t make a mess.  Most people hate it when someone breathes down their neck when they are working.

8. To hand it to someone: To give someone credit for something; to praise someone for doing something very well

I have to hand it to my students for how hard they work.  My students come to class almost every day, they also have to go to work, and they also have to take care of their families.  Life is hard, but they don’t often complain.  I had to hand it to my son when he got a job as a music composer right out of college.

9. To have two left feet: To be clumsy or awkward

When my friend dances, it looks like he has two left feet because he is such a bad dancer.  Most of the time when men need to change a baby’s diaper for the first few times, they have two left feet.  They don’t know how to do it, so it is a bad job.

10.  To let your hair down: To act in a relaxed manner; not to be uptight

Sometimes when some teachers are at school, they are very serious and students think that they are always serious.  However, when they are not in school, they joke around and are relaxed because they let their hair down.  I met a woman at a party recently who seemed very serious, but after she had drunk a couple of alcoholic drinks, she let her hair down and had a good time.

11. A bonehead or a bonehead idea or move: A stupid person or a stupid idea or doing something stupid

My friend is a real bonehead when he talks about politics because he actually believes what many politicians say.  It was a bonehead move when the boy put oil in the radiator instead of water.

12. To be or to act underhanded: To be deceitful or to act deceitfully; to cheat another person in a very low manner

Before I moved into my house, my next-door-neighbor moved the property line marker because he wanted to take some of my land.  Two old ladies who lived across the street came to my house when I moved in and told me that he had acted in an underhanded manner.  Some used car dealers are underhanded when they sell cars that are not good but they tell customers that the cars are running very well.