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*+%
!"#$%& ()* +,-. /0,"*-0& *-1$2 3*()-#-4 #"#$%& (-" ! 3#5* 0*(67#-4 07*%.
8$9*:*); 3*()-*)& *<=*)#*-6* ( )(-4* $+ =)$>3*%& 9#07 #"#$%& (& 07*2 ()* >$07
&2-0(60#6(332 (-" &*%(-0#6(332 6$%=3*< (-" 6,30,)(332 &*-&#0#:*. !- 07#& =)(60#6(3
&*&&#$-; ! 9#33 =)*&*-0 9(2& $+ $:*)6$%#-4 07*&* =)$>3*%&. ?7#& 9$)5&7$= #&
=()0#6,3()32 ,&*+,3 +$) 0*(67*)& $+ 7#47*) 3*:*3 3*()-*)& (307$,47 07* (60#:#0#*&
6(- >* ,&*" 9#07 (33 3*:*3&.
1he workshop ls based on a range of maLerlals. Pave a look aL lernando (2006) for an
exLenslve overvlew of ldloms and ldlomaclLy. See lru[o (1986) for pracucal ldeas on how Lo
Leach and revlse ldloms. lf you are lnLeresLed ln looklng up ldloms you could use Lhe lnLerneL
or !"#$%& (&)$*+ (1oby, 2001). 1here are plenLy of resources on Lhe lnLerneL and kavka's
arucle (2000) can be found onllne.
uavld kosLer
davpeLkos[hoLmall.com
8rauslava 2011
!"#$"%&'()*+,
lernando, C. (2006). (&)$*+ ,-& (&)$*,.)/01 Cxford: Cxford unlverslLy ress.
lru[o, S. (1986). 'A plece of cake: learnlng and Leachlng ldloms.' 2345 5$6%-,7 40/3: 236-242.
kavka, S. (2000). 'Some hlnLs on Lhe lmporLance of Leachlng ldlomaclLy (1). (Llngulsucs)' SLudla Angllca osnanlensla:
lnLernauonal revlew of Lngllsh SLudles. lSSn: 0081-6272.
1hornbury, S. (2002). 8$9 /$ 4:,.; <$.,=67,%01 Parlow: Longman.
1oby, !. (Ld.) (2001). !"#$%& (&)$*+> &).?$-,%0 #$% 7:,%-:%+ $# 2-@7)+;. Cxford: Cxford unlverslLy ress.
!
!"#$%$#& (#)*"+#&,
Couon, u., u. lalvey and S. kenL (2001). Motket leoJet uppet-lotetmeJlote cootse 8ook. Parlow: Longman.
uonna, S. (2000). 1eocb 8osloess oqllsb. Cambrldge: Cambrldge unlverslLy ress.
McCarLhy, M. and l. C'uell (2002) oqllsb lJloms lo use. Cambrldge: Cambrldge unlverslLy ress.
Cxenden, C. and C. LaLham-koenlg (2010). New oqllsb llle AJvooceJ 5toJeots' 8ook. Cxford: Cu.
A: English Idioms in Use p90
B: Market Leader Upper Intermediate p10
C: New English File Advanced p5
D: Based on an activity from S. Donna!s
Teach Business English

1. Let's do a _____
count.
check how many
people
2. It's a bit of a pain
in the _______.
nuisance / problem
3. I'm up to my
______ in work.
to be very busy
4. Put your _______
into it.
put in more effort
E: Taken from:
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/
20100323_Flash_mob_teens_face_the_music_at_Family_Court.html&term=face%20the
%20music&case=1
Flash mob teens ______________
at Family Court
By MENSAH M. DEAN Philadelphia Daily News
deanm@phillynews.com 215-854-5949
A FAMILY COURT judge yesterday ordered nine
of 11 teens accused of being flash-mob rioters to
be taken away in handcuffs. He gave another
home detention and he cleared the 11th -
arrested with somebody else's blood on his
hands - of all charges.
...
The teenagers who faced justice were arrested
for taking part in a Feb. 16 melee during which
upward of 150 youths stormed through the
Macy's at 13th and Market streets and a subway
concourse and threw snowballs at police officers
at 15th and John F. Kennedy Boulevard
!"#$%&%''($#)')&* #,-).)-/
Meaning
! 0
1%2- 34)56 1%2- 34)56
1 Iollow suit 6 make a killing
2 dropping the ball 7 call the shots
3 take the plunge 8 take the gloves oII
4 toe the line 9 bite the bullet
5 pass the buck 10 Iace the music
1. What do the idioms in group A have in common? Can you add an example to the list?
2. What do the idioms in group B have in common? Can you add an example to the list?
Appropriacy
3. n which contexts (informal, neutral, formal) can you use these idioms? E.g. Can you use
them in reports? Think also about factors like culture, dialect, nationality.
4. Can you keep on using idioms or do they have a use-by-date?
5. When can you use an idiom safely?
6. Which of the idioms above would you like to use?
Form
7. Use the words from the box to complete the following pairs of sentences and decide if it is
an idiom or not
A.
!"# #%&" '"%(" )*+,! % #-" .""/ )+! .+(" '"%/ /'0,!" /'011"#
Greek economic Iigures at the end oI last year and it will take years beIore it recovers. +.+21 3"4 5 ,2
Although they don't earn much money, John and Mary and bought a huge villa. +.+21 3"4 5 ,2
Richard and Jane and they are now on their honeymoon. +.+21 3"4 5 ,2
B.
!"#$ &'($ )*& "+ ", &-$./ )'./ "0 1$'&-$/ 2""11$+ 31"4$5 #.6$+5
AT&T and Verizon: in a battle Ior market share. idiom yes / no
The children _________________ and put them on the radiator to dry. idiom yes / no
8. What happens if you change the article or add an adjective to an idiom?
Phonology
9. Which words of the idioms above receives the main stress? The noun or the verb?
10. What happens to a, an and the when you say an idiom naturally?
Discovering appropriacy by looking at texts Irom diIIerent genres.
Students are asked to identiIy the genre oI the Iollowing texts.
Students look at the idioms which are in bold and inIer meaning.
Students discuss the Iollowing questions:
uo you llke Lhe ldloms from Lhe LexLs?
Pow can you nd ouL whaL Lhey mean?
ln whlch conLexLs (lnformal, neuLral, formal) can you use Lhese ldloms? L.g. Can you use Lhem ln reporLs?
1hlnk also abouL facLors llke culLure, dlalecL, nauonallLy.
Can you keep on uslng ldloms or do Lhey have a use-by-daLe?
When can you use an ldlom safely?
!"#$ &'( )*&+
Tom oIIers to pay Ior Justine's courses in the city with the money he earned Irom acting in the commercial. What a
sweetie, eh? However, Justine isn't that impressed, and Ieels that Tom's ,-&#./'0 1$- 23+4$. How can she let him down
gently?
5"-"'&3/"' 63-$$3
The Mike, Mark and LInda triangle's still going strong, and 2.&-72 &-$ 8$0/''/'0 3" 94+ between Linda and Mark's new
girlie, Claire. Eeek! Things aren't too good over at the Platt's either.
(Thornbury, 2002:127-128)
6"#$ 2#$44 & -&3 &2 6:;< 2&,72 /'=$23#$'3 ,">'2$4"-
"Something doesn't smell right," State Board oI Education member :"8 5-&/0, R-Dallas, complained Friday about his
colleagues ousting their investment counselor and hiring another company.
"I 2#$44 & -&3?" member Patricia Hardy, R-Fort Worth, added a Iew minutes later.
1exas ollucs (!uly 2009) 8eLrleved 23 Aprll, 2010 from: http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2009/07/post72.html
1. to beat about the bush SK chodit okolo horucej kase
lit. To go around the hot porridge
NL om de hete soep breien
lit. to knit around the hot soup
2. to smell a rat CZ nco tu smrdi
lit. something smells here
3. to have your Ioot in the door SK Jednou nohou si tam.
lit. With one leg you are there.
4. to miss the boat FR rater le coach
lit. to miss the coach
5. to pull someone's leg GR ooccc (douleuo kapoion)
lit. to work someone
CZ tahat nkoho za nos
lit. to pull someone's nose
!""#$%&' )* "#$%% %&'()*%+ ,- )./01$%+ 0#'0 /,1*2 3% 1+%2 .4 ' 5'(% ,- )%*('4.+( 6.2%'**7 0%4 0, -,1$0%%4 )'.$+89
to pull somebody's leg
literal figurative
to smell a rat
literal figurative
to get cold feet
literal figurative
17