Idioms Part 13 (Animals Turkey - Worms) Interactive Game

      

Click on the image to begin the game. Match the meanings of the idioms to the dots on their left, and match the vocabulary to the images.

Note that for your scores to be recorded, you would need to register (it's free, no strings attached, no spam) at Purpose Games, where the game is hosted.

These are the idioms tested in this game:

talk turkey

We say we're talking turkey when we're discussing something seriously.

on a wing and a prayer

To do something on a wing and a prayer is to do something with only the slightest hope of succeeding, often in a desperate situation. This expression actually came from a WWII patriotic song which went something like this:

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer

What a show, what a fight, boys

We really hit our target for tonight

How we sing as we limp through the air

Look below, there’s our field over there

Though there’s one motor gone

We can still carry on

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer.

This expression is often used wrongly with wing being substituted by whim or wink: on a whim and a prayer.

in the wings

The wings in a theatre are the left and right side of the stage where, unseen by the audience, performers wait for their turn to get on stage. So, when someone's in the wings, it means that they are ready to be called upon to do something when needed.

While we're on the subject of wings, you may also have heard the expression "wing it". This means to do something without proper preparation:

During my speech at the conference yesterday, the computer suddenly broke down, so I had to wing it without my PowerPoint presentation.

keep the wolf from the door

If you keep the wolf from the door, you manage to ward off poverty or hunger.

throw to the wolves

When you throw someone to the wolves, you send them to a terrible fate. You put them in a situation where you don't protect them, and where they are attacked or criticized.

You can also be thrown/tossed/fed to the lions, or to the dogs.

the worm turns

This comes from an old proverb, 'Tread on a worm and it will turn'. This means that someone who has been treated badly for a long time decides that he will no longer accept the provocation and starts defending himself.

It is often used as 'even the worm will turn'.

a can of worms

This is often used with 'open' as in, 'Oops, you've just opened a can of worms!'

Cans of worms used to be sold as fishing bait (I'm not sure if they still are). Imagine opening one. Yuck! All those wriggly things creeping out, and it's just impossible to close the lid on them again!

Well, it's like that. When you open a can of worms, you release a host of problems or complications, often quite controversial.

Be sure to check out the rest in this series:

Part 1 (Transport)
Part 2 (Animals Ants - Birds)
Part 3 (Animals Bees - Cats)
Part 4 (Animals Dogs)
Part 5 (Animals Elephant - Flea)
Part 6 (Animals Fly - Hawk)
Part 7 (Animals - Horses)
Part 8 (Animals - Horses Part 2)
Part 9 (Animals Kittens - Lions)
Part 10 (Animals Monkeys - Pigs)
Part 11 (Animals Pigeons - Rats)

Part 12 (Animals Rats - Tails)

Objects in the House Part 4: Kitchen-1 (Tagging Game)

Identify these objects as quick as you can. Register at Purpose Games (it's free; no spam) and keep track of your scores.

This is Part 4 of the Objects in the House series, and part 1 of Kitchen Objects.

Others in this Objects Around The House series:

Part One: Bathroom
Part Two: Bedroom
Part Three: Living Room

You may also like this one: Cooking verbs

Idioms Part 12 (Animals Rats-Tails) Interactive Game

      

This time, I feel generous, and I'll explain the meaning of the idioms first. If you think you know them, you can skip the explanation and go straight to the game.

Match the meanings of the idioms to the dots on the left, and match the vocabulary to the images.

Note that for your scores to be recorded, you would need to register (it's free, no strings attached, no spam) at Purpose Games, where the game is hosted.

smell a rat

Dogs used to be used to hunt and destroy rats probably because of their strong sense of smell. Hence this expression is used when one senses that something is not quite right.

separate the sheep from the goats

This expression comes from the Bible. Sheep were potrayed as gentle creatures while goats were unruly, so we use this idiom to express the idea of separating something positive from something negative, e.g. the clever from those who aren't.

a wolf in sheep's clothing

This phrase appeared both in Aesop's Fables and the Bible and is used to speak of someone who pretends to be good or friendly, when he is actually the opposite.

a snake in the grass

If you see a snake in the grass, you'd be very careful, wouldn't you? We use this idiom to refer to someone we can't trust, someone who is capable of deceit.

the tail wagging the dog

When someone diverts attention from something important to something less important, we can say he's wagging the dog.

It is also used to say that a situation is crazy because something less important is controlling something which is far more important.

with your tail between your legs

When a dog is defeated by a stronger dog, it backs away with its tail between its legs; so, this idiom is used to denote that you feel ashamed because you have been defeated.

Be sure to check out the rest in this series:

Part 1 (Transport)
Part 2 (Animals Ants - Birds)
Part 3 (Animals Bees - Cats)
Part 4 (Animals Dogs)
Part 5 (Animals Elephant - Flea)
Part 6 (Animals Fly - Hawk)
Part 7 (Animals - Horses)
Part 8 (Animals - Horses Part 2)
Part 9 (Animals Kittens - Lions)
Part 10 (Animals Monkeys - Pigs)
Part 11 (Animals Pigeons - Rats)

Objects in the House Part 3: Living Room/Lounge (Tagging Game)

Identify these objects as quick as you can. Register (it's free; no spam) and keep track of your scores.

      

Others in this Objects Around The House series:

Part One: Bathroom
Part Two: Bedroom

Idioms Part 11 (Animals Pigeons - Rats) Interactive Game

      

As usual, check the exact meaning of the idioms if you aren't sure as, sometimes, I have to condense the clue for it to fit in the box.

Match the meanings of the idioms to the dots on the left, and match the vocabulary to the images.

Note that for your scores to be recorded, you would need to register (it's free, no strings attached, no spam) at Purpose Games, where the game is hosted.

Be sure to check out the rest in this series:

Part 1 (Transport)
Part 2 (Animals Ants - Birds)
Part 3 (Animals Bees - Cats)
Part 4 (Animals Dogs)
Part 5 (Animals Elephant - Flea)
Part 6 (Animals Fly - Hawk)
Part 7 (Animals - Horses)
Part 8 (Animals - Horses Part 2)
Part 9 (Animals Kittens - Lions)
Part 10 (Animals Monkeys - Pigs)
Part 11 (Animals Pigeons - Rats)

Building a school from the ground up

I've been a long-time fan of Playing for Change, a fan of their music, a fan of their projects. Amidst the never-ending chaos in the world, it's always heartening to hear that someone somewhere is doing their bit to make the world a more tolerable place for future generations, to instil some hope in our children, the future leaders of our planet.

      

Out of Respect: Respectful or Disrespectful?

Today, when I translated 'por respeto a alguien' as 'out of respect for someone', a couple of my students expressed extreme surprise at the word 'out'. Of course, I had never thought about it before, but, yes, they got me thinking. They were right in saying that it didn't make sense to them.

We use 'out' as the opposite of 'in':

 I walked out of the room in a hurry.

 He threw the ring out of the window.

Or to mean 'none left':

 We've run out of coffee.

So, if anything, out of respect, they reasoned, would actually mean no respect.

I couldn't really explain why that wasn't so other than it's a fixed expression. Another frustration.

'Out of' in this phrase actually means 'because of'. Apart from respect, we can also use it with other words of feeling or attitude such as curiosity, interest and pity.

Examples:

 Out of consideration for her sister, she refused to go out with him.

 She stuck by me out of pity, and not because she agreed with me.

 Out of respect for their Muslim friends, they didn't serve any pork.

 I went to the concert out of sheer curiosity rather than anything else.

Air Travel Vocabulary Interactive Game

I decided to create this game when I had a memory lapse earlier today, and I couldn't remember the word 'hold', meaning the compartments in aircraft (also ships and buses) designed to hold your luggage and other cargo. Isn't it just embarrassing and frustrating when that happens in class?

You may also like these:

http://aclil2climb.blogspot.com/2010/03/at-airport-putting-dialogue-in-sequence.html
http://aclil2climb.blogspot.com/2010/11/dialogue-at-airport-check-in-desk.html
http://aclil2climb.blogspot.com/2010/11/dialogue-at-passport-control-matching.html