The puzzling world of idioms - Part 4 - C1+

Are you a little bit crazy? 

I mean in a good way... 

Some idioms can be used to describe someone acting crazy or that they could be simply bonkers! You can act crazy, which is of course temporary, but you could also be a crazy person. On one hand, being a crazy person is not necessarily a bad thing, there are people out there who like to have a good time and are fun to be around.  On the other hand we do have expressions which indicate that a person's behaviour is crazy in a bad way.

Here are some examples you could use...

'to lose the plot' - if you have 'lost the plot', you can no longer act normally.  This idiom has a serious side to it, we can use it to describe our brief moments of madness.
"Oh my! For a minute there I thought I had 'lost the plot' completely!"

'off your trolley' - Mostly used in jest. "Your cousin has completely gone off his trolley."

'basket case' - Mostly used in jest, but I have heard it used as an insult. "I want nothing to do with that man, he's a complete and utter 'basket case'!"

'screw loose' - Now this is quite a comical one, as you can imagine the human head as something mechanical, and one of the screws has come loose, meaning that the rest probably cannot operate normally with out it! "Are you sure you don't have a 'screw loose'?"

'taken leave of one's senses' - This is a more polite way of saying that the guys is clearly nuts!  "Have you taken leave of your senses? How on earth are you going to climb Mount Everest with one hand?"

Vocabulary

plot; (noun) the main events of a play, novel or film or similar work, devised and presented by the writer.

jest; (noun) a thing said  or done for amusement, a joke.

Some practice

Why don't you try using these expressions this week? 

Think of a person you would like to use these expressions with. Has someone been acting a little crazy this week?

Why not look for some more crazy idioms you like and write them in the comments section.

Would you like to improve your listening and speaking skills in English? If so, I am offering online classes... Why don't you try a class? The first one is free! Please contact Lisa lis.j.grant@gmail.com.

The puzzling world of idioms - Part 3. B2 +

Some more idioms and expressions which use food, but don't refer to food...

Chips!!

What are chips, exactly? Well, a chip can be an electronic chip which contains information, for example; My cat has had a chip inserted recently by the vet. Chips, can also be potato chips, or french fries (as the Americans like to call them). Wood chips are chips small bits of wood, especially ones that flake off when you cut into them.

A chip on your shoulder: Someone who has a bad attitude and is usually offended easily. Example; "I wouldn't ask Sandra to help out, she's got a real chip on her shoulder about about the whole event!"

As cheap as chips: Potato chips are usually cheap, except if you order them from an extremely classy restaurant! So, we use chips to refer to something cheap. Example; "The concert tickets were only two 'quid' each. That's as cheap as chips!"

Chip in: This means to contribute something, whether its money or some other kind of help. Example "We're thinking of getting a smart phone for John, would you mind chipping in 10 'quid'?"

A chip off the old block: To take after some one, but this refers more to boys who look like or act like their fathers.  Example "Michael is the 'spitting image' of his farther - That's true, he's a chip off the old block."

Vocabulary

Classy; (adj) elegant, stylish.

quid;(noun) slang for pound sterling, referring to money.

spitting image; (noun) likeness, a double, a look alike.

Student exercises:

Why don't you look for some other expressions, that contain the word chip?

If you would like to practise using these idioms, why don't you think of some more example?

Write a letter to a friend, and use all four idioms in the letter.

Would you like to improve your listening and speaking skills in English? If so, I am offering online classes... Why don't you try a class? The first one is free! Please contact Lisa lis.j.grant@gmail.com.