Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s see if I can name a few proverbs “off the cuff” since I haven’t prepared for it.
English expressions with “pants” |
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes say that people who are restless or nervous have “ants in their pants.” They might also “fly by the seat of their pants” -- they use their natural sense to do something instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may “get caught with their pants down” -- they are found doing something they should not be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do. Then we say “she wears the pants in the family.” |
When people want to say something about money |
Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spent quickly can “burn a hole in your pocket.” Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to “tighten your belt” -- you may have to live on less money and spend your money carefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you will have that skill “under your belt.” I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. I really “take my hat off to them.” Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it “at the drop of a hat” -- immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannot “pull money out of a hat” -- you cannot get money by inventing or imagining it. |
English expressions with “shoes” |
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are “too big for their boots” think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I really do. You can bet your boots on that! Yet, truly important people are hard to replace. Rarely can you “fill their shoes” -- or replace them with someone equally effective. |
English expressions with “shirt” |
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real “stuffed shirt.” But I know that my father “wears his heart on his sleeve” -- he shows his feelings openly. And, he knows how to “keep his shirt on” -- he stays calm and never gets angry or too excited. |
. What is this passage mainly about?
A.How to say English correctly and properly. |
B.Why English expressions include words about clothes. |
C.Which words can be used to describe my father. |
D.What people mean when they use some proverbs. |
. Which of the following proverbs are not related to money?
A.tighten one’s belt | B.burn a hole in one’s pocket |
C.get caught with their pants down | D.take one’s hat off to them |
. Tim often considers himself the most important person in the world, which is far from the truth. We may say __________.
A.he is “too big for their boots”. | B.he “bet his boots on that”. |
C.he “fill their shoes”. | D.he “wears his heart on his sleeve”. |
If you want to praise somebody for his calmness when facing danger, you may say__________.
A.“You really fill your shoes.” |
B.“Awesome! You wear your heart on your sleeve!” |
C.“Amazing! How can you keep your shirt on at that time!” |
D.“Cool! You are truly a stuffed shirt”. |