Popular idioms

1. TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

It means to think imaginatively using new ideas instead of traditional or expected ideas. This idiom comes from the fact that a box, with its rigidity and squareness, symbolises constrained and unimaginative thinking.

Example: These people at Apple are incredibly creative - they really know how to think out of the box.

2. OUT OF THE BLUE

If something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and you are not expecting it. It means at a completely unexpected time. You can use it when you are surprised by something that was not expected to happen. The meaning of the word “blue” is revealed by a longer (but much less common) version of the idiom: out of a clear blue sky. “The blue” refers to the blueness of the sky.

Example : Then one day, completely out of the blue, I had a letter from her.

3. A KNEE-JERK REACTION

It is used for an automatic or reflex reaction; an immediate reaction made without examining causes or facts. It comes from the tendency of the knee to jerk involuntarily when hit sharply, properly called the patellar reflex. Some doctors will test your reflexes that way. So we can say that someone has a knee-jerk reaction when they act after an event without thinking carefully. Usually about an opinion or a statement.

Example : He decided to leave his wife after he saw her having a drink with another man but it was a knee-jerk reaction. He will be back.

4. TO HOLD YOUR HORSES

If someone tells you to hold your horses, you are doing something too fast and they would like you to slow down. It means wait a minute or hold on a minute! Don't go too fast! To relax and try to be patient!  This idiom originates in the United States of America in the 19th century and is historically related to horse riding, or driving a horse-drawn vehicle. When a horse gets nervous or excited or is in a hurry to leave, you have to hold on to its reins.

Example: Now, please hold your horses and let me explain.

5. TO BE DOWN IN THE MOUTH

It means to be acting in a depressed way. To be sad. If someone is down in the mouth, they look unhappy.

Example: I’m sorry I’ve been so down in the mouth lately. I’m just upset because my girlfriend left me.

6. WARTS AND ALL

If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses, .including all faults or other unpleasant facts. Etymology: It comes from the fact that warts (small, hard lumps that grow on the skin) are thought of as being ugly.

Example :  Rather unwisely, they decided to buy the house, warts and all.

7. ON THE BACK BURNER

If a plan or a project is on the back burner, it isn't being worked on at present, but it might be completed in the future.  Out of the way; aside and out of consideration. The origin is probably metaphorical, from cooking and the fact that most stoves have front and back burners. Front burners are used for things that need attention now, while back burners are for things that don't need much attention just now.

Example: Plans for the new factory have been put on the back burner until the economy improves.

8. TO SAVE SOMETHING FOR A RAINY DAY

It means to keep something, especially money, for a time in the future when it might be needed. To provide contingency funds for when times are tough. There's no clear answer to when this expression began (some have traced it back to the 16th century), but it is clear that a “rainy day” is the symbol of gloom. Sometimes used with verbs other than save. (Keep, Hold something back, Put something aside...)

Example : I have always tried to save a couple of thousand pounds for a rainy day.

9. UP-AND-COMING

If someone's up-and-coming, they show signs of being successful in their profession. To be likely to succeed; bright and industrious.  To be about to become important, and well known.

Example :  For me Russell Tovey is an up–and–coming young British actor.

10. TO BEAT THE CLOCK

It means to do something before a deadline. To finish before the time is up. (It alludes to accomplishing something before a clock reaches a specific time.)

Example: They managed to beat the clock and arrive a few minutes before the film started

11. TO BE STUCK IN A RUT

It means to do the same things all the time so that you become bored, or to be in a situation where it is impossible to make progress.  To be in a boring, repetitive, unchanging habit pattern of life with little change in the future.

Example:  Samantha felt that she was stuck in a rut, so she decided to go back to University to study English literature.

12. TO DOT YOUR I'S AND CROSS YOUR T'S

When writing, many people complete a word before returning to dot the 'i's and cross the 't's. Someone in a rush might neglect to complete the task. The phrase has been extended to any job, not just writing. So it means to do something very carefully and in a lot of detail. To deal with all the details when you are finishing something. To be meticulous and precise or to take care of every detail, even minor ones.

Example: Before you turn in your homework, make certain you dot your i’s and cross your t’s.  Our teacher doesn’t like misspelling and errors.

13. A MUG'S GAME

If something is a mug's game, it's something only a stupid person would do. (A mug is slang for a fool).  It comes from the Scandinavian word mugg/mugge (drinking cup). In earlier times drinking cups were adorned with grotesque faces, which resulted in the various senses of the word, nouns (face, dupe, thug) and verbs (to assault, to make faces, to photograph). It is an activity that will not make you happy or successful or an activity in which it is foolish to engage because it is likely to be unsuccessful or dangerous. A mug is a person who is easily deceived.

Example: I used to be a heavy gambler, but not any more. It's only a mug's game.

14. TO BE LIKE A DOG WITH TWO TAILS

It means to look and be very happy. To be very excited. It is used to emphasize how delighted someone is.

Example:  John's been like a dog with two tails ever since she got his promotion.

15. A BIG CHEESE

We use this idiom to talk about an important, successful, or influential person.The boss, the key figure, the leader.The phrase seems to have come from, literally, a very large wheel of cheese. After President Jefferson was given one of Cheshire in 1802, other dairies made and displayed huge wheels for publicity purposes. The cheeses attracted lots of attention, and so it wasn't much of a jump to referring to someone who attracted attention as a “big cheese.” Although some have suggested that “cheese” came from the Hindu word “chiz,” for “thing” that the British heard as “cheese,” no paper trail exists to show that Americans started using the phrase though any transatlantic connection. Similar “big” phrases are more common, such as big deal and big wheel.

Example: He thinks he's a big cheese just because he's got a business card.

The Callan Method of Teaching English

The Callan Method is a form of what is known as ‘direct method’ language teaching, which means that the lesson is taught only in English, and not in the student’s language. Direct methods have been used for over a hundred years to teach English, and the Callan Method developed from this tradition.

There being much controversy on the method, I decided to search the internet for a kind of clarification. And voila (вуаля!), here are some thoughts  about the pros and cons of the method (from a discussing forum), which, I dare to conclude, are the most typical from what I have read so far on the topic.

A TEACHER SAYS: I have been teaching for about three years with the method now. I am also a CELTA qualified teacher and have used a variety of approaches in various countries. I am currently teaching at a school using this method. 

There are certainly many pro's and con's in this method. As we have seen from previous posts, the method is restrictive and tiring to both students and teachers. Creativity is discouraged and it is almost exclusively speaking-based learning. Teacher are seldom qualified teachers as the training takes only one week, and because everything is scripted, a knowledge of grammar is not required. The only requirement for a teacher is to be a native speaker who speaks clearly. (This is not always true for schools outside the UK). As I did my training at the Callan School in London, I use this as my base. 

Some good points of the method for the teacher is that there is no need for lesson preparation, not a lot to learn for novice teachers and constant interaction with students. 

My personal opinion is a bit divided. Although I use the method at the moment, I have found that the method is incredibly effective with beginners, but do not offer a solid base at higher levels where communication rather than accurate speech is required. 

With the Callan Method, students do not hear the natural rhythm of English but are rather drilled in the correct pronunciation, word order etc. 

The method is approx 40 years old and many of the questions in the book are outdated and some material at the higher levels of Book 6 & 7 even show Robin Callan as a women-hating, racist character. Also some of the material in the book takes a quite morbid (ненормальний) view on life. 

The method is structured in a way so as student can gradually pick up the 2000 or so most commonly used words in English. By forcing students to speak and correcting constantly, students learn very quickly at beginner level. 

From a business perspective though, the Callan Method is great. Minimum input with maximum rewards. The cost of classes are lower as teachers are not qualified and are paid below the average. As many as 14 students can be put into one class and not material other than the books are needed. The initial cost of setting up a school is limited to a couple of chairs and a lecture. 

I do not think that this method is designed to give student a good grounding in English. The more I teach it the more I realize that it was designed with economic benefit in mind. That being said, classes are usually cheaper than at other schools, so students tend to flock to the schools. 

I do not like the method because I do not think it is the best approach available. Why do I teach it then? Well I am a part-time teacher and very pressed for time so I do not have a lot of time to prepare lessons. I like the idea that I can come in to school 10 minutes before my lesson, look at the pages to be taught and go teach them. I have used other approaches as well and are gradually suggesting them to our director as an alternative for higher level students. 

What countries in Europe speak English

Whether you're backpacking in Barcelona, skiing in Switzerland, or dining in Dubrovnik, it's probably a good idea to learn a few essential phrases in the local language. Or, at the very least, learn the word for beer -- and how to say it properly. But even if you're lazy or just flat out inept with languages, there are still quite a few places you can get away with speaking only English (without looking like a complete American idiot abroad).

This handy map -- compiled by Czech linguist Jakub Marian -- displays which European countries are most proficient in English, and where you're likely to find a local that can hold an entire conversation with you. Marian used data collected by the "Special Eurobarometer 386" report.

As expected, you'll find English speakers in the UK and Ireland (duh), though their accents might actually make them incomprehensible. But in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, more than 80% of the population are well-versed in English. And a vast amount of the population in Austria, Cyprus, and Finland, where more than 70% will be able to understand you, are your next best bets. You probably won't even need any liquid courage to strike up a conversation!

As Marian points out on his website, "almost all EU citizens have had at least some contact with English during their life". But that doesn't necessarily mean the four people who live in the tiny Spanish town you're hiking through are going to be able to help you find your way back to your hostel. In fact, just 22% of the Spanish population can hold a conversation in the current lingua franca. But Spain's not the worst place to be without a phrasebook; that'd be Hungary, where just 20% can chat in English -- making it the European country least proficient in the language.

Good thing Hungarian is really easy to learn.

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