Weather Idioms 1. To feel under the weather: To be ill. 2. To make heavy weather of something: To take more effort than is necessary to do something. 3. To weather the storm: To manage to deal with and come through a difficult period. 4. To feel right as rain: To feel very well, yourself. Can be used to describe the full recovery of someone. 5. A rainy day: Used to explain you are keeping some money back for when you will need it. 6. To take a rain check: To stop, and wait before doing something because it isn t convenient right now. 7. Come rain or shine: Whatever happens 1. Replace the words in brackets with a suitable idiom. A. He [is a little ill] at the moment that s why he can t come to the pub tonight. B. We ll have to [postpone the meeting and have it again some time in the future.] 2. Complete A. Look, the bank is on our backs and the suppliers won t touch us right now but if we can.. I think we can turn things around. B. Phil has of washing the car; it took him all morning to do it! C. Look make yourself a hot cup of milk and put some honey in it and you ll in the morning. D. Knowing your luck, it s best you save that money for a.. E. Well I still don t feel. after the flu so can we and meet next week instead? F.. he always finds time to clean his car at the weekend.
Try these! 1. To be snowed under: to have a mountain of work to do, too much of something to deal with. Since we asked for some help for our local charity we have been snowed under with all the requests and letters of support. 2. It cuts no ice: it has no effect/ influence on me. It cuts no ice with me that he is a politician and an local aristocrat; he s flesh and bones like the rest of us. 3. To be skating on thin ice: to be taking a big risk of getting into trouble. He d better be careful that s the third time this week he s arrived late to the office after refusing to work on that project. He s really skating on thin ice now. 4. To put it on ice: to put a plan on hold. You know your plan to take next week off for a well earnt holiday? Yes. Well, it s best you put it on ice for now: there is too much work coming in. 5. To break the ice: To do something that will enable strangers become acquainted with each other. Let s break the ice by going round and introducing ourselves to each other then we can get down to business. 6. The tip of the ice-berg: Just a small part of something much bigger. You heard about that scandal with the politician and his wife getting that job in his town council alongside him? Yes. Well, it now seems that it s just the tip of the ice-berg! It seems many more have employed their whole family and relatives in important local government roles! 7. To have your head in the clouds: To be out of touch with reality. 8. To be on Cloud Nine: To be very happy 3. Replace the words in brackets with a suitable idiom A. [To get everyone to speak to each other] we are all going to have a drink and nibbles. B. That recent scandal concerning government contracts to building firms is [only a small part of a much bigger problem] of corruption in the area.
C. Happy? After passing his driving exam at the first attempt he is [extremely happy!] D. I m sorry I can t come out tonight because we [have so much work to do] in the office right now. 4. Fill the gaps appropriately A. I m not surprised she s - getting that promotion is excellent for her career! B. - You know that dinner party you wanted to organise for next Saturday evening? - Yes - You are going to have to.. I m afraid you see I ve got to go to Edinburgh that weekend for work. Try these! 1. To chill out: to relax; not get stressed (informal) So what they re late again, as they always are! You really need to chill out! 2. A hot-spot: a popular place That beach in Newquay is a real hot-spot for surfers from all over the world. 3. To cast a cloud over something: to sadden a situation; spoil what was going o.k. The fact dad s lost his job just as we are going on holiday has cast a shadow over the trip 4. To take the wind out of someone s sails: to stop someone by surprising them and embarrassing them just when they were in a strong position. That Expo corruption scandal has taken the wind out of that politician s sails! Last week he was presenting himself as whiter than white now look at him! 5. To sail close to the wind: to risk getting into trouble Pete is sailing close to the wind that s the third time this week he s been late to work! He s lucky the boss only noticed once 6. To come to light: Something is discovered; found out 7. To cast/shed/cast light on something: To reveal information about something so it can be understood better. 8. To be kept in the dark about something: People around you do not tell you information about a situation. It is kept from you. 9. Light at the end of the tunnel: When you are rightly positive after a difficult moment.
5. Complete the sentences appropriately A. I wish you wouldn t me about everything! I never know what is going on. B. Well, getting stopped by the police and getting a big fine for speeding certainly.. C. I m afraid no new evidence has, so unless you can. the matter, we are going to have to stop our enquiries. D. Can you just..! It s a party remember, you are supposed to be enjoying yourself! What about these? 1. To get/ have second wind: to regain your energy during exercise. 2. To get wind of something: to learn about something by chance, perhaps not all the details but enough. 3. Windfall: unexpected good luck. 4. Long-winded: verbose; using far too many words to say something. 5. A storm in a tea-cup: An overreaction to a situation usually involving an argument. 6. To cause a storm: To cause agitation, anger and a big problem to be solved. 7. To ride the storm: To face the problem and deal with it, perhaps waiting to act to solve the situation. 6. Complete the sentences A. I m feeling alright now after initially having difficulty with the speed of the run. I ve definitely got B. Well, he bet Southampton would get into Europe and they did it! He is in for a C. They argued yesterday about Simon coming home late and today they refuse to speak to each other! Talk about a D. All this layer jargon is so.. that it is deliberately impossible for you and me to understand.
7. What do these mean? 1. To be quick as lightening: A. Very fast. B. Very slow 2. Sky-high: A. Limited B. Without limit. 3. Pie in the sky: A. Not true B. True 4. To be over the moon: A. Forgetful B. Very happy 5. Beyond a shadow of doubt: A. No doubt B. Doubt Answers 1. A. is under the weather B. take a rain check 2. A. weather the storm B. made heavy weather C. feel right as rain D. rainy day E. right as rain; rain check F. Come rain or shine 3. A. To break the ice B. the tip of the ice-berg C. on Cloud Nine D. are snowed under 4. A. on Cloud Nine B. put it on ice 5. A. Keep me in the dark B. took the wind out of his sails C. come to light; shed some light on D. chill out 6. A. second wind B. windfall C. storm in a tea-cup D. long-winded 7. 1. A. 2. B. 3. A. 4. B. 5. A.