Idiom: Sleepyhead

Meaning: a sleepy person

E.g.: The little boy yawned. His father said, "It's late. Go to bed, sleepyhead."

Note: We often call a child who is tired a "sleepyhead."

I'm a sleepyhead, I'm always tired
I'm a sleepyhead, with no desire
To face the same old day
Go to the same old place

And yawn, there and back again

And the night is cold, my favourite time
And the day is old, plays tricks on my mind
Drive on the District Bridge
Then past the Dallas Ridge

And yawn, there and back again

To face the same old day
Go to the same old place

And yawn, there and back again
~Ed Harcourt~

Idiom: SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET

Rosanne really likes the new boy who came to school this year. She thinks he is so handsome, smart, and kind. He is always with her and is very thoughtful. Rosanne thinks about him all of the time and she likes him so much. He just SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET.

1. SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET means:

_/_ 1. Make someone like you

___ 2. Use a broom

___ 3. Push someone away

2. Could you be SWEPT OFF YOUR FEET by:

1. a very nice person? YES

2. a very mean person? NO

3. a broom? NO

3. Vocabulary: What does HANDSOME mean: -- Very nice looking, said about a boy or a man.
4. Example: Joan follows Tom everywhere because he SWEPT HER OFF HER FEET.

Idiom: PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Al Black was going to look for a new job. He knew there were many other people who would be looking for a job at the same time. If he wanted someone to hire him, he would have to PUT HIS BEST FOOT FORWARD so that an interviewer would know that he could do a very good job.

1. PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD means:

___ 1. Show your nicest foot

___ 2. Do not worry about anything

_/_ 3. Do your best, or look your best

2. Would you PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD if:

1. you did not care what your work looked like? NO

2. you always looked neat and clean? NO

3. you did the best work you could? YES

3. Vocabulary: What is an INTERVIEWER? -- Someone who talks to you when you are trying to get a job.
4. Example: If you want people to like you when you first meet them, you have to PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD.

Idiom: DRAG YOUR FEET

Penny always watches TV until 10:00. Then it is time for her to go to bed. On some nights she does not want to go to bed and she is very slow to turn off the TV.

On Tuesday, Penny’s father became very irritated with her. “It is 10:20 now, and you should be in bed. I want you to stop DRAGGING YOUR FEET and do what you are supposed to do.”

A. DRAG YOUR FEET means:

_/_ 1. Do something very slowly

___ 2. Crawl around

___ 3. Act quickly

B. Would you be DRAGGING YOUR FEET if:

1. you were on time for your class? NO

2. you were always late? YES

3. you had a broken leg? NO

C. Vocabulary: What does IRRITATED mean? -- To be upset or angry with someone.

D. Example: I do not like to see you DRAG YOUR FEET when I know you can work faster.

Idiom: COLD FEET

Bill learned how to dive at summer camp. He was very proud of himself. But, Bill had only gone off the low diving board. He decided to climb the high dive and practice what he had learned.

The line was long and Bill waited patiently to climb up. Finally, he was at the ladder. Up he went. When he got to the top, he got ready to dive. He looked down. It was very high! Suddenly, he did not want to dive anymore. He got COLD FEET.

1. COLD FEET mean:

___ 1. Not wearing any shoes

_/_ 2. Be scared to do something

___ 3. Feel good about something

2. Would you get COLD FEET if:

1. you had to give a speech to many people?

2. you had to dive off of a high dive?

3. you planned to go swimming?

3. Vocabulary: What is a HIGH DIVE? -- A diving board at a swimming pool that is not at ground level.
4. Example: I was going to learn to sky dive, but at the last minute I got COLD FEET.

Idiom: STAND ON ONE’S OWN TWO FEET

John has a lot of trouble in school. He is smart but he does not like to do his work. John’s mother goes to talk to the teacher all the time. She makes many excuses for john because she does not want the teacher to be angry with him.

John’s older brother said, “Mother, you can not always make excuses for John. He is getting too old for you to be doing everything for him. John must learn to STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET.

1. STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET means:

___ 1. Do not sit down

_/_ 2. Do things for himself; be independent

___ 3. Have other people do things for you

2. Would you STAND ON HIS OWN TWO FEET if:

1. you took care of your own problem? YES

2. you got everything you needed by yourself ? YES

3. you had your sister do everything for you? NO

3. Vocabulary: What is an EXCUSE? – Reason for doing something the way you did.
4. Example: I am so glad that my parents make me STAND ON MY OWN TWO FEET.

Idiom: Gives Me the Creeps

When something gives you the creeps, it causes you to feel scared or uncomfortable.

Example: A big spider gives me the creeps.

creeps Informal A sensation of fear or repugnance, as if things were crawling on one's skin.

Note: "He gives me the creeps!", "He gives me the willies" (older saying, apparently dying), or "He creeps me out" are more casual forms. "He makes my skin crawl" is a fairly formal way to say the same.

Idiom: Making a mountain out of a molehill

Meaning:

• to exaggerate a minor problem; to cause something simple to seem much more difficult or important

Example:

1. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. You wrote one bad essay – it doesn’t mean you’re going to fail your degree.
2. When the house was untidy, Sara felt stressed. But her husband told her she was “making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“Making a Molehill Out of a Mountain”

Meaning:

• Cause something difficult to be much easier

Example:

• By dividing up a big assignment and working on it a little bit every day, you can make a molehill out of a mountain.