PHRASES AND PROVERBS (BBC ENGLISH)

PHRASES AND PROVERBS


Part of the Furniture

 It's an expression we use to describe someone or something that's been in the same place for a very long time. You almost that think they'll be there forever. Let's listen to a few examples.

ExamplesJohn has been the school caretaker for nearly twenty years. He's become part of the furniture.

We come here so often, it's almost as if we are part of the furniture.

She's had a seat in parliament for over 50 years – she's part of the furniture in the House of Commons. 

Across the pond

In Britain, when they say 'across the pond' or 'the other side of the pond' they might be referring to the Atlantic Ocean and the United States. Because there's so much contact between the two continents, they compare the ocean to a pond.

Examples
The latest Woody Allen movie was very popular on both sides of the pond. It was praised by critics and popular among cinemagoers.

Many American actors are starring in plays in London's West End. But this is Shakespeare’s territory and I think the best theatre is still on our side of the pond!

Thingy

'Thingy' is a word which we sometimes use when we can't remember or don't know the name of an object.

And it can be used, informally, when you can't remember the name of a particular person too. 

Let's hear some examples of how it's used.   

ExamplesYou want a recipe for stew? Ask… thingy. She was talking about a lovely one the other day.

Sorry, I'm late for the meeting. Could you just pass me the thingy for my report… I mean… the stapler?

Eye Candy

Eye candy means someone who is attractive, but not very interesting.

We can also use eye candy to talk about things which look good but are not very useful. Let’s hear some examples.   

ExamplesI was going out with this gorgeous footballer but it didn’t last. He was just eye candy.

This illustrated cookbook looks good but you can never find the ingredients for the recipes. These pictures are just eye candy!

Bumper-to-bumper

When there is a lot of traffic on the road and it’s moving very slowly or not at all, the front of one car is almost touching the back of another one, so it’s bumper-to-bumper. The expression bumper-to-bumper is heard a lot in travel reports on the radio. Here are a couple of examples:

Examples

Traffic on the northbound A12 near Greenwich Junction is bumper-to-bumper. Best to avoid the area if you can.

The approach to the Dartford Tunnel southbound entrance is bumper-to-bumper. Expect severe delays.

Sweet Tooth

The phrase to have 'a sweet tooth' is another way of saying that someone craves sweet food all the time, such as sweets, desserts and chocolates.So when you say someone has a sweet tooth you mean this person likes sweet-tasting food, such as sweets, chocolates and desserts.

ExamplesJohn always has a bag of sweets open on his desk. He's got such a sweet tooth.

I wish I didn't have a sweet tooth, because I had four rotten teeth pulled out and eight filled when I was only twenty.

There's method to my madness

There's method to my madness' or you could say 'there's method in my madness', means you are doing something that looks strange but you have a plan and really, you are doing something very sensible. 

ExamplesI'm driving to my friend's house today but I'm going to take the long route, avoiding the motorway. There's method to my madness, I think the motorway will be very busy and the longer route will be quicker. 

A: What are you doing putting all the books on the floor?
B: There's method to my madness. I'm taking a photo of the books I'm putting away. The photos will help me locate the books more easily.
A: Oh, that's clever.

In good nick

When British people say ‘it’s in good nick’, they mean ‘it’s in good condition’, especially if it’s something that’s very old but still looks new. Here are a few examples:

ExamplesI picked up a set of silver plates from an antique shop and they were in pretty good nick.
 My grandpa loves his 1960s motorbike and has worked very hard to kept it in good nick.

A bitter pill to swallow

When we say 'it's a bitter pill to swallow' it means that it's a situation that is unpleasant and difficult to accept.

Examples
When John found out about his wife's affair with his best friend, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

It was a bitter pill to swallow knowing that my older sister finished the race quicker than me.

My friend has booked the same flights as me for half the price – it's a bitter pill to swallow!