Native speakers of English wanted for my MA Thesis!

Hello,
My name is Ellen and I am a student from The Netherlands. I am currently working on my MA Thesis in Applied Linguistics and I would like to ask you, as native speakers of English, if you can help me by filling in this questionnaire. It will only take you about 10 minutes.

Below you will find a list of English proverbs and fixed expressions. Can you please indicate how transparent you feel that the given proverbs or expressions in English are, by giving them one of the following grades:
1 = If you did not know this expression, it would be almost impossible to understand this sentence.
2 = If you did not know this expression, this expression would be quite difficult to understand.
3 = Even if you did not know this expression, this sentence would be quite easy to understand.
4 = Even if you did not know this expression, it would be almost impossible not to understand this sentence.

The old man drank the young man under the table.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Clothes make the man.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

He made a joke to break the ice.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

One swallow does not make a summer.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Many hands make light work.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

New brooms sweep clean.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The wish is the father to the thought.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Tread in someone’s footsteps.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

That leaves me cold.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

To weep crocodile tears.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

A bad taste in the mouth.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The scales fell from her eyes.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Hand on the baton.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

There is nothing new under the sun.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

He has blue blood.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Rest on your laurels.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The bird has flown.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Lull before the storm.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Rats deserting a sinking ship.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Speech is silver, silence is golden.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

That remark is below the belt.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

East, west, home’s best.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

No room to swing a cat.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Jump out of your skin.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

As red as a beetroot.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Blow your own trumpet.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Pass the parcel.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

To be all hat and no cattle.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Hard words break no bones.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

To kill the goose that lays the golden egg.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Well begun is half done.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

By a long chalk.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

A watched pot never boils.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Fix someone’s wagon.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Money for old rope.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Measure twice, cut once.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

To have many irons in the fire.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Fine feathers make fine birds.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Thank you very much for your help!

Kind Regards,
Ellen

[Tdol]

It's difficult to say in many cases. If someone knows about swallows' movements, they could guess the meaning, but if they have no idea about the bird, they couldn't, which is different from 'blue blood', which requires specialist knowledge and is culture-bound.

The old man drank the young man under the table.
3

Clothes make the man.
3

He made a joke to break the ice.
1

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
4

One swallow does not make a summer.
3

Many hands make light work.
4

New brooms sweep clean.
3

The wish is the father to the thought.
4

Tread in someone’s footsteps.
3

That leaves me cold.
2

To weep crocodile tears.
3

A bad taste in the mouth.
3

The scales fell from her eyes.
1

Hand on the baton.
3

There is nothing new under the sun.
4

He has blue blood.
1

If the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.
4

Rest on your laurels.
2

The bird has flown.
3

Lull before the storm.
3

Rats deserting a sinking ship.
4

Speech is silver, silence is golden.
3

Her eyes were bigger than her stomach.
3

That remark is below the belt.
1

East, west, home’s best.
4

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
2

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
3

No room to swing a cat.
2

Hello,
Thanks for filling in the questionnaire, but I have to say that I cannot say the second part of the questionnaire. Is it just me or did you perhaps miss it? Would you please also send me the second part?
Thank you!

Regards,
Ellen

p.s. other native speakers are of course also still very much welcome to fill in the questionnaire :)