vil
Key Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2007
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Bulgarian
- Home Country
- Bulgaria
- Current Location
- Bulgaria
Dear teachers,
Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expressions in bold in the following sentences?
The kettle was kept on the simmer.
keep on = continue, persist
simmer = temperature just below the boiling point, as in: "the stew remained at a simmer for hours"
The kettle is simmering on the stove.
simmer (v) = to boil gently, or with a gentle hissing
Congress simmered with plans to reduce expenditure.
Ideas were simmering at the back of his mind.
I simmered with indignationhttp://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/eng_rus/29516/в.
He was simmering with anger.
She would not let him set foot across her threshold.
She told the boy not to set foot out of the house until he had finished supper.
set foot = to step; walk; go
Mary's friendliness with Joan is only skin-deep.
Ralph crammed for the test and got a good grade, but his knowledge of the lesson is only skin-deep.
skin-deep = only on the surface; not having any deep or honest meaning; not really or closely connected with what it seems to belong to
Joe is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six.
bred in the bone = belonging to your nature or character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from belief or habit; believing deeply
Jim found some college friends at the lake that summer, and soon was in the swim of things.
Mary went to New York with introductions to writers and artists, and that winter she was quite in the swim.
in the swim = doing the same things that other people are doing; following the fashion (as in business or social affairs); busy with what most people are doing; to be in a favored position; to be associated with others in active affairs; active in something, know what is going on
He got tired as the game went on, and began to play safe.
Tom didn't know what the other driver would do, so he played it safe and stopped his own car.
play safe = to be very careful; accept small gains or none to avoid loss; avoid danger for the sake of safety
Thank you for your efforts.
Regards,
V.
Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expressions in bold in the following sentences?
The kettle was kept on the simmer.
keep on = continue, persist
simmer = temperature just below the boiling point, as in: "the stew remained at a simmer for hours"
The kettle is simmering on the stove.
simmer (v) = to boil gently, or with a gentle hissing
Congress simmered with plans to reduce expenditure.
Ideas were simmering at the back of his mind.
I simmered with indignationhttp://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/eng_rus/29516/в.
He was simmering with anger.
She would not let him set foot across her threshold.
She told the boy not to set foot out of the house until he had finished supper.
set foot = to step; walk; go
Mary's friendliness with Joan is only skin-deep.
Ralph crammed for the test and got a good grade, but his knowledge of the lesson is only skin-deep.
skin-deep = only on the surface; not having any deep or honest meaning; not really or closely connected with what it seems to belong to
Joe is a bred-in-the-bone horseman; he has been riding since he was six.
bred in the bone = belonging to your nature or character, especially from early teaching or long habit; natural from belief or habit; believing deeply
Jim found some college friends at the lake that summer, and soon was in the swim of things.
Mary went to New York with introductions to writers and artists, and that winter she was quite in the swim.
in the swim = doing the same things that other people are doing; following the fashion (as in business or social affairs); busy with what most people are doing; to be in a favored position; to be associated with others in active affairs; active in something, know what is going on
He got tired as the game went on, and began to play safe.
Tom didn't know what the other driver would do, so he played it safe and stopped his own car.
play safe = to be very careful; accept small gains or none to avoid loss; avoid danger for the sake of safety
Thank you for your efforts.
Regards,
V.