some cliches~ please be patient, thanx

[whisper]

1.drop in the bucket
2.dry behind the ears
3.fly off the handle
4.if and when
5.left holding the bag
6.lock, stock, and barrel
7.long arm of the law
8.look a gift horse in the mouth
9.skin of my teeth
10.tale of woe

 

[Tdol]

1.drop in the bucket = I say drop in the ocean, meaning making a very small difference.
2.dry behind the ears = I say wet behind the ears, meaning inexperienced.
3.fly off the handle = get very angry
4.if and when = It means that you think it will happen and have decided how you will respond.
5.left holding the bag =
6.lock, stock, and barrel = completely
7.long arm of the law = justice has great pwers that can dig people out
8.look a gift horse in the mouth = be ungrateful about the quality of something you are given
9.skin of my teeth = very nearly- I escaped by the skin of my teeth.
10.tale of woe = woe is misery, unhappiness
;-)

 

[Susie Smith]

1.drop in the bucket = I say drop in the ocean, meaning making a very small difference.
2.dry behind the ears = I say wet behind the ears, meaning inexperienced.
3.fly off the handle = get very angry
4.if and when = It means that you think it will happen and have decided how you will respond.
5.left holding the bag =
6.lock, stock, and barrel = completely
7.long arm of the law = justice has great pwers that can dig people out
8.look a gift horse in the mouth = be ungrateful about the quality of something you are given
9.skin of my teeth = very nearly- I escaped by the skin of my teeth.
10.tale of woe = woe is misery, unhappiness
;-)

5. be left holding the bag = to become responsible for something that someone else started

I think it's "be left holding the baby" in BE.

 

[Tdol]

Sorry,I missed that one- we do hold the baby in the UK.;-)

 

[Susie Smith]

Sorry,I missed that one- we do hold the baby in the UK.;-)

You could be left holding worse things.
:wink:

 

[RonBee]

• "Left holding the baby"

I'm going to have to remember that one. Maybe I can popularize it here.

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

It is a good one.;-)

 

[Susie Smith]

It is a good one.;-)

I like it a lot more than the American version.

 

[Tdol]

In the American version, what's the bag?;-)

 

[Susie Smith]

In the American version, what's the bag?;-)

What's in the bag? We can imagine all sorts of things, can't we?
:wink:

 

[Tdol]

Buy a pig in a poke?? ;-)

 

[RonBee]

Maybe a pig is in the bag. It is a big bag.

:wink:

 

[Susie Smith]

Maybe a pig is in the bag. It is a big bag.

:wink:

Maybe a baby.
:wink: :lol:

 

[whisper]

really funny!
thank you guys~
and what does "Buy a pig in a poke" mean?
and one more: doomed to failure?

 

[Tdol]

A poke is an old term meaning a bag. If you buy a pig in a bag, you don't know what you are getting. It means check before buying.;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

A poke is an old term meaning a bag. If you buy a pig in a bag, you don't know what you are getting. It means check before buying.;-)

In the old days, it was usually a cat or a skunk. +|;-)

 

[Tdol]

I'd prefer a cat. ;-)

 

[MikeNewYork]

I'd prefer a cat. ;-)

Good choice. :wink:

 

[RonBee]

really funny!
thank you guys~
and what does "Buy a pig in a poke" mean?
and one more: doomed to failure?

If you are doomed to failure that means there is no hope. You are bound to fail.