Idioms some interesting

meanings and histories

be a toss-up (Unit 47)
A toss-up (or toss) is the throwing of a coin to decide
somethingyou say beforehand whether you choose
heads or tails (the front or reverse of the coin). Te way
the coin falls is a matter of chance, and so, in the idiom,
either of two outcomes is equally uncertain or
equally possible.
bury your head in the sand (Unit 46)
If you refuse to believe that a real problem exists, you
are said to be burying your head in the sand. Te idiom
refers to the old belief that ostriches bury their heads in
sand when being chased by predators,
thinking that if they cannot see
something then they themselves
cannot be seen. Although there
is no truth in this belief, the
idiom is still in common use.
have a feld day (Unit 30)
In the past, a field day was a day on which military
troops were gathered together for diferent exercises
it was a chance to demonstrate their skill. From this
developed the sense of a day full of exciting events or
opportunities. Today, if somebody has a field day, they
do a lot of something they enjoy, though the idiom is
ofen used in contexts in which this may cause problems
for other people.
on the grapevine (Unit 17)
Tis phrase originated in the American Civil War,
when messages were sent across a distance by a system
known as the grapevine telegraph. It is now in general
use to indicate the route by which a rumour or piece
of information (ofen something secret or private) is
passed: if you hear something on the grapevine, you
have been told it informally.
Activity
Complete the sentences with the idioms above. You might
have to change some of the words to make them ft.
1. Youve got to stop ,
Tim! Your problems wont go away until you do something
about them.
2. I heard that Ashley is
getting married! ~ Really? I didnt even know she had a boy-
friend!
3. Its really as to which
of the two teams wins the Cup. Theyve both performed well
this season, and all the players are on top form.
4. Looks like the kids are
with that new computer you got them for Christmas. I just
hope it doesnt interfere with their schoolwork.
A n s w e r s
1 . Y o u v e g o t t o s t o p b u r y i n g y o u r h e a d i n t h e
s a n d , T i m ! Y o u r p r o b l e m s w o n t g o a w a y
u n t i l y o u d o s o m e t h i n g a b o u t t h e m .
2 . I h e a r d o n t h e g r a p e v i n e t h a t A s h l e y i s
g e t t i n g m a r r i e d ! ~ R e a l l y ? I d i d n t e v e n
k n o w s h e h a d a b o y f r i e n d !
3 . I t s r e a l l y a t o s s - u p a s t o w h i c h o f t h e
t w o t e a m s w i n s t h e C u p . T e y v e b o t h
p e r f o r m e d w e l l t h i s s e a s o n , a n d a l l t h e
p l a y e r s a r e o n t o p f o r m .
4 . L o o k s l i k e t h e k i d s a r e h a v i n g a f e l d d a y
w i t h t h a t n e w c o m p u t e r y o u g o t t h e m f o r
C h r i s t m a s . I j u s t h o p e i t d o e s n t i n t e r f e r e
w i t h t h e i r s c h o o l w o r k .
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