IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

Like any other language, American has its idioms. Some are very similar to British
English, and its not difficult for Brits to figure them out. Peaks and valleys, for
example, is obviously the American version of peaks and troughs. However, there are
are still some phrases whose actual words hold no clue to the meaning, creating a
conversational minefield for Brits here. Here are a selection of them.
1. For the birds
When someone says, thats for the birds, it could mean anything. Does something
resemble birdseed perhaps? Was the meal too small? Is it something that women would
like (although Americans tend not to use birds in that way)? Who knows? What it
actually means is that something is trivial or worthless, but really, youd have to know
that one.
2. Put up your dukes
Your what? Perhaps a suggestion ones relatives are coming to visit? Even though we are
familiar with duking it out, its not immediately apparent that your dukes are your
hands or fists. Being told to put up your dukes is an instruction to get ready for a
fight. Interestingly, it is rumored to be of British as well as American origin; Duke of
Yorks is rhyming slang for forks, which itself was a slang word for hands or fingers.
3. Bought the farm
So, did someone actually close on a real estate deal? Perhaps they bought a farm instead
of a house and financially over-burdened themselves? Or does it mean theyre going into
the organic food business? Of course not, that would be far too easy. Bought the farm is
a euphemism for dying. There are a few supposed etymologies knocking around, mainly
to do with WW2 soldiers crashing planes, but lexicographer Dave Wilton pooh-poohs
them and claims the phrase has been around for much longer.
4. Jonesing
When I hear this word I automatically think keeping up with the Joneses, although
thats of no help here. If someone confesses that theyre really jonesing for something
(usually a guilty pleasure), they mean they are craving. Again, there are several versions
of the origin but its general association is with drugs. Jones was a term used for a
heroin or narcotics addiction, but now the word can be applied to anything. Brits in the
U.S. can be said to be jonesing for a decent cuppa or good chocolate.
5. Shoot the breeze
So, you see a friend and end up shooting the breeze for an hour? Did you a) get out your
air rifles, or b) take advantage of the weather and fly kites? Obviously, none of the above
as shooting the breeze means to engage in idle, empty chatter. One explanation is that

in the old days, particularly in the Wild West, people with time on their hands would
literally shoot into the air at nothing.

6. John Hancock
When you hear the request Let me have your John Hancock the mind boggles, and you
hope theyre not talking about a body part! In fact, youre being asked for your signature.
The phrase is a reference to one John Hancock, a signatory of the Declaration of
Independence; his signature was one of the more flamboyant on the document.
7. Monday morning quarterback(ing)
Perhaps youd guess from the quarterback clue that this is an American football
analogy, but some Brits would be completely stumped. To be a Monday morning
quarterback is to criticize or pass judgment from a position of hindsight. The
quarterback is a football teams key leader and decision maker out on the field. Since
many people watch football games over the weekend, theres usually lots of heated
discussion about the quarterbacks performance on Monday mornings around the water
cooler and on TV.
8. Carpetbagger
Over the next two years, youll hear this term when politicians start taking shots at each
other in a bid for the Presidency. No, its not quite the same as ratbag or the other bag
beginning with D; the phrase was originally used to refer to northerners who went
south after the Civil War to make money, often using nefarious means. They carried their
belongings in over-sized carpetbags. Now it refers mainly to politicians who seek election
somewhere they have never previously resided, and is also used to describe people or
corporations who profit from other peoples misfortune.
9. Taking a rain check
Although many Brits have heard this expression, its one we never quite know if weve
understood, so we just nod agreeably. Originally a rain check was a baseball term
whereby, if the game was rained out, spectators received a rain check or ticket to allow
them entrance to a future game. These days it has little to do with weather and is used
more widely, to mean that the event will be re-scheduled for a mutually agreeable date.
When turning down a dinner invitation, for example, you can subtly communicate your
desire to be re-invited by asking for a rain check.
10. Pork
Ah yes, I know this one. Wasnt there an ad campaign a few years ago that tagged pork as
the other white meat? Not that one? As the Presidential election approaches, this is
another word well be hearing more frequently on the news; it refers to the practice of
politicians obtaining money for pet projects that benefit specific areas, industries or

people, usually in return for their support. Pork barrel politics is another phrase youll
hear to describe this you scratch my back politics.