Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
as cool as a cucumber
to be calm and relaxed, especially in a difficult situation
(During the awful, horrifying accident, he remained as cool as a cucumber
as thin as a rake
very thin
(As he never ate much, his arms were as thin as a rake)
as bold as brass
very brave and confident; not afraid to say what you feel or take risks
(That devilish monkey which stole my banana was as bold as brass!)
as smooth as glass
very smooth
(He washed his face until it was as smooth as glass).
as green as mold
very green
(Her teeth look as green as mold; she needs to brush them more often!)
as soft as velvet
very soft
(The cover of my new book is as soft as velvet)
as gentle as a lamb
very calm and kind
(If you are going to look after my cat Ichigo, you'll have to be as gentle as a
lamb)
as fiery as a volcano
quickly or easily becoming angry
(The giraffe living next door has a fiery temper)
as black as pitch
completely black
(Pitch.n. a black sticky substance made from oil or coal)
as black as coal
very black
(The pirate's evil eyes are as black as coal)
as clear as crystal
very easy to understand/ easy to see
(The water in the Mediterranean sea is as clear as crystal)
as thin as a rail
very thin
(This path is as thin as a rail)
as red as rubies
very red
(These fresh tomatoes are as red and shiny as rubies)
as soft as silk
very soft or gentle
(The singer's sweet voice sounded as soft as silk)
as slippery as an eel
very slippery
as warm as toast
very warm in a pleasant, comfortable way
(This chair feels as warm as toast; has anybody been sitting on it?)
as big as a building
very big
(I didn't want to play basketball against him as he was as big as a building)
as clean as a whistle
very clean
By the time we had finished mopping the floor it was as clean as a whistle; you
could have eaten your dinner on it)
as rough as sandpaper
very rough
as dead as a door-nail
completely dead, extinct
as stubborn as a mule
very stubborn and obstinate
as ugly as sin
very ugly and unpleasant to look at
As pure as snow Comparing a person’s character to fresh snow (white and pure)
English Proverbs: Every student is given one proverb to memorize. They should memorize
the proverb word for word, but they can explain the meaning of the proverb in their own
words.
Proverb: Proverb: Proverb:
Absence makes the heart Don't put all your eggs in There is more than one
grow fonder. one basket. way to skin a cat.
Proverb Meanings
"The best things in life are free."
We don't have to pay for the things that are really valuable, like love, friendship and good
health.
"It was the last straw that broke the camel's back."
There is a limit to everything. We can load the camel with lots of straw, but finally it will be
too much and the camel's back will break. And it is only a single straw that breaks its back -
the last straw. This can be applied to many things in life. People often say "That's the last
straw!" when they will not accept any more of something.
straw (noun) = dried stalk of grain (like dry piece of grass)
camel (noun) = large long-necked animal used for riding and carrying goods
in the desert
"If the stone fall upon the egg, alas for the egg! If the egg fall upon the stone, alas for the
egg!"
Life just isn't fair, and this realistic Arabic proverb recognizes that. The stone will always
break the egg. Life's like that!
alas = bad luck; pity; tough; regrettable
"Where there's a will there's a way."
If we have the determination to do something, we can always find the path or method to do
it.
will (noun) = strong determination, desire.
way (noun) = path, method
"Tell me who you go with and I'll tell you who you are."
Similar to "Birds of a feather...", this proverb suggests that like minds stick together.
"Better the devil you know than the one you don't."
When you have a choice between two bad things, it's safer to pick the bad thing that you've
already experienced. The other bad thing might be worse.
"Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes."
Sometimes people criticize each other. But it's not fair to criticize someone else if you
haven't had the same experiences.
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise."
This is a quotation from the famous American inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin. It
means it's healthy and smart to go to sleep early and wake up early.
"Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime."
Don't try to help people by just giving them things. The result will be temporary. If you want to
help someone long-term, teach them how to do things on their own.
"Hindsight is 20/20"
It's easy to know what you should have done in the past, but making correct decisions is
harder in the moment. This phrase means that you shouldn't judge someone's past
decisions based on the information you know now.
"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
Don't say mean things about other people.
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
Don't just complain about problems that you see. Do something to solve the problems.
"Knowledge is power."
You should try to learn a lot. Knowing more things makes you more powerful.
"Never put off till (until) tomorrow what you can do today."
Don't be lazy. If you have some work that you need to do, do it now. Don't wait to do it later.
"Time is money."
Wasting time is expensive, so hurry up!
"You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar."
To get what you want, be nice to people. Don't yell at them or be mean.