The Teacher

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    Charles Dickens at 200

    It's the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens's birth. Join the Teacher and learn some Dickensian words that are now in common use.
• • 

    New Year: idioms of deceit

    Pulling the wool over someone's eyes; taking you for a ride; I wasn't born yesterday.

In series 6 The Teacher introduces idioms related to Transport.

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    Wagon

    On the wagon; jumping on the bandwagon; falling off the wagon.
  • 

    Road

    Let's hit the road; middle-of-the-road; a long way down the road.
• • 

    Wheels

    Reinventing the wheel; asleep at the wheel; the wheels have come off.
  • 

    Miles

    It sticks out a mile; I'd run a mile; give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
• • 

    Drive

    In the driver's seat; a backseat driver; a Sunday driver.
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    Boats

    I missed the boat; it's plain sailing; we're in the same boat.

In series 5 The Teacher presents idioms connected with different sports

• • Horse racing

    It’s neck and neck; On the home straight or stretch; Down to the wire

  • Ice skating

    Get your skates on; Skating on thin ice; Skating over something

• • Balls

    Keep your eye on the ball; It’s a whole new ball game; On the ball

  • Athletics

    A false start; To jump the gun; The front runner

• • Boxing

    To take it on the chin; To be below the belt; To throw in the towel

  • Football

    The kick off; Moving the goalposts; A political football

• • Blue

    A bolt from the blue; Once in a blue moon; Until you are blue in the face

  • Silver

    To be born with a silver spoon in your mouth; To be silver-tongued; Every cloud has a silver lining

• • Green

    To have green fingers; The grass is always greener on the other side; To be green with envy

  • Gold

    As good as gold; A heart of gold; Worth its weight in gold

• • Red

    Paint the town red; Catch someone red-handed; Like a red rag to a bull

  • White

    It's black and white; As white as a sheet; A white-knuckle ride

• • Spine

    It sent shivers up and down my spine; Shaking life a leaf; Scared stiff.

  • Head

    It's like banging your head against a brick wall; He's got his head in the clouds; An old head on young shoulders

  • Arm

    They're up in arms, I'd give my right arm to do it, He's twisting my arm

• • Foot

    I've got itchy feet; I got cold feet; I shot myself in the foot

  • Eye

    To have eyes in the back of your head; His eyes are bigger than his stomach

  • Leg

    I'm pulling your leg; It cost an arm and a leg;You haven't got a leg to stand on

• • Hair

    I let my hair down; Keep your hair on; I'm tearing my hair out

• • Pie

    It's as easy as pie; To be pie-eyed; To have a finger in many pies

  • Tea

    It's not my cup of tea; I wouldn't do it for all the tea in China; It's as good as a chocolate teapot

• • Egg

    He's a bad egg; Don't put all your eggs in one basket; He's got egg on his face

  • Beans

    To be full of beans, I haven't got a bean, to spill the beans

• • Vegetables

    It's a hot potato; A carrot and a stick; Like two peas in a pod

  • Fruit

    To go bananas; It's a case of sour grapes; A second bite of the cherry.

• • Monkey

    To monkey around; Monkey business; To make a monkey out of someone.

  • Bee

    Busy as a bee; The bee's knees; To have a bee in your bonnet.

  • Dog

    To be in the dog house; The hair of the dog; To make a dog's dinner of something.

• • Insect

    Knee-high to a grasshopper; Butterflies in your stomach; Ants in your pants.

  • Cat

    There isn't enough room to swing a cat; To let the cat out of the bag; To put the cat among the pigeons.

  • Pig

    Pigs might fly; This place is a pigsty; To make a pig's ear of something

• • Bird

    Birdbrain; To have a bird's eye view; A little bird told me

  • Horse

    To eat like a horse; Straight from the horse's mouth; To flog a dead horse

  • Fish

    There's something fishy about this; A big fish in a small pond; A fish out of water.