Ep.60

Hello and welcome to my podcast My Life and Other Funny Stories. My name is Dagmar Tomášková, I am an English tutor and coach and I created this podcast for English students who want to improve their oral comprehension. As always you can find the transcription of this episode and vocabulary list in the notes of the podcast. 

Today, we’re looking again at the world of idioms. Specifically, English idioms that make absolutely no sense when you first hear them—but they’re so much fun to use!

Before we start, what exactly is an idiom? Well, an idiom is a phrase where the meaning isn’t immediately clear based on the individual words. For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs” doesn’t literally mean that animals are falling from the sky. Instead, it just means it’s raining heavily.

Idioms are a part of everyday language, but they can be very tricky for non-native speakers because their meanings aren’t always logical. You can know every word in the phrase and still be completely lost. I mean, it is the same in every language. In the Czech language, our idioms also don’t make sense sometimes but we don’t really think about it that hard because it comes naturally to us. 

But let’s look at some weird ones in English:

1.“It’s Raining Cats and Dogs“ I have just mentioned this one, so let’s start here. „It’s raining cats and dogs“ is a classic idiom that confuses almost everyone who hears it for the first time. I mean, why would it be raining cats and dogs? 

In Czech, we don’t have anything this absurd for heavy rain. We usually say something like „Leje jako z konve,“ which literally translates to „It’s pouring like from a watering can.“ That at least makes some sense!

2.“Let the Cat Out of the Bag“ Here’s another odd cat-related idiom: „to let the cat out of the bag.“ It means to tell a secret. But why a cat? And why a bag? There are many theories about its origin, but the point is, it can be very confusing if you take it literally.

In Czech, we don’t talk about animals; instead, we say „něco vykecat“. Not nearly as interesting, but much easier to understand!

3.“Bite the Bullet“ This is one of those idioms that seems very strange until you understand its background. „To bite the bullet“ means to do something unpleasant that you’ve been avoiding, usually because it’s painful or difficult. It comes from an old practice in which soldiers would literally bite down on a bullet when they had to go through pain during surgery when no medicine, that would help, was available. Once you know that, it makes a little more sense—but for someone hearing it for the first time, it’s still bizarre!

In Czech, we have an idiom that’s quite similar in meaning: „překonat se,“ which means to push through something or force yourself to do it.

4.“Piece of Cake“ This is a much more cheerful idiom and also a very popular one. If something is a „piece of cake,“ it means it’s very easy to do. I have no idea why we say that, I am sure it has some great historical background but from what I found, the exact origins are unclear anyway. 

In Czech, we would say that something is „brnkačka,“. I guess it is easy to play on a guitar and that’s why we say that. I don’t know. I like the one with the cake more.

5.“Cost an Arm and a Leg“ Here’s an idiom that sounds horrifying if you take it literally. If something „costs an arm and a leg,“ it just means it’s very expensive. When I first heard it this, I thought, „Why would anyone pay with their body parts?!“ Of course, it doesn’t mean that literally, but for non-native speakers, this can be a weird expression.

In Czech, we use „stálo mě to ledvinu,“ so in Czech, we just use a different body part. Fun!

6.“Break the Ice“ This is a lovely idiom that means to start a conversation in an awkward or tense situation. But why are we breaking the ice? It turns out that the idiom comes from the idea of ships breaking through ice to move forward.

In Czech, we use „prolomit ledy,“ which translates exactly the same way, so at least this one makes sense to me!

7.“Under the Weather“ This idiom means you’re feeling ill or not quite yourself. But when you think about it, what does being „under the weather“ mean? Aren’t we all technically under the weather? 

In Czech, we don’t use weather to describe being sick. We’d say „cítím se pod psa,“ which is maybe even weirder than saying “I feel under the weather”. Is being under a dog so terrible? or I don’t know…

8.“Spill the Beans“ This means to reveal a secret, similar to „let the cat out of the bag.“ But why beans? And why are we spilling them? The origins are unclear, but it’s a fun expression once you get used to it.

Now, why should you bother learning these weird expressions if they don’t make sense? Well, idioms are a big part of everyday conversation in English. You’ll hear them in movies, TV shows, and casual conversations all the time. Knowing idioms helps you sound more fluent and also helps you understand native speakers better.

But don’t worry if you can’t remember them all! Even native speakers sometimes get idioms mixed up or use them incorrectly. 

Here’s a tip for learning idioms: try to learn them in context. Don’t just memorize a list. Instead, read or listen to examples of how they’re used in everyday conversations. You can also try to connect them to idioms or sayings in your own language. And, of course, practice using them yourself!

Thank you so much for listening to this shorter episode and don’t forget that you can find the transcription and vocabulary list in the notes. Please give it a five-star rating if you liked it and I will see you next time, bye-bye.