English Idioms – episode 4

Time flies by so quickly! It’s already 2013. Happy New Year to all learners of English! We hope you had a great celebration and 2013 will bring you all the best!

Have you been missing our movies? Our 5 new idioms for today will be the following:

1. to be head and shoulders above smb = to be more important/greater/better than others (намного сильнее, на голову выше)

2.  the gift of the gab = the talent to talk easily and persuasively (дар речи, дар слова, хорошо подвешенный язык)

3. to get the grips with smth = to begin to understand/cope with smth, especially a problem/difficult situation (понять, “врубиться” – сленг)

4. to get on top of smth (also: to be on top of smth) = to deal with smth successfully (взять что-л. под свой контроль)

4. to talk the hind legs off a donkey = to talk too much (трещать без умолку)

Here is the script for this movie:

– I saw our TV presenter yesterday morning. He’s really great! Head and shoulders above the last one.

– Yes, I agree, he’s definitely got the gift of the gab. You should see how much fan mail he’s getting from the viewers!

– How is he getting to grips with the workload?

– Fine. He’s got Ann to help him out and together they get on top of it all.

– Ann?! Isn’t she the one who never stops talking?

– Yes, she is very talkative. She could talk the hind legs off a donkey.

– Nice!