Lahkotno, veselo poletje je navdih marsikateremu angleškemu idiomu: to make a splash, to travel on a shoestring, to make hay while the sun shines … Z uporabo idioma naredimo vtis in privzdignemo svojo angleščino.
Učenje angleščine je tesno povezano tudi z učenjem idiomov, ki jih je včasih v kontekstu težko prepoznati, zato nam lahko povzročijo težave.
Preverite svoje znanje s kratkim kvizom! Katera od ponujenih možnosti je pravilna?
Make a splash / drop in the ocean?
She hadn’t had a lot of success in the first years of her political career. But in 2017 she _______ in Washington, D.C. as a political consultant.
- make a splash
- drop in the ocean
Pravilno: She hadn’t had a lot of success in the first years of her political career. But in 2017 she made a splash in Washington, D.C. as a political consultant.
Razlaga: Idiom to make a splash pomeni, da pritegnemo veliko pozornosti (attention) v javnosti.
Primeri:
- Jodie Foster made quite a splash in the film “Taxi Driver”.
Travelling on a shoestring / in a shoestring?
If you’re ______ budget and planning to camp and hitchhike in Iceland, you will need longer travel time to make sure you aren’t rushed, as sometimes you will be waiting awhile for a lift.
- travelling on a shoestring
- travelling in a shoestring
Pravilno: If you’re travelling on a shoestring budget and planning to camp and hitchhike in Iceland, you will need longer travel time to make sure you aren’t rushed, as sometimes you will be waiting awhile for a lift.
Razlaga: Ko potujemo on a shoestring, poskušamo zapraviti (spend) čim manj denarja.
Primeri:
- I really learned how to travel on a shoestring when I studied abroad.
Make hay while the sun shines / make a splash
The weather conditions won’t be this good for another several months, so let’s _______.
- make hay while the sun shines
- make a splash
Pravilno: The weather conditions won’t be this good for another several months, so let’s make hay while the sun shines.
Razlaga: Idiom make hay while the sun shines pomeni, naj se nečesa lotimo, dokler nam je situacija v prid, saj ne bo trajala (last) večno.
Primeri:
- We finally have the full group assembled, so let’s make hay while the sun shines and get this thing done.
To take a shine to someone / of someone?
I didn’t like Tom when I first met him, but recently he and I have been getting on quite well. I think I’m starting ________.
- to take a shine to someone
- to take a shine of someone
Pravilno: I didn’t like Tom when I first met him, but recently he and I have been getting on quite well. I think I’m starting to take a shine to him.
Razlaga: Ko je nekomu oseba že na prvi pogled zares všeč, lahko rečemo, da he has taken a shine to them.
Primer:
- My younger brother has really taken a shine to you.
Like water off a duck’s back / of a duck’s back?
My aunt told me my T-shirt was stupid, but her comments on fashion are ________ – she has no idea about what’s cool and what’s not.
- like water off a duck’s back
- like water of a duck’s back
Pravilno: My aunt told me my T-shirt was stupid, but her comments on fashion are like water off a duck’s back – she has no idea about what’s cool and what’s not.
Razlaga: Pomen idioma like water off a duck’s back nekako ponazarja brezskrbnost poletnih počitnic: kritike in nesramne (rude) opazke se od nekoga odbijejo (repel) kot voda od račjega perja (plumage).
Primer:
- Tom always criticizes Larry, but he ignores it and the criticism is like water off a duck’s back.
A place in the sun / a drop in the ocean?
After years of struggling as an unknown actor, he has finally found ___________.
- a place in the sun
- a drop in the ocean
Pravilno: After years of struggling as an unknown actor, he has finally found a place in the sun.
Razlaga: Idiom a place in the sun opisuje izredno dober in zaželen položaj, slovenska ustreznica idioma pa je prostor pod soncem.
Primer:
- After years of hard work, Tim has finally found his place in the sun after being promoted to senior manager.
Like a fish out of water / in water?
Martin had never been to a supermarket before, so he was looking like a fish out of water when his mother asked him to bring some stuff to cook.
- like a fish out of water
- like a fish in water
Pravilno: Martin had never been to a supermarket before, so he was looking like a fish out of water when his mother asked him to bring some stuff to cook.
Razlaga: Idiom like a fish out of water označuje situacije, ko nam je neprijetno ali nismo popolnoma seznanjeni z dogajanjem okoli nas. Slovenska ustreznica je biti kot riba na suhem.
Primer:
- I went to an office party last night, and I really felt like a fish out of water.
Swim against the tide / test the waters?
Why can’t you cooperate? Do you always have ________?
- swim against the tide
- test the waters
Pravilno: Why can’t you cooperate? Do you always have to swim against the tide?
Razlaga: Plavati proti toku (to swimm against the tide) ni lahko, je pa odraz naše vztrajnosti (perseverance) in predvsem pripravljenosti, da bomo k stvarem pristopili drugače kot večina (majority).
Primer:
- The designer always swims against the tide, which helps him produce unique pieces.
A drop in the ocean / a place in the sun?
Thirty thousand dollars is a ______________when you think about the millions that will be spent on this film.
- a drop in the ocean
- a place in the sun
Pravilno: Thirty thousand dollars is a drop in the ocean when you think about the millions that will be spent on this film.
Razlaga: Idiom a drop in the ocean ima enak pomen kot slovenska ustreznica kaplja v morje, predstavlja torej majhno količino nečesa v primerjavi z nečim drugim.
Primer:
- We just had a brief shower but it was a drop in the ocean of the rain needed to put out the wildfires.
Doesn’t hold water / is water under the bridge?
Sebastian’s story ______. It sounds too unlikely.
- doesn’t hold water
- is water under the bridge
Pravilno: Sebastian’s story doesn’t hold water. It sounds too unlikely.
Razlaga: Idiom doesn’t hold water bomo uporabili takrat, ko bomo želeli povedati, da neki izjavi ali utemeljitvi ne verjamemo.
Primer:
- Dan told Claire he missed her concert because didn’t know what time it was, but that doesn’t hold water. We all saw him put it in his calendar!
Učenje angleščine z Lingulo
Čeprav so zgornji idiomi vezani na poletje, pa si vedno lahko vzamemo čas za učenje angleščine. Tečaj angleščine po govorni metodi je odlična priložnost, da postanemo samozavesten govorec tudi v angleščini in poleg novega besedišča spoznamo še zanimivosti o angleški kulturi.
