Listen to the author reading this blog post:
Today we’re looking at idioms from a range of national newspapers that were published on the same day. We do this every couple of months in order to provide you with up-to-date, frequently used idioms.
A broadsheet features an article about men’s fashion. The journalist writing says that his ‘heart sinks’ when he hears people criticizing men for wearing unusual clothes or bright colours. For too long, he claims, men have been ridiculed for ‘stepping out of line’ with their clothes. If your heart sinks, you lose hope and feel disappointed or depressed about something. Someone who steps out of line breaks the rules or behaves in a way that other people find unacceptable.
The sports pages of that paper focus on the England cricket team’s recent poor performance. The team are described as ‘licking their wounds’. Someone who licks their wounds takes time to regain their strength or happiness after a defeat or bad experience.
The front page of a tabloid newspaper describes a journalist’s frustration with politicians who are ‘sitting on the fence’ over an important issue. If you sit on the fence, you refuse to commit yourself to one side of an argument or a particular course of action.
In the same paper, a famous wildlife presenter worries that ‘nature is on the back foot’. Someone or something that is on the back foot is suffering from a disadvantage. He also writes that too few people in public life are prepared to ‘put their heads above the parapet’ in order to defend nature. In UK English, if you put your head above the parapet, you are brave enough to state an opinion that you know will make people angry.
In another tabloid paper, a serious article describes how a murderer attempted to ‘cover his tracks’. Someone who covers their tracks hides or destroys evidence of where they have been or what they have done.
The finance page of that paper claims that a large retail chain has ‘hit the skids’ after a long period of poor sales. If an organization or plan hits the skids, it fails.
In the less serious celebrity gossip column of the same paper, it is said that a television presenter has ‘rubbed shoulders with’ all the big celebrities at fashion week shows. If you rub shoulders with famous people, you meet and spend time with them.
The sports pages provide the last two idioms for this post. A brilliant young rugby player will, it says, ‘give his team a shot in the arm’. A shot in the arm is something that has a sudden and very positive effect, providing help or encouragement. Meanwhile, a footballer who has returned to his team after a period of injury is said to have ‘hit the ground running’ with an excellent performance. If you hit the ground running, you start doing something with great energy and skill.
I hope you’ve learned one or two nice idioms from my latest round-up. If you have a moment to spare, I’d be very interested to hear in the comments below which of these idioms were new to you.
Thanks.
Hey what’s up?
You’re welcome!
‘Hit the ground running’ is new to me. Thanks a lot for introducing the new phrases.
My heartfelt appreciation, Kate.
Thanks for your service🌸I only know some of idioms you have shared like sit on the fence, lick their wounds, heart sink, step out of the line
Occasionally, I had come across some of these idioms and tried to gather its meaning from the context. Having read your article, I admit, I was wrong most of the time. My native language is Hindi.
Well I’m glad to hear the post was of use to you. Best wishes.
Hit the ground running, covers thier tracks , sit on the fence , steps out of line, are my news interesting idioms , thanks for your efforts , keep posting 😊
Thanks so much for letting me know. I’m always interested to find out which idioms are widely known. Best wishes to you!
Very instructive. Thanks
Thank you! I’m glad you found it useful.
Please keep this idioms post going, this is the first time I’ve seen it and I liked it a lot, I can see myself reading this blog every week.
Thanks a lot for this rich collection.
” put your head above the parapet ” : I’m no native English speaker, but I guess that this parapet is not on a bridge, but rather on some kind of fortification. On such a location, when you put your head above the parapet, you might get a bullet in it.
It’s jsut an example of an explanation I could enjoy, understanding the original meaning of a phrase that is used out of its original context.
Thanks again.
5 stars if there is a limit of 5 stars for explaining it in such a simple way. God bless.
I’ve really enjoyed reading such a splendid post.
Honestly, ‘step out of line’, ‘lick your wounds’, ‘on the back foot’, ‘put your head above the parapet’, ‘hit the skids’, and ‘a shot in the arm’ were new to me.
I am really enjoying your post, thank you!
Hits the skids was the least familiar to me. I was born in the mid 60s. Could this be the most recent of your selection?
To put one’s head above the parapet
To hit the skids
To cover one’s tracks; were the new ones for me.
Thank you very much for giving our quest for proficiency in the English language a shot in the arm.
-Sanath from Colombo
Thanks a alot to u for such an amazing efforts and endeavours u made to teach us –a pure dedicated efforts incomparable. ♥♥♥🌸
oh my god,the recording speed is so fast to me,but I know this is a normal speed to a native speeker.any way ,thank you and keep posting.😊