Titbits

*** IDIOMS ***

https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/english-idioms-related-to-school/
42 Easy to Memorize English Idioms Related to School and Education
By Nadia Ilyas - October 21, 2014052796

This blog will help you decipher some of the confusing idioms surrounding school and education. With regular practice, you might just be able to use

them in everyday speech yourself, and not ‘draw a blank’ when you hear someone else use them!

Just remember, although these idioms derive from terminology surrounding school and education, they can be used in everyday situations.
English Idioms Related to School and Education

1. PUT / GET YOUR THINKING CAP ON
To engage your mind and think in a serious manner.
Right, we need to figure out how we’re going to solve this problem before mum and dad get back, so let’s put our thinking caps on!

2. DRAW A BLANK
To get no response from someone when they are asked a question.
I asked him about his plans for Christmas, but I just drew a blank. He didn’t seem to understand what I was asking him!

3. BACK TO BASICS
An approach that uses traditional ideas and methods which have been successful in the past.
They seem to prefer having everything back to basics in their office. They have minimal use of advanced technology, but apparently find everything

simpler and easier to manage.

4. AS EASY AS ABC
Something that is very simple or easy.
That jigsaw puzzle is as easy as ABC, I don’t understand why you’ve been struggling with it for so long.

5. COPYCAT
Used to describe someone who copies another person’s work.
I don’t like talking to her about my wedding plans because she’s such a copycat! I know she’ll steal my ideas and use them for her own wedding.

6. COVER A LOT OF GROUND
When a lot of work needs to be completed. If there is a lot of research to be done, or material to get through.

Our team have done so well over the past two weeks, we’ve managed to cover so much ground that I feel this programme may be ready by the end of

this month!
We have to complete our research within the next month. We still have a lot of ground to cover, and I fear we may not get everything done in time.

7. COUNT NOSES
To count the number of people around you (generally used on a school trip, to check for missing students).
My grandmother was constantly counting noses at the birthday party. I think she felt responsible for all the children there!

8. EAGER BEAVER
Someone who works hard and is very enthusiastic.
Mary is such an eager beaver, she always the first one to do whatever the boss asks. I think she’s hoping for a promotion!

9. DROP OUT OF SCHOOL (phrasal verb) / DROPOUT (noun)
To stop attending school completely (leave without graduating).

She dropped out of school at the age of 14 to help her sick grandmother at home, but now she runs her own successful nursing home for the elderly!
He’s a dropout, I can’t see him being anything successful with his current reputation.

10. SHOW OF HANDS
Raising hands to vote about something.
With a show of hands, who would prefer to have longer working days but a shorter working week?

11. LEARN (SOMETHING) BY HEART / OFF BY HEART
To memorise something so well, that it can be written or recited without thinking.

I can’t believe you learnt the whole Macbeth play by heart! Well done!
She learnt all the compositions by Beethoven off by heart!

12. BOOKWORM
This is used to describe someone who reads a lot, all the time.
You won’t be able to convince her to come out with us, she’s a real bookworm and will probably stay in to read!

13. FROM THE OLD SCHOOL / OF THE OLD SCHOOL
Holding attitudes or ideas that were popular and important in the past, but which are no longer considered relevant or in-line with modern trends.

She was a teacher of the old school and believed in strict discipline.
My grandmother is from the old school, she made her children make their own lunches and walk to school.

14. THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
Learning through difficult experiences in life, as opposed to a formal, classroom education.
I wasn’t able to go to college, but I learnt a lot in the school of hard knocks, it taught me a lot about life.

15. A FOR EFFORT
Giving someone recognition for trying hard to do something even though they may not be successful.
Jenny definitely deserves an A for effort, she put so much work into her entry for the competition.

16. SCHOOL SOMEONE IN SOMETHING
To train, discipline or coach someone in something.
She schooled her brother in patience.

17. CUT CLASS / PLAY HOOKY / SKIP CLASS
When someone plays truant and does not go to their lessons.

David has been cutting class again; I haven’t seen him in any of our French lessons for the past week!
They played hooky at college so they could be first in line for the concert tickets.
The teacher told his parents that he’d been skipping classes! He’s not allowed to go out with us now.

18. SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
A particular philosophy, or a way of thinking about something.
One school of thought holds that cats cause allergic reactions.

19. TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL / TELL TALES
To gossip or spread rumours.
I wish Gina wouldn’t tell tales out of school so much, people find it hard to believe anything she says now, even if she is telling the truth!

20. YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS
This means it is difficult to make someone change the way they do something when they have been doing it the same way for a very long time.
Jeremy tries so hard to show me how the computer works, but he doesn’t understand that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!

21. THE OLD SCHOOL TIE / OLDBOY NETWORK
The way in which men who have been to the same expensive private school, help each other to find good jobs.
The old school tie still has enormous power in most City companies.
They don’t make any effort to find a job for themselves, the oldboy network does it all for them.

22. BRAINSTORM
To try to develop an idea or think of new ideas.
Let’s all separate into groups and try to brainstorm as many suggestions as possible for the next school play.

23. AN OLD HEAD ON YOUNG SHOULDERS
A child or young person who thinks and talks like an older person who has more life experience.
Emily doesn’t fit in with the children at her school, she’s definitely an old head on young shoulders. She talks to them like a parent or teacher would!

24. CALL THE ROLL / TAKE THE ROLL
To call the names of a group of people (or students) and expect them to respond to show they are present.
Jamie called the roll on the coach before we left to make sure that everyone had arrived.

25. CRACK A BOOK
To open a book to study (usually used in a negative sense).
I kept telling my mum I didn’t need to study too hard for this exam because it’s easy, she wouldn’t listen to me though. She insisted I crack a book every

evening!

26. CRANK OUT A PAPER
To write a paper or essay in a mechanical way.
I had to crank out a new paper every week to pass this course. It was really hard work!

27. FILL IN THE BLANKS
To supply missing words or information (this can be used in conversation or writing).
I wasn’t here when the argument happened, so John filled in the blanks for me.

28. LEARN BY ROTE
To learn something by memorising it without giving any thought to what is being learnt.
They had to learn the lyrics to two new songs by rote just before the show.

29. LEARN THE ROPES
To learn how to do a job properly, or how things work.
It took me a while to learn the ropes in this law firm, some of their procedures are so complicated.

30. LEARN ONE’S LESSON
To suffer a bad experience and know not to do it again.
I thought I was being funny by mocking Peter in front of everyone, but the way he reacted was so horrible. I’ve definitely learnt my lesson to not make a

joke at someone else’s expense!

31. TEACH SOMEONE A LESSON
To do something to someone in order to punish them for something they’ve done.
The boys next door wouldn’t stop playing pranks on the poor elderly couple across the road, so I played a prank on them to teach them a lesson!

32. PASS WITH FLYING COLOURS
To pass (a test) easily with a high score.
I have some exciting news: I passed my driving test with flying colours!

33. SCHOOLBOY ERROR
A very basic or foolish mistake.
He made a schoolboy error when he passed some of the responsibilities to Jonah, who took all the credit for everything they’d done.

34. A QUICK LEARNER
Someone who is able to learn a new skill or task very quickly.
Kelly is a very quick learner; she has only been here for a week so far and has already taken on most of the previous secretary’s roles!

35. UNIVERSITY OF LIFE
The daily life and work where you learn more than you would by going to university.
My grandfather began to work on the family farm when he was fourteen and learnt everything from the university of life.

36. SINGLE FILE
A line of people with one person standing behind another.
We didn’t have any issues with crowd control at all. Everyone was eager to get an autograph from the band, but they waited patiently in single-file.

37. MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR/OF SOMETHING
To fulfil the requirements for/of something.
Unfortunately, I didn’t meet all their requirements for that job, so I didn’t get it.

38. MAKE THE GRADE
To be satisfactory and of an expected level.
I didn’t make the grade for the final assignment, so I have to do it all over again!

39. HIT THE BOOKS (hit the books english idiom)
To begin to study hard.
I hit the books as soon as I knew the date of the exam.

40. HAVE ONE’S NOSE IN A BOOK
To be reading a book.
He always has his nose in a book, I wish he’d be a bit more sociable sometimes!

41. GOOF OFF / GOOF AROUND
To waste time, procrastinate.
He spent all of last week goofing around, and now he’s panicking the day before the test!

42. TEACHER’S PET (teacher's pet english idiom)
A teacher’s favourite student.
She always gets really good marks, I bet it’s because she’s teacher’s pet.

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Quotations of universal values:

Think twice, act wisely.

Never do to others what you do not like others to do to you. Confucius.

Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly while bad people will find a way around the laws. (A quote from Plato's speech)

When I find the road narrow, and can see no other way of teaching a well established truth except by pleasing one intelligent man and displeasing ten thousand fools. I prefer to address myself to the man. From the Guide for the Perplexed by Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides, born in Spain March 30, 1135.

"Once a woman has forgiven her man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast" Marlene Dietrick, German-born US film actress and carbaret performer, who was born Maria Magdalene von Losch on December 27, 1904.

To be free you must afford freedom to your neighbour, regardless of race, colour, creed or national origin,
and that, sometimes, for some, is very difficult." Helen Gahagan Douglas, writer, politician, 1945.

The secrets of happiness is to find joy in someone else's joy.

Have respect for others and their conscience.

Beware of racism where the disrespect for another's race leads to unfair treatment.

WE SHOULD WORK TOWARDS A SOCIETY
WHERE THERE IS WITHOUT DISCRIMINATION OF RACE, COLOUR,
RELIGION OR NATIONALITY.

In a world of diversity tolerance should
rule the day i.e. tolerance should be the rule of law.

Diversity in opinions, ideas, approach, perception or thinking provides an environment for new ideas to blossom
and also makes our world a more colourful and exciting place to live in.

Patience reaps rewards.

Treat others in the same manner as you would like others to treat you. Confucius

In all affairs, people are the agent of change.

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. (A bad weather friend is a true pal.)

Speak your feelings. Bad feelings that are repressed will end in illnesses.

Make Decisions. Indecision accumulates problems, worries and aggression.

Negative people do not find solutions, in fact, they enlarge problems by lamentation.

Don't Live By Appearances. Those who always want to give the impression of being well are actually like a bronze statue with feet of clay.

Be receptive to criticisms. It is wisdom, good sense and therapy. Good humour. Laughter. Rest. Happiness.
Nutritious food. All these replenish health.

Diversity gives us strength
Diversity in opinions, ideas, approach, perception or thinking provides an environment for new ideas to blossom and also makes our world a more colourful and exciting place to live in.

Treat others in the same manner as you would like others to treat you.

In all affairs, people are the agent of change.

No humans except the liars can claim they have met the Almighty.

Fear is a powerful and unpleasant human emotion that overrules reason.

Who pays the piper calls the tune.

Challenges and hardships in life are the fuel for the creative minds.

Always keep your words nice and sweet, otherwise you might have to eat them back.

Opportunities are for those who can see beyond the problem.

Keep the marriage alive as if you are still dating.

The secrets of happiness is to find joy in someone else's happiness.

Diversity of opinion, idea, approach, perception, thinking, etc., provides an environment for newer ideas to
blossom.

Have respect for others and their conscience.

Beware of racialism and disrespect for another’s race or religion.

In a world of diversity tolerance should rule the day i.e. tolerance should be the rule of law.

The worst thing is without hope.

The most destructive habit is worry.

The most worthless emotion is self-pity.

The greatest shot in the arm is encouragement.

The most effective sleeping pill is peace of mind.

The most prized possession is integrity.

The most satisfying work is helping others.

The greatest natural resource is youth.

The world most incredible computer is your brain.

The ugliest personality trait is selfishness.

The most beautiful attire is a smile.

The most crippling disease is excuses.

The most dangerous pariah is gossip.

The greatest attitude is gratitude.

Learn from your mistakes and move on.

The sharper your mind is, the further you go.

Develop a sense of urgency in all the things that you do. Speed is everything.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Follow the three Rs:

Respect for self,
Respect for other and
Responsibility for all your actions.

Remember that not getting what you want is
sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck or a blessing in disguise.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abundance.

ALWAYS REMEMBER

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by being awed by the number of breathless beauties of Mother Nature.

Time waits for no one. Profit from each moment given to you for it is very precious.

Cherish your health:

If it is good, preserve it
If it is unstable, improve it
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help

Don't compare yourself with any one in this world. If you compare, you are insulting yourself.

Surround yourself with what you love.
Whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.

Your home is your refuge.

The tears happen. Endure grieve and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.

Be alive while you are alive, don't put a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in residence for your mail.

Keep on learning:

Learn more about computers, crafts, gardening,
WHATEVER. Never let the brain idle. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. The devil’s name is Depression.

Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

Throw away non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That's why you pay him / her for the service.

If a problem can be solved, no need to worry about it.

If a problem cannot be solved what is the use of worrying?

GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE

Don't say everything you think.

Watch your body language. It may say more than you intend to or want
to say.

Make few promises but keep the ones you make if you want to be trusted.

Learn to praise good work, no matter who did it including your enemies.

Have empathy. Make merry with those who rejoice. Mourn with those who suffer.

Keep an open mind. If you are the only one coming up with the right answers, something is wrong.

Discuss, don't argue.

Let your merits speak for themselves but ready to discuss
when asked.

Do not talk about another's weaknesses unless necessary.

Treat everybody with importance.

6 PRINCIPLES OF LIFE

* No point of using limited life to chase after unlimited money.

* No point in earning so much money that you cannot live to spend it all.

* Money is not yours until you started to spend it.

* When you are young, you use your health to chase your wealth; when you are old, you use your wealth to buy back
your health. The difference is that, it is too late.

* How happy a man is, is not how much he has but how little he needs.

* No point in working so hard to provide for the people you have but have no time to spend time with them.

Remember this -- We come to this world with
nothing, we will leave this world with nothing!

THE ABC OF FRIENDSHIP

Always be honest. Would you want them to lie to you?

Be there when they need you or you may wind up
alone.

Cheer them on. We all need encouragement now and then.

Don't look for their faults, even if you have none.

Encourage their dreams. What would we be without them?

Forgive them, you just may do something wrong sometime.

Get together often. Misery loves company, so does glee.

Have faith in them. The human animal is remarkable.

Include them, you may need to be included sometime.

Know when they need a hug. Couldn't you use one?

Love them unconditionally. That is the only condition.

Make them feel special. Aren't we all special?

Never forget them. Who wants to feel forgotten?

Offer to help and know when "No thanks" is just politeness.

Praise them honestly and openly.

Quietly disagree. Noisy "no" makes enemies.

Say you're sorry, don't let them assume it.

Talk frequently, communication is important.

Use good judgement.

Verbalize you feelings.

Wish them luck, hopefully good.

(E)xamine your motives before you "help" out.

Your words count. Use them wisely.

Zip your lips when told a secret.

THE LANGUAGE OF VIRTUE THAT WE MUST LEARN TO SPEAK

Speak less words of complaint and more of forgiveness as complaints bring about hatred while forgiveness is wisdom.

Speak less words of sarcasm and more of respectfulness
as sarcasm reveals disparagement while respectfulness increases understanding.

Speak less words of harm and more of thoughtfulness as harm causes contradiction while thoughtfulness develops
friendship.

Speak less words of command and more of discussion as command forces acceptance while discussion is true
leadership.

Speak less words of criticism and more of encouragement as criticism creates barriers while encouragement nurtures
potential.

Nowadays old people do not die away; they just
fade away into cyberspace.

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Bible Proverbs Chap 29 Verse 18.

God works in mysterious ways. Christian saying.

No humans except the liars can claim they have met the Almighty.

Fear is a powerful and unpleasant human emotion that overrules reason.

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

Challenges and hardships in life are the fuel for the creative minds.

Always keep your words nice and sweet, otherwise you might have to eat them back.

Opportunities are for those who can see beyond the problem.

Keep the marriage alive as if you are still dating.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

If desire is your wishbone, then courage be your backbone to make you excel and incentive to make any dream you dare to dream come true.

You can't make someone love you. All you can do is to be someone who can be loved; the rest is up to the person to realize your worth.

We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already loved, when in fact we should be perfecting that love.