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Idioms – some interesting meanings and histories
be at loggerheads (Unit 31)
on tenterhooks (Unit 57)
The first meaning of loggerhead was a stupid person–
the word used today is ‘blockhead’. The word came from
logger, which was a heavy block of wood attached to
a horse’s leg to stop the horse from moving away, and
head. It was also used of someone with a large head,
and then became the name of an iron instrument with
a long handle and a ball at the end, which was heated in
an open fire and used for melting tar or heating liquids.
Now, if you’re at loggerheads with someone, you are
locked in a dispute with them. It’s possible that the iron
instrument was sometimes used as a weapon, and that
this may be the origin of the idiom.
A tenter was a frame on which fabric was stretched
at the end of the manufacturing process, so that it
dried evenly and without shrinking. It was fixed in
position by tenterhooks, which were hooks fitted into
the edges of the frame. The idiom makes figurative
reference to the tension of the cloth: a person who is
on tenterhooks is anxiously waiting to find out
about something.
bright as a button (Unit 56)
Someone who is bright as a button is clever and
has a lively mind. The earliest record of the use
of this expression is from the
18th century, in a text in which
a woman’s eyes were said to
be ‘as bright as de polish of
the Birmingham button’.
The repetition of the ‘b’
makes the idiom alliterative
(= using the same letter or
sound at the beginning of
words that are close together).
a whale of a time (Unit 24)
This expression originated in the United States.
A whale is a very large animal, so if you have a whale of
something, you have something in large quantities. If
you have a whale of a time, you have a lot of fun, and
a very good time.
Activity
Complete the sentences with the idioms above. You might have to change some
of the words to make them fit.
1.The trade union representatives are
with the
company’s management over working conditions and pay. Neither side looks likely to compromise.
2.Do you want to see my holiday photos? ~ Oh, these are great! You look like you had
.
3. I can’t relax until I find out if I’ve got the job or not. It’s driving me crazy.
I’m
the whole time.
4.Isn’t Janey’s daughter sweet? She’s
, too–she
can already say ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ and ‘biscuit’!
1. The trade union representatives are at loggerheads with the company’s management over
working conditions and pay. Neither side looks likely to compromise.
2. Do you want to see my holiday photos? ~ Oh, these are great! You look like you had a whale of
a time.
3. I can’t relax until I find out if I’ve got the job or not. It’s driving me crazy. I’m on tenterhooks
the whole time.
4. Isn’t Janey’s daughter sweet? She’s as bright as a button, too–she can already say ‘mum’ and
‘dad’ and ‘biscuit’!
Answers