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32
river Rubicon which Julius Caesar crossed in 49 BC, thus starting the civil war that
changed the history of Rome. (Chambers Dictionary of Idioms, 1996)
To dance attendance on – to pay great attention to smb’s wishes, to be at
someone’s beck and call. The reference is to an old wedding custom where the
bride, on her wedding night, had to dance with every guest, for fear of offending
one of them. (E.Radford. Unusual Words and How They Came About. N.-Y., 1964)
Forbidden fruit – if you describe smth as forbidden fruit, you mean that you want
it very much but are not allowed to have it, or you are not supposed to have it. This
expression refers to the story in the Bible in which Eve tempts Adam to cut the
fruit of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden them to touch. (Collins
Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms, 1995)
To cut the Gordian knot – to solve a problem by taking action quickly and
confidently, and without thinking too much about the results. According to an
ancient Greek story, it was said that whoever could undo the complicated knot
made by King Gordius would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great did not try to
untie the knot, as everyone else had done, but simply cut through it with his sword,
and he then took control of Asia. (Longman Dictionary of English Language and
Culture, Longman, 1998)
Hobson’s choice – lack of choice, a situation in which there is only one thing that
one can choose, only one course of action that one can take, etc. Fron hirer called
Hobson who did not give customers any choice. (from the Internet)
In the pink – in good health and ready to go. In traditional English fox hunting,
hunters wore scarlet coloured jackets called pinks. If you are wearing your pink,
you are ready to go hunting. (from the Internet)
To keep one’s powder dry – to be prepared for eventualities, to be ready for any
emergency. The phrase is attributed to Oliver Cromwell, an English general and
statesman, the leader of the bourgeois revolution of the 17
th
century. Addressing
the troops to cross a river and attack the army of the King of England, Cromwell is
alleged to have said “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.”
These words are known as “Oliver’s Advice” . (Эльянова Н .М. Popular Phrases –
their origin and meaning, 1971)
Knock on wood – if good luck is willing. One theory is that it originated in the
middle ages when there were in circulation pieces of the Holy Wood or Cross on
which Jesus was crucified. To touch one of these was supposed to bring good luck
hence touch wood for good luck. There were also several Holy Foreskins around at
the time… but that was a different story! Alternatively, the Druids, who
worshipped trees, especially Oaks, wore a piece of Oak around their neck to ward
off evil spirits. Hence touch wood for good luck. (from the Internet)
32 river Rubicon which Julius Caesar crossed in 49 BC, thus starting the civil war that changed the history of Rome. (Chambers Dictionary of Idioms, 1996) To dance attendance on – to pay great attention to smb’s wishes, to be at someone’s beck and call. The reference is to an old wedding custom where the bride, on her wedding night, had to dance with every guest, for fear of offending one of them. (E.Radford. Unusual Words and How They Came About. N.-Y., 1964) Forbidden fruit – if you describe smth as forbidden fruit, you mean that you want it very much but are not allowed to have it, or you are not supposed to have it. This expression refers to the story in the Bible in which Eve tempts Adam to cut the fruit of the tree of knowledge which God had forbidden them to touch. (Collins Cobuild Dictionary of Idioms, 1995) To cut the Gordian knot – to solve a problem by taking action quickly and confidently, and without thinking too much about the results. According to an ancient Greek story, it was said that whoever could undo the complicated knot made by King Gordius would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great did not try to untie the knot, as everyone else had done, but simply cut through it with his sword, and he then took control of Asia. (Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, Longman, 1998) Hobson’s choice – lack of choice, a situation in which there is only one thing that one can choose, only one course of action that one can take, etc. Fron hirer called Hobson who did not give customers any choice. (from the Internet) In the pink – in good health and ready to go. In traditional English fox hunting, hunters wore scarlet coloured jackets called pinks. If you are wearing your pink, you are ready to go hunting. (from the Internet) To keep one’s powder dry – to be prepared for eventualities, to be ready for any emergency. The phrase is attributed to Oliver Cromwell, an English general and statesman, the leader of the bourgeois revolution of the 17th century. Addressing the troops to cross a river and attack the army of the King of England, Cromwell is alleged to have said “Put your trust in God, my boys, and keep your powder dry.” These words are known as “Oliver’s Advice” . (Эл ь ян ов а Н .М . Popular Phrases – their origin and meaning, 1971) Knock on wood – if good luck is willing. One theory is that it originated in the middle ages when there were in circulation pieces of the Holy Wood or Cross on which Jesus was crucified. To touch one of these was supposed to bring good luck hence touch wood for good luck. There were also several Holy Foreskins around at the time… but that was a different story! Alternatively, the Druids, who worshipped trees, especially Oaks, wore a piece of Oak around their neck to ward off evil spirits. Hence touch wood for good luck. (from the Internet)
