More idioms

Hi crew! I haven't had time to do the video or mp3 thing for the intonation blog entry. I have some time later this week so I'll try and get it done then. 

Meanwhile, I will put some more idioms in this blog. Hope you enjoy them!

all thumbs - basically you can't do something that requires a delicate touch. "I'm all thumbs when I have to do up my tie."

out of the woods - out of danger. "She was quite sick with cancer but now she is out of the woods."

smell a rat - suspect that something is wrong. "His whole story sounded like a lie. I smelled a rat right away."

get in my hair - what kids do sometimes. "I can't have my kids around when I am cooking, they get in my hair."

tongue-in-cheek - as a joke. " It was a tongue-in-cheek story of love and marriage."

bend over backwards - try very hard. "Her husband bent over backwards to please her."

don't have a leg to stand on - no chance of success. "Admit it! You don't have a leg to stand on!"

pulling your leg - play a joke on someone. "Ah, I'm not mad. I'm just pulling your leg."

take the bull by the horns - confront a problem, take leadership in working something out. "When it came to solving the teacher's strike, she really took the bull by the horns."

cat got your tongue? - being shyly quiet. "Why didn't you say hi to the new boy in your class? Cat  got your tongue?"

for the birds - absurd, worthless. "That new schedule is for the birds."

knock your socks off - amaze you, excite you. "The new U2 CD will just knock your socks off!"

long in the tooth - old like me! "Wow! Brian is really getting long in the tooth!"

spill the beans - let the cat out of the bad - these two mean the same thing, revealing a secret. "Did you tell her? Why did you let the cat out of the bad?" "Keep it quiet. Don't spill the beans."

straight from the horse's mouth - direct from the source, reliable information. "It's all true. I got it right from the horse's mouth. Mr. Jones told me himself."

drive up the wall - annoy or frustrate. "Your friends really drive me up the wall."

play it by ear - do something without a plan. "Ok. We've never been here before so we'll play it by ear."

I hope you enjoy these! Have fun!