How Fast Is 'Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail'?
2020-04-26
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2The English language has many expressions that describe a fast-moving event.
3Some expressions relate to body movements.
4We say something happens in the blink of an eye or in a heartbeat.
5Other expressions are related to the world of nature.
6Today we will talk about a speed-related expression involving an animal.
7Now, because we are talking about speed and animals, you might think it is a big cat, such as a lion or cheetah -- or maybe even a small, but speedy animal such as a hare.
8But it is none of them.
9You guessed it!
10The expression today involves sheep - baby lambs to be exact!
11But why? Lambs are cute.
12But they are not really known for their lightning speed.
13Well, our expression is about a specific part of the animal - its tail.
14I suspect lambs can shake their tails very fast.
15Because when something happens quickly, we say it happens in "two shakes of a lamb's tail."
16Here is an example:
17"I'm going to the store. I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail!"
18This expression is a cuter and more descriptive way of saying "quickly."
19Maybe instead of sending a text message with the letters BRB (be right back), we could use the image of a lamb shaking its tail.
20That would fun!
21Being cute like a lamb may be fun.
22But it has its drawbacks.
23Cute things are often not taken seriously.
24And this cute factor is the main reason Americans rarely use "two shakes of a lamb's tail" in a serious situation.
25For example, if I see a person get hit by a car, I would not say, "Hold on! Help will be here in two shakes of a lamb's tail!"
26That would not make the injured person lying in the middle of the street feel reassured.
27In an emergency like that, I would say something like, "Help is on the way!"
28Generally speaking, an emergency is not a good time to use cute animal expressions.
29Some language experts say "two shakes of a lamb's tail" was first used in written English in the 1800s.
30They think that it was used in spoken English much earlier than that.
31You should know that we often shorten this expression to simply "two shakes" - as in, "I'll be there in two shakes!"
32You should not use that one for emergencies either.
33And that is Words and Their Stories for this week.
34But we will be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
35Well, actually...we'll be back next week!
36Until next time...I'm Anna Matteo!
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2The English language has many expressions that describe a fast-moving event. Some expressions relate to body movements. We say something happens in the blink of an eye or in a heartbeat. Other expressions are related to the world of nature. 3Today we will talk about a speed-related expression involving an animal. Now, because we are talking about speed and animals, you might think it is a big cat, such as a lion or cheetah -- or maybe even a small, but speedy animal such as a hare. 4But it is none of them. 5You guessed it! 6The expression today involves sheep - baby lambs to be exact! 7But why? Lambs are cute. But they are not really known for their lightning speed. Well, our expression is about a specific part of the animal - its tail. 8I suspect lambs can shake their tails very fast. Because when something happens quickly, we say it happens in "two shakes of a lamb's tail." Here is an example: 9"I'm going to the store. I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail!" 10This expression is a cuter and more descriptive way of saying "quickly." Maybe instead of sending a text message with the letters BRB (be right back), we could use the image of a lamb shaking its tail. That would fun! 11Being cute like a lamb may be fun. But it has its drawbacks. Cute things are often not taken seriously. And this cute factor is the main reason Americans rarely use "two shakes of a lamb's tail" in a serious situation. 12For example, if I see a person get hit by a car, I would not say, "Hold on! Help will be here in two shakes of a lamb's tail!" 13That would not make the injured person lying in the middle of the street feel reassured. In an emergency like that, I would say something like, "Help is on the way!" 14Generally speaking, an emergency is not a good time to use cute animal expressions. 15Some language experts say "two shakes of a lamb's tail" was first used in written English in the 1800s. They think that it was used in spoken English much earlier than that. 16You should know that we often shorten this expression to simply "two shakes" - as in, "I'll be there in two shakes!" 17You should not use that one for emergencies either. 18And that is Words and Their Stories for this week. But we will be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail. Well, actually...we'll be back next week! 19Until next time...I'm Anna Matteo! 20Anna Matteo wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow edited the story. 21________________________________________________________________ 22Words in This Story 23cute - adj. attractive in looks or actions 24tail - n. the rear part of an animal or a usually slender flexible growth that extends from this part 25drawback - n. something that causes problems 26factor - n. something that helps produce or influence a result : one of the things that cause something to happen 27reassured - v. to make (someone) feel less afraid, upset, or doubtful