Summer Fun with Family Expressions
2021-07-25
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1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.
2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language.
3And we often explain where they come from and how to use them.
4In the summer months, we often get together with our family members who live far away.
5If you listen in as people talk with and about their families, you might hear some interesting expressions.
6Like many idioms, it is often difficult to understand these expressions simply by knowing the meaning of individual words and the grammar of the sentence in which they appear.
7This week we will explore a few of these expressions, so you will understand them better when you hear them.
8While watching television with your family in a crowded room, you might hear, "Your father was not a glass blower."
9Of course, it is impossible for a person to be made of glass.
10That expression really means you are blocking the view of someone else, and they want you to move.
11A similar expression is, "You make a better door than a window."
12It also means, "Please move out of the way."
13When a child starts to act just like the parent, we say, "He's a chip off the old block."
14This suggests the image of an artist making a statue of someone from a block of stone.
15It can mean that the child is made of the same material as the parent.
16In a similar way, we may think that a child's action can show how they will act as an adult.
17To express this idea, we use the phrase, "The child is father to the man."
18Lighting a fire for a family barbecue is a job that can be easy, with the right tools.
19After she lit the barbecue grill, I heard my sister say, "... and Bob's your uncle, there's the fire."
20This expression means something is easy.
21It describes how those in high positions may sometimes give jobs to family members, making their lives easier.
22There are other expressions that have to do with money in the family.
23Someone who starts out life in a wealthy family was "born with a silver spoon in their mouth."
24And an adult may warn a child, "A fool and his money are soon parted."
25In other words, do not make a bad investment or spend money unwisely.
26And a child who is not given an inheritance is said to be "cut off without a penny."
27My younger brother liked to play with the boys on our street who always caused trouble.
28Mom told him to stay away from the troublemakers with this expression: "Birds of a feather flock together."
29She meant that, if he does not want people to think he is one of the troublemakers, he should not spend time with them.
30That is good advice.
31The child who does not listen to mother's words is in danger of becoming the "black sheep of the family."
32That expression describes a family member whose behavior gives them a bad reputation.
33Speaking of animals, our cat is going to have kittens soon.
34A friend who saw her said she was "in a family way."
35Soon, the cat will have her own family to care for.
36Finally, when a group of people live or work closely together, they might say, "We are like one big happy family - we argue all the time!"
37This expression could mean that the group is happy to be so close; or, if said with irony, it means the group is not happy to work together.
38And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.
39I'm Jill Robbins.
1And now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English. 2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. And we often explain where they come from and how to use them. 3In the summer months, we often get together with our family members who live far away. If you listen in as people talk with and about their families, you might hear some interesting expressions. 4Like many idioms, it is often difficult to understand these expressions simply by knowing the meaning of individual words and the grammar of the sentence in which they appear. This week we will explore a few of these expressions, so you will understand them better when you hear them. 5While watching television with your family in a crowded room, you might hear, "Your father was not a glass blower." 6Of course, it is impossible for a person to be made of glass. That expression really means you are blocking the view of someone else, and they want you to move. 7A similar expression is, "You make a better door than a window." It also means, "Please move out of the way." 8When a child starts to act just like the parent, we say, "He's a chip off the old block." This suggests the image of an artist making a statue of someone from a block of stone. It can mean that the child is made of the same material as the parent. In a similar way, we may think that a child's action can show how they will act as an adult. To express this idea, we use the phrase, "The child is father to the man." 9Lighting a fire for a family barbecue is a job that can be easy, with the right tools. After she lit the barbecue grill, I heard my sister say, "... and Bob's your uncle, there's the fire." This expression means something is easy. It describes how those in high positions may sometimes give jobs to family members, making their lives easier. 10There are other expressions that have to do with money in the family. Someone who starts out life in a wealthy family was "born with a silver spoon in their mouth." And an adult may warn a child, "A fool and his money are soon parted." In other words, do not make a bad investment or spend money unwisely. And a child who is not given an inheritance is said to be "cut off without a penny." 11My younger brother liked to play with the boys on our street who always caused trouble. Mom told him to stay away from the troublemakers with this expression: "Birds of a feather flock together." She meant that, if he does not want people to think he is one of the troublemakers, he should not spend time with them. 12That is good advice. The child who does not listen to mother's words is in danger of becoming the "black sheep of the family." That expression describes a family member whose behavior gives them a bad reputation. 13Speaking of animals, our cat is going to have kittens soon. A friend who saw her said she was "in a family way." Soon, the cat will have her own family to care for. 14Finally, when a group of people live or work closely together, they might say, "We are like one big happy family - we argue all the time!" This expression could mean that the group is happy to be so close; or, if said with irony, it means the group is not happy to work together. 15And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. 16I'm Jill Robbins. 17Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this lesson for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 18__________________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20view -n. the things that can be seen for a particular place 21statue - n. a figure usually of a person or animal that is made from stone, metal, or wood 22grill -n. a device used to cook over an open fire or hot coals 23inheritance - n. money, property, or the like that is received from someone when that person dies 24reputation -n. the common opinion that people have about someone; the way people think about someone 25irony - n. the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really think especially to be funny 26What expressions do you have in your language about family members? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.