Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

The Aga Khan University

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Year I, Semester I

April 6th, 7th ,9th April, 2015

Look at the pictures and think of the related related

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1. Kick the bucket = to die2. Raining cats and dogs= rain heavily3. A hard cookie = a determined person4. Barking up the wrong tree= Looking for information in the wrong place; asking the wrong person5. Money does not grow on the tree= it is not easy to earn money6. The apple of someone’s eye= the person who someone loves most and is very proud of: 7.Butterflies in the stomach= way of describing those nervous, fluttery feelings you might get before a test or an important game (caused by a reduction of blood flow to the organ)

Idiomatic Expressions= figurative language

Idioms are words, phrases or expressions that cannot be taken literally. In other words, when used in everyday language, they have a meaning other than the basic one you would find in the dictionary and are fixed.

a particular expression whose meaning cannot be readily understood by either its grammar or the words used. Idiomatic expressions cannot be translated word for word.

NB: Every language has its own idioms. Learning idioms makes understanding and using a language easier and more fun.

Medical and Health Idioms

There are many idioms in English that people use to describe health and illness. Similarly, there are idioms that use words related to health and illness, but carry a different meaning.For Example:

Idiom: a bitter pill to swallow

Meaning: a situation that is very unpleasant but must be accepted

Sentence: When Ali failed the English exam, it was a bitter pill to swallow. OR

The naked truth is always a bitter pill to swallow

Medical and Health Idiomsas fit as a fiddle: to be healthy and physically fit

Despite being over ninety, my Mom is as fit as a fiddle

black-and-blue - bruised, showing signs of having been physically harmed

His arm was black-and-blue after falling off his bike

clean bill of health - a report or certificate that a person or animal is healthy

My doctor gave me a clean bill of health after my annual check-up

flare up - to begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)

My skin problem flared up when I changed soap

go under the knife - to have an operation in surgery, often cosmetic surgery

Jane went under the knife yesterday to get her nose chiseled.

Medical and Health IdiomsIdiom Meaning Sentence

As fit as a fiddle

to be healthy and physically fitto be healthy and physically fit Despite being over ninety, my grandfather Despite being over ninety, my grandfather is as fit as a fiddleis as fit as a fiddle

Black and blue

bruised, showing signs of having bruised, showing signs of having been physically harmedbeen physically harmed

His arm was black-and-blue after falling His arm was black-and-blue after falling off his bikeoff his bike

Clean bill of health

a report or certificate that a person a report or certificate that a person or animal is healthyor animal is healthy

My doctor gave me a clean bill of health My doctor gave me a clean bill of health after my annual check-upafter my annual check-up

Flare up to begin again suddenly (an to begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)illness or a disease)

My skin problem flared up when I changed My skin problem flared up when I changed soap.soap.

Go under the knife

to have an operation in surgery, to have an operation in surgery, often cosmetic surgeryoften cosmetic surgery

Jane went under the knife yesterday for Jane went under the knife yesterday for her spleen removed.her spleen removed.

Splitting headache

a severe headachea severe headache I have been suffering from a splitting I have been suffering from a splitting headache all morningheadache all morning

Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb consists of a verb and a preposition or adverb that modifies or changes the meaning; 'give up‘ (verb+preposition) is a phrasal verb that means 'stop doing' something, which is very different from 'give'.

Phrasal Verb – Up

Phrasal Verbs with ‘Out’

Difference between a phrasal verb and idiomPhrasal verb: a phrase which consists of a verb in combination with

a preposition or adverb or both, the meaning of which is different

from the meaning of its separate parts as highlighted in the following

sentences:

Examples:

1. The child is well looked after by his parents.(Looked after=taken care of)

2. He has gone down with fever. (gone down with=becomes ill with disease)

• Idiom: (figurative language)

• group of words in a fixed order forming an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements/words.

Phrasal Verbs- Health

Phrasal verbs, or multi-word verbs, are verbs that are combined with one or two particles (a preposition or adverb), for example, 'in' or 'out', to make verbs with new meanings. These new meanings are usually non-literal. For example, to throw means to send something through the air (He threw the pen to me) but to throw up means to vomit or be sick (She was really ill after eating that seafood and she threw up).

Phrasal verbs - illness1. come down with something:

become ill with an illness that's not very seriousI think I'm coming down with a cold.

2. bring up something / bring something up:vomit The fish wasn't cooked properly. And as soon as she ate it, she brought it up.

3. pack up:stop working or functioning He smoked so much for so many years it was no surprise when his lungs packed up.

4. get over something: become better after being ill, recover from being sick When he gets over the flu, he'll go back to work.

Idiom Phrasal Verbs- Group Activity

Idioms Meaning

1.drop dead to die suddenly

2.fall ill to become sick or ill.

3.feel fit to feel well and healthy

4.as pale as a ghost extremely pale

5.at death’s door

Phrasal Verbs Meaning

1.To pick it up get an illness from someone

2.Pig out to eat a lot of food

3.bolt it down eat food very quickly

4.Come around regain consciousness

5.Pull through recover