Idiom Number 1

• Who do you love the most?• This person might be your:• Girlfriend (boyfriend) or wife (husband);• Mother (mom) or father (dad); • Daughter or son;• Niece or nephew;• Granddaughter or grandson; • Someone who you admire and have a real relationship with.

What might you refer to this person as?

Hint 1 Hint 2

Any ideas?

The answer is:

Written form• Apple of my eye

• Apple, noun, two syllables, stress on first syllable• Of, preposition, one syllable• My, possessive adjective, one

syllable• Eye, noun, one syllable

Pronunciation (Drill Pronunciation)• /ˈæp·əl əv mɑɪ ɑɪ/

• /ˈæp·əl/• /əv/• /mɑɪ/• /ɑɪ/

Appropriateness

• Usually only one person is the apple of someone’s eye, but• a parent may refer to all his or her children as the apples of my eye.

• Usually one refers to someone younger than himself or herself as the apple of his or her eye. For example, one’s• Children or grandchildren; or• Nieces or nephews.

• Usually one does not refer to someone older than himself or herself as the apple of his or her eye.• It is not common to refer to one’s romantic partner as his or her

“apple of my eye.”

Concept Check Questions

• Is the apple of one’s eye a fruit or a person?• A person.

• Would one normally refer to the President of the United States as the apple of his or her eye?• No.

• Would a mom refer to her newborn baby as the apple of her eye?• Yes.

• Would a husband refer to his wife as the apple of his eye?• Maybe.

Example and Practice

My example• My nephew Gabriel is the apple

of my eye.

Your example?• Who is the apple of your eye?• If no one is the apple of your

eye, who is the apple of your father’s or mother’s eye?

Idiom Number 2

• Another way to say that someone works.• Any ideas?

Hints below!

Hint 1 Hint 2• Famous old commercial!• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0_uhUhqrbk

Any ideas?

The answer is:

Written form• Bring home the bacon

Pronunciation (Drill Pronunciation)• Verbal drill of the phrase

Appropriateness

• Acceptable to use in:• Informal situations; and• Perhaps even in semi-formal situations.

• Unacceptable to use in:• Formal situations;

• Do not write “I bring home the bacon” on your resume!

Concept Check Questions

• Could someone who only eats vegetables “bring home the bacon”?• Yes.

• If someone “bring home the bacon,” is that person bringing money or bacon home?• Money.

• Is someone who brings home the bacon working?• Yes.

• Should you write “I bring home the bacon” on your resume?• No.

Example and Practice

My example• I want to find a beautiful woman

who also brings home the bacon.

Your example?• Who brings home the bacon in

your family?

Idiom Number 3

• Another way of saying something is or was very easy.• Any ideas?

Here is a hint!

Hint 1

Any ideas now?

The answer is:

Written form• Piece of cake

Pronunciation (Drill Pronunciation)• Verbally drill pronunciation

Appropriateness

• As a general rule, idioms are not used in formal situations.• As a general rule, it is acceptable to use idioms in informal and less

formal situations.• Less formal example: You are meeting with your boss for your annual review.

Your boss asks you if you were able to meet your goals for the job. You might respond: “Yes, it was a piece of cake to meet them.”

Concept Check Questions

• If something was a piece of cake for you, did you find it difficult to do?• No.

• Could something be a piece of cake for someone who does not eat desserts?• Yes.

• If I ask you for a “piece of cake” is that the same thing as telling you that it was a “piece of cake” to get the job done?• No

Example and Practice

My example• The bar exam was a piece of

cake.

Your example?• What was a piece of cake for

you?

Idiom Number 4

• ABC Business has business opportunities in China, Japan and South Korea. ABC Business decides to pursue the opportunity in South Korea, but it does not pursue the opportunities in China or Japan. ABC Business’s business in South Korea is a total failure and ABC Company loses all its money. Unfortunately, ABC Business did what?

Here is a hint!

Hint

Any ideas now?

The answer is:

Written form• Put all its eggs in one basket

Pronunciation (Drill Pronunciation)• Verbally drill pronunciation

Appropriateness

• Acceptable to use in informal and semi-formal situations.• Arguably not acceptable to use in more formal situations.• For example, it might not be acceptable to write down “the company put all

its eggs in one basket” on a financial or accounting statement.• However, the saying is so common, that you might see it written in some

formal situations – possibly even as a note on a financial or accounting statement.

Concept Check Questions

• If a company puts all its eggs in one basket, then it invested in many different business opportunities?• No! Quite the opposite!

• If I said that Tom put all his eggs in one basket, do I mean that Tom took eggs and put them in a basket?• No.

• Is a company that invests all its resources in only one business idea putting all its eggs in one basket?• Yes.

Example and Practice

My example• Tom only applied to Harvard Law

School. He was not admitted. Unfortunately, he put all his eggs in one basket.

Your example or examples?• Give examples of putting all of

one’s eggs in one basket?

Idiom Number 5

• Another way to say that you:• Do not like doing something; or• Do not like something.

Hint!

Hint

Any ideas?

The answer is:

Written form• Not my cup of tea

Pronunciation (Drill Pronunciation)• Verbally drill pronunciation

Appropriateness

• Informal• Not formal• Pretty much only used in the negative.

Concept Check Questions

• You ask Michelle to go ice skating. She replies: “No thank you. Ice skating is not my cup of tea.” Does Michelle like to go ice skating?• No.

• Saying that something is not my cup of tea is another way of saying that I don’t like something or don’t like doing something, true or false?• True.

Example and Practice

My example• Ballet is not my cup of tea.

Your examples?• What things are not your cup of

tea?