English Idiom Daily

English Idiom Daily - Kangaroo Court

2010-02-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

When people take the law into their own hands and form some kinds of courts that are illegal.

Example:
George: Did you hear about a man stealing my father’s car?
Franco: What’s going on with him?
George: He was beaten to death by my neighbours, finally.
Franco: What a kangaroo court! Why didn’t those people take him to the legal court?
George: Kangaroo court gives criminals direct punishment, indeed.

Did you know?
The origin of 'kangaroo court' is unknown, although, given that kangaroos are native nowhere else, we might expect the term to have originated in Australia. As always, a lack of a definite origin encourages speculative claims, which may be an appropriate word in this context as one frequently repeated supposed derivation relates to 'claim jumping' in the California Gold Rush - hence the allusion to kangaroos. That's quite a plausible notion. Kangaroos and their claim to fame, so to speak, i.e. jumping, were known in the USA by the early 1800s, so there's no reason to limit the derivation to Australia. Also, the earliest known citation of the term is American and appears in a collection of magazine articles by Philip Paxton (the pen name of Samuel Adams Hammett), which were published in 1853 under the title of A stray Yankee in Texas:

"By a unanimous vote, Judge G-- was elected to the bench and the 'Mestang' or 'Kangaroo Court' regularly organized." (http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/kangaroo-court.html)

English Idiom Daily - Jabber About Someone or Something

2010-02-25T06:40:00.001-08:00

To talk quickly and excitedly about something, in which it makes somebody else hard to understand it.

Example:
George: Hey look! She looks very happy now.
Franco: You’re right! She’s just got A for English Literature exam.
George: She’s so much happy that we can’t understand what she’s jabbering about.

Paula cooks up something swell on a primus stove and I jabber about the new albums (BBC’s Bailie, Stuart, “How the Fest was Won.”)

English Idiom Daily - I'm not My Brother's Keeper

2010-02-24T06:52:00.001-08:00

You are not responsible for another person’s doings or whereabouts.

Example:
Brian: I want you to know that John has stolen a bottle of alcohol at the supermarket.
Marry: As well, I want you to know that I’m not my brother’s keeper!

Brian: But....

Marry: Once again, he has left us in such a bad condition. I am not my brother's keeper. No matter what he does, I don't care!

Did you know?
The idiom is actually derived from a Bible’s verse saying, “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” In the current use, the American President Barrack Obama said the contrary as saying, “I am my brother’s keeper” that refers to his policy in “ordering the American to do ‘forced-charity.’”

Habituate Someone to Someone Else or Something

2010-02-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

To make someone be familiar with someone or something new.

Example:
It is not an easy job to habituate those fresh graduate employees to the office working atmosphere. They are too much idealist and ask something more before giving real contribution.

Did You Know?
Actually derived from ‘habitual’ (adjective), further use of this word turned into ‘habituate’ (verb). The proper preposition of this verb is then ‘to.’

English Idiom Daily - Gab Up A Storm

2010-02-19T14:13:00.001-08:00

• Main entry of this idiom is at ‘Up A Storm.’
Talking at length and at fury about something that is not important.

Example:
While Mr President was delivering a speech, a number of parliament members gabbed up a storm. Indeed, they took no respect for Mr President because of his involvement in a corruption case.

Did You Know?
Gab means ‘talking about something that is not important for a long time.’ ‘Storm’ here then means ‘wave of fury/ hatred’ driving someone to face away from something by making unimportant conversation. Therefore, ‘Gab up a Storm’ refers to an activity of talking at length and at fury about something that is not important.

English Idiom Daily - Face Away (from Something or Someone)

2010-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

To turn away from looking at someone or something

Example:
Please face away from me while I’m doing my examination.
John faced away from his teacher when both met on that street. Yes, he was afraid of being noticed by the teacher as he forgot to submit his assignment on time.

Did you know?In many cases, idioms that use ‘away’ on them possess the meaning of ‘avoiding’ someone or something. Of course, we have been familiar with ‘go away’ – means leaving someone or something – as well as ‘get away’ or ‘turn away.’

English Idiom Daily - Eager Beaver

2010-02-17T03:46:00.003-08:00

Someone who works very hard. Someone who is very enthusiastic.

Example:
On the first days I worked at the office, I was an eager beaver because the boss boosted me up with 'drunk sincerity.' However, I must quit the office as they were nothing more than liars.

Did you know?
As the nature suggests, ‘eager’ means very interested in something. ‘Beaver’ alone is a small animal with outstanding ability to ‘build dams that are made of pieces of wood and mud. That is why; someone who works very hard may be called ‘eager beaver.’

English Idiom Daily - Dab at (Something)

2010-02-14T03:49:00.000-08:00

To touch or pat something lightly and (usually) in several times.

Example:
You can dab at the paint with kitchen paper to give the paint a mottled effect, rub the paint into the creases of the foil and rub it off the raised parts of the shield to make them shine (BBC, “Tin Foil Shield,” http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/smart/makes/steps/make_series11_shield.shtml).

Do you know?
Even though we are allowed to replace “something” with any word, the common use of this phrase is in the case of painting.

English Idiom Daily - Cadge Something from Someone

2010-02-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

To beg or borrow something from someone.
Example:
I don’t have enough money to live a week ahead, do you think I can cadge some money from George?

English Idiom Daily - Babe in Arms

2010-02-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

1. Literal. A very young baby that is carried by an adult.
Example:
“Millvina Dean was a babe in arms when her family boarded the Titanic,” (BBC, “The Last Titanic Survivor, Rescued Aged Nine Weeks, April 15th, 2009)
2. Figurative. An innocent or naive person.
Example:
“Mary has no idea how to win the election. Politically she’s a babe in arms,” (Spears, Richard A., 2005, McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms, New York: McGraw-Hill.)

English Idiom Daily - Abandon Ship

2010-02-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

1. To leave a sinking ship.
Example: All afternoon Salt directed hopeless efforts to save his vessel. Then, just before 6pm, fearful that Sheffield's stock of Sea Dart missiles was about to explode, he gave the order to abandon ship. (Guardian, “Rear Admiral Sam Salt Obituary,” December 10th, 2009)

2. (Figurative) to leave a failing enterprise.
Example: My partner and I were considering joining the quarter of a million natives who annually abandon the sinking ship that is the UK. The strong devaluation of sterling against the euro has eroded our ability to get out comfortably and if it reaches parity we may be doomed to stay here. (BBC, “Have Your Say: Currency,” April 17th, 2008)

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2009-09-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

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