State which of the italicized units are phraseologisms and which are free word-combinations. Give proof of your answer.

1. He asked to warm a glass of juice but they left it rather cold on the table.

2. Instrumental music, oddly enough, left me rather cold.

3. Where do you think you lost your purse.

4.1 couldn't stand that noise any longer. I lost my temper.

5. Have a look at the reverse side of the coat.

6. The reverse side of the medal is that we'll have to do it ourselves.

7. Keep the butter in the refrigerator.

8. Keep the eye on the child.

9. He threw some cold water on his face to wake up.

10.1 didn't expect that he would throw cold water upon our project.

11. The tourists left the beaten track and saw a lot of interesting places.

12. The author leaves the beaten track and offers a new treatment of the subject.

2. Analyze the structural invariability of the given phraseological units. State cases when various changes (such as componential extension, substi­tutions, or grammatical changes) are possible (group a) and impossible (group b).

Mode 1: So you say, but anybody who experiments with drugs is riding a tiger/panther.

ü In the phraseological unit to ride a tiger the component tiger cannot be replaced by the word panther without destroying the semantic integrity and meaning of this idiom. This phraseologism belongs to group b).

1. T can take it or leave it.' 'So you say, but anybody who experiments with drugs is riding a tiger/panther '. 2. It was unbearable. Her behaviour made me fly off the handle/handles. 3. My father hated the idea of me joining the army. He always said it wasn't a suitable occupation for the fair/fairer sex. 4. When I saw the nurse's face, my heart sank into my boots/into my brown boots. 5. Jackson is a hot-tempered man; I wouldn't cross swords/a sword with him, if I were you. 6. His enemy was close behind him, and the bridge over the ravine was rotten and swaying. Caught between the devil and the deep sea/the deep blue sea, he hesitated. 7. We can make our own decisions without you putting/sticking your oar in. 8. Our builder is taking his time/his free time, isn't he? He's been three days on that job already. 9. Politics is meant to be boring, and boring people carry it out more competently than flash Harries/ a flash Harry. 10. We must make it a hard and fast/firm rule not to allow any parent to enter a classroom without first speaking to the headmaster. 11.1 could do that with one arm/hand behind my back. 12. But when he learns that officialdom has again reared its head/its ugly head and is planning the destruction of his last home, his fighting spirit returns.

5. What associations does the literal reading of the given phraseological units evoke? Analyze the link between these associations and the figurative meaning of the phraseological units.

M o d e 1: to get wind of — 'to receive early warning of imminent events, often from a confidential source': We got wind of his resignation a week before it was announced in the newspapers.

ü Associations evoked by the literal reading of the phraseological unit to get wind of 'are connected with the idea of an animal whose acute sense of smell allows it to scent danger in the wind.

1. to rain cats and dogs — 'to pour with rain, to rain very hard': We went to Ireland but we can hardly say we saw it. It rained cats and dogs every single day. 2. to cast a cloud over — 'to sadden, to fill with gloom, to mar one's pleasure': The news of her father's illness cast a cloud over Mary's honeymoon. 3. to show one's teeth — 'use one's power or authority in an aggressive or intimidating way': Matron looked a comfortable, motherly soul but she soon showed her teeth if any of the inmates gave signs of having minds of their own. 4. to mend one's manners — 'become more civil or refined in speech and behaviour': I will implement my promise to send you twenty-five ponds, but not until cat-and-dog life you led together. 3. to make eyes at someone — 'to look at someone in a way that clearly indicates one's interest in them': This party was a great disappointment. Ann made eyes at almost every man, except him. 4. a gentle giant — 'a man who is very tall and strong, but has a very quiet, gentle character that does not match his appear­ance': As placid and amiable as he was tall, he became known as the gentle giant. 5. a big wig — 'an important or influential person': He became a big wig in the world of politics. 6. to tell tales — 'make known or gossip about another person's secret, wrongdoings, or faults': Jenny, it's unfair. All we got was what we pinched out (of) the larder and then you used to go and tell tales to mother. 7. to have a roving eye — 'to be always looking for a pretty face': It's a pity, Anne's husband has a roving eye and always seem to be with a pretty girl. If his wife wasn't around, he had a roving eye. 8. to pour out one's heart — 'to confide all one's sorrows, fears, anxieties, hopes and joys to another person': When we were alone, she poured out her heart to me about her broken marriage.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14