Tasks: Idioms and Proverbs
Are you able to match the idioms and the correct definitions?
Work in groups of three or four. Choose a random idiom from the box below. Present the idiom to the rest of the group and make them guess which one it is. You can do this in two ways:
mime the idiom (you are not allowed to speak, but you can make sounds)
draw the idiom
To get one point you should be able to guess the correct saying and explain what it means. The one with the most points wins.
If you don’t remember what they mean, you will find them all in the document you can download below.
Good luck! Or break a leg ...
We use a lot of idioms and proverbs in Norwegian as well. Sometimes you can recognise the English expression; other times the cultural context is different but the meaning is the same.
Look at the idioms presented below. What would be the equivalent Norwegian saying? And what do they mean?
Carry coals to Newcastle
To behave like a bull in a china shop
To promise the Earth
To be a henpecked husband
To take something at face value
To mind your own business
To smell a rat
To be in deep water
Birds of a feather flock together
To strike while the iron is hot
Storm in a teacup
Out of the frying pan, into the fire
Can't have your cake and eat it too
Write a story (300-400 words) about anything you like (your family, a holiday that you have had, a day you will never forget...). Include as many idioms and proverbs as you can. Make sure that the expressions you choose fit the context of your story.
Read the story to a partner. How many expressions were you able to include? Are you sure you understand their meaning?