Exercise 1: Vocabulary
1. To steal someone’s heart
Definition: To captivate or attract someone romantically.
Example: “Her beautiful singing voice stole his heart.”
2. To be a needle in a haystack
Definition: To be extremely difficult to find or locate.
Example: “Finding a lost earring in this tall grass is like searching for a needle in a haystack.”
3. To be as stubborn as a mule
Definition: To be very obstinate or unwilling to change one’s opinion or behavior.
Example: “No matter how much we tried to convince him, he was as stubborn as a mule.”
3. To be as good as gold
Definition: To be well-behaved and obedient.
Example: “The children were as good as gold during the family gathering.”
4. To go down in flames
Definition: To fail spectacularly or experience a dramatic and disastrous outcome.
Example: “Despite their high expectations, the movie went down in flames with critics and audiences.”
6. To be a tough nut to crack
Definition: To be difficult to understand, influence, or convince.
Example: “He’s been quiet about his feelings; he’s a tough nut to crack.”
7. To be as light as a feather
Definition: To be very light in weight.
Example: “The suitcase was packed so efficiently that it felt as light as a feather.”
Exercise 2: Dialogue
Samantha: You know, Jake, I heard that Jenny started taking piano lessons.
Jake: Really? That’s interesting. She’s always had a talent for music. It wouldn’t surprise me if she ends up stealing someone’s heart with her beautiful melodies.
Samantha: Absolutely. She’s like a hidden gem, a needle in a haystack when it comes to musical talent.
Jake: Speaking of talent, have you tried convincing Tom to join our hiking trip next weekend?
Samantha: Oh, I have, but he’s as stubborn as a mule when it comes to outdoor activities. He’s convinced it’s not for him.
Jake: Well, he’s missing out on a lot of fun. Last time we went hiking, the weather was perfect, and the kids were as good as gold the whole way.
Samantha: That sounds amazing. Let’s hope this time isn’t like the movie we watched last night. It started with such potential but went down in flames by the end.
Jake: Yeah, it was a disappointment. You never know which movies will be great and which will be a tough nut to crack in terms of enjoyment.
Samantha: True. But hey, let’s make sure our hike is the highlight of next weekend. It’ll be as light as a feather without Tom’s complaints.
Jake: Agreed, Samantha. It’ll be a fantastic day.
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks
Samantha: You know, Jake, I heard that Jenny started taking piano lessons.
Jake: Really? That’s interesting. She’s always had a talent for music. It wouldn’t surprise me if she ends up ________ with her beautiful melodies.
Samantha: Absolutely. She’s like a hidden gem, a _______ when it comes to musical talent.
Jake: Speaking of talent, have you tried convincing Tom to join our hiking trip next weekend?
Samantha: Oh, I have, but he’s ______ when it comes to outdoor activities. He’s convinced it’s not for him.
Jake: Well, he’s missing out on a lot of fun. Last time we went hiking, the weather was perfect, and the kids were _______ the whole way.
Samantha: That sounds amazing. Let’s hope this time isn’t like the movie we watched last night. It started with such potential but ______ by the end.
Jake: Yeah, it was a disappointment. You never know which movies will be great and which will be a ________ in terms of enjoyment.
Samantha: True. But hey, let’s make sure our hike is the highlight of next weekend. It’ll be ______ without Tom’s complaints.
Jake: Agreed, Samantha. It’ll be a fantastic day.
Options:
1. stealing someone’s heart
2. a needle in a haystack
3. as stubborn as a mule
4. as good as gold
5. went down in flames
6. a tough nut to crack
7. as light as a feather
Exercise 4: Discussion
- Create examples using the idioms above.
- If that is too easy, challenge yourself and create a dialogue with each idiom!
- Discuss which idioms you found interesting.
- Are any of the idioms similar or different compared to idioms in your language?
- Discuss where you think each idiom got its meaning.
