Origins of Common Idioms
If we were to stop and really pay attention to our conversations, we would no doubt be surprised at how many idioms creep into our daily communications.
While some of these phrases make sense to us, there are others that seem to be quite strange. Even though we understand their current meanings, the actual words make little sense to us. For example- "He really got my goat"- we understand to mean that he annoyed or upset me. Most of us, however, don't actually have a goat to be taken by someone else!
No Bones About It presents 2 part skits to help your students learn about the origins of 10 of these strange idioms. Have groups of students prepare presentations of each skit to teach their classmates about the origins each idiom.
Use the skits as patterns for students to follow in researching more idioms and writing skits or simple dialogs to show the origins.
10 skits - each in two parts
Scene One - Past - illustrates the origins of the idiom
Scene Two - Present - illustrates the current usage of the idiom
Lock, Stock and Barrel
Frog in Your Throat
Giving the Cold Shoulder
Getting Your Goat
Let the Cat out of the Bag
Stealing One’s Thunder
Throw One’s Hat In the Ring
Make the Grade
No Bones About It
Each script also has a second hidden idiom for the students to find.