This PowerPoint presentation is designed to teach four idioms: your hands are tied, vent your spleen, your heart goes out to someone, and joined at the hip. Source: Englishclub.com for high-intermediate to advanced English learners.
2. IDIOM
Definition of idiom:
An expression that cannot be understood from the
meanings of its separate words.
In addition, it is a term or a phrase whose meaning
cannot be deduced from the literal definitions or
arrangement of its parts.
Example: The test was a piece of cake!!
3. YOUR HANDS ARE TIED
Meaning: You can say your hands are tied
if you're prevented from doing something
that you would normally have the power or
authority to do so.
4. YOUR HANDS ARE TIED
For example:
The president says he'd like to spend more on schools
in poor districts, but says his hands are tied by what
he calls "budgetary restrictions".
I'd really like to give you the contract, Mr. Gambino,
but my hands are tied because of those laws on giving
contracts to people with criminal records.
6. VENT YOUR SPLEEN
For example:
The company's shareholders were angry, and they
used the annual general meeting as an opportunity to
vent their spleen on the board members.
For example:
Amy felt she had been badly treated by the media, so
she took the chance to vent her spleen during the
interview.
7. ORIGIN: THE SPLEEN IS AN ORGAN IN THE BODY
NEAR THE STOMACH. IN EUROPEAN MEDICINE
FROM THE MIDDLE AGES UNTIL THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY, THE SPLEEN WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE
SOURCE OF THE "HUMOURS" THAT CAUSED THE
EMOTION OF ANGER. THEREFORE ONE COULD
EXPEL ANGER BY "VENTING THE SPLEEN".
8. YOUR HEART GOES OUT TO SOMEONE
Meaning: If your heart goes
out to someone, you feel great
sympathy for them.
9. YOUR HEART GOES OUT TO SOMEONE
For example:
We're so sorry to hear of your loss, and our hearts go
out to you in this difficult time.
For example:
My heart went out to Kerry when I heard that her dog
had died. I know how much she loved him.
10. JOINED AT THE HIP
Meaning: If two people or things are joined
at the hip, they're so closely linked as to be
almost inseparable.
11. FOR EXAMPLE:
KIM AND MEG HAVE BEEN JOINED AT THE HIP SINCE MEETING IN
HIGH SCHOOL. THEY'RE MORE LIKE SOULMATES THAN FRIENDS.
For example:
The two clubs were so closely tied after sharing the same ground
and the same staff for so long that they were practically joined at
the hip.
12. Activity: Now write a small conversation by yourself or
with a different partner using one to two of the idioms.
Maximum three to four complete sentences.
13. Your hands are tied
Vent your spleen
Your heart goes out to
someone
Joined at the hip