Spot the idioms 3 ~ answers

So, how did you do? Did you spot them all? Each idiom has been marked in bold text in the copy below, and their meanings listed in the table.

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Mon – Uugh! Found myself at a loose end, so started painting the spare bedroom. Chose a neutral colour, but it hasn’t covered the previous paint very well and looks terrible! I know life isn’t all beer and skittles, but why can’t I have something go well for me???

 

Thurs – Went to Beth’s last night. She was having a ‘bring a dish’ supper! Thought everyone would take savoury things, so took danish pastries….Ha! It was like taking coals to Newcastle!! Beth’s a pastry chef, and had a table full of pastries she had brought from work. Doh!….Never mind, we still had fun….

 

Fri – Woke up at 6am with an awful sore throat and headache. Looked like death warmed up! Had a hot shower, took paracetamol with honey and lemon, and plastered on the make-up so that I looked half human, and Bob’s your uncle – felt and looked much better! Just as well, really, had a BIG meeting at work……

 

Sun – Decided to walk dog with Tom (neighbour) and his dog. Bad idea! My dog-training skills are pretty basic, but Tom clearly has his mutt trained so well that it daren’t do anything unless he says it can! My dog’s not the worst around here by a long chalk, but even I couldn’t relax on the walk. Tom won’t let that poor dog do anything! Mine, however, ran a bit wild, and that set his dog off and, having tasted the freedom of a free run with my dog, Tom’s refused to come back when called. HA HA – he’s all mouth and trousers is Tom! Let the poor dogs have some fun. Won’t be walking with him again – doubt he will ask again, tho’!

 

Tues – I’m not one to bad-mouth people (much!), but asked my friend to write out the itinerary for our holiday, and having just read it, I declare it to be double dutch! Even the dates are wrong! She’s daft as a brush is that girl! Don’t know where her head was at when she wrote that out! Oh my, gonna have to do it myself…..

Meanings:

at a loose end	to have spare time but not know what to do with it
life isn’t all beer and skittles	matters are not all about self-indulgence and pleasure
taking coals to Newcastle	doing something completely unnecessary
death warmed up	to look very ill indeed
Bob’s your uncle	something will be successful
by a long chalk	to win easily or comfortably / succeed by a wide margin
all mouth and trousers	(someone) boasts a lot about something, but doesn’t deliver
bad mouth	to say negative things about someone
double dutch	completely incomprehensible
daft as a brush	rather stupid (this phrase is often used as a term of endearment rather than a criticism)