DICHOS DUDOSOS

Doubtful sayings

Nivel: intermedio/avanzado

30 minutos

PART THREE

There are phrases that don’t make the ‘top ten’ charts: some years ago, a friend heard me singing a popular song as I went about my work and he said, ‘Oh no, not that one!’

I said, ‘Why? What’s (1) …………..………. with it?’ and he replied, ‘I’m fed up with it – every cat and dog in the country is singing that!’

I thought this was a (2) ………………….. image for a song that was very popular and I laughed. I have heard the phrase used once or twice since then, but it does not seem to have become part of the English language.

Perhaps a word needs (3) ……..…………….. on television or in a film to hit the big time. I remember in the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, written by William Goldman, the (4) ……………….. played by Strother Martin more than once used the term, ‘the US of A’ an adaptation of the normal ‘USA’ that I had never heard before.

I don’t know if it carried any special meaning. I don’t think it has a particular political slant as I am (5) ………………… with the works and opinions of Mr. Goldman. But it became a very popular phrase for a few years and then it (6) ………….………… That’s fashion.

How much has all this (7) ……………..……... with the student of English? Well, in the beginning not very much. But as students advance, it is a good discipline to give these matters some (8) ………………...

You will notice that there are many books and websites dealing with English sayings and expressions. That is good, but I think you will also note that few of these books or websites will say that the expression is a good one – the highest praise normally is that the saying is ‘useful’ or ‘often met’.

If possible, you should (9) ………….…………. a critical approach. You should beware of using any phrase that you have not heard from a living English speaker.

If you read English novels, including many famous novels, from the early twentieth (10) …………………..., you might believe that the British say,  ‘By Jove!’ They don’t. As far as I know, there is only one man in the English-speaking world who says ‘By Jove!’ and he’s the British comedian Ken Dodd.

He’s a great comedian and he wants people to laugh at him. Do you want people to laugh at (11) …………..………?

The best guidance in this area is: rely on American English; their sayings and expressions, if they (12) …………………. popular in the first place, rarely seem to go out of date, whereas many British English sayings are limited by class, region or passing influences such as radio and television programs. They can flower and die within twenty years.

CHOICES:

1. a) round b) equivocate

c) wrong d) right

2. a) trouble b) tremendous

c) table d) tenderness

3. a) explain b) expansion

c) exposure d) expanse

4. a) symbol b) solemn

c) role d) letter

5. a) family b) fast

c) fasting d) familiar

6. a) dismantled b) discovered

c) disjointed d) disappeared

7. a) to see b) got to do

c) fail to d) got to go

8. a) food b) sustenance

c) think d) thought

9. a) address b) novel

c) deprive d) adopt

10. a) vacations b) cycle

c) century d) period

11. a) him b) her

c) you d) them

12. a) become b) cancel

c) find d) cover up

ANSWERS:

1c, 2b, 3c, 4c, 5d, 6d, 7b, 8d, 9d, 10c, 11c, 12a