Book of Idioms, Episode 30

TALKING POINT: in public discourse, such as political debate, a persuasive statement designed to be repeated in support of one's position. Sometimes this is also used to mean simply a topic of discussion. PolitiFact: <<As the fall election nears and most everyone agrees his promise of 250,000 new jobs in four years won’t be met, Gov. Scott Walker is rolling out a bullish new measure of business growth -- and suggesting it shows Wisconsin could reach the mark by mid-2015.

But his impressive-sounding talking point -- that 17,000 new ready-to-hire businesses have sprung up on his watch -- crumbles upon examination.>>

"Bullish," I might add, means optimistic.


THE GRIM REAPER: death. Often capitalized. Death has often been personified as a skeleton holding a scythe, and the metaphor of death as a reaper (harvester) is common in many cultures. News 8 television (Boise, Idaho, USA): <<The grim reaper paid a visit to the students at Highland High School Tuesday afternoon as part of the annual "Every 15 Minutes" program.
This national program aims to teach students about the harsh reality drinking and driving could result in. ...
The students watched nearby behind yellow caution tape, as some of their friends who were covered in fake blood, cuts and bruises were being pried out of cars by the jaws of life, while others were being zipped into body bags.
Manning said the idea behind this program is that every 15 minutes, someone in the United States is killed in a drunk driving accident.>>

The "jaws of life" is a machine used by police to extract people from car wrecks.


Police officers often interrogate people they've arrested in pairs, with one officer (or "cop") being friendly to the suspect while the other acts threatening. The idea of the "good cop" and "bad cop" is now used idiomatically. Jakarta Globe: <<Basuki has been the bad cop to Joko’s good cop. In contrast to the typically soft-spoken and Javanese Joko, Basuki has gained a reputation for being a tough guy not afraid to shake up [Jakarta]’s sleepy bureaucracy.>>

Note also the use of the word "to" in the first sentence—it means "in contrast to."


Not exactly idioms, but two common expressions that may be confusing for English learners ... to go AWOL is a military acronym, meaning Absent Without Leave. But now it may be used in any situation where someone has disappeared without permission. And to PLAY HOOKY originally referred to a child who skipped school—now it, too, may refer to almost anyone.

Example: 660 Radio News, Calgary, Alberta, Canada: << Redford still AWOL
Former Alberta Premier Alison Redford continues to play hooky from her job at the legislature.
The National Post reports, as of Wednesday afternoon, the Calgary Elbow MLA has missed seven sitting days; if she misses three more, she could have to pay a fine.
She’s being heavily criticized by her colleagues, and people in her riding.>>


You can also DANCE TO SOMEONE'S TUNE, consistently do what someone tells you to do. This one can also appear as "dance to the tune of ..."—tricky, tricky! NDTV, India: <<Moradabad: Terming the Lok Sabha elections as a battle between two completely different ideologies, Sonia Gandhi today alleged that BJP was dancing to the tune of RSS, whose "parochial and extremist" thought was aimed at dividing the society.>>

➤ Read more idioms and phrases, English grammar and vocabulary at Basic English Grammar And Vocabulary . You might also like ⏬

➤ Book of Idioms

➤ Idioms about Animals

➤ Idioms of Expression

➤ Idioms on Food

➤ Idiomatic Expressions

➤ Origin of Idioms

➤ Proverbs

➤ Idioms on Situation

➤ Idioms on Temperature