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Message de minouche15 posté le 2004-07-07 18:44:52 (S | E | F | I)
You like reading, then this message is for you ... It's fun...this topic isn't from myself and perhaps you know it or his author ?... It really is a brain teaser, however it is no use catching a headache : good luck .

John and his love affairs .

John carries a torch for his secretary, unfortunately he's married and his wife brings home the bacon ; He really is in a jam . He wants to tell her the truth but he beats around the bush. Poor old John! He is sitting on the fence . As soon as he sees his wife, he gets cold feet, feeling guilty he buys gifts for both his wife and his secretary which costs him arm and leg and he has to scrape the bottom of the barrels .

I keep on telling him that he can't have his cake and eat it too, especially as a little bird told me that his wife smelt the rat . He is always very angry with me but I answer that he is barking up the wrong tree .
It's terrible to see him eat his heart out . I'm very worried because when he is down in the dumps, he drinks like a fish and cries in his beer, everytime he comes home drunk, his wife wipes the floor with him and he 's in a dog house for three days . John isn't a lucky dog, his secretary also has an asce to grind with him : she thinks John is pulling her leg and taking her for a ride by promising to marry her . He really is high and dry!..

He doesn't want to divorce and get married again, once bitten twice shy, It was very stupid of him to talk about marriage, John always puts the cart before the horse . I'll eat my hat if he gets divorced : first of all because it's old hat to get divorced, secondly he doesn't need to jump out of the frying pan into the fire and thirdly because a bird in a hand is worth two in a bush, even if he bends over backwards, he will never be able to let his hair down and enjoy life .

I have never met John's secretary but I know from the horse's mouth that she can't hold the candle to his wife even though she is really beautiful ... John's mother also hopes that her daugter-in-law wins the battle hands down . As John is such a hard nut to crack she always says :
"Johnny open your eyes, you are blind as a bat". My dear friend John gets furious and bites his head off . His mother isn't known for her diplomacy and she calls a spade a spade, she always upsets the apple cart . Oh ! dear, I'm holding the bag -The other day John told me furiously : "Why did you tell her ? You promised me not to let the cat out of the bag . How embarrassing for me! I simply wanted her advice, after all two heads are better than one . John's mother can't keep a secret, I should have known one can't teach an old dog new tricks . John's mother and I are in the same boat, between you and me, I will not discuss the matter anymore with either of them, my old dad said : "My boy, always let sleeping dogs lie!" In the meantime the poor woman is on pins and needdles, for her Johny is still a little boy, she will accept that John is a man when the cows come home .

Well, well, why do I worry so much about John ? He is a picture of health, he gets declaring the early bird catches the worms, whereas I could sleep around the clock . If I continue like that I'll soon kick the bucket, then as they say : when it rains it pours. I'd better invite my wife to this new restaurant where you can eat for a song and after dinner WOW!!!... I'll paint the town red !...Well, let's not dream, don't count the chikens before they hatched, a stitch in time saves nine . By the way I really feel hungry now, I could eat a horse, well then good bye; folks .

I know, I forgot my umbrella and it's raining cats and dogs .

see you soon ;


Réponse: re Some cludes : Idioms de minouche15, postée le 2004-07-10 19:51:04 (S | E)
Some clues to help you to understand this odd message, built with a lot of idioms :

  • carry a torch for someone = fou amoureux

  • bring home the bacon = faire bouillir la marmite

  • be in a jam = être dans la panade

  • beat around the bush = tourner autour du pot

  • be sitting on the fence = être assis entre deux chaises

  • get cold feet = se dégonfler

  • cost one's an arm and leg = coûter les yeux de la tête ( très cher)

  • scrape the bottom of the barrels =gratter les fonds de tiroirs


  • you can't have your cake and eat it too = on ne peut avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre

  • as a little bird told me = comme mon petit doigt m'a dit

  • smell a rat = sentir qu'il y a anguille sous roche,(se douter de quelque chose)
  • bark up the wrong tree = se tromper de cible

  • eat his heart out = se ronger les sangs (se rendre malheureux)

  • be down in the dumps = être au fond du gouffre (broyer du noir)

  • drink like a fish = boire comme un trou

  • cry in his beer = noyer son chagrin dans l'alcool

  • wipe the floor with somebody = tenir quelqu'un pour moins que rien

  • be in a doghouse = être mal vu

  • not to be a lucky dog = ne pas avoir de

  • have an ace to grind = avoir un compte à régler

  • to pull someone's leg = se moquer de quelqu'un

  • take someone for a ride = mener en bateau (se moquer)

  • to be high and dry = être dans de beaux draps

  • once bitten twice shy = chat échaudé craint l'eau froide

  • put the cart before the horse = mettre la charrue avant les boeufs

  • to eat his hat = donner sa tête à couper

  • it's old hat = c'est ringard

  • jumping out of the frying pan into the fire = tomber de Charybde en Scylla (tomber de haut)

  • a bird in a hand is worth two in a bush = un tien vaut mieux que de tu l'auras (mieux vaut tenir que courir)

  • if he bends over backwards = se mettre en quatre

  • let one's hair down = se sentir décontracté

  • from the horse's mouth = de source sûre
  • can't hold the candle to = ne pas arriver à la cheville


  • win the battle hands down = gagner haut la main

  • to be such a hard nut to crack = être difficile à cerner

  • bite his head off = prendre la mouche

  • call a spade a spade = appeler un chat, un chat

  • upset the apple cart = mettre la charrue avant les boeufs

  • holding the bag = porter le chapeau

  • let the cat out of the bag = vendre la mèche

  • two heads are better than one = deux avis valent mieux qu'un

  • one can't teach an old dog new tricks = ce n'est pas à un vieux singe que l'on apprend à faire la grimace

  • to be in the same boat = être dans le même bateau

  • always let sleeping dogs lie = il ne faut jamais réveiller chien qui dort

  • to be on pins and needles = être sur des charbons ardents

  • when the cows come home = quand les poules auront des dents


  • be in the picture health = se porter comme un charme

  • the early bird catches the worms = l'avenir appartient à ceux qui se lèvent tôt

  • sleep around the clock = faire le tour du cadran

  • kick the bucket = passer l'arme à gauche

  • when it rain it pours = un malheur n'arrive jamais seul

  • eat for a song = manger pour une bouchée de pain

  • to paint the town red = faire la fête

  • don't count the chikens before they hatched = ne jamais vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué

  • a stich in time saves nine = mieux vaut prévenir que guérir

  • could eat a horse = avoir une faim de loup

  • it's raining cats and dogs = il tombe des cordes


  • Good luck
    see you soon

    -------------------
    Edité par mariet le 11-07-2004 16:07
    pour rectifier quelques fautes de frappe et ajouter les balises


    Réponse: re de mariet, postée le 2004-07-12 16:18:19 (S | E)
    Thank you for this compilation, minouche15
    It really is a brainteaser and I enjoyed it.
    Could you just check "has an asce to grind with him", please ? I've been hoplessly trying to find it. I couldn't even find asce. I've tried other spellings but none worked.
    I knew the phrase "to have a bone to pick with somebody" (avoir un compte à régler avec qqn) but I'd be glad to have a new one to add to my list.

    While I was searching I came across
    http://www.funbrain.com/funbrain/idioms/index.html
    It's a game meant for American children with lots of idioms that were new to me but as an example sentence is given you can understand the meaning from the context.
    I think you'll enjoy it.

    Cheerio,
    Mariet


    Réponse: re to Mariet & Minouche de caz9, postée le 2004-07-12 18:20:01 (S | E)
    "has an asce to grind with him"

    I suspect Minouche probably means "axe". The expression is "to have an axe to grind with him".

    I picked up a few other corrections:

    An arm and a leg
    to smell a rat
    daughter-in-law
    don't count your chickens before they're hatched


    Réponse: to caz9 de mariet, postée le 2004-07-12 18:42:44 (S | E)
    Thank you caz9. I was hoping you would come and help!!!


    Réponse: re de aodglas, postée le 2004-07-12 20:11:03 (S | E)
    Thanks for those "cludes"(mean expressions?) and this text. I've some work to translate this one.My "cassell" dictionary is out of order.
    See you.


    Réponse: re to mariet and caz9 de minouche15, postée le 2004-07-12 20:35:49 (S | E)
    I apologize for my mistakes and thank you for having given the corrections . you are right I'd have to write axe

    - to have an axe to grind = avoir un compte à régler...

    I have had a look at the advised site with idioms, I agree with you, I'm sure That I'm going to enjoy myself, I'm delighted it's relax and well for feeling in good mood .

    see you soon .


    Réponse: re de mariet, postée le 2004-07-17 20:46:50 (S | E)
    Here's something else that might interest you (I've put a post about it in the 'Détente section' because I'd written it in French). There's a 7mn cartoon by Tex Avery (title : Symphony in Slang) in which he illustrates the phrases to the letter... You can imagine the result!!
    If you have an opportunity to get hold of it, do not hesitate!
    You'll find the reference at
    http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0044095/


    Réponse: re à minouche15 et aodglas de leebenseng, postée le 2004-07-20 07:03:45 (S | E)
    Hi, minouche 15 and aodglas,

    I think the word "cludes" should be "clues".

    leebenseng




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