The key answer of exercise 6
The key to exercise solutions in chapter 15 - Now trending for the textbook Outcomes Advanced - Student's Book with authors Carol Nuttall and Amanda French from National Geographic Learning
Question
Work in groups. Discuss what you think each phrase means. Then think of as many ways as you can to adapt the phrase by changing the words in italics.
Answer
- = It was the biggest and best / worst. → It’s the mother of all cocktails.; It was the mother of all headaches.
- = to describe someone or something as being the very essence of the word → Look up the word ‘idiot’ in a dictionary and you’ll find a picture of Joe!
- = used to comment on what’s seen as a new innovation → It’s a phone, but not as we know it.
- = to say something can easily change from one thing to another even if apparently opposite → It’s a fine line between pleasure and pain.; It’s a fine line between clever and stupid.
- = to say something is a waste of time or should be avoided → Life’s too short to get into arguments.; Life’s too short to sit through another ‘Mission Impossible’ film.
- = it means ‘the latest trend / thing, etc. that shares traits with an older trend / thing’ → Gardening is the new rock and roll.; Staying in is the new going out.
- = to say that they are the worst example of a thing you could imagine → It was the holiday from hell.; He’s the boss from hell.
- = to say you have a very strong trait or characteristic → Charm is her middle name.; Fun is his middle name.
- = to pretend that you don’t know something everyone knows – especially when it is given as part of a suggestion → What is this microwave oven of which you speak?; Who is this Obama of which you speak?
- = to explain that someone retains a characteristic of a particular place → You can take the boy out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the boy.; You can take the girl out of Spain, but you can’t take Spain out of the girl.