Read the sentences below and pay attention to the expressions in bold.

Get familiar with the idioms

Read the first group of sentences and try to understand the expressions in bold. Then do the exercise.

1. We went to sleep much earlier because we had to leave at the crack of dawn to avoid the midday heat.
2. My kids couldn’t wait to hit the road – new adventures called them.
3. We’re going to the best place ever! Get prepared to live it up!
4. Oh, you’ve caught the sun on your shoulders, hope you won’t feel sore.
5. Let’s go off the beaten track – I’m fed up with the guided touristic routes.

What do they exactly mean?

The context of the sentences above will help you understand.

Read the second group of sentences and try to understand the expressions in bold. Then do the exercise.

1. I don’t know how she does it, but she always gets everything the best on a shoestring.
2. We had to set off at the crack of dawn to take the red eye from Santiago, it’s going to be a long journey.
3. Some people change their place of living so often! How can they live out of a suitcase? I couldn’t!
4. I don’t know if it’s good or bad to jump on the bandwagon and follow other people’s tastes. It seems you can never be yourself.
5. In the running for the best position at work, she’s missed other opportunities.

What do they exactly mean?

The context of the sentences above will help you understand.

Read the third group of sentences and try to understand the expressions in bold. Then do the exercise.

1. We’re the team, so it’s absolutely normal to feel in the same boat in any situation.
2. Don’t miss the boat as you will never have another chance to get on board of Titanic!
3. Look, kid, first you wash your hands and then you sit down to your dinner, okay? Don’t put the cart before the horse.
4. He was always obsessed with his own business. Finally, he is paddling his own canoe successfully.
5. I hate backseat drivers! They’re always so annoying giving their pieces of advice!

What do they exactly mean?

The context of the sentences above will help you understand.

More practice makes more perfect

Complete the following questions with the correct auxiliary verbs and then answer them. If you do this lesson on your own, record your answers and send the recording to your teacher.

Now record yourself.

Great job! You’ve successfully finished the lesson. You have the word list of today’s lesson below. Try to use them as often as possible to remember them better.

Your word list of the lesson

At the crack of dawn – very early in the morning, especially at the time when the sun first appears:

To hit the road – to leave a place or begin a journey

To live it up – to have an exciting time no matter how much it costs

To catch the sun – the sun made your skin darker or red.

Off the beaten track – far from main roads and towns, where few people go

On a shoestring/ on the cheap – with a very small amount of money.

Take the red eye/ red eye flight – plane journey during the night, esp. over long distances.

Live out of a suitcase – stay very shortly in several places, without unpacking baggage

Jump on the bandwagon – to decide to do something when it is already successful or fashionable.

In the same boat – in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.

Miss the boat – fail to take advantage of an opportunity because you don’t act quickly enough.

Put the cart before the horse – doing things in the wrong order.

Paddle ones own canoe – you do what you want to do without help or interference from anyone.

Hit the road – start a journey

A backseat driver gives unwanted advice to the driver.

The definitions are taken from the Cambridge dictionary.