Hi, Everyone, welcome to the first English Idiom Viewer Request Video from Idioms Online.
In this video, I'll be explaining English idioms that have been requested by viewers
of Idioms Online.
Before I begin, I want to thank everyone who commented with their questions and support.
The first idiom is Pluck up Courage or sometimes, Screw Up one's Courage.
To pluck up one’s courage means to force or will oneself to overcome fear or to be
brave; to bolster one’s courage.
“It was a long way down to the water but Andrew plucked up his courage and leaped off
the cliff.”
The next idiom is No Sign Of Someone or Something: In regards to a person, no sign of means no
evidence or indication of a person's presence in a particular area or location.
In regards to an object, no sign of means to not be able to see or find it.
We went to Jacob's house but there was no sign of him!
All his belongings were gone and his car is not in the driveway.
To Look Forward to Something: To look forward to something is to be excited about something
that is going to happen and think of it with eager anticipation.
“I’ve been looking forward to the state fair all year.”
To Run Out of Something: To run out of something means to not have any of it left; to have
exhausted one's supply of something.
"I'm sorry, said the waiter, we ran out of the special this evening."
For the next idiom, a viewer asked about 'lay back.'
In correct English, we would say lie back, not lay back, although native speakers often
get this wrong.
To lie back would not be an idiom.
It simply means to recline on a bed, chair, the floor, etc.
Lay and lie are very confusing words in English.
The difference between lay and lie, though, is easy to remember as long as we're speaking
in the present tense.
Just remember that lie has no object and lay does.
So, you lie on a bed, but you might lay a book on a bed.
In the past tense, however, it's more confusing.
The past tense of lie is lay: Yesterday I lay in bed thinking.
The past tense of lay is laid: I laid my keys on the table and now I can't find them.
The past participle of lie is lain: I've lain in bed long enough.
It's time to get moving.
The past participle of lay is again, laid: I've laid my keys on the table every day for
years.
So, let's conjugate: Lie, lay, lain; Lay, laid, laid.
However, there are two possible idioms, one more common than the other.
First, the idiom requested could be laid back.
To be laid back is usually used in a continuous sense and means to be calm, relaxed, or at
ease; to not be highly excitable or nervous.
"Don't worry, Mike won't mind if you borrow his laptop.
He's so laid back."
The other possible idiom could be, indeed, to lay back, which, although technically incorrect
when used in a literal sense with the present tense, is sometimes used idiomatically.
To lay back means to stay back or to not take action.
"You two lay back," said the sergeant.
"I'll scout ahead."
The next idiom is Do A Devon Loch: To do a Devon Loch is a British idiom that means to
fail just when you are close to winning or succeeding.
"He was considered the strongest swimmer and sure to win the gold, so everyone was shocked
when he did a Devon Loch and faded during the last few feet of the race."
I know you'll be wondering so I'll tell you something about the origin of this idiom.
It's based on horse racing.
It derives from a horse named Devon Loch that collapsed just before winning the 1956 Grand
National Race.
Devon Loch was a horse that belonged to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and was being ridden
by Dick Francis.
In the lead and just around 30 yards from the finish line, Devon Loch inexplicably jumped
up and then fell onto his belly causing the horse behind named ESB to win.
Don't worry, Devon Loch wasn't seriously injured.
He lived another six years.
The next idiom is Bob's Your Uncle: Like the last idiom Bob's your uncle is a British idiom
that's never heard in America.
It's an exclamatory phrase with a number of related meanings.
It means everything's fine (or will be fine) or the problem is solved (or will be solved)
or something was successful (or will be).
It's also possible for it to be used in the past tense to mean the same thing.
And, it can also mean something like "there you are" or "isn't that easy?"
Example: "Just sign here and Bob's your uncle, you have a new car," said the salesman.
Do a Runner: To do a runner means to leave a restaurant without paying for one's meal.
You may also hear this, by the way as a "dine and dash."
It can also mean to leave any place of business quickly without paying for goods or services.
And, it can also mean to depart quickly and suddenly in order to avoid an unpleasant,
embarrassing, or awkward situation.
"The couple was arrested after doing a runner from five different restaurants throughout
the city."
Here's another example: "Sarah did a runner after seeing her boyfriend on the other side
of the room."
Enough to Cobble Dogs With: Another chiefly British idiom, enough to cobble dogs with
refers to a large surplus of anything; an abundant supply.
"They sent the wrong order.
We have enough tongue depressors to cobble dogs with," said the doctor.
Fall off the Back of a Lorry Or Truck: This is a British idiom referring to goods that
are stolen or acquired dishonestly.
In the U.S. where we don't use the word lorry, it's sometimes heard as "fall of the back
of a truck."
This idiom is based on a traditional and somewhat humorous excuse given to the police.
When asked how they came into possession of something, a suspect tells the police "It
fell off the back of a lorry."
"Where did you get that watch?
It looks very expensive!" said mom.
"It fell off the back of a lorry," said Melvin.
Well, that's all the viewer request idioms for now.
If you are having trouble with understanding a particular idiom and would like it to be
included in the next video, leave a comment below.
Please do try to limit it to one idiom per viewer.
And thanks for watching!