Good morning class! Today we’re going over some useful idioms. These are colorful phrases that people use, sometimes describing their life or even to comment on yours. We will talk about each phrases’ literal and figurative meaning and whether or not it’s a backhanded compliment. Let’s get started.

Ducks in a row. “It looks like you have all of your ducks in a row.” The literal meaning is about farm animals, something of which most people today aren’t directly familiar. Duck wranglers can still be seen in rural parts of Asia where farmers use long switches to guide groups of ducks. Now, people mostly mean the phrase to describe the organization of one’s life or business. I think of my children as baby ducks sometimes. It is gentle imagery and possibly lightly chiding as ducklings seem by nature slightly unruly.

First rodeo. “This isn’t my first rodeo.” Here we move from farmers to ranchers. A rodeo is a contest where cowboys show their skills. Figuratively, it means you have experience and aren’t caught off guard. For example, when it comes to raising children, this isn’t my first rodeo. It’s my second, and the first one is still going on. I am concurrently entered in two rodeos and gaining some experience being trampled by horses and cattle. Someone please send help!

Circus monkeys. “This isn’t my circus; these aren’t my monkeys.” Again, these idioms rely on animal imagery, but we have moved from domestic to exotic species. Figuratively, the phrase refers to an out of control situation that someone else has caused and is therefore responsible for. Unfortunately, this is my circus and these are my monkeys. And by monkeys, I mean children and a dog we picked up along the way.

Who let the dogs out? No literally, keep the door shut, the dog keeps bolting out the front, and the back. Keep the door shut! There’s just one dog, but he’s fast. Down boy! Down!

Okay, I think we’re going to wrap this up. Thank you for coming to class today, please look over the homework and email me any questions.