Marvin Terban - In a Pickle: And Other Funny Idioms

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IN A PICKLE
AND OTHER FUNNY IDIOMS BY MARVIN TERBAN
ILLUSTRATED BY GIULIO MAESTRO CLARION BOOKS
NEW YORK

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To my wife Karen,
who has gotten me out
of many a pickle Clarion Books
a Houghton Mifflin Company imprint
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003
Text copyright 1983 by Marvin Terban
Illustration copyright 1983 by Giulio Maestro
First Clarion paperback edition, 1983; reissued, 2007. All rights reserved. For information about permission to reproduce
selections from this book, write to Permissions,
Houghton Mifflin Company,
215 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003. www.clarionbooks.com Printed in the U.S.A. The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows: Terban, Marvin.
In a pickle, and other funny idioms
Summary: Thirty common English phrases, such as "a chip off the
old block" and "don't cry over spilt milk" are illustrated and explained.
1. English languageTerms and phrasesJuvenile literature,
[1.

English languageTerms and phrases]
I. Maestro, Giulio, ill. II. Title.
PE1689.T44 1983 428.1 82-9585 CL ISBN-13: 978-0-89919-153-9 CL ISBN-10: 0-89919-153-3 PA ISBN-13: 978-0-618-83001-5 PA ISBN-10: 0-618-83001-4 EB 30 29 28 27

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Idioms are groups of words that really don't mean what they say. What they actually say can sometimes seem silly, as the pictures in this book show. Idioms are confusing because each one has a special meaning.

If you don't know the special meaning, you won't understand what someone is saying. This book tells you the real and special meanings of thirty popular idioms. Not all word experts agree on where certain idioms come from or even on exactly what some of them mean. But here are the explanations most people know and accept. If you want to find out about other idioms you have heard or read, the books listed on the last page may help you. Now she is really in a pickle! IDIOM In a pickle MEANING In trouble.

In an unpleasant situation. Years ago, people didn't have refrigerators to help keep vegetables and meat from spoiling. They sometimes put them in a large barrel filled with vinegar or brine. This was called "pickling." Imagine someone sitting on the lid of a pickle barrel. Ooops! He falls in. Whenever he performs, he gets
butterflies in the stomach! IDIOM Butterflies in the stomach MEANING A weird feeling caused by fear or
nervousness A big spelling test is about to start. Whenever he performs, he gets
butterflies in the stomach! IDIOM Butterflies in the stomach MEANING A weird feeling caused by fear or
nervousness A big spelling test is about to start.

Or you're stepping up to bat. Or it's your turn to go on stage to sing. You're tense. You're scared. You feel a fluttery sensation in your stomach. She certainly opened a can
of worms this time! IDIOM Open a can of worms MEANING Start a lot of trouble
that will be hard to stop If you actually opened a can of worms, all the worms would get out and you wouldn't be able to get them back in. She certainly opened a can
of worms this time! IDIOM Open a can of worms MEANING Start a lot of trouble
that will be hard to stop If you actually opened a can of worms, all the worms would get out and you wouldn't be able to get them back in.

They would be squirming all over, and some people would be running and squealing. You certainly would have started a lot of trouble, wouldn't you? Today, people use this expression to mean causing trouble that is difficult to handle. "Every time you go to a garage sale, you
come home with another white elephant!" IDIOM White elephant MEANING A totally useless possession
that you'd like to get rid of A long time ago in Siam (now Thailand), a white elephant was a sacred animal. When the King of Siam was angry at someone, he gave him a white elephant as a "present." The white elephant could never be made to work. It would live only in pampered luxury. Its new owner would probably run out of money caring for it.

Some present! Today at a flea market or school fair, you might see people selling "white elephants." Don't look for any light-colored pachyderms. White elephants are just some junk that people don't want anymore and would like to sell to you. "Swim away! Don't bury
your head in the sand!" IDIOM Bury your head in the sand MEANING Pretend that danger doesn't exist
when it really does For a long time people had the mistaken idea that the world's biggest bird, the ostrich, buried its head in the sand to hide from danger. People believed the ostrich thought that if it couldn't see its enemy, the enemy couldn't see it. The ostrich is really an excellent fighter. If you got one angry, it would fight you with its beak and powerful feet.

If you see an ostrich with its head down, it's not hiding from its enemies. It's just looking for seeds or berries to eat. "You shouldn't have counted your
chickens before they hatched!" IDIOM Don't count your chickens before
they hatch. MEANING Don't make plans based upon something
that hasn't happened yet. Not all plans turn out the way we think they will. For example, not all eggs hatch.

If a farmer counts five eggs in a nest, it doesn't mean he's going to have five baby chicks. If he advertises FIVE CHICKS FOR SALE, he may be in for a disappointing surprise if only three eggs hatch. "There he goes again, putting the
cart before the horse!" IDIOM To put the cart before the horse MEANING To get the order of things backward If you try to walk a tightrope before you've taken any tightrope walking lessons, or if you eat dessert first, then the main course, you've got things in reverse order. You're "putting the cart before the horse." A farmer who actually put his horse behind the wagon instead of in front of it wouldn't get very far, would he?

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