Body Idioms

Do you know any English idioms connected with body?

Body Idioms

In this lesson, you’re going to learn some idiomatic phrases connected with the body.

Let’s look at your head and hair first!1) It’s like banging your head against a brick wall.2) He has got his head in the clouds. 3) An old head on young shoulders4) I let my hair down.5) Keep your hair on.6) I’m tearing my hair out.

Body Idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if we try to do something that seems impossible or makes us frustrated, we can say “it’s like banging your head against a brick wall”.

♦ As we know, learning a foreign language is a very, very, difficult and frustrating experience. So do you have any experience of learning English to share?

It’s like banging your head against a brick wall

Body Idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if someone is not fully aware of situation, we can say “he’s got his head in the clouds”.

♦ Do you sometimes have your head in the clouds, like at the meetings or at work?

He has got his head in the clouds

Body idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if someone seems older than they are or if they talk and think like an older person, we can say “he’s got an old head on young shoulders”.

He has got an old head on young shoulders

Examples

The following example is to show you how the idioms being used and see if you share the similar experience.

Sara, Singapore

I am a journalist in a publisher. I’ve been working on one project recently and I’ve just been told to make one English presentation on it in four days. The news are like banging my head against a brick wall. I’ve never done it; besides, I’m afraid that I would get my head in the clouds when I get nervous about speaking English in public. My daughter always tells me what to do to calm my nerves. She is only six and I think she’s got an old head on young shoulders.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever been in a situation like the example?

Has something ever made you want to bang your head against a brick wall?

Do you know someone with their head in the clouds?

Have you got an old head on young shoulders?

Body Idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if we behave in a less serious way than usual and enjoy ourselves a little, we can say “I let my hair down”.

I let my hair down

Body Idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if you want someone who’s angry to calm down, you can say “keep your hair on”.

♦ Do you know any effective ways of calming angry people down?

Keep your hair on

Body Idioms

Have you heard this idiom before?

♠ In English, if we are very anxious about something we can say “I am tearing my hair out.”

♦ Have you every made someone tear their hair out?

I’m tearing my hair out

Examples

The following example is to show you how the idioms being used and see if you share the similar experience.

Scanne, Germany

The last time I let my hair down was last weekend, just like I do every weekend. I often tell people to keep their hair on if something happens they’ve not expected, because I’m a calm person who rarely gets angry. And for this reason I’m rarely tearing my hair out, because it doesn’t change anything.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever in a situation like the example?

When was the last time you let your hair down?

Have you ever told someone to keep their hair on?

Tell everyone about a time when you were tearing your hair out?

Vocabulary Recap

frustrated feeling annoyed because you cannot do what you want

journalist a person whose job is to write news stories for newspapers, radio or television

publisher a person or company that prints books, newspapers and makes them available

to the public

project a planned piece of work that is designed to find information about something, to produce something new

Vocabulary Recap

presentation a meeting where a new product or idea is shown to a group of people

effective producing a successful result

anxious feeling worried or nervous