To Mr. Alan: book expressions?

Hi, Mr. Alan

Your lesson book expressions is very interesting. But I have difficulty understanding some expressions which can not be looked up in my dictionaries. May you help me?

  1. a closed book (to someone)

  2. an open book

  3. to throw the book at someone

  4. “Take a leaf out someone’s book” or “Take a leaf out of someone’s book” ?

In your lessons “Colour Idoms”.

  1. You say “Oh, come one,…” I think it’s “come on”, isn’t it?

  2. black ice

  3. “white” in the sentence “The trouble was she had set her heart on a particular colour — white. It had to be white at all costs”.

  4. blue in the face

  5. white flag = surrender (noun) ?

  6. Give the meaning of this sentence “We looked at dozens of white and off white cars but none seemed to be worth buying”.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Tortoise,

I have put some explanations in CAPITAL LETTERS.

Alan

  1. a closed book (to someone) SOMETHING YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.

  2. an open book SOMETHING EASY TO UNDERSTAND.

  3. to throw the book at someone CRITICISE SOMEONE VERY STRONGLY.

  4. “Take a leaf out someone’s book” or “Take a leaf out of someone’s book” ? COPY WHAT SOMEONE HAS DONE.

YES, IT SHOULD BE OH COME ON AND MEANS LET’S BE SERIOUS.

  1. black ice ICE ON THE ROAD MIXED WITH RUBBER/OIL FROM CARS.

  2. “white” in the sentence “The trouble was she had set her heart on a particular colour — white. It had to be white at all costs”. IT DEFINITELY HAD TO BE WHITE.

  3. blue in the face VERY ANGRY.

  4. white flag = surrender (noun)? A SIGN OF SURRENDER.

  5. Give the meaning of this sentence “We looked at dozens of white and off white cars but none seemed to be worth buying”. WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF WHITE AND ALMOST WHITE CARS BUT NOT ONE WAS AT A PRICE THAT WAS WORTH IT.