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HUMAN NATURE and PHYSICAL STATES
Ups And Downs
Eating, Drinking
Sleeping
Regarding Human Nature

H  U  M  A  N    N  A  T  U  R  E

P  H  I   S  I  C  A  L    S  T  A  T  E  S

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UPS AND DOWNS

Somebody's strong suit

Patience was never one of her strong suits!

One's Achilles' heel (one's downfall, one's weak spot)

I confess... flavoured crisps are my Achilles' heel (my downfall, my weak spot).

To be as fit as a fiddle (to be in fine feather, in the pink)

Hey... how do you manage to be as fit as a fiddle (in fine feather, in the pink) working all day long?

To be below par

I really feel below par... I haven't slept a wink tonight.

Avere le allucinazioni, credere di avere visto o sentito qualcosa

(be) hearing things, seeing things

Jack's offered a lift…? I must be hearing things!

Star bene, avere una buona cera dopo una malattia

To look as right as rain

After the bad flu James looked as right as rain.

Una bella abbronzatura

As brown as a berry

After a couple of days spent sunbathing on the beach, she was as brown as a berry.

Esser pieno di energia

To be a live wire

She really is a live wire: she works all day, then jogs for an hour before preparing the dinner for the family.

To be full on

I can't imagine where you find so much energy... you're full on all day long!

A shot in the arm

You're such a lively vital person... seeing you means a shot in the arm!

Avere una buona cera dopo una malattia, star bene, stare in buona salute

To look as right as rain, to be as right as rain

After the bad flu James looked as right as rain.

I can't complain... I'm loved, I've enough money for frills, I'm still alive and as right as rain!

Alive and kicking

I know it's around midnight, but I'm ready to go clubbing... I'm alive and kicking and the night is still young!

As strong as an ox

Where the heck does he find his energy?... he's all muscles and as strong as an ox.

As hard as iron

He got his muscles as hard as iron by spending hours working out at the gym.

As quick as a flash

Being so long-legged she's able to be as quick as a flash, when it comes down to running.

Distrutto per la stanchezza

Dog tired

Call it a day... I'm dog tired, after more than nine hours working myself to the bones.

To feel like a drudge

After having spent all day moving furniture, he felt like a real drudge.

To feel done in (all in)

I'm feeling done in (all in) after clubbing until six a.m.!

Avere le allucinazioni, credere di avere visto o sentito qualcosa

(be) hearing things, seeing things

Jack's offered a lift…? I must be hearing things!

To be weak at the knees

The first time he met her he suddenly felt weak at the knees.

To huff and puff

In the middle of the stairs he had to put out his fag because he was huffing and puffing too much.

To get a second wind

Visiting the archaeological sites all day long it's like a marathon but, I'm getting a second wind because I ate a quick snack.

 

 

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EATING AND DRINKING

To take the edge off the hunger

I don't feel full up, but this snack was good to take the edge off the hunger.

To be able to eat a horse

After having spent all the day walking around I really could eat a horse.

To eat for comfort

She hadn't had a moment's rest so, when she went home, she broke her diet, nervously eating for comfort.

To eat heartily

Maybe it was from the hunger or because of the good quality of the dinner but, I've eaten so heartily.

To shove food into one's mouth

They remained shocked at seeing the man greedily shoving food into his mouth.

To pick at one's food

It's was too late for having dinner, so they picked at their food before they went to sleep.

To eat plain food

I'm sorry, I cannot eat the food you have prepared: I was sick and now I have to eat plain food.

As tough as old boots

It was so difficult to cut and eat that piece of bread... it was as tough as old boots.

To churn at

After that disgusting dinner my stomach is churning at the sight of food.

As sick as a dog

I feel like throwing up... I'm as sick as a dog, after that bad dinner.

As light as a feather

After a severe diet she became skinny and as light as a feather.

As thin as a rake

Lucky you: you can eat everything and still stay as thin as a rake!

As heavy as lead

He's so podgy... when he fainted I dragged him to the sofa, and he was as heavy as lead.

 

 

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DRINKING

As dry as a bone

I have to have a drink: I'm as dry as a bone!

To knock back

The old man was drowning his sorrows, knocking back a lot of drinks.

As sober as a judge

He's as sober as a judge, considering all the drinks he had.

To be tired and emotional

You know him: he'll never confess to being tanked up but, only to being a bit tired and emotional.

Drink like a fish

You know what Irish people are like: most of them drink like fish!

As drunk as a lord

I met him dragging himself along the street as drunk as a lord, after coming out of the pub.

To be tanked up (canned up, having one over the eight, legless)

He was found tottering and singing, fully tanked up (canned up, having one over the eight, legless).

Drown one's sorrows

It's better you try to forget her in a different way instead of drowning your sorrows.

One for the road

It's time to go... ask for the last drink, one for the road!

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SLEEPING

To be in the land of the living

More coffee please, I'm just entering the land of the living

To be as quiet as a mouse

He's a good child, not a brat... he's as quiet as a mouse.

To be in the land of nod

Sorry, could you repeat it again... I didn't hear you, as I was in the land of nod.

To be dead to the world (to sleep like a log)

The guys told me they found me dead to the world (sleeping like a dog), laying down on the carpet.

To hit the hay (to hit the sack)

It's too late for me, and I feel tired... It's time to hit the hay (to hit the sack).

To catch forty winks

See you later: I'm ready for catching forty winks on the sofa.

Beauty sleep

Jane likes to stay in bed for hours... she knows how important it is to get one's beauty sleep.

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REGARDING HUMAN NATURE

Morning glory

Even though the man was still sleepy, the sultry presence of her warm body induced in him a great morning glory.

Five o'clock shadow

I've to meet her for dinner but, I need to shave beforehand... damned five o'clock shadow!

To answer the call of nature (to see a man about a dog)

Sorry I've to leave you for a while: you know... I've to answer the call of nature (to see a man about a dog).

As blind as a bat

Without my glasses I feel lost: I'm as blind as a bat.

As deaf as a post

The doorman used to listen to the radio at a very high volume, as he is deaf as a post.

Cannot carry a tune

Singing is not for me... I am tone-deaf and I cannot carry a tune.

To have one's head going around (to feel dizzy)

Rushing up and down on the roller coaster I felt my head going around! I felt dizzy!

Pins and needles

She woke up with pins and needles, as she had been sleeping with her arm underneath her.

To make somebody's skin crawl

His morbid look made her skin crawl.

B.O., body odour

He has terrible B.O.! I don't really think he washes.

To break wind

He spent all the night breaking wind in the bed.

To bring up wind

After having drunk a lot of beer, he started bringing up wind.

To be snug as a bug in a rug

He felt so cosy, relaxing in the warm bed... snug as a bug in a rug!

To be knee-high to a grasshopper

They didn't allow him to enter that club: the bouncers could see a mile off that he was knee-high to a grasshopper.

There is life in the old dog yet

Even being in his sixties, he's used to jogging, strolling around, and even clubbing! There's life in the old dog, yet!

To be spring chicken

She's still an attractive lady, even if she's no spring chicken.

To be at death's door

When the poor homeless person arrived at casualty, the doctors found that he was at death's door.

As white as snow

In the night her pale skin looked as white as snow, under the faint light.

To get on a bit (to get older)

He has a perky air, but he's getting on a bit.

To meet one's maker

I've done too many good things in my short life to meet my maker right now!

As dead as a doornail

They found the poor dog as dead as a doornail, poisoned by the burglars.