Lesson 2 Make Your Conversation Colorful
It’s All Greek to Me
Have ____ heard the expression, “It’s Greek to me”?
It ____ “I can’t understand what you are saying because it sounds like a foreign language to me.”
You may wonder why ____ is not French or Italian but Greek.
The reason ____ that the Ancient Greeks had an enormous influence on Western culture.
Greece was the birthplace of Classical Western civilization, and therefore, ____ left us with some pretty great idioms.
Idioms pose a special challenge in language learning because their ____ are different from the words that make them up.
Learning their origins will make it easier ____ understand what they mean and to figure out how to use them.
Here are ____ English idioms with Greek origins.
Achilles’ Heel
According to Homer, the Ancient Greek poet, ____ Greeks and Trojans had a war that lasted ten years.
This war eventually became known ____ the Trojan War, where Achilles became the most famous hero.
When Achilles was born, his mother, a goddess of water, ____ to make him immortal.
She ____ him in the magical River Styx.
Wherever the water touched, the ____ touched would become indestructible.
However, because she held him ____ down by one of his heels, Achilles’ heel remained dry.
____ became his only weak spot.
Achilles grew ____ to be a great warrior and survived many great battles.
However, during the Trojan War, ____ a prince of Troy, shot a poisoned arrow that struck Achilles’ heel, which led to his death.
This is why the idiom “Achilles’ heel” refers to a ____ weakness, especially in a situation where all other parts are strong.
Trojan Horse
Even after ____ death of Achilles, the Trojan War reached a point where no one could win.
One day, the Greeks came ____ with an idea.
They built a big ____ horse and left it outside the city of Troy.
____ pretended to leave the horse behind as a gift for the Trojans.
The Trojans thought ____ had won, so they pulled the horse inside their city gates.
However, the Greeks had hidden their soldiers ____ the horse.
That night, the soldiers came out of the horse and opened the gates to let in the ____ army waiting outside.
This allowed the Greeks to win ____ war.
Nowadays, people use the idiom “Trojan horse” to describe a trick or scheme that is used to hide someone’s true purpose ____ intention.
Cut the Gordian Knot
Greek legend tells of the Gordian Knot, which was tied ____ a king named Gordius.
The knot was so complex that ____ one was able to untie it.
A prophet said whoever could ____ the knot would become the ruler of Asia.
For hundreds of ____ people unsuccessfully tried to untie the knot.
Then, ____ the Great came along.
He tried to untie it, and it just got ____
After thinking for a while, he drew his sword and cut the knot in ____
Everyone was shocked because that ____ not what they had expected.
He explained, “It doesn’t matter how the knot was untied. The important thing is ____ it’s undone.”
____ that day on, the idiom “cutting the Gordian knot” has been commonly used to describe a simple solution to a complex problem.
Spill the Beans
In ancient Greece, people often discussed important matters ____ made decisions through voting.
They cast votes by dropping a white or ____ bean into a clay jar.
White ____ were used for positive votes, and black beans for negative votes.
These votes were cast in secret, so if someone knocked over the jar, whether by accident or on purpose, they spilled the beans and ____ the results of the vote prematurely.
Because of this origin, the phrase “spill the beans” came to mean “reveal information ____ was meant to be kept secret.”
Idioms are an important part ____ everyday English, and they make the language rich and colorful.
When you run into idioms that ____ “Greek to you,” take the time to study their origins.
It is a fun way to increase your understanding of English, and it can also help you ____ remember them and use them in the appropriate situations going forward.