Explaining Idioms: 4) once in a blue moon

The phrase 'once in a blue moon' means 'very rarely'. We use it to describe events that seldom occur.

This picture could be photoshopped, because the moon almost never looks blue.

 

Since the lunar calendar does not fit exactly into the standard calendar, it sometimes happens that there is more than one full moon in a single month. The second full moon is called the blue moon.

There is another, more traditional, meaning of the phrase 'blue moon' though. In old farming terms, a blue moon is the third full moon in a season. There is, then, one blue moon in each season.

However, to make matters more confusing, there are rare times when the moon does appear to be blue, such as in the picture above. This apparently happens because of 'unusual atmospheric conditions'.

The thing is, no one really thinks of these background meanings when using the phrase. When we say "that only happens once in a blue moon", we simply mean "that rarely happens".

Examples: 

• My football team is so bad. We only win once in a blue moon.
• Steve only sees his family once in a blue moon, because he almost never goes home.
• Q: "Do you come here often?" A: "Nah, only once in a blue moon."

In Popular Culture: 

In the Country song below, Edie Brickell sings about things happening "once in a while, once in a blue moon". Of course, we think of 'once in a while' meaning something happens more frequently than something that happens 'once in a blue moon'.

Explaining Idioms: 3) let the cat out of the bag

If you 'let the cat out of the bag' then you give the secret away. When a person ruins a surprise by saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment we say "Oh, you've let the cat out of the bag!".

Why wouldn't you let the cat out the bag?

Nowadays, people don't have a habit of putting cats in bags. Still, this is a very common phrase. The phrase is thought to come from an old scam (騙局) in which people would pretend to be selling pigs but actually only have cats. Apparently they would put cats in a bag and pass them off as pigs. If a cat came out of the bag then the secret would be revealed. This all seems quite unlikely and in actual fact no one is sure where the phrase comes from.

Examples: 

• This is sensitive information. You cannot tell anyone. If you let the cat out of the bag, there could be serious consequences.
•  We planned a surprise party for my dad, but my little sister let the cat out of the bag, so he   knows now.
•  He can't keep a secret. He always talks too much and lets the cat out of the bag.

Explaining Idioms: 2) fit as a fiddle

The similie (明喻) 'fit as a fiddle' means 'perfectly fit', or 'in excellent condition'
.

Fiddle is another word for violin (小提琴). I think you can say 'fit as a fiddle' is an idiom, as in a common phrase that doesn't seem to make sense, because we don't think of fiddles being fit.

The phrase relies on the notion of something being 'fit for use' or 'fit for purpose', but we mostly use it to describe people.

This expression dates from at least the 1600s. A well-tuned fiddle is in good shape and can play terrific music. If your musical instrument is not in good shape, then it won't sound right. In his 1616 play English-men for my Money, Haughton Williams writes: "this is excellent in faith, as fit as a fiddle".

Examples:

• Even at 80, Jacky was fit as a fiddle. 

•  She eats well and gets plenty of exercises. She's as fit as a fiddle.

In Popular Culture:

In the first half of the 20th century, a song called Fit as a Fiddle (and Ready for Love) was quite popular. It was written in 1932, before being recorded by several different artists, including Doris Day, over the next couple of decades. 

The song is probably most well-known for appearing in Singin' in the Rain as part of an elaborate dance scene with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.

Explaining Idioms: 1) a piece of cake

An idiom is a 片語. It doesn't always make sense at first. In fact, it is often impossible to know the meaning of an idiom just from looking at the words involved. For instance, the British phrase 'brass monkeys' (黃銅猴) means 'very cold'. How can that be? Actually, there's a long story explaining what monkeys made of brass have to do with cold weather. Let's save that for another day.

Now that I have set up the 亞當翻譯 Facebook page, I would like to start writing regular blog posts for anyone who's interested improving their English. Starting today, I will write a series explaining idioms.

For today's entry, I want to explain the idiom 'a piece of cake'.

Before you get hungry and wander off, let me explain what the idiom means.

The idiom 'a piece of cake' means 'really easy'. We use it when we want to explain that we can do something without any trouble. For instance, we might say "Don't worry, I can do that. It's a piece of cake!".

Examples:

• Tying your shoes is a piece of cake. Of course, until you learn how to do it, it's not a piece of cake at all. Try telling a 7 year-old that tying your shoes is easy.
• Making a cup of tea is a piece of cake, you just have to boil water, use it brew tea and then, if you're British, add some milk.
•  Learning English is a piece of cake, right?

The origin of the phrase is apparently to do with the prizes that people were given at American contests in the 19th century. Since people were given a piece of cake for winning, the winners thought everything they were good at was a piece of cake.

The first recorded use of the phrase was by an American poet named Ogden Nash. In his 1936 book Primrose Path, he wrote: "Her picture's in the papers now, And life's a piece of cake".

Quote:

"It's a piece of cake until you get to the top" - Richard Nixon

In Popular Culture:

You will find the phrase all over the place in films, television and books. At the start of the song A Spoon Full of Sugar, Mary Poppins explains that if you take joy in your work then "every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake". You can find the whole song below: