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"They say actions speak louder than words," replied Philip. "A
true friend wouldn't treat you that way."
Origin and History: This saying has been traced back to about
1628 in England and was used by Abraham Lincoln in 1860 in
his Cooper Union Address.
"You know, I always like the way you wore your hair before,"
she replied.
Example: "I'm glad I came to visit you," Lida said to her cousin
Rose, "but I should have packed warmer clothing–I'm freezing!"
"Here's a sweater you can have," offered Rose. "It's from 1989,
but it's warm."
Lida wrinkled her nose. "Don't you have something that's more
in fashion? That old thing is ugly!"
"Cold shoulder"
"Maybe he's shy," her mother counseled. "I think you should try
talking to him, and then maybe he'll be more friendly."
"Oh, don't worry about Mr. Duffy," his neighbor replied. "He likes
to complain, but he won't hurt you. His bark is worse than his
bite."
"Last straw"
Origin and History: This idiom comes from the proverb "It is
the last straw that breaks the camel's back." The proverb dates
to the time when camels were used to transport goods over
difficult terrain. According to legend, a man piled one piece of
straw at a time on a camel's back until the "last straw" proved
to be too much. The weight of the straws ultimately broke the
animal's back.
p. 6 of 9
Meaning: This proverb means that one should forget about the
hard feelings caused by past events.
"Marina, that hasn't happened since you were both four," her
father reminded her. "I think it's time you let bygones be
bygones."
"That's true," replied Thanh, "but all the appliances are so old.
The water heater is on its last legs. It breaks down nearly
every week, and then we have to take cold showers."
p. 7 of 9
Meaning: This proverb means that one bad person or one bad
thing can ruin everything connected with it.
Victor raised his hand. "Miss Cho, the class took a vote, and
we want to play a game instead of having math today."