83 Idioms describing feelings or mood

-.:l Positive feelings, moods and states

Mary seems to be on cloud nine these days. [extremely pleased/happy]
Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. [lively, enjoying things]
She seems to be keeping her chin up. [happy despite bad things]
Jo's as happy as the day is long. [extremely content]

"--------"
B Negative feelings, moods and states
He had a face as long as a fiddle. [looked very depressed/sad]
She certainly looked down in the dumps. [looked depressed/sad]
Gerry is in a (black) mood. [a bad moodltemper]
Martin was like a bear with a sore head. [extremely irritable] (See Unit 80.)

'--------'
C Physical feelings and states
I could eat a horse! [very hungry]
I'm feeling all in. [exhausted]
You're looking a bit under the weather. [not very well / ill]
She looked, and felt, on top form. [in good physical condition]
I suddenly felt as if my head was going round. [dizzy]
I was almost at death's door last week! [very sick or ill]
Old Nora's as fit as a fiddle. [very fit indeed]

D
' - -_ _ __...I
Fear/fright
She was scared stiff. [very scared]
She frightened the life out of him. [frightened him a lot]
We were all shaking in our shoes. [trembling with fear]
The poor lad was scared out of his wits. [very scared indeed]
I jumped out of my skin when I heard the bang. [gave a big jump]

NOTE
There is an element of exaggeration in these idioms in B, C and D. They make comments
on the situation and lighten the tone of what you are saying. So use them only informally.

E Horoscopes are often a good place to find idioms about moods and states, since the
'------, horoscope usually tries to tell you how you are going to feel during the coming day/
week/month. Look at these horoscopes and note the idioms in italics.

~. "= Capricorn (21.12- 19. 1) ~If----= Taurus (21 .4-20.5)

:=.! ' JJ-:;";~
Don't get earned away (l) by
~ .....- promises that won't be kept. Keep
a cool head(2) and take everything as it comes.
On the work front, things are looking better.
:::> I" ' -
~'"
Someone will say something that
:--==-
~ will make you swell with pride (3)
and you may feel on top of the world(4) for
a while, but the evening will not be so easy.

(1) be fooled (2) stay calm (3) feel very proud (4) very happy indeed

168 English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-intermediate)

 E.xercises

83.1 Here are some more idioms that ca, be grouped as expressing either positive or negative
feelings. Try to group them, using a dictionary if necessary.
to be over the moon to feel/be a bit down
to feel/be as pleased as Punch to feel/be browned off

83.2 Using the idioms from 83.1 and from A and B opposite, say how you would probably
feel if ...
1 you were told you had just won a vast sum of money. I)d be. oJer the. MOOfl ~
2 your boss said you had to do again a piece of work you'd already done three times.
3 you were told you'd got a very high mark in an exam.
4 you had a bad toothache and your neighbour was making a lot of noise late at night.
S nothing seemed to have gone right for you that day.
6 someone you were secretly in love with told you they were in love with you.

83.3 Complete the idioms in these sentences.

1 Don't creep up behind me like that! You frightened the ...
2 I don't need a doctor, I just feel a bit under ...
3 As long as he has his car to work on, he's as happy .. .
4 Last year, when I won that medal, I really was on .. .
S I wasn't expecting such a loud bang; I nearly jumped ...
6 I've had nothing since lunch; I could . ..
7 I feel a bit down this week; last week I felt on top ...

83.4

•
Find idioms to do with feelings, moods and states in these horoscopes. Underline them,
then check the meaning in a dictionary if necessary.

11 Scorpio (23 . 10- 22.1 I)

~ ~.: ~ You may get itchy feet today, but be
~~ patient, this is not a good time to
travel. Events at work will keep you on the
edge of your seat for most of the day.
Altogether an anxious time for Scorpios.
::::~.~' o~
er
~ '-.:.
~ = Leo (21.7- 21.8)
0'1>9
~ You'll be up in arms over
c·ug~·l something someone else close to
you says rather thoughtlessly today, but don't
let it spoil things. You may be in two minds
over an invitation, but think positively.

83.5 Now use the idioms from 83.4 to rewrite these sentences.
1 I can't decide about that job in Paris.
2 I've been in suspense all day. What's happened? Tell me!
3 Her son became restless to travel and went off to Uruguay.
4 Everyone protested loudly when they cancelled the trip.

83.6 Which idioms opposite include the words head, wits, swell, black and carried? Write a
sentence using each one.

Follow-up: Collect more horoscopes from popular English magazines and make a list of any idioms
you find in them.

English Vocabulary in Use (Upper-intermediate) 169