Idioms About Reading and Books

act book (x2) books bookworm cooking cuff leaf(x2) lines list
open page-turner read reading threw trick unputdownable write

Insert the words from above into the most appropriate sentences below.
1) My wife is a real _______________. She is always reading.
(An enthusiastic reader)

2) The letter says that they really want to come but, reading between the ______________, I don’t think
they do. (The implied meaning is something else)

3) My boss read me the riot __________ for coming to work late. (Seriously reprimanded)

4) The restaurant was ok but nothing to ____________ home about. (Not impressive)

5) She didn’t have any warning about the presentation and had to give it off the __________.
(Improvised and unprepared)

6) James was a terrible drunk and totally irresponsible when he was younger but he has since turned
over a new ____________ and is now a very responsible person. (Changed his behaviour)

7) He looks like some kind of violent criminal with his broken nose, tattoos, huge size and rough voice.
However, he is one of the nicest and trustworthy people you could ever meet. It just goes to show, you
should never judge a _____________ by its cover. (Never evaluate by appearance)

8) She has been in her boss’s bad _____________ ever since she had an argument with an important
customer. (Disapproved of)

9) He is an ___________ book. He never hides anything from his friends and colleagues.
(Honest and transparent)

10) I don’t know what she is planning but she is definitely planning something. I can ____________ my
wife like a book. (I know her very well)

11) I know your mother said “no.” Asking me and then pretending you didn’t ask your mother first is the
oldest ____________ in the book. “No” means “no!” (A very obvious and well known tactic)

12) We have been given this project by the government and, as such, we need to do everything by the
___________. (Follow the rules)

13) You need to take a ____________ out of your brother’s book and do some exercise. If you carry on
not looking after yourself, you will get sick. (Follow somebody’s example)

14) His company fired him and called the police when they discovered that he had been ____________
the books. (Committing fraud and embezzlement)
15) He was expecting the judge to treat him lightly but the court ______________ the book at him. (Gave
him the maximum sentence possible)

16) I was awake until 4 o’clock this morning reading that detective novel my wife bought me. It’s a real
_______________. (Addictive)

17) I was awake until 4 o’clock this morning reading that detective novel my wife bought me. That book is
completely _______________. (Addictive)

18) I don’t think Mary was being critical when she said your speech was short. I think you are
_____________ too much into it (Thinking the worst or over-analysing)

Follow up!
Now write five sentences using the expressions from above:
e.g. Let’s make a book on who wins the derby. etc.
 Idioms About Reading and Books: Origins Quiz

1) What is the origin of word “bookworm?”

a) This is an old English insult. To call somebody a worm was very common in the middle ages. In fact, “worm” is still a
reasonably common insult. “Bookworm” was an insult for those in the population who could read and write and made their
living as scribes for the local administration.
b) This word just refers to the kinds of insects and pests that can be found in old books. Until the latter 19 th century, when
technology found answers to the problem, stored books were the home to lots of different kinds of insects and grubs. If
somebody was called a “bookworm,” they were being compared to these creepy-crawlies.
c) In mediaeval times, books were stored in monasteries and churches. The rooms where they were stored were called
“worms” and were in reference to mythical animals that are nowadays known as dragons. Dragons, in ancient times, were
not only seen as evil and savage, but they were also known for their intelligence. The people who worked in the “worms”
were called “bookworms.” Eventually, people who read a lot were compared to these early custodians of books.
2) What is the origin of the expression “to read between the lines?”
a) All about espionage and hidden messages and codes that were included in seemingly innocent texts or correspondence.
Sometimes the message would be hidden using “invisible ink” which would be made visible with a chemical, and sometimes
there would be a code which would mean that, for example, every sixth word was to be included in the message.
b) Before the invention of good quality, modern reading glasses, people were advised to look slightly below the sentences
they wanted to read if they had problems with their vision. This would be known as “reading between the lines”, and it
eventually, once optical technology had improved, began to mean understanding something completely different to the
text.
c) This expression is military in origin. The headquarters of the commanders of a battle would be located “behind the lines,”
in other words, far from the front lines. If a military communication was sent from headquarters to a frontline officer, the
officer was required to fall back to a safer position to read it, in case the enemy attacked and the communication fell into
enemy hands. This would be known as “reading between the lines.”
3) What is the origin of the expression “to read the riot act?”
a) The riot act was a British act of parliament from 1714 that allowed the authorities to take action against groups of 12 or
more people if they were considered to be a threat to the establishment. The law required that local officials would read out
the act before action was taken, thereby allowing the groups to disperse peacefully. However, if the group of people did not
disperse, punitive action could be taken by the local police force and arrests could be made.
b) The riot act was something that was read out in theatres in the 17 th and 18th centuries if the audience was being unruly
and fighting or causing problems. Going to the theatre in those days was sometimes similar to going to football matches in
recent times and the crowd could sometimes lose control and turn violent. If things were bad, the theatre manager would
come onto the stage and read the “riot act” as a warning. If the crowd didn’t calm down, the play would be stopped and the
local militia would be called to remove the audience from the theatre.
c) The riot act was something that was read out to school children that attended Eton College near Windsor in England. This
school is the traditional school for the children of the ruling classes from the UK and other countries from all over the world.
If the riot act was read out to the school children, it meant that certain children were to be expelled from that school for
behaviour that was considered to be inappropriate to the values of that establishment.
4) What is the origin of the expression “nothing to write home about?”
a) The expression is related advertising. The travel agency, Thomas Cook, started a series of popular TV adverts in the 1960s
that showed people enjoying themselves in exotic locations. One of them would turn to the other and say, “This is nothing
to write home about,” meaning that they didn’t want other people to come and ruin the holiday.
b) This expression refers to soldiers who were stationed abroad. It started in the UK but spread to the US during the WW1.
If a soldier said that there was nothing to write home about, it meant that nothing special or interesting had happened.
c) This refers to diplomats working in British embassies around the world at the height of the British Empire. It originally
meant that things were good. If an embassy sent very few messages, it meant that there were few problems to report.
5) What is the origin of the expression “to give/speak/say something off the cuff?”
a) This expression
Follow up! comes from the English Civil War and refers to military orders. These orders were known as cuffs. If an
officer or soldier spoke unofficially to somebody, he was speaking “off the cuff.”
Now write five false origins for the expressions from the other page.
b) A cuff in mediaeval times was the top part of the scabbard for a sword. If a knight had a meeting with important
dignitaries, he would write the outline of what he wanted to say on the cuff of his scabbard. He would look down at it every
now and again to remind himself of what he wanted to say.
c) In 19th and early 20th century England, cuffs, like the collars, of most men’s shirts were detachable and were cleaned
almost every day. If a businessman, politician, or any other kind of dignitary, had to improvise a speech at the last moment,
they would often write it down on their cuffs. The cuffs could be washed later on and the words would be gone when the
man wanted to wear the cuff again.