Temperature Idioms

This cold weather inspired me to go through some of the temperature idioms. I'll divide it into two categories - 'cold' and 'hot' ones.

I

1. get cold feet - to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married.

- The poor girl was left standing there at the altar! Why didn't you come?

- I decided I just wasn't ready to get married. I got cold feet.

2. leave sb cold - to not make you feel interested or excited.

- I'm afraid opera leaves me cold.

3. lose your cool - to suddenly become very angry and start shouting.

- I try to be patient with her but she was so irritating in that meeting, I just lost my cool.

4. frosty reception -an unfriendly welcome.

- So, you've met David's parents. How did you get on?

- Well, his mother gave me a fairly frosty reception. She's a bit worried that I'm ten years older than him.

5. in cold blood - if sb kills in cold blood, they kill in a way that seems especially cruel because they show no emotions. 

- Did you hear the news? A policeman has been murdered in the town centre.

- Yes, and he was killed in cold blood.

6. as cool as a cucumber - very calm or very calmly, especially when this is surprising.

- She walked in as cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened.

7. in the cold light of day - if you think about something in the cold light of day, you think about it clearly and calmly, without the emotions you had at the time it happened, and you often feel sorry or ashamed about it.

- The next morning, in the cold light of day, James realized what a complete idiot he had been.

8. pour/throw cold water on sth - to criticize someone's opinions or ideas and stop people believing them or being excited about them.

- You don't look very happy. What's wrong?
- I just presented my plan for the new office to the rest of the staff, but they all poured cold water on it. They didn't like it at all. 

9. leave sb out in the cold - to not allow someone to become part of a group or an activity.

- Women's volleyball teams feel they are left out in the cold as far as media coverage is concerned.

10. keep a cool head - to stay calm in a difficult situation.

- I don't know how you manage to keep such a cool head in such a stressful office.

II

1. a hot potato - a problem, situation, etc. that is difficult to deal with and causes a lot of disagreement.

- The abortion issue is a political hot potato everywhere.

2. hot under the collar - embarrassed or angry about something.

- That's the fourth person trying to sell me insurance on the phone this week. 

- That's nothing to get so hot under the collar about. Just hang up.

3. be in hot water (get into hot water) - to be in or get into a difficult situation in which you are in danger of being criticized or punished.

- She found herself in hot water over her comments about immigration.

4. in the hot seat - in a positon where you are responsible for important or difficult things.

- I've just been made chairman.

- Well, rather you than me in the hot seat. 

5. in the heat of the moment - if you say or do something in the heat of the moment, you say it or do it without thinking because you are very angry or excited.

- I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it. I just said it in the heat of the moment.

6. warm to sb - to start to like someone.

-  I wasn't sure about Laura at first, but I warmed to her after we'd been out together a few times.

7. hot off the press - news that is hot off the press has just been printed and often contains the most recent information about something.

- Have our new catalogues arrived yet?

- Here's the first one hot off the press.  

8. go/sell like hot cakes - to be bought quickly and in large numbers.

- Her new lipstick is apparently selling like hot cakes.

9. a hotbed of sth - a place or situation where a lot of particular activity, especially an unwanted or unpleasant activity, is happening or might happen.

-  I'm glad I don't work at Reception.

- No, from what I've heard it's a hotbed of gossip!

10. be hot stuff - to be very skilful.

- She's really hot stuff at golf.

Do you know any other? Can you guess their meaning?

Photo credit: Damian O'Sullivan

Linking words and phrases

There are many features of texts which help the reader understand how the information in the text is organised.

Text organisers or transition signals are the terms that cover a wide range of words and phrases which make a text easier to understand. Let's look at a selection through examples.

• Adding information

- In addition to his house in Paris, he has a villa in Italy and a castle in Scotland. 

- As well as the obvious dangers, there was the weather to be considered.

- Not only did he turn up late, (but) he also forgot his books.

- He's a photographer and also writes books.

- The whole report is badly written. Moreover, it's inaccurate.

- He won't mind your being late - besides, it's hardly your fault.

- I suggest we use La -Ram as our main suppliers - they're good and furthermore they're cheap.

- The lamps were absolutely beautiful and what's more, the children had made them themselves.
 - We missed the train, and on top of that we had to wait for two hours for the next one.

- Four of our players were ill, and to make matters worse, our main scorer had broken his ankle.

- No, I don't work. In fact, I've never had a job.

• Contrasting information

- The identity of the attacker is known to the police. However no name has been released.

- There are serious problems in the country. Nonetheless (Nevertheless), we feel this is a good time to return.

- It rained every single day of our holiday - but we had a good time all the same.

- The kids walked home by themselves, although they knew that it was dangerous.

- While I fully understand your point of view, I do also have some sympathy with Sarah's.

- Even though he left school at 16, he still managed to become the most famous actor.

- Despite repeated assurances that the product is safe, many people have stopped buying it.

- I know you don't like her, but you still don't have to be so rude to her.

- "Didn't you find the film exciting?" "On the contrary, I nearly fell asleep half way through it!"

- I prefer city life as opposed to country life.

- He must be about fifty, whereas his wife looks about twenty.

- Their economy has expanded enormously, while ours, in contrast, has declined.

• Comparing information

- Cars must stop at red traffic lights: similarly, bicycles should stop too.

- The author has made an insightful translation. Also, she has captured the poetic tone of the original piece.

• Ordering information by time

- At first I thought he was joking but then I realized he meant it. 

- Trade opened between Europe and Japan; after that artists were exposed to Asian culture for the first time.

- Trade opened between Europe and Japan. Before that artists had had little exposure to Asian culture.

- There are two very good reasons why we can't do it. Firstly, we don't have enough money, and secondly, we don't have enough time.

- Trade opened between Europe and Japan; since then, the art world has done much to acknowledge this new partnership. 

- You have to fry the garlic. Next, add the ginger.

- In accepting this award, I would like to thank the producer, the director, the scriptwriter and, lastly, the film crew.

- After the trade embargoes were abolished, eventually both parties realised the benefits of a trade  partnership.

- Gradually, she realized that he wasn't telling her the truth.

- After months of looking he finally found a job.

• Result/causation

- Jim fails to provide evidence for her argument: as a result this text is flawed.

- He's an expert in his field, and is paid accordingly.

- No control group was included in the experiment; thus, the conclusion drawn is rather ambiguous. 

- Her mother was Italian, hence her name - Laura.

- I spent most of my money in the first week and consequently (as a consequence) had very little to eat by the end of the holiday.

- We were unable to get funding and therefore had to abandon the project.

- The government does not intend to cause any further provocation. For that reason, all troops have been withdrawn.

- The employers have promised to investigate these complaints, and we in turn have agreed to end the strike.

• Making generalisations

- Generally (broadly) speaking, it's quite a good school.

- We have our bad times but on the whole we're fairly happy.

- There are a few small things that I don't like about my job, but by and large it's very enjoyable.

- To a large/some/a certain extent, this has been an encouraging year for the company.

• Conditional

- I'd better write it down, otherwise I'll forget it.

- Smith tends to use emotive language, indeed, this makes her case highly persuasive.

• Exemplifying information

- Offices can easily become more environmentally-friendly by, for example, using recycled paper.

- The chef required many ingredients to prepare her banquet; for instance, fresh herbs and many types of mushrooms.

• Concluding

- In conclusion, I would like to thank our guest speaker.

- In summary, the dietary needs of patients are important and should be the domain for trained nurses.

- Finally, each of the memory systems operates in tandem to allow learning and cognition to occur.


Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it should give a few ideas about transition words you can use and recognise. Please do share with me the ones you often use or find in texts.

I hope you've enjoyed it.


Photo source: debrabell.com