Mrs. Wordly thought she was going to be late getting to the airport, but she arrived just in the nick of time. If she had been a minute later, she would have missed her plane!
In the nick of time means just in time, or just at the right moment.
Are you usually early for things, or do you show up just in the nick of time? Pretend you are running late and trying to get somewhere important in the nick of time. Can you think of any other time-related idioms?
When the oldest Wordly boy started a band with some of his friends, he took it very seriously. His brothers and sisters laughed and joked about how often the band practiced, and how mad they got if they were interrupted. He was so upset, he shouted, "Don't make light of my band! It's very important to me!"
If you make light of something, you don't treat it seriously.
Is there anything that is important to you but other people make light of it? Do you think this expression has anything to do with weight (heavy and light)? Draw a picture of something that is important to you that you wouldn't want others to make light of.
The oldest Wordly girl was supposed to babysit her younger brothers, but Mr. and Mrs. Wordly's plans got cancelled. Her mother told her she was off the hook. Now she could go out to the movies with her friends instead.
Off the hook means you are free from blame or an unwanted responsibility. It was my turn to make lunch, but our neighbor brought us some food, so I was off the hook.
What do you think this idiom originally referred to? Who do you think was on the hook? What happened? Ask someone at home to help you act this out: Ask them to pretend to be fishing. You are the fish they will catch on their hook. Wiggle around until you finally get off the hook.
Mr. Wordly certainly opened a can of worms when he bought the family tickets to a baseball game without asking everyone if they were available. Mrs. Wordly had to cancel activities for some of the children, rearrange carpools, and come home early from her job to make it work.
When someone causes a messy problem that's hard to fix, we say they've opened a can of worms.
Have you or anyone you know ever opened a can of worms? What happened? What would it look like if you really opened a can of worms? How does this compare to a messy problem that's hard to control?
The youngest Wordly girl had a best friend she had known since she was a toddler. They did everything together. They stuck together through thick and thin. If one girl had a problem, the other would help her through it.
Through thick and thin means during good times and bad.
Who are people that stick by you through thick and thin? Where do you think this idiom came from? What do you think thick and thin mean? Draw a picture of someone who is with you through thick and thin.
When something is bothering the littlest Wordly girl, her mother can always tell. Mrs. Wordly encourages her daughter to tell her about her worry or fear as a way to get it off her chest. Once she has shared her problem, she feels better.
When you get something off your chest, you tell someone about something that is bothering you.
Have you ever felt so worried or upset that your chest or body felt crushed by a heavy weight? Who do you like to talk with to get things off your chest?
When the middle Wordly girl asked her mother if she could sleep over at a friend's house on a school night, Mrs. Wordly said that it was out of the question. There was no way she would allow it.
When something is out of the question, it will not even be considered, the answer is automatically no.
What things are out of the question, or definitely not allowed at your house? What behaviors are out of the question at school? Can you do any of those things at home? Draw a picture of something you might wish for as a birthday present, but that would be out of the question. Maybe it would be too expensive, or too hard to care for, or too big, or too dangerous...
One day, out of the blue, Mrs. Wordly's van just stopped working. There was no warning at all. Nothing had been going wrong with it. She was just driving down the road and the car suddenly "clunk, clunk, clunked" to a stop.
Something that happens out of the blue comes without warning or is unexpected.
Think of a movie or book where something happened out of the blue. How did this unexpected event make the story more interesting? What do you think the blue is in this idiom (it's like rain appearing in the clear blue sky). What other words or idioms might we use to describe something happening without warning? (suddenly, all of a sudden, all at once...)
When the Wordly boys were having fun tossing colorful fall leaves up in the air, their grouchy neighbor came outside and told them to cut it out. He didn't want the leaves messing up his lawn.
If you tell someone to cut it out, you are telling them to stop what they are doing because it is bothering you.
Why do you think we use the word cut in this expression? What else might you say to someone instead to get them to stop what they are doing? What has someone done lately that you wanted them to cut out?
There was a lot of yard work to be done at the Wordlys' house. The parents had a talk with the children and asked them to pull their weight. If everyone helped out and did their share, the work would get done much faster.
To pull your weight is to help out as much as you are able.
Do you pull your weight by doing chores as home? Could you be more helpful? In a big family like the Wordlys, should the little children do an equal amount of work? How should the chores be divided?
One of the younger Wordly children often picks at her food. She eats corn one kernel at a time. She will only eat the tomatoes in her salad, and when she eats cupcakes, she only eats the frosting. Her older brother and sister always tell her that she eats like a bird.
If someone eats like a bird, they eat very little food.
Have you ever watched a bird eat? What type of food do they eat? How does a bird eat differently than a dog? Do you ever eat like a bird?
The oldest Wordly boy was really in a pickle. He had told his mother that he would be home by 4 pm, but he had lost track of time. Now he was going to be in trouble.
When you're in a pickle, you're in an unpleasant situation or in trouble.
When was the last time you were in a pickle? What happened? Can you imagine how this expression ever started?
"Well, at least we're both in the same boat," Mr. Wordly said to his son who had just scraped his knee. Mr. Wordly had a sore knee from playing soccer, so they both felt the same way.
If two people are in the same boat, it means they are in similar situations. Right now we're all in the same boat because we all have to stay home to stay safe.
What famous person would you like to be in the same boat as? Explain why.
The Wordlys were so anxious to get to the baseball game that they got ready in no time. Everyone got dressed, put on sunscreen, and grabbed their equipment very quickly.
If something happens in no time, it happens very fast.
What kind of special event could make you get ready in no time? Is there really such a thing as no time? How else could we say that something happened really fast? (lickety-split, in a flash, just like that, all of a sudden..)
Mrs. Wordly gave each of her children several options for summer activities to sign up for. She asked each child to think it over and let her know their top choice.
When we say we'll think it over, we mean we will think carefully about something before making a decision about it.
What kinds of things do you think over or decide about? What types of things do adults think over? What does over mean? Why do you think we say think it over in this expression?
Mrs. Wordly felt she had to put her foot down when the kids started coming into the house dripping wet. They had been playing a game of tag in the sprinklers; then they began to use the front hallway as base. They were dripping water all over the floor, so Mrs. Wordly had to tell them to keep the game outside.
If you put your foot down, you firmly say no to something.
What does your family put their foot down about?
One of the great things about the youngest Wordly boy is that he always give things his best shot. He never cuts corners, or does things half way. He works hard and gives every new challenge his best effort.
When you give something your best shot, you try your best.
How do you think this idiom came to be? What type of shot do you think the expression originally meant? What usually happens when you give something your best shot?
Mrs. Wordly asked her oldest daughter to keep an eye on the younger ones while she went to the store. The older sister was used to taking care of her younger siblings.
When you keep an eye on someone or something, you watch it closely and carefully.
Who usually keeps an eye on you after school? Is their eye actually touching you? If your mom asked you to keep an eye on the time, what would she mean?
The little Wordly boy was having trouble with his friend. They had gotten mad at each other, and the friend refused to make up. Mrs. Wordly told her son to hang in there, and that things would work out if he kept being friendly.
When you hang in there, you stick with something and keep trying, even it it's difficult.
Why do you think people say hang in there? What does the word hang mean? Tell about a time when you hung in there. How did things turn out?
The students in the little Wordly girl's class had written silly poems. Their teacher was reading them one by one. Each child was on pins and needles waiting for their poem to be read.
If you are on pins and needles, you are waiting anxiously for something to happen.
What would it feel like to be on pins and needles? What kind of situations might put people on pins and needles?
It was almost impossible for Mr. Wordly to keep a straight face as Mrs. Wordly tried to trick the children into thinking they were having liver and onions for dinner. He could hardly keep from bursting out laughing.
When someone keeps a straight face, they are trying not to laugh or smile as something funny is happening.
The little Wordly boy doesn't like watching tv at all. It's just not his cup of tea. He would rather be outside or making up his own games than sitting inside staring at a screen.
If something is not your cup of tea, you don't like it very well.
Name three things that are not your cup of tea. What is something that is exactly your cup of tea.
Mr. and Mrs. Wordly almost always see eye to eye about family decisions. They usually agree about what rules to set with the children and how to get kids involved in household chores.
If you see eye to eye with someone, you agree with them.
Is there someone with whom you usually see eye to eye? Is there someone with whom you rarely see eye to eye?
Mr. Wordly asked his children to guess where the family would be going that evening. When they named the family's favorite restaurant, he chuckled, "you hit the nail on the head."
If you hit the nail on the head you are exactly right about something.
Ask someone to play a guessing game with you. Think of a number and ask them to guess it. Give them hints by saying "higher" or "lower." When they guess your number, tell them they hit the nail on the head.
The youngest Wordly girl was feeling under the weather, so she came home from school early to rest. She didn't feel well. Her head was hurting and her muscles were aching.
If you're under the weather you do not feel well.
When was the last time you felt under the weather? What were your symptoms (what was wrong)? Draw a picture of yourself when you're under the weather.