Words and Their Stories
Don't Be Caught With Your Pants Down
06/27/2015
Don't Be Caught With Your Pants Down
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Now, the VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories.
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include wordsabout clothes? Let’s hear Faith Lapidus name a few off the cuff, or withoutany preparation.
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies. We sometimes saythat people who are restless or nervous have ants in their pants. They mightalso fly by the seat of their pants. They use their natural sense to dosomething instead of their learned knowledge. Sometimes, people may getcaught with their pants down. They are found doing something they shouldnot be doing. And, in every family, one person takes control. Sometimes a wifetells her husband what to do. Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things. Money that is likely to be spentquickly can burn a hole in your pocket. Sometimes you need a belt to holdup your pants. If you have less money than usual, you may have to tighten your belt. You may have to live on less money and spend your moneycarefully. But once you have succeeded in budgeting your money, you willhave that skill under your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. Ireally take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spendit at the drop of a hat – immediately, without waiting. And sadly, you cannotpull money out of a hat. You cannot get money by inventing or imagining it.
Boots are heavy or strong shoes. People who are too big for their bootsthink they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people. I reallydo. You can bet your boots on that. Yet, truly important people are hard toreplace. Rarely can you fill their shoes or replace them with someoneequally effective.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit andtie and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do notknow him well think he is too firm and severe. They think he is a real stuffedshirt. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve. He showshis feelings openly. And, he knows how to keep his shirt on. He stays calmand never gets angry or too excited.
Also, my father has never lost his shirt in a business deal. He is too smart tolose all or most of his money. This is because my father rolls up his sleevesand prepares to work hard. He often has a special plan or answer to aproblem that he can use if he needs it. He is like a person who does magictricks. We say he has a card up his sleeve.
This VOA Learning English program, Words and Their Stories, was written byJill Moss and presented by Faith Lapidus.
We leave you with this Nancy Sinatra – yes, that’s right, Frank Sinatra’sdaughter – singing “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.”
If you find out a lover has been cheating on you, you can say to them, “theseboots are made for walkin’” as you walk out the door.
I’m Anna Matteo.
Here is the full song of Nancy Sinatra singing her 1966 hit "These Boots AreMade For Walkin'."