English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions (Beginning with A)

A bit much

If something is excessive or annoying, it is a bit much.

A bridge too far

A bridge too far is an act of overreaching- going too far and getting into trouble or failing.

A chain is no stronger than its weakest link

This means that processes, organisations, etc, are vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them.

A day late and a dollar short

(USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late.

A fool and his money are soon parted

This idiom means that people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly. 'A fool and his money are easily parted' is an alternative form of the idiom.

A fool at 40 is a fool forever

If someone hasn't matured by the time they reach forty, they never will.

A fresh pair of eyes

A person who is brought in to examine something carefully is a fresh pair of eyes.

A hitch in your giddy-up

If you have a hitch in your giddy-up, you're not feeling well. ('A hitch in your gittie-up' is also used.)

A lick and a promise

If you give something a lick and a promise, you do it hurriedly, most often incompletely, intending to return to it later.

A light purse is a heavy curse

Life is difficult when you don't have much money.

A List

Prominent and influential people who comprise the most desirable guests at a social function or gathering.

A little bird told me

If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them.

A little learning is a dangerous thing

A small amount of knowledge can cause people to think they are more expert than they really are.eg. he said he'd done a course on home electrics, but when he tried to mend my table lamp, he fused all the lights! I think a little learning is a dangerous thing

A long row to hoe

Something that is a long row to hoe is a difficult task that takes a long time.

A lost ball in the high weeds

A lost ball in the high weeds is someone who does not know what they are doing, where they are or how to do something.

A lot on my plate

If you have got a lot on your plate, you are very busy and have commitments.

A month of Sundays

A month of Sundays is a long period of time: I haven't seen her in a month of Sundays.

A OK

If things are A OK, they are absolutely fine.

A penny for your thoughts

This idiom is used as a way of asking someone what they are thinking about.

A penny saved is a penny earned

Saving money is just as important as earning money- we shouldn't spend it foolishly.

A penny saved is a penny earned

This means that we shouldn't spend or waste money, but try to save it.

A picture is worth a thousand words

A picture can often get a message across much better than the best verbal description.

A poor man's something

Something or someone that can be compared to something or someone else, but is not as good is a poor man's version; a writer who uses lots of puns but isn't very funny would be a poor man's Oscar Wilde.

A pretty penny

If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.

A problem shared is a problem halved

If you talk about your problems, it will make you feel better.

A rising tide lifts all boats

This idiom, coined by John F Kennedy, describes the idea that when an economy is performing well, all people will benefit from it.

A rolling stone gathers no moss

People say this to mean that an ambitious person is more successful than a person not trying to achieve anything. Originally it meant the opposite and was critical of people trying to get ahead.

A shallow brook babbles the loudest

People who are loud and talk a lot usually have nothing of substance to say. This contrasts with "Still waters run deep." Other versions are "Shallow brooks babble loudest" and "Shallow brooks are noisy."

A slice off a cut loaf is never missed

Used colloquially to describe having sexual intercourse with someone who is not a virgin, especially when they are in a relationship. The analogy refers to a loaf of bread; it is not readily apparent, once the end has been removed, exactly how many slices have been taken.('You never miss a slice from a cut loaf' is also used.)  

A steal

If something is a steal, it costs much less than it is really worth.

A still tongue keeps a wise head

Wise people don't talk much.

A textbook case

A textbook case, it is a classic or common example of something.

A watched pot never boils

Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.

A1

If something is A1, it is the very best or finest.

ABC

ABC means the basics of something- knowing the ABC of science, etc.

ABC

Meaning:basic terms or basic steps example:she don't know even ABC steps in dance.

Abide by a decision

If you abide by a decision, you accept it and comply with it, even though you might disagree with it.

Abject lesson

(India) An abject lesson serves as a warning to others. (In some varieties of English 'object lesson' is used.)

About as useful as a chocolate teapot

Someone or something that is of no practical use is about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

About face

If someone changes their mind completely, this is an about face. It can be used when companies, governments, etc, change their position on an issue.

Above board

If things are done above board, they are carried out in a legal and proper manner.

Above par

Better than average or normal

Above the fold

If a news story is important, it will be above the fold- in the top half of the page of a newspaper.

Above the salt

This means that something or someone has a high position.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

This idiom means that when people are apart, their love grows stronger.

Accident waiting to happen

If something is an accident waiting to happen, there's definitely going to be an accident or it's bound to go wrong. ('Disaster waiting to happen' is also used.)

Ace in the hole

An ace in the hole is something other people are not aware of that can be used to your advantage when the time is right.

Ace up your sleeve

If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don't know about.

Achilles' heel

A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel.

Acid test

An acid test is something that proves whether something is good, effective, etc, or not.

Keutamaaan Membaca Surah Al Ikhlas

1. Rasulullah SAW. bersabda: ...”Barangsiapa yang membaca surat Al-Ikhlash tiga kali, ia seperti membaca seluruh Al-Qur’an.” (Tafsir Nur Ats-Tsaqalayn 5/702).

2. Rasulullah SAW. bersabda: “Barangsiapa yang melewati kuburan dan membaca surat Al-Ikhlash sebelas kali, kemudian ia menghadiahkan pahalanya kepada penghuni kubur, Allah SWT memberikan pahala padanya sejumlah penghuni kubur.” (Tafsir Nur Ats-Tsaqalayn 5/702).

3. Imam Ja`far Ash-Shadiq (sa) berkata: “Barangsiapa yang beriman kepada Allah dan hari akhir, maka jangan tinggalkan membaca surat Al-Ikhlash sesudah shalat fardhu, karena orang yang membacanya Allah akan menggabungkan baginya kebaikan dunia dan akhirat, mengampuni dosanya, dosa kedua orang tuanya dan dosa anaknya”. (Mafatihul Jinan 478)

4. Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib (sa) berkata: “Barangsiapa yang membaca surat Al-Ikhlash sebelas kali sesudah shalat Subuh, maka pada hari itu ia tidak akan ditakutkan oleh dosa walaupun setan berusaha keras untuk menggodanya.” (Mafatihul Jinan 77).

5. Imam Ali bin Abi Thalib (sa) berkata: “Aku mimpi melihat Hidhir (AS.) pada malam besoknya perang Badar. Aku berkata padanya: ajarkan padaku sesuatu yang dapat menolongku dari musuh-musuhku. Hidhir (as) berkata: bacalah: Yâ Huwa yâ Man lâ huwa illâ Huwa. Pagi harinya aku ceritakan kepada Rasulullah SAW. Kemudian beliau bersabda: “Wahai Ali, engkau telah mengetahui Ismul A’zham (nama Allah yang paling agung).” Kemudian Ismul A’zham itu mengalir di lisanku pada hari perang Badar. Perawi hadis ini mengatakan: Imam Ali (sa) membaca surat Al-Ikhlash kemudian membaca:

يَا هُوَ يَا مَنْ لاَ هُوَ اِلاَّ هُوَ، اِغْفِرْلِي وَانْصُرْنِي عَلَى الْكَافِرِيْنَ
Yâ Huwa yâ Man lâ huwa illâ Huwa, ighfirlî wanshurnî ‘alal kâfirîn.
Wahai Dia yang tiada dia kecuali Dia, ampuni aku dan tolonglah aku menghadapi orang-orang kafir. (Tafsir Nur Ats-Tsaqalayn 5/700)

6. Imam Musa Al-Kazhim (sa)1) berkata: “Sangatlah banyak keutamaan bagi anak kecil jika dibacakan padanya surat Al-Falaq (3 kali), surat An-Nas (3 kali), dan surat Al-Ikhlash (100 kali), jika tidak mampu (50 kali). Jika dengan bacaan itu ia ingin mendapat penjagaan, ia akan terjaga sampai hari wafatnya.” (Mafatihul Jinan 479)

Why are Zebras Striped?

By Ritu Asthana; Illustration by Anup Singh

 

As a child I was always full of questions. I remember asking my parents why zebras were striped or why did giraffes have such a long neck. Most of the time the answers were elusive and I used to be very irritated. I could never get the right answer to satisfy my curiosity. I now realize why my parents could not give me a concrete answer. You see I happened to be in the same dilemma when my three-year-old daughter asked me the same question! I was faced with the difficult task of giving her half-baked answers or finding the right answers this time.

The most obvious question to ask about zebras is why are zebras striped? Unfortunately nobody really knows the answer. Looking at zebras in the zoo, the striped pattern seems very conspicuous and could hardly be thought of as protective.

Zoologists believe the stripes on a zebra could be one of several reasons. It could be basically for camouflage very much like the military fatigues. The bold wavy lines of a zebra blend in with the tall wavy grassy plains of Africa where these animals live. The bold stripe may even serve to break up the shape of the Zebra. If a zebra is standing still in such surroundings, a lion, its chief predator, may overlook it completely.

It doesn't matter that the zebra's stripes are black and white and the grass are dusty brown or green, because the lion is colour blind!

However this may benefit an individual zebra in some situations but is it likely a large zebra herd would be able to escape a lion's notice? This is exactly where it helps the zebra most. Zebra herds are very large but they stay very close to one another.

When all the zebras stick together in a herd, the pattern of stripes blends in with the stripes of the zebras around it. This is confusing to the lion! All it can see is a large, moving, striped mass instead of many individual zebras. The lion has trouble picking out individual zebras and it's harder still for the lion to recognize which way each zebra is moving!

Each zebra pattern is unique like a fingerprint. Also like a fingerprint, the patter varies from zebra to zebra and no two zebras are exactly alike. What is truly amazing is that zebras can recognize other zebras from their body stripe! A mother can instantly spot her colt in a herd!

There are three species classified according to the variations in the arrangement of the stripes - the Imperial or Grevy's zebra, the Plains or Common zebra and the Mountain zebra - and several subspecies. The mountain zebra is the smallest of these averaging only four feet. It has silver-white stripes with black markings that extend to every part of the body except the stomach and the inner part of thighs. Plains zebras travel in large herds and are pale yellow with broad black stripes. This specie has several variations: some have stripes down to the hooves while the lower legs of the others are solid white without any stripes.

Do you know that people of Africa think of zebras as black animals with white stripes whereas people outside Africa consider them as white animals with black stripes! Black stripes or white, the fact remains that zebras are extremely unique and are among the fastest and most graceful of runners in the African bush land.

The creation.........Ciptaan

He made the creation without any example and without the advice of a counsel or the assistance of a helper.

(Sermon 155) Bermaksud: DIA Sang pencipta Tanpa sebarang contoh dan tanpa sebarang nasihat dari pemberi nasihat dan tanpa pertolongan dari seorang penolong pun.

Naaman The Leper

Naaman was the captain of the host of King of Syria.  He was a great and honourable man but he had a disease called Leprosy.  The little maid that served Naaman's wife told her if her master, Naaman, was with the prophet in Samaria, he would be healed.  So the King of Syria sent Naaman, along with a letter to the King of Israel.  When the King of Israel received the letter, he tore his clothes.  The King was upset because he knew that he could not heal Naaman.  When Elisha(a man of God) heard that the King of Israel was so upset, he told him to let Naaman come to him.

So Naaman went to Elisha's door, and Elisha sent out a messenger to tell Naaman to go and dip in the Jordan River seven times, and he would be healed.  Naaman was very angry because Elisha did not come out himself and heal him right there.  Naaman wanted to dip in some of the other rivers that were cleaner then the Jordan River.  Therefore, he went away
very mad.  His servants told him that if he had been asked to do some great thing, would he not have done it?  So he wnet and dipped in the Jordan River according to what the man of God had told him, and he was healed.

 *****The Lesson behind this story*****
It had nothing to do with the water that healed Naaman, but the obedience to God that made him well.

Mom's Jobs for her Family Word Search Puzzle

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BAKER		LAUNDRY
BANKER		MAID
BODYGUARD		NURSE
CHAUFFEUR		PARTY PLANNER
CHEF		PERSONAL SHOPPER
COACH		PLAYMATE
COOK		SEAMSTRESS
DAYCARE		SOCIAL WORKER
DECORATOR		TEACHER
GARDENER		TUTOR

Pri

Sukan Mencergaskan Badan

Multiplication Crossword (to x10)

Complete the crossword puzzle by answering the multiplication questions below.

1		2	3		4	5
6	7		8	9
							10
11		12	13			14
15			16	17
		18		19			20
21		22				23
24					25

Across		Down
2.    6 x 8 =	19.    10 x 8 =	1.    7 x 2 =	14.    6 x 7 =
4.    9 x 5 =	22.    7 x 9 =	3.    9 x 9 =	17.    7 x 4 =
6.    7 x 7 =	23.    6 x 2 =	5.    6 x 9 =	18.    8 x 7 =
8.    4 x 3 =	24.    8 x 8 =	7.    9 x 10 =	20.    4 x 8 =
12.    6 x 6 =	25.    4 x 7 =	9.    3 x 9 =	21.    4 x 9 =
14.    8 x 5 =		10.    8 x 10 =	23.    2 x 9 =
15.    3 x 7 =		11.    8 x 9 =
16.    7 x 6 =		13.    8 x 8 =

Selamat Hari Guru 2012

Setiap tahun Hari Guru nyata disambut dengan meriah. Berbagai acara dan sukaneka khas untuk golongan pendidik ini diadakan. Akan tetapi jikalau kita mau sedikit  merenung kembali,ada berjuta  makna di sebalik kata GURU. Bagi sesetengah orang menjadi guru mungkin hanyalah satu "pelarian", tawaran terakhir, kerana tak mampu mencapai pekerjaan lain yang lebih "berkelas" semisal penjawat awam di pejabat-pejabat kerajaan atau bahkan satu-satunya peluang yang mesti diterima dek kerana bimbang menjadi penganggur.Tapi bagi yang berdedikasi pula, menjadi guru adalah satu cita-cita yang tertanam dalam hati sanubari semenjak kecil lagi atau setelah memahami betapa pentingnya peranan guru untuk membimbing anak-anak bangsa.

Masyarakat mungkin sering salah menilai pribadi seorang guru. Guru juga adalah manusia biasa, yang boleh buat silap dan salah juga, yang mungkin sekali sekala ada lalai dan lupa. Guru bukanlah manusia yang sempurna, sebelum mendidik anak-anak orang lain yang bergelar murid, dia haruslah mendidik anak-anaknya sendiri dulu. Bersikap adil dan disiplin dengan semua anak sendiri dan anak-anak didiknya. Menjaga tepi kain muridnya sama seperti kasih sayang dan kepeduliannya pada anak-anaknya sendiri. Guru juga punya banyak kelemahan,setiap hari "bertarung" dalam hati, antara keikhlasan untuk memberikan ilmu dengan tuntutan "periuk nasi" di rumah.

Menjadi guru bukanlah perkara mudah. Saya sendiri turut merasai pengalaman ini. Tapi pengalaman yang paling manis adalah apabila setelah semua kepayahan,anak-anak didik berjaya menunjukkan prestasi terbaiknya. Hilang rasa penat lelah. Sama seperti bahagianya seorang ibu yang gembira melihat anak-anak yang telah dilahirkannya telah pun mencapai kejayaan.

Para guru sebenarnya tidak mengharapkan lebih dari yang patut. Harapan terbesar semoga anak-anak didik tidak melupakan ilmu yang telah diberi dan menggunakan bekalan ilmu itu di jalan kebaikan. Alangkah pedihnya hati seorang guru, jika ternyata ilmu perakaunan yang telah diajarkannya,ternyata justeru digunakan  oleh bekas anak didiknya untuk melakukan jenayah kewangan dan semisalnya. Alangkah hancurnya hati seorang guru,jika ilmu agama yang dicurah justeru diguna untuk permainan politik semata-mata, dan ada banyak lagi perkara sedemikian.

Tapi alangkah bangga dan bertuahnya seorang guru, jika ilmu fizik yang telah diberikannya pada sang murid akhirnya membawa sang murid menjadi seorang angkasawan. Alangkah bahagianya seorang guru jika ilmu yang diukir dengan susah payah, membawa sang murid menjadi seorang pakar ekonomi yang berjaya mengangkat ekonomi negara di peringkat antarabangsa.

Ustad,ustadzah,pensyarah,cikgu...atau apapun gelaran itu.....menjadi pendidik ada cabarannya sendiri. Semoga sambutan Hari Guru dari tahun ke tahun akan menjadi semakin bermakna dengan lakaran kejayaan anak-anak bangsa. Amin........

Note: tulisan ini juga saya publikasikan dalam blog saya yang lain http://nature-oasis.blogspot.com

Puzzle #5 of 10

Use what you know about how numbers can be shown on a hundred chart to help you fill in the blanks on the chart below.

How to develop Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is very important because it is a thinking approach that involves skills like analysis, synthesis, and logical reasoning. It is also about being very investigative of different situations, seeking out different kinds of information to evaluate and eventually conclude.
Thinking critically is basically manifested thru the following:
- You determine clearly what the issue is about.
-You gather enough evidence or information regarding the facts of the issue.
-You examine the data that you gathered whether it is bias or not.
-You examine the logic behind the evidence.
-You consider different types of information such as first-hand accounts, statistics, factual reporting, etc.
-You look at all angles and analyze if all perspectives have been considered.
Adults usually have the better critical thinking tools than kids because of the information that has been acquired through time. It is best that kids are taught to think critically at an early age in order to instill in them a more investigative mind and a keen sense of reasoning out things.
When it comes to teaching kids at an early age, here are some ideas you can try out to nurture their critical thinking:
1. Be open-minded. When in a conversation, observe then ask questions later. Keep the conversation open so that you can get the child to think more. Ask open-minded questions then make observations. Through this, you can see how a child improves in thinking more analytically.
2. Discuss Two Sides of Reason. When your kid matures, he/she will eventually argue with you because of different information that he/she may have gathered from magazines, TV, etc. So when your child begins to cite reasons because of “that’s the system”, instill in him/her that this is not a great way to reason out things. Discuss the side of why it is not good.
3. Information is Not Always Equal To The Truth. Your child may gain different information over time but always remind him/her that not all the information that he/she can get is the truth. Your kid needs to know that information can be gathered anywhere and this is where critical thinking applies. Your child must be able to know which is the genuine information and which are just false statements. Encourage your child to research and seek out different forms of sources. Encourage your child to reason out based on evidence and not based on pure intuition alone.
4. Make Your Child Explain. Ask your kid how did they come up with that position or answer. This will help him/her think in a more analyzed way and become more aware of his/her ability to reason out things. By asking questions to your child, he/she will be encouraged to seek answers that will clarify and satisfy his/her position.
5. Respect His/Her Opinion. When you disagree with the point of your child, never bring him/her down. Respect his/her reason and try to explain yours in a subtle way. If you let him/her acquire information from you thru an encouraging manner, you have the best chance that he/she will agree with your disposition.
Critical thinking is something that you definitely need to equip each and every day of your life. The more you think critically of things, the better chance that you get to learn new stuff and acquire the correct information that is needed. Also, if you think critically, you have the lesser chance of being misled by other people. A sharp mind is always a tool for success.