Lastnost angleških idiomov je ta, da jih nikoli ne smemo vzeti dobesedno, saj imajo svoj poseben pomen. Če pa jih le prevajamo dobesedno, pa dobijo neko specifično dvojnost, ki učinkuje še posebej dobro v šalah, saj jih lahko prevajamo in razumemo tako v dobesednem kot prenesenem pomenu.
Why can’t you play jokes on snakes?
Because you can never pull their legs.
PULL LEG = zbadati nekoga, hecati se z njim in ga skušati prepričati v nekaj, kar ni res.
When is an actor happy to become a thief?
When he steals the show.
STEAL THE SHOW = postati središče dogajanja
Why is it impossible to play tennis quietly?
Because you can’t play it without raising a racket.
RAISE A RACKET = dvigovati hrup, biti glasen
How could you help a starving cannibal?
Give him a hand.
GIVE A HAND = pomagati nekomu
When does a patient find an operation funny?
When it leaves him in stitches.
BE IN STITCHES = neobvladljivo se smejati
Why did the tired man put his bed in the fireplace?
He wanted to sleep like a log.
SLEEP LIKE A LOG = trdno spati
When are the mosquitoes annoying?
When they get under your skin.
GET UNDER YOUR SKIN = nadlegovati, nervirati
Two flies flew onto a coffee cup and argued about who arrived first and who should get to drink the cold coffee. Which one got angry and left?
The one that flew off the handle.
FLY OFF THE HANDLE = postati zelo jezen, besen
My mother made a terrible mistake today. She gave my father soapflakes instead of cornflakes for breakfast.
Was he angry?
Only foaming at the mouth.
BE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH = biti izredno jezen
