 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / ESL Teaching / December 2004[ mantelpiece ]
Hello, do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? I've searched all my dictionaries and also internet, but I didn't find any. Thank for your help. ana. >Hello, >do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >ana. Yes, but none I'd use outside the Public Bar. DC > > Hello, > > do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Yes, but none I'd use outside the Public Bar. Heh. I had the same thought. The only (other) thing that comes to mind is "mantelpiece clock" - the meaning of which should be fairly obvious - a clock which is suitable for standing on the mantlepiece.  SignatureMark Barratt Budapest www.geocities.com/nyelvmark > Hello, > do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? > I've searched all my dictionaries and also internet, > but I didn't find any. Don't drop the Coleman white gas lantern or you'll have to pick up the mantle pieces. What does it mean? I'm from Poland and I can't understand it. If you want, send me it by email. ana. > Don't drop the Coleman white gas lantern or you'll have to pick up the > mantle pieces. >>Don't drop the Coleman white gas lantern or you'll have to pick up the >>mantle pieces. > > What does it mean? > I'm from Poland and I can't understand it. > If you want, send me it by email. This is a different play on words. In gas lights and lamps there is a stiff gauze-like element called the mantle (note the different spelling) which glows bright white when hot and provides the light. The mantle is quite fragile and if you drop it on the floor it will shatter into little pieces - hence you'll have to pick up mantle pieces if you drop a gas light (or lamp) on the floor. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan P.S. It is regarded as good manners in Usenet (i.e. in newsgroups) to post your comments after the piece you're commenting on. Some people can get quite annoyed by what is called top-posting. I've reorganised your post so that I can bottom-post. > Hello, > do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > ana. The definition of mantelpiece is a shelf above a fireplace. If you have never seen a fireplace, think of a shelf above a window. Decorative items are usually put on top of the mantelpiece where they can be easily seen from everywhere in the room. An idiom is a common meaning outside the definition. For example, "give way" means "retreat." With "mantel piece", maybe it could refer to a gun or rifle above the fireplace (piece as in gun). But I don't know if this would be considered an idiom since it's not commonly thought of this way. I'm wondering what mantelpiece means as an idiom inside a public bar....(Oh, I get the drift. I also spell pronunciation correctly, finally!) >> Hello, >> do you know any idiom with word 'mantelpiece'? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] >bar....(Oh, I get the drift. I also spell pronunciation correctly, >finally!) To put folk out of their misery it's "who looks at the mantelpiece when they're stoking the fire", and its a BrE expression used by guys to mean "who cares if you girlfriend has big breasts, when you're having sex", often used by one guy to another who's started going out with a petite lady. Apologies to Ana, but that's the only idiom I know invovling a mantlepiece. Could this be a case of your teacher saying 'I know an idiom about mantelpieces, but I'm not going to tell you what it is'? DC, who's a New Man. Cough, cough. Big ones, small ones, love 'em all... > To put folk out of their misery it's "who looks at the mantelpiece > when they're stoking the fire", and its a BrE expression used by guys [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > mantlepiece. Could this be a case of your teacher saying 'I know an > idiom about mantelpieces, but I'm not going to tell you what it is'? Yes, my teacher said, that he would tell me this idiom at the end of the term. I think that he thought exactly about this idiom. Thanks. :) ana >> To put folk out of their misery it's "who looks at the mantelpiece >> when they're stoking the fire", and its a BrE expression used by guys [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >ana Somehow I knew your teacher would be 'he'! Hope you surprise him by already knowing the idiom! Cheers ;) DC Django Cat <nospam@please.com> ha scritto: >To put folk out of their misery it's "who looks at the mantelpiece >when they're stoking the fire", and its a BrE expression used by guys [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >mantlepiece. Could this be a case of your teacher saying 'I know an >idiom about mantelpieces, but I'm not going to tell you what it is'? If you one doesn't know its true meaning, it looks wuite innocent, though :) SignatureEnrico C /testing Pimmy/ Reply to: enrico /dot/ c /at\ people \dot\ it |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.