The document discusses various types of variations in figurative expressions and idioms between British and American English. It provides examples of expressions that have similar meanings but different words or phrases depending on the variant, such as "flog a dead horse" versus "beat a dead horse". It also examines expressions that have related but distinct meanings depending on whether they use British or American terminology.

1. Variation
Translation of FEIs that
involve variation
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2. Variation
 champ at the bit/chafe at the bit = to be eager and not
willing to wait to do sth. (=biti nestrpljiv, jedva čekati,
cupkati od nestrpljenja)
 EXAMPLES: The kids were champing at the bit to get
into the swimming pool. The dogs were champing at
the bit to begin the hunt.
 the shoe is on the other foot/the boot is on the other
foot = the situation is now opposite of what it was, esp.
because someone who was weak now has power
(=situacija se promijenila, situacija je obrnuta)
 EXAMPLE: I was one of his research assistants, subject to his
orders, but now that I'm his department head the shoe is on the
other foot.
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3. Variation
 blow off steam/let off steam = to do or say sth. that
helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy
(=ispuhati se)
 EXAMPLES: I've told her she can call me and talk any
time she wants to blow off some steam. After a long car
trip, the kids need to run around a bit and let off steam.
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4. Verb Variation
 throw/toss in the towel = to quit; to admit defeat
(odustati, povući se; priznati poraz)
 EXAMPLE: When John could stand no more of Mary's
bad temper, he threw in the towel and left. The union
was forced to throw in the towel and settle their bitter
dispute with the company.
 look/shoot daggers at someone = to look angrily at
someone (=strijeljati koga pogledom)
 EXAMPLE: I suddenly noticed David looking daggers
at me and thought I'd better shut up.
 say/kiss goodbye to sth.
 twist/wrap someone around one’s little finger
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5. Noun Variation
 a skeleton in the closet/cupboard = a scandal that is kept secret
(mračna tajna) If you want to be a successful politician, you can't
afford to have too many skeletons in your cupboard.
 hold a gun/pistol to someone’s head = to use threats to force
someone to do what you want Management are holding a gun to
our heads. If we don't behave we'll lose our jobs.
 like a cat on a hot tin roof/a cat on hot bricks = to be nervous
and unable to keep still; to be jumpy (biti nemiran, nervozan, kao
na iglama) What's the matter with her? She's like a cat on a hot
tin roof this morning.
 burn one’s boats/bridges = to destory one's path, connections,
reputation, opportunities, etc. (spaliti za sobom sve mostove)
Even if you are dismissed from a job in the worst way, take care
to not burn your bridges with unseemly comments on the way
out, since you never know who you will meet again.
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6. Adjective and Modifier Variation
 a bad/rotten apple = one bad person in a group of
people who are good (trula jabuka, gnjila jabuka) You'll
find the occasional rotten apple in every organization
(see also a proverb: a rotten apple spoils the barrel)
 a different/another kettle of fish = if you say that
something or someone is a different kettle of fish,
you mean that they are completely different from
something or someone else that has been talked about
(drugi par opanaka, druga prica) Andy was never very
interested in school, but Anna, now she was a
completely different kettle of fish.
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7. Particle Variation
 on/along the right lines = do something in a way that
will bring good results (biti na dobrom putu) Do you
think we're on the right lines with this project?
 go round/around in circles = to use a lot of time and
effort trying to do something, without making any
progress (vrtiti se u krug) I need some more data to
work on, otherwise I'm just going round in circles.
We can't go round in circles all day - someone will
have to make a decision. We spent the whole day
going around in circles looking for a document which
everyone thought was lost but which wasn't.
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8. Conjunction Variation
 when/if push comes to shove = if sth. can be done if
push comes to shove, it can be done if the situation
becomes so bad that you have to do it (kad dodje voda
do grla, ako dodje stani pani), If push comes to shove,
we can always sell the car.
 hit -and/or-miss = if sth. is hit-and-miss you cannot
depend on it to be of good quality, on time, accurate,
etc, (slabe kvalitete, neprecizno, idi mi dodji mi) We
used a cheap printer, but the quality was a bit hit or
miss. Weather forecasting used to be a very hit-and-
miss affair.
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9. Specificity and Amplification
 have a (good) laugh = laugh (dobro se ismijati) I was
embarrassed at the time, but I had a good laugh
about it later.
 in (full) bloom = to be producing flowers (u punom
cvatu) The apple trees are in full bloom.
 turn (over) in one’s grave = if you say that a dead
person would turn in their grave, you mean that they
will be very angry or upset about sth. If they knew
about it (okretati se u grobu) She’d turn in her grave if
she knew what he was spending his inheritance on.
 up the creek (without a paddle) = in trouble (u nevolji)
If any more people resign, we’ll be really up the creek.
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10. Specificity and Amplification
 at all hours (of the day and night) =
continually during the day and the night
(u svako doba dana i noći) They keep
ringing me up at all hours.
 put flesh (and bone) on something =
add more details to a plan, idea,
argument, to make it better or more
complete (uobličiti) We need some real
figures and evidence to put flesh on the
theory.
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11. Truncation
 make hay (while the sun shines) = you
should make good use of an opportunity
while it lasts (željezo se kuje dok je
vruće) While I was living in France, I
decided to make hay while the sun
shines and learn how to speak French!
 finders keepers (losers weepers) = said
by a child who has found an object to the
child who has lost it to show that they
intend to keep it (ko nadje njegovo)
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12. Truncation
 what's sauce for the goose (is sauce for the
gander) = something that you say to suggest
that if a particular type of behaviour is
acceptable for one person, it should also be
acceptable for another person (ono što je
dozvoljeno jednom mora biti dozvoljeno i
drugom)
 nothing ventured, nothing gained =
something that you say which means that it is
necessary to take risks in order to achieve
something (ko riskira taj profitira)
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13. Variations between British and
American English
 flog a dead horse (BrE), beat a dead horse (AmE) =
to waste effort on sth. that there is no chance of
succeeding at (soliti more, raditi uzaludan posao) He
keeps trying to get it published but I think he’s
flogging a dead horse.
 kick one’s heels (mainly BrE), cool one’s heels
(mainly AmE) = be forced to wait for a period of time
(satima čekati, dreždati) She kicked her heels for
hours at the gate of the Embassy.
 touch wood (BrE), knock wood, knock on wood
(AmE) = kucnuti o drvo
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14. Variations between British and
American English
 in the driving seat (BrE), in the driver’s seat (AmE) =
to be in control of a situation (kontrolisati situaciju) The
consumer is in the driving seat due to the huge range
of goods on the market.
 red as a beetroot (BrE), red as a beet (AmE) = crven
k’o paprika, zacrvenjeti se kao bulka
 wear the trousers (BrE), wear the pants (AmE) = to
be the person in a relationship who makes all the
important decisions (biti onaj koji nosi hlače u kući, biti
muško u kući) I don't think there's any doubt about who
wears the trousers in their house.
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15. Variations between British and
American English
 like turkeys voting for Christmas (mainly BrE),
like turkeys voting for Thanksgiving (AmE) =
kao ovce na klanje
 turn on sixpence (BrE), turn on a dime (AmE)
= to change direction very quickly (promijeniti
kurs/smjer u trenu) The economy is not likely to
turn on a dime between now and the end of
the year. We never knew what our father would
decide because his opinions could turn on a
dime.
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16. Variations between British and
American English
 not see the wood for the trees (BrE), not see
the forest for the trees (AmE) = to be unable
to get a general understanding of a situation
because you are too worried about the details
(ne vidjeti šumu od stabala) The politician's
opponents claimed that she couldn't see the
forest for the trees, because she spent so
much time trying to solve minor problems.
 rub shoulders with (BrE), rub elbows with
(AmE) = to meet and spend time with (družiti
se), She claims that she rubs shoulders with
royalty all the time.
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17. Variations between British and
American English
 (not) beat about the bush (mainly British),
(not) beat around the bush (mainly American)
= to avoid talking about what’s important
(obilaziti kao mačka oko vruće kaše, kružiti kao
kiša oko Kragujevca, odugovlačiti) Don’t beat
around the bush – get to the point!
 lead someone up the garden path (BrE), lead
someone down the garden path (AmE) = to
deceive someone (prevariti koga, vući koga za
nos) It seems as if we’ve been led up the
garden path about the position of our hotel –
it’s miles from the beach.
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18. Variations between British and
American English
 a storm in a teacup (BrE), a tempest in a
teapot (AmE) = a lot of unnecessary anger
and anxiety about an unimportant matter
(praviti od muhe medvjeda)
 have one’s hand/fingers in the till (BrE),
have one’s hand in the cookie jar (AmE) =
do something wrong or bad, steal (biti uhvaćen
na djelu) Uncle Joe got caught with his hand
in the cookie jar while trying to grab a toy
intended for the kids.
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