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Episode 11: Phoning the landlord

Helen: Hi, dad it's Helen

Dad: Hello my dear, how are you?

Helen: Studying hard as ever, dad. Can I ask you something as our landlord? Our lease says that we're not allowed animals in the flat. Well, is there a way that we could get around that? You see, Alice found this kitten and everyone really wants to keep her.

Dad: You have a cat in my flat? Oh Helen, why can't you ever obey the rules?

Helen: Oh dad! Please, won't you bend them for me?

Dad: Well...

Helen: Please!

Dad: Just this once.

Tim: Kitty, did you hear what I just heard? She called the landlord "dad". What a dark horse Helen is!
实战语法

Idioms use language metaphorically rather than literally. If you are a ‘dark horse', it means you have a mysterious or unknown past (the metaphorical meaning) not that you are a horse with dark coloured skin (the literal meaning).

Idioms are also fixed groups of words so you can't change the wording of an idiom. For example, you can say ‘He let the cat out of the bag' to say that someone revealed a secret, but you can't say ‘He let the cat out of the suitcase'.

Here are some idioms related to keeping secrets.

When someone has a secret:

To be a dark horse: This means that someone has a mysterious past or hidden talent. It comes from horse racing, when a successful horse was disguised by changing its colour. 黑马(意外得胜的马), 实力难测的赛马, 实力难测的竞争者, 出人意外的获胜者

To have a skeleton in the cupboard (US closet): This means that someone has a bad or shameful secret in their past, perhaps they were once a criminal. A closet is a small cupboard that people keep their clothes in, so it is a personal space. 不可告人的秘密,家丑,柜中骷髅

To have a trick up your sleeve: This means that you have a secret plan or strategy that you will use at the right time in order to be successful. This hidden trick will surprise your opponent. The idiom probably comes from the world of performing magic. 有锦囊妙计，胸中自有主张

It is written all over your face: This means that you can easily realise that someone has a secret, simply by looking at that person's face. 已经写在脸上了

A little bird told me: We use this phrase when we want to keep a source of information secret, when we don't want to say who told us something. 有人告诉我

When you try to find out a secret :

Curiosity killed the cat: We use this to stop someone from trying to find out a secret. It is a warning that looking for the secret might be dangerous 好奇心害死猫

Keep your nose out of it: We use this to tell someone to stop asking about a secret or about business that is private. 避免插手他人的事，尽力不卷入

Keep your ear to the ground: We use this to tell someone to try to find out a secret or private information. If you keep your ear to the ground, you listen carefully for advance warning of something.仔细听，注意看动向

Keep it under your hat: We use this to tell someone to keep something secret 保密

To spill the beans: This means to tell someone a secret. 泄密
技能训练
For each of the six questions choose the one correct answer.

1. ‘I hear you are getting married!’
‘How do you know?’
‘Oh,…….’
a. keep it under your hat
b. I have a skeleton in my closet
c. a little bird told me
d. I kept my nose out of it

2. This is an important secret. Whatever you do,…….
a. be a dark horse
b. don’t let the cat out of the bag
c. don’t kill the cat
d. tell a little bird

3. I don’t believe it, everyone knows my secret. Who ……
a. spilt the beans?
b. has a skeleton in my closet?
c. told the little bird?
d. put a trick up my sleeve?

4. You mustn't tell anyone this information. Make sure you….
a. don’t keep it under your hat
b. keep your nose out of it
c. don’t keep your ear to the ground
d. keep it under your hat

5. Be careful! I’m sure he…..
a. has a trick up his arm
b. has a plan up his sleeve
c. has a trick up his sleeve
d. has a plan up his arm

6. ‘Did you know that Sarah was an Olympic athlete?’
‘No! She’s such a …..’
a. little bird
b. dark horse
c. cat in a bag
d. skeleton in her closet
答案
Answers

1. ‘I hear you are getting married!’
‘How do you know?’
‘Oh,…….’
a. keep it under your hat - Wrong, this means do not tell anyone the secret
b. I have a skeleton in my closet - Wrong, this means that you have a shameful secret from your past
c. a little bird told me - Correct, someone told you the news, but you don’t want to say who did
d. I kept my nose out of it - Wrong, this means you did not try to found out the news

2. This is an important secret. Whatever you do,…….
a. be a dark horse - Wrong, this means that you have a mysterious past
b. don’t let the cat out of the bag - Correct, this means do not tell anyone this important secret
c. don’t kill the cat - Wrong, curiosity kills the cat, not you
d. tell a little bird - Wrong, a little bird might tell you a secret, but you don’t tell the bird

3. I don’t believe it, everyone knows my secret. Who ……
a. spilt the beans? - Correct, you want to know who revealed your secret
b. has a skeleton in my closet? - Wrong, other people do not have skeletons in your closet
c. told the little bird? - Wrong, the little bird tells people the secret, people don’t tell the little bird the secret
d. put a trick up my sleeve? - Wrong, people don’t put tricks up your sleeve

4. You mustn't tell anyone this information. Make sure you….
a. don’t keep it under your hat - Wrong, you want the person to keep the secret, you want them to keep it under their hat
b. keep your nose out of it - Wrong, this means you want them to mind their own business
c. don’t keep your ear to the ground - Wrong, this means don’t listen out for information
d. keep it under your hat - Correct, don’t tell anyone the secret!

5. Be careful! I’m sure he…..
a. has a trick up his arm - Wrong, the word ‘arm’ is the problem
b. has a plan up his sleeve - Wrong, the word ‘plan’ is the problem
c. has a trick up his sleeve - Correct, he has a secret plan
d. has a plan up his arm - Wrong, the words ‘plan’ and ‘arm’ are wrong!

6. ‘Did you know that Sarah was an Olympic athlete?’
‘No! She’s such a …..’
a. little bird - Wrong, Sarah did not tell someone a secret
b. dark horse - Correct, Sarah has a hidden and unusual past
c. cat in a bag - Wrong, when you let the cat out of the bag you reveal a secret
d. skeleton in her closet - Wrong, a skeleton in your closet is a shameful thing