Words and more words!!!!!!

Today we are going to kill two birds with one stone ( In Swedish "two flies with one blow")... A phrase like this is an example of an idiomatic expression

Definition: An idiomatic expression are common phrases or sayings whose meanings cannot be understood by the individual words or elements. Examples of these idioms are "Baker's Dozen", "Funny Farm" and "Cold War".

Idiomatic expressions are also non-standard speech, slang or dialect that are natural to native speakers of a language. Examples of these idioms are "Apples and Pears" for stairs

Jeffrey Archer uses these kind of expression often in his writing to spice it up. However, these kind of expression are also often tested in the National Test.
Here are some examples from Archer's "Clean Sweep Ignatius"

Clear out Nigeria’s Augean Stables

Clean Sweep Ignatius

The new broom

Mr. Clean

Breath  of scandal

Into whose pockets this money is falling

Ferret out the villains

Ready to pounce

Down to business

Flicker of surprise

Bring your country to its knees

Beads  of sweat

The banker cleared his throat

And here are two documents of the assembled idioms which have come in the National Test reading over the years
Doc 1
Doc 2
Here is another document with phrases from an older National Test
Today I want you to start working on the language and words. Check throug the next story "A la carte".
Here is the first part as an MP3 (go in about 6 minutes into the recording)
Here is part 2
Next Tuesday we will work with this story and I will give back your essays.
Make sure all of you have written it!!!!