3 idioms, and my sentences with them, could you take a look?

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anglista2008

#500465 Mon, 14 Apr 08 07:58 AM

Hey there! Thanks for looking at my post.

I've been learning some new idioms recently, and here are my questions concerning them, and some sentences with them. Could you correct me, and answer my questions?

1. to steal the show

a) Jack Nicholson stole the show in Batman. (question: is it possible to use this idiom as far as idioms are concerned? question2: would it be better to use here the pres. perfect?)
b) Slash is the one who always steals the show at Guns & Roses gigs (question: is "at" ok here?)
c) She's stolen the show (doubt: I can't come up with a situation in which we would use this idiom in the present perfect)

2. to pull sb's leg

a) Oh come off it! Stop pulling my leg and tell me the truth!
b) She has pulled my leg again!
c) Hey guys, listen, why don't we pull Jim's leg (and play a joke on him) ? It's gonna be fun!

3. to foam at the mouth

a) He has been foaming at the mouth for the whole evening (doubt: I'm not sure if the use of the present perfect cont. is appropriate here)
b) He foamed at the mouth when his wife told him that she had been cheating on him. (VS He was foaming at the mouth, or VS has foamed at the mouth)
c) What did your dad say to this? He was foaming at the mouth when I told him (VS He foamed at the mouth)

MAIN QUESTION: Are the above-written sentences perfectly OK, and how often do you use the above-mentioned idioms?

thanks in advance,

best wishes,

anglista2008

Joined on Thu, Mar 6 2008

Junior Member (63)

Idioms, Jokes, Present perfect

Vorpar

#500469 Mon, 14 Apr 08 08:38 AM

1. to steal the show

a) Jack Nicholson stole the show in Batman. (question: is it possible to use this idiom as far as idioms are concerned? question2: would it be better to use here the pres. perfect?)

I think this is fine, though when talking about movies (especially describing action), we usually use the present tense.
b) Slash is the one who always steals the show at Guns & Roses gigs (question: is "at" ok here?)

"at" is fine.
c) She's stolen the show (doubt: I can't come up with a situation in which we would use this idiom in the present perfect)
It could be used during the show, just after a breakthrough scene.

2. to pull sb's leg

a) Oh come off it! Stop pulling my leg and tell me the truth!

This looks fine.
b) She has pulled my leg again!
c) Hey guys, listen, why don't we pull Jim's leg (and play a joke on him) ? It's gonna be fun!

I don't think this idiom is commonly used without the gerund (in a).

3. to foam at the mouth

a) He has been foaming at the mouth for the whole evening (doubt: I'm not sure if the use of the present perfect cont. is appropriate here)
b) He foamed at the mouth when his wife told him that she had been cheating on him. (VS He was foaming at the mouth, or VS has foamed at the mouth)
c) What did your dad say to this? He was foaming at the mouth when I told him (VS He foamed at the mouth)

All of these look fine.

MAIN QUESTION: Are the above-written sentences perfectly OK, and how often do you use the above-mentioned idioms?

Stolen the show is commonly used, but I don't hear the others much at all.

Vorpar

Joined on Tue, Sep 20 2005

Santa Barbara, CA

Regular Member (812)

Idioms, Tenses, Present tenses, Jokes, Gerunds, Present perfect

Philip

#500600 Mon, 14 Apr 08 03:47 PM

I hear, and use, all three: not often, but they roll off the tongue easily when appropriate.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

Idioms

RayH

#500622 Mon, 14 Apr 08 04:16 PM

anglista2008
c) She's stolen the show (doubt: I can't come up with a situation in which we would use this idiom in the present perfect)

This one doesn't seem quite right but I can't put my finger on exactly why.

anglista2008
a) Oh come off it! Stop pulling my leg and tell me the truth!
b) She has pulled my leg again!
c) Hey guys, listen, why don't we pull Jim's leg (and play a joke on him) ? It's gonna be fun!

The first one is fine. The second two, not so much. I don't think I've ever heard this idiom used in this way. You might, however, hear someone say something like "She wasn't serious, she was just pulling my leg." I don't think you will ever hear it as used in c).

anglista2008
a) He has been foaming at the mouth all ~~for the whole~~ evening (doubt: I'm not sure if the use of the present perfect cont. is appropriate here)
b) He foamed at the mouth when his wife told him that she had been cheating on him. (VS He was foaming at the mouth, or VS has foamed at the mouth)
c) What did your dad say to this? He was foaming at the mouth when I told him (VS He foamed at the mouth)

The second two seem "off" somehow. I know that's not much help.
How about these modifications:
b) He started foaming at the mouth when his wife...
c) He started foaming at the mouth when I told him.

The correction in a) isn't because you are wrong. It just seems to sound better as modified.

anglista2008
a) Jack Nicholson stole the show in Batman. (question: is it possible to use this idiom as far as idioms are concerned?

I'm not clear what you are asking here.

As for your grammar questions, as always, I leave them to the grammar experts.

RayH

Joined on Sat, Mar 22 2008

CA, USA

Regular Member (695)

Native speaker of U. S. English. Not a grammar expert.

Idioms, Grammar, Jokes, Present perfect

Grammar Geek

#500672 Mon, 14 Apr 08 06:00 PM

You are using "foaming at the mouth" to be angry. I use it to be very eager for something.

Grammar Geek

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006

Pennsylvania, USA

Veteran Member (15,567)

Barbara, who answers in American English.

Idioms

RayH

#500713 Mon, 14 Apr 08 08:26 PM

Grammar Geek
You are using "foaming at the mouth" to be angry. I use it to be very eager for something.

Interesting. I don't think I have ever heard "foam at the mouth" used to describe eagerness. I did some quick searches using Google and found one site that defines it both ways, all the others define it as "uncontrolled rage" or something similar.

I am more likely to say "chomping at the bit" to describe someone who is very eager for something.

Yes, I know, it's sometimes spelled "champing", just not by me. Smile

RayH

Idioms, Grammar

Grammar Geek

#500730 Mon, 14 Apr 08 09:09 PM

I think that a horse that is chomping at the bit would probably be a bit foamy, yes? Also, Pavolov's dogs, on hearing that bell ring and knowing something good was coming, would start to froth/foam at the mouth.

Grammar Geek

Idioms