http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralEnglishVocabularyIdiom-Questions/Forum29.htmHelp with defining words and idioms, and new words and idioms that you've learntenXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#278220Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:278220Grammar Geek0http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#278220http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-278220.xml"in the cards" - I believe it's a reference to fortune telling and Tarot cards. Definitely IN. It doesn't appear to be in the cards. = Not very likely to happen.http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#277722Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:277722J Lewis1http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#277722http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-277722.xmlI agree with Nona about 2. in 3 I'd say "on the cards for me", but it's certainly a strange sentence. I can't imagine why a certain pronunciation should be in somebody's future.http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#277703Fri, 22 May 2009 22:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:277703Fin19902http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#277703http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-277703.xmlThank you very much!http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275775Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:275775nona the brit3http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275775http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-275775.xmlThat sentence looks ok to me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275765Fri, 22 May 2009 22:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:275765Marius Hancu4http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275765http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-275765.xml2. Nona might well be right here, but the sentence is still strange to me.http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275682Sun, 22 Feb 2009 23:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:275682nona the brit5http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275682http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-275682.xml1. The marzipan is the second layer from the top on a fruit cake, so you are nearly on the uppermost level, but not quite. This is being used as a metaphor for 'class'. 2. get the boot in first - attack first (get the boot in - kick) 3. in the cards for me - in my futurehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275665Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:275665Marius Hancu6http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htm#275665http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-275665.xml1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake . " [See the society as as a cake with several layers. You're at the top, in the (presumed) best layer. Or perhaps it's the most crusty/most rigid layer. Not sure. But I think you've cut the sentence at the beginning, it doesn't start well, perhaps you had a comma before that. 2. "People make assumptions: men think I 'll try and run the place, strangers think I'll look down on them- so they get the boot in first ." [be fired in the first instance 3. "So is lazy RP (received pronunciation) in the cards of me ?" [to be expected of mehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htmWed, 22 Apr 2009 22:20:22 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:275654Fin19907http://www.englishforums.com/English/QuestionsBootFirstCardsPlacing-FruitCake/dzbnq/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-275654.xmlRecently I read TIME and came across some sentences that I don't understand. 1. "He immediately placing me in the marzipan (almost uppermost) layer of the British social fruist cake . " 2. "People make assumptions: men think I 'll try and run the place, strangers think I'll look down on them- so they get the boot in first ." 3. "So is lazy RP (received pronunciation) in the cards of me ?" What are the meanings of the highlighted words? Thank You. P.S. the above three sentences are quoted from "Why Can't the English Learn How to Speak?" September 25, 2006 , TIME