The phrase 'eat somebody's heart out' beats me. Could I use any personal pronoun instead of 'somebody' in this phrase? How do the British use this phrase? Please give me some examples.
Zhang Yishi, China
收听与下载
In this special spooky edition of Q and A of the Week, Jean and William dig out some gruesome sounds from the BBC FX cupboard.
In fact, the phrase eat your heart out does not have a very grisly meaning. We often use it when we feel very proud of something, to imply that we are better at doing something than a real expert. Look at this dialogue:
A: Why are you looking so pleased with yourself?
B: I've passed my driving test!
A: Yay!
B: Eat your heart out Lewis Hamilton!
"Eat your heart out Lewis Hamilton!"
In English there are many frequently-used idioms relating to the heart. Listen to the programme to find out more about the following phrases:
It's not for the faint-hearted.
To put your heart and soul into something.
To take something to heart.
To pour your heart out (to someone).
Remember that if you have a burning question about the English language, you can email us at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk. We might make a programme about it.
Glossary 词汇
spooky 恐怖的
dig out探寻出
gruesome 令人毛骨悚然的
FX 音响特别效果
grisly 可怕的或讨厌的
a burning question 特别想问的问题
人气排行
