Курсовая работа: The use of common names in idiomatic expressions
10. Real McCoy – used in order to say that something is real, and not a copy. (www.usingenglish.com).
11. Rich as Croesus – very rich (www.usingenglish.com).
12. Rube Goldberg – used about a system, machine etc that does something ordinary in a way that is very complicated and not at all practical (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:291).
13. Smart Alec – A smart Alec is a conceited person who likes to show off how clever and knowledgeable they are (www.usingenglish.com).
Names derived from folk etymology:
1. Any Tom, Dick or Harry – an expression meaning everyone, used especially when you disapprove because there is no limit on who can do a particular activity (www.usingenglish.com).
2. Be robbing Peter to pay Paul – to take money from one part of a system or organization that needs it and use it for another part of the system or organization, so that you deal with one difficulty but still have problems (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:261).
3. Benjamin of the family – the Benjamin of the family is the youngest child (www.usingenglish.com). .
4. For the love of Pete – usually used in exasperation, as in 'Oh, for the love of Pete!' (www.usingenglish.com).
5. Great Scott – an exclamation of surprise (www.usingenglish.com).
6. Home, James – (UK) this is a clichйd way of telling the driver of a vehicle to start driving (www.usingenglish.com). .
7. Jack-of-all-trades – -trades is someone that can do many different jobs (www.usingenglish.com).
8. Jane Doe – Jane Doe is a name given to an unidentified female who may be party to legal proceedings, or to an unidentified person in hospital, or dead. John Doe is the male equivalent (www.usingenglish.com).
9. Joe Bloggs – a name used to represent all ordinary people and their thoughts, feelings and situation (www.dictionary.com)
10. Johnny on the spot – A person who is always available; ready, willing, and able to do what needs to be done (www.usingenglish.com). .
11.Uncle Sam – the government of the USA (www.usingenglish.com).
Names based on characters of the books, films, cartoons:
1. An Aladdin’s cave of something – a place where a lot of particular type of thing can be found, especially something interesting or unusual (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:56).
2. Aunt Sally – used about someone or something that is often blamed or criticized by a particular group of people, even when there is no reason (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:10).
3. Be like Darby and Joan – used to talk about old husband and wife who live very happily together (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:78).
4. Brahms and Liszt – drunk (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:40).
5. Do a Lord Lucan – (UK) if someone disappears without a trace or runs off (Lord Lucan disappeared after a murder) (www.usingenglish.com).
6. Even Steven s – if everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens (www.usingenglish.com).
7. I’m all right Jack – used in order to show disapproval when someone’s attitude shows that they do not care about a problem that other people are having, because it does not affect them (www.dictionary.com).
8. Jekyll and Hyde – used about someone who has two totally different parts to their character, one very good and the other bad (www.usingenglish.com).
9. Keep up with Joneses – to try to have all the things that your friends and neighbors have, and do all the things that they do (www.dictionary.com).
10.Live a life of Riley – used in order to say that someone has a very comfortable, easy life without having to work hard or worry about money (Longman Idioms Dictionary: 1999:210).
11.Mickey Mouse – something that is intellectually trivial or not of a very high standard (www.usingenglish.com).
12.Rip van Winkle – Rip van Winkle is a character in a story who slept for twenty years, so if someone is a Rip van Winkle, they are behind the times and out of touch with what's happening now (www.usingenglish.com).