- He won't. If he does, come and have a
laugh at my expense - he never keeps a
promise.
?ibn ?uguul	jjl
one of good breeding
(a person exhibiting good behaviour and
manners, especially because of being
brought up in a family that observes
conscience, morals, etc.)
Her politeness shows that she is a woman
of good breeding.
?ibn ilhalaal
Mr Right
(the imagined man who will fulfil all a
woman's desires and needs as a husband)
The most unrealistic thing about Egyptian
movies is that the heroine always marries
Mr Right.
?ibn balad
a nice fellow
(one embodying the good qualities of the
traditional classes)
George's a nice fellow - he's always ready
to help.
?ibn hazz	jjj'
a happy-go-lucky
(a person who enjoys himself, takes things
easily as they come, and trusts to luck)
He's certainly a happy-go-lucky - he enjoys
himself a lot and never worries about
tomorrow.
?ibn halaal
a good/decent sort
(a likeable person)
Tim's a good sort, the kind who always
knows how to make you smile when you're
feeling bad.
?ibn sa^tu	^1
a man of whims
a person who is usualy driven by a sudden
fancy or notion; by a freakish or capricious
?abrad min may-yii tuuba	j* bj>\
thoroughly unlikeable
(not having qualities that win good will or
friendship; unpopular; disagreeable)
Tim is a thoroughly unlikeable boy - all the
girls in the class stay away from him.
?abrak min ...	... J*
more nourishing/useful than ...
A bowl of green salad is more nourishing
than all the junk food you're eating.
(s^ J**)	' у/
? ib^idu tib?u £asal ?ar-rabu tib?u basal
familiarity breeds contempt [saying]
(a long and close relationship, especially
between two people, causes feelings of
scorn and dislike to develop)
I know you and the boss are very good
friends, but you'd better not stick to him all
the time, because as you know familiarity
breeds contempt.
?ab?a hmaar
I’m a Dutchman
(I am not what I am: used after a clause
beginning with if to indicate the speaker's
belief that the facts, opinions, etc., stated in
the /Т-clause are wrong)
That's not a diamond! If that's a diamond,
I'm a Dutchman.
?ib?a ?abilni	1
come and have a laugh at my expense!
(used to emphasize the speaker's belief that
something will not happen)
- Bill's going to lend me the money.
(used when something is near or
immediately in front of a person and he
does not notice it and sometimes goes to
look for it somewhere else)
Look, Sam's looking for the book he was
just reading - it's right under his nose and
he can't find it.
»» >c
?abul^ur-reef	J»'
know all the answers
(to be conceitedly conscious of one's own
knowledge)
She thinks she knows all the answers and
doesn't respect anybody eIse's opinion.
?abu hmaard
a country cousin
(a person from the country whose manners,
etc., are simple compared to those of people
living in towns)
And even that country cousin has suddenly
become a mechanic and started giving me
instructions - loosen this nail, tighten that
one.
?abu £ali (^ar-rawm)	Jf*
(the) cock of the walk
(a person who has the most control,
power, or influence, especially when he is
very proud of this)
He thinks he is (the) cock of the walk
because he was captain of the village
football team.
?abu lamas
as touchy as hell
(very over-sensitive, bad tempered, angry,
grumpy)
Don't try to tease him— he's as touchy as
hell.
• • •* *
?abu muxx tiXiin (zini£) (£j) У
a pig-headed jerk
(a stupidly obstinate or stubborn person)
Don't be a pig-headed jerk; If you try to
cheat you'll get caught.
?abii£ miss ^umri
would give one’s right arm
idea or desire)
I know he's a man of whims, so don't
depend on him in a serious matter like this.
?ibn sit-tiin fisab^iin	J*'
['sit-tiin' (sixty) is an intensifier used in
curses and insults. The literal meaning of
the idiom is "son of a bitch (sixty times
multiplied by seventy times over)"]
son of a bitch
(an insult)
You son of a bitch, how dare you play
around with my daughter!
?ibn suu?	^1
a born businessman
(a businessman by nature)
Most people from Damietta* are born
businessmen
*a town on the northern coast of Egypt
where the eastern branch of the Nile joins
the sea.
?ibn c/vrab	yh
a stalwart fellow
(a valiant, steadfast, modest, loyal person)
He's a stalwart fellow who reminds you of
those knights in folk epics.
?ibn kaar
made for the job
(a person who is naturally gifted or prepared
to perform a certain job efficiently; skillfully,
etc.)
Adam is the best mechanic in town - he's
made for the job.
?ibn nukta	^1
jokester
(a person fond of telling or hearing jokes)
Every time he tells a joke he sends his
friends into a frenzy of laughter - he's a real
jokester.
?ibnu J**) <4^	*4*
£ala kitfu wibiyd</w-w</r ^alee
right under someone’s nose and he can’t
find it
3
о Ujl ‘ill и
?it?afaj min ?afaa	olfli j*^3'
have one’s collar felt
(of a criminal or person suspected of a
crime: to be arrested)
The man had had his collar felt so often
that he knew all the policemen in the area.
- i » ,•
?it?al ^ar-ruzz	!	J^3'
easy does it!
(not so fast; take your time; be careful)
- / want to get this job done now.
- Easy does it! Wait till tomorrow.
?at?al milhamm ^al?alb s-JaJ' £ ^1'
more than can be tolerated
(something which cannot be endured or
suffered)
A month's stay with us is more than can be
tolerated; he'll have to look for another
place.
i	, a >•	* ,•
?itlamm >(*^’
ilmat^uus £ala /ayb ir-raga
one bad lot on top of another
(a useless, bad, or lazy person in addition
to another)
- Here comes John - he's going to help
Greg with the assignment.
- It's one bad lot on top of another, This
assignment won't get done at all.
?itlamm %ala nafsu	«aj
collect oneself
(to be in full control of one's emotions)
The movie was a real horror. I still can't
collect myself.
•	9 x X •
?itmasak mutalab-bis
caught red-handed/in the act
(to be discovered or seized while doing
something forbidden, unlawful, etc., or just
after it has been done)
[refers to a person whose hands are still
covered with blood]
The thief was caught red-handed as he
came out of the bank carrying a large bag
of money.
(to be willing to give up something of great
value or importance to oneself in order to
do or obtain something)
He would have given his right arm for such
a chance.
?itbaa^ fi?ala ?oona « Ujl
go under the hammer
(to be for sale in an auction)
[a wooden hammer is struck against a
block of wood in an auction to signal that
an object has been sold]
A very nice set of old glasses went under
the hammer yesterday morning.
?it-ho/ar li ...
stand up for someone; put in a good
word for someone.
(to take the part of; support; defend)
I had to stand up for Al - he's my best
friend.
?it/c/bdt fi£,a?lu	«йдА u) JxAJl
get off one’s rocker
(mad; out of one's senses)
My wife's got off her rocker; she's been
spending all her money on make-up kits.
badri
be cut off in one’s prime
(to die when one is still too young)
Poor thing! She was cut off in her prime.
?itsadd wiskut	! -Uu'
shut your trap!
(shut your mouth)
Shut your trap, or do you want me to call
the police?
?ityad-da
bi ...?abl mayit£aj-/a bii
steal a march on someone.
(to gain an advantage over someone by
doing some earlier action than expected)
The government had intended to limit the
wage increase, but several trade unions
stole a march on them by receiving very
large increases before the new law came
into existence.
(jJalw') Jakj'
malodorous or whose mouth smells the
sharp odour of raw onions and thus no-one
is willing to bring himself near her]
I’m at loss to know how to please you!
(said to someone who is hard to please)
I bought you and the children everything
you asked for, still you look upset. I'm at
loss to know how to please you!
?ihsaasi mayikdibj	V»
feel it in one’s bones
(to suspect something strongly; have a
suspicion that is not based on facts but
feelings)
I knew she would marry my son. I felt it in
my bones.
?ahsan bimaraahil	J—
streets ahead
(far better than something or someone)
The writer's new book is streets ahead of
his last one.
°	9 ' 9 Л
?ahsan tik-kibis	J***d
(of a newly-married woman: to be brought
to sterility)
[from the Egyptian folk belief that
well-wishers should not take a new-born
baby in their company when paying their
first visit to a newly-married woman since
the sight of the baby might turn her sterile]
lest one should be jinxed
(to be brought to bad luck)
?ihft/z markazak	! JjTy» кд?-1
watch your step !
(be very careful not to make a mistake, not
to offend someone, etc.)
What do you mean by dashing into my
office and talking to me like this. Watch
your step !
?ihna bini?rrz V	'yk lid
fisuurit ^abas
how many times do I have to say it?
(said to someone after trying several times
to make him understand something)
Yes, it's Mr. Gibson, G-l-B-S-O-N, how many
?itD01-itrt	(jkijl) kkjl
(?itmanz£zr) £,ala ...
lord it over someone.
(of a man: to behave in a proud and
commanding manner towards a person;
rule over a person like a lord)
Since he won first prize for his painting, he
has lorded it over the other fellows in his
class.
?itnczt-t^/tit	(Ojblftjl) ckkul
(?itmtmzflrit) £ala...
queen it over someone.
(of a woman: to behave in a proud and
commanding manner towards a person;
rule over a person like a queen)
When her husband became director of his
own company she lost many of her friends
because she started to queen it over them.
• i >	. * - •
?it-haff fimux-xu
go potty; go nuts; go bananas
(to go crazy)
Look, Mrs. Simpson is wearing a raincoat
in July; she must've gone potty.
?agsaam biyaal J$ Jl* fl-id
wi£?uul
all brawn and no brain
(of a person who is physically well-built,
but not functioning very well, mentally
speaking)
[brawn is firm, strong muscles]
We can’t put him on the team. He's all
brawn and on brain, but football requires
brain as well as brawn.
?aghal min daab-ba
dumber than an ox
(slow in understanding; stupid; dull)
He's always been blamed for acting
foolishly - he must be dumber than an ox.
?iht</rl ya ba^ra !jr^	b О
?abuusik mineen
[in the literal Egyptian-Arabic translation I
don't know where to kiss you, ba'/ra, the
word ba%ra is a woman whose breath is
UJ >' k/i'
5

?a%laa?u boazit	cJ?l» aW>'
go to the dogs
(to be no longer of good quality, character,
etc.)
He's gone to the dogs. He smokes and
drinks so much.
?id-da il?ujt muftaah j'* li* ЛадЛ
ilktfiwr
appoint the fox to guard the chickens
(to assign the wrong person to do a
particular job, especially one who is going
to do the opposite of what ought to be
done)
Are you going to hire that fellow in the
accounting department? He's been known
for dishonesty for years, so if you do, it'll
be like appointing the fox to guard the
chickens.
?id-dab-bis hit-tit tadbiisa 4—
be put on the spot
(to be put in a difficult or dangerous
situation; in trouble)
After signing the contract I found out that I
had very little money left, so I was really
put on the spot.
?id£i ii ...	OU*}
keep one’s fingers crossed for someone
(to wish or hope deeply for success, good
luck, etc., especially by crossing two
fingers next to each other on the same
hand as a physical sign of this)
I'm going for my new job. Keep your
fingers crossed for me!
?id-dahwil £ala Jjeenu	J j*-5'
fall head over heels
(to become completely or deeply in love)
The best thing to keep a man busy is to fall
head over heels with the right girl.
?aadi ?a%rit-ha
this is the upshot
(the final and most severe of a series of
difficulties)
[refers to the last shot in an archery match]
times do I have to say it? Go and tell him
about the agenda for the next meeting.
?a/ad ... ziiru jjj j <	4 «ЬМ
go for a spin
(to go for a rapid drive or ride)
He went for a spin in his father's car.
?a/ad ... fiS=ib-bu
have someone under one’s thumb
(to have someone under control or
influence)
If you let him feel you are afraid, he'll have
you under his thumb for ever.
?a/ad ... wij-jeen
give someone a row
(to scold)
He gave his son a row for coming home
late every night.
?axrit ilmatam-ma	5^1
add insult to injury
(to cause offence to someone after one has
already caused harm to him in some other
way)
He said when she arrived that he wished
she had never come, and added insult to
injury by refusing to speak to her for the
rest of her visit.
?i/zi if-Jitaan	! OUa-JiJl
spite the Devil!
(resist the temptation)
Don't hit him - spite the Devil! He is very
strong.
?iXz> il^een	!
don’t tempt the evil eye!
(don't disclose news of your success,
happiness, etc. lest you should be subject
to the power that some people are supposed
to have of causing harm or bringing bad
luck to others by looking at them)
- My luck was fantastic today.
- Shush, don't tempt the evil eye!
6

?id-di... matirht/muuj ! J*J U JMi
let someone have it!
(don't have mercy on someone; let
someone suffer because he can be no
longer tolerated)
He's been rude to everyone in the office, so
let him have it.
?adiik ?ultaha ! dJjLJ ЦаЬ dJbol
bi^/dmitlisaanak
you said it!
(used to express strong agreement with a
statement just made)
- I thought the translation we had to do
today was very difficult.
- You said it!
?id-diini £a?Iak	!
picture it for yourself!
(to form a picture of something in one's
mind; just imagine!)
Picture it for yourself! I've spent every
penny on him and now he wants to leave
me all alone. What shall I do? Shall I let
him go? You tell me.
?r/rd</l-Iaa was£a
there’s plenty of opportunity elsewhere
If you can't earn a living here, there's
plenty of opportunity elsewhere.
?ur?uslil?ird Jb) оjaU
fidawlitu
curry favour with authority
(to try to gain the approval or favour of a
person in authority by behaving too
politely towards him or flattering him,
especially insincerely)
Those opinions of yours will drive you to
jail - you'd better curry favour with these
people.
?irmi bayoadrzk	! XUpL
cross my palm/hand with silver!
(to give money to a person, especially a
fortuneteller who has a desirable piece of
information to tell)
Cross my palm with silver and I'll tell you
something you'll be pleased to hear.
He has always been rude to me, but this
time he walked right past me without
speaking. This is the upshot, I'll never
speak to him again.
?aadi	Jb) Xixjl upb
ig-gamal waadi in-na^la
call someone’s bluff
(to make someone prove whether
something that he says or pretends to be
true is really true)
[from Poker (a card game): to bluff is
pretend to have cards of greater value than
one really has]
Mike had often said he could swim 3 miles,
so we took him to the sea and decided to
call his bluff and make him prove it.
?aadi zamaan ilbidingaan jbuAJi jUj
it’s the silly season
(a period of time when there is little sense
or reason, and therefore most people find
themselves obliged to cope with what is
fashionable whether they like it or not)
- Good TV programmes are rare these days.
- It's the silly season, you know.
?id-da ... istimaara ajUs-J
sit-ta
give someone the pink slip
(a notice of dismissal from one's job)
I think Mr. Brown will give me the pink slip
today; I had a big fight with him yesterday.
?id-da...duJJ	Jib
give someone a sound scolding
(to blame someone with angry words)
My brother gave me a sound scolding for
breaking his glasses.
?id-da...£ala	j
hc/ntuur^eenu
give someone a real shiner
(to hit someone on the eye so that he sees
sudden flashes of light)
He's not going to annoy you any more - I
gave him a real shiner this morning.
this problem, for the saying goes God
helps those who help themselves.
?ism£/l-la ^ala £a?lak !	<dJl
use your loaf!
(use your common sense; be sensible;
think clearly)
Use your loaf! You've messed up
everything by nudging us and spilling our
drinks.
?ismfll-lfl ^ala ...	»'
may God bless someone’s (little) heart
(an invocation of divine protection)
How's your son, may God bless his young
heart.
?ism«l-k/ ^alama?aamak	aJJ) ^1
begging your pardon; no offence
intended
(often prefaces a contradiction, objection
or mention of any mundane or lowly
object)
Well, you have seen the kitchen and the
bedroom. Now perhaps, begging your
pardon, you’d like to see the bathroom.
?ism S,ala musam-ma	it--'
a fitting name
(a name whose meaning happens to suit
the nature, the character or mood of the
person bearing it)
Artful Dodger* is such a fitting name in
OLIVER TWIST.
*dodger is a shifty or dishonest person.
?ismu ?ee da	ajI -u—»l
how’s your father
(used to refer to something that one has
forgotten the name of or does not want to
mention by name)
The vice police caught two boys and two
girls in that garden next to your house.
They said there was a lot of how's your
father going on there.
?i/ba£; biiha
to hell with you and ...
?iz-zayy ...^alahis-sak ?	...
how did you find...?
How did you find Alexandria? I haven't
been there for quite a while. I really miss it.
• » # t
?uss ilmasaayib
the villain of the piece
(the person or thing that is guilty or
responsible for something bad or harmful)
The boys in the class are always getting in
trouble and the teacher says that Philip is
the villain of the piece.
?is?alni ana	bl
I know it only too well
(said be a person with pretensions to
complete knowledge or infallible
experience)
- О my, How she hates men!
- Hates them? It's just an act. I know it only
too well. You know, she got married
several times.
?ista£wfld aI-Iaa	(laj)
(глЬ-Ыпл)
write something off as a dead loss
(to have no hope of regaining someone or
something because he/it is bad, boring,
ineffective, lost, dead, etc.)
The police told him that his car had been
found completely smashed, so he wrote it
off as a dead loss.
?istala?-?a wa^dak	!
you’ll cop/catch it!
(you'll be punished or scolded)
You'll cop it when you get home because
you're so late.
?is£a Js*)Ulj А-P b	• I
ya£abd wana as^a mi£aak
God helps those who help themselves
[saying]
(people who wish for good luck and God's
help in gaining what they want must first
make an effort themselves)
Stop cursing yourself for a fool and do
something about getting yourself out of
that they run to help or do something for
one)
Wallis now had only to crook her little
finger and almost anyone would come to
her.
j£») к-*-*)' I* dlJb	Ь» e)
?isrif maafi ilgeeb ya?tiik maafi ilyeeb
tomorrow will take care of itself [saying]
(don't worry about your present financial
situation because there will be other days,
on which a new start can be made)
- I've already spent my last penny on the
new flat.
- Don't worry, tomorrow will take care of
itself.
?dd^af il?iimaan
the least one can do
The least you can do is phone him instead
of making up silly excuses.
?itbu%i ya garya kal-lif ya siidi
he who calls the tune must pay the piper
[saying]
(the person who claims a right to ask for
something, or to control how something is
used, has to pay for it)
-	Why don't you make us a stuffed turkey
for dinner?
-	Well, you pay the piper.
?itta£ min nafuu/i
get off my back
(leave me alone; stop annoying or arguing
with me)
Why don't you get off my back and let me
do my work.
?i^raf /akiastfk
look to your own ends
(bear the consequences of your own
actions, and try to find yourself a way out)
You were too young to get married, so don't
complain but look to your own ends.
(I, we, etc., do not care about the thing or
the person mentioned)
You've promised me this room for my
office several times; if you don't give it to
me now, to hell with you and the room.
* ' •	• '• t.	• *
?ijtad-di ya Ji*)	Ь
?azma tit-hal-li
it’s darkest before the dawn [saying]
(the worse a crisis the closer it is to be
relieved)
-1 graduated four years ago, and I still can't
find a job.
- Everything'll be O.K., it's darkest before
the dawn.
?ijtara it-turm««y
buy the Brooklyn bridge
(of a gullible person: to be taken advantage
of)
The two gentlemen in the white car have
just bought the Brooklyn bridge; the
woman in the blue skirt sold them a cat for
two thousand pounds, can you believe
that?
?i/tara samak
filmrty-ya
buy a pig in a poke
(to purchase something without first
having an opportunity to judge its value or
all the relevant facts)
-	We'll take it now.
-	But you mustn't buy a pig in a poke. You
might not like it.
Vijtayal fil-lazra?	J*^'
play dirty
(to behave offensively or carelessly in order
to cause harm or trouble to someone)
Aren't you going to stop playing dirty with
me, because if you don't. I'll have to tell the
boss.
?af-far bisbwn^u	jA\
crook one’s little finger
(to bend one's finger in order to attract the
attention of another person, especially so
9
J C-ljl	fl j Да! I	'
humorously, when the speaker does not
approve of a verbal reward, an apology,
etc., he has just received)
- You've done a very good job, thank you!
- What a fat lot of good that does me! I
want money not sweet words.
'Icflrat, winuzahi	У'
a beggar with a Havana
(of one who is needy but always dressed
up)
[Havana is a brand of the finest and most
expensive cigars in the world)
- Have you seen Bob's new tie?
- New tie? A real beggar with a Havana.
Yesterday he was asking everybody for
money!
draa^i
I’ll eat my hat
(I'm sure: used to emphasize the speaker's
belief that a fact, statement, etc., is true, or
that something will happen as stated)
If it wasn't your brother who stole it, I'll eat
my hat.
?u£-£udu bil^afya	! IjJaSI
keep well!
(said to or by someone on parting)
- I should be thinking of leaving now, keep
well!
- I hope you enjoyed the evening, take
care!
?akUzr milhanim ^al'.’alb s-idJl
a drug on the market
(something that is plentiful, especially
because nobody wants to have or buy it)
After reducing the customs duty on small
cars, they may well become a drug on the
market.
jt/OO 0^0	£ Л	о
Js*) Ц*' J vlk; SjAaJI
?ikfi il?idra ^ala fum-maha
ilbint lum-maha
like mother like daughter [saying]
(of a daughter: to be very much like her
mother in character)
it-hara?it	ciyxj' 4jLap'
one’s tempers are frazzled
(to tire out; weary)
I had a fight with the boss this morning, so
when I got home from work my tempers
were frazzled.
IciEguabu btftfzit	C-bU
one’s nerves go to pieces
(to become confused; break down mentally)
I couldn't bear to stay longer at the scene
of the accident; my nerves went to pieces.
Ча^ааЬи fital-laaga 4^-4»
as cool as a cucumber
(very calm, e.g. in a difficult situation)
I know my daughter - she will be as cool as
a cucumber. I know she would never panic
or get excited.
?a£la mafxeelak !	Ь J*'
irkabu
do your damnedest/worst!
(an outrageous response to a threat)
- If you don't tell us where that money is ...
- Hold it! Do your damnedest, you don't
scare me.
?il?a^maal
bin-niy-yaat
it’s the thought that counts [saying]
(the goodwill, or affection, that lies behind
an action, gift, etc., is more important than
the action itself)
- / came down to help you, but I see you've
already done it.
-Never mind, it's the thought that counts.
?i£mil-lak him-ma	!
put some guts into it!
(hurry; try to do something faster)
Put some guts into it! Dont't you want to
go home; there's a big football match on
TV this afternoon.
?afuk-kaha feen (mineen) !
what a fat lot of good that does me!
(used sarcastically, and sometimes
?akl wim«r£t/
wi?il-lit swn^tz
the life of Riley
(a comfortable and happy life)
Since he won the money in that
competition, he's been living the life of
Riley.
?aklik mineen ya brrl-ia ! лк» U jJATl
I don’t know where to start!
(said of something very attractive,
appetizing, etc.)
This roasted turkey looks very inviting; I
don't know where to start!
?aal jad-daad	alxi JT
[the transliteration of the Egyptian-Arabic
idiom, ?aal fad-daad, refers to the tribe of a
hero of folk epic whose name is identical in
pronunciation to any of a number of
devices the purpose of which is to provide
tension or traction (e.g. a splint,
chain-adjustor, etc.) The connection
between the literal equivalent and the
idiomatic one seems to lie in the effort
exerted by heavy hashish-smokers (usually
in a gooza: the local hubble bubble) when
dragging smoke out of the pipe]
hashish-smokers
Vilzam huduudak	!
don’t overstep the mark!
(don't go beyond permitted limits; don't do
more than allowed)
The moods of the others have probably
been making you more determined, but
don't overstep the mark!
?ilUz^ ?imdiiak *£5J2J'
ik-kariima
put your John Hancock
(write your signature)
[John Hancock was a wealthy New
Englander who was president of the
Continental Congress, and a signer of the
Declaration of Independence. The story
goes that when he sat to sign the
Declaration of Independence, he remarked
You can say like mother like daughter,
because she can never make up her mind
about anything = her mother can never
make up her mind either.
?akl geef	JS*'
a bread-and-butter job
(something that provides a person with the
simple things he needs to continue to live)
If there's anything I hate it's teaching, but
it's just a bread-and-butter job.
?il?akl J**)	<3 jJrSh
fif-Jab^aan yisczr/ra
there’s no point in gilding the lily
(to attempt to improve someone or
something that is already attractive,
especially in a manner that spoils the
object's original worth or appearance)
[the phrase has been changed from a
speech in Shakespeare's play King John
(before 1598): 'To gilde refined gold, to
paint the lily,/... Is wasteful and ridiculous
excess.' (Act 4, scene 2)]
She was an attractive girl before she
married, but then her husband bought her
expensive clothes. What I can say to this is
there's no point in gilding the lily.
?ak-kal... ilbdluuza AbJlJl JSTl
do a snow job on someone
(to overwhelm a person, especially to
persuade him to do something by talking
fast)
He did a snow job on his father and made
him sign a paper giving all his money to
him.
?akl wibahla?a	aaUxj » JJfi
look a gift-horse in the mouth
(to look for faults or other things to
complain about in something that is freely
offered)
You may disapprove of the way your father
obtained his money, but if he offers to pay
for your education abroad it would be silly
to look a gift horse in the mouth.

11
J / uijj uit
- May she roast in hell, I've never liked her.
?al-laa yihiz-z^k	! гЛгл» aUI
you make me laugh!
(said to someone in appreciation of his
entertaining company, especially when the
speaker has been in a bad mood for
sometime)
You make me laugh! I've been in a very
bad mood since I burned the food in the
oven.
?я1-1ая yi%rib ^a?lak	<->
you’re a riot
(said to a very amusing or skillful person)
You're a riot! Your performance was
outstanding.
?al-ltzt7 yirhrzm ?ay-yaam OUj
zamaan
О for the good old days
(often used by older people: a former time
that, when remembered, seems better than
the present in spite of improvements in
science, etc.)
My mother often says, 'O for the good old
days,' but they sound like the bad old days
to me.
?dl-ldt/hum-ma ! U
i/ziik ya jtc/c/n
get thee behind me, Satan!
(said by someone who is trying to resist
the temptation of doing something bad)
Get thee behind me, Satan! If you keep
talking like this, Terry, I don't know what
I'm going to do next!
•	>	»	* m
?dl-k7«hum-ma !
tdw-wilik ya rooh
give me strength!
(I need more courage and patience to
tolerate this! an expression of exasperation
used when the speaker is annoyed by
someone's stupidity)
Haven't you even done that little job yet?
Give me strength!
that he would write his signature so large
that King George could read it without his
spectacles. The term John Hancock is now
idiomatically used to mean a person's
signature]
Put your John Hancock on this memo.
?alf waraaha	J^4)
?uluuf
money breeds money [saying]
(the first sum of money one makes is
usually the hardest, but when invested
properly it reproduces quickly)
- He was only a small-time trader a few
years ago! How come he's a millionaire
now?
- Yes, money breeds money.
al-laahu ?a£lam	aB'
be anybody's guess!
(of an event, result, etc.: to be uncertain)
We know he had several enemies, but it's
anybody's guess who actually killed him.
?<7l-ldwhu ilyani	aUI
it can be done without
(to get along though not having the thing
mentioned or implied)
- Your application for the loan is being
processed, but the interest rate has
increased to 22 per cent, you know!
- In that case, I don't want the loan; it can
be done without.
?а\Лаа yigaazi Ju/t/nr/k
you little devil!
(said to a very able, clever, energetic, or
reckless person)
You little devil! How did you make them
agree to sign the contract?
?а\-\аа yighini...	w'iAi ♦лл
may someone roast in hell
(of an enemy: a curse expressing anger or
annoyance because the person mentioned
is believed by the speaker to have been a
source of trouble)
- Jane's already gone.
12


someone who is giving advice on how to
do something and who is thought not to
realize how difficult it is to do the thing)
Easier said than done; my situation is
different from yours. Had you tried it, you
wouldn't have said such a thing.
j£)	Jjl
?il-li ^ala roasu bczt-hcz yihas-sis ^aleeha
if the cap/shoe fits wear it [saying]
(if the statement, remark, etc., about
someone is true, then he must accept it:
often shortened to if the cap fits)
I didn't say that you were a fool, but if the
cap fits = I think you are a fool.
?il-li fi?albu £ala 4JUJ Zb kJ
lisaanu
wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve
(to allow other people to know what one is
feeling; show one's emotions, e.g. one's
love or hatred for someone)
[from Shakespeare's Othello (1964). Iago:
'But I will wear my heart upon my
sleeve/For daws to peck at...' (Act 1, scene
1)1
He never wears his heart on his sleeve;
you sense his reserve, his secrecy, his
self-control.
A*
?il-li lu dr/hr mayindribj £ala bulnu
he who has someone at his back comes
to no harm
(said of a person who always has someone
present to give him support or protection)
- But next time he must learn to be more
careful.
- He who has someone at his back comes to
no harm; his father is a very influential man.
>)	f u Jjl
?il-li mayjufj milyurbdal yib?a a^ma
there’s none so blind as those that will
not see [saying]
(there is even less hope of persuading
someone who is able to understand
?tzl-lt7tzhum-ma la^traad
God knows best
(a formula used to disclaim any
blasphemous intent in criticizing God's
work)
Did she have to die while having birth? God
knows best.
?il-li itlasaS, mij-furba yinfux fizzabaadi
once bitten, twice shy [saying]
(if one has been cheated or deceived on
one occasion by someone or something,
one will be more careful when one meets
that person or thing again, or should a
similar occasion occur later)
I'm not going to do this work for him; last
time he didn't pay me - once bitten, twice
shy.
?il-li xala?u xala? yceru о
there are plenty of other fish in the sea
[saying]
(there are planty of other people for you to
meet and things for you to do: often said to
comfort a person who has lost a boyfriend
or a girlfriend)
Anyway, Sue wasn't the right girl for you -
there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
?il-li saba? >) 'jL Jji
?akal in-naba?
first come, first served; the early bird
catches the worm [saying]
(the person who arrives first will be dealt
with first; the person who gets up early to
work will be successful)
- Were you able to get a ticket?
- Yes, but I had to get up early and wait in a
line; first come, first served.
?il-li	j£)	^Jl £ ^1
^albr/rr Jrratir (^aw-waam)
easier said than done; it’s easy to talk
big [saying]
(it is easier to tell someone to do
something than do it: used in answer to
J Д 1Л JL»u Jji
13	4^7^ Z	£ J>4! ь
thinking deeply and seriously)
- Hey you, a penny for your thoughts!
- Sorry, what were you saying?
?il-li yibuss Ji*) <7-*^
lifoo? yil^ab
he who tries to keep up with the Joneses
gets out of breath [saying]
(he who competes with other people of a
better social position will use up his
financial resources, strength, etc., before
gaining what he wants)
I see they have applied for a loan to buy a
house in the country he who tries to keep
up with the Joneses gets out of breath.
• J S f	*
il-li yihibb in-nabi 3ji
yizu??
on one’s/its last legs
(of a person, an organization, a piece of
equipment or machinery close to ruin;
about to stop operating)
He's got a funny car that seems to be on its
last legs; it never starts in the morning
unless he gives it a push.
J**) L
?il-li yihtaagu il beet yihrr/m ^ag-gaami^
charity begins at home [saying]
(one's first care must be for one's family;
one cannot care for others and neglect
one's family)
JU- Цл»	C-a J*
?il-li yi^tiji min bint ^am-mu maygibf
minha ^iyaal
faint heart never won fair love [saying]
(a timid or easily discouraged person won't
get the best of anything in life)
Don't give up; faint heart never won fair
love, you know?
О л f	в	£
?il-li yi^iij yaama yijuuf
well, you live and learn
(used as an expression of surprise when
one learns something new)
I had no idea that she earned her living by
something but refuses to do so than there
is of persuading a person who has difficulty
in understanding something: usually used
to express one's annoyance at someone
who sees only his own side in an argument
and refuses to admit that there may be
some truth in the opinions of others)
ЧАгЛ u*	4^J ®
?il-li mayi?dar ^alhr/mra	J**)
wi^ali?ha yi^li min tari'.’b/
|hamra is a type of bay horse that is
known for its appetite for fyilii?: special
fodder made from broad beans, cotton
seeds and hay]
if you can’t stand the heat, get out of
the kitchen [saying]
(if the difficulties or tensions produced by
important work prove too much for you,
don't complain but get out and leave it to
others)
?il-li mif !	4-’jAl
^agbu yijrr/b milbt/hr
if you don’t like it, lump it!
(you'll have to accept a situation, decision,
etc. without complaint whether you like it
or not)
We can't afford any bonus this year, and if
you don't like it, lump it!
J**) jU"’ t
?il-li maktuub ^ag-gibiin laazim tijuufu
il^een
what must be must be [saying]
(what is believed to be determined
beforehand will happen in spite of all later
efforts to change or prevent it)
He struggled hard to save her life, but what
must be must be; she died this morning.
?il-li waa^id c,a?lak <4 ^y^a
yit-han-naabu
a penny for your thoughts
(tell us what you are thinking about: usually
addressed to a person who has been silent
for some time and who appears to be
jty д?-1» <dJ li JI
14
* J Ji	Jjl
wouldn't listen.
- That's O.K., let matters run their course.
?imsik ?<^stf(zb</k	JdLLfik-l
steady yourself!
(be calm; don't get excited)
Steady yourself! She didn't mean to offend
you.
?imji sana J**)	S/2^XJ” J s^*4'
wala ti/z/Hi ?ana
better safe than sorry [saying]
(it is wiser to be over-cautious and take
proper care than to be rash and unthinking
and so do something foolish that harms
one, that one regrets later)
- You could have overtaken the lorry just
now.
- Better safe than sorry, just let me use my
own judgment, will you?
?umuurbamya
rotten affairs
(a state of widespread corruption, e.g.
bribery, dishonesty, bad morals, etc.)
The police must be kept free from bribery
and other rotten affairs.
?aan il?awaan	O'jSl'
it’s high time
(it is necessary at this moment: used to
indicate that an action or decision must be
taken without further delay)
John's suit was old and it was high time
he bought a new one.
?inK/l-kz amuut	aJ Li j'
cross my heart and hope to die!
(to swear that one is telling the truth or that
one will not reveal a secret)
I tell you I don't know who broke the
window - cross my heart and hope to die!
?inJr/l-L/ mahadd ! U kU Li jl
haw-wij
never mind the cost!
(said by someone who is indifferent to
money)
selling drugs. Well, you live and learn.
(^ >)
?il-li yiigi balaaj yuruuh balaaj
easy come, easy go [saying]
(what was easily won, gaind, earned, etc.,
is easily lost, spent, or wasted: often said to
show that one is not worried at losing
something or freely spending money)
Lost them again? This is what I should have
expected - easy come, easy go.
,, a i * , t в i a *
?il-li yiigi J^)
min-nu ?ahall min-nu
half a loaf is better than none [saying]
(it is better to take what one can get or
accept what is offered, even if this is very
little, than to risk having nothing at all)
?umrn ilxeer zayy umm
is-sa^d
you pays your money and (you) takes
your choice
(a person who has to choose between
several of very similar possibilities or
courses of action may as well trust to luck
when making his choice)
[from a 9th-century rhyme: "Whatever you
please, my little dears: I You pays your
money and you takes your choice./ You
pays your money and what you see is/ A
cow or donkey, just as you pleases." The
idiom is intended to be humorous and
therefore uses incorrect grammar (pays,
takes, sees, pleases)]
The whole problem of the origin of comets
is still very speculative, and is likely to
remain so. In reviewing the theories, you
pays your money and you takes your
choice.
?</mri lil-laa	кВ ja\
let matters run their course
(an expression of resignation: of an illness,
state of affairs, series of events: to continue
to its natural end: develop naturally)
- I've tried hard to convince him, but he
>) л* ь
15
jjji «ibli jj
(to get one's revenge on someone; harm
someone who has harmed oneself)
He's been rude to me since I came here,
but I'll get even with him in the end.
?inta Jaayif kida	! *JbU) CJj
sez/says you!
(so you say! Used as a scornful expression
of disbelief)
- We'll all get very good wage increases next
year.
- Sez you!
?inta mabti/baSJ V txl
?abadan
d’you want jam on it?
(what more do you want? used to a person
who has just got an advantage and then
asks for more)
I've just bought you a new house and filled
it with new furniture, and now you say you
want a new car too, D'you want jam on it?
?inta wigamaStak	CJj
you and yours
(a person, his wife, and their family)
We’ve invited a few friends for a meal on
Saturday, Would you and yours like to
come?
?inxuli ya	J**)
um £aamir
[as the folk story goes, a thief was once
seen stealing some wheat flour from a
neighbour’s bam. He managed to get
away and ran home to tell his wife that
she need not hide the flour he used to
steal, and that she could sift it in public,
because the truth had become known to
everybody]
loud(ly) and clear(ly)
(publicly; unambiguously; for all to hear
and notice)
- Shall I tell your husband you've been
betraying him for years?
- Loud and clear; he's already told me he
knows everything about it.
- I'm going to invite you to dinner at the
Ritz.
- Are you mad, Tom! Do you know how
much it costs?
- Never mind the cost!
(^*-i Ji»)	XlilS
?in fattak ilbadri Jal-lah wigri
better late than never [saying]
(it is better that something should happen
or someone should arrive late than not at
all)
9	О	О s О „	Э	0
Jia)	J—
?in kaan habiibak £asal matilhasuuf kul-lu
don’t abuse the kindness of a friend
(don't ask too much from someone who
has been generous, kind, helpful, etc., to
you)
?ana Jjabd ilma?muur
I’m simply doing my job
(to have nothing to do with the
consequences of what one is doing
because one is only performing the duties
of one's work)
How could I have guessed that this is a
stolen Jacket? Someone brought it here
yesterday to be taken in, and I'm simply
doing my job.
?ana fi^ard in-nabi !	Ul
I beseech you
(used to ask earnestly; implore; beg
eagerly)
I beseech you to listen to me -1 didn't do it.
?ana mi/naa?is	!	Ul
I’ve had it up to here!
(to become fed up; reach an end; be able to
take no more of something)
- Listen, I'm going to tell you the latest
about our boss.
- Please don't, I've had it up to here.
?ana wi ... wiz-zaman
tawiil
I’ll get even with someone in the end
(UjJI Jb- oi jaI) JU-' UjU' ^a'
?ahid-dinya £ala dilfraal (?ahu da faaal
id-dinya)
that’s the way the cookie crumbles
(that's how things are and one must accept
them: used when something unfortunate,
unpleasant, etc. has just happened)
I'm not telling you to forget her, but that's
the way the cookie crumbles.
?aahi /atamit
that’s the last straw
(the final thing that, when added to an
unpleasant or bad situation, causes failure,
ruin, etc.)
That's the last straw: he lost his job after
he had lost his house.
?urtit J=iyaal	JU*
a whole tribe of children
(a number of children, belonging to the
same parents, whose keeping is a real
burden because of lack of money)
Mr. and Mrs. Green are in real trouble; they
have got a whole tribe of children while
they hardly earn enough money to buy
their food.
?iw^a ti?uul bimm	J?&
not a peep out of you!
(I'm not going to listen to the slightest
word, sound or complaint from you)
Whether you like it or not, you're going to
go on that business trip and not a peep out
of anyone of you!
?ay-yaam is-seef ilhalaal J*)U-I
dog days
(a period of very hot and uncomfortable
weather during July and August)
[translation of Latin dies caniculares days
of the Dog Star; because this is the period
when the rising of the Dog Star (Sirius)
coincides with the rising of the sun]
It was one of those dog days; I was
sweating as a wet sponge when I arrived in
Liverpool.
?ins wal-la ginn	?
what have we here?
(used when the speaker's suddenly aware
of the presence of someone else)
- What have we here?
- It's only me, darling!
о Ji	о о	$	a a
?r/nd«f mis-siini Дю f »'
ba£d yasiilu
stripped bare, cleaned out
(without a penny)
His wife left him stripped bare after buying
her the car she had always wanted.
?aah min-nak	!
you snake-in-the-grass!
(said to a person who is thought by the
speaker to have harmful intentions not
easily recognizable)
You snake-in-the grass! What did you say
to the boss? He knew all about my
relationship with his secretary and fired
me.
?ahu da ... wal-la balaaj	ja'
that’s what I call...
(par excellence)
Look at that smashing girl! That's what I
call beauty.
?ahu dak-kalaam	! а'ДхЛ oi jaI
now you’re talking!
(that's much better: used as an expression
of agreement or encouragement)
- Let's go and have a drink.
- Now, you're talking! See you at the pub
in ten minutes.
?ahu da il-li kaan	jaI
noa?is
all one needs
(what one does not want or need is the
thing or person specified; what will make
one's difficulties, disappointments,
inconvenience, discomfort worse, or
complete, is that thing or person specified)
Someone has offered me a greyhound pup.
That's all I need
(4^jL*i) 4л JJJjJ
17

?iid (</!*-• J**) J^i^3 I» Iaa?-jJ JjI
liwahdaha matsa?-?afj
it takes two to tango [saying]
(a job, duty, etc., is easy to do if more than
one person share the work)
[tango was the first Latin American dance
to gain international popularity. It depends
on a couple of dancers who glide smoothly
through a variety of step patterns]
Come on, would you like me to help you? It
takes two to tango.
?iid wara wi?iid ud-daam Adj ’ JJ Ad
empty-handed
(having nothing in the hands; bringing or
taking nothing, especially nothing of value,
such as money or a present)
He came back from Saudi Arabia, and no
wonder he was empty-handed because he
always spent his money on silly things.
a a t	• x
?iidak min-nu wil?ard	**
a dead loss
(a person, idea, or activity, etc., that is
hopelessly bad or ineffective)
As far as cooking is concerned, my wife is
a dead loss. Just the other day, she cooked
us an old rooster and we threw it in the
garbage.
?iidu /afiifa	АЛ’’"
light-fingered
(having a tendency to steal things)
The shopkeeper caught some
light-fingered school children and called
the police immediately.
?iidu tarja	J? aJjl
pack a punch
(having the ability to deliver a quick thrust
or blow with the fist)
Don't tease him - he packs a punch.
?iidu mtfxruuma (sayba)	a-bl
open-handed
(generous)
My aunt, Eliza has always been
open-handed. Just ask her and I'm sure
she'll give you the money you need.
?il?ay-yaam bitigri
time flies
(time passes very quickly: usually said to
express surprise that so much time has
passed while one has been working, since
one last met a person, etc.)
[from a line in Virgil's Georgice (III, 284)]
- Dan, old friend, it's been ages since we
last met.
- Yes, time flies.
?il?ay-yaam duwal	Jji I
life is full of ups and downs
(life has times of happiness or success and
times of sadness or failure)
Joe and I were mostly unaware that we
can't be happy all the time - life is full of
ups and downs.
?ay-yaam ... ma^duuda
someone’s days are numbered
(someone's life or usefulness has only a
short time left, e.g. because of fate or a
powerful person is against one)
He'd offended their most important
customer, so his days with the company
were numbered.
?il?iid	J"4) 4—л
ilbat-taakr nigsa
the devil finds work for idle hands [saying]
(those who are not kept busy by work or
other useful activity will start doing things
that are harmful or evil)
Tony, why don't you find yourself
something to do instead of watching TV all
day. The devil finds work for idle hands.
(ч^ J**)	ь 4*7’
?il?iid ?il-li mati?d</r ti?k/^hrz bus-ha
if you can’t beat them, join them [saying]
(if a rival faction, political party, business
firm, foreign power, etc., continues to be
more successful than one's own, it is better
to go over to their side and get what
advantages on can from the alliance)
Y OjUJ' <uj
18

(to be not nearly so good as)
The paintings here are good, but they're
not a patch on the ones we saw in London.
?ilaaya it^akasit	С—
the boot is on the other foot/leg
(the situation has been turned the other
way round)
Soon after I went to work for another
company, my old boss came to me
begging for a job. Now I am his boss, and
the boot is on the other foot.
?ee il^ibtwra	V
what’s cooking?
(what is happening?; what is being
planned?; what is everyone doing?)
What is cooking? Why is everyone suddenly
quiet?
?iidu najfa	adJ
tight-fisted
(miserly)
The pain in his chest kept getting worse, but
as he was tight-fisted he refused to see a
doctor until he dropped dead this morning.
Ji*) jXnJl uj dlsJjlll
?eej ti^mil ilmaJia filwijJ il^ikir
you can’t make a silk purse out of a
sow’s ear [saying]
(nothing good can be made from material
that is bad or of poor quality)
Here I am all dressed up in a white
waistcoat and black boots, but I'm still a
peasant. You can't make a silk purse out of
a sow's ear.
?eej gaab ligaab	jiuj
the one is not a patch on the other
baa£ ilyaali bir-ri/iifi
sell one’s birthright for a mess of
pottage
(to exchange something of lasting value for
something that is of value for a short time
only)
(from the Bible, Genesis 25: 29 - 33, which
tells how Esau sold his BIRTHRIGHT to his
brother Jacob]
His mother told him that if he went to
Saudi Arabia and ignored the job offered to
him by the university he would be selling
his birthright for a mess of pottage.
baac, ilmay-yo	4^' £^b
fihc/rt is-sa?-?ayiin
carry coals to Newcastle
(to do something that is completely
unnecessary, especially to take supplies,
articles, etc., to a place where there are
plenty of them already)
[refers to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which was
a centre of coal-mining in England]
It would be carrying coals to Newcastle if
another bank opened in this street: there
are five here now.
И '	0
baa^ drzmiiru	®	*^b
sell one’s soul
(to disregard one's conscience, especially
concerning the quality of the work one
does, in order to gain money, power,
personal safety, etc., easily)
He tried for 6 months to earn enough to
live on as a writer, but in the end he had to
sell his soul and work for an advertising
company.
baa£ huduumu	4» j да ^b
lose one's shirt
(to lose everything one has; suffer a severe
financial loss, especially in gambling or
speculation)
Everybody felt sorry for him when his farm
was destroyed by the big fire last month. It
seems he's lost his shirt; he can hardly find
enough money to eat.
baab in-ntfg-gt/rzr Ji*) jbd' *->b
mixal-la^
the shoe-maker’s wife is ill-shod [saying]
(said of a person whose children, wife/
husband or relations in his responsibility
are not so good as he is in the same field of
specialty, craft, etc., especially because he
dose not give them the attention he gives
to others)
He's the best maths teacher in school, and
his daughter got a zero on the final maths
exam. The shoemaker's wife is ill-shod.
?ilbaab yifaw-wit ganial !
kindly get out of here!
(no-one is forcing you to stay: said to
someone who threatens during an
argument to leave, or whose presence is no
longer welcome)
The third time he asked his aunt to give
him money, she said, 'kindly get out of
here, little nephew!'
br/ditlu fil?afas	С—ЭЬ
the big jackpot just fell/dropped into
one’s lap
(of a lucky or happy event: to happen to
come to a person, especially with no effort
of his own)
The big jackpot just fell on their laps and
all their financial troubles are over.
о о 4	© J
btfdtu win-nigm	*bb
not have a penny to one’s name
(to have no money at all)
When he first arrived in this town he didn't
have a penny to his name.
20
4&4J
of Arabic calligraphy]
with a capital/big А, В, C, etc.
(definitely so: used to suggest that a
person or thing is an extreme example of
the kind described)
He's a teacher with a capital T = He talks,
etc., in the manner of a teacher.
bilharf ilwaahid	jJl Ji
to the letter
(exactly; with attention to every detail)
Whatever you use, read and follow the
directions to the letter.
bit-tabl ilbaladi	J-Д^Ь
a hell of a job
(a very difficult job, especially on that is
witnessed by a lot of people)
My son got married to an old woman and it
was a hell of a job before she agreed to
leave him.
bit-tuul bilJjtjrd	Jj^Jb
by hook or by crook
(in whatever way one can; by any available
means; by fair means or foul)
As soon as he hears there was to be an
evening party, he determined that by hook
or by crook he would be present too.
baali^ radyu
talk a blue streak
(to talk continuously, rapidly or
interminably)
When it comes to music, which is her
favourite topic, she seems to talk a blue
streak.
bil^agal
at/on the double
(as quickly as possible; immediately)
[part of a military command ordering a
soldier to march at twice the usual speed]
It's urgent - get to my office on the double!
bil^tzrabi
in plain English
(in language that can be easily understood;
without trying to be too polite or kind)
ba?iilu tak-ka	axj aJ J®b
within an ace
(very close to doing something)
The new football team is within an ace of
grabbing the Championship. They've
already won all the matches and there's
only one left.
bil?agal
on credit
(on a promise to pay later)
Since I came to this small village I've been
buying everything on credit because I
haven't got enough money to pay on the
spot.
bilbczrtzk^z	aT jJb
without undue concern; without
bothering to be precise
(of something that is dealt with without
observing formalities, counting, weighing,
etc.)
If you continue to live without bothering to
be precise, you might lose all your money.
a »	a j,
bii-ta?siit ilmuriih	ji' h^.Ji-Jb
on the knock
(a method of buying an article by paying
part of the price each week or month)
We didn't have enough money to buy the
new television so we got it on the knock.
a i a i
bit-tamaam wik-kamaal
all told
(including everything or everybody)
When I counted the books I found that
there were 50 on the shelf all told.
bit-tiila	aLJL
only by the skin of one’s teeth
(only just; with very little time, space, etc.,
left over)
We drove to the station at full speed and
caught the train only by the skin of our
teeth.
bis-sulus	dJJb
[sulus is a large decorative interwined style
•U-iU* jjJu
21
ejlkiJb
bilaa^ niswaan	O’j-J
a skirt-chaser
(a man who is often lonely and wanders
the streets in search of a girl or a woman,
especially when considered as an object of
sexual desire; womanizer)
0 xx о £ x
bigar-rit ?alam
at a stroke
(suddenly and without a single action or
effort)
The company is currently in trouble
because the new manager changed
strategy at a stroke.
bihalt ilfabriika
in mint condition
(in perfect condition; as if new)
[refers to coins that have just been made at
a mint (a government factory that makes
money)]
The car was in mint condition; everybody
thought it was new.
bihis-sak	! jJ—л?
I owe it all to you!
(an expression of appreciation or gratitude,
especially by a wife to her husband, which
shows that the well-being she is in can
only be enjoyed as long as he is alive)
- Honey, we've been happily married for
fifteen years now.
-1 owe it all to you!
ba£tak yabu bxiit	У
take pot luck
(to take whatever may be obtained without
previous knowledge of what this may be;
take a chance)
He told me to come at 7 and take pot luck
= he invited me to come to his house at 7
o'clock and to eat whatever food there
happened to be.
biduun munasba	JjJj
out of the blue
(unexpectedly; without warning)
While we sat and talked, Simon just arrived
In plain English, I'm disappointed at your
work.
bil?aHaara	OjUailb
in/by dribs and drabs
(in or by small, often irregular, amounts)
The work had been coming in by dribs and
drabs for several years.
bilmay-yit
at least
(not less than; at the lowest calculation)
My holiday will cost at least 1000 pounds.
baan ^ala ?aslu
sink to one’s / someone’s level
(to begin to behave badly or speak
coarsely, especially when this is expected
of one by others)
I might have known you'd sink to your
level when you got drunk. I was ashamed
to be with you!
bitaa£ it-talat wara?aat
a con man
(a swindling or duping person)
Baker is a real con man; he made me buy
an overpriced used car.
• it•
bitaa^ um-mu	a*'
tied to one’s mother’s apron-strings
(especially of a man or boy: completely
dependent on and under the control of his
mother)
He can't make any decisions himself
because he's still tied to his mother's
apron-strings.
bitaa^ kul-lu
Jack of all trades
(a person who has the ability to do many
different kinds of work although not
necessarily very well; a thing that can be
easily adapted to many different uses)
The jack of all trades is this small
screw-driver: it can do many things around
the house.
ff x	J *
22
The thief, bless his black heart, robbed
everything.
bismil-la	!aJJI <»—u
help yourself! join in!
(an invitation to a guest to begin eating
when food is served, or to someone to
come into the company of those who have
already started eating)
Help yourselves, gentlemen - my wife will
be here in a minute.
bism il-laah !
ir-rahmaan ir-rafri i m
[to achieve its idiomatic function, the
Egyptian-Arabic formula should be uttered
with a faster tempo than the normal one that
is usually used when it is an invocation
said before an undertaking]
good Lord I God I heavens!
(an expression of surprise, disbelief, etc.)
- Good heavens! The floor is shaking under
my feet.
- It must be an earthquake. Let's run out of
here!
bijahmu wilahmu	»uxjj
your actual
(the real famous person: sometimes spelled
yer actual to copy humorous pronunciation)
Here comes your actual Elton John.
bajra? ^inee	*4^ j
feast one’s eyes on; give one’s eyes a
treat
(to look with enjoyment at something
pleasant)
Feast your eyes on these diamonds.
bass li ... min	J*
Jarf mana/iiru
look down one’s nose at someone
(to regard somebody with scorn or dislike)
All the stuffy people stayed away and I
thought, 'Thank God for that, they always
look down their noses at me, anyway.'
out of the blue.
birabjit ilmi^al-lim	4bjjj
in the mass
(as a whole)
They went in the mass to vote for the new
leader.
biru^s it-turaab	>1 jsJl	j>
as cheap as dirt
(costing very little; very cheap)
Dates are as cheap as dirt during the
autumn, the season when they are
plentiful.
barw ^atab	j j
put in an appearance
(to appear somewhere or attend a party,
etc., especially because one feels a duty to
attend)
I didn't want to go to the party, but I put in
an appearance for my parents' sake.
buruud ingiliizi	a
English reserve
(the act of keeping one's thoughts, feelings,
and affairs to oneself, which is believed to
be typical of English people)
- Why is he trying to hide his feelings, I
wonder?
- He's not, but you may call this English
reserve.
?ilbusaat Vahmadi	SJsL-Jl
things are quite informal
(a friendly call for a comfortable, relaxed
gathering)
- Shall I wear a suit and tie to the party?
- No, things are quite informal.
bisalamtu	(5)4-а*>Си
may God keep someone safe (1)
(a parenthetical formula of concern)
How is your son, may God keep him safe?
bisalamtu
bless someone’s black heart (2)
(a parenthetical formula used derisively)
(unwell or not cheerful)
[probably compares being unwell to being
under a cloudy sky during bad weather]
She had a bad cold, and she's still a bit
under the weather.
ba^d	Ji*)	U ЛлЛ Дл
il^iid mayitfitilj kahk
one doesn’t hang up streamers after
Christmas [saying]
(an action or event is only meaningful
when performed or celebrated at the right
time)
[streamers are long, narrow, flowing ribbons
that are hung during Christmas time]
- Shall we go and say happy birthday to
Anna?
- But her birthday was last month - one
doesn't hang up streamers after
Christmas.
ba^d /araab malta «daJU
lock the stable door after the horse has
bolted
(to take special care to avoid suffering harm,
loss, etc., after a misfortune has already
taken place)
- So many books have been stolen from
the library that you now have to leave
your bags and cases at the desk as you go
in.
- This is almost like locking the stable door
after the horse has bolted.
bi^adad fa£r raasak ДХ-dj ^Д*
more than you have had hot dinners
(very many or much: often used to scold a
person with little experience for pretending
to be knowledgeable)
You can’t tell me anything about cars - I've
had more cars than you've had hot dinners.
ba^za? (ba^tar)	(>*) J J*
karaamit...
strip someone out of dignity
(to humiliate someone by scolding him
angrily)
basal J**)	j
bi^amsa wib%amsa basal
six of one and half a dozen of the other
(the same or nearly the same in one case
as in the other)
- Shall we walk or take the bus?
- Well, the bus goes a much longer way.
We can get there as fast by walking. It's
six of one and half a dozen of the other,
really.
basalit	J^)	^=4
ilmuhibb x^ruuf
a posy from the beloved is a ruby; а
cheerful look makes a dish a feast
[saying]
(a gift from one's beloved, no matter how
cheap or humble it is, will be as much
appreciated as something of great value)
- What did she give you for your birthday?
- a bottle of after-shave lotion.
- It that all?
- A posy from the beloved is a ruby.
batnu karkibit	C-Г S
have one’s heart into one's mouth
(to feel afraid or anxious, e.g. when waiting
for something to happen)
As I was waiting to hear the results. I had
my heart in my mouth.
?ilbai-Ja is-suuda	j-Jl AlaJl
(the) black sheep
(a person who is bad or in some way not
up to the standard of the others in a group)
My brother is a lawyer and my sister is a
doctor. They say I'm the black sheep of the
family because I decided to be an actor.
9 % Л
bituulu	djlaj
on one’s tod
(by oneself; alone)
I don't want everyone to go at once and
leave me all on my tod.
bi^afya
under the weather
! jM,
24
k.Jli!1 XJU 'S’ Хлл
favoured treatment, exert political pressure,
promote one's own interests, etc.,)
- Why didn't Attorney General seek an order
against the merchant banks?
- Money talks.
ba?ecna filhawa sawa ! W □ Ц&
join the club! you’re in good company!
(that's just the same unfortunate situation I
am or we are in!)
- Oh dear, I haven't got any money left this
month.
- Join the club! We've spent our last penny
too.
ball rii? ...	Jmj Jj
give someone respite
(to give someone a time of relief and rest;
lull)
Isn't he going to give us respite; we've
been working hard for seven hours without
a word of encouragement.
3 I <0 s
ball rii?u	Jj
wet one’s whistle
(to take a drink)
He likes to wet his whistle on his way to
work every day.
bala/eeba (waksa)	%
it’s all farce!
(ridiculous; absurd; improbable)
Damn linguistics - it's all farce!
bala ^ilall	!	%
such a hopeless lot!
(an expression of exasperation used as a
comment on something or someone that is
thought to be useless, extra, etc.)
Men? What men are you talking about?
Such a hopeless lot!
balaaj tu?l	! jb
enough of this coyness !
(stop acting more reservedly, shyly or
bashfully than you ought to: usually said to
someone who is trying hard to hide his
affection for someone else)
Enough of this coyness! Say you love me.
I'll strip Bob out of his dignity if he comes
with this nonsense again.
biSjiid Jb) jP Л-ю	jP Am
^an il^een biEjiid ^an il?alb
out of sight, out of mind [saying]
(something or someone that is not seen is
soon forgotten)
- Ella's been going out with Fred since her
boyfriend went on that business trip.
- Out of sight, out of mind.
bi^iid ^an Janab...	jP Am
it’s quite beyond someone
(out of the reach, range, ability, or
understanding of someone)
He thinks his tender can get accepted
without my interference - it's quite beyond
him.
bi£iid £an-nak (jMuLJl	JLw
(%an is-sam^iin)
may the like of it never come upon you!
(prophylactic phrase accompanying the
mention of something undesirable = may
such a thing be far from you!)
We've fallen on evil times, may the like of
it never come upon you!
?ilbayl fil-labrii?	Jj^1	JiJl
a quart into a pint pot
(to attempt to do what is impossible,
especially by trying to put a great quantity
of something into something that cannot
hold it)
Many new people have moved into this
small town and they have nowhere to live.
You can't put a quart into a pint pot.
bifar? fafya	eлл J
by a whisker
(by a very small amount)
Nixon lost to Kennedy by a whisker.
•	/ x •	9 J	9 9	JO
Ji») dJ—» jjF jUaLJ' С-Ч dJL»
bifluusak bint is-sultaon ^aruusak
money talks
(the possession of wealth enables one to get
л! jL>v» дЗ
25
^Uj JJ'
(to become successful, wealthy, especially
because of good luck)
Fortune's smiled on him since he opened
that small shop on the corner.
buuz il?xs	)У
a wet-blanket
(a dull or boring person who spoils other
people's happiness)
Don't ask Tom to the party. He's such a
wet blanket, always talking about rising
prices and unemployment.
buus ?iidak wijj !
widtfhr
count your blessings!
(to remember the ways in which one is
fortunate, especially when one is
dissatisfied with something)
Count your blessings! You've got a
comfortable flat, a big car and above all a
lot of kind friends. What else do you want?
a, >	ей	# x
>)	^y.
baw-wflz it-tab/rz ^ala bimalimeen malh
spoil the ship for a ha’porth o’tar [saying]
(to risk ruining or losing something
valuable by refusing or being unable to
buy a small but necessary article)
[originally lose the sheep for a ha'porth of
tar (i.e. to lose a wounded sheep because
one refuses to spend a small amount of
money on treating its wound). In some
places, sheep is pronounced as ship]
I'm going to buy some new paint brushes -
the old ones have gone stiff. I've paid a lot
for the paint and I don't want to spoil the
ship for a ha'porth o'tar.
biyaakul fi?at-ta
mahluula
live in clover
(very comfortable, especially in having
plenty of money or food for which one
does not do the least effort)
[refers to farm animals that have plenty to
eat]
?ilbalad il-li twad-di <£*У
we can well do without someone
(to be able to get along without the person
mentioned or implied: often used to denote
that the person referred to is not very much
wanted or welcome)
- He says he's going to leave for good.
- We can well do without him. Anyway, he
was such a bore.
b«l-l«i ^alfiluus	£ Jab
hang onto the money
(to refuse to pay one's share or repay one's
debts)
It has been a month now since he borrowed
the money, so it seems he's going to hang
onto it.
bal-lrzt filxatt	Jajb' Jab
wouldn’t budge
(to refuse to move or stir)
The engine broke down and the car wouldn't
budge on the way; we had to walk a mile to
the nearest garage to get help.
bil-lu wijrab may-yitu as-* j-ilj *b
[The literal Egyptian-Arabic translation,
soak it and then drink the water, refers to
the folk cure of drinking water in which a
written charm has been soaked]
it’s not worth the paper it’s written on
(of a worthless document or written paper)
- If you can't honour the contract, I'm going
to sue you.
- What contract are you talking about? It's
not worth the paper it's written on.
balwa msay-yaha	OjL
a clever devil
(a very tricky person who is usually difficult
to deal with)
- Who did that to you?
- Rich.
- I know he's a clever devil.
?ilbilya li^bit ma£a ...	0^ ** aJJI
fortune smiled on/upon someone

26
biyjiff wiyriff	uA.t,.i
spick and span
(fresh, clean and tidy in every detail)
The bed has been made, fresh towels were
in the bathroom and everything was spick
and span.
j -	» a,
bay-yad wijj...	Ja->
do someone proud
(to make someone proud; do very well;
gratify highly)
I think by passing all his exams with high
grades he has done you very proud, hasn't
he?
bccdtf mi?af-fara	оjJJLe Ulj
on a plate
(something obtained without having to
work hard in order to get it)
David is the youngest son, who had
success handed to him on a plate.
bee^a su?^	£ft-»
a real bargain
(something obtained at a very low cost or
with very little effort)
This table is a real steal - where did you
get it?
been nnreen	ujH
between the devil and the deep blue sea
(having two possible courses of action
open to one, both of which are dangerous,
unpleasant, etc.)
I was taken to court to pay my husband's
debts, which I was told had to pay or else
go to prison, so I was between the devil
and the deep blue sea.
biyunfux fi?irba	у
waste one’s breath
(to talk without any effect)
You're wasting your breath. He's not
listening to you.
He's been living in clover since his rich
father died.
beet il?asiid	Дм/эдИ
the name of the game
(the main idea; exactly the right idea)
- Your friend must be making a lot of
money in Saudi Arabia.
- What else could he be doing there?
Making money is the name of the game.
• i • - x , •	•
biyityaani? maija 4-ij jbo
dib-baan wif-fu
short-tempered
(a person who can easily be made angry)
When discussing such a sensitive matter
with him be careful with your words - he's
short-tempered.
biyxaaf min x^yaalu 4Jl> ja
be afraid of one’s (own) shadow
(to be very timid)
She stays at home all the time and never
makes any new friends - she seems to be
afraid of her own shadow.
biyid-dan fimwltz/	«daJU J) J JU
flogging a dead horse
(to keep trying to get response or
satisfaction from someone or something
that cannot or can no longer give it)
[refers to a person who beats a horse to
make it go even though it is dead, thus
doing something that is completely
useless]
You're flogging a dead horse by asking him
to lend you money; he hasn't even got
enough for himself.
?ilbiir wiyatafl	olkt j
the ins and outs
(the small details, often difficult to explain
or understand, of a system, operation,
course of events, etc.)
I was about to explain to him how difficult
the situation was, but soon I found out that
he already knows the ins and outs of it all.
27
t» g -j
of land.
beeni wibeenak
frankly speaking
(to say something or express oneself
openly, hiding or keeping back nothing)
Frankly speaking, I didn't study the lesson
at all.
binhum ma sc/iic/l,	U
ilhad-daad
at daggers drawn
(quarrelling or fighting; on bad terms with
an opponent)
The two men were at daggers drawn
because they both claimed the same piece
is-sawaahi dawaahi
still waters run deep [saying]
(a person who is quiet and says little often
hides deep feelings or a lot of knowledge
of a subject)
- Do you think he knows anything about
our plans?
- I'm sure he does - still waters run deep.
tahwiijit il^umr
someone’s nest egg
(money saved by a person or family for
future use)
They have their nest egg in the bank - they
hope to buy a house in two or three years.
tidaw-wibu fi^ara? !	3
il^afya
wear it in good health!
(said to someone who has just bought a
new garment)
- What do you think of this blouse?
- It suits you very well - wear it in good
health!
turarzb ilfiluus	j»
chicken feed
(a very small amount of money)
Your rent is chicken feed in comparison
with mine, so you don't have to complain
at all.
00	09^ 0	4	/ Л
truJJ ilmalh mayinzilj U £UJI jjl
not be enough room to swing a cat
(to have only a very small amount of
space)
[the cat here refers to the CATO'NINE
TAILS, a whip formerly used for
punishment on board a ship of the British
navy]
They invited so many people to a party in
their small flat, and there wasn't enough
room to swing a cat.
9	, fit
trumm ilS,tfdm	f
stick to someone’s ribs
(of food, especially heavy filling food: to
ttztzr baayit	Cub jb
an old feud
(a long and deadly quarrel between two
families or tribes, which is often passed
from father to son; bitter hatred between
two persons or groups)
There's an old feud between the two
families - all the attempts to make them
forget about their past disputes were in
vain.
?it-talta tabta	J=*) *4^
third time lucky [saying]
(after two failures in attempting to do
something, the third time is likely to be
successful)
-1 took the driving test twice but I failed it.
- Third time lucky.
tibaat nr/tzr J**) J jb
tisbc/h ramaad
here today (and) gone tomorrow [saying]
(present for only a very short time)
- They've been fighting since they got back
from their journey.
- Don't worry. They will soon be good
friends again. Things are always like this,
here today and gone tomorrow.
taht ?iidu
at one’s elbow
(of things: within easy reach; near and
ready for use)
She is very interested in cooking and
always has a lot of cookery books at her
elbow.
,1 <3 dill jjJ
29
(of a man who is remarkably smaller than
the standard size of his kind)
Don't think lightly of that pint-sized man -
he's already cheated everybody in the
office.
» > ez о о J
?it-tu?l	JaJ*
play hard to get
(to make it difficult for someone to meet or
talk with one, often in order to make
oneself more attractive to or wanted by
someone)
- I've asked her several times to go out with
me. but she always says she's busy. I'm
not sure if she really loves me.
- She does, but she plays hard to get.
?it-tu?l warn ya J**) Ь
?abaani
[ ‘?abaani’ is one who weighs with a steel
yard (?abaan): a type of scale, having two
arms of unequal length. The longer one
has a movable weight; the shorter one has
a hook for holding the object to be
weighed. The heavier the object being
weighed the further backwards the weight
attached to the longer arm (?it-tu?l) is
moved.]
the best is still to come
(considerable profits, gains, etc., are usual-
ly obtained in the end: used to encourage
someone who is likely to lose patience or
hope while waiting to see the result of an
action, enterprise, etc.,)
-1 must tell yjou that this is not at all what I
expected; the first results are not so
inviting.
- The best is still to come, I assure you.
tooral-loa fibarsiimu **т*>у.
a happy camper
(a person who is stupid but content with
his present situation)
- Why don't we ask Dan to join us - he's
smart.
- Smart! You're kidding; I know he's just a
happy camper.
satisfy someone's hunger well; give
someone health and energy)
Have some more of this meat. That'll stick
to your ribs.
tistaahil bu?-?ak	dXb
(really) worth eating
(of food: would you like to try it?)
The jam turned out to be delicious - really
worth eating.
tidii^ fiiha ra?aabi	&&
heads will roll for it
(certain people will be dismissed from their
jobs, especially because of a mistake,
failure to act properly, etc.)
The company is not going to make a profit
this year. It's lost several customers
because of its bad work. Heads will roll for
it.
tiS-iif witaa/ud yirha
you may live to take another knock
(a light-hearted consolation after a minor
misfortune)
-1 fell off the bike and broke my arm.
- You may live to take another knock.
tiff fi^ib-bak	! dXf- Uu
count yourself lucky!
(said to someone who has survived a
misfortune; who has been spared harm or
destruction, or exempted from punishment
suffered by many others)
- / still can't believe I'm safe.
- Count yourself lucky - many people have
been killed in the accident.
tiff min bu?-?ak	! ja
don’t say such a thing!
(said to someone who blasphemes or
mentions something ill-omened)
Don't say such a thing! Do you think it's
smart to mock at all the things that are
sacred to God?
ta?aawi rtzagil
a pint-sized man
LkP J^' о*
30
the nearest town.
- The biter bit.
tiigi ma?;a
ilhubl dubl

beginner’s luck
(the good fortune that sometimes allows a
novice to outdo an expert)
Though he knows very little about chess, I
don’t know how it happened, but he beat
me twice this morning - I should think it's
beginner's luck.
tiigi tigiidu Ji*) ~
yisiidt/k
the biter bit [saying]
(a situation in which a person suffers from
the results of his own action, especially
when the intention of his action was the
cheating or deception of another person)
- When they asked everybody to submit
their papers for promotion, I took Fred's
and hid them, and so I was next and got
promoted but soon I found out that they
sent me to a village 200 miles away from
jJjU L jhJ!
31
। дг jsH L>
gaab... £ala mala *Ад 1c- *-дЬг
wij-ju
bundle someone off
(to bring or send in a hurry; hustle)
A telephone call bundled him off to the
police station and he left his breakfast on
the table.
gaab Чагааг ...	i jly ’tr
get to the bottom of someone, something
(to find out the true nature of a person or
subject or the exact cause of something)
I don't think you'll ever get to the bottom
of him because he's very cautious.
gaab li... ?artikarya Ujl&J
give someone the creeps
(to cause someone to have feelings of
dislike, fear, nervousness, etc.)
My new boss gives me the creep - if I find a
job somewhere else, I'll quit this one.
gaab mtzrbal ilfarc/s jf
hit the nail on the head
(to say something that exactly describes a
situation or explains the cause of a
difficulty)
He hit the nail on the head when he
mentioned rising prices as being the cause
of our present problems.
gaabit... ^ala	j'Ai
gduur ri?abtu
throw someone flat on the ground
(of a woman: to make someone fall in love
hopelessly with her)
She threw him flat on the ground in less
than a month. They got married this
afternoon.
gaalak ilmool	-JjU b ОdJJb-
ya laarik is-sala
your sins have caught up with you
(you've come to a bad end: said of or by
someone who comes to some misfortune)
When the coach fell into the ditch I said to
myself, 'your sins have caught up with
you' Martin.
gaab ?agal...
polish off something
(to eat up or drink up; get done with or rid
of; finish)
He sat down at the dinner table and
polished off everything on it. The guests
didn't find anything to eat.
gaab ilha?? £ala ... JlAi
put someone in the wrong
(to make someone responsible for a
mistake, causing a quarrel, etc.)
When anything gets lost in the house they
always try to put me in the wrong because
I sometimes forget to lock the front door.
gaab dun/lhi/	Igi
put up the shutters
(to stop doing business for ever)
Many people have left the village to look
for work in the city and several shops have
had to put up the shutters.
gaab fasuu^a	j—3 <—
[fasuu/a (a type of black resin, used for
burning as incense and for sticking charms
against the evil eye) refers to a useless
person]
keep a dog and bark oneself
(to have a person to do a job and then do it
oneself)
If I got married, I would not help my wife
with the house work. That would be
keeping a dog and barking myself.
32
(said of or by someone who always suffers
from bad luck)
I'd saved up for years to buy a car, and
when I finally got one, I lost it in an
accident the next day - it seems I was born
to suffer.
gat ^ag-garh
come close to home
(a remark exactly describing something or
cleverly refering to something about which
someone is very sensitive)
She is very sensitive about being the oldest
of our friends; when you said that everone
you knew looked middle-aged, it came very
close to home.
guha ?awla Ji*) оjy	Jj' bv-
bilahm tooru
a man has first claim on his own
property
(a person has the priority to use; enjoy;
take care of his own belongings)
- Who's going to ride the black horse?
- I am. A man has first claim on his own
property.
gflrr Jakal	J>-* yr
make something out of it
(to cause a disagreement about something
especially so as to cause a fight)
After a hundred yards, he stopped, turned
to me with the look of anger on his face
and said, ' want to make something out of
it?'
gorr naa^im mai-a ...	yr
lay on the charm with someone
(to sweet-talk, humour with unctuous
words)
When I snapped at him, he started laying
on the charm with me.
о 3 O Л x
giri Ijala lu?mitu
sing for one’s supper
(to earn one's daily food and whatever else
one needs by doing some kind of work,
e.g. when this is not one is used to)
Ji*) Obwljll > y?T' ObbM
?ig-gay-yaat ?akkzr mir-myhrwt
there’s always a next time [saying]
(there will always be another chance:
usually used to encourage someone whose
first attempt at doing something has failed)
You can forget about today's losses;
there's always a next time.
gibaal Ji*)	J^ki’
ik-kuhl tifniiha ilmaraawid
water wears away stone [saying]
(anything, no matter how plentiful, strong,
etc., it is, can be wasted or damaged by
use)
Don't be too proud of your father's wealth -
you can't depend on it for ever; water
wears away stone.
gab«r bi/cMir...	jblAj
soothe someone’s feelings
(to quiet; calm; comfort someone who has
come to some misfortune or been
humiliated in some way)
Let's go and soothe her feelings; the boss
was too hard on her this morning.
gibil-litak ?ee	?
what are you made of?
(what are your real qualities?)
What are you made of? Your brother was
beaten up when you ran away leaving him
behind by himself fighting three men.
gibna fisirt il?utt ! Jaa Jail I lyr
giy nuit
talk/speak of the devil!
(used when a person who has not been
present suddenly arrives among a group of
people who have just been talking about
him)
Peter does annoy me, coming around here
all the time. Oh, Talk of the devil! That's
probably him at the door now.
J**) cJ*4
gat ilhaziina tifrah mal?itlahaaj matrah
born to suffer
33
*ulJi
(elegant surroundings)
He got married to a silly girl who cares
only about living in a very chic
atmosphere.
{ 0	* &
?ig-gaww bitaa^ ...
someone’s steady
(someone's regular boyfriend/girlfriend)
I know she'd been out with him, but I didn't
realize she was his steady.
?ig-gaww sflfatdu	d
have a clear field
(to get rid of the emotional tension caused
by opponents, blamers or fault-finders)
Now that the boss has retired Alan will
have a clear field to do whatever he wants.
?ig-gawaab ji*)
yibaan min ^inwaanu
you can tell a book from its cover
[saying]
(a course of events can sometimes be
predicted by the initial or preliminary
action)
-1 hope we'll have fine weather tomorrow.
- I don't think we will - you can tell a book
from its cover; It's already started to rain.
gawaazit mijkaah liriima <£J *	® jljr
nobodies deserve each other
(persons of no importance often keep
company with each other)
- The smiths and the Johnsons have
become partners.
- Nobodies deserve each other.
9	) t 6 i у £
?ig-guuda bilmawguud byrЬ
enough is enough
(what one has got, done, etc., should be
quite sufficient and anything more is not
needed, will bring no additional pleasure
or benefit, etc.)
- Why can't we have some more
blackberries, Mummy?
- Because enough is enough, dear.
gooz bitalat faraadi
a baker’s dozen
She'll have to sing for her supper if she
comes to stay with us - I'm certainly not
going to let her stay in bed all morning.
gazar ... filbee^a	jje
rob someone blind
(to get a lot of money from someone,
especially by deceit; charge someone a
price that is far too high and that will leave
one almost without money)
Knowing that the article I ordered is not
available anywhere else, they robbed me
blind.
gass nr/bd ...
sound/feel someone out

(to explore someone's mood, attitude, etc.)
Are you sure he's in a good mood today?
Go and sound him out first before we talk
to him about the raise.
gild ^ala ^adm	-d?-
skin and bones
(extreme thinness of the body)
Going on a diet for almost a year has made
her skin and bones.
gam-mid ?albak	! -Up-
take courage!
(meet the danger or difficult situation
without fear; be brave!)
Take courage! Cheetahs don't attack
humans.
?ig-gamal bima hamal	Uj
the whole caboodle
(the whole lot; everything)
He was very rich and never got married.
Before he died he had written the whole
caboodle in his sister's name.
ginee yintuh gince	«ua*-
honest-to-goodness pounds
(no penny less; real, true, or genuine)
I paid fifty pounds for one ticket, fifty
honest-to-goodness pounds.
gaww ?aa/ir ?a\aaga	yM yr
a very chic atmosphere
34
gayy min Wf/п/	<*—>Ijj ja ^r
ig-gamuusa
as common as muck
(derogatory: having low class-manners, or
manners characteristic of country-folk as
opposed to those of city-dwellers)
She wears expensive clothes and jewelry,
but when she starts talking you realize
she's as common as muck.
(thirteen)
[formerly bakers were punished if they sold
loaves of bread below a lawful weight. To
each dozen loaves that were sold,
therefore, an extra loaf was added free, to
keep the weight above the lawful standard]
Mrs. Joe has already eaten twelve pieces of
cake, and she is eating another one now,
making it a baker's dozen.

35
jU; >
(to settle a dispute; reconcile)
Kiss and make up with him - after all, he's
your elder brother who brought you up.
hibaalu tiwiila	аЬjb
take one’s own sweet time
(to be in no hurry at all; to proceed very
slowly)
If you are in a hurry, don't ask him to do
the job for you because he takes his own
sweet time.
hibr £ala wara?
empty words
(a document, contract, etc., that is not
applicable)
The company didn't honour a word of the
contract. It was all empty words.
habas damm ...
put a damper on someone
(to make someone less happy by being
discouraging)
His presence put a damper on all the
people in the party because no-one liked
him.
hab-bak burs	! j
[a curse based on the Egyptian folk belief
that the gecko is a carrier of skin disease:
mainly used in curt response to I love you!]
may a gecko kiss you!
-1... I love you, Mary!
- May a gecko kiss you! Get out of my sight.
habl ?afkt/6/r	jL*-
train of thought
(an orderly succession of thoughts; a
procession of connected ideas)
I had written a couple of good paragraphs
when the bell rang and made me lose my
train of thought.
hit-tit afandi
a small beer
(a person of little or no consequence)
I'm not going to listen to a small beer like
you.
z
h«ar winac/r	jUj jb-
may someone’s well-being turn to hellfire
(a curse on someone who makes an unfair
or dishonest profit)
He took all my money for this house, a
whole life's savings for a beggar's cottage!
May his well being turn to hellfire.
hear a sadd	Х-» Ojb-
a blind alley
(an activity, etc., that does not lead to any
success or advantage)
The police’s inquiries were leading them up
a blind alley, so they gave up and
considered it a closed case.
haaj nafsu	Л-uii jAz-
pull one’s punches
(to stop oneself from striking or criticizing
someone as hard as one is able)
[from boxing in which a person may be
about to hit his opponent but pulls his hand
back before doing so]
He wanted to know if I liked the work, and I
was about to tell him the truth but I pulled
my punches.
haalu wimihtaalu	Jl?-
bag and baggage
(one's belongings; everything a person
owns: used especially when a person is
leaving a place)
His landlady could not tell the police where
he might be. All she knew was that he'd
left, bag and baggage.
habb £ala ...
kiss and make up with someone
36
teller reaches it)
What do you mean by spoiling the joke?
You're not going out with me again.
hass in ?axritu ?ar-rabit CjJ* 45 JI
read the writing on the wall
(a sign or warning of future ruin, failure,
unhappiness, etc.)
[from the Bible (Daniel 5), in which the
coming destruction of the Babylonian
Empire is made known through the
mysterious appearance of a man's hand
writing on the wall]
When Dan lost the advertising contract for
the network, he could read the writing on
the wall.
hiss S;ala dam-mak !
have some shame!
(said to someone who has done something
wrong, improper, or silly)
Have some shame! This is the third time
you've reminded him of his debts.
?ilhisaab yigmalj
(yigmil)
don’t bother to pay me back now
(let the account accumulate; I'm keeping a
note of what you owe me: used in
situations of frequent financial transaction)
- This one makes seven.
- Don't bother to pay me back now.
hizbit birma	4_~^-
[the literal Egyptian-Arabic translation,
Birma’s calculation, refers to the
quick-witted egg merchants of Birma: a
small town near Tanta (the capital of
Gharbiya province in the centre of the
Delta)]
an insoluble problem
(an inexplicable matter)
I've been trying to work out this calculation
for hours in vain; it seems to be an
insoluble problem.
his-sak ^eenak	!
just you dare!
hit-ta ti?i«^ il?ird	ijaJI	4=?-
the back of beyond
(a place far away from the centre where
many people live, especially a place that is
not easy to get to)
After living in Cairo, this little village seems
like the back of beyond.
hit-tit diin ...	'AST
an incredible something; a real something
(something that is hard to believe; seeming
too extraordinary to be possible)
We've built an incredible house in the
country.
hit-tit £ay-yil	J-*
a mere scrap of a child
(a form of reference to a child that is being
long desired by a couple who are not able
to produce one, e.g. due to sterility)
She's been longing for a mere scrap of a
child to rejoice in.
J^*) JA JU jjljJl j^t^l
?ilhr/g«r id-daayir labudd min IczlJii
one can’t get away with everything
[saying]
(one can't always take or do something and
escape safely from the difficulties and
worries of daily life, work, etc.)
hagar	Jb>)	J j?*
daayir wala sab^ naayim
a working nobody is better than idle
nobility [saying]
(a person's worth, usefulness, etc., is
measured by the work he does, not by the
title he bears)
?ilharaam yaraam	J**)
the devil has the best tunes [saying]
(pleasures that are evil are the most
enjoyable; people who are bad have a
more enjoyable time than the good)
hara? in-nukta	Jf
spoil the joke
(to give away the punch line before the
37
_________________________________
гуш y/wttbqu J-iJ'	4*Иyp Ja?-
Azafara fij-ja??
throw up one’s hands/arms
*to show that one is annoyed and has
given up hope with someone or something
that causes trouble)
My mother threw her hands up in despair
when I told her I'd failed my examinations.
hutt fibtfinak	4^Л). Ja?-
btfl-tii/a seefi
you can bet your bottom dollar!
(you can be completely certain)
- Will you be able to arrest the rapist this
time?
- You can bet your bottom dollar!
h«ti	(<—>1j»1)	Ja?-
mana/iir ... fil?«rd (fit-turaab)
put someone’s nose out of joint
(to cause someone to be offended, e.g. by
being successful where he has failed)
You'll really put his nose out of joint if you
go out with his old girlfriend.
huzz ^awaalim	(Jly- Ъ-
have the luck of the devil
(to be very fortunate beyond all reasonable
measure)
He failed all his examinations at school, but
now he's got a better job than all his clever
friends and more money too - he seems to
have the luck of the devil.
tkjfar ?«bru bi?iidu e-bb °
dig one’s own grave
>to make a bad situation for oneself, and
therefore be forced to accept it)
- Mike's in real trouble with the police for
stealing the car.
- Well, he has dug his own grave, hasn't he?
hafar warn ...
scheme behind someone’s back
(to devise plans, especially underhanded or
evil ones that are meant to harm someone)
Stop scheming behind my back or you'll be
sorry for the rest of your life.
(a mild warning used to discourage
someone from saying or doing something
disapproved of by the speaker)
- I'm going to tell her about her father's
dishonesty.
- Just you dare!
?ilhasana ilwahiida	J-l
a saving grace
(a certain good quality or ability in a person
or thing that keeps him/it from being
completely bad, worthless, etc.)
He's a dull fellow - his one saving grace is
that he doesn't complain when he's given
hard work to do.
h«f«r mana/iiru fi ...	*о
poke one’s nose into something
(to concern oneself with or ask unwanted
questions about someone else's affairs)
We don't want any of your interference.
You're a great deal too fond of poking your
nose into things that don't concern you.
hafimm ^ala dr/hr !
?iidi
I haven’t got a second sight!
(I do not have the supposed ability to see
or speak about future events before they
happen)
How was I to know that the car would break
down? I haven't got a second sight!
в .	Z « x J * Z
h«tt in-nu?r/l^alhuruuf	.kiJl Ja?-
dot the i’s and cross the t’s
(to be meticulously correct in what one
does or says; make clear in every detail
something which may be obvious or well
enough understood already.
There are many i's to dot and t's to cross
before we can feel certain about the exact
relationship described here in broad detail.
halt deelu fisnaanu	Aop-
take to one’s heels
(to run away)
He was so frightened that he took to his
heels before anyone could see him.
38

opposite of what he says, e.g. because he
is jealous of someone's success or wishes
to scorn him)
- I've won a holiday in Spain in a
competition.
- Well, bully for you! I've been trying that
same competition for years and had never
won.
halaali balaali
be one’s own to enjoy
(of something that can be enjoyed without
having to feel guilty, e.g. because of going
beyond the limits of what is lawful, proper,
or polite)
Now that I've paid the last installment, the
car is my own to enjoy.
halaawit rooh
a final fling
(doing or saying exactly what one wishes,
enjoying oneself freely, especially before
or after a period of seriousness; burst of
energy born of a zest for life)
For a man of his age, going out every
night, drinking and dancing with young
girls seems like a final fling.
hilwaana fisilwaana	-L'jb-
by stealthy degrees
(without being realized)
They kept on talking, and by stealthy
degrees they managed to eat all the food.
hamaatak bit-hib-bak w-Слд jJjUj*-
you’ve come at the right time!
(said to one who arrives when food is
being served)
You've come at the right time! Join us, it's
your favourite dish today.
о t о f
humt/f/r Juyl	J*-*
workaholic
(a person having an obsessive need to
work constantly often as a way to avoid
social contact)
[coined by the American writer Wayne
Oates: work + -aholic "addicted to", from
hifi wara ...	'AT 4 j*)Aj Ijj
shoe-leather
(to exhaust oneself looking for or trying to
get an object of interest)
He shoe-leathered desperately trying to
make her love him but in vain.
?ilha?? mayza^-^alj	ji U
fair’s fair
(let us be fair and honest)
Those thousand pounds less tax could
have gone in the bank, so they are due to
me. Fair's fair.
ha?-?ak ^alay-ya	!
I stand corrected!
(I admit that my actions, opinions, etc.,
have been wrong)
I admit that I judged you unfairly. I stand
corrected!
hikmitak ya rubb	!	I —
such is our Lord’s wisdom!
(said in the face of an incomprehensible
event)
I know it's too hard to believe that she's
died, but such is our Lord's wisdom.
hill £an samaaya	! LU—» j* J>
get off my back!
(leave me alone; stop annoying, arguing
with, or complaining to me)
Why don't you get off my back and let me
do my work!
hala?iiha mneen wal-la jo» j jo»
mneen
I’ve got trouble on every hand
(an expression of despair said by someone
who receives a bad news when he is
already suffering from a series of
misfortunes)
Don't tell me you've failed again - I've got
trouble on every hand.
halaal ^aleek	! cXU
bully for you!
(usually used when the speaker means the
39
J'j-*
! 4s?- qJ| t i
hayaakul min gismik (ra?abtik, etc.) hit-ta
it looks bewitching around your body,
neck, etc.
(of clothing, jewelry, etc.: a complimentary
formula said to a woman when the item
being praised suits her extremely well)
- How do you like my new dress, Mom?
- It looks bewitching around your body.
?ilhikwm liha (j^A-1 J**)
widaan
walls have ears [saying]
(even the most secret and private
conversation may become known to other
people)
Nelly made signs with her hands and
moved her mouth silently to show that
walls have ears.
?ilheet<7 ilwatya
the low man on the totem pole
(a person who often bears maltreatment
and the suffering it causes)
[the figure carved at the bottom of a totem
pole seemed to bear the weight of all those
figures carved above]
Being the low man on the totem pole
wasn't my idea of fulfillment; until when
should I go on bearing other people's
silliness?
hilak hilak	!
come, come!
(an expression used to urge to be sensible,
to talk or behave reasonably, with a stranger;
a suggestion of reproach or rebuke)
"Come, come. Miss Jenkins, be careful of
what you're saying" said the detective, "You
were seen at the station that morning."
alcoholic]
My father is workaholic - he never comes
home from his office until late in the
evening.
(^A^ J=*)	J'j-» j*	kJ?jU?-
humt/rU/k il^araga tiyniik £jan su?aal il-la?iim
better make do with what you have
[saying]
(it's better to depend on your limited
resources than ask for the help of others)
- You're not going to ride your bike to work,
are you? It's a very long way, Why don't
you ask Tim to give you a lift in his car?
- Better make do with what you have.
hanil'cab £ala baJjd ?
are we going to beat around the bush?
(a mild rebuke said to someone who is
trying to delay or avoid talking or
considering the most important point or
part of discussion, subject, etc.)
Come on, are we going to beat around the
bush? Say what you want to say straight
out!
hoosa wilooga	4^?	4—
a fine kettle of fish
(a state of affairs that is confused, difficult,
different from expected, etc.)
When he came back from holiday nothing
in the house was in order. 'Well, this is a
fine kettle of fish,' he said.
?ilhayy ?ab?a Ji*) cJJ » ^1 ^-1
milmay-yit
let the dead bury the dead [saying]
(it is better to concern oneself with the
living, with present and future life and
work, than with the remembering of people
who are dead)
40
jbUl jJU-l
Last week my husband got an extra pip -
he's captain now.
Xad ^ag-gaww	.A'
get into the swing of something
(to become accustomed to an activity and
begin to enjoy it or do it well)
It's not easy work, but when you get into
the swing of it you should be able to do it
quite quickly.
/ad £ala ...
get fresh with someone
(to behave too intimately or boldly with
someone)
Don't let them get fresh with you, or else
you will regret it.
Xad fiwij-ju
make a break for it
(to escape; set off in the wide world
without any particular plan)
He made a break for it and I had to look for
him everywhere until I finally found him in
a small town 200 miles away.
Xad ... ijala yafla	‘dip
catch someone napping
(to surprise someone with a question,
request, etc., when he is unprepared)
When the teacher asked me to translate
some French, he really caught me napping
because I simply hadn't studied it.
Xad ... J=ala ?add ^a?lu dip
humour someone
(to give in to the fancies or whims of
someone; act so as to agree)
Just keep on humouring him till you get
what you want.
Xad vrad^u
come into one’s own
(to receive the recognition for one's
powers, abilities, etc., that one deserves)
You will come into your own if the firm
needs a translator because you can speak
so many languages.
♦
?ilxaali? in-naaji? ...	jblJl
be the spitting image of someone
(to look very like another person, especially
a relative)
You can easily recognize whose baby that
is; he is the spitting image of his mother.
X^bal x^btil il^umr
pull off a really O.K. deal; land a good
deal
(to be fortunate or successful in a business
undertaking in such a way that would make
one financially stable for a long time)
He pulled off a really O.K. deal by signing a
$2,000,000 contract with the government.
Xad il^ahd	-Ц*' «Ы-
sign the pledge
(to decide or promise to drink no more
alcohol)
[in former times a paper or pledge of this
sort was actually signed by those people
who opposed the sale or drinking of
alcohol for religious reasons]
- Have a beer.
- No thanks. I've signed the pledge at last.
To break the pledge is to begin drinking
alcohol after a promise or decision not to
do so.
Xad dab-buura
get an extra pip
(to get promoted to a higher rank in the
army or the police)
[pip is the star-like shoulder insignia worn
by police and army officers, e.g. lieutenants
(two pips); captains (three pips)]
(to cause great hardship to someone or
something)
The boy was eating his parents out of
house and home until he found a job.
Xarg beet	C-j £
second-rate; second-hand
(rated as second-class; inferior / not new;
used or worn by someone else)
She's a second-rate actress.
Xaza il^een
spite the evil eye
(to work against envy or mean disposition;
cancel ill will shown by the envious)
Although they were very rich, they often
wore old clothes to spite the evil eye.
%uff fi|ib-bi	!
who do you think you’re fooling!
(if I were a fool I would have been deceived
by what you are saying)
Who do you think you're fooling! Do you
want me to believe that you've won all that
money in a competition?
О /О 0	„
Xtfktf riglu	аЬ-j
nip out
(to move rapidly or nimbly)
He nipped out to see his mother this
morning and was back in less than one
hour.
Xatwa ^aziiza	1	3
what good fortune brought you here!
(said to someone who unexpectedly visits
after a protracted absence)
What good fortune brought you here! We
haven't met since we graduated. That was
two years ago. Now tell me, are you here
on business or holiday?
Xiff hab-ba J**) "MP
tiziid mahab-ba
don’t wear out your welcome
(a person who visits others too often or too
long will not be gladly received, and will
eventually lose appeal)
Xad-daam lu?mit il^eej
any man’s money
(available, eager, to do anything provided
there is financial gain in it)
He showed no allegiance to the Party and
made no secret of being any man's money.
Xada^uuka faqoalu (j/U Jji) J
the emperor has no clothes [saying]
(what the majority of people blindly accept
as existing or true does not in fact exist, is
completely false, etc.)
i ® J ® <
Xadhum bis-soot	О
bluster one’s way out
(to make, get, or force by talking noisily
and violently, often with empty threats or
protests)
Blustering your way out does not impress
me.
Xadhum fignaabu	ajU*-
get it in the neck
(to be scolded or punished, especially
severely)
You’ll get it in the neck from your father
when he finds out what you've done.
Xudu falku Ji») jxJl-C' j* jxJU
min ^iyalku
out of the mouths of babes [saying]
(wise, shrewd, perceptive, prophetic
remarks or questions can come from very
young, naive or untaught persons)
[from the Bible, PSALMS VIII 2, 'Out of the
mouth of babes and sucklings has thou
ordained strength because of thine
enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy
and avenger.']
- What could a boy like that suggest that
Bill at the garage hasn't thought of?
- You never know, out of the mouths of
babes, remember.
уагаЪ beet ...	i	jp
eat someone, something out of house
and home
to take effect)
The plans for our new house are finished -
now all we need is the money to set the
wheels in motion.
Xal-la ^inee fiwist
raasu
keep one’s eyes on the ball
(to be very lively and attentive)
[refers to a player in a ball game who
watches the ball very closely in order to be
ready if it comes to him]
We need someone who can keep his eyes
on the ball for this job - it's very
demanding.
/al-li ... ^ala yumaa	j'As
keep someone guessing
(allow someone, usually deliberately, to
remain uncertain of one's intentions, or
about the actual facts of a case)
The government kept everyone guessing
for security reasons.
• > л * / , J
Xal-la ... finuss
huduumu
put someone in the cart
(to put someone in an unpleasant or
difficult position)
[refers to the cart in which criminals were
formerly taken to be punished]
My wife's behaviour at my office party put
me in the cart at work; I absented myself
the next day.
Xal-la ... yifidd-Jtz^ru «
drive someone up the wall
(to make someone very annoyed, angry, or
mentally confused)
Her lying to me all the time is driving me
up the wall.
Xal-la wijj ... JawaariS	J® J
cut roads in someone’s face
(to line someone's face with wounds,
especially by using a sharp instrument)
Listen you two, if you don't know how to
behave I'll cut roads in your faces.
-1 visit my fiance every couple of days.
- Don't wear out your welcome.
Xiff Jway-ya S-ala ...	!
go easy on someone!
(to treat someone gently, with kindness or
respect, especially when one might become
angry or impatient with the person)
Go easy on the boy; he didn't know he was
doing anything wrong.
Xilf xilaaf	U5^A>
back to front
(with the back where the front should be,
and vice versa)
That boy's got his pullover on back to front.
Xiliww rigl
key-money
(money paid by a prospective tenant for the
right to rent)
If you go to the suburbs, you can still buy a
house for the same amount of key-money
you have to pay for a rental one here.
Xal-li ii-Uiabi? mastuur 1
let sleeping dogs lie! leave well alone!
(not to look for trouble on purpose,
especially by revealing a piece of
information or a secret that has been kept
unknown for some time)
She let sleeping dogs lie though she knew
what was going on.
a t „ a	a	i i,
Xal-la il-li mayiftiri	I®
yitfar-ittg
make a spectacle of oneself
(to behave in public view in such a manner
as to become an object of curiosity,
contempt, or wonder)
She was greatly embarrassed when she
had an argument with her husband in the
street and he made a spectacle of himself.
Xal-la ilmay-ya
tim/i filmawasiir
set/put the wheels in motion
(to cause an activity to go forward or plans
43
/amsa wi/meesa	!
touch wood!
(used as an expression of hope that the
good fortune one has just mentioned will
not stop or that something unpleasant will
not happen)
I've been driving for three years and I
haven't been stopped by the police once,
touch wood!
'/Jbt	Jb) ZrjiSl'
il?amal rakba ig-gamal
a failure for all (the world) to see
(a person whose failure in doing something
has been made known to everyone,
especially when he makes it public himself)
Aren't you ashamed of yourself? What do
you mean by going around telling
everybody about your broken marriage -
you've become a failure for all to see.
X^yr* ilbirr fjaagilu JjS) jJ'
*this pronunciation is found only in frozen
contexts.
the sooner the better
(it is better that something be done, action
be taken, etc., quickly than that it should be
delayed)
- When do you and Betty want to get
married?
-	The sooner the better.
Xirha fiyirha	\AjJZ
the best is yet to come
(there will be more favourable times when
you can be successful: often said to
comfort a person whose attempt to do or
get something was not successful)
Don't feel upest for losing the first round -
the best is yet to come.
Xal-li yoomak yi^ad-di !
lay off!
(stop teasing, interfering with, or taking
part in, for a time)
Will you please Lay off! I've got a lot of
work to do at the moment.
Xal-liik isboor	! j Jr—’!
don’t be narrow-minded!
(try to have or show a mind open to new
arguments or ideas)
Don't be narrow-minded! Your son is not
an exception - it's the trend nowadays
among many young people to quit home
and live by themselves.
Xal-liik gadaS;
be a good chap/boy
(would you please be kind and helpful by
agreeing to do something that I would like
you to do)
Would you be a good chap and take one
end of the chest of drawers? I can't manage
it by myself.
0
Xal-liina ingiliizi	! L-b*
let’s go Dutch!
(to share the cost of a meal, visit to the
cinema, etc. with someone)
- Let me pay for the dinner.
-	Please, let's go Dutch!
Xal-liiha fisir-rak
mum’s the word!

(keep silent about this matter)
[mum is here used to describe the sound
made by a person whose lips are tightly
shut]
I don't want anyone else to know about this
affair until next week, so mum's the word!
J*0
44

a real bumpkin
(an awkward foolish fellow, usually from
the country,)
My roommate is a real bumpkin, but I feel
sorry for him when he lets everyone make
fun of him.
(j/u JУ)	№
daawini bil-lati kaanat hiya ad-daa?u
a hair of the dog that bit one
(a small drink of alcohol taken as a
supposed cure by someone who is already
suffering from the effects of drinking too
much alcohol)
[from the old belief that if a person was
bitten by a mad dog he could be cured by
putting some hairs from the dog's tail on
the wound]
dayra 2=ala hall	Ojjb
go out on the loose
(of a woman: to be free from the rules of
polite social behaviour and enjoying
personal pleasures; do whatever one
wishes and go wherever one wants,
especially because one is unmarried)
She's never at home before 12 midnight -
she goes out on the loose with her friends
from the club.
dabb bajnu	4J23
stuff one hell of a meal
(to eat too much; gorge oneself with food)
I was so hungry that I stuffed one hell of a
meal.
9 $ J в x О JO x 0	9	9 f.
?id-dibaan lazra? mayi^rafluuf tarii? gur-ra
no-one shall see hide or hair of s.o.
(there will be no sign or mark that shows
the presence of someone)
If you come back with this nonesense,
no-one shall see hide or hair of you!
of f t о 4,
dab-ba? ?umuuru	Oj
make (both) ends meet
(to spend no more than one earns)
dahna dafniinu sawa ! *
tell that to the marines! don’t give me
that!
(don't expect me to believe that)
[refers to the fact that marines, naval
soldiers who work both on ships and on
land, were once considered by ordinary
sailors to be bad seamen and therefore
stupid]
- I'm leaving you.
- Oh, tell that to the marines! You can't live
without me.
daax is-saba^ du/aat
have a terrible job
’cb
(to find it very difficult to do something)
When I came home late last night I had a
terrible job to find my keys.
?id-dtftfr ?amaan	jldJl
the coast is clear
(the danger is now past)
You can come out now, the coast is clear.
daari ^ala
Jam^itak ti?iid
don’t wear your heart on your sleeve
[saying]
(don't allow other people to know what you
are planning, feeling, etc. or else things
might go wrong)
daa?i? ^asafiir	jib
[the literal Egyptian-Arabic translation,
tattoed with sparrows (on each temple),
comes from the manner of many Egyptian
peasants; thus used to mean naive and
stupid]
(to make someone pay for a crime, etc.)
The thief was caught and brought to book.
da?-?a ?adiima
behind the times
(old-fashioned; not fashionable, usual, etc.,
at the particular time)
He's a good teacher, but his methods are
behind the times.
о Sx •	• X i
?id-damm	J**) ‘Ч*
mayib?aaj mr/y-yr?
blood is thicker than water [saying]
(the relationship between people of the
same family is stronger than other
relationships)
dimaayu ti?iila	ДА*
feel muzzy
(to feel dull, gloomy or spiritless often as a
result of drinking a lot of liquor)
I felt muzzy in the crowded bar, so I went
out for some fresh air.
• X S X > • >
dimaayu musaf-faha
a night-owl
(a person who stays up late at night
because he cannot go to sleep)
He's a night owl and spends the night
listening to the radio.
dam-mu baarid	jb
a stolid person
(a person who is hard to arouse; not easily
excited; showing no emotion)
He's such a stolid person that his popularity
is constantly going down.
-»
dam-mu hurr	f
a proud soul
Being a proud soul she doesn't approve of
the idea of living off others.
* ' If
dam-mu zayy ilba??	jJ'
a drag
(a person who is extremely boring)
I don't like riding the bus back and forth
with Bill every day - he's a real drag.
Although he gets a poor salary, he can
make ends meet; he never borrows money
from anyone.
» i •	' X X X •	£•
dab-buur wizann !	Oj j jyA
£ala ^ij-ju
ask for it!
(to behave in a way that causes trouble to
oneself)
- Look, I had to divorce her.
- I'm sure she asked for it! She used to
treat you so badly.
da%al bilhangal	j
wilmangal
act the goat
(to behave in a silly, foolish, or excited
manner)
Stop acting the goat! I want a serious
answer to my question.
da£al Jimaal fi...
ride roughshod over someone
(to treat someone without respect; treat
roughly)
[refers to riding a roughshod horse, i.e. one
whose shoes have nails sticking out of
them to prevent the animal from slipping
on icy roads]
He's a cruel person who loves to ride
roughshod over other people.
da%al mazaag...	у
take someone’s fancy
(to cause a person to desire or develop a
liking for something or someone)
The dress in the window took her fancy
and the next day she bought it.
diraa£ ... ilyimiin
someone’s right hand
(acting as someone's chief or most trusted
helper)
His secretary was his right hand; he
depended on her in everything.
dafa^ taman garimtu
bring to book
•U «—> UJ c-al^b?' UjB
-»>•- - .
46
•	• а Л a J » at
I» iff	Jji
?id-dinya mij	<4^1-*-°	UxJl
misa^iy-ya...
the world is someone’s oyster
(all the chances or pleasures of life are
open to someone, e.g. because he is
young, successful, or rich)
Since she won that money she can do
anything she likes - the world's her oyster.
?id-dihn fil£ataa?i	0*^’
there’s still life in the old dog yet; the
best wine comes in old bottles
(used to express surprise when an old
person does something one had not
believed him able to do or by an old
person himself when his abilities are
doubted by others)
- Look! That old man must be seventy
years old and I see him every day go out
with a new girl.
- There's still life in the old dog yet.
duus banziin	!
step on the juice!
(to increase the speed of a vehicle,
especially a car)
Come on, step on the juice or we will be late.
dcel	Jb) U	Jji
ik-kalb ^umru mayit^idil
a leopard doesn’t/cannot change its
spots [saying]
(the basic character of human nature of a
person cannot change)
J^») fV 1 c-HSsJ) LijJl
?id-dinya it/ala?it fisaba^ tiy-yaam
Rome was not built in a day [saying]
(a job cannot be done properly if it is done
hastily)
What's the hurry. We still have plenty of
time - Rome was not built in a day.
?id-dinya itsad-dit jij *3 OX-jI GjJI
fiwiJJ...
blocked at every turn
(obstructed, hindered or held back at all
times; wherever and whenever one looks,
goes, etc.)
I was blocked at every turn - what am I to
do now?
?id-dinya	03LidJl
iswad-dit fiwiJJ...
someone’s world's turned to ashes
(to lose hope of ever recovering from a
misfortune)
After his wife's death, his world's turned to
ashes.
?id-dinya ^уау-уага
it’s a small world
Lull
(used when one meets a person who has
an unexpected connection with someone
or something in one's past)
When I was introduced to the new boss I
realized that we'd both been to the same
school. It's a small world.
zambu £ala gambu	!	4Ji
that’s someone’s funeral!
(that's the person's problem and he must
accept what is likely to happen; often used
in an unkind way to show that the speaker
has little sympathy for the person referred
to)
If you want to risk going out without a coat
in this weather, that's your funeral.
(a man who causes trouble)
Bardy is a thorough pest.
complains about trifles in
childish way.
roagil n/tl
an insensitive lot
He always
a peevish,
(a man who is slow to feel or notice)
- You dare bite me, you bitch!
- Do you want me to take it lying down, you
insensitive lot?
raczgil zayy il? almat/z	(Jj j
a gem of a fellow
(a person who is very precious)
That man is a gem of a fellow - you can
trust his word.
lYzagil sak-ka
a born loser
(a man who habitually loses or fails)
Don't count on Jack; he's a born loser.
r««gil yawiit	J
(as) deep as a well
(a man who is difficult to assess or
understand, because he keeps his
thoughts, plans, etc., to himself)
There's a lot we don't know about Harold.
He's as deep as a well.
raagil kub-Ьллгл	сИ’Ь
a big noise
(an important or influential person)
If you want to get a job in the new steel
plant, talk to Ed; his father is a big noise in
the steel industry.
raogil m«bruuk (&j>) Jrb
a man with a saintly air about him
(a humble person possessing other
qualities thought of as belonging to holy
persons)
Your father has a saintly air about him;
every time I see him I know it's going to be
my lucky day.
raagil mira?-?a^
a city slicker
nragil ba?f	J-^b
a real oaf
(a very stupid, clumsy man)
He was a real oaf of a man; he stumbled
over the bucket spilling all the water.
raagil tuhfa (nimra)	J^b
a real character
(a man who attracts attention beacuse he is
different or odd)
Mario is a real character. He carries
sandwiches in his pocket.
raagil tranzistur	J^b
a pipsqueak
(a petty, insignificant man)
He could be a big wheel instead of a
pipsqueak if he would just work harder.
raagil gardal	J^b
a sucker; a dolt
(a person who is easily deceived or tricked;
simpleton)
[a sucker refers to young animals that still
suckle milk from their mothers]
I'm no sucker. Let them go about their dirty
tricks.
raagil had-duuta
(hikaaya)
a sure card
(a man whose action or the use of his name
will ensure success)
If your connection is that man, you'll get
the job. He's a sure card.
r«agil hu?na	J^b
a thorough pest
IaJT Jwju U wi—- <uulj
49
Ojlii т 1 j
The whole situation was risky and I
wouldn't let myself go to pot.
iwh li?o£kw7 biriglee
go like a lamb to the slaughter
(without seeming to realize that one is
about to enter a dangerous situation,
especially one resulting in one's death)
[from the Bible: "He is brought as a lamb
to the slaughter.," (Isaiah 53:8]
A great number of young men went off to
war like lambs to the slaughter.
rarzh loon wiga loon	0J	Oj * 'j
change colour
(to blush, flush, or grow pale, show
emotion in one's face accompanied by
growing red/pale)
If this young man means nothing to her, as
she claims, why did she change colour at
the mention of his name?
r«flhit ^alee
have had one’s day
(to be no longer useful or successful)
This actress used to be very popular but
she's had her day now, I'm afraid.
Tiraas ik-kibiira	^1 JI
Mr Big; the big banana
(the most important and influential person
in a group, organization, etc.)
Before he became Mr Big he was a much
friendlier person.
rr/flStfk abus-ha	Ц—»jjl d-L>lj
let’s make up
(to settle a dispute; reconcile)
I owe you an apology. Let's make up.
raasu wi?alf J-**» cAr4 4-» 5
seef mayi^mil ...
wild horses wouldn’t/couldn’t make
someone do something
(nothing would make a person do
something)
Wild horses wouldn't make him go to
school again. If there's anything he hates
(a smart, fast-dealing, fast-talking person,
possibly not entirely honest)
- I'm not one of those city-slickers you're
used to.
- Mind your language, will you?
галЬ frlaara wingaara OjbJj OjULi
go down the drain
(to be wasted lost, etc.)
He made a lot of money, but being a
gambler it all went down the drain.
r««h fabu nikla	u) * lj
go for a burton
(to be destroyed, ruined, killed, etc.)
[a burton is a bottle of beer made at
Burton-on-Trent. The phrase was originally
military, meaning to be absent or dead]
He was caught at the airport with two bags
of cocaine. He definitely went for a burton.
ratzh fik-kazuuza
be a complete flop
(to be a failure)
His last book was a complete flop. He
didn't sell a copy.
raah fitookar
come to a sticky end
(to come to some misfortune, especially an
unpleasant death)
I'm sure he came to a sticky end while
hunting lions in Africa.
rtzah fitiis
be a total write-off
(to end up a waste; for nothing, in vain)
The house was a total write-off. I sold it for
half the price I paid a few months ago.
rat/h li? а&аа	oUaiJ * lj
go to pot
(go to ruin; disintegrate)
[in a steal foundry, scraps and refuse are
thrown into a pot; cannibals (persons who
eat human flesh) put their victims into a pot
and boil them; ashes of the dead are put
into pots or urns]
п/bl kalaam
an earnest
(money paid in advance as a pledge for the
rest)
The couple paid five thousand pounds as
an earnest on the flat until they can go to
the bank on Monday to get the rest of the
money.
rt/b-binr/ taab ^alee	Ц)
kick the habit
(to completely abandon, give up a habit: the
reference usually being to something
harmful or foolish, e.g. addiction, smoking,
etc.)
He had been on addict on hard drugs but he
managed to kick the habit for good.
rab-bina	U bj
mayhak-kimak ^ala walaaya
may God never put you in charge of a
helpless woman!
- I insisted on her leaving the house at
three in the morning.
- May God never put you in charge of a
helpless womanl
» ,	0,0	4,
rt/b-bina mayi?tai= !oob Ь I» bj
lina £aada
God forbid that I should change a
custom
(a formula said when the speaker is not
willing, and does not have the intention to
change a long-established habit)
- Are you going to donate the same amount
of money to the charitable institution?
- God forbid that I should change a custom.
rt/b-binr/	'j	^1 <4 JaJl bj
у ibafbif it-tuuba il-li taht raasu
[the literal translation of the Egyptian-Arabic
idiom, may God soften the stone head-rest
under someone's head in the grave, shows
part of the burial traditions of Muslims in
Egypt: the placing of a stone block under
the deceased person's head!
it's books.
гаа^а sin-nu
act one’s age
(to behave in the way expected of anyone
of one's age, especially not to behave in a
childish or foolish way)
Sit down and act your age - you're not
young any more.
raakib dimaayu	APbi
be bent on
(to be determined to do something )
I've been trying for hours to talk him off the
idea of going abroad, but he seems to be
bent on leaving anyway.
rakbu ^afriit
sitting on tenterhooks
(to be in a state of anxiety or full of
expectation)
[refers to cloth-making. The finished cloth
is stretched on a frame called a tenter and
attached to it by means of hooks
(tenterhooks)]
His examination results are going to arrive
this morning. He was sitting on
tenterhooks all day yesterday thinking
about them.
raami git-titu	4=^-
a nuisance
(a person who annoys, troubles, offends,
or is disageeable)
He was such a nuisance. It took us two
hours to persuade him that the job did not
suit him.
rab-bd li... il/afiif
lead someone a merry/pretty dance
(to cause a person great or unnecessary
trouble, especially by changing one's mind
before making a final decision or
agreement)
She led her husband a merry dance before
she married him because she had so many
other boyfriends.
51
АХДдЛ 4Xj CJUTj
rudd rrzd-dit ilmdy-ya	*4*'	- J
fizoorak
spit it out!; out with it!
(say what one has to say; speak one's
message, request, etc.: used as a
command to someone who is being slow
or unwilling to express something)
You've come here to ask for money,
haven't you?
Come on, spit it out1.
а Л о £
radd sguun	j
a jailbird
(a person who has been in jail many times)
You must be crazy - how can I take a
jailbird for a partner - he's got a lengthy
record in the police department
riz? ilhibl J")	Jjjj
talmaganiin
there’s one born every minute
(there's always someone who can be easily
deceived into a bargain)
- I sold my old car to someone who paid
me double what it's really worth.
- Well, there's one born every minute.
rasam £ala ...	'•« c	j
have designs on someone, something
(to wish to have sexual relations with
someone; wish to possess something)
Be careful of that bad man - he has designs
on you.
risi ^ala barr	j> j
reach a conclusion; settle the matter
I'm not going to let him know anything
about the deal until I reach a conclusion.
ra?ad Ejala ?irjeen	J
have some cash stashed away
(to hide or put away some money for
future use)
He had some cash stashed away for old
age when he gets retired.
may God rest someone’s soul
(an invocation to God that He may have
mercy on someone who has died)
rig^it J=*) ‘Ч-
riima li^adit-ha il?adiima
old habits die hard
(old habits cannot be easily changed or got
rid of)
Smoking again? You said you stopped it -
old habits die hard.
>) u cA*
?ir-rigl tidibb m«tr«h mat-bibb
one’s feet follow one’s fancy [saying]
(a person is often attracted to the place
where he has developed a liking for
something or someone)
- He has been a regular goer to the cinema
on the corner!
- One's feet follow one's fancy - he's in love
with the girl who books the tickets.
0^ 9	9 Я9
riglu wil?obr
have one foot in the grave
(to be near death)
Their father is still in very good health, but
they always treat him as though he had
one foot in the grave.
0	9	9	9
riglee hifyit	4-b-j
go to great lengths
(to do everything that is necessary to
obtain a desired result; to look very
carefully in every possible place for
someone or something that has been lost
or is hard to obtain)
He went to great lengths until she finally
agreed to marry him.
i • >>»	» »
ruht wu?ult ^id-duuli
long time no see!
(said to someone who has not been seen or
heard of for a long time)
- Jonas, old friend - long time no seel
- Yes, I've been away for quite a while.

52
salt
(to doubt that something, especially a
statement, is completely true, important
effective, etc.)
I discovered that the stories he told me
about his childhood were all lies, so now I
take everything he says with a grain of
salt.
rahn il?i/r;aro	jAj
at someone’s beck and call
(ready or forced to obey the orders,
wishes, etc., of another person)
How awful it is to be at your wife's beck
and call.
roohu ba?at fimana/iiru
at/near the end of one’s rope/tether
(the condition of having used up one's
patience, powers, strength, etc., and of
being able to bear nothing more)
[refers to grazing animals that were tied to
stakes and free to move only as far as the
length of the rope allowed]
He never complained, so he must have
been near the end of his rope when he
suddenly resigned.
ray-yah nafsak	wJ—ju
save your breath
(stop talking because your words are not
having any effect)
Save your breath. She will never listen to
you while she's feeling like that.
rihtu za£=a?it	C-да j
stink to high heaven/hell
(of food, a dead body, etc.: to have an
extremely unpleasant smell)
That fish must be a week old. It stinks to
high heaven.
rihtu faahit	*^*4;
be in bad odour
(of a person: disapproved of or not well
thought of)
He had been in bad adour for sometime, so
it was no surprise when they asked him to
?ir-rak Salhajw
it’s the person inside that makes the
clothes
(a complimentary formula meant to praise
both the item of clothing and the person
wearing it)
- What do you think of my new blouse?
- It's the person inside that makes the
clothes.
rikib ilmooga	jl' <-3*j
jump on the bandwagon
(to begin to do what other people are
doing)
[refers to a band of musicians who are
leading a march, especially for a politician
who is making speeches and trying to win
votes before an election]
You'd be the first one to jump on the
bandwagon if you saw someone else
making a lot of money without much effort.
rukabu saabit	CjL-i
shake like a jelly
(to tremble with fear or great anxiety)
The boy shook like a jelly when the teacher
asked him to answer the question.
J о J -x
rama iuubit ...	Xjb
give up on someone
(to have no more hope for someone to
learn, improve, etc.)
The doctor gave up on the new nurse.
She's not learning anything at all.
rama ... ramyit
ik-kilaab
kick someone out like a smelly old rag
(to expel or turn out in a humiliating or
disgraceful way)
After ten years of devoting herself to him
and his children, he kicked her out like a
smelly old rag without a penny to live on.
rama nuss kalaam
... ilbczhr
take what someone says with a grain of
53

prospect of food; feel eager to have leave.
something)	rii?u sjiri	4A>j
His mouth watered at the sight of the fresh one's mouth waters
mussels in the fish market.	(to feel hungry at the thought, smell, or

54
false excuses and now they seem to have
got her over a barrel because the wedding
has been announced to take place next
week.
zaw-wid it-tiina bal-la	<uJaJl ijj
add fuel to the flames/fire
(to make an already difficult situation
worse by one's actions or words)
Nothing would help him when he became
worried; words of encouragement just
added fuel to the flames.
zayy il?arnab
cowed
(scared)
Many people were cowed by the threats of
the bully.
zayy ilburs	jp
shrivelled
(a person who is thought to be useless or
helpless because he is small in appearance)
That porter is shrivelled; I don't think he
can carry the suitcases for you.
• x * « Ox * x H „
zayy ilbat-tii/a	aJ jaaII
ilma?fuula
lucky dip
(taking whatever may be obtained without
previous knowledge of what this may be)
Getting married to someone you don't
really know is going to be the sort of lucky
dip.
zayy ilbilyatfu
done up like a dog’s dinner
(wearing bright showy clothes, especially
to impress other people)
She was done up like a dog's dinner just to
go to the pictures. Did you see the striking
colours she was wearing?
о e 4	* >
zayy it-toor ilhaayig
like a bull in a china shop
(in a rough awkward manner, like someone
knocking into and breaking things)
Instead of trying to persuade the bank to
lend him the money, the man went about it
zibuun su?£	jj
a prize customer
(a free-spending regular shopper or a
generous client)
Here's another prize customer; he gives a
lot of tips to everyone in the store.
zar£ basal	J-а»
upside down
(having what should be on top at the
bottom)
He was painting the ceiling when he fell off
the ladder upside down, and his head was
seriously hurt.
zim-ma ?astik
flexible conscience
(conscience that yields to influence or
persuasion and therefore can accommodate
itself to different contradictory principles)
You can't trust his word - he has a flexible
conscience.
J ®	X «* X
zann ^ala widaan ...	jj
have someone's ear
(to be able to influence someone, obtain
his help by having an access to him and
talking to him all the time)
He has great influence on his father
because he has his ear all the time.
zana? ... fi/ant ilyakk dJJ'	jij
have (got) someone over a barrel
(to have someone in such a position that he
has no free choice and can do only what
one wants him to do)
She did not want to marry her cousin, but
her parents were not convinced by her
» - • i « г
j
55
[the second idiom perhaps refers to the
clappers of a bell, which move very quickly
when the bell is rung]
He ran out of the house like a bat out of
hell to escape from the police.
zayy iz-zift
someone's name is mud
(a negative reference to a person who is
much disliked or is in great disfavour)
[refers to Samuel Mudd, the doctor who
set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth,
the assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Mudd
was sentenced to life imprisonment for his
involvement with Booth, and although he
was pardoned four years later, his name
became associated with one who has
committed a condemnable or unpopular
action]
Ever since he made such trouble at our
party last Christmas his name has been
mud around here.
о , *	# ,
zayy iz-zeeba?
as slippery as an eel
(someone who is very difficult to get
answers from)
I advise you not to do business with him -
he's as slippery as an eel - you can't get a
definite answer from him.
zayy is-saa^a	4tUJl
as regular as clockwork
(very regular; regularly)
He is as regular as clockwork - he goes to
the bank every Monday at exactly the same
time.
» < a i # ,
zayy is-suhlifa	дДл-Jl
as slow as molasses (in January)
(extremely slow)
[molasses (a sweet, brown syrup obtained
in the process of making sugar from sugar
cane) thickens in cold weather and therefore
runs very slowly when poured out]
When Ralph is doing something he likes,
he's pretty quick, but in doing these other
things he's as slow as molasses in January.
top physical
like a bull in a china shop, and did not get
anything at all as a result.
zayy ig-gabal	JJ*'
as tough as old boots
(very tough, especially very strong and
able to bear pain, hardship, etc.; not easily
’ moved by pity)
My grandfather broke his leg, but that
didn't stop him from working in the garden.
He's as tough as old boots.
zayy ilhus««n
feel one’s oats
(to feel energetic; be in
condition)
[a horse full of oats (a type of grain) often
displays its energy]
Once he got himself established again, he
would be feeling his oats.
zayy il/aatim
fisb««^ ...
(like) putty in someone’s hands
(easily influenced by someone; willing to
do as someone wants)
Buy a woman a few pretty flowers and
she'll be putty in your hands - you'll be
able to make her agree to anything.
zayy il/azuu?
stick out like a sore thumb
(to seem very unsuitable, awkward, out of
place, etc.)
The dinner is formal; if you don't wear the
correct clothes, you'll stick out like a sore
thumb.
»S S ft
zayy ir-mziy-y«
a white elephant
(a very costly possession that is worthless
to its owner and only a cause of trouble)
The car we bought last year is a white
elephant; it uses a lot of petrol and breaks
down again and again.
о X $	* x
zayy ir-rahrzwa«n	O'jAjJl
like a bat out of hell; like the clappers
(very quickly)

56
0	0$
(to have no right to express one's opinion;
have no power to influence something)
It would be wiser if you asked his wife as
he has no say in anything.
» ,	» z i 1 ,
zayy it-tamflliTWflytf «uUkJdl
as red as a lobster
(badly sunburned)
After a day at the beach, we were all as red
as a lobster.
zayy il£ala?a
like a leech
(someone or something that persistently
hangs on to another person, and whose
usefulness or importance is of very little
consequence)
[a leech is a worm, living in ponds and
streams that sucks the blood of the body.
Doctors formely used leeches to suck
blood from sick people]
The police informer stuck to me like a leech
wherever I went.
0 x * fix®/ £ x
zayy il^umla in-nadra OjiUl
like gold dust
(to be very scarce and therefore valuable)
Good plumbers are like gold dust these
days - I just can't find one to fix the water
pipe in the garden.
» X »	* r
zayy ilfakha
a rare bird
(a person or thing not met or seen very
often)
[a translation of the Latin phrase rara avis,
a saying describing something very
unusual]
You're a rare bird in the village these days,
Mr. Smith. Why don't you leave a phone
number?
О x 9 И» 9 x • x ®	* X
zayy ilfarya id-day/a
a lame duck
(a person who is weak or a failure,
especially so weak that he must depend on
others for help)
A man without a woman is as helpless as a
zayy is-samn ^al^asal J—
like two lovebirds
(as complementary as butter and honey, or
peanut butter and jelly)
They made up and were once again like
two lovebirds.
zayy is-sonyurra
look like a million dollars
(of women and girls: to look very attractive)
She was wearing her new dress, and there
was already a group of men standing
around her when she arrived. She looked
like a million dollars.
», i •* ,
zayy is-suusa	4-J*
a scheming creep
(a person who makes tricky plots,
especially evil ones)
Be careful of that girl in the blue jeans -
she's a scheming creep. Try to be as brief
as you can if she asks you any questions.
« » # * ,
zayy if-Jiriik ilmi/aalif	j
at loggerheads (with someone)
(disagreeing or quarrelling with someone)
The government and the trade unions
rarely agree to the same thing; they are
always at loggerheads.
О X »» i> H
zayy ij-jam-maama
as bald as a coot
(of a person, especially a man, with no hair
on top of the head)
[refers to a bird with a spot of white
feathers on its head]
Our history teacher is as bald as a coot; If I
were him I wouldn't take off my hat in
class.
> *	# z
zayy is-saruux
beat the band
(very fast)
The police car was speeding down the
highway to beat the band.
zayy it-tniluur
have no say/voice
laJl
57

have been a changelling - she's very
irritable.
zayy ilmay-ya
a piece of cake; as easy as pie
(very easy; requiring no effort at all)
The examination was a piece of cake. The
allowed time was two hours, but I finished
it all in 40 minutes.
zayy ilwizz J**) ji	4/j
hiny-ya bila bizz
like a dry nurse
(showing care and affection in words not in
actions)
[a dry nurse is a nurse who takes care of a
baby, but does not suckle it]
That rich man in the charitable society is
like a dry nurse; he always makes
wonderful speeches but never donates a
penny.
9 x 9	9	<0 x
zayy ilwiltja
a go-getter
(an energetic person who tries hard for and
usually gets what he is after)
If you want that job done in no time ask the
new office boy - he's such a go-getter.
zayy tanablit is-sultoan JlloLJl iLU
[the Egyptian-Arabic idiom refers to three
fairy-tale characters of legendary indolence
whose only job was to amuse the sultan]
(as) indolent as lotus eaters
(lazy dreamy people who are only concerned
with their own pleasures and comfort)
[from a story in Homer's Odyssey about
people who eat the fruit of a tree (the
LOTUS) and so forget about their friends
and homes and live in an inactive state]
The people in this rich country are as
indolent as lotus eaters - they think only of
amusing themselves and have no interest
in the problems of the rest of the world.
* X	* x
zayy d«k«r ilbr/Ц	JaJl
a sitting duck
(a defenceless person who can easily be hit
lame duck.
zayy il?irj ilbrzr-raani
like a bad penny
(to turn up again and again when not
wanted or liked, but usually difficult to
avoid)
Once he gets an entry into anybody's
home, he keeps turning up like a bad
penny.
zayy il?ar£	j£) -Uj
yimidd librzr-ra
march to a different drummer
(a person who offers to help, and who
supports or does favours to people other
than his own group such as family,
relatives, friends, etc.)
My cousin, Dick isn't going to vote for me;
he always marches to a different drummer.
zayy ilk-katkuut JjHl О
ilmabluul
look like a drowned rat
(to be very wet, especially after coming into
a dry place from the rain)
After the storm she looked like a drowned
rat.
zayy ik-kuhl
as dark as pitch
(especially of the night or night sky: very
black/dark)
When the lights went out it was as dark as
pitch in the room.
zayy il-li fatah Jjak-ka
like the cat that stole the cream
(satisfied; gloating)
Look! There's Eddy holding the Cup and
looking like the cat that stole the cream.
>99	x
zayy ilmabduul	JjXll
a changeling
(of a child who is supposed to have been
left by fairies in place of another carried off
by them)
That adopted daughter of the gypsies must
58

one is unsure of what to do)
The young man kept on the hop for four
hours while he was waiting to hear the
result of the interview.
zayy k/htit il?ijta	дкЛдП
hot stuff
(a girl who is very attractive)
Look! That girl certainly is hot stuff.
zayy mawaladitu um-mu 4*1 j U
in one’s birthday suit
(the state of being completely undressed)
I went into the bathroom and found my
brother in his birthday suit.
ziyatt il/eer yjreen
so much the better

(one can have too much of a good thing)
- You shouldn't have brought those baked
fish; there's already plenty of food for
everyone.
-So much the better.
or attacked)
We're sitting ducks here; we'll have to
move around behind the hills or else can
get shot.
zayy Jah-hatiin
is-say-yida
(as) swarming and insistent as beggars
On my way to the cinema I met a
sorry-looking bunch of young teenagers
who were as swarming and insistent as
beggars.
»	£	®	< X
zay £igl ?abiis	<^*-4
like the side of a house
(very fat or large)
She is getting like the side of a house - she
really must try to lose some weight.
zayy fur?u| looz
on the hop
(very active or nervous, usually because

59
а , , •	a S> &	•	*
*_jLj
(used derisively: a vain empty-headed
man; conceited dandy)
- Who's going to go in first?
-That coxomb leaning on the secretary's
desk and talking to her as if the company
is his own.
sit ik-kull	C—•
a jewel among women
(a woman who is very precious and
therefore distinguished, especially when
compared to others)
You're the best of all - a jewel among
women.
sit wigaryiteen ^ala ?alyy bit-teen
>) ajjUu J*
sit wigarya Sjala s«hn bisarya
take a sledgehammer to crack a walnut
(to waste a lot of effort in dealing with a
small difficulty)
Three men spent all day yesterday
mending my telephone. One man could
have done the job in half an hour. It was
like taking a sledgehammer to crack a
walnut.
srzjzzr ^ala ...
make an honest woman (out) of her
(of a man: to marry a woman, especially
when she has had a sexual relationship
with him for some time or has had many
love affairs)
Me make an honest woman out of her? I'm
not the marrying type .
sahab (garr) naa^im	(л)
change one’s tune
(to change one's opinions, decisions, etc.,
and so act or talk in a different way in order
to please another person who is often
higher in rank)
So you agree with Mr. Brown's idea now?
You've changed your tune since yesterday.
sahab ruW;	*4j
have forty winks
J**) ***jJl £ JaJjlj jlU-l yb
saab ilhumrrar wif-Jai-tar ^albardaJja
punish the weak for the faults of the
strong
She was afraid of what her husband might
do to her if she asked him why he and their
son had been late, so she got rid of her bad
temper by attacking the son. She punished
the weak for the faults of the strong.
® S	f a
saab ... mitnof-Jar	uU
keep someone kicking/cooling his heels
(to have nothing to do, especially while
being kept waiting)
They kept him kicking his heels for nearly
two hours before he could see the boss,
saa? ilhabaala a-kJjl £ 4JL4JI
%af-faytana
play the fool; act the stupid
(to behave foolishly, sometimes in order to
escape the blame for something wrong,
sometimes to amuse other people)
Come down and stop playing the fool - I've
got a few things to say to you, and you'd
better listen.
subhaan a\-aa fijab^tzk	dAJl JbtlL»
I can’t make you out!
(I can't understand you: said to someone
who is difficult to deal with)
I can't make you out! Only yesterday you
said you would be going with us, and now
you say you're staying home.
sabS ilburumbtz	M
[‘burumba’ is a district in Guiza province]
a coxcomb; swank
6
60
J*
(a price or charge made that is too high
that the customer might almost think he is
being robbed of his money)
The prices in this restaurant are unbelievable
- it’s absolute daylight robbery.
sir-ru baati^	оj~>
have the power of saints
(a person who is thought to possess
qualities that belong to holy people, e.g.
spiritual powers, etc.)
That man must have the power of saints -
whenever he makes a wish it comes true.
» i * -
saff it-luraflb	Olyjl U-
have a tough time
(to work very hard, especially in
humiliating conditions)
After her husband's death she had a tough
time trying to earn enough money to eat.
sa?a ... min nafs
ik-kaas
pay someone back in his own/the same
coin
(to punish a person for offending or harm-
ing one by treating him in the same way)
/ was determined to get revenge; to pay
him back in his own coin for the wrongs he
had done to us.
saf-fif ... iHuraab
give someone a hell of a time
(to cause trouble for a person, make his life
unpleasant, scold him)
His father was very cruel; he gave him a hell
of a time when he failed his examinations.
#,» * •
?is-sik-ka il-li twad-di
good riddance!
(used to show that one is pleased that a
person or thing is no longer present or will
no longer annoy one)
That friend of yours who talks all the time
has just left - good riddance*.
sikitnaalu J**)	J UsL-
da/al bihmr/r/ru
give someone an inch and he will take a
(to have a short sleep, especially during the
day; take a nap)
Grandfather always likes to have forty
winks after his dinner.
sa/sa/ ^ala roohu	>
laugh like a drain
(to laugh noisily with feeling and vigour)
It was a wonderful comedy. I laughed like a
drain most of the way.
sadd /aana	Xj
a stopgap
(a person or something that fills the place
of another; temporary substitute)
We ought to send our new secretary as a
stopgap until we find a permanent
representative.
?is-sirr il?ilaahi tili^ c* P7I pi
give up the ghost*
(to die)
It was a bad accident. He seems to have
given up the ghost.
*ghost in this phrase means a person's spirit,
о 4
?is-stzraoyfl is-safra
the Laughing Academy
(a lunatic asylum and institution for the
care, education of mentally handicapped,
or mentally ill people)
Well, if I worried about that sort of thing I'd
end up in the Laughing Academy in one of
those waiter's jackets with arms sewn
together.
sar?aa is-sik-kiina	«uJxljl oli
lost touch with reality; living in a world
of false hopes
(to be so absorbed in unreal and
impractical things that one fails to act or
respond appropriately)
You're not young any more, and you
should be thinking of getting married
before it is too late. You seem to have lost
touch with reality.
sir?a ^eeni ^eenak	d-L-t-
daylight robbery


61
Go to it, John! You can get the work
finished in an hour if you really try.
suu? ik-kantu	Jjj-*’
flea market
(a market, often a street market, dealing in
all sorts of junk and odd items)
[supposedly because of the fleas found in
secondhand articles; apparently translation
of French marche aux puces]
Any guidebook will tell you how to find flea
markets.
saw-wa ilhawaayil	Jjl^l
do wonders
(to work very efficiently; have very
successful results)
My husband can do wonders. Yesterday he
convinced our boss into signing a six-week
paid vacation for both of us.
saw-wa hisaabu
ma^a...
settle accounts/old scores with someone
(to punish and so get revenge on a person
who has harmed one)
I settled accounts with him for speaking so
rudely to me.
saw-wa ... ^ag-gambeen
rake someone over the coals
(to criticize someone strongly)
[refers to an old practice of obtaining
money from people by dragging them over
hot coals until they agreed to pay]
He raked his wife over the coals for
something beyond her control.
say-yah bik-kalaam
blow the gaff
(to reveal a secret about a person or thing)
[the phrase is perhaps based on a meaning
of gaff, mouth, thus blow the gaff= open
one's mouth]
I used somebody else's invitation card to
get into the party, and nobody would have
known if my brother had not blown the
gaff.
yard/mile [saying]
(if one yields partly to a person's demands
or desires he will take advantage of this by
making even greater demands)
salt malt	C-Ь d->
in the altogether; in the buff
(often humorous: without any clothes on)
Jerry had just got out of the bath when I
arrived. Wait a minute, will you? I'm still in
the altogether.
sal? beed	ji-»
cutting corners
(doing something in the easiest or quickest
way, e.g. by using a simpler method,
disregarding rules, safety, etc.)
No cutting corners. Sorry but the old rules
still stand.
i. t *,
sal-lim in-nimar
be past it
(no longer capable of doing one's work or
the things that one formerly did; too old)
He's got married at 73? I should have
thought he was past it.
• i 4	> » i
nuss ig-gamaal JM-' jU-J'
black is beautiful
(one's blackness is something to be proud
of; black is a good thing to be)
sama^ huss
action satations!
(everybody get ready for what's coming!
used when something expected and
prepared for is actually about to happen)
[originally a naval or military command
ordering the men to their prepared
positions when fighting is expected to
begin]
Action stations, everyone! The boss will
announce a very interesting piece of news.
sam-mi bill-laa	!«dJL »
go to it!
(to start to do something with all one's
energy)
62
jU>- ji-j> J jAJ о JeUJl
It would be too much if I asked the boss for
a vacation; he's been featherbedding me
since I came here.
Jaal wihtftt finafsu x-ii J Li
take it to heart
(to be greatly influenced by something
unpleasant; grieve over)
I didn't cry, but I took it to heart all day.
Jaalit bur?u^ ilhaya	*3^ cJLi
behave in a shameless fashion
(of a woman: to behave boldly sometimes
disgracefully without this feeling of having
done something wrong or improper)
That young woman next door behaves in a
shameless fashion. She certainly will bring
bad reputation to her family.
?ij-jaami ^almt/yrr/bi
extremes meet
(two or more people or things of very
opposite natures, qualities, etc., meet,
come into contact or conflict with each
other)
Alec and his wife are not a bit like each
other I suppose it is a case of extremes
meeting.
Jaayil £abd il?aadir jiUJl JjLi
carrying the cares of the world on one's
shoulders
(bearing others' berdens of sorrow, duty,
etc.; assuming responsibility for everything
that goes wrong)
What a look in our eyes! You seem to be
carrying the cares of the world on your
shoulders.
Jabra? £inee	J
feast one's eyes
(to look with enjoyment at something
pleasant)
We feasted our eyes on those French
models we saw last night.
Jabra? nafsu	x-uii
treat oneself
(to enjoy oneself by eating, drinking, etc.,
?ij-jt/tra Jb)	Jrу. JjAJ ajbUJl
tiyzil birigl hmrzrzr
where there’s will there’s way [saying]
(when a person is determined to do
something, however difficult it may be, he
will find a way of doing it)
Jaflu Joofa	J LjLi
have a bit on the side
(to have a sexual relationship with a
woman or man other than one's wife or
husband)
I think my husband might be having a bit
on the side - he stays out a lot and comes
home with false excuses.
Jaflu yumeen
ride the gravy train
(the condition of having a lot of money that
has been gained easily or through
unexpected good fortune)
My father believes that the only good
reason for working in the Gulf countries is
to ride the gravy train.
Jaal c,an ...	J Li
carry the can for someone
(to accept the responsibility for what
someone has done)
I always had to carry the can for my
younger brother when he broke anything.
Jaal... £ala	jLi
kufuuf ir-n/t/ht/
featherbed someone
(to arrange work for someone under very
comfortable conditions)
J*
63
чХЛ X>
be kicked out in a few minutes.
L/rc/b ik-kc/z/r (is-y/n^zz)	j-i»
imbibe the trade with his mothers milk
(to take into one's mind the details and the
skills of a trade from early childhood;
talented)
I'm lucky to have someone like Bob in the
store with us; he must've imbibed the
trade with his mother's milk.
Jt/rc/b ilma?lab	оyj
swallow the trick
(to believe too easily; accept without
question or suspicion, e.g. an action that is
meant to deceive or cheat one)
She seems to have swallowed the trick!
She phoned Alice and told her she would
go to the cinema and wait for us there.
Jr/шЬ min damm ...	‘-’j-*’
beat the living daylights out of someone
(to give a good beating to someone; beat
or hit violently: often used in threats)
If I see you with my daughter again, I'll
beat the living daylights out of you.
juyl it-talat wara?aat	о MJ' jki
monkey business
(action likely to cause trouble, especially
tricks or unlawful or unfair activities)
I was told they are honest, but it seems
there's far too much monkey business
going on around here.
Juyl bulutiika	J*-*'
cant; whitewash
(talk that is not sincere; the act of covering
up faults or mistakes)
You're not going to deceive me with this
cant -1 want a straightforward answer.
for starters
(as the first of several objects, facts,
activities, etc.; first of all; to begin with)
la starter is the first course of a meal]
I get 50 pounds a week for starters, and
in a free-spending manner)
He never misses the chance to treat
himself whenever he has enough money.
Jadd is-salx £ala ...	<L-Ji Xi
make cruel fun of someone
(to laugh at or make humorous remarks
about a person or cause other to laugh at
him; ridicule)
She made cruel fun of her boyfriend in
front of everybody in the room; he left and
never came back.
Jidd heclak	(') !xLL?- Xi
pull your socks up! (1)
(to make a serious effort to improve the
quality of one's work)
Pull your socks up, there! you've done less
work this morning than I've done in ten
minutes.
Jiddheelak	(Y) ! xlL?- Xi
pull yourself together! (2)
(to get control of one's mind or energies,
especially when one is feeling depressed,
worried, etc.)
You’d better pull yourself together  look at
the bright side of life.
?ij-J</rr biynutt min ^inee	jx!'
looking daggers
(giving fierce or angry looks to a person,
especially without speaking)
Her husband was looking daggers at her
for being rude to his guests.
fur-roabit xurg	r
[the literal translation of the Egyptian-Arabic
idiom is saddle tassel (a hanging bunch of
hairs, threads or the like fastened together
at one end and attached to a donkey's
saddle) which is thought to be worthless
compared to the saddle or the donkey]
a feckless fellow
(an ineffective, worthless person)
- Who's going to speak for us?
- Brian.
- He’s such a feckless fellow - I'm sure we'll
64

As soon as he heard the siren he made off
like greased lightning.
fee? wijway-yaat	obj-ij t-i
an arm and a leg
(a large amount of money)
Laura's new car is a real luxury - it must
have cost her an arm and a leg.
9	Г
Jay-yilni wajay-yilak IdALilj
you scratch my back and I’ll scratch
yours!
(you help me or do something in my
favour and I'll help you in return)
- You lend me the tractor and I let you store
the crops in my barn.
- Is that so?
-Yes, you scratch my back and I'll scratch
yours!
any work I take home with me is paid for
separately.
Jaklu mij htzy^m-mtrr j-**j r
not make old bones
(not to live to be very old)
He has a weak heart. I'm afraid he won't
make old bones.
Jamm nafasu	4—ub
be able to breathe again
(to feel free from worry after a time of
difficulty or danger)
We were in a small boat during the storm,
but it stopped after an hour and we were
able to breathe again.
Jam-ma^ ilfatla	4ЫЛ
make off like greased lightning
(to run away very fast)
(no feelings of bitterness: usually said to of-
fer friendeship to a person with whom one
has just had a fight or argument)
- I'm really sorry for what I said.
- Oh, no hard feelings, we can take a bit of
sport.
о - » i
rt?ba«h	r bj * L-aJ'
let’s call it a night
(to stop an activity at sometime in the
evening or night)
I'm tired; let's call it a night and go to bed.
□ x H x 0
sih-hitu zayy ilward
in the pink
(in good health)
- How are your children?
- They are all in the pink, thank God.
s<7d-d«r it-tarfa	4JujUaJl
turn a deaf ear
(to refuse to listen to something, especially
a request)
I'm sure he turned a deaf ear to their
complaints because they all came out of
his office with the look of frustration on
their faces.
sidr hinay-yin	jr?"
a shoulder to cry on
(a person who offers kindness and sincere
sympathy in times of trouble)
She often returns to her parents' home
knowing that her mother will always
provide a shoulder to cry on.
sidru waasi^
have broad shoulders
(to be able to accept criticism without
becoming distressed)
Don't worry about talking to him like that.
He's got broad shoulders.
0 Jo	„
sar-rii/ ibn yumeen	CH'
a living soul
(used in negative contexts: a single human
being)
It was a desolate place; I looked right and
sabitu Sjeen	4л U?
catch the evil eye
(to be affected by the power that some
people are supposed to have of causing
harm or bringing bad luck to others by
looking at them)
He caught the evil eyewhen he fell off his
horse and broke his leg.
saahib ?izaaza	oj*Ji ч-^U?
drink like a fish
(to be accustomed to drinking a great deal
of alcohol)
The man drinks like a fish. He's drunk
every night.
saahib keef
a bon vivant
(a person who is fond of good food and
luxury)
The new employee is a real bon vivant,
every morning he brings his own pot of
coffee with him to the office.
Sfldlib mazaag
a connoisseur
(an expert, especially in matters of taste)
It takes a connoisseur like you to distinguish
between these types of textile.
$аау saliim	(t-U>
safe and sound
(safe and unharmed)
All his sons returned safe and sound from
the war.
saafi ya laban
no hard feelings
or worries, especially by talking about
them)
I think a good argument is the best way to
clear the air, but they refuse to argue.
left but found not a living soul.
Sdf-ftf ig-gaww
clear the air
(to reduce or get rid of difficulties, doubts.
67
answer to a difficult problem)
Whenever the subject of marriage comes
up, I am at sixes and sevens - I have no
experience in this.
d</r<?b ?isfiin	«-И
drive a wedge
(to try to spoil an intimate relationship,
especially by creating suspicion between
the parties concerned)
All the time he's trying to drive a wedge
between me and my girlfriend; he doesn't
like me.
d</r</b id-dinya к/br/ngr/	1
let the world go hang
(to stop caring about or taking notice of
anything)
Since his wife left him he has become
more and more untidy and has let the
world go hang.
d</rr/b bulk?
take a stroll; bum around
(to take a quiet walk for pleasure; walk
around aimlessly)
The weather is gorgeous today - let's take
a stroll down the country road.
dr/nzb buuz	jje
pout
(to thrust or push out the lips when one is
displeased or sulky)
She pouted when she heard that her
husband might take his secretary with him
on the business trip.
dt/rt/b	salaam	♦Jsaj
take one’s hat off
(to show admiration for a person)
When I meet a woman that supports her
family, I take my hat off to her.
Я 9* Я Я 9	„ „
dr/rt/b suhubiy-yt?	о
ma;a...
start the old pals act with soneone
(to show very friendly behaviour to
someone, especially when pretended in
ck л/rib lax ma
all at sea
(in a state of mental confusion)
During the first few weeks of his new job
the young teacher was all at sea.
9	0$	9 Я9
dr/rbu is-silk	dJULJl «UjUb
down and out
(without a job or other means of support;
homeless and living on the streets,
especially in a large city)
Unemployment is widespread these days,
and thousands of young men and women
are down and out.
dihk £ad-du?uun	jyjJl £
flat knavery
(behaviour characterized by trickery and
dishonesty)
Talking about and maybe giving a few
increments is fashionable only during
election time, but soon everything gets
back to normal, this is flat knavery.
dahak fisir-ru	aj-»
laugh up one’s sleeve
(to laugh to oneself; be amused secretly)
Throughout the conversation she was
laughing up her sleeve; she didn't want
anyone to notice.
drm/b ?a/mass	J
fi?asdaas
at sixes and sevens; rack one’s brain(s)
(in a state of confusion, e.g. not having
reached agreement or made a decision
about something; to think hard about
something, especially to try to work out the
than he has.
dalrrw kuhl	J9*0
as dark as pitch
(especially of the night or night sky: very
dark)
It was as dark as pitch inside the church.
о Л	ф • X
d«man figeebu	j**9
in the bag
(certain; sure)
The meeting went off very well and we
knew that the contract was in the bag.
0 >	»	> ,	> >
d</y-ya£ ilfursa min J*
?iidu
miss the boat/bus
(to be too late or fail to take advantage of a
chance when it is offered)
Don't miss the boat! Take advantage of our
free offer now!
order to gain an advantage in business)
The man started the old pals act with me
when he discovered I was in charge of the
shop.
dt/rt/b ...	aJ Jb U Дл)	*—<
lihadd mabanlu sifraab
knock someone into the middle of next
week
(to strike or hit a person very hard)
The little boy had to do as he was told or
his master would have knocked him into
the middle of next week.
dufru bira?abit...	оA-iP
have more goodness in one’s little
finger than someone has
(to be a very much better, kinder, more
virtuous person than another)
She has more goodness in her little finger
J’jaJI (4j C-r)
69
^LsJ1 ^blb
(to work very hard)
We all sweated blood to get the work
finished before night.
lal-lflSj zarabiinu ^ala ...
let fly at someone
(to become very angry, especially to shout
violently at someone)
The teacher let fly at the disobedient child.
lilic £ala fajuuf
go up in smoke
(to have no practical result; end in nothing)
Their hope for a really good holiday went
up in smoke when their children became ill
on the day before they were going to leave.
liliS, fiiha	Ц-9
put on airs; give oneself airs
(to behave as if one is more important,
grander, etc., than one is, especially to
impress others)
Because they have two cars she is always
putting on airs.
tili^ milmuulid bala	f
hum-mus
be cut off without a penny
(to be left with little or no money; gain
nothing)
He was cut off without a penny when he
refused to join the family business.
tili^ min huduumu	«ujJa vlb
blow up (in anger or exasperation)
(to lose one's temper; become very angry)
The bad weather made him blow up.
tilij; J**) (4-^) J--*
na?bu S=ala Joona (fady«)
have another guess coming
(to be mistaken or wrong, especially in
one's expectations)
So Burns is counting on me to lend him
money?
He's got another guess coming - I don't
have a penny for myself.
til^it Salee aJIjAJI (<J
(gatlu) ilyazaala
get one of those whims
kzta ilbasiila	41 л .И
put one’s head down
(to bow or lower one's head)
Ask the man in front of us to put his head
down or we won't be able to see much of
the race.
Itzbb fik-kalaam	jc&i J Lb
commit oneself unwittingly
(to reveal one's opinions, plans, etc.
unknowingly, unintentionally or
unconsciously)
At one moment she forgot all about the
promise she made to her husband when
she committed herself unwittingly, and
everybody knew they were going to spend
the summer holidays in Spain.
tczrtc/? widaanu
prick up one’s ears
(to become suddenly very interested; listen
very closely to what is being said)
He certainly pricked up his ears when you
told him about your good luck.
tar-ra ^al?alb	(5)
soothe the nerves (1)
(to quiet; calm; comfort)
Spending a few days by the sea soothes
the nerves.
tur-rci Bal?alb	(T) uJUdl £ cS jb
quench thirst (2)
(to put an end to or stop one's thirst)
A glass of lemonade is sure to quench your
thirst.
U/lzjh ik-kuuta	4jjxJI
sweat blood
(the person who knows how to wait
patiently rather than make hasty attempts
to fulfil his desires will be rewarded in the
end by getting all that he wishes for)
tay-yar il?irjeen	jppJ'
spirit the money away
(to spend one's money secretly, especially
on trivial things and pleasures)
He could have saved a lot if he didn't spirit
away all the money his father had left him.
9	9<f^
tay-yinha bitiin	Цд-Ь
put one’s foot in it
(to do or say something, especially
unintentionally, that distresses or offends
another person)
[refers to a person who accidentally steps
in animal excrement]
When Nan returned home from a date with
her boyfriend she looked very upset, and
she needed to be treated carefully but Tim
put his foot in it and she got mad at him
(to have a sudden fancy or notion; freakish
idea or desire)
She's got one of those whims for
gardening, but it won't last long.
til^itlu it-tirmisa	a—J
[tirmisa (literally a lupin seed) is the
Egyptian-Arabic name for the gland which
supposedly forms a small lump in a boy's
chest when he reaches puberty]
reach puberty
(of a boy: to reach the age or condition of
becoming first able to produce offspring)
law-wil baalak
keep your shirt on!
(keep clam; not become angry, excited,
etc.)
Keep your shirt on\ What's all this fuss
about -1 only wanted to borrow your radio.
tult ilbaal	J9
tibal-lay il?amal
everything comes to him who waits
[saying]

71
Э-ЬДлЗ' J-
for stamping or marking metal products;
something brand new is therefore
something recently made and stamped
with a brand]
This car is brand new. I only bought it
yesterday.
^as-sik-kiin
guaranteed; subject to scrutiny
(especially of water-melons: guranteed red
and juicy and therefore cut open to prove
it)
The water-melon I bought this morning
turned out to be tasteless; the vendor was
crying, guaranteed red and juicy', but I
didn't ask him to cut it open to prove it.
Calwijf	ЛР' t
cosmetic
(anything that covers up blemishes or
defects)
/ think his sweet words at the meeting were
all cosmetics, because he's often very
rude.
£aaj £ala ?afa ...	Ud jite-
sponge on someone
(to live or profit at another's expense in a
mean or parasite way)
That lazy man won't work, but he sponges
on his family.
?il^t/dtil filbr/t/jil JbUI <3 JbkJl
all and sundry
(every person without exception; anyone
and everyone)
She didn't like her private life being made
known to all and sundry in the
newspapers.
£aam £ala £oom ...	f
string along with someone
(to go along with; agree with someone)
I'll string along with the chairman about
this as being the greatest project ever
submitted to the company; my application
for a loan will be on his desk tomorrow
morning and I want to get it approved.
^alhadiida	о-ЬЛлЛ
stony broke
(without money; ruined financially;
bankrupt)
The new house I bought last week left me
so stony broke that I couldn't afford any
piece of furniture.
^alhilwa wilmur-ra о°
through thick and thin
(through good times and bad times;
whatever happens)
Though her brother was often in trouble
she always helped and supported him
because she had promised her mother that
she would be with him through thick and
thin.
^ar-raff
out of the running
(without a chance of winning, e.g. in a
competition)
After seeing how well his friend had done,
Tom realized that he was out of the
running for the job.
^ar-rii?	j//' £
on an empty stomach
(of drink, food or smoke: to be taken first
thing in the morning or after a day's fast)
It makes me feel sick to drink tea on an
empty stomach.
^az-ziiru
brand new
(completely new)
(the word brand refers to a hot iron used
72

(to know all that there is to be known about
a situation, especially to realize the bad
things or difficulties)
I'm sure he's not lying to me; we've lent
him money in the past, and we know the
score.
^irif ilfuula	k) jib
know the ropes
(to know or learn all the details, rules, and
organization of a business, method, etc.)
The new workers wanted to know the
ropes.
£irif in я1-1ад ha?? Jr 4^1 jj
mend one’s ways
(to improve one's behaviour, manners,
etc.)
He will have to mend his ways if he wants
to get this job.
^irif Juylu mai-a ...
have it out with someone
(to meet someone and settle an argument
or quarrel with him)
He was annoyed by what Paul had said and
decided to have it out with him as soon as
possible.
£irif... tafaaf	<	£
have a smattering of someone, something
(to have slight, superficial or imperfect
knowledge of someone or something)
-	Do you know Mr. Zimmerman?
-	I'm afraid I only have a smattering of him.
^ar-raf ... ma?aamu
cut someone down to size
(to show someone that he is not as
important as he thinks he is; show the true
limits of a person's abilities)
He sent his girlfriend a tough letter cutting
her down to size.
^ara?u mara?u
have egg on one’s face
(to become very embarrassed; appear
foolish or silly)
^amliin zayy naakir
winkiir
fight like cat and dog
(to quarrel or argue fiercely, especially very
often)
They still love each other very much. But
they fight like cat and dog.
^aayiz il?ard tinfa?? witibla^ni
not know where to put oneself
(to feel very embarassed; feel great mental
discomfort or anxiety)
When they asked me if I was the person
who had eaten all the food at the party last
night I just didn't know where to put
myself.
£ag-giz ... ?abl il?awaan O’jSl*
make someone grey before his time
(to cause someone to look older than he
really is, especially by putting him under
constant stress or tension)
What did I do to deserve a husband like
you? You're making me grey before my
time.
^agnu wi/abzu	о
know someone, something inside out
(to know a subject, person etc., very well)
Looking for a house in the suburbs can be a
nightmare. So no-one is more fitted for the
job than Dick; he knows the whole town in-
side out.
^idd yanamak ya J")	ЛР
guha
can count something on one’s fingers
(to be able to count a number, amount,
etc., very easily because the amount is
small)
When he was asked about the mumber of
winners, he shrugged his shoulders and
said one could count them on his fingers.
i=irif ilbiir wiytffcwt
know the score
73

^a/imtini bilhala? x^r-ramt ana widaani
I counted my chickens before they were
hatched
(to believe that success, victory, etc., is
certain before it actually happens,
depending on another person's promises
or expectations, which often turn out to be
false)
You told me that I would get the new
contract, but it seems I counted my
chickens before they were hatched. This
morning I was told that someone else got
it.
5«S«fiir ilbatn
pangs of hunger
(a sudden, sharp feeling of hunger, often
aroused by the smell of food)
All that mattered to him, however, is that
the pangs of hunger had been appeased,
and come what may after that.
... ^asr
give someone a good grilling
(to question severely and persistently)
The detectives gave the prisoner a good
grilling until he confessed.
• j ,
^asox mu/-xu	Дл» j-az
beat one's brains out
(to spend a lot of time thinking or worrying
over a subject)
For hours now I've been beating my brains
out trying to come up with a solution to the
problem.
?il^«sfuura ?alitli	cJli OjjaLsaJI
a little bird told me
(used to avoid saying how one knows
something secret, usually in answer to a
question)
- How did you find out they would be
getting married soon?
- Ah, a little bird told me!
He told everyone that his horse was sure to
win the race; he certainly had egg on his
face when it came last.
^ariis ilyafla	dJUuJ' &
the boy next door
(a young man who has been accepted by a
girl's family as her husband, especially
when the whole matter occurs without due
preparations)
Last week the boy next door proposed to
her, and they got married this morning.
^ariis ilhana
Prince Charming
(an ideal type of future husband; a perfect
lover)
[refers to the fairy-tale prince who marries
Cinderella]
A pub is not the place where girls could
meet their Prince Charmings.
^ariis lu?ia
a good catch
(a desirable person to marry because of
wealth, position or other status)
Lucky you! He's a good catch - when are
you going to get married?
^ajaan sawaad ^uyuunak i'j-i jLif-
for love
(because of fondness for a person or
pleasure taken in doing something; not for
personal profit)
- How much do I owe you for mending my
car?
- You owe me nothing. I did it for love.
Yi\fyifara bi?irj	J* j** °
two a penny
(easily found or obtained especially
because of being cheap; common)
Small houses in the country are becoming
very expensive in England, but in Ireland
they are two a penny.

74
4J	^11'
a thief, and it often works.
£a?lu xafiif	aLjp
feather-brained
(a silly, foolish, weak-minded person)
I've stopped inviting him to any party since
I found out he is feather-brained. Last time
he was made fun of by everybody.
£,a?lu ddftnr
have a sharp memory
(a person who is able to remember easily)
I'm sorry, but I don't have a sharp memory,
you want me to remember things that
happened when I was a school boy?
£лк-кг/г ig-gaww
make waves
(to spoil or unsettle a comfortable
situation; cause trouble)
You've got to keep friendly with your
uncle, so whatever you do don't make
waves.
£ala ?a/r iz-zaman	y*-’
it's come to a pretty pass
(things have developed into a difficult or
annoying situation)
It's come to a pretty pass when my workers
can tell me how to run my own company.
£ala bribtf	? bb
whose leg do you think you’re pulling?
(said in response to an attempt to make fun
of one in a friendly way, e.g., by trying to
make one believe something that is not
true)
- Would you like a free ticket to the
Bahamas?
- Whose leg do you think you're pulling?
^la ЬякшЦ/	4?%
bluntly
(without trying to be tactful; frankly)
I have to put it bluntly, he's been dishonest
during the probation period, and that's
why I can't give him the job.
Sndd il?iid il-li	Jot
itmad-ditlu
bite the hand that feeds one
(to act in an ungrateful manner towards
someone who has been kind or helpful to
one)
The man had worked for the company for
several years. When he was caught
stealing, his employer felt that he had
bitten the hand that fed him.
^fldmu tz/ri
still wet behind the ears
(lacking experience, training or knowledge)
[refers to a child who has not dried behind
his ears after washing]
The older members of the committee took
no notice of my demand to join the
executive board; they clearly thought I was
still wet behind the ears.
kibiira (/ijna)	‘U-aa
a bigwig
(an important person)
No wonder he's seen driving a new car
every other week; his father is a bigwig in
the car industry.
$=af-far winaf-far	jAjj jAA
huff and puff
(to show signs of making a great effort or
to become confused in trying to do
something)
The two men began to huff and puff when
they were asked awkward questions.
a a о
^afriit in-niswaan	Cj^aa
a toy whistle
(one which extends when blown)
^afriit yitnl-k/^ ^afriit C-jjAA vllaj C-j
set a thief to catch a thief
(to use the experience and skills of one
criminal or wrongdoer in order to catch
another)
You know, sometimes the officers at
Scotland Yard don't depend on their own
investigations, but they set a thief to catch
75
or what one can afford, especially when
spending money)
I can't afford having another baby; I'll have
to cut my coat according to my cloth.
^ala ?albu mt/r^awih * Уу
take one’s own sweet time
(to be in no hurry at all; to proceed very
slowly)
If you are in a hurry, don't ask him to do
the job for you because he takes his own
sweet time.
Sala ?albahal J**)
fr/luun
[the word tddluun refers to the mosque of
Ibn Tuluun in Cairo, which was formerly
used as the residence of poor Moroccan
pilgrims on their way to Makkah. The story
goes that one day a Moroccan pilgrim was
aboard a ship that took him from
Alexandria to Cairo, and as it arrived at a
spot on the eastern bank of the Nile very
close to the mosque, the sailor told him
that this was as far as the ship went and
asked him to get off. Being unable to pay
for a donkey ride, the pilgrim said that he
would not leave the ship unless it took him
to the mosque]
to the bitter end
(to the very last; to the point where
something violent, some great misfortune
etc., takes place and nothing further can be
done)
My aunt was so determined not to leave
and said she would stay to the bitter end.
^ala kaff Safriit
touch and go
(very risky and uncertain situation)
[refers to a ship that touches rocks or the
ground but then goes on past the danger
without being damaged]
For three days it was touch and go as to
whether she would live.
^ala tum-mit ^eenu
cock-a-block full with
(filled to capacity with a number of persons
or things)
My aunt sent me a hamper cock-a-block
full with all kinds of goodies.
Cl
^ala gus-siti	!
over my dead body!
(not if I can prevent it)
- I'm going to take the car tonight, Dad.
- Over my dead body\
S,ala hisaab $ahb
ilmahill
[the Egyptian-Arabic idiom often produces
a humorous effect when a /у/ sound is
substituted for the three /h/ sounds in order
to copy the pronunciation that was
formerly adopted by foreigners living in
Egypt, especially Greeks and Italians, who
worked as waiters in pubs and restaurants]
on the house
(of drink, food, etc.: given to someone free,
especially by the owner of a pub,
restaurant, etc.)
When Jim's wife had a baby, the drinks
were on the house for all his regular
customers.
^ala sinn wirumh
known to one and all
(of a person: well-known to everyone)
I'm the son fo Mr. Bloggs, known to one
and all.
^ala £ecnak ya taagir yr'j Ь
in evidence
(present and so easily seen; on view)
Although the police have tried to lower the
rate of crime, there is a great deal of crimi-
nal activity in evidence in the cities.
Ji») A*
£ala ?add lihaafak midd riglcck
cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth
(to remain within the limits of what one has
76
go wrong in some activity, then it will)
He had just bought a new watch, but the
same day he dropped it and broke it. Well,
that's sod's law, isn't it?
^amal ilbahr iihiina ‘ЦлЬ J-**
promise someone the moon
(to take promises that are very generous,
e.g. so that one is unlikely to fulfil them;
picture something vividly but
unrealistically in words)
She met a boy on holiday who promised
her the moon and made her believe she
was the most beautiful girl in the world.
•> > • / , ,
partial ij-Jiwayiteen	J-**
bituu^u
put on an act
(to behave in a false way in order to
impress other people or get what one
wants)
The woman put on an act in order to get
the job.
9 £ x 9
£amal ^amaliy-ya
go under the knife
(to be operated on surgically)
My doctor finally advised me that I should
go under the knife because I've shown no
response to medication.
^amal fiiha funl	-bjy Ц-9
play the school-master
(to be fond of telling others what to do and
how to do it; domineering)
-	Is he the boss?
-	No.
-	So why's he playing the school-master?
£amal linafsu gaww yr
create an aura for oneself
(to surround oneself with an atmosphere of
elegance and well-being in order to
impress other people)
When his fiance went to visit him he
created an aura for himself to impress her.
^ala iwor	jV
have ants in one’s pants
(to be in a state of anxiety or impatience)
He's got ants in his pants about the
contract - he's worried that we won't be
paid if we don't finish the work before the
time agreed.
^ala widnu
what have you; non-stop; no time to
waste
(anything else like this; and so on; without
stopping)
He teaches reading, writing, listening,
speaking and what have you.
£,ilmi ^ilrnak
search me!
(I don't know! I haven't any idea!)
-	Why aren't they here to meet us?
-	Search me\
^aleek ^afriit ?... J
ismu ...
that bloody ... haunts you?
(said to someone who seems to be
obsessed by something and therefore
keeps talking or asking about it in a
persistent manner)
-	Where's the jacket, woman?
-	1 haven't seen it.
-	Have you been out?
-	No.
-	Has anyone visited you?
-	No.
-	Then where has it gone?
-	That bloody jacket haunts you?
•, i i ,
S/zm-mzzr iHaa&j	4-iUaJl
get high; get loaded
(to get somewhat drunk; dazed under the
influence of a narcotic drug)
I haven't been drunk for a while - let's find
a place to get high.
^umru kida
that's sod’s law
(of things: a rule stating that if anything can
77
4-i 4J-I •
^andu fa^ra	e&P
a cuckoo
(a silly or crazy person; fool)
Is she a cuckoo? She's been moving from
one seat to another for an hour now!
C,awag lisaanu	aJUJ
speak in a la-di-da voice
(like or typical of upper-class society in
pronunciation)
He always speaks in a la-di-da voice when
he's talking to his employer.
£uud fihizma
a drop in the ocean
(a very small amount, especially when
compared with the larger amount that
remains or is needed)
If your father lends us some money it will
be very helpful but it will really be a drop in
the ocean when we have to pay all our
debts.
^uudu 67%d<:/r
a green horn
(a person without training or experience; a
person who is easy to trick, a person who
has recently arrived from the country to the
city)
[said originally of animals, perhaps of the
immature 'green' horns of young oxen]
Don't give him so much work to do - he's
still a green horn.
>) 4? A	U A
?il£iyt/€zr il-li mrzysib] yidwif
one may have been saved the bite, but
the barking was bad
(an action that does not find its target will
at least cause a fright or attract people's
attention)
yihlaali ya %aali
the grass is greener on the other side of
the hill / fence [saying]
(life is better, easier, etc., in any place where
one is not at present living or working)
^amal imilhab-ba ?ub-ba
make a mountain out of a molehill
(to worry about or become excited about
matters that are not really important at all)
Гт sure he'll give you the money back
when he gets paid, so there's no need to
start making a mountain out of a molehill.
^amalhum £ala ?albu «Цэ
coin it in
(to earn and save a great deal of money)
He works for the most important company
in town - he must be coining it in.
^umyy (^p	: Jlill ^P) ^p
(as in talaata ginee ^umyy)
a measly (e.g. a measly three pounds)
(a scanty, meagre sum of money)
What's all this big argument about? The
whole thing is for a measly three pounds.
^andu krfrangi	OXP
syphilitic
(a person who has syphilis, a contagious
venereal disease)
You'd better stay away from Bob - he's
syphilitic.
•a • >
^andu is-satr	jS-Jl oXP
have nothing to one s name
(to have no money or property at all)
Mrs. Madison lives alone and has nothing
to her name, so don't ask her for money.
^andu damm	fO
have horse sense
(common sense; plain practical wisdom)
Let's hope he has enough horse sense to
bring his food with him.
^andu rub^ck/arib	£0 aX£
have a screw loose
(to be slightly mad)
They say he's got a screw loose, but he
works very hard and he's really quite
harmless.
78
- gentle reproof - to respect social class)
- You've done a wonderful job, Ed. Your
report is an excellent piece of writing.
- Thank you, sir but I wouldn't presume to
accept any praise - you taught me
everything.
£eenu tid-dabb fiiha	UJ »—
rusi/^у/
have a bold stare
(a look that lacks proper shame and
modesty)
They were disconcerted by the girls' bold
stare.
^eenu кя/rit £ala ...
set one’s heart on something
(to wish for something strongly; be
determined to get or do something)
I've set my heart on having that new coat.
^eeni bitriff
be all of a twitch
(a vague feeling taken as a notification or
warning of what is to come, usually
marked by a slight, involuntary movement
of the eye-lids)
I've been all of a twitch since I woke up
this morning and I knew something bad
was going to happen.
^ceni fi^ccnak
look me straight in the eye
(to look steadily and boldly at a person,
e.g. without showing emotion or feelings
of guilt)
Look me straight in the eye and say that
you are not in any trouble = I do not
believe that you can say it without showing
in your face that it's not true.
^een ilhasuud fiiha
^uud
may the evil-eye be struck blind!
(a formula against the evil eye)
il^een	J^) 0
Ьс/siik/ wil?iid ?asiira
the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
[saying]
[man has many fine intentions that the
weakness of his human nature does not
allow him to fulfil)
[from the Bible: 'The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak.' (Matthew 26:41)]
il^een ^alee	4-1^
earmarked
(identified or set aside for something)
[from the practice of marking the ears of
sheep and cattle for identification]
The young man was earmarked for
promotion, but when he failed to sign the
contract for the company, they asked him
to leave.
^een J**)	&
fig-gan-na wi^een fin-m/t/r
have the cake and eat it too
(to try to enjoy or get advantage from two
things when using or doing one of them
makes the other impossible)
If you spend all your money on clothes you
won't be able to go to the cinema at the
weekend - you can't have the cake and eat
it too.
?il£een J**)	U
mati^laaj ^alhaagib
I wouldn’t presume to accept any praise
(a polite rejoinder to praise; an admonition
79
<d -Ч-^'	j*!'
yan-na zflkzmuu	оnJb
sing the blues
(to be disappointed or disillusioned)
[the blues is a slow, melancholy song with
jazz rhythm]
Jim has been singing the blues since he
left Elizabeth - he loved her very much.
у ay-y ar damm ...
get someone’s blood up
(to make someone angry or become angry)
You'd better be careful, now that you've
got his blood up.
»	* S-
yay-y at iz-zeet
get one’s end away
(of a man: to have sexual intercourse with
a woman, e.g. when this has not happened
for some time)
у cry-y at ^atabtu
move house
(to change one's place of residence,
especially together with one's furniture and
goods)
They felt they simply had to move house
again; they couldn't stand the
neighbourhood.
?ilyurlxwzl Ji*) вХй J XXM JbjAJl
ig-gidiid lu Jad-da
a new broom sweeps clean [saying]
(a person who has just been put in charge
of an organization will always start with
great vigour to make many changes to
improve its effectiveness)
The young headmaster's ideas were not all
approved of by the school committee, but
he was a new broom and was determined
to put them into practice.
yulub hunv/rzri
I give up!
(to stop trying or doing; have no more
hope for)
-	It's become hopeless. / give up\
-	Cheer up! You can always take it again.
}	• х» •
jXa> j <Ц|Ц11
80
j>T —J
fis-saliim	-t-J—J'
in the clear
(no longer in trouble, distrusted, or under
suspicion)
The police searched his flat thoroughly for
stolen goods but could find nothing - he
was in the clear.
tij-jaari^
out on one’s ear
(suddenly dismissed from a job, etc.)
If you continue to be so late, you'll find
yourself out on your ear.
fit-taraawci	ej*
out in the cold
(not taking part, not included)
Some workers were left out in the cold in
the recent wage agreement with their
employers.
fil-laf-fa
in arms
(a person who has little experience in
business matters, public life, etc.)
How could you ask her to give the speech
of the opening session - she's still in arms.
filmijmij
that’ll be the day!
(the day when that happens I'll be very
surprised: used when someone has stated
his intention of doing something, obtaining
something, etc., which the speaker believes
is very unlikely)
He said he was thinking of inviting us all to
a party at his own house. That'll be the
day!
filmalakiy-ya	aXM'
in civvy street
(not in the army, navy, etc.)
[civvy is short for civilian = not military]
I'm a soldier now but when I was in civvy
street I worked in a factory.
filhayfa wiyis-sr/d-dizr
penny wise (and) pound foolish
fi?aa/ir bilaad
ilmuslimiin
at the ends of the earth
(anywhere; even the most distant lands or
parts of the world)
Say you want it, and I would bring it to you
even if it were at the ends of the earth.
fit-takatiim
up one’s sleeve
(secretly)
He's been staying away from everybody in
the office for a couple of weeks. I'm sure
he's planning something up his sleeve.
filhrzdiid
at rock bottom
(of prices, a person's moral character, etc.:
at the lowest possible level)
Now is not the time to sell your car with
prices at rock bottom - you will lose a lot.
filhifz wis-soon	0 ЗадлЛ
in cold storage
(stored safely until needed)
Your suggestions will be kept in cold
storage until we have enough money to
put them into practice.
fid-dira
under the counter
(secretly or unlawfully; without the
knowledge of other people)
During the war many of the goods we can
now buy openly in the shops were only
sold under the counter.
0jjJ bJ
81
• X • t
character, through heredity or custom)
Susan Ann has betting in her blood. Her
father is a well-known London bookie with
several shops.
fideel ...	J*4 Jp □
at someone's heels
(following close behind someone)
I threaded my way through the crowd with
the dog at my heels.
fisaabi^ nooma	wJ
out for the count
(sleeping deeply)
I tried to wake her, but she was out for the
count.
wimal?ai JaiLj
high and low
(in every possible place; everywhere)
/ looked high and low for the paper you
had given me, but I couldn't find it
anywhere.
fisih-hijak	!
bottoms up!
(used as a toast or a sort of cheer said as
one takes a drink of alcohol, usually with
others)
[refers to the bottoms of glasses]
Bettoms up everybody! I'll pay for all the
drinks - today is my birthday,
л *
fi^izz in-n«h«r/r
in broad daylight
(in the daytime, when an act that is
unlawful, especially a robbery, or one that
is normally done in private should be able
to be seen, discovered, or prevented)
Two women told me they had had their
handbags snatched by passing cars as they
walked along the pavement in broad
daylight.
fi?a^da	о JaS U5
at one/а sitting
(to finish, complete, deal with something
during the course of one meeting or in one
(careful in small matters and careless or
wasteful in larger or more important
matters)
Asking the workers not to make private
telephone calls from the office is not really
likely to reduce the firm's losses - it's just
being penny wise and pound foolish.
•" • •* .
fibuuz brz^d	Joru jjj
cooped up
(sitting very close to one another as if
confined in a very small place)
Mr. and Mrs. Green were cooped up
indoors by the rain.
figazmitak	! jJL» jsr
you shouldn’t give a tinker’s cuss!
(you shouldn't care at all about something)
You look very upset - you shouldn't give a
tinker's cuss. The car will be in good shape
again.
fihaalu	<db- J)
keep (onself) to oneself
(to live quietly: not mix much with other
people)
He seems to be a very nice boy though no-
body really knows much about him be-
cause he keeps himself to himself.
fihamwit-ha	Ц55*^
in the heat of the moment
(without thought, while being influenced by
the importance or excitement of the event,
occasion, etc.)
When they agreed on all the provisions,
they wasted no more time and signed the
contract in the heat of the moment.
fi/abar kaan	JIS*
beyond recall
(cannot be restored or brought back to life)
It's been ten years since we last saw you,
and now you say you want your dog back?
It's beyond recall.
fidam-mu
in one’s blood
(to have something as part of one's nature,

82
We had last-minute doubts about the man
we had chosen as our representative, but
the die was castl
fatah ilbcet ^albahari
keep an open house
(to be ready and willing to welcome guests
to one's house at anytime)
When his parents go on holiday he keeps
an open house.
fatah stffhtt gidiida oJjA?- алаа
turn over a new leaf
(to change one's behaviour for the better;
make a new start by improving oneself,
changing one's habits, etc.)
He was a lazy student, but he turned over a
new leaf when he had to start earning his
own money.
fatah ^/r-rt/t/bi^	cC” t &
give it the gun
(to increase speed when driving a vehicle,
especially a car)
He really gives it the gun when he drives
his new car, just to show how fast it can
go.
fat-tab ^ineen ...	ОУА ^A
open someone’s eyes
(to make a person realize the whole truth,
e.g. of something that was a secret or may
be disapproved of)
The letter I found yesterday opened my
eyes to the truth; Now I know she has been
cheating me for years.
> i » °	*5
fat-tab muX’/u ma£a ...
grease someone's palm
(to give someone money, especially
dishonestly, in an attempt to persuade him
to do something, give information, etc.;
bribe someone)
If you grease his secretary's palm she
might give you a key to his office.
fatah nifs ...	^A
whet someone's appetite
period of activity)
She asked me to knit her a sweater, quite
casually, as if it was something I could at
one sitting.
filamh ilbastzr
at the drop of a hat
(immediately and willingly)
My friend loves playing the piano and will
give you a tune at the drop of a hat.
fiwiJJ ilmadfa^
in the firing line
(in a position where one is likely to come
under attack, receive punishment, etc.)
She knew she would always be in the firing
line when she became the secretary of the
boss.
faat ik-kitiir	Ь
mabi?i il-la il?aliil
the worst is over
(the most difficult part of an undertaking is
now finished and therefore what is left
must be easier: used to encourage
someone who appears to be tired, bored,
etc.)
Come on! Let's get this work done - the
worst is over.
fat-ha il?d£r	Jail) Ц51Э
on the shelf
(of a woman: unmarried and unlikely to get
married, especially because of being past
the age of looking attractive)
I know I'm not an attractive man to any
woman, not even to one on the shelf.
?ilfaas wi?£it fir-nws
the die is cast; the fat is in the fire
(a decision or decisive action has been
taken and must be kept to; what has been
done or said cannot be changed and is
likely to lead to trouble)
[in the first idiom die is the singular of dice.
When a player has thrown the dice, he
must accept whatever number is shown on
them]
83

faja/ bu?-?u	&
smile from ear to ear
(to smile broadly or widely)
When he heard he had won the prize, he
smiled from ear to ear.
9	0	«0 x
fass malh widaab	«—J jAi
do a bunk; vanish into thin air
(to disappear or go away unexpectedly)
He promised to stay in the house all day,
but when I got home I found that he'd done
a bunk and taken all my money with him.
fr/sl baarid
a rotten trick
(a playful act intended to deceive
someone)
He told us the film started at six, but we
went an hour earlier and found out it had
already started. A rotten trick, isn't it?
fc/dd magaalis
paying / giving lip-service
(to express agreement with an idea, state-
ment, etc., without sincerely meaning it or
without taking action in support of it)
I'm sure his approval of the project was
just a sort of paying lip-service because he
left it to the other fellows to carry out.
ft/dl wi^adl	Jlf- j jjrt
fair and square
(honest, correct, or proper)
It was a good exchange, fair and square.
fakk husrtz	Oj-a?-
have a pee
(to go to the toilet)
Excuse me, I must have a pee before we
leave - where are the toilets?
fakk c,an nafsu	dAi
let one’s hair down
(to rest and enjoy oneself after a period
during which one has had to keep oneself
under control)
It's wonderful to let your hair down at the
weekend.
(to make someone eager to obtain, learn,
see, taste, or hear more)
I've read only the first few pages of his
book, but it was enough to whet my
appetite; I finished it before I went to bed.
faraayit c>een	/
insatiable greed
(greed that cannot be satisfied)
We've already given him more than his
share, and he's asking if he can get even
more. This is what I call insatiable greed.
farxa bikijk	у
someone’s pet/favourite
(a person who is treated with special
kindness or favour, a darling or favourite)
He's become the teacher's pet since he
knew that his father is the course adviser.
far-ra? Jarbdwl	’bjJi J /
put/hang the flags out
(to welcome an event with great happiness
or joy)
The day he buys me a drink I'll put the
flags out.
farkit ka^b	/
within striking/spitting distance; within
a stone’s throw
(very near)
We didn't have to walk for more than three
or four minutes - the castle was within
striking distance of the road.
fajf yil-lu
vent one’s spleen
(to get rid of the bad temper, anger, etc.,
caused by someone or something by
attacking someone else)
After a tiring day at the office, he vented
his spleen on his wife.
• > О 0
fj-jitu ^ayma
a jolly soul
(a person who is always very cheerful)
She's such a jolly soul; she never takes
anything seriously.
l£ijl<3
84

fuula win?asamit	C..» 	j J у
nus-seen
as like as two peas in a pod
(very or exactly alike)
You won't be able to know which is which -
they're as like as two peas in a pod.
fiih ПЬягакд
go a long way
(especially of an amount of money or food:
to be enough)
There are only five of us here, and two
chickens can go a long way, I think.
fiih ir-rama?
alive and kicking
(still living and active)
Their grandfather was 80 years but he was
very much alive and kicking.
fii ij-jifa	ILiJl aJ
just what the doctor ordered
(just what is needed, suitable, or what one
enjoys in a particular situation)
After a hard day of work a nice meal at
home is just what the doctor ordered.
fangari bu??	4$
be all mouth and trousers
(to have a tendency to talk a great deal
while taking little or no practical action to
support what one says)
He'll talk for hours about your problems
and how to solve them, but he won't
actually do anything to help. He's all
mouth and trousers.
fangil ^ineek	!
keep your eyes peeled/skinned
(watch carefully for something)
Keep your eyes peeled for any movement
in the house opposite.
faw-яг damm ...
make someone's blood boil
(to cause someone to be very angry)
It makes my blood boil when I read about
the violence among young people.
foo? ilbee^a	aaJ' J
into the bargain
(in addition; also)
They bought the flat and took the curtains
and carpets into the bargain.
85
[refers to cloth-making. The finished cloth
is stretched on a frame called a tenter and
attached to it by means of hooks
(tenterhooks)]
His examination results are going to arrive
this morning. He was sitting on
tenterhooks all day yesterday thinking
about them.
£	0	0
?aal waahid wisit-tiin jjs-»j
take to one’s heels
(to run away)
He stood for a while and then took to his
heels. Nobody has seen him since then.
?aal ji*) аЬ' J?	JL* JIS
yiyiiz hamaatu bikutr zuroatu
cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
(to do something because of anger, hurt
pride, etc., that harms oneself or one's own
interests)
By refusing to work they are cutting off
their noses to spite their faces because the
company will close down.
?aam bis-alaama	«uM-Jb
up and about; out and about
(out of bed, especially after suffering from
an illness)
He is out and about now after two weeks in
hospital.
?aayim ma?luub
have got out of bed on the wrong side
(to be very bad-tempered, sensitive,
impatient, etc., on a particular day,
especially in the morning)
He must have got out of bed on the wrong
side - he's shouted at almost everybody in
the office for no reason.
?ud-daam ^inee	-4^
before/under someone’s (very) eyes
(directly in front of someone or in some-
one's presence, e.g. when the person
should have noticed something but did
not)
He stole the books before my very eyes.
3
?aabil rc/bb kariim
(go to) meet one’s Maker
(used euphemistically: to die)
The doctors said he would survive but
when I went to visit him in the hospital,
he'd already gone to meet his Maker. I
couldn't but cry bitterly - he was a good
man.
?aad s«w«b£u	о
in=ajara Jam^
bend over backwards
(to do everything one can, often at
inconvenience to oneself, in order to help
or please someone)
Wherever he was in difficulty I always bent
over backwards to help him.
?aarif malhit ...
always picking on someone
(to find fault with someone, especially to
annoy or tease him)
Why is the teacher always picking on me.
I'm not the only one to forget the exercise
book.
?aa^id biyniJJ
at a loose end
(with nothing to do; with no job, plans,
interests, etc.)
When I got dismissed from work last year I
was rather at a loose end for more than six
months before I could get another job.
?aa£id ^ala beedr/	-Uj
sitting on tenterhooks
(to be in a state of anxiety or full of
expectation)

86
a * i л • a ,
Zj zb Zj e4*
some of her letters while she was away
and discovered that she's been giving him
the runaround.
?asam ilbalad nus-seen	aLJI
split the difference
(of two or more people: to agree on a
figure halfway between two figures,
especially between the normal amount one
person is willing to pay and the price for
which another will sell)
The man wanted 500 pounds for the car
and I would only give him 450 pounds, so
we decided to split the difference and he
sold it to me for 475 pounds.
?usr deel	Jp
sour grapes
(feelings of bitterness caused by failure to
get what one wants: used to describe the
behaviour of a person who, because he
cannot get what he wants, pretends that
the object is of no use or value)
[refers to a story by the Greek fablist,
Aesop in which a fox cannot reach the fruit
that it wants to eat and therefore decides
that the fruit is not ripe]
He says that my new car is a waste of
money, but that's just sour grapes. Really
he would like very much to own one
himself.
?t/s-sr/r ra?abit ...
let the side down
(to disappoint one's companions, team,
etc., by acting in a manner that causes
them to be disapproved of or that prevents
them from gaining a victory, fulfilling their
aims, etc.)
You must behave very politely, and don't
let the side down by complaining about
the food.
riij...
clip someone's wings
(to limit the power or influence of a person)
[refers to cutting the wings of birds so that
»	"» e »	• f $
?ad-dim rigl wi?r/x-/</r J^j Z'j
rigl
drag one’s feet
(to move or act very slowly, especially
because one has a lack of interest or
eagerness)
Your firm is dragging its feet over signing
this contract; actually, I'm beginning to lose
patience.
Ji*)	°?
?ird haaris wibay-yaa^ makaanis
Jack of all trades (and) master of none
(a person who has the ability to do many
different kinds of work, although not
necessarily very well)
— ’. ' ° i i •	. • »
?il?ird	J^) J'Z
fi^een um-mu yazaal
beauty is in the eye of the beholder
[saying]
(different people have different opinions
about what is to be regarded as beautiful:
often said of a person who is not up to the
generally accepted standard of beauty)
?orsit widn	у
one in the eye
(something unpleasant that is considered
just punishment for a person who has hurt
or annoyed the speaker)
Mr. West tried to persuade his neighbours,
the Wilsons, to sell their cattle to him, but
they refused. The next morning they found
two of their cows dead by the barn. Mr.
West was then said to have telephoned the
Wilsons and told them: 'That's one in the
eye for you.'
? arias ...	ji
give someone the runaround
(to deceive someone with whom one has a
close relationship by having secret
relationships with other men and women at
the same time)
He had thought there was nothing wrong
with their marriage, but then he opened
sympathy for the other person)
- I'll have to get up early to catch the train
tomorrow.
• My heart bleeds for you. I have to do that
every morning.
а о о x
?«tii^a ti?t«^ni	-uJa5
drat it!
(an exclamation of exasperation: damn it!)
Drat it! I forgot to bring any money.
?a'§ad £ala kitaab	.us
crack a book
(to read)
Although they say that George never
cracks a book, he managed to pass all his
examinations.
?afaj... £ala ha?i?tu
get someone's number!
(to understand a person's true character or
intentions, especially to realize his faults,
weakness, or dishonesty)
I used to think he was a friend of mine, but
now I've got his number; he's completely
selfish.
?il?uf-fa Ji*)
um widneen уi/iluuha itneen
many hands make light work [saying]
(a job, duty, etc., is easy to do if many
people share the work)
?all bi?aslu ma^a...	Ji
do the dirty on someone
(to treat a person in an unjust or unfair
way, especially to be disloyal to him
secretly)
The others in my office did the dirty on me
when they told the boss that I was often
late for the afternoon shift.
?albu biy itW/t-U/S; ^ala ...	*3
someone’s heart goes out to someone
(someone feels sympathy or pity for some-
one)
He said that his heart went out to all those
who were hungry and homeless.
they cannot fly)
The king will have to clip minister's wings
in order to keep power himself.
daabir ...
settle someone's hash
(to deal with someone in such a way that
he can cause no more trouble)
He was annoying his fellow workers, so the
boss finally settled his hash by dismissing
him.
^an ...
ilhaliib wir-raayib
leave someone in the lurch
(to leave a person in difficulties when one's
help is expected)
I'd known him for years, and I never
believed that he'd leave me in the lurch
after losing my job.
qccj ...
take the bread out of someone's mouth
(to take away someone's food or the means
of obtaining it)
If you do that work, you'll be taking the
bread out of the mouths of your fellow
workers here.
fifarwit in-naas
chew the fat
(to talk about affairs, events, etc., especially
those of other people, in a careless way)
Most of the older women meet to chew the
fat with their neighbours every morning.
?zrt-to^ nafsu
sweat one’s guts out
(to work very hard)
I'm not going to sweat my guts out for 25
pounds a week.
?«t-ta^t ?albi ya/ее/ ! Ь Слкэ
my heart bleeds for you! you’re
breaking my heart!
(I feel very sorry for you: you're making me
feel great pity for you: used when the
speaker does not actually have any

88
аК 4Д4
(to have a feeling that something bad is
going to happen)
The sailor's wife had a foreboding that he
would not return.
?il?uluub %and brz^dahu	jX5J
a person can always tell when another
likes him
(used to express mutual feelings shared by
friends, relatives, etc.)
- Come on in! I was just going to give you a
call.
- A person can always tell when another
likes him.
?ahwa biwijj	«j$5
Turkish coffee with a head
(a cup of coffee with froth on top of it
brewed in a special pot called teneke)
?albu kalu £ala ...	4)45
sick worried about someone
(to feel great worry and anxiety about
someone)
I hadn't realized how much she meant to
me until she left. Now I'm sick worried
about her.
?albu may-yit	4J5
as bold as brass
(very bold or daring)
The thief must be as bold as brass to have
carried out a robbery at midday.
?albu wi?i£ min duluu^u 4£^L> aJj
have one’s heart in one’s boots
(to feel fearful)
I had my heart in my boots when the boss
called me into his office.
?albi haasis	^^15
I have a foreboding

89
o’jlf
longer in any danger, but he had a close
call.
kaan zamaan wigubur	j JUj JIS*
time was
(at a time in the past: usually used when
remembering something that no longer
happens; the time being spoken about was
a good and enjoyable time when compared
with the present)
Time was when children were supposed to
keep silent until a grown-up spoke to them.
kaan yeerak ujtur ! Ja-al JIS'
and the best of British!
(good luck: often used when the speaker
believes that someone has very little
chance of succeeding)
- I'm going to ask for a pay increase today.
- And the best of British! Someone did a
few minutes ago and was kicked out.
kaan	Ji*) ® yr JIS'
figur-ru witilif, libur-ru
risen in the world
(of a person who has been inexperienced
or naive: to become worldly-wise: caring
much for the interests and pleasures of this
world)
He has really risen in the world since we
saw him last - now he's got a girlfriend and
he goes out with her every night.
kitiir in-nut J**)	J45 jiff
?aliil is-seed
barking dogs seldom bite [saying]
(the implication is that a person who
usually shouts and/or keeps fidgeting,
especially because of being bad-tempered
rarely takes an action)
kahh ma;a ...	J^i
sneeze at someone
(used in negative contexts: to treat with
scorn; not to pay attention to)
A man of my influence is not to be sneezed
at.

kart blunj
a blank cheque
(freedom, or permission to do what one
wants or considers necessary)
The Ministry was given the necessary
money and a blank cheque to reorganize
education.
0 J ,	0 J
kaafi /ecru jur-ru	e j-i fly*- ^$IS*
an honest Joe
(an ordinary man who is of no special
interest)
He's just an honest Joe trying to earn
enough money to live.
ka?an-nak yabu zeed C-iJfr U Jjj yb dAiU'
mayazeet
ka?an-nak	j jib jb'isr
yabadr laruht wala geet
as you were
(return to your former position)
[from a command used originally in drilling
soldiers: cancel any instructions, whether
given by mistake or not]
I used to look forward to the time when my
children would marry and leave home.
Now I have three grandchildren to look
after nine months of the year. ' As you
were, in fact.’
kaan hayruuh fiiha Цз
have a close call
(to avoid or escape from something,
especially danger, injury, failure, etc., at the
last possible moment)
My father is still in hospital; his life is no
JU&U JJ j J Ji JT
90
ka^t, ig-sa?l wil-la?t	Jaiil' j Jaildl
pay through the nose
(to pay a very high price for something)
I had one of those whims when I took my
family to the opera, and paid through the
nose for three tickets. The next day, I was
asking everybody in the office if they could
lend me some money.
f	0
kr/f'r ilbabtiix
a whistle stop
(a small, unimportant village on a railway
line, where the train stops only when it is
signalled)
My brother got appointed in a whistle stop
two hundred kilometres away from the
nearest town.
?ik-kafan	J^)
maluuf giyuub
you can’t take it with you [saying]
(one cannot take one's possessions,
especially one's money, to the grave;
everything that one owns will stay on earth
when one dies)
kafa	mrzguur
keep something under one’s hat
(to keep something secret; not make
something known to anyone)
Jane and I decided to get married, but keep
it under your hat for the moment.
kal ig-gaww
steal the limelight
(to receive great attention from the public;
be in a position where one is easily
noticed)
My wife stole the limelight when she
appeared at the party in her new dress.
kul id-duud (sT*i J**)
?abl mayaklak
eat a peck of dirt/dust before one dies
[saying]
(one is bound to take in with one's food a
certain amount of dirt, from the air, in the
course of one's life)
kad-daab fi?asl wif-Ju	JT
a barefaced liar
(a shameless liar)
She's a barefaced liar, she hadn't asked me
for money at all, or else I would have given
it to her.
?ik-kidb	J*»)
maluuf riglcen
truth will out [saying]
(the truth about a situation or event cannot
be hidden for ever)
kas-sar id-dinya	tJuJl
bring the house down
(of a play, an actor's performance, etc.,: to
cause a show of great approval or
applause, e.g. to make an audience laugh
very much)
A few years ago, in a play, Alan Bates sang
a folk song on stage. It brought the house
down.
kt/s-sar ma?adiif... j'Ai
take the wind out someone's sails
(to put a sudden end to someone's pride or
belief in his own abilities, power, etc.)
He had often been a good tennis player
until my son beat him last week and took
the wind out of his sails.
kajaf ilmastuur
let the cat out of the bag
(to make known something that was a
secret, especially to make it known
accidentally and at the wrong time)
[refers to a trick. A cat was put in a bag by
someone who would claim that it was a pig
and try to sell it to an inexperienced
person. If that person opened the bag
before paying, he would let the cat out of
the bag and avoid being cheated]
The criminal was hiding from the police,
but a small boy let the cat out of the bag
when he told them that there was a man in
the house.
by being broken)
- Can you lend me your camera?
- I'm sorry, but it's gone west. I'm thinking
of buying a new one next week.
kull Jeex wilu Jb)
u/rii?t7
there’s more ways than one to kill a cat
[saying]
(there are more ways or methods than one
of getting something done: often used to
defend one's own way of doing something
when this is considered unusual)
kal £ara? ...	JS*
swindle someone out of his cut
(to cheat someone, especially by denying
him his payment for labour or share for
being involved in a small transaction)
After working hard for three days the
foreman swindled me out of my cut; I'm
going to send a complaint to whoever is in
charge.
kull ^u?da
wiliha hal-laal
there’s always a way
(there is always someone who can sort
things out or find the right answer to a
problem)
Let's go to the boss and see what he can
do about your problem. But even if he
can't, there's always a way.
kal wimalh	j
mai;a ...
break bread with someone
(to take food or have a meal with someone)
He offered to break bread with me.
kal fi?aa/ir zaadu	y*”'
eat like there’s no tomorrow
(to eat as if the chance will never come
again; without restraining oneself at all)
He was eating like there's no tomorrow.
kal firoohu
simmer
- I wonder if these strawberries have been
washed properly?
- You've got to eat a peck of dirt before you
die, anyway.
kull baryuut	Ji
^ala ?add dam-mu
horses for courses
(each person being employed for the
purpose for which he is most suited: used
to emphasize the fact that certain jobs can
only be done by people with the right skills)
[in horseracing some horses run well on
one type of ground while others are more
accustomed to a different type]
Smith can do the work; Jones can't. I'm
afraid that Jones will just have to learn that
in business it's horses for courses.
kal bi£a?l... halaawa	JJLrj JT
sweet-talk someone
(to fulfil one's purposes and defeat
opposition by pleasant talk, insincere
politeness or praise)
He sweet-talked me into going home with
him.
kull hiin wimiin	j jy*-
once in a blue moon
(hardly at all or hardly ever)
I've almost forgotten what Jack looks like. I
see him once in a blue moon now.
kal zaftzr
grease one’s chin
(to eat meat)
[grease is soft animal fat, especially of
geese and ducks. So to grease one's chin is
to smear one's chin (the part of the face
below the mouth) with fat while eating big
lumps of meat]
Now that the doctor has allowed me to eat
what I want, I am going to grease my chin.
Go get us a fat duck from the pen.
kull sana winta toy-yib	JT
gone west
(of things: ceased to exist or operate, e.g.
л-***
92
Не stuffed himself silly and fell asleep in
the chair.
kull	JT
waahid yinaam ^ag-gamb il-li yiray-yahu
have it one’s own way
(to believe or do whatever one wants)
All right, have it your own way. Only let
me alone.
kal wijj ...	jjT
make someone feel small
(to make someone feel ashamed or
humiliated)
Her kindness to me after I had broken her
window made me feel small.
kalaam filhawa
hot air
(talk or promises that sound impressive but
are worthless and result in nothing)
His promises to take her to Paris for the
weekend were all hot air.
kalaam fisir-rak	~
a word in your ear
(something, such as a question or advice,
said secretly to someone)
A word in your ear before you buy a new
car; prices will go down next month.
kalaam faariy	! t J*» №
stuff and nonsense!
(that's completely untrue, incorrect, foolish,
etc.)
- The team you're now watching is the best
in the country.
- Stuff and nonsense! The children from
the local school can beat them.
kalaam mahsuus
double-entendre
(a word or expression with two meanings,
one of which is often indelicate or
improper)
Yesterday he made a double-entendre that
hurt all those who were present.
(to be on the point of just breaking out)
She simmered with anger, but said nothing.
kal finafsu milyiira оJT
be green with envy
(to be very jealous)
She'll be green with envy when I tell her
that I've bought myself a new car.
kull fuula	J**)	У
wiliha ka-yaal
every Jack has his Jill
(every person will have a partner with
whom feelings, especially of love, can be
mutually shared)
kal kaam sana min ®	IT JS*
^umru
shave a few years off one’s age
(to tell or make known that one is younger
than one really is)
Shaving a few years off one's age is a
white lie, isn't it?
kul-lu	Jj>) Ojbi'yU
labiibin bilVi/aariti yafhamu
a nod as good as a wink [saying]
(a sign, indirect suggestion, etc., is all that
is necessary: used to indicate that the
speaker needs no direct statement to un-
derstand a situation)
/ was still at the flat when my friend's girl-
friend arrived. My friend gave me one look
and I left them alone together. A nod's as
good as a wink.
kull leel wilu	Ji»)
?aa/ir
the longest day must have an end
[saying]
(any period of unhappiness, failure, etc.,
however lasting it seems, must finally
come to an end)
kal witban-nig	j JS*
stuff oneself silly
(to gorge oneself with food to the point of
being unable to move)
kul-lu nr/z«r	‘US
leave it to one’s discretion
(to have the freedom to judge or choose
according to the way one pleases or thinks
fit)
- Who's going to go on that business trip?
- I leave it to your discretion.
kama ?unzal	JUT
as gospel
(as being completely true)
[refers to the books of the Bible concerned
with the life and teachings of Christ]
He knows the history of this town
thoroughly, and -everything that he says
about it can be taken as gospel.
kam-mil S;afaa noom
go without supper
(to go to bed without supper: the evening
meal)
Since their father's death the boys have
been going without supper.
?ik-keel iafah
have had a bellyful
(to have had too much of something
unpleasant or unfortunate and so wish to
have no more of it)
He had had a bellyful of his wife's
complaints, and so had decided to leave
her.
kalbijit fi ...	0^4
get one’s claws into someone
(of a woman: to try to trap a man,
especially to make him marry her)
Once she gets her claws into you, you
won't be able to escape.
?ik-kilma
kilmit-ha wij-joora Jurit-ha
she wears the trousers/pants
(of a woman: to be the ruling partner in a
marriage)
As soon as they've finished eating he piles
up the plates and goes into the kitchen to
do the washing up - it's quite clear that his
wife wears the trousers in that house.
kul-lina wilaad tis^a	4*—J	Ь»
Jack is as good as his master [saying]
(the servent is as good as his master; men
with power are not necessarily better than
those without power: usually used to
express the general equality of all men)
kul-lu biyitk/^ filyasiil
it’ll come out in the wash
(of a problem, cause for anxiety, etc.: to
come to a satisfactory end)
[refers to dirt removed from clothes, etc.,
by washing)
There's no need to worry if you've made a
few mistakes. It'll come out in the wash.
V Ч—i L
94

Something or someone that was upto the
nines was very good indeed]
The whole family were dressed up to the
nines when they left for the wedding.
labsa £iryaan	jb
dressed to kill
(of a woman: dressed in clothes that are
intended to attract attention)
I don't know how she can afford to do it
but every night she goes out, dressed to
kill.
laafit |ala ...	ci'i!
get oneself coiled round someone
(of a woman: to seduce a man, especially
to make him marry her)
An old woman got herself coiled round my
husband and he couldn't get rid of her until
she died.
laafif widaayir
have been around
(to have had varied experience of life and
the world, especially the kind of experience
which gives one knowledge of how to deal
with people, difficult situations, etc.)
She'd been around and I knew it wouldn't
be easy to deceive her.
la lu fit-toor jyJaJl jjsll M
wala fit-tihiin
have no hand in the matter
(not be concerned in some action,
especially something wrong: not play a
part in a plan, activity, etc.)
You must be stupid if you believe this was
my decision. I had no hand in the matter at
all.
la ya /ее/	t b
you don’t say?
(is that true? used as a humorous reply to a
statement whose truth is beyond doubt;
used to express one's surprise after being
told something)
- Some of the people in this office can be
very stupid.
J
la biy-ya wala ^alay-ya
minding one’s own business
(carrying on one's own affairs and not
becoming concerned with those of other
people)
I was, as usual, minding my own business
when a policeman came into my office and
asked me if I had anything to report about
the murder case.
la hiss wala xabar
there's no tell
(to receive no information about something
or someone)
There's no tell of that old woman for years.
la raah wala ga
nothing to write home about
(a person or a thing that is not at all
special)
I don't know why you think that girl is so
pretty. As far as I can see, she's nothing to
write home about.
la table wala iaar	jib ‘ilj аЦ?
neither fish nor fowl
(neither one thing nor the other)
It's a sad thing that the plan you wrote is
neither fish nor fowl; it's very difficult to
put it into practice.
laabis il-li ^alhabl
dressed (up) to the nines
(dressed in one’s best clothes, e.g. for a
special occasion)
[refers to the setting of a standard, with 10
as the highest point one could reach.
(to cause someone to feel distress or great
fear)
The very thought of snakes makes my flesh
creep.
lahas £a?l ...	jb
steal someone's heart
(to cause someone to fall deeply in love
with one)
She's stolen his heart since they met on
the plane to New York last summer; he has
nothing to talk about except her.
lahas kalaamu
eat one’s words
(to take back humbly something one has
said)
He said that no one could beat him at
tennis, but he had to eat his words after
losing several games.
lin/bb is-sama	U—Jl J
spectacular
(making a great display or show; very
striking or imposing to the eye)
There was a spectacular fight last night
between the two big leaders of the
opposition party.
lisaanu biyaklu
one’s tongue can’t bear to remain idle
(not be able to keep silent)
Their tongues couldn't bear to remain idle
in the presence of a stranger; they soon
found out where he had come from and
where he was going.
lisaanu zayy ilrruzbrad
sharp-tongued
(to be bitter of speech; severely critical)
They almost forgot about the comments of
their sharp-tongued neighbours.
lis-sa ^alborr
still on dry land
(not committed oneself yet; there is still
time to reconsider)
Why are you so authoritative? We're still
- You don't say?
labad fid-dur<z	®jAjl aJ
lie in wait
(to hide in order to surprise or attack
someone)
They were lying in wait for the little boy
and shot him as soon as he entered the
village.
lab-bis k/?iy-yit da lida oaJ oi xilb
rob Peter to pay Paul
(to use the money that one borrows from
one person or source to pay one's debts to
another)
[refers to Saints Peter and Paul, who are
remembered by the Church on the same
day (29 June)]
- If he doesn't have money left in his bank
account, how does he pay his debts?
- He robs Peter to pay Paul.
lab-bis ... ilhadiid	AjJjM
send someone up the river
(to send someone to prison)
Sooner or later he'll get caught and they'll
send him up the river.
lab-bis ... il-lt/rhrz	JaJl
beat someone into submission
(to cause someone to yield to the control or
authority of another, especially by
disrespectable means)
The terrorists were beaten into submission
when their leader
was arrested and
sentenced to death.
lab-bis ... il^im-ma
e 4 a	> » H,
pull the wool over someone’s eyes
(to deceive or trick a person)
Although the company was going
bankrupt, the boss soothed the angry
workers by talking to them about
increments; he certainly pulled the wool
over their eyes.
lab-bij git-til...	<&?
make one’s flesh creep
Udi у
96
jU
lamm ^izaalu
pack one’s bags
(to leave, especially because of annoyance,
a disagreement, etc.)
If you don't like your work, why don't you
pack your bags and find another job.
lamm lisaanu	aJUJ
put a curb on one’s tongue
(to control or restrain one's words)
(a curb is the raised border along the edge
of a pavement]
You must put a curb on your tongue when
you are in class.
lam-ma tihbal ilbayla <dkjl J-kj U1
when hell freezes over
(never)
I'll believe that story when hell freezes
over.
lamuuna fibalad larfaana Ajliy -ф 4j
a big fish in a little pond
(a person who is important in only a very
limited area or who has influence among
only a very small group of people)
He's probably the most skilful
businessman in our town, but compared to
the chiefs of the big national industries,
he's a big fish in a little pond.
lu fikull X</r<7(7b<7	C-JjAF <4*JS* Al
qafriit
have a finger in every pie
(to be concerned in some way with a large
number of different plans, arrangements,
etc., at the same time)
John seems to have a finger in every pie.
He owns a business in the town, he's a
member of the local council, and he
belonges to several societies and clubs.
laww id-dinya it?alabit CUlflJl UuJl jl
come rain or shine
(whatever happens)
Come rain or shine, you'll always find him
in the pub every Friday night.
on dry land - you can look for another
partner.
li^b £iyaal	JL* <--*1
kids’ stuff
(something very easy, simple, etc.)
Making clothes is kids' stuff to my sister.
liyt/rzyit manafasu it?Uz^ «Jaijl л-UiU AjI*J
until one is blue in the face
(to talk or deal with someone for an
exasperatingly long time, usually without
having gained the desired result)
We talked until we were blue in the face,
but we could never make them believe that
what we said was true.
laff widz/wt/rarm
beating around the bush
(delaying talking about or considering the
most important point or part of a
discussion, subject, etc.)
You shouldn't be beating around the bush
when asking for something you really
deserve.
lo?ai ilfuula	°aJ jill Jail
see through the trick
(to understand the real character or hidden
purpose of an action that is meant to
deceive or cheat)
We were going to be deceived into buying
a poor car, but we could see through the
trick at the last minute.
lu?ma tariy-ya	aj «uaJ
easy meat
(someone or something that may easily be
taken advantage of)
I heard when I was working on the site that
that woman was easy meat; she believed
everybody and got in trouble several times.
lil-laa filil-laa	a!1 uJ 41
for nothing
(without payment; free of charge; for no
reason)
He did all that hard work for nothing.
aL>Ji а!-!
97
Liiil UJi у
You have to save some money for a rainy
day, You never know what is going to
happen tomorrow.
lilt ilhin-na
[eve of consummation of a marriage in
traditional society in Egypt when the bride
and groom are decorated with henna: a
dark reddish-brown dye made from the
leaves of a small thorny tree of tropical
Asia and Africa]
wedding night
laww is-sama
intaba?it $>al?<2rd
come hell or high water
(whatever may happen)
He is determined to finish the job come hell
or high water.
liwa?t ^ooza
for a rainy day
(for a time of misfortune, especially
because of lack of money, that may come
one day and should be provided against)

98

matib?aaj hambali	!	Ь
don’t split hairs!
(don't waste time over unnecessary
details! said to a person who likes to argue
over or is interested in small or
unimportant detalils)
Don't split hairs! We're here to enjoy
ourselves, not to know if that elephant is
Indian or African.
mati^rafluuj bt/rr min у Jj»jliyj Iе
br/hr
can’t pin someone down
(to be unable to hold someone in one
position, or bind him to an undertaking or
pledge)
You can't pin him down - he would say
something and then do something different.
maat figildu	олЬ- Ol»
scared stiff
(to be very afraid)
They were walking slowly across the street
towards me. I was scared stiff.
maat wijibi^ moot	О у
dead and gone
(dead, especially for a long time)
The old man was very lonely because so
many of his friends were now dead and
gone.
magam-ma^ J**) JPJ
il-lam-ma waf-fa?
birds of a feather flock together [saying]
(people who have the same interests,
ideas, etc., are attracted to each other and
stay close together)
The neighbours thought that she and her
boyfriend were birds of a feather. Both are
indifferent to other people's feelings.
О J 9 „	9
mada?J Ir/^m in-noom (jJl ;hJ=> Ji» u
not sleep a wink
(not be able to sleep at all; stay awake all
night)
/ was so worried last night that I couldn't
sleep a wink.

milbaab	JjUaU »—>Ul >
just like that
(for no apparent reason; unexpectedly;
without warning)
I'm not the person you're looking for - do
you want to fight just like that?
min-nigma
bright and early
(very early in the morning)
We must leave bright and early - I want to
get there before the bank opens.
mabit-hut-tij	JaA Ь
r/byt/d wala tfhrru/r
not powder or paint oneself
(of a woman: to use no cosmetics at all,
especially on the face)
She's the sort of woman that dosen't paint
or powder herself.
mabakulj min	U
Juyl ilbulutiika da
I won’t swallow any cant
(you're not going to deceive me with these
words: used when the speaker does not
understand much of what is being said,
because the language is peculiar to a
special group, using many strange words,
etc.)
- A ticket is a contract between the
company and the passenger to deliver
him to a certain place at a certain time,
and obviously you haven't honoured the
contract. I want my money back.
- What contract are you talking about? I
won't swallow any of your cant.
99
makanj yin^azz	j*-»
I would if I could but I can’t
(I would like to do something worthwhile,
but I am unable to)
- Betty, will you marry me?
-1 would if I could, but I can't; I've already
got engaged to my cousin, Ed.
?ilmaal J**) Дм JUJl
is-saayib yi^al-lim is-sir?a
the hole calls the thief [saying]
(unwatched property encourages theft)
L a) IjJli	cA
mal?uu] filward ^ccb ?aluulu J**)
yr/hiru/r il^ad-deen
one would find a fault with a fat goose
(even what looks perfect does not escape
the criticism of a fault-finder)
Nothing is perfect, and you never see but
the minuses. You know, one would find a
fault with a fat goose.
maluuj xul?
have no stomach
(to be unwilling to do or agree to
something, especially because it is
offensive to one's principles)
He would have listened if you had spoken
to him more seriously because he certainly
had no stomach for such trivialities.
* Л О # „	0/0^ о >
mahu laww £andu	£ ja U
zar-rit mu/x
if someone had half an eye
(if the person mentioned were not so
stupid, insensitive, dull, etc.)
If you had half an eye you would be able to
make some money from the new contract.
mayitbal-lij fibu?-?u aJjS aa>
fuula
spill the beans
(to reveal or make known a secret, piece of
information, etc.)
You can't trust him to keep a secret - he is
sure to spill the beans before long.
mas%am ji*)	J*
min sit-ti il-la siidi
the pot calling the kettle black
(said of or to a person who is criticizing
another for having the same faults as he
has himself)
[refers to the fact that both kettles and pots
would be burnt black after long use over a
fire]
When he blames her for wasting money he
forgets that he regularly loses half his own
wages by betting on the wrong horses - it's
the pot calling the kettle black, I'd say.
madaa?it J**) с-г-/ I»	cJUpU
il-lam-ma furigat
it’s always darkest before dawn [saying]
(things usually get worse before they get
better)
ma^rifj rarzsu min а-Ь-j
riglee
not know whether one is coming or
going
(to be confused; not know what one is
doing or should do)
There is so much happening this morning I
don't know whether I'm coming or going.
ma^alihuuj it-tulez	ML! I	I»
not be much cop
(to be unworthy of much admiration or at-
tention; not be very good; be rather unat-
tractive, stupid, etc.)
With his crooked shoulder, he is not at all
that much cop.
ma?dirj yi?uul bimm
would/could/will not say boo’
(of a person, organization, etc.: not
powerful enough to take action against
someone or something; very timid and
afraid of giving offence)
The National Union of Journalists couldn't
say boo to the demands of young members.
j**J J* jjJx»
100
mabruuk £al?ard
congratulations on your new shoes
(said to someone who has just bought a
new pair of shoes)
mitfas-stfl %ala ...
down to the ground
(completely suitable for or typical of
someone)
Have you seen her new dress? It's her
down to the ground.
muhdis ni^ma
a parvenu; an upstart
(a person who has risen to a higher place
than he is fit for, especially one who has
risen through the acquisition of wealth or
political power)
He has often been referred to as an amoral
parvenu, but there is much in him to
admire.
mahad-di] waa£id	jS»-bxA
minha haaga
you can’t take any of it with you
(one cannot take one's possessions,
especially one's money, to the grave;
everything that one owns will stay on earth
when one dies)
• •	»i >
mu%-%u gibs	<^a
a blockhead
(a stupid person; fool; dunce)
No one but a blockhead would accept such
a job.
mux-%u daarib
have bats in the belfry
(to have strange ideas; be slightly mad)
That old man must have bats in the belfry -
he wears such peculiar clothes.
madluuk £ala...	J
gone on someone
(very much attracted by someone; in love
with someone)
He would work a bit harder if he weren't so
gone on the girl in the next office.
may it was-saa J
take the biscuit
(to be the best or worst of something)
For rudeness that woman really takes the
biscuit = she was very rude.
mayiswaaj basala	J-'j—
not worth a damn
(not worth anything)
What are you arguing about? I'm sorry, but
your offer is not worth a damn.
mayi^rafj OjAB jjS* оЛ'
il?alif min kuuz id-dura
can’t tell chalk from cheese
(to have no common sense; not know
anything)
The office-boy you appointed last week is
just hopeless. He can't tell chalk from
cheese.
mayi^rafj is-sama	U~J'
mil^ama
not know beans
(to know nothing or have no knowledge
about a subject, activity, etc.)
He won't be able to help you because he
doesn't know beans about history.
mayi?dar %al?udra bj OjAaJI jAible
il-la rab-bina
someone has only got a pair of hands
(one person can only do a certain amount
of work, etc., at one time: used when
someone is asked or expected to do too
much at once)
I can't answer the telephone and look after
the baby at the same time - I've only got
one pair of hands, you knowl
mayi?darj yidbah far%a
wouldn’t harm/hurt a fly
(very gentle: of a person that seems or is
believed to be violent or dangerous)
Don't be afraid of him - he wouldn't harm a
fly.
101
- Is that what you call dinner? It was just a
trifle to keep the appetite at bay - I'm still
hungry.
masah ...	c »
min £ala wijj id-dinya
wipe someone, something off the face
of the earth
(to destroy someone completely)
The earthquake that hit the nearby village
last summer wiped it off the face of the
earth.
misik ilmasruuf
hold the purse strings
(to control the amount of money spent in a
family, group, etc.)
When my husband is away I have to hold
the purse strings in our family.
misik fi ... bideelu Ait-j aL-L»
wisnaanu
hold onto something like grim death
(to hold on to something in a determined
manner)
When John finally got a job, he held onto it
like grim death. He had been without one
for almost a year.
musmt/wr guha	bur
an excuse for keeping one’s foot in the
door
(a false reason for gaining entrance into an
organization, group, activity, etc.,
especially one into which such entrance is
difficult to obtain)
/ reluctantly agreed that Jim would put his
TV antenna on the roof of my house, and
ever since he has taken it as an excuse to
keep his foot in the door; he's already
visited me three times in a week.
i ° *
misiir ilhayy yitlaa?a
as I live and breathe!
(an expression of surprise, said especially
when one has met or recognized someone
whom one has not seen for a long time)
mar-га tsiib (^*-i J**)	°®у
wimar-ra tyjib
you can’t win them all
(one cannot be lucky or successful all the
time: said by or to a person who has
suffered a disappointment, failure, etc.)
The food at that restaurant is usually very
good, but last night it was almost
uneatable. You can't win them all.
?ilmarkib il-li twad-di ! tp
good riddance!
(used to show that one is pleased that a
person or thing is no longer present or will
no longer annoy one)
That friend of yours who talks all the time
has just left - good riddance!
mazaagu mi?aryif	a»
out of sorts
(not in one's usual healthy or
good-tempered state of mind)
I won't come out tonight, thank you. I'm
feeling out of sorts.
masah bi ... il?z/rd
wipe the floor with someone
(to beat a person completely; defeat or be
much better than someone)
- Do you really think we will win the
football match on Friday?
- Yes, we'll wipe the floor with them.
» • * • , ,
masah guu/ li ...
curry favour with someone
(to try to gain the approval of a person by
behaving too politely towards him or
flattering him, especially insincerely)
She's trying to curry favour with the boss,
but it won't do. The sweetest words can't
move him.
mas-h zoor	jjj
a trifle to keep the appetite at bay
(a little bite eaten to prevent hunger until
one is able to sit down for a big meal)
- How did you like the dinner?
102
[refers to the free handing out of food to
the public during times of hardship]
Many people these days are on the
breadline because they can hardly catch up
with the price increases.
mij nazil-li min zoor jjj Jjb
stick in one’s throat
(to be difficult to accept or tolerate)
It sticks in my throat to have to take orders
from a man who once worked for me.
mij wiJJ ni^ma
not cut out for the soft life
(to find it difficult to accept a style of life
one is not used to, especially when one
rises above one's class through the
acquisition of wealth)
Although he bought each of his sons a big
car, he still rides his old motorbike. It
seems he's not cut out for the soft life.
majyiiul lijuftu
up to one’s ears
(wholly concerned with something,
especially something troubling, work,
business, or debt)
The secretary was up to her ears addressing
and stamping letters.
9,	„	9	*	,
mi Ji zayy ilhalaawa
sell like hot cakes
(to be bought or taken quickly, e.g. because
of being very popular or cheap)
Pop records are selling like hot cakes these
days.
mi Ji ^s-sirt/t/l
ilmustaqiim
keep to the straight and narrow
(to follow a way of life governed by careful
moral principles, especially of honesty)
The police were surprised that such a
trustworthy man, who had kept to the
straight and narrow all his life, had done
such a thing.
Why, it's Bill, as I live and breathe!
mif gaayib ham-mu	-ил
there’s more kicks than halfpence
(to possess, receive, etc., more pain than
profit, more blame or abuse than praise or
thanks)
There's more kicks than halfpence in
editing a collection of contemporary verse.
I'll never do it again.
mij ^ayza kalaam
it goes without saying
(to be understood and
needing to be mentioned or proved)
It goes without saying that Damascus is
the oldest city in the world.
mij yariib ^alay-ya
ring a bell
(to cause an indefinite memory to come
into someone's mind; remind someone of
something)
- Do you remember David Jones?
- Well, the name rings a bell, but I can’t quite
think who he is.
agreed without
mij ?aadir
yijiil £inee min £ala...
can’t take one’s eyes off someone
(to be very attracted to someone)
She was very pretty - men couldn't take
their eyes off her.
mij kull J**)	(U—
таг-га tislam ig-g^r-n/
don’t push your luck
(said to someone who takes foolish risks,
or does something that can only succeed if
his good luck continues)
- Did the boss know I was late again today?
- No, because he was late too, but don't push
your luck.
mij laa?i il-L/dr/
on the breadline
(in or into a condition where one has hardly
enough money to buy one's food)
I 1
‘gLfe J‘gUS уч >glX
103
(to be badly hurt; physically unhealthy,
especially after a long period of illness;
very tired)
Tired is not the word; there isn't a sound
bone left in me -1 need a week's rest.
mafiij	J**) jt?
halaawa min yecr nut/r
you cannot make an omelette without
breaking eggs [saying]
(it is impossible to do anything without
causing some kind of difficulty or
discomfort)
mafiij ^t/mt/t/r
there's no love lost
(there is great dislike)
It's well known that there's no love lost
between them, so it would be silly to invite
them both to our party.
mafiij fayda
no go
(impossible; not satisfactory; of no use)
I've tried in every hotel in town to get a
room, but it’s no go - they are all full.
mafiij nr/giib
no dice
(no luck: used when refusing to do
something one is asked to do or saying
one has failed to do something)
- Will you be able to come to my wedding
next Saturday?
- Sorry, John, no dice, I'm going away at
the weekend.
makad-dibj %r/K/r
without pausing for thought
(to act without delay, if somewhat blindly)
Without pausing for thought I went off to
the co-op to buy two chickens as soon as I
heard they had some for sale.
9	9	О /9	9	$	, 9	# }	9 ft ,
Ji*) ^\Jlb JjAjJ
mikas-sah yigurr mikas-sah
wiy?uul yal-la nitfas-safa
the blind leading the blind [saying]
miji fiz-zahma
pass in a crowd
(of a person or thing: to be satisfactory only
so long as he or it is not examined too
closely)
Of course she's no beauty but I suppose
she'll pass in a crowd.
mastfriinu karkibit	C-S*/
have butterflies in one’s tummy
(to feel nervous, anxious, etc., especially
when waiting for something)
I had butterflies in my tummy when I went
to see my boss this morning.
mostzayib	J**)
fizakaayib
it never rains but pours [saying]
(when troubles or unwelcome events
happen they do not come singly, but arrive
in great quantity)
muslihafandi
a Mrs Grundy
(a person who disapproves of people
whose behaviour is not in accordance with
customary morals)
[from a character in Speed the Plough
(1798), a play by Tom Morton]
We've got a Mrs Grundy in the office now,
so not a word about tonight's party in front
of him.
ma£a ... ^al/r/Ц	Ja>Jl я»
on the same wavelength
(understanding each other; having similar
opinions or tastes to another person)
[refers to finding the correct place on the
controls of a radio to receive the desired
programme]
The new general was not on the same
wavelength as the other commanders, and
he was in danger of ruining their plans.
ma^atj fii hit-ta
£ala br/^dt/hc/
there isn’t a sound bone left
104
min btzr-ra bur-ш
on the sly/quiet
(secretly)
He left for the States on the sly and no-one
knew about it till a month later when he
wrote us a letter.
min bizz um-mu	j>. j*
straight from the horse’s mouth
(from the person most closely concerned
with the subject being discussed)
She believed what the neighbours said her
husband had done because she heard it
straight from the horse's mouth.
min bu?-?ak libaab Ulj' ddX ja
is-sama
from your lips
(may God make your wish come true; I
hope to God you obtain what you want:
used to emphasize a wish or hope which
the speaker believes its fulfillment is unlike-
ly)
- They say we are going to get an extra
raise next month.
- From your lips!
«	a , о
min taht is-silaah	С-л? ja
risen from the ranks
(of a person who has obtained a high
position in an organization, especially in
the army, after long experience in lower
positions rather than through special
favour)
He was a fine general who had risen from
the ranks.
min taht litaht	ja
out of the corner of one’s eye
(in a secretive way; so as not to be noticed)
I kept looking at the girl out of the corner
of my eye; I was glad my wife did not
notice it.
min loob К/сД	у J*
of a sort/sorts
(of the same type)
The old lady and her husband have been
(the situation in which people without
adequate knowledge or experience attempt
to direct or guide others like themselves,
with the consequence that neither group
can help the other or be helped)
» о • b . » °,-
makjuuf ^an-nu ujbvJl
ilhigaab
a clairvoyant
(a person who has or claims to have, the
power of seeing or knowing about things
that are out of sight)
The clairvoyant claimed to be able to locate
lost articles, and to give news of faraway
people.
malik wal-la kitaaba V j lilt#
heads or tails?
(which side of the coin will be shown when
it falls after being thrown in the air?)
mala markazu	в у
live up to one’s position
(to act according to the dictates of one's
job; do what is expected or promised)
Don't be silly and live up to your position;
you're the manager now.
min ?ay-yaam ig-ginee	J*
ig-gibs
since the year dot
(since the beginning of time: often used
humorously to mean a long time ago)
I laughed when she said she liked my new
coat and explained that I had had it since
the year dot.
о t » a a
min ?ay-yaam say-yidna *у	ja
nuuh
out of the ark
(very old)
[refers to Noah's Ark in the Bible, in which
two of every sort of animal were saved
from a great flood; therefore out of the ark
means existing from the earliest times]
That song is out of the ark. Even my
grandfather can remember when he first
heard it.
105
(to leave a place or a social occasion
without obtaining permission or saying
good-bye)
[refers to a former custom of leaving a
social occasion without saying good-bye to
the host or hostess. The English believed
that the custom was French, while the
French spoke of it as an English custom]
Many of the guests took French leave to go
to the football match.
min yeer basbasa	4—-—j	ja
but me no buts
(do not offer any objections or
modifications to what I have said, ordered,
etc.)
- I've already seen it; it does not apply to us
- But Mr. Collins ...
- But me no buts, you just take it round to
the others.
min ?afaa	ja
by the scruff of the neck
(to hold, grab, seize, etc., someone by
gripping the back of his neck: always in
context of violent or aggressive behaviour)
He seized Smith by the scruff of the neck
and kicked him out.
min nafs il^agiina	•цля]' ja
tarred with the same brush
(of a group of people: having the same
characteristics, especially the same faults)
I dislike politicians of all parties. As far as I
am concerned - they're all tarred with the
same brush; they simply will not tell the
public the truth.
s , • »
manaxiiru fis-sama	о
with one s nose in the air
(in a proud or scornful manner)
Since she won prize at school she’s been
going about with her nose in the air and
refusing to talk to the other girls
happily married for 50 years now, and I
believe this is because they are of a sort.
a fa. о S f a
min guw-wa ?albu
in one’s heart of hearts
(in the deepest part of one's mind or
feelings)
My husband is attractive to women, and
although I know in my heart of hearts that
he has never been unfaithul, I still feel
wildly jealous when I see him with other
women.
min %aaf silim	J**)	ja
better safe than sorry [saying]
(it is wiser to be careful or to take care in
advance than to risk loss, danger, etc., in
the course of an action)
min dimaayu	apUo ja
off one’s own bat
(without asking for the help, advice,
permission, etc., of any other person)
He is no more than an ordinary civil
servant, and what he wrote in the report
was off his own bat.
min lisalaamu	Ibib ja
^aleeku
chapter and verse
(complete details or a careful and exact
description of a statement, where
something can be found, etc.)
You must give me chapter and verse for
what had happened. Don't leave out a
thing.
min £ara? gibiini	J* J*
by the sweat of one’s brow
(through hard work or effort)
I don't have any rich relations who will
leave me money when they die. Whatever I
get in life, I'll have to earn by the sweat of
my brow.
min yeer ?ihim wala У J (♦*’! j-P
drzstuur
take French leave
106
• $ x я Л о 4 »	> b »
3X2 aJ .иллЗ'
*
rotgut we drank last night.
O % О	J 9	$
maw-wit... nr/<v?is ^iimr
drive someone to an early grave
(to cause someone distress, or put him
under pressure and stress so that he feels
he is going to die while still young or
before his due time)
Why do you want to run away from home?
What did I do to deserve a son like you?
You're driving me to an early grave.
0	9	9 A
muut ya hni<wr	b
you have to wait donkey’s years
(to wait for a very long time)
If you're looking for a cheap flat in this
crowded city, you have to wait donkey's
years.
miin yi?ra wimiin V	'jA» &
yisma£
who gives a damn?
(whoever cares? used to express the
speaker's disapproval of other people's
indifference)
Everyday people are warned not to leave
young children at home by themselves, but
who gives a damn?
?ilmc/y-ya (</?*-• J**)
tikad-dib ilyaHz/tfS
the proof of the pudding is in the eating
[saying]
(the real worth of any idea, machine, etc.,
is discovered only when it is put into
practice or use)
may-ya min taht tibn	Сл j* а-л
a snake in the grass
(a person with harmful intentions who is
not easily recognizable; a hidden enemy)
Don't be deceived by their friendliness - the
two older ones may be trustworthy, but the
younger brother is a real snake in the grass.
?ilmanxul	jAiJI
ig-gidiid ki /ad-da
a new broom sweeps clean [saying]
(a person who has just been put in charge
of an organization will always start with
great vigour to make many changes to
improve its effectiveness)
Most of the decisions made by the new
manager were not approved of by the
board of directors, but he was a new
broom and was determined to put them
into practice.
о £	£ Л 0^9,
mzmzr/r уirudd ir-rooh	* jJ*
a sight for sore eyes
(a pleasant or welcome sight, e.g. during
difficult time or situation)
The men had been away for quite a while;
when they came back and saw their wives
and children at the airport, it was a sight
for sore eyes.
mrznzaru da ад
lose face
(to lose the respect or good opinion that
others have of one; be made humble)
She lost face when she got drunk last night
and started to take her clothes off in front
of everybody,
й у 9	4 9^
manfuux	^bbdl L C
be full of oneself
(to think and talk about nothing but oneself;
consider oneself to be very important,
clever, etc.)
She was always very unsure of her ability
but since she did well in the examination
she has been full of herself.
man?uu^ ilbt/rc/tiij	jb»
rotgut
(cheap whisky; bad or adulterated liquor)
I'm not going to that pub again; I'm sure
they have nothing better to offer than that
107

hands for a year now, not taking any notice
of the people's complaints.
nataf il?akla
wolf/gulp down the food
(to eat greedily or ravenously)
The starving man wolfed down the food.
nagda mis-sama	U—JI оДл)
manna from heaven
(something that comes unexpectedly and
that gives great comfort or
encouragement, often at a time of trouble)
[from the Bible (Exodus 16:15), referring to
the food which the Israelites found on their
journey out of Egypt)
Both sides were losing hope of reaching
agreement when the government made a
very helpful suggestion that was manna
from heaven.
nigmu fit-taal£	«JUaJl
in the ascendant
(with growing power, influence, control,
etc.)
[refers to a planet that is rising and is
believed to have a powerful influence on
events]
After the election, our polittcal party was
once again in the ascendant.
Л " о а ,
nadrin ^alay-ya	OjAi
[to vow to offer (food or money) to the
poor or a charitable cause if a wish or
prayer is fulfilled]
I vow (to do so-and-so)
(to make a solemn promise)
I vow to distribute meat to the poor if I
pass the exam.
nizil <;alee sahm rzl-ltz aUI
sit bolt upright
(of a person: to sit straight or without
bending, especially when taken by
surprise)
When he heard how much his bill was, he
sat bolt upright.

naam zayy il?atiil
sleep like a log
(to sleep deeply)
I asked him if he'd heard the siren. 'I didn't,'
he said, 'I was sleeping like a log.'
naam namit ^aleek ! dXJp
heeld
hit the hay/sack
(lie down to sleep; go to bed)
[beds were formerly filled with hay (cut and
dried grass) or made from the same
material as sacks (bags)]
Hey you, are you still awake? Go hit the
hay - we've got a lot of work to do in the
morning.
О /	0 x	/
namusiitak kuhli	!
[namusiy-ya is a mosquito-net, especially
one hanging over a bed. When the colour
of the net is dark, e.g. kuhli (dark blue) it is
likely to reduce the amount of daylight
which can find its way through the very
small holes in the net, and therefore the
person sleeping won't be disturbed very
early in the morning]
you late riser!
(said to someone who gets up late from
sleep)
You late riser! We were supposed to be at
the airport an hour ago?
naayim fil^asal	J—
sitting on one’s hands
(to be doing nothing; be inactive or
inattentive)
The government has been sitting on its
aJji jjJ JjAi
108
g-'J1 J*
nafasu it?uk/£,	А-Д
out of breath
(unable to breathe easily because one has
been running, working hard, trying to make
a strong physical effort, etc.)
I'm out of breath after running up the
stairs.
nifsu masduuda	4—Ju
be/go off one’s food/oats
(to be without/lose one's appetite)
I'm worried about Keith; he's been off his
oats for a week now, feels tired after a long
night's sleep and looks as pale as the full
moon.
nifsu haf-fitu ^ala ...	аДа а~Д
have a yen for something
(to desire sharply or urgently)
She was driving into the country when she
had a yen for ice-cream; she stopped at the
nearest supermarket and bought herself a
big cone.
{ о Я 9
ntzf-fad giyuub ...
take someone to the cleaners
(to cause someone to lose all or a great
deal of his money, etc., especially through
betting or failing in business)
His lawyer took him to the cleaners and
now he can hardly afford to keep his family.
па?-?а[па biskaatak ! Uliii
put a sock in it!
(keep quiet! stop talking)
- / heard a good joke yesterday.
- Oh, put a sock in it! I'm tired of your silly
jokes.
nu?uul ioor yi?uul	jjj JjAj
ihlibuu
be at cross-purposes
(to misunderstand each other's intentions,
ideas, etc., especially because of not
paying attention to what is being said)
We seem to be at cross-purposes. I need
your sister's signature on the form, not
yours.
nr/J-Jtzr yasiilu ilwisix	aU-^
wash one’s dirty linen in public
(to reveal and talk about one's hidden
faults, mistakes, etc., in public)
His whole family were ashamed when he
washed his dirty linen in public by selling
the story of his crimes to the newspapers.
naj-jif damm ...
chill someone’s blood
(to cause someone too feel great distress,
fear, or terror)
The terrible news in the letter chilled my
blood.
nafjin £ala ...	JlAi
draw a bead on someone
(to choose someone as one's object of
attention)
There was a large crowd at the party, but
he drew a bead on me as soon as he came
in and talked to me all night.
nafax fi?irba тя?Ши^я A£ 4j у
waste one’s breath
(to speak without effect, especially when
one is trying to persuade someone of
something)
You're wasting your breath if you think
she's going to agree to go with you.
nafxa kad-daaba	айдГ АлД
airs and graces
(affected manners intended to give an
impression of fastidious refinement but
producing an opposite effect on the
observer)
She's kind-hearted enough once you get
behind all her airs and graces.
nafad bigildu	а Дли лД
save one’s skin
(to escape from a danger, e.g. of being
killed or hurt or of failing to do something)
The witness lied before the court to save
his own skin.

109

is not too small to be of some use; each
gift, however small, will eventually add up
to a large total)
-	I'm sorry we could only let you have one.
-	Every little helps.
naw-war k/rii? ...	у J? jy
put/set someone right
(to cause someone to realize his mistakes,
incorrect beliefs, etc., by informing him of
the truth about a matter)
I thought his mother had died, but
fortunately I met someone who'd seen her
that morning in the hospital and he put me
right before I sent off my letter of
sympathy.
ninn ^ecn ...
the apple of someone’s eye
(a person who is most dear to the person
specified)
[apple here originally meant the pupil of
the eye; the idiom was used to refer to
someone who was as important to a
person as his own eyes]
Bob is the apple of his mother's eye; She
can hardly go anywhere without him.
nawaaya tisnid J5*)	Al'j*
iz-ziir
every little helps [saying]
(even though something that one has done
for, or given to someone, may be small, it
? LiaJl
110
»« ,	„ »i ,
ham-mu ^ala br/lnu	<ua
think only of one’s belly
(to be interested only in satisfying one's
appetite for food)
He thinks only of his belly; when he was
reading through the programme for the
conference, the only item that meant a lot
to him was the dinner party.
huw-wana ?aa^id ^ala	U'
bank
money doesn’t grow on trees [saying]
(money is neither plentiful nor easily
obtained)
/ won't give you one more penny - you've
already taken two thousand pounds, and I
hope you know that money doesn't grow
on trees.
hawaahum gayy £ala Jom	y*
b</gj
hit it off together perfectly
(of two or more people: to get along well
together; agree)
Joan and Peter hit it off together perfectly.
I think they are going to make a good
couple.
» >t о f	i
hiy-ya ?ab^adiy-yit abuuk V	^a
[?ab^adiy-ya is a large agricultural estate]
is it yours by exclusive right?
(said to someone who behaves as if the
thing mentioned were his own property)
You've been giving orders and instructions
to everyone in the office since you came in
this morning. Is the company yours by
exclusive right?
hiy-ya id-dinya lur/rit V LjjJl ^a
what’s the rush/hurry?
(there is plenty of time)
- Do something about getting us out of
here.
- What's the hurry? The weather is beautiful?
ht/rr ЬошЬго	aj jA
shit bricks
(to be very anxious or worried)
He was shitting bricks while his wife was
having her first baby.
hara winakat finafsu	jA
eat one’s heart out
(to be very sad or distressed about
something, e.g. because of being in love)
My young son is eating his heart out over a
girl who lives just down the street.
hazz tulu	J jb ja
shake a leg
(to hurry; try to do something faster)
Shake a leg there! We'll never finish if you
don't hurry up.
haf-fit... rimj	cJa
flutter one’s eyelashes at someone
(of a woman: to show a man, especially by
the way she looks at him, that she finds
him attractive)
At the dinner she fluttered her eyelashes at
the man sitting at the next table.
hall bikvl^itu ilbahiy-ya	1л
darken someone’s door(s)
(to come into a person's house as a visitor:
used especially when this is not desired,
e.g. because the visitor has offended or
annoyed those who live in the house)
He said he would be darkening our doors
this afternoon; I'm not staying to meet him,
are you?

111
someone else, must be satisfied with what
he can get)
-	You won't sleep very well on this couch,
Alan.
-	It's all right. Beggars can't be choosers.
hiy-ya Jihaata wi?mrwra
beggars can’t be choosers [saying]
(a person who has insufficient money to do
exactly what he likes, or who depends on
112

him you won't be going and that's that.
wal-laahi £aal	! «dJlj
what a fine mess!
(used to describe a state of affairs that is
confused, difficult, different from expected,
etc., and therefore the word fine is used
here to indicate the opposite of what it
means, i.e. the situation is rather
distressing)
He left the kitchen window open. When he
came back from work, he found at least a
dozen cats and dogs fighting in the house.
'What a fine mess!,' he said.
wal-to faalih	!
what a wise guy!
(used to describe a person who pretends to
know more than he really does)
What a wise guy, Mr. Bloggs! -1 asked you
to send the letter to our branch in Ohio, not
to the Internal Revenue Agency. Now they
are going to charge us double tax.
wr/l-kz lam-ma tibiid ! U j
not on your life !
(certainly not! used as an emphatic
negative reply to a question)
- Would you ever marry this girl?
- Not on your life!
winta £ala ?	CJ'j
rigleek na?J ilhin-na
what did your last servant die of?
(used in reply to someone who has just
asked one to do something that one thinks
he should do for himself)
- Go and make me a cup of tea, will you?
- What did your last servant die of?
9 X О	9 $	> o
winta lis-sa filbeeck/ AJa-J' ej CJlj
when you were just a twinkle in your
father’s eye
(a long time ago; long before the birth of
the person who is being addressed or
talked about)
You think you know everything, but this
idea was discovered when you were just a
wil?agr ^<zk/l-k/	!
everyone knows me, him, her, etc.
(a set phrase used to boast of a reputation)
I'm Boss Dodger, everyone knows me!
waxidha mi?awla	JjIaa
hold the floor
(to monopolize something uninterruptedly)
There were three other speakers who
wanted to address the audience, but Mr.
Black held the floor.
» i * „ в
wawdih zayy ij-jams
as plain as the nose on your face
(very easy to understand; clear)
It's as plain as the nose on your face. If we
haven't got any money, we can't buy a
television.
waa?i£ lifujtu
have got it badly
(to be very much in love with someone)
- Steve's always had plenty of girl-friends,
but it's different this time.
- Got it badly, has he?
• i
wil-lazi min-nu
and all that jazz
(and similar things; and so forth; et cetera)
The movie was filled with kissing and
hugging and all that jazz.
wis-salaam
and that’s that
(and there is no more to be done or said on
the subject)
I can't understand why you're so nervous.
All you have to do is telephone him and tell
,.4 х S
La Lai	Ц-i j
113
jir
(once something is done, arranged
satisfactorily everything is or will be all
right, nothing more will need to be done)
It's quite simple, really. Turn this knob to
the right, press the red button, switch on -
and Bob's your uncle.
wijJ id-dinya
the right side ot the tracks
(the wealthy part of the community or
society)
She had an important advantage in life;
she was born on the right side of the
tracks.
wij-jak wal-lal	dXij
long time no see!
(said to someone whom the speaker has
not seen or met for a long time)
Why, Simon, long time no see! Where
have you been all this time?
• xx • • i
wij-ju it?alab
become cross
(to be in bad temper; peevish)
she's become cross since I burned the cake
for her.
, ,» о i
wij-ju itlawa	jbl J
pull a long face
(to have a serious, discouraged, or
unhappy expression on one's face)
My wife pulled a long face when I told her
we're not going out for dinner.
wij-ju yiZjzzc, C-Jl f e
il%amiira milbeet
a jinx on the house
(a person or a thing that brings bad luck)
That black cat is a jinx on the house.
wij-jaha zayy ?afaaha IaUs j
be as broad as it is long
(of a matter: to be just the same or end
with the same result whichever way one
acts or considers it)
The whole thing's as broad as it's long. If
you go to Spain to buy cheaper leather
twinkle in your father's eye.
waga^ J**)	> Vrj
saa^a wala kull saa^a
better bad now than worse later [saying]
(it is better to endure, or deal with,
something painful or unpleasant
immediately, if by not doing so the
situation will only get worse and even
more difficult to handle)
widn min din	J* Oi j j	jij
wiwidn min ^agiin
turn a deaf ear
(to refuse to listen to something, especially
a request)
The angry customer asked to see the
manager; when she was allowed into his
office, he turned a deaf ear to her
complaint.
widi ^ayza su?aal ! JlоJjIx	j
can a duck swim?
(said in answer to a question which the
speaker thinks is foolish or unnecessary
because, from his point of view, it allows
only the answer 'yes')
-	Can I fill your glass again?
-	Can a duck swim?
ыагаа koom lahm	(^
have many mouths to feed
(to have many people, especially children,
requiring food and / or general support as a
personal responsibility)
Poor Adams, he's many mouths to feed.
war-riini kitaafak !	JpjP
let me see the back of you!
(go away! said to someone whom the
speaker wants to get rid of because his
presence is no longer welcome)
You've taken what belongs to you, haven't
you? Now, let me see the back of you!
wisalaamu ^Ч-Jl Xlx
^aleeku ^aleeku is-salaam
(and) Bob's your uncle

114
fall on someone’s lot
(to be a person's duty or responsibility to
do something)
/ had known him for a long time, so it fell
to my lot to tell him the bad news about
his son.
wi?i£ min ^ak-kursi	j
roll in the aisles
(of an audience: to be greatly amused;
laugh uncontrollably)
They were rolling in the aisles at his jokes.
wi?if ^ala гаа& ...
be on someone’s back
(annoying or causing trouble to a person,
especially by frequently complaining to or
watching him)
I can hardly take a break to drink tea - my
boss is always on my back.
wi?if ^ala riglee	4-br j
land on one’s feet
(to be fortunate or successful after being in
an uncertain or risky situation; escape
hardship)
[refers to the way a cat lands on its feet
when it falls from a height]
After losing all his money, he never gave
up; he worked even harder than he used to
until he could land on his feet again.
wikalt ilbalah
scrap market
(a place where old or discarded metal fit
only to be melted and used again is for
sale)
Your car is very old, so the only place
where you can sell it is the scrap market.
wakaan td-laa	j
yihibb ilmuhsiniin
[from the Qur'an: ?al-laahu yuhib-bul
muhsiniin (Allah loveth those who are
kind), which is the final clause in five
different ?aayat 'verses' (II : 2, III : 134, 148;
V : 13, 93), and therefore is often cited with
goods, you have to pay tax on them. You
might as well not go at all.
i	. ' •	• '
wi^eenak matjuuf jjJl uJ UJ U J
il-la an-nuur
Io and behold
(used as a humorous expression at the
sudden appearance of a person or thing)
So I went to the door, and. Io and behold,
there was a giant dog on the doorstep.
wifccn yiwga^ak	jj jrjSj
get someone where he lives
(to hurt, threaten, criticize, or ridicule
someone in ways that he is specially
sensitive to, that will particularly hurt or
displease him)
He's been fooling around with my sister
since he joined the club, but last week I got
him where he lives, and he hasn't shown
since then.
wi?aamit il?iyaama	! aaLaII
and all hell broke loose!
(everything has become completely
confused, noisy, etc.)
And all hell broke loose in the city when
the soldiers arrived.
wi?i^ fijtzrr ?a^maalu
be hoist by one’s own petard
(to be caught or hurt by the trap that one
has set for someone else)
[from Shakespeare's Hamlet (1604).
Hamlet: 'For'tis the sport to have the
engineer/ Hoist with his own petard ...' (Act
3, scene 4). A petard was a machine used in
war to make a hole in a city wall or gate by
blowing it up with gunpowder. Hoist here
probably means blown up]
The criminal was hoist by his own petard
when he tried to kill his wife, because he
accidentally drank the poison that he
intended to give to her.
wi?i£ fi?arabiiz ...
[‘? arabiiz’ is lap: the part between waist
and knees of a person when sitting]
115
* 11) Zj >

never seems to be listening - he's just all
abroad.
wala yihzanuun	f4 J
[from the Qur'an: fa/a /awfun ^alayhim
wala humm yahzanuun (On them shall be
no fear, nor shall they grieve), which is a
no(t) ... nor structure constituting a
correlative pair, negating two clauses
conjoined by and. This structure is
repeated 13 times in different contexts and
therefore is often cited with an idiomatic
meaning equivalent to the English one
shown below]
nor anything of the sort
(not at all what is supposed, probable, etc.)
I thought she made the remark out of
jealousy, but I later discovered it hadn't
been jealousy nor anything of the sort.
wilis-sa lik £een	?	J
do you still have the cheek/gall?
(said to someone who keeps on behaving
with shameless boldness after having been
offensive, wrong, etc.)
You've already spoiled everything - do you
still have the cheek to tell me how the job
should be done?
an idiomatic meaning equivalent 'to the
English one shown below]
and that was the end of the line
(the point at which something comes to an
end)
[refers to the end of a railway line; the last
stop made by a train]
When they asked me to speak in Spanish
for five minutes, I gave them my name, my
address and that was the end of the line.
wala fil?ahlaam	J
beyond one’s wildest dreams
(in a way that is very much greater than
one expected, than one could possibly
expect, etc.)
And so ended a remarkably successful visit
- successful beyond my wildest dreams.
wala mal-liim ahmar
not have a red cent
(to have no money at all: be extremely
poor)
I'm sorry, I can't lend you anything - I
haven't got a red cent myself.
wala huw-wa hina	La jA j
all abroad
(confused and unable to understand)
When you talk to him about anything, he
! 4-лЬ U
116
!UbbUll
(an expression of admiration)
Aren't you a beauty! You'll be the star of
tonight's party.
ya iswid	!	b
bloody hell!
(a mild curse or exclamation of anger,
annoyance, or surprise)
Bloody hell! Who do think you are to take
something that doesn't belong to you?
ya%ti ^aleeha	! l$-U ^^b
how cute!
(an informal mode of address by a woman
to a woman expressing admiration)
How cute! Where do you get your dresses
made?
ya Xaraabi	! b
dear me! woe is me!
(an exclamation of dismay or despair)
Dear me! I'm late again for the test - what
am I to do now?
ya %ibtak il?awiy-ya !	b
what a dead loss you are!
(an expression of anger addressed to a
person who is hopelessly bad, boring, or
ineffective)
What a dead loss you are! This is the third
time this week you've burnt the food in the
oven.
dJbjy l* Ц5aLaJI jru
ya daaxil been ilbt/sala	J**)
wi?ijrit-ha maynuubak il-la sczn-nil-hr/
why don’t you mind your own business?
(do not interfere in or become concerned
with other people's affairs)
What is it to you whether he chooses to
marry Betty or not? Why don't you mind
your own business?
ya dahya du?-?i	! <ьлЬ b
now we re for it!
(now we are in trouble!)
Now we're for it! Mrs. Baker saw us
leaning on her piano.
ya baaja ya baaja	!lib b lib b
how pretty!
(a flirtatious remark to a woman in the
street)
ya bagam ya ganam ! b b
you dumb ox!
(a form of address to someone who is slow
in understanding; stupid)
what are you doing, you dumb ox? You've
broken the window.
ya bani ?aadam	! f41 ’i
you brute, thickhead!
(a form of address to someone who is dull
of intellect)
You brute, thickhead! What are we going
to offer the guests when you've eaten all
the food in the fridge?
ya gaah in-nabi	! ebr b
oh, wow, isn’t that something!
(an exclamation, as of surprise, joy, or
dismay)
- Oh, wow, isn't that something!
- What is it?
- The paper says there's one baby born
every 22 seconds.
ya garbling	! b
you trashy good-for-nothing!
(a form of address to someone who is
worthless)
Get out of my house, you trashy
good-for-nothing!
ya gamaal in-nabi	! JU?- I
aren’t you a beauty!
Ju JSTL
117
(I'm very well; I'm in a satisfactory
condition: used to show that one does not
care about other people but only about
oneself; indifferent to others)
Indifferent though we may be to starvation
elsewhere, I'm all right. Jack is not the
right response.
ya £eenak ya gabayrak ! JjA-fr b *J~^b
what a nerve you’ve got!
(an expression of disapproval of a person
who is characterized by rude boldness)
What a nerve you've got! How dare you
claim you're a friend of mine?
ya fat-taah ya ^aliim ! b * bi b
what a start to the day!
(the day is ruined for me! said in
exasperation when things go wrong in the
morning or at the sight of someone who is
believed to bring trouble or bad luck)
There comes John, what a start to the
day! It's too early for trouble,
о s
ya farhiti	!	/ b
big deal!
(used by a speaker who thinks that a
statement he has just heard is silly or not
important)
-1 earned 50 pounds this month.
- Big deal! You won't grow rich on that much
money these days.
ya ?aatil ya ma?tuul	J j=^®b Jili b
do or die
(to make a brave and often hopeless effort
to obtain one's aim or purpose)
The general warned the soldiers that it
would be do or die in their next attack.
ya kibdi ^aleek	ikJ-U b
you poor little thing!
(an expression of concern)
You poor little thing! You're seriously hurt.
$	» t
yaakul maal in-nabi	JU
would sell one’s own grandmother
ya diin in-nabi	! jp b
what bedlam!
(a wild exclamation of surprise, as of noisy
confusion)
What bedlam! What's this uproar in the
gym?
ya simm	! b
how horrid!
(a remark used by women and children to
refer to something unpleasant, or to a
subject of envy)
She ... an actress? How horrid!
ya taabit yatneen ^uur !	b
[[aabit comes from laab, a game for two
players with stone counters and four strips
of palm branch, each strip having one
green and one white side; the strips are
thrown against a vertical surface and the
various combinations of green and white
govern the movement of the stones on a
grid drawn in the dust. ?itneen tuur is a
throw in the game that neither wins nor
loses. The idiom therefore refers to a
neutral action, an action without effect on
an outcomel
double or quits!
(let the final bet be for the amount of
money now owed, i.e. so that, as a result,
the present loser will either pay twice his
present debts or win them back and so be
equal with the present winner. This
suggestion thus offers a loser the chance of
winning back his losses)
ya camm ruuh	! * jj b
get away with you
(don't try to deceive me!; I don't believe
you! Used in answer to a statement that
the speaker believes is foolish or untrue)
-1 have no money left.
- Get away with you! We only got paid
yesterday.
ya£amm wana maali	blj b
I’m all right, Jack

118

- For goodness sake, it's early days yet to
be talking like that!
9	99^0^	^^.9
уit-hc/tt ^ag-garh yiliib	Залл
all sweetness and light
(pleasant, good-tempered)
He's usually all sweetness and light, but
today he's being angry with everyone in
the office.
yihlif ^almizy-ya -ил5 <uj I
tigmad
swear black is white
(to be willing to do or say anything in order
to get what one wants)
He wants that job very much, and he'll
swear black is white to get it.
yid-di J**) Obj %
ilhala? lil-il bila widaan
the devil looks after his own [saying]
(success, good fortune, etc., comes to
those who least deserve it)
’ ’ ’ > -'°
yisra? ik-kuhl rnil^een
would do someone in the eye
(to cheat or trick a person without being
noticed)
You'd better be very careful - the people
selling clothes in the market would do you
in the eye.
yislam bu?-?ak	! djX
(fum-mak)
well said/spoken!
(speaking well, fittingly, or pleasingly;
polite in speech)
Well said, Mary! Your speech was so
touching.
yis^tzb ^ak-kaafir	jilSl £
wring someone’s withers
(to cause someone to feel great pity or
sympathy)
[refers to a horse that is suffering because
the saddle does not fit and is hurting the
horse's back]
(of a greedy, unscrupulous person: to be
willing to do anything to gain money or
personal profit without regard for what is
morally right)
To my surprise, they appointed him as
guardian to the orphans, and they know
he'd sell his own grandmother.
ytzl-L/ nafsi
every man for himself
(a situation of danger in which each person
must take care of himself and look after his
own concerns)
When the captain shouted, 'danger', it was
every man for himself.
yaama	L
da?-?it fyr-raas tubuul
I’ve seen them all [saying]
(all the separate things and persons
referred to are so alike that one needs to
see only one of them to know what the
others are like)
ya musah-hil	!	*® b
here goes’
(used when the speaker is about to test
something or do something that is difficult,
bold or unpleasant)
- I've mended the starter. Try the engine
now.
- All right. Here goes!
yanhour t/byr/d	! Jo-A
good grief!
(an exclamation of alarm or surprise: often
used for humorous effect)
Good grief! I've never seen something like
this before.
yahana min yi^iij	J* ba b
early days yet
(it is rather too soon to come to
conclusions about, or to pass judgements
on, a situation that has still to develop)
- I'm beginning to think that I shall never be
a grandmother.
^7»-
119

[children were frequently kept busy in
activities that were not worthwhile like
gathering wool from hedges where sheep
had passed]
Let them go about their woolgathering -
everyone else is working hard for a better
career.
yi?la^ ... wisniinu	‘Чг—’J *^4!
to hell with something
(I, we, etc., do not care about a thing)
To hell with the office - I've got a birthday
party.
yi?uum min	J*
nu?ra yu?a^ fiduhdecra
out of the frying pan into the fire
(from a bad situation to one that is worse)
He was suffering from loneliness before he
got married, but now I'd say he'd jumped
out of the frying pan into the fire.
yil^ab bilbcedt/
wilhtfgttr
adroit
(having or showing skill in using the mind;
resourceful in reaching one's objective;
having or showing skill in the use of the
hands or the body)
Adroit as he is, he did not impress her at
all.
yumhil wala yuhmil
the mills of God grind slowly, but they
grind exceedingly small [saying]
(the proper punishments for a
actions may be delayed, but
certain in the end to be delivered)
person's
they are
yihri wiyifri
toss and turn
0 9
A?
(of a person: to move restlessly with
sudden twists because of worry)
He couldn't sleep and was tossing and
turning all night because he was worried
about his job.
The sight of the small children all asking for
food was enough to wring your withers.
yidrob wiylaa?i
be good at thrust and parry
(to be vigorous at exchanging opinions and
ideas)
The general election needs someone who
is good at thrust and parry.
yidrab (yi/bt/t) yi?lib (Дгл,)
all anyhow
(extremely untidy)
She rushes off to college and leaves her
room all anyhow.
yitlac; miin bisalamtu ?
who’s he/she when he/she’s at home?
(used to ask for an explanation of who the
person just mentioned is)
- We're going to see a film with John
Winterton in it.
- John Winterton? Who's he when he's at
home?
yiyra? fifibr mr/y-yrz «м
can’t punch one’s way out of a paper
bag
(to be very weak; lacking in strength,
power, or determination)
He often tells us what a good worker he
was, but according to someone who knew
him at the time he couldn't punch his way
out of a paper bag.
yifhamha wihiy-ya tayra OjjU?
quick on the uptake
(very quick to understand or learn anything
new)
He is quite a clever child and has always
been quick on the uptake, so I am sure that
he will do well at school.
yi?af-far basal	J-a jJJb
woolgather
(to do nothing of great value; indulge in
idle imagining or daydreaming)
120
be$r and skittles.
yoom yi^lambu rab-bimz bj <4 <U*j
one of those days
(a day on which nothing goes right)
I had one of those days - the car broke
down, the washing machine went wrong,
the children tramped over the clean kitchen
floor.
yiigi min-nu
show promise
(to give indication of; give hope of; give
ground for expectation of)
Betty has a beautiful voice and shows
promise of being a great singer.
yiwad-diik	dJLojj
ilbahr wiygiibak
twist someone round one's little finger
(to have the ability to persuade a person to
do exactly as one wants)
She'll have no problem getting permission
to go on holiday - she can twist the boss
round her little finger.
yoom £asal wiyoom J-aj
b<7S</l
not all beer and skittles
(not consisting completely of pleasure,
happiness, enjoyment, etc.)
-	I've been feeling very fed up lately.
-	Take things easy for a while. Life is not all
I