In this episode, The Teacher introduces you to three idiomatic phrases connected with horse
1. It’s neck and neck.
2. On the home straight or stretch.
3. Down to the wire.
Yah! Yah! Come on Bessie!…
Hello, I’m a very interesting and intelligent man…. Yah!
And today, I’m getting together with the sport of horse racing to teach you some idioms in English….Yah! Alright girl, come on. Come on Bessie! Yah! Yah!
I bet you’ve never been taught by the sport of horse racing before!
…Yah! Come on girl!
As you can see, it’s a very, very, very, very, very, very, very close race.
Yes, it’s neck and neck.
In English, if two people in a competition are level and have the same chance of winning, we say ‘it’s neck and neck’.
It’s neck and neck.
Come on Bessie! Yah! Yah!
I’m so tired…..I hope we can make it to the end. Ah, fantastic, I can see the end of the race.
Yes, we’re on the home stretch.
In English, when you’re coming to the end of a long task, we can say ‘we’re on the home straight or the home stretch’.
On the home straight or the home stretch.
Like this lesson. I’ve only got one more idiom to teach, so we really are on the home straight.
Yah! Come on Bessie! Yah! Yah! Come on girl!
It’s so close!Who’s going to win?
It’s going to go down to the wire.
In English, if we are unsure of the result of something until the very last moment, we say ‘it’ll go down to the wire.’
Down to the wire.
Yah! Come on Bessie! Yah! Yah! Yeeeesss!
Judge: Competitor number 420, The Teacher, is disqualified for riding a fake horse.
The Teacher: That is absolutely ridiculous! I can’t believe they would say that about you!
Did you hear that, Bessie?!
I am absolutely disgusted! I am so angry I’ve never been so appalled in all my life. I’ve a good mind to teach you a lesson!
More BBC Idioms
- BBC Animal idioms – Insect
- BBC Transport idioms – Wagon
- BBC Transport idioms – Boats
- BBC Colour idioms – Gold
- BBC Body idioms – Foot
- BBC Animal idioms – Monkey
- BBC Animal idioms – Dog
- BBC Food idioms – Egg
- BBC Idioms – Halloween: idioms of fear
- BBC Animal idioms – Fish
More from the BBC
- L1: BBC How to … with transcript videos
- L2: BBC 6 minute English with transcript videos
- L1: BBC English at Work with transcript videos
- L1: BBC Drama – Frankenstein with transcript videos
- L1: BBC Face Up to Phrasals with transcript videos
- L1: BBC English Idioms
- L1: BBC The Flatmates
- L1: BBC Short and Easy Dramas with transcript videos
- L3: BBC Better Speaking
- L3: BBC Words in the News with transcript videos
- L1: Listen to English – ESL British Podcasts
- L2: Idiom 100 – commonly used idioms
- L1: Learning English Podcast (HAU)
- L2: Alice in Wonderland AudioBook
- L1: extr@ English with subtitles
- L2: A.A. Milne – Winnie the Pooh AudioBook
- L2: VOA American Stories
- L2: Commonly Used American Idioms
- L1: Living English Video Series
- L2: Shepherd Grammar
Source: BBC Learning EnglishMore Series for You: