IX. Say what structural variations are possible in the following phraseological units. If in doubt, consult the dictionaries.

 

To catch at a straw; a big bug; the last drop; to build a castle in the air; to weather the storm; to get the upper hand; to run for one's life; to do wonders; to run a risk; just the other way about.

 

X. Read the following jokes. Identify the phraseological units using the two major criteria: structural and semantic. What are the jokes based on?

 

1. He: Don't you hate people who talk behind your back?

She: Yes, especially at the movies.

2. "I'd hate to be in your shoes," said a woman yesterday, as she was quarrelling with a neighbour.

"You couldn't get in them," sarcastically remarked the neighbour.

3. Herbert: Arthur hasn't been out one night for three weeks.

Flora: Has he turned over a new leaf?

Herbert: No, he's turned over a new car.

4. Motorist: How far is it to the next town? Native: Nigh to five miles as the crow flies. Motorist: Well, how far is it if a damned crow has to walk and carry an empty gasoline can?

5. "So, she turned you down, eh?"

"Yes, I made the mistake of confessing that my heart was in my mouth when I proposed."

"What has it to do with it?"

"Oh, she said she couldn't think of marrying a man whose heart wasn't in the right place."