MUSIC IDIOMS
二宫和也椎名法子
jo de la rosa
IDIOM
MEANING
EXEMPLE
BAND
1.A one-man band
2.Jump/climb/get on the bandwagon
1.An organization in which one person does all the work or has all the power.
2.To become involved in an activity that is successful so that you can get the advantages of it yourself.
1.It's basically a one-man band. He designs, prints and sells the T-shirts himself.
2.The success of the product led many firms to try to jump on the bandwagon.
BEAT
1.Not miss a beat
2.Your heart skips/misses a beat
1.To not pause or show any uncertainty, usually when this is surprising.
2.You feel very excited or nervous.
1."That's what I thought," replied Olivia, without missing a beat.
2.Every time he looks at me my heart skips a beat.
BELL
1.(As) clear as a bell
2.Be as sound as a bell
3.Bells and whistles

4.Give sb a bell
5.Ring a bell
6.Saved by the bell

7.Warning/alarm bells start to ring/sound
8.With bells on
1.Very easy to hear.
2.To be very healthy or in very good condition.
3.The things that sth, esp a device or machine, has or does that are not necessary but that make it more exciting or interesting.
4.To phone someone.
5.To sound familiar.
6.Sth that you say when a difficult situation ends suddenly before you have to do or say sth that you do not want to.
7.Used to describe an occasion when you realize that sth is wrong.
8.A particular thing has similar qualities but it’s more extreme.
1.Clear as a bell, from the back of the theatre came a child's voice saying, "I want to go home".
2.Her constitution is as sound as a bell.
3.Your computer software may have all the latest bells and whistles, but is it good value for money?
4.Give me a bell sometime next week, won't you?
5.The name rang a bell but I couldn't remember where I had heard it before.
6.Luckily my bus arrived before I had time to reply. Saved by the bell.
7.When Frank suggested coming to stay for a couple of days, alarm bells started to ring in my head.
8.This latest series is melodrama with bells on.
DANCE
1.Be dancing in the streets
2.Dance attendance on sb
3.Dance to sb's tune
4.It takes two to tango

5.Lead sb a (merry) dance
6.Make a song and dance about sth
7.Song and dance
1.To be extremely happy about something that has happened.
2.To do everything that someone asks you to and treat them in a special way.
3.To do what someone wants.
4.Both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame, or an activity needs 2 people who are willing to take part for it to happen.
5.To cause sb a lot of trouble, especially by getting them to do a lot of things that are not necessary.
6.To make sth seem more important than it really is so that everyone notices it.
7.A long and complicated statement or story, sometimes one that is not true.
because we can
1.Not many people will be dancing in the streets about a two percent pay rise.
2.I can't stand the way she has to have someone dancing attendance on her the whole time.
3.Powerful local residents seem to have the council dancing to their tune.
4.She may want to argue, but it takes two to tango and I won't stoop to her level.
5.She's led us a merry dance over the plans for the party.
6.I only asked her to move her car but she made such a song and dance about it.
7.She gave me some song and dance about how busy she is.
DRUM
1.Bang/beat the drum
1.To speak enthusiastically about a belief or idea in order to persuade other people to support it too.
1.Labour are beating the drum for a united Europe.
FIDDLE
1.Be (as) fit as a fiddle
2.Be on the fiddle
3.Fiddle while Rome burns

4.Play second fiddle
1.To be very healthy and strong.
2.To get money in a way that is not honest or not legal.
3.To spend time enjoying yourself or doing things that are not important when you should be dealing with a serious problem.
4.To be less important or in a weaker position than sb else.
1.My grandmother's 89, but she's as fit as a fiddle.
2.If he's not on the fiddle, how did he afford that huge car?
3.Environmentalists claimed governments were fiddling while Rome burned.
4.I'm not prepared to play second fiddle to Christina any more - I'm looking for another job!
HORN
1.Be on the horns of a dilemma
2.Draw/pull in your horns
1.To be unable to decide which of two things to do because either could have bad results.
2.To behave in a more careful way than you did before, especially by spending less money.
1.How can we decide which hospital to close? We are on the horns of a dilemma.
2.He'll have to draw in his horns now he's lost his job.
MUSIC
1.And all that jazz
2.Be music to sb's ears
3.Be the new rock and roll

4.Face the music
5.Go into rhapsodies
6.Have the blues
1.Used when speaking to mean "and other similar things".
2.To be sth that you are very pleased to hear.
3.An activity has become very popular and fashionable, and people who do it are considered exciting and interesting.
4.To accept criticism or punishment for sth you have done.
5.To express very great enthusiasm and admiration for sth.
6.To feel sad.
1.They sell televisions and radios and all that jazz.
2.The sound of her key in the lock was music to my ears.
3.Could poetry be the new rock and roll?

4.When the missing money was noticed, he chose to disappear rather than face the music.
5.She went into rhapsodies about the chocolate cake.
6.I don't know what it is, but I find I always have the blues on Sundays
NOTE
1.Compare notes

2.Hit/strike the right note
3.Strike a note
1.If two people compare notes, they tell each other what they think about sth that they have both done.
2.To be suitable and have a good effect.
3.To express and communicate a particular opinion or feeling about sth.
1.We'd had the same boyfriend at different times in our life so it was quite interesting to compare notes.
2.He saw his remarks had hit the right note - his friend was smiling now.
3.At the end of her speech, she struck a note of warning about the risks involved in the project.
OTHER
1.Pull out all the stops
2.Strike a chord
1.To do everything you can to make sth successful.
2.a) It causes people to approve of it or agree with it.
b) It causes people to remember sth else because it is similar to it.
1.They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding.
2.a) Their policy on childcare has struck a responsive chord with women voters.
b) Carson? That name strikes a chord.
PIPER
1.He who pays the piper calls the tune
1.The person who is paying sb to do sth can decide how it should be done.
1.You may not agree with Mr Brown but he funded this venture, and he who pays the piper calls the tune.
SING
1.cd歌曲It's not over until the fat lady sings.
2.Sing for your supper
3.Sing the praises of sb/sth
4.Sing the same tune (sing from the same hymn sheet)
1.It is still possible for a situation to change.
2.To do sth for sb else in order to receive sth in return, esp food.
3.To praise someone or something.
4.To say the same things about a subject in public.
1.Tony's only two games behind. And as they say, it's not over until the fat lady sings.
你到底爱不爱我2.Tom is upstairs fixing my computer - I'm making him sing for his supper.
3.The newspapers have been singing the praises of Italy's new star player.
4.I want to make sure we're all singing the same tune before we give any interviews to the newspapers.
SONG
1.Be on song  (British)
2.Burst into song/tears/laughter
3.For a song
4.Song and dance
1.To be playing or performing well.
2.To suddenly begin to sing/cry/laugh.
3.Very cheaply.
4.A long and complicated statement or story, sometimes one that is not true.
1.Ravanelli looked a bit tired in last Saturday's match but he's certainly on song tonight.
2.Much to my surprise, Caleb suddenly burst into song.
3.Because the shop is closing down, most of the stock is going for a song.
4.She gave me some song and dance about how busy she is.
SOUND
1.Ring/sound alarm bells
2.Ring/sound hollow
3.Safe and sound
4.Sound off
5.Sound the death knell
1.Sth makes you start to worry because it is a sign that there may be a problem.
2.Sth/sb does not sound true or sincere.
3.To be not harmed in any way, although you were in a dangerous situation.
4.To express your opinions forcefully, esp without being asked for them.
5.To cause an organization, system, or activity to fail or end.
1.The name sounded alarm bells in her mind.
2.The claims they made two years ago that peace was just around the corner sound very hollow now.
3.It was a difficult drive but we all arrived safe and sound.
4.He's always sounding off about how he thinks the country should be run.
5.The new superstore will sound the death knell for hundreds of small independent shops.
TRACK
1.Off the beaten track
1.In a place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns.
1.We may have problems with finding the bar, as it is a bit off the beaten track.
TRUMPET
1.Blow one’s own trumpet/horn
1.To tell everyone proudly about your achievements.
1.Anyone will tell you she's one of the best journalists we've got, although she'd never blow her own trumpet.
TUNE
1.Call the tune/shots
2.Carry a tune
3.Change your tune
4.In/out tune with
5.March to a different tune
6.To the tune of
1.To be in the position of being able to make the decisions that will influence a situation.
2.To be able to sing the correct musical sounds of a tune.
3.To change your opinion completely, esp because you know it will bring you an advantage.
4.If you are in/out tune with a group of people, you are/not in agreement or sympathy with them.
5.To behave in a different way or to believe in different things from the people around you.
6.To the tune of a particular amount of money means to the extent of that amount.
1.She was used to calling the tune, to being in charge.
2.Neither of my brothers can carry a tune, but my sister is a good singer.
3.He was against the idea to start with, but he soon changed his tune when he realized how much money he'd get.
4.The peace campaigners were probably out of tune with most Britons.
5.While most of the country supported military action, Santini was marching to a different tune.
6.They've been sponsoring the World Cup to the tune of a million and a half pounds.
WHISTLE
1.(As) clean as a whistle
2.Blow the whistle on sb/sth
3.Final whistle
4.Play to the whistle


5.Wet your whistle
6.Whistle for it
7.Whistle-stop tour
8.Whistling in the dark
1.Extremely clean.
2.To tell people publicly about something bad that someone is doing.
3.The end of a football game, when the referee blows a whistle to end the game/
4.A football player should continue playing until the referee blows the whistle, rather than stop playing because he thinks the referee will award a foul, throw-in, etc.
5.To have an alcoholic drink
6.To be determined that sb will not get what they want.
7.A very quick visit to several places.
8.a) To be confident that sth good will happen when it is not at all likely.
b) To try to remain brave and convince yourselves that the situation is not as bad as it seems.
1.The café is as clean as a whistle, and the food is excellent.
2.The kids are encouraged to blow the whistle on any of their friends who are using drugs.
3.Dejected fans began leaving long before the final whistle.
4.You always have to play to the whistle.


5.You must be thirsty after all that work - would you care to wet your whistle?
6.If they want money, they can whistle for it. They're not getting a penny out of me!
7.Coach loads of tourists come for whistle-stop tours of the main European cities.
8.a) She seems pretty sure she'll win the title, but she may just be whistling in the dark不爱我放了我.
b) Then I waited, trying not to feel as if I were whistling in the dark, but I experienced no easing of my fear and anxiety.