The boss wanted me to keep out of some sort of business, I didn’t know what it was about, but I realised that I should keep out of it, and therefore I said: “I won’t put my nose into this”. And they all laughed and I didn’t know why. But afterwards they told me that it’s not possible to say it this way, because it’s somehow rude and means something different. A GOOD METHOD OF LEARNING NEW IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS IS TRYING TO REMEMBER THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THEY WERE USED. MANY IDIOMS ARE HOWEVER INFORMAL AND ARE USED ONLY IN SPOKEN ENGLISH. I realised that I should keep out of it, and therefore I said: “I won’t put my nose into this”. In German this is a phrase that’s OK, nobody will be offended. It’s a phrase just to say “I’m gonna keep distance, I’m gonna keep out”. From this point on I try to avoid to translate phrases, German phrases and just to use simple and for me well-known English words in order to avoid such situations. famous - slavný rude - nezdvořilý, sprostý, hrubý to keep out of - nevšímat si něčeho I won’t get involved in it - nebudu se tím zabývat, nebudu si toho všímat I will stay away from it - nebudu se do toho plést to tighten one’s belt - utáhnout si opasek to eat like a horse - hodně jíst, jíst jako otesánek my hands are tied - mám svázané ruce to pay through the nose - zaplatit šílenou částku be offended - urazit se Cvičení 1 Přeložte: 1. Letní dovolená mě stála strašných peněz (zaplatil jsem za dovolenou šílenou částku. 2. Musím si teď příští měsíc utáhnout opasek.