We have a large number of idiomatic expressions in English which refer to various parts of the body. I'm not sure that I have come across the expression to have or go around with your head in the stars before, but we do have the expression to have or go around with your head in the clouds. If you have your head in the clouds all the time, you are an unrealistic sort of person, very much a day-dreamer. (Having your head in the stars may be a local variation on this.)
It is the direct opposite to say that your feet are on the ground. Somebody who has his feet on the ground has a sensible and realistic attitude to life. It is unlikely that the same person would have his head in the clouds and his feet on the ground, unless he were suffering from some kind of personality disorder!
foot, feet, leg
Here are some sentences with expressions involving leg(s), foot and feet (three of each). See if you know which part of the lower limb is needed for the expression in each one. Then check your answers with the answer key.
- He hardly ever puts a __________ wrong. He never seems to make any mistakes.
- My __________ hardly touched the ground. I was so busy.
- They have really fallen on their ___________ . They inherited a lot of money and bought a lovely holiday house in the Bahamas.
- He hasn't got a __________ to stand on. What he did was quite wrong and cannot be excused.
- Come on, shake a ___________ . We haven't got all day. We've got to finish this by lunchtime.
- He started off on the wrong ___________ by arriving late on his first day at work.
- The first ___________ of the journey was from Paris to Barcelona. The second _________ was from Barcelona to Rabat.
- I like to put my ____________ up after a hard day's work and spend the entire evening relaxing.
- You will have to put your __________ down. It's about time he learnt that he cannot have everything he wants.
Answers:
- He hardly ever puts a foot wrong. He never seems to make any mistakes.
- My feet hardly touched the ground. I was so busy.
- They have really fallen on their feet. They inherited a lot of money and bought a lovely holiday house in the Bahamas.
- He hasn't got a leg to stand on. What he did was quite wrong and cannot be excused.
- Come on, shake a leg. We haven't got all day. We've got to finish this by lunchtime.
- He started off on the wrong foot by arriving late on his first day at work.
- The first leg of the journey was from Paris to Barcelona. The second leg was from Barcelona to Rabat.
- I like to put my feet up after a hard day's work and spend the entire evening relaxing.
- You will have to put your foot down. It's about time he learnt that he cannot have everything he wants.
brain, mind, head
Here are nine more sentences with expressions which this time involve brain, mind and head (three of each). See if you know which is needed for the expression in each case. Then check your answers with the answer key.
- It was a really tricky mathematical problem that none of us could solve, but then I suddenly had a ____________ wave.
- I really can't get my ___________ round this. It's too complicated for me to understand.
- I forgot to phone you last night. I'm sorry. It slipped my __________ .
- I hadn't eaten all day and the champagne went straight to my ____________.
- I have an open ___________ about mixed marriages. There's no reason at all why they shouldn't work.
- He had set his ___________ on going to Australia to study and nothing was going to stop him.
- There is a real ___________ drain from England now. All our top scientists, engineers and academics are moving overseas to work.
- She managed to keep her _____________ despite the panic all around her.
- Let's _________ storm this idea to see if we can highlight as many aspects as possible.
Answers:
- It was a really tricky mathematical problem that none of us could solve, but then I suddenly had a brainwave.
- I really can't get my head round this. It's too complicated for me to understand.
- I forgot to phone you last night. I'm sorry. It slipped my mind.
- I hadn't eaten all day and the champagne went straight to my head.
- I have an open mind about mixed marriages. There's no reason at all why they shouldn't work.
- He had set his mind on going to Australia to study and nothing was going to stop him.
- There is a real brain drain from England now. All our top scientists, engineers and academics are moving overseas to work.
- She managed to keep her head even though everyone else was panicking.
- Let's brainstorm this idea to see if we can highlight as many aspects as possible.
(By Roger Woodham)