Throat Idioms

DESCRIPTION OF CLASS D: Semi-literate

LESSON OBJECTIVE: By the end of the lesson, pupils should be able to understand and use “throat Idoms” in English.

REFERENCE MATERIAL: http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/throat

LESSON DEVELOPMENT
1. Jump down someone’s throat
Strongly criticize, reprimand or disagree with someone. For example, Just because I admitted to being there, you needn’t jump down my throat.

2. Be at each other’s throats
If two people are at each other’s throats, they are arguing angrily. For example, when we lived together, we were always at each other’s throats.

3. Cut someone’s throat
This has two meanings:
a) It means to be the means of someone’s downfall, as in Joe would cut her throat if she got in his way. One can also cut one’s own throat, that is, spoil one’s own chances, as in Alice cut her own throat by her repeated absences.
b) to cut one another’s throat means to engage in vicious competition. For example, With their price war the two stores were cutting each other’s throats. This usage gave rise, by 1880, to the idiom cutthroat competition, for vicious competitive practices

LESSON EVALUATION
Teacher: Now, Frank, give me a sentence using the idiom “cut someone’s throat”
Frank: if you want to kill someone, you cut their throat.
Teacher: No, Frank. Use the idiomatic expression as in the examples given above
Frank: Sorry teacher, I don’t understand.
Teacher: Kanganja, try to help Frank. If I say “UPND and PF will cut each other’s throat between now and August 11,” what do I mean?
Kanganja: Teacher, you will be arrested for inciting violence. Cutting of each other’s throats is not allowed in this country.
Teacher: Gosh! Edgar, why are you silent in that corner, help your friends. If GBM says he will go for your throat in this context, what does he mean?
Edgar: it means he will give me vicious competition.
Teacher: Excellent! So why didn’t you raise your hand earlier to give the correct answer?
Edgar: I was just being humble, teacher.