Music Idioms

Hearing a student use an idiom is music to a teacher's ears, especially if they have used the one that we have taught them. By the way, have you noticed that I have also used an idiom in the previous sentence? You haven't? Than this is a post for you!

The idiom used is BE MUSIC TO SB'S EARS and it means that something is exactly what you want to hear and you are pleased to hear it:

The sound of the mobile ringing was music to my ears! They finally called me back!

Dźwięk telefonu był muzyką dla moich uszu! W końcu oddzwonili!

There are other music-related idioms you might find worth paying attention to:

TO FACE THE MUSIC means to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done, in other words it means: wypić piwo, którego się nawarzyło:

Mary broke the window and had to face the music when her father got home.

Marysia wybiła okno i musiała wypić piwo, którego naważyła kiedy jej ojciec wrócił do domu.

You can be FIT AS FIDDLE, meaning you can be very healthy and strong (zdrów jak ryba):

My grandfather is almost 90 this year but he is still fit as a fiddle.

Mój dziadek ma w tym roku 90 lat ale nadal jest zdrówjak ryba.

fit as fiddle

You can also PLAY SECOND FIDDLE, that is to be less important than someone else is (grać drugie skrzypce lub pozostawać w cieniu kogoś):

I don't want to play second fiddle to Brian any more, so I'm going to look for another job.

Nie chcę już pozostawać w cieniu Briana więc zamierzam poszukać innej pracy.

On the other hand you can be the one who is the most important and makes the crucial decisions and in that case we would say that you CALL THE TUNE (grać pierwsze skrzypce):

Who calls the tune here?

Kto tu gra pierwsze skrzypce?

Other music-related idioms might include...

BLOW ONE'S OWN HORN/TRUMPET which means to boast about your achievements or abilities (przechwalać się):

If you want people to believe that you are really good, you have to blow your own trumpet. Nobody else will...

Jeśli chcesz, żeby ludzie uwierzyli, że jesteś naprawdę dobry, musisz się przechwalać. Nikt tego za ciebie nie zrobi...

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO is also a nice music-related saying which is used when we want to underline that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame (do tanga trzeba dwojga):

Harry wanted to argue with me, but it takes two to tango and I won't stoop to his level.

Harry chciał się ze mną kłócić, ale do tanga trzeba dwojga, a ja nie zniżę się do jego poziomu.

... AND ALL THAT JAZZ, meaning all other things similar or related (itd., itp.):

He told me that I didn't know what I was doing, that I was making a big mistake and all that jazz.

Powiedział mi, że nie wiem co robię, że popełniam wielki błąd itp., itd.

JAZZ appears also in JAZZ SOMETHING UP, meaning to make something more interesting (podrasowywać coś):

We've jazzed up our webpage!

Podrasowaliśmy naszą stronę!

TO BANG THE DRUM means to speak in support of something (robić wiele hałasu wokół kogoś):

We're banging the drum for women's rights.
Robimy dużo hałasu wokół praw kobiet.

DRUM SOMETHING IN on the other hand, means to keep repeating something (wbijać komuś coś do głowy):

He drummed in the importance of good manners to his son.
Wbił swojemu synowi do głowy jak ważne są dobre maniery.

We can also DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR somebody or something, which means that we try to get support for them (pozyskać poparcie dla kogoś lub czegoś):

They wanted to go on TV to drum up support for their new idea.
Chcieli pójść do telewizji żeby pozyskać poparcie dla swojego nowego pomysłu.

Finally we can GIVE A VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE which means that we do something perfectly (you can try to translate it into Polish the way you think it's best;):

She gave a virtuoso performance in her speech.

After all those music-related idioms we could WET OUR WHISTLE - that is - we could drink something (and by that I do not mean drinking soft drinks ;):

Come and wet your whistle!
Chodź się napić!

Enjoy!

Catherine Zeta-Jones

All that Jazz

Come on babe, why don't we paint the town?

And all that jazz

I'm gonna rogue my knees and roll my stockings down

And all that jazz

Start the car

I know a whoopee spot

Where the gin is cold

But the piano's hot

It's just a noisy hall

Where there's a nightly brawl

And all...that...jazz!

Slick your hair and wear your buckle shoes

And all that jazz

I hear that father dip is gonna blow the blues

And all that jazz

Hold on hon'

We're gonna bunny hug

I bought some aspirin

Down at united drug

In case you shake apart

And want a brand new start

To do...that...jazz!

Skidoo

And all that jazz

Hotcha!

Whoopee!

And all that jazz

It's just a noisy hall

Where there's a nightly brawl

And all...that...jazz!

"Listen', your hunsband ain't home, is he?

No, her husband is not at at home"

Find a flask we're playing fast and loose

And all that jazz

Right up here is where I store the juice

And all that jazz

Come on babe

We're gonna brush the sky

I betcha lucky Lindy

Never flew so high

'Cause in the stratosphere

How could he lend an ear

To all that jazz!

Oh, you're gonna see your sheba shimmy shake

And all that jazz

Oh, she's gonna shimmy til her garters break

And all that jazz

Show her where to park her girdle

Oh, her mother's blood will curdle

If she'd hear her baby's queer

For all...that..jazz!

All...that...jazz!

Come on babe why don't we paint the town

And all that jazz

I'm gonna rouge my knees and wear my stockings down

And all that jazz

Start the car

I know a whoopee spot

Where the gin is cold

But the piano's hot

It's just a noisy hall

Where there's a nightly brawl

And all that jazz!

"So, that's it Fred?

I'm afraid so Roxie.

Oh Fred (oh Fred)

Yeah

Nobody send up on me.

Sweet heart

Oh, don't sweet heart me, your son of a bith.

Whoopee!

Hotcha!

Jazz.

Ah, I got be"

No, I'm no one's wife

But, oh I love my life

And all that jazz!

That Jazz!