Word Wonders: Idioms from animals Part 2

Continued from Part 1… It’s difficult to shuck an oyster — that means to open an oyster shell — but your reward might be a beautiful pearl. That gives us the phrase “The world is my oyster.” It comes from Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor. When someone says this, they mean that they have many opportunities to make a profit or gain an advantage. People often say this phrase to young people to emphasize that they have many choices that can lead them to wealth or happiness. “I don’t know what to do with my life.” “You have just finished university and you’re still young — the world is your oyster!” Another seafood-related expression is the phrasal verb “to clam up.” When a clam encounters a predator it may close its shells together to protect itself. If someone is refusing to talk or to give up information, they are often described as “clamming up.” “The thief clammed up during the police interrogation and didn’t say a word.” Like a clam protecting itself from a confrontation, the phrase suggests that someone doesn’t want to look at other people in the eye and instead looks down at the ground. “My son always clams up when he is guilty of something.” (Rob Horn) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.