Yearly Archives: 2016

Idiom of the day – It’s the thought that counts

Today my friend came home with a cake-making kit and proceeded to make fairy cakes to celebrate my birthday . This is representative of how they turned out. Although the cake wasn’t round, and it was a little bit burned, and the icing was just kind of splodged on top – and the decorations appeared to be randomly scattered around – it was the thought that counted. 😀

We use this phrase when somebody does something nice for us, but it doesn’t really work out very well. ‘Never mind – it’s the thought that counts!’ It’s saying: at least you were thinking of me; it doesn’t matter about the result. 

By the way, the cakes tasted delicious, so it was alright in the end. 

Idiom of the day – To swan about

To swan about means to walk around in a public place in a particularly ostentatious manner – hoping that everybody notices you and in particular the fabulous – and maybe expensive – clothes and hairstyle that you are sporting. It could be said that swans do not swan about, but rather glide effortlessly on silken waters. This idiom is, therefore, a bit of a slur against swans, which are naturally elegant and beautiful creatures, and do not need to try to be noticed – unlike those who must swan about.