I am often impressed by the cleverness of artist/illustrator/cartoonist Ella Baron’s work, but this week she out did herself with this brilliant cartoon puzzle published in the TLS. I tried but could not discover all 57 idioms depicted in the drawing. Here’s my list, but maybe you can do better:
The young woman depicted here is a blue stocking (1). She’s got a bee in her bonnet (2), a feather in her cap (3) and chips on her shoulder (4). Her sharp elbow (5) could be smeared with elbow grease (6). It’s the eleventh hour (7) and she’s been caught red-handed (8) while killing two birds with one stone (9). Those two birds are now pushing up daisies (10). The lame duck (11) got away, but now she’s killed the goose that lays the golden egg (12). She clasped a viper to her bosom (13). It’s toe-curling (14). Her finances are hanging by a thread (15) so she had to tighten her belt (16) .
Her swan song (17) has been a hair-raising experience (18) and a stab in the back (19) but she rolled up her sleeves (20) and put lipstick on that pig (21) that was flying (22), although it had buttoned its lip (23). I’m nailing this in a pig’s eye (24), but I smell a rat (25).
Maybe it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie (26), although the cat’s among the pigeons (27) now there’s no sense crying over spilt milk (28) just because the apple is rotten to the core (29). Still, she can pull a rabbit out of a hat (30) because she’s the bee’ s knees (31).
It’s a fine kettle of fish (32) even though the cat is out of the bag(33) like a fish out of water(34) which would give anyone butterflies in the stomach(35). Time to throw down the gauntlet (36) and spread her wings and fly(37). Fingers crossed (38) she’ll get there as the crow flies (39). If she’s not to big for her britches (40) and doesn’t blow her top (41) letting off steam (42).
And that’s where I ran out of steam. Any ideas ? Don’t toss a spanner in the works (43). Because I’ve got my heart in my mouth (44).
Last week,the renowned French street artist Guillaume Legros (aka Saype) created an enormous and emotionally moving work in the Swiss alps above the town of Leysin. Using his innovative technique that is based on spraying naturally derived , biodegradable pigments, he has produced a large landart mural directly on the mountainside.
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