Is there anything better than a truly British historical drama TV show, at teatime? Over the last few months, I’ve collected a few idioms and expressions from Downton Abbey (I’ve loved that series madly, haven’t you?). So, here are your Tuesday Idioms from Downton Abbey, Season One Episode One (continued). We further deepen our knowledge of the characters, particularly, in addition to Lord and Lady Grantham and their daughters, Lady Violet, i.e. Lord Grantham’s mother, and we meet, for the first time, Andrew Crawley, who will be very important for the story. Enjoy!

I’ve never to my knowledge set eyes on him.

I don’t think I’ve ever met him or even seen him (Lady Violet is referring to Cousin Matthew Crawley, who has unexpectedly become the heir of the Downton Estate. She implies (mostly by the tone used) that she’s never met him because they’re from two different worlds.

A complete unknown has the right to pocket money along with the rest of the swag

To take my money and all valuable goods (swag = booty, pillage, loot, goods or money obtained illegally). Again, Cora refers to Matthew, whom she hasn’t met yet and judges harshly because (due to a pre-nuptial agreement), he will be entitled not only to inherit the house and land, but also to the money she had brought into the estate as dowry.

I didn’t run Downton for thirty years to see it go lock, stock and barrel to a complete stranger from God knows where.

Lock, stock and barrel = completely, in its entirety, including everything (said by Lady Violet), still on the same subject).

“Are we to be friends, then”? “We are allies, my dear, which can be a good deal more effective”.

A good deal (or a great deal) = much, extremely, to a considerable amount, a lot of: they couldn’t have succeeded without a good deal of luck. Apparently, there is no love lost between Lady Violet and her daughter in law Cora. Lady Violet probably did not approve of her son’s marriage to an American heiress, although they needed her money. However, their relationship will improve over time.

We live by certain standards

To high levels of quality and achievement. Carson the butler speaking; he isn’t convinced that the new valet Mr. Bates will be equal to the task, and is giving him a bit of a hard time (he will soon change his mind though).

Daunting

Discouraging, difficult to achieve or live up to, intimidating

Tongue-tied

Too shy or embarrassed to speak.

I ate my way through five platefuls of sandwiches at one sitting and slept around the clock.

If you do something at one sitting or in one sitting, you do not stop doing it until you have finished it. He sometimes reads a whole novel at one sitting. She can go through a whole box of cookies in one sitting, Around the clock means all day and all night, so it means she ate without pausing until all plates were empty, and then slept twenty-four hours continuously.

What was this chopped egg supposed to be sprinkled on?

What should we have covered with the egg? (Mrs. Patmore the cook tends to get anxious and distracted and to fidget whenever anything (even a little bit) out of the ordinary happens

I should think not!

Certainly not; of course not.

Get a move on

Hurry up

Dispiriting

Disheartening, dismal, demoralizing

We could hardly have held a funeral without the bodies.

We could hardly = We couldn’t, it wouldn’t have been possible to. Lord Grantham is talking of Patrick, the heir-to-be, who supposedly died on the Titanic, but whose body wasn’t found.

I gather

From what I know, as far as I know, (from what) I’ve heard / I hear

It does seem odd that

It seems strange.

It won’t take a moment

It will be very quick; you’ll do it/you’ll be finished in no time (at all).

He was the first away

He was the first to leave

I wish they’d make their minds up

make up one’s mind = decide; form an opinion or decision; resolve

A long way from settled

Far from decided, definitely not agreed upon.  

I wish to thank TFD (The Free Dictionary) for its existence, but also the Macmillan Dictionary, the Collins Dictionary, the Cambridge Dictionary…

Tuesday Idioms from Downton Abbey is part of the English language section: look for more!