🔎 Idioms: To bend over backwards

IELTS Speaking for Success

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Language Learning, Education

4.8 • 541 Ratings

🗓️ 25 April 2024

⏱️ 4 minutes

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Summary

"To bend over backwards" means to make a big effort or go out of your way to help someone or achieve something, even if it's difficult or uncomfortable. The origin of this phrase is a bit unclear, but it's thought to come from the physical act of bending your body backwards, which can be really hard and uncomfortable. So, when you say someone is "bending over backwards," it's like saying they're doing something really hard or uncomfortable to help out or get something done. Tune in and have a great day! - Get exclusive episodes on IELTS Speaking parts 1, 2, and 3: https://linktr.ee/sfspremium Book a class with Rory here: https://successwithielts.com/rory Our course on Phrasal Verbs: https://successwithielts.com/podcourses Find an IELTS Speaking Partner: https://links.successwithielts.com/ieltspartner Our social media: https://linktr.ee/successwithielts © 2024 Podcourses LLP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the next-gen ERP powered by AI that actually knows your business.
0:08.0	We help you handle the have-to-dos so you can focus on the can't-wait-to-dos. It's a new workday.
0:15.0	Hello and welcome to our series of episodes on idioms. Maria and I have specially selected different idioms
0:23.6	to talk about lots of different areas in your life
0:26.6	to bring up your level of English to a high standard.
0:29.6	First of all, I'm going to give an example,
0:31.6	paraphrasing the idiom.
0:33.6	Rory will guess the idiom
0:36.6	and then we will give you the meaning, the origin and
0:40.8	more examples. I know what idioms we are going to be talking about but I haven't seen the
0:45.3	sentences and I have no idea what order they are going to be in. So Rory, I've been trying
0:51.9	very hard to help you with your birthday party. I've been trying super hard to help you with your birthday party.
0:56.3	I've been trying super hard to help you with your party.
0:59.6	Have you been bending over backwards?
1:02.2	Yeah.
1:03.1	To bend over backwards.
1:06.4	I can also say to lean over backwards.
1:10.6	So to bend or to lean over backwards, but usually bend.
1:14.9	And the idiom means to try very hard to do something.
1:19.1	So to do whatever it takes to help someone.
1:23.3	And this one comes from gymnastics where bending over backwards is an important skill that requires a lot of effort to meet the requirements.
1:29.9	She can say, I would bend over backwards for my family, for my friends.
	...

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