Shake a Leg and Show a Leg
Today, we are going to learn how use the following phrases
Shake a Leg, which means to get something done fast.
And Show a Leg, which means to get up and get moving.
To “show a leg” and “shake a leg” are old naval terms.
When sailors had to get up (from sleeping) for their shift, a shout went out to show a leg.
This term came about, as when women were allowed on the ship, they were allowed to sleep in, but they had to show a leg over the side of the hammock to show they were not sailors.
Show a leg has evolved into the phrase shake a leg and this is much more commonly used.
Example 1:
- If you are going too slow, someone might ask you to shake a leg, to make you go faster
Example 2:
- I was washing up the dishes and doing it very slowly, when the chef said to me “shake a leg, we’ve got more orders coming in and I need you”
Homework:
- When you see a friend or family member doing something too slow, tell them to shake a leg and hurry up.OrIf you are doing something, which you think that you can do quicker, tell yourself to shake a leg and make yourself giggle.
Note: At The Queen’s English School, you can learn lots of interesting English phrases like Shake a Leg and Show a Leg.
