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Fiddler plays before the Champions League Final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich.

Hard: Fit as a fiddle

Hard: Fit as a fiddle

Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase as fit as a fiddle

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. 

Rich: Remember you can find transcripts for all of our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Jack: Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. 

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms. These phrases can be used to talk about football but are often useful when talking about other topics.


Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is: as fit as a fiddle.

Jack: We’ve been looking at words and phrases connected to fitness and health in our podcasts recently and this is another one.

Rich: In this episode, we’re also going to look at the structure of the idiom as there are many idioms that follow this pattern: as plus adjective plus as to say one thing is the same as another.

Jack: As fit as a fiddle means to be in good physical shape or condition.

Rich: You need to be as fit as a fiddle to play professional sports.

Jack: That’s true. We also use the phrase as fit as a fiddle to talk about people who have been sick and are now better.

Rich: A player may have been ill and a journalist may ask how the player is:

Jack: Mohammed Salah was out of action with a virus last week. Is he going to be involved this weekend?

Rich: Definitely. He’s as fit as a fiddle and raring to go.

Jack: We often use this phrase to describe older people who are very healthy. My grandmother is in her nineties and she’s as fit as a fiddle.


Rich: As fit as a fiddle is an idiomatic expression but it’s also a simile. A simile is an expression that compares one thing with another.

Jack: There are lots of them in English. Here are a few other examples that you might hear when speaking about football. What do you think they mean?

Rich: That’s great defending. She put her head right in the danger zone. As brave as a lion.

Jack: He’s been steady as a rock at the back today. Nothing’s got past him.

Rich: The ball breaks loose and as quick as a flash it’s in the back of the net. A great goal. 

Jack: That’s a foul. As clear as day. It’s got to be a penalty.

Rich: You may have noticed that the first as in these similies is optional - we often omit it when we are speaking but it doesn’t change the meaning. 


Jack: There is the final whistle!

Rich: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Jack: Bye for now and enjoy your football. 

Comment

Discuss

Are you as fit as a fiddle?

Can you think of a player to suit the other similes we introduced in this episode?

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Comments

almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
01/04/2023
BR
1339
points

Readin show!!


almirpereira's picture
almirpereira
01/04/2023 20:10
Brazil
Chelsea
1339

Readin show!!

Hermosillo Moreno
08/10/2022
MX
74
points

He is as fit as a fiddle, despite the injury he had in the last game.


Hermosillo Moreno
08/10/2022 20:37
Mexico
Chelsea
74

He is as fit as a fiddle, despite the injury he had in the last game.

Michaelsun
20/03/2022
CN
738
points

I’m not as fit as a fiddle because my right knee has arthritis for ten years.


Michaelsun
20/03/2022 11:27
China
Manchester United
738

I’m not as fit as a fiddle because my right knee has arthritis for ten years.

pvrpt's picture
pvrpt
16/08/2022
LT
14
points

In the words of Lucas Leiva: Unluckkkkkyyyy


pvrpt's picture
pvrpt
16/08/2022 20:44
Lithuania
Liverpool
14

In the words of Lucas Leiva: Unluckkkkkyyyy

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
28/05/2021
BR
1512
points

Not really, but I'm commited to reach that!
Gabriel Jesus is fast as a leopard.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
28/05/2021 17:55
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

Not really, but I'm commited to reach that!
Gabriel Jesus is fast as a leopard.

Davis1727
25/01/2021
PE
100
points

Could be Van Dijk.


Davis1727
25/01/2021 20:58
Peru
Wolverhampton Wanderers
100

Could be Van Dijk.

Yigitcan's picture
Yigitcan
13/12/2020
AZ
48
points

-I will be as fit as a fiddle.
-Guardiola is as overrated as Laporte.
-Kane's shoot is as quick as a rocket.
-Sadio Mane is the most underrated player in the premier league.


Yigitcan's picture
Yigitcan
13/12/2020 14:33
Azerbaijan
Leicester City
48

-I will be as fit as a fiddle.
-Guardiola is as overrated as Laporte.
-Kane's shoot is as quick as a rocket.
-Sadio Mane is the most underrated player in the premier league.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
11/12/2020
TR
6539
points

I think Bruno Fernandes is the best player in United nowadays .
He is as brave as a lion.

Van Dijk’s been steady as a rock at the back of Liverpool defense.

I think Thierry Henry scored lots of great goals.
He was as quick as a flash.

Burnley defenders play the game physically well but lots of their tackles should be penalties as clear as day.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
11/12/2020 11:59
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I think Bruno Fernandes is the best player in United nowadays .
He is as brave as a lion.

Van Dijk’s been steady as a rock at the back of Liverpool defense.

I think Thierry Henry scored lots of great goals.
He was as quick as a flash.

Burnley defenders play the game physically well but lots of their tackles should be penalties as clear as day.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
11/12/2020
TR
6539
points

Well , I used to be as fit as a fiddle before the pandemic and lockdown issues whereas I'm working hard to return back to my old days as fit as a fiddle


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
11/12/2020 11:52
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

Well , I used to be as fit as a fiddle before the pandemic and lockdown issues whereas I'm working hard to return back to my old days as fit as a fiddle

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Ox-lade-Chamberlain appears to be as strong as an Ox. :-)


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 18:14
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Ox-lade-Chamberlain appears to be as strong as an Ox. :-)

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Raring to play any time, Jamie Vardy is always as quick as a flash, causing an opponent to get trembling like a leaf.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 18:09
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Raring to play any time, Jamie Vardy is always as quick as a flash, causing an opponent to get trembling like a leaf.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Van Dijk is usually as steady as a rock at the back of the Reds' defensive lines.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 18:06
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Van Dijk is usually as steady as a rock at the back of the Reds' defensive lines.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Yesterday Shakhtar's goalie Trubin performed as brave as a lion, saving a lot.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 18:05
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Yesterday Shakhtar's goalie Trubin performed as brave as a lion, saving a lot.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

It's clear as a day that sometimes various VAR referees' solutions seem as crazy as a loon.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 18:02
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

It's clear as a day that sometimes various VAR referees' solutions seem as crazy as a loon.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

After a good head-shaving, Pep Guardiola looks as bald as a coot.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 17:59
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

After a good head-shaving, Pep Guardiola looks as bald as a coot.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

Romelu Lukaku in yesterday's match against Shakhtar was as blind as a bat. 


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 17:55
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

Romelu Lukaku in yesterday's match against Shakhtar was as blind as a bat. 

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020
UA
6578
points

I'm not as fit as a fiddle: being a bit under the weather, I've been out of tune for a while.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
10/12/2020 17:49
Ukraine
Liverpool
6578

I'm not as fit as a fiddle: being a bit under the weather, I've been out of tune for a while.

hsn's picture
hsn
10/12/2020
TR
5560
points

Are you as fit as a fiddle?

I feel healthy but I can’t say “as fit as fiddle” maybe "as strong as spider web" could be right-:)

Note: Scientists proved that, spider silk is five times stronger than steel.

Can you think of a player to suit the other similes we introduced in this episode?
This week, Tottenham’s player “Son Heung-Min” was one of the best scorer. He was "as fast as cheetah".


hsn's picture
hsn
10/12/2020 15:59
Turkey
Tottenham Hotspur
5560

Are you as fit as a fiddle?

I feel healthy but I can’t say “as fit as fiddle” maybe "as strong as spider web" could be right-:)

Note: Scientists proved that, spider silk is five times stronger than steel.

Can you think of a player to suit the other similes we introduced in this episode?
This week, Tottenham’s player “Son Heung-Min” was one of the best scorer. He was "as fast as cheetah".

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Level

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Average: 5 (1 vote)

Goals

Learn more football vocabulary.