VOA慢速英语--Don't Get 'Caught With Your Hand in the Cookie Jar'

 

Now, the VOA Learning¹ English program Words and Their Stories.

The English language has hundreds of expressions and phrases that include the word “hand.”

But today we will focus on only a handful². Here “handful” means a small amount. But keep listening to find out what else it can mean.

Today’s hand expressions describe situations where you are involved in doing something and that something is bad.

Imagine a kitchen. On the kitchen counter is a cookie jar. You can almost smell the freshly-baked cookies that are inside. Now, imagine a child sneaking⁴ into the kitchen, climbing onto the counter and reaching into that closed cookie jar.

The child knows she’s not supposed to eat any sweets before dinner. But she can’t stop herself from taking a cookie. If this child is often sneaky and causes trouble we could call her a handful. Used this way, “handful” means someone or something that is difficult to control.

Okay, now back to the kitchen. You walk in and surprise the child. You catch her with her hand in the cookie jar.

This expression means discovering someone doing something wrong or forbidden. We often use it for stealing … but not just a little sweet. The “cookie” in this expression can mean any resource that someone has secretly and dishonestly taken.

In this 2019 photo, Cookie Monster dances around his cookie jar at SeaWorld Orlando's opening of Sesame Street land in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Sometimes we drop the word “caught” and simply say someone “had their hand in the cookie jar.”

We often use this expression when we are making fun of the situation. That doesn’t mean it is not important. It can be very important. But this expression permits us to make a little fun of the person who was caught doing something dishonest.

Let’s hear it used in this example.

Hey, Charlie. I'm going to a press conference at city hall in about an hour. Do you want to come?

What makes you think I would want to go to a press conference with a bunch of politicians? You KNOW I don’t like the mayor⁵.

I know you don’t. I don’t either. That’s why we should go.

Why?

Investigators⁶ just caught her with her hand in the cookie jar! She was stealing public money to pay for her new summer home. She is resigning! And there are others council⁷ members who had their hands in the same cookie jar. They might also be on their way out.

Oh, then I WILL go! What should I wear? What are you wearing? This is a very special event!

But let’s say you do not want to talk about the situation in this way. You do not want cookies to be involved. Well, you can also catch someone with their hand in the till. Here the word “till” means a money drawer in a store or bank.

Both expressions mean the same thing. But using “till” instead of “cookie jar” sounds a bit more serious.

When you actually see someone stealing or doing something else bad with your own eyes, you catch them in the act. A more descriptive expression for this is to catch them red-handed!

Many word experts say that “caught red-handed” comes from a 15th century Scottish expression. Back then, thieves might be caught with actual blood on their hands after a crime, like killing⁸ animals on someone else’s land.

But today, we use this expression for just about anything. You don’t have to be stealing rabbits for dinner to be caught red-handed. You could simply be lying or cheating, like in this example.

Hey, did you hear the news? Steve and Britta broke up!

Really? What happened?

He was cheating on her.

Are you sure? He doesn’t seem like the type.

She caught him red-handed! She surprised him at his office and got a surprise of her own – he was kissing his boss!

Ooo! She DID catch him red-handed. You can’t argue with that evidence.

And that’s all the “hand” expressions we have time for on this Words and Their Stories.

But there are more. Lots more! So, until next time … I’m Anna Matteo.

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

Abby stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

Who me?

Yeah, you!

Couldn’t be!

Then who?

Words in This Story

phrase – n. a group of two or more words that express a single idea but do not usually form a complete sentence

counter – n. a level surface usually higher than a table that is used especially for selling, serving food, displaying things, or working on

forbidden – adj. not permitted or allowed

sneak³ – v. to move quietly and secretly in order to avoid being noticed

press conference – n. an interview or announcement given by a public figure to the press by appointment

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 handful   

n.一把；少量，少数，一小撮

参考例句：

• We invited 30 people, but only a handful came.我们邀请了30人，但是只到了几个人。
• He pulled out a handful of coins from his pocket.他从口袋里掏出一把硬币。

3 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

4 sneaking   

a.秘密的，不公开的

参考例句：

• She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
• She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走，躲开采访者。

5 mayor   

n.市长

参考例句：

• The new mayor said he would clean the city up.新市长说，他要整顿本市。
• The mayor hurried into his office,brushing off the reporters.市长赶快走进办公室，拒不接见记者。

6 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。