Stories and idioms. How many idioms can you find in the stories below? They were written by students from the 5th grade of Psychico College in Athens, Greece (2001-2002).

My Brother and I
By Steven Gandolfo (5D) Eng. 5th ESL room 8.
Thursday, 6th December, 2001

When I come back from school, I study. While I'm studying, I keep my eyes on the prize. My brother comes in and starts bothering and hitting me, so I cry my eyes out. Because my brother and I don't usually see eye to eye, we often fight. When the fight is over and I've finished my homework, I go downstairs in the wink of an eye to keep an eye on my dog. My dog really has eagle eyes because he found my mother's ring. At half past eight we eat. My mother tells me this food is for the birds. When I see my brother eating a whole pizza, I tell him, "Don't pig out on pizza."
The next morning, we were going to have our vaccine. My brother told me, "You go first." "Ok," I answered, "I'll be the guinea pig." After that, we went shopping. My brother always spends a lot of money and buys things that cost an arm and a leg. My brother also has a very sweet tooth. When we go out, he eats so many sweets that it is unbelievable. That is why he has a lot of fillings. Well, that's all about my brother and me (facts are not true).

One Usual Day
By Kimon Souroudidis (5D)

Tomorrow we are writing a test, so I have to keep my eyes on the prize. Ihad to learn all the History book by heart.
The next day we were late for school so in the wink of an eye we were gone. At school, one friend of mine was crying his eyes out because he hadn't studied for the test. At the break, Andreas had some sweets. He ate them all by himself because he really has a sweet tooth.
At lunchtime, I always say to my friend Konstandinos, "This job is for the birds," because he eats very little food, and he says to me, "Don't pig out on pizza," because I love eating.
After school, as we were walking in the street, my friend Konstandinos saw five thousand drachmas. He really has eagle eyes.
At home we really pulled the wool over my brother's eyes because we had a surprise party for him. My brother and I don't see eye to eye and that is why he did not enjoy my joke.
Before I slept, I thought that my aunt really had to keep an eye on my small cousin because she is very naughty.

My Friend Tsirlimpigos
By Antony Kaloudis

My friend Tsirlimpigos is really very fat. That's why we always say to him, "Don't pig out on your food." He cries his eyes out when we tell him that sentence. He has eagle eyes because he can see what the ants are doing on the beach. One day, we had a race, Dimitris, Tsirlimpigos, Cocopicos, and I. In the wink of an eye, he had finished the race.
Tsirlimpigos knows all the pages of the 4th Harry Potter book by heart. Tsirlimpigos always likes being the guinea pig when we try new ideas. He is a real social butterfly and we tell him that he is very funny. One day, he was eating his food and the others' food, so Dimitris told him, "This job is for the birds!" He is a very good boy. In the wink of an eye, he makes us happy. This is the end of my story about Tsirlimpigos.

My Friend Anna and I
By Alexia Reboutzakou (5C) and Anna Korassidi (5D)
Wednesday, 7th December, 2001

One day, my friend Anna and I went to a pizza place. We ordered a big pizza and started to talk. When the pizza came, I started to eat lightly and she ate very much. I told her, "Don't pig out on pizza," and she told me, "This job is for the birds." Suddenly, she remembered that she had to keep an eye on her little brother and she left. I didn't know all about that and I thought she was furious with me. I have a sweet tooth and that is why I ordered an ice cream.

My Friend Ioanna
By Anastasia Sikiaridis (5C)

My friend Ioanna and I don't always see eye to eye. She often cries her eyes out because she is upset. Sometimes she can't come to my place because she has to keep an eye on her little sister, Helen.
One day, when it was her birthday, we really pulled the wool over her eyes. We organized a surprise party for her. After that, we did a race and in the wink of an eye she was gone. But because the next day we would have a test, we really kept our eyes on the prize. Ioanna is really a social butterfly. She is a very good friend. When we eat, our friend says that this job is for the birds because she eats very little. For me she says, "Don't pig out on pizza," because I eat too fast and I love pizza. One day, as we were walking, she saw a little round ball so little that you could hardly see it, and for this reason everyone says that she has eagle eyes. This is my friend Ioanna.

My Friend Sam
By Dimitris Sigalos (5C)
5th December, 2001

My friend Sam and I don't always see eye to eye. When we had a test, he told me, "You have to keep your eyes on the prize." At his birthday party, George really pulled the wool over his eyes. During the school race, he was gone in the wink of an eye. On Mondays he can't play because he has to keep an eye on his brother, Ben. He knows his French book by heart. Sam is always very noisy. Every time tat we work on a project, he says, "Alright, I'll be the guinea pig." Sam likes sweets very much. He really has a sweet tooth. Sam has a very good bike that I am sure has cost an arm and a leg. Every time that we go to my school together, I have to shake a leg, otherwise I arrive at school late. This is my friend Sam.

Teacher: P. Vlondaki