Questão de Inglês — Forma Condicional (Inglês) — FUNDATEC 2023

Watch your back! Idioms with the word ‘back’

There are an extraordinary number of phrases containing the word ‘back’, and some use ‘back’ in the sense of a part of the body. Several phrases make use of the idea that if someone is behind you, you can’t see them so you don’t know what they are doing. For example, if you do something behind someone’s back, you do it without them knowing about it. Similarly, if you do something while someone’s back is turned, you do it when they are not able to see or notice you: His staff started whispering about him behind his back. / As soon as her back was turned, we crept out of the room.

The idea of not being able to see what is behind you also features in some phrases to do with possible danger or harm. For instance, if someone tells you to watch your back, they mean that you should be careful because people around you may harm you, either physically or in other ways. If you cover your back, you make sure you can’t be blamed or criticized for something at a later time and if someone you trusted stabs you in the back, they harm you when you do not deserve it: You need to watch your back because you’ve upset lots of people around here. / I sent the documents to my boss, just to cover my back. / When my friend told my parents my secret, I felt she’d stabbed me in the back.

Informally, if someone is on your back, they are constantly criticizing you or forcing you to do things, but if you get someone off your back, you manage to stop them from behaving this way. If you have your back to the wall, you have some very serious problems and you don’t have many options about what you can do: My parents are always on my back about getting a job. / I gave him the money just to get him off my back. / She didn’t want to fire her employees but she had her back to the wall.

To finish this list, here are two nice phrases. First, if you say that you could do something with one arm/hand tied behind your back, you mean that it is very easy. And second, you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours means that you will help someone if they help you: My mum could make a cake like that with one arm tied behind her back. / There are plenty of ways we can help each other. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

(Available at: https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2023/03/01/watch-your-back-idioms-with-the-word-back/ – text adapted).