An lanh
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 3, 2012
Thứ Bảy, 10 tháng 3, 2012
Thứ Ba, 27 tháng 12, 2011
LESSON 39
to goof off: to waste time, to be idle
o Some of the workers in our office always goof off when the boss is out.
o On Saturday afternoons, I like to go to a movie or just goof off at home.
to talk back to: to answer in a rude manner, to speak to disrespectfully
o Billy, if you talk back to me like that once more, you're going to spend the rest of the day in your room.
o The school principal had to reprimand the child for talking back to her teacher.
to be in: to be popular or fashionable; to be available at one's work or home
o Most young people tend to want anything that is in at the time, but a few don't care about current trends.
o Could you please tell me when Mrs. Zachary will be in? I'd like to talk to her soon.
to be out: to be unpopular or no longer in fashion; to be away from one's work or home
o These days, designer jeans are in and long skirts are out.
o I'm sorry, Mr. Jensen is out at the moment. Could I take a message?
to draw the line at: to determine to be unacceptable, to refuse to consider
o I don't mind helping him with his homework, but I draw the line at writing a term paper for him.
o The conference organizers tried to accommodate the needs of the various interest groups, but they drew the line at extending the conference by two day.
to get out of line: to disobey or ignore normal procedures or rules (also: to step out of line)
o When a child gets out of line in that teacher's class, she uses the old-fashioned method of making the child sit in the corner of the room.
o Any employee who steps out of line by coming to work in an unacceptable condition will be fired.
dry run: rehearsal, practice session
o The college president requested a dry run of the graduation ceremony in order to ensure that all aspects went smoothly.
o Before the manager present the reorganizational plans to the board of directors, he did several dry runs of his presentation.
to play by ear: to play music that one has heard but never read (S); to proceed without plan, to do spontaneously (S)
The pronoun it is often used with the second definition.
o That pianist can play most popular music by ear. She never needs to read sheet music.
o My husband wanted to plan our trip carefully, but I argued that it was more fun if we played it by ear.
to be in (someone's) shoes: to be in another person's position, to face the same situation as another person
o If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't take too many classes this semester.
o When his boss finds out about that accounting error, I wouldn't want to be in his shoes.
to keep after: to remind constantly, to nag
o Lynn
o Lon is so forgetful that it's necessary to keep after him about every little thing.
to fix up: to repair or put back in good condition (S); to arrange a date or an engagement for another person (S)
o Instead of buying an expensive new home, we decided to buy an older home and fix it up ourselves.
o Since my visiting friend didn't have a date for dinner, I fixed her up with a male friend of mine. They got along very well together.
to be had: to be victimized or cheated
o When the jeweler confirmed that the diamonds that the woman had purchased abroad were really fake, she exclaimed, "I've been had!"
o The angry customer complained about being overcharged at the store, asserting that this was the third time that he had been had.
LESSON 38
to land on one's feet: to recover safely form an unpleasant or dangerous situation
o After a series of personal and professional difficulties, it's amazing that George has landed on his feet so quickly.
o Some young adults get into so much trouble at school that they are never able to land on their feet again. They drop out before graduating.
to dish out: to distribute in large quantity (S); to speak of others in a critical manner (S)
o Mary's mom dished out two or three scoops of ice cream for each child at the birthday party.
o Larry can't seem to take any criticism of his actions but he certainly likes to dish it out.
to get through to: to communicate with, to make someone understand (also: to break through to)
This idiom has the meaning of to make someone "catch on" (Lesson 29, eighth idiom, the first definition)
o Some of the students in my reading class understand English so poorly that it is difficult to get through to them.
o The doctors have never succeeded in breaking though to Mr. Ames, who is a silent and secretive patient.
to keep one's word: to fulfill a promise, to be responsible
An idiom with the opposite meaning is to break one's word.
o Suzanne kept her word to me not to let on to others that I intend to step down next month.
o Thomas always intends to keep his word, but invariably the end result is that he breaks his word. He just isn't capable of being a responsible person.
to be over one's head: to be very busy, to have too much to do (also: to be up to one's ears); to be beyond one's ability to understand
o I'd love to take a week off for a hiking trip, but at the moment I am over my head in work. Maybe next week when I'm only up to my ears!
o It was impossible for the tutor to get through to Bill about the physics problem because the subject matter was over Bill's head.
to ask for: to deserve, to receive a just punishment (also: to bring upon)
o If you drink alcohol and then drive a car, you're only asking for trouble.
o Don't complain about your cut in salary. You asked for it by refusing to heed our repeated warnings not to be late and inefficient.
to be a far cry from: to be very different from
o I enjoyed visiting Seattle
o Ned is enjoying his new job, but his responsibilities are a far cry from what he was told they would be.
by all means: certainly, definitely, naturally (also: of course); using any possible way or method
o If the Johnsons invite us for dinner, then by all means we have to return the invitation. Of cause, we don't have to invite their children, too.
o In order to ensure its survival, the ailing company has to obtain an infusion of cash by all means.
to get out from under: to restore one's financial security, to resolve a difficult financial obligation
o After years of struggling to get ahead, the young couple finally got out from under their debts.
o The ailing company, succeeding in obtaining the necessary cash, was able to get out from under its financial burdens.
to take the bull by the horns: to handle a difficult situation with determination
This idiom is usually used when someone has been postponing an action for some time and finally wants or needs to resolve it.
o After three years of faithful service, Jake decided to take the bull by the horns and ask his boss for a raise.
o Vic has been engaged to Laura for a long time now, and I know that he loves her. He should take the bull by the horns and ask her to marry him.
to give (someone) a hand: to assist, to aid, to help (also: to lend someone a hand) (S)
o Would you give me a hand lifting this heavy box?
o When Terry's car broke down at night on the highway, no one would stop to lend her a hand.
to give (someone) a big hand: to clap one's hands in applause, to applaud (S)
o After the talented new vocalist had sung her number, the audience gave her a big hand.
o Should we give a big hand to each beauty contestant is as she is introduced, or should we wait until all the introductions are finished?
LESSON 37
to throw (someone) a curve: to introduce an unexpected topic, causing embarrassment (S)
o The first week of class was going very well until a student threw the teacher a curve by suggesting that the textbook was too difficult.
o The director asked us in advance to stick to the meeting agenda and not to throw him any curves.
to make waves: to create a disturbance, usually by complaining
This idiom is similar in meaning to the previous idiom, but the emphasis is on the aspect of complaining rather than causing embarrassment.
o In most companies, an employee who makes waves is not appreciated.
o The meeting was going smoothly until one of the participants made waves about the newly revised compensation package.
to carry on: to continue as before; to conduct, to engage in; to behave in an immature manner
o Even in the face of disaster, the inhabitants carried on as though nothing had happened.
o The business associates decided to carry on their discussion in the hotel bar instead of the conference room.
o I can't believe that John carried on so much just because his dog died. He looked depressed and cried for weeks after it happened.
not on your life: absolutely not (also: no way)
This idiom is used as a kind of exclamation by itself.
o You're asking me to invest in that poorly rated company just because you know the son of the president? Not on your life!
o When a friend tried to get Mark to jump out of a plane with a parachute, he immediately responded, "No way!"
to cover ground: to be extensive, to discuss much material
Forms such as a lot of, too much, too little are used before the noun ground.
o That national commission's report on urban ghettos covers a lot of ground. Many of the recommendations are too costly to implement.
o In his first lecture on Greek philosophers, I thought that our professor covered too little ground.
to mind the store: to be responsible for an office while others are gone
o It seems that all of our employees are taking a lunch break at the same time. I wonder who's minding the store.
o Lynne agreed to mind the store while the others went outside to watch the parade passing by.
to throw the book at: to punish with full penalty, to be harsh on
o Because the criminal was a repeat offender, the judge threw the book at him with heavy fines and a long prison term.
o My boss threw the book at me when he discovered that I had been using company time for personal business. I was severely reprimanded and forced to make up the lost time.
to put one's foot in: to say or do the wrong thing
This idiom is used with the noun phrase one's mouth or the pronoun it.
o Fred really put his foot in his mouth when he called his supervisor by the wrong name.
o I really put my foot in it when I forgot my girlfriend's birthday and didn't buy her anything. She almost lost her cool.
to be up for grabs: to become available to others
this idiom is used when something is highly desirable to many other people.
o When one of the full-time contract instructors stepped down, her nice office overlooking the river was up for grabs.
o Did you know that Senator Stone is retiring and that her Senate seat is up for grabs?
to show off: to display one's ability in order to attract attention (S); to let others see, to expose to public view (S)
This idiom can form the noun showoff for the first definition.
o Elizabeth
o Jacquie showed her large wedding ring off to all her friends.
to learn the ropes: to become familiar with routine procedures at work or school
o The job applicant didn't have much previous experience or knowledge, but she seemed intelligent enough to learn the ropes quickly.
o It took the new schoolteacher a year to learn the ropes regarding administrative and curricular matters.
to keep one's fingers crossed: to hope to have good results, to hope that nothing bad will happen
This idiom reflects the way people cross their fingers to hope for good luck.
o Let's keep our fingers crossed that we got passing grades on that college entrance exam.
o Jerry kept his fingers crossed that the good weather would hold up for the picnic he was planning for the coming weekend.
LESSON 36
to check in: to register at a hotel or motel; to leave or deposit for transporting or safekeeping (S)
The adjective form check-in derives from this idiom.
o Courtney arrived in town at mid-day and promptly checked in at the Plaza Hotel. The hotel permitted an early check-in time.
o There dozens of people at the airline counters waiting to check their bags in for their flights.
to check out: to pay the bill at a hotel or motel and then leave; to investigate, to examine (S)
The adjective form check-out derives from this idiom.
o The latest you should check out of the hotel is 12 noon. However, in your case, we can set a special check-out time of 2:00 P.M.
o The police received a call from someone claiming to have witnessed a murder. The police sent two detectives to check the call out right away.
to take at one's word: to accept what one says as true, to believe
o When he offered to be responsible for the fund raiser, I took him at his word. Now he's saying that he's not available to do it.
o You should be careful about taking her at her word. She's been known to say one thing but to do another.
to serve (the/one's) purpose: to be useful, to suit one's needs or requirements
o I don't have a screwdriver to open this, but I think that a knife will serve the purpose.
o Jane prefers working to studying, so it served her purpose to drop out of school and take that job.
in the worst way: very much, greatly
o Jim and Claudia want to have children in the worst way. They are trying very hard to conceive.
o Because Umer ahs relatives in Turkey
to cop out: to avoid one's responsibility, to quit
This idiom is an informal version of the second definition to back out (lesson 29). The noun form copout means an excuse for avoiding responsibility.
o Evelyn had agreed to help us with arrangements for the party, but she copped out at the last minute.
o I can't believe that Cindy offered such an explanation for failing to show up. What a poor copout!
to line up: to form a line; to arrange to have, to manage to obtain (S)
o The moviegoers lined up in front of the theater showing the most popular film of the summer.
o Rob is going to schedule the famous author to speak at the convention if he can line her up in time.
to lose one's cool: to get excited, angry, or flustered
o Despite the boos from some in the audience, the actors on stage never lost their cool.
o Although the group of skiers were in danger form an apparent avalanche, their ski guide never lost his cool.
to leave open: to delay making a decision on (S)
o In making up the job announcement, the firm decided to leave the salary open until a qualified candidate was found.
o We know that the annual summer camp will be held in August, but let's leave the exact dates open for now.
to turn on: to interest greatly, to excite (S)
The idiom with the opposite meaning is to turn off. These idioms are used to form the nouns turnon and turnoff.
o Does great art turn you on? I find going to a museum and viewing classic works of art a real turnon.
o Going to a bar and having silly conversation with strangers really turns me off. In fact, most bar scenes are really turnoffs to me.
to miss the boat: to lose an opportunity, to fail in some undertaking
o The precious metals market was looking up several months ago, but unfortunately most investors missed the boat.
o Mr. Vlasic's new business went bankrupt within a short time. He really missed the boat by opening a tanning salon near the beach.
to think up: to invent, to create (also: to dream up)
This idiom is often used for an unusual or foolish thought.
o Who thought up the idea of painting the living room walls bright red?
o When asked by the teacher why she was late, the student dreamed up a plausible excuse.
LESSON 35
to pin on: to find guilty of a crime or offense (S) (also: to hang on)
This idiom is divided by a noun phrase containing the crime or offense. The accused person is mentioned after the preposition on.
o The prosecuting attorney tried to pin the murder on the victim's husband, but the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty."
o I wasn't anywhere near the window when it got broken. You can't pin that on me.
to get a rise out of: to provoke a response from
This idiom is usually used when someone is teased into responding in anger or annoyance.
o You can kid me all day about my mistake, but you won't get a rise out of me.
o I got a rise out of Marvin when I teased him about his weight. Marvin weighs over two-hundred pounds.
to stick around: to stay or remain where one is, to wait
This idiom is used when someone is waiting for something to happen or for someone to arrive
o Todd had to stick around the house all day until the new furniture was finally delivered in the late afternoon.
o Why don't you stick around for a while and see if Sarah eventually shows up?
to pick up the tab: to pay the cost or bill
This idiom applies when someone pays for the cost of another person's meal, tickets, etc.
o The advertising manger is flying to Puerto Rico for a conference, and her firm is picking up the tab.
o The government picked up the tab for the visiting dignitary. It paid for all of the lodging and meals, as well as transportation, during his stay.
by the way: incidentally
This idiom is used when someone thinks of something further in the course of a conversation.
o Movies are my favorite form of entertainment. Oh, by the way, have you seen the new picture that's playing at the Bijou?
o Vera's been divorced for three years now. She told me, by the way, that she never plans to remarry.
to go to town: to do something with enthusiasm and thoroughness
o Our interior decorator really went to town in remodeling our living room. I'm afraid to ask how much it's going to cost.
o Charlie really went to town on his research project. He consulted over forty reference works and wrote a ninety-page report.
to let slide: to neglect a duty (S); to ignore a situation (S)
o Terry knew that she should have paid the electric bill on time instead of letting it slide. Now the utility company has turned off her service.
o When he tried to get a rise out of me by mentioning my failure to receive a promotion at work, I just let it slide.
search me: I don't know (also: beats me)
This idiom is used informally, usually as a command form.
o When Elmer asked his wife if she knew why the new neighbors left their garage door open all night, she responded, "Search me."
o When I asked Dereck why his girlfriend wasn't at the party yet, he said, "Beats me. I expected her an hour ago."
to get off one's chest: to express one's true feelings (S)
This idiom is used when someone has long waited to express themselves.
o Ellen felt a lot better when she finally talked to a counselor and got the problem off her chest.
o Faye hasn't shared her concern about her marriage with her husband yet. I think that she should get it off her chest soon.
to live it up: to spend money freely, to live luxuriously
o Kyle and Eric saved up money for two years so that they could travel to Europe and live it up.
o After receiving a large inheritance from a rich aunt, I was able to live it up for years.
to liven up: to energize, to make more active (also: to pick up)
o The teacher occasionally took the class on field trips just to liven things up a bit.
o The animals in the zoo began to liven up when evening came and the temperatures dropped.
o Many people have to drink coffee every morning just to pick themselves up.
to have a voice in: to share involvement in
o The new vice-president was promised that she would have a voice in developing the company's international expansion.
o The students are trying to have a voice in college affairs by gaining representation on administrative committees.
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