PE_20160418-0423

PE 4/8 Wedding Perspectives

* get hitched: to get married (informal)

ex> Your cousin got hitched to his longtime girlfriend.

* tie the knot: to get married (slightly less informal than “get hitched”)

ex> In what year did Uncle Frank and Aunt Susie tie the knot?

* turn of phrase: a way of saying something; an expression

ex> The secret to mastering a language is to learn its turn of phrase.

* come up empty-handed: to be unsuccessful in a search

ex> Police have come up empty-handed after their two-day search for the suspect.

* plan B: an alternative strategy

ex> If we can’t make it to the gas station in time, what’s our plan B?

* keep it down: to be quiet:

ex> Could you please go upstairs and tell the neighbors to keep it down?

Note> This is a great alternative to the direct phrase, “be quiet.” If you ask your students or someone to “keep it down,” it has a gentler tone.

* Today’s Expression> Isn’t she stunning?

= gorgeous; lovely; striking

PE 4/7 Club Dancing, Cuban Style

* after one’s own heart: having the same opinions, interests, or feelings as oneself

ex> Tyler is a man after my own heart: he likes Dixieland music too.

* be dying to do something: to be very eager to do something

ex> Noel was dying to have a glass of water after all that salty food.

* upscale: appealing or catering to affluent customers

ex> There was an upscale mall across from my hotel.

* hit the floor: to begin dancing on a dance floor

ex> They used to observe which jukebox songs made teenagers hit the floor.

* hand-me-down: something given to a younger or less accomplished person when its owner no longer needs it

ex> I hated going to school in hand-me-down clothes.

* spell someone off: to give one a break by doing what they had been doing

ex> I don’t mind helping, but I’ll want someone to spell me off soon.

ex> We can drive all night if we spell each other off every couple of hours.

* Today’s Expression> We’re heading off to a concert tomorrow night.

= going; taking in; making our way

PE 4/6 From Bankruptcy to Blockbusters

* go belly up: to become bankrupt; go out of business

ex> Most CD stores went belly up when people began to download music.

* hang onto: to retain

ex> These bubblegum cards will be valuable if you hang onto them long enough.

* crunch numbers: to perform calculations; especially to answer a specific question

ex> I crunched the numbers and realized it would cost me more not to buy those shoes.

Note> “Crunching the numbers” means doing a lot of math to figure out the answer to a question. You can “crunch numbers” to figure out the cost of something complicated, like a business transaction or a home loan. Scientists and engineers also “crunch numbers” to solve problems in their work.

* big bucks: large amounts of money

ex> My brother is making big bucks as a plastic surgeon.

* through the roof: very high, exceeding limits

ex> Our sales went through the roof when we got a celebrity endorsement.

* at one’s beck and call: ready to fill one’s requests immediately

ex> Marie is at her kids’ beck and call.

ex> I quit that job because I was tired of being at my boss’ beck and call.

* Today’s Expression> Filmmakers work around the clock.

= constantly; 24/7; day and night

PE 4/5 Suzan-Lori Parks – Mount Holyoke College Speech

* on the other hand: conversely; on the contrary

ex> We missed the start of the movie; but on the other hand there was no lineup.

* incorporate: to include something into something else

ex> Your act is strange, but I think we can incorporate it into our show.

* stray from: to leave an intended place or path

ex> Please make sure your questions don’t stray from our topic.

* heart’s desire: the thing or person one wants the most

ex> My heart’s desire is not something that can be bought from a store.

* speak one’s piece: to state one’s opinion

ex> I hope to have the chance to speak my piece at the meeting.

* one’s gut: one’s instincts; one’s true feelings

ex> My gut tells me that I would never be happy in that career.

Note> The word, “guts” is commonly used in other phrases. If you “hate someone’s guts,” if means you really hate that person. If you “spill your guts,” you are telling someone all about yourself, something both private and secret.

* Today’s Expression> TUNE IN to your gut. 

= Take notice of what’s happening.

= Pay attention to what’s happening.

= Be attentive of what’s happening.

PE 4/4 A Big, Beautiful Tree

* like crazy: intensely

ex> I’ve been missing you like crazy since you went away.

* call it quits: to end or stop doing something

ex> Shall we call it quits after we finish cleaning this room?

* under the weather: sick or unwell

ex> I didn’t come to work today because I felt under the weather.

* binge watch: to watch several movies or TV shows consecutively

ex> I just downloaded my favorite show and binge watched an entire season.

Note> “Binge eating” is an eating disorder in which a person eats large quantities of food in a short period and can’t seem to stop even if he/she is full.

* come up for air: to take a break from a long activity

ex> Lance had been marking papers for hours, so he came up for air at dinnertime.

* ginormous: very large

ex> We’ll never fit that ginormous bed through our door.

Note> This word comes from “giant” and “enormous” put together. Here are some other examples of blended words: smog (smoke+fog), malware (malicious+software), internet (international+network).

* Today’s Expression> I can’t see why not.

= I guess so.; It’s all the same to me.; What the heck.

PE 4/1 A Dirty Trick on Dad

* no time to lose: the situation is urgent

ex> There’s no time to lose: we’re not getting any younger.

* scrape the bottom of the barrel: to use the worst things or people because there’s nothing else left

ex> Would it be scraping the bottom of the barrel to use boxes for chairs?

* cool as a cucumber: not upset or bothered

ex> Neil remains cool as a cucumber when everyone else is going crazy.

Note> Literally, cucumbers are cool to the touch. It’s no wonder people use things as a facial mask when one gets a sunburn.

* rope one into doing something: to persuade or trick one to do something

ex> I can’t believe I let Doug rope me into washing his car in this weather.

* shenanigan(s): mischief; trickery

ex> The students engage in shenanigans at the end of the school year.

ex> Most of our shenanigans were harmless, but sometimes the police were called.

* tit for tat: an injury done in return for an equivalent one received

ex> Her not inviting me to her party is tit for tat: I didn’t invite her to mine.

* Today’s Expression> I was so distraught I forgot to tell you.

= worried; perturbed; distressed

PE 3/31 Parisian Panorama

* downside: a negative aspect of something

ex> The downside of living way out here is that there are no cinemas nearby.

* pass something up: to miss an opportunity

ex> Trent offered us tickets to the game, but we had to pass them up.

* charley horse: a cramp or stiffness in a muscle, especially the thigh

ex> The player suffered a charley horse and was carried off the field.

* swing something: to accomplish, accommodate, or provide something

ex> My patient wanted to see me today, but I just couldn’t swing it.

* bundle of nerves: a nervous or fearful person

ex> I was a bundle of nerves walking through that part of town at night.

Note> We have all been a bundle of nerves at one time or another. Waiting in the chair in the dentist’s office, waiting for your name to be called at the job interview, or going on a blind date can all make us a bundle of nerves.

* that’s the way the cookie crumbles: something must be accepted because there is nothing that can be done about it.  (세상사) 다 그런거다

ex> That old fridge finally stopped working? That’s the way the cookie crumbles.

* Today’s Expression> What a great way to say farewell. 

= say goodbye; say so long; say adios

PE 3/30 Felix’s Fabulous furniture

* labor of love: something that is done for pleasure, not for gain

ex> Restoring a car rarely makes financial sense – it’s a labor of love.

* small fortune: a large amount of money

ex> That huge new TV must have cost them a small fortune.

* out of the ordinary: unusual; exceptional

ex> Did anything out of the ordinary happen while I was away?

* flagship: the best or most important item in a group

ex> The well-known fashion brand opened their flagship store in Tokyo this week.

Note> Literally, a “flagship” is a ship that carries a fleet or squadron commander and bears the commander’s flag.

* put something on the back burner: to give something lesser importance; decide to do something later

ex> The committee voted to put the project on the back burner.

* don’t you dare: I will be angry if you do it

ex> Don’t you dare tell Calvin that I used his hat as a dog dish.

* Today’s Expression> I just finished it a couple of weeks ago.

= completed; got it done; sewed it up

PE 3/29 Tina Fey – Fieldston Graduation Speech

* improvise: to do something without preparation, using only convenient resources

ex> We improvised an umbrella with Jay’s coat.

Note> Another meaning for “improvise” refers to acting onstage without a cript. When actors improvise scenes for an audience, they create funny situations as they go, without having anything pre-planned.

* freeze: stop moving immediately

ex> The gunman commanded everyone to freeze.

* grind to a halt: to stop making progress due to a problem

ex> Roadwork ground to a halt when ancient artifacts were uncovered.

Note> This expression alludes to a clogged engine that gradually stops or a ship that runs aground.

* How could you?: I can’t believe you would do something so hurtful, disrespectful, etc.

ex> How could you just stand there when I clearly needed help?

* open-minded: willing to accept different ideas or opinions

ex> My teacher is very open-minded, so I was able to tell her about my problem.

* where that takes one: the result of a specified approach

ex> We’re going to restructure our company and see where that takes us.

* Today’s Expression> That would be ridiculous. 

= absurd; ludicrous; preposterous

PE 3/28 Holding a Grudge

* hold a grudge: to feel continuous resentment toward someone for a past wrongdoing

ex> My aunt still holds a grudge against my dad for taking her sister away.

* a month of Sundays: a very long time

ex> They hadn’t visited their cousins for a month of Sundays.

ex> It will be a month of Sundays before the renovations are finished.

Note> The expression “a month of Sundays” was first used in 1832. It originally meant a long dreary time since games and other kinds of amusement were forbidden on Sundays.

* let it go: to stop being concerned about something

ex> She stole my keyboard when she left me, but I guess I’ll have to let it go.

* let one down: to disappoint or fail someone

ex> She let me down by not buying our tickets before the show was sold out.

ex> It’s important to trust your kids, even if they sometimes let you down.

* straight from the heart: with complete honesty about one’s feelings

ex> I told her straight from the heart how I felt about her, and she turned and ran.

* lose one’s temper: to become obviously angry

ex> Clive lost his temper and started slamming cupboard doors.

* Today’s Expression> Maybe I need to think about this some more.

= ponder; consider; mull this over

PE 3/25 Work, Work, Work

* earn one’s keep: to work in payment for food and shelter

ex> We earned our keep by working in the fields all summer.

* part and parcel: an essential, unavoidable part of something

ex> Carrying equipment is part and parcel of being in a band.

* duck soup: easily done

ex> Changing a light bulb is duck soup after you’ve done it a few times.

* make a living: to earn enough to support oneself

ex> Ken was making a living by the time he was nineteen.

* rule the roost: to be in charge

ex> My grandfather had an important job, but my grandmother ruled the roost at home.

* suck it up: to accept a misfortune without complaining

ex> Doug didn’t like having to drive back to the airport, but he sucked it up.

* Today’s Expression> They’re a fact of life.

= a grim reality; an inescapable truth; a cold hard fact

PE 3/24 What Now, Paris?

* spoilt for choice: to be unable to choose because of the large number of options

ex> There are so many great coffee shops here that we’re spoilt for choice.

* shortlist: to include something in a limited set of options

ex> I’ve shortlisted three possible venues for the reception.

* float one’s boat: to be interesting or satisfactory to one

ex> Would a short walk after lunch float your boat?

ex> Everyone has been talking about that movie, but sci-fi doesn’t float her boat.

* flesh something out: to add detail to something

ex> The client prefers this sketch, so could you flesh it out please?

Note> “Flesh it out” means to add flesh to the body of something. That is to say, fatten it up, make it more substantial, take a bare bones skeleton project/example and make it a fully formed entity.

* lay it on me: tell it to me; give it to me

ex> Harvey said he has something to say, so I asked him to lay it on me.

ex> Lay it on me; I can’t wait all day for you to get to the point.

* have a ring to it: to sound interesting or appealing

ex> The company name you’ve chosen has a ring to it.

ex> Does a trip through Europe this summer have a ring to it?

Note> When something has a ring to it, it’s because a name or phrase sounds attractive to the listener, either because it rhymes or the first letters are the same, or it simply makes the listener feel better.

* Today’s Expression> It sounds disgusting.

= revolting; vile; nasty

PE 3/23 Bringing Action to the People

* entice: to attract by showing something interesting

ex> Professional food photos can entice people to enter restaurants.

* bring something to life: to make something easier to imagine or experience

ex> Your new TV brings sporting events to life.

ex> The way my mother read stories to me brought everything to life.

* do the trick: to achieve the desired outcome

ex> This hammer should do the trick.

* out of one’s mind: crazy; insane

ex> I thought Brenda was out of her mind when she suggested we come here.

* thumb one’s nose: to show a sign of disrespect

ex> The main character often thumbed her nose at conventional viewpoints.

* give something a fair shake: to give something a reasonable chance

ex> Don’t make fun of this movie until you’ve given it a fair shake.

ex> As a manager, I try to give each employee a fair shake.

* Today’s Expression> We could wear costumes and have mock battles.

= simulated; make-believe; imaginary

PE 3/22 Conan O’Brien – Dartmouth Commencement Speech

* profound: strongly felt; requiring much thought to understand; showing great wisdom

ex> There are profound differences between the current and former leaders.

* off the grid: not connected to public utilities; isolated; in hiding

ex> Every year I spend two weeks off the grid to clear my mind.

Note> Living off the grid requires you to basically live in a tree house or some other environmentally friendly structure. You build a place with materials straight from the earth, your toilet is the woods, you grow and eat your own food and you walk or ride a bike to all destinations

* dive into: to begin something suddenly and energetically

ex> I’m eager to dive into the new book my husband gave me.

* throw together: to make quickly and without great care

ex> I threw together some dinner for the kids before the game.

* preconceived perception: a former idea; a prejudice

ex> Her father has some preconceived perceptions of what foreigners are like.

ex> My overseas experiences forced me to abandon my preconceived perceptions.

* rerun: an older TV show or movie that is being shown again

ex> My sister used to watch reruns for hours every day.

* Today’s Expression> I frightened my friends and family.

= terrified; scared; alarmed