PE 12/28 Getting Pete to Sing

* I’m good: I am content and satisfied; I don’t need anything

ex> I have plenty of religious literature already, so I’m good, thanks.

* regular: one who is often at a particular establishment

ex> Tom noticed that one of the library’s regulars hadn’t been there for several weeks.

* no dice: absolutely not; it is impossible

ex> I asked my brother-in-law if he could loan me the money, and he said “No dice.”

* fall for something: to be fooled by something

ex> You didn’t fall for that old excuse about his dog eating his homework, did you?

* brace oneself: to prepare oneself for something intense

ex> I had that same crazy bus driver again, and had to brace myself the entire ride.

ex> Brace yourself, because I’m about to tell you something you won’t believe.

* bring down the house: to receive very positive audience response

ex> During Darren’s toast to the bridesmaids, he told a joke that brought down the house.

Note> This phrase signifies applause or cheering so thunderous that it could, in theory, make the playhouse collapse. The idiom does not refer to the actual destruction or collapse of a structure.

* carry a tune: 정확한 음으로 노래 부르다, 가락이 틀리지 않다

This expression is used only in reference to singing, and not to playing musical instruments. A variation of it is sometimes used to describe someone who sings badly: “He/She can’t carry a tune in a basket.”

ex> My grandfather’s hands are too shaky to play the accordion any more, but he can still carry a tune.

PE 12/25 James Loves His Christmas Bathrobe

* gussy up: to dress up or decorate something; wear fancy clothes

ex> When our daughter appeared all gussied up for her high school dance, I hardly recognized her.

* not even: much earlier or less than

ex> I can’t make pancakes because there’s not even enough butter for two of them.

* keep the wolf from the door: to have just enough to prevent starvation or to avoid running out of money.

ex> Susie got a job at a café to keep the wolf from the door while her husband recovered from his illness.

* go solo: to leave a group to do something alone

ex> After seven years with that band, the guitarist went solo and produced several hits.

Note> Korean people often use the word “solo” to mean single. This is Konglish so please don’t use it this way!

* saunter: to walk in a slow, relaxed manner

ex> My younger son is always scrambling from one thing to another, but the eldest just saunters alone, still managing to get everything done.

* odd man out: different or excluded from the rest of a group in some way

ex> Because I was so uncoordinated, I was always the odd man out when baseball teams were chosen.

* lounge: 느긋하게 서[앉아/누워] 있다, 빈둥거리다

Lounge is also a noun which describes a communal room in a hotel, theater, club, or ship for relaxation, where drinks are sometimes served. It is also sometimes used to describe a type of upholstered furniture for sitting, like a small backless couch.

Ex> He spent the morning lounging in front of the TV, then went out with his friends.

PE 12/24 Christmas in St. Petersburg

* fledgling: young, new, and inexperienced

ex> Despite their early mistakes, the fledgling company has begun to release some very competitive products.

* baptism by fire: a difficult and challenging first experience at something

ex> Being promoted to department head without warning was a baptism by fire.

Note> Baptism by fire has its roots in battle terminology, describing a soldier’s first time in battle. This phrase is used when the best way for someone to be trained is for that person to experience the actual situations rather than to just study those situations (jobs like police officers, firemen, or military personnel).

* way off base: wrong; unrealistic

ex> Even though they were way off base, those early guesses made later more accurate theories possible.

* lovey-dovey: excessively affectionate

ex> Some cultures are uncomfortable with couples being lovey-dovey in public.

* get off one’s high horse: be more humble; stop behaving in superior manner

ex> When your uncle gets off his high horse, he’ll realize that he’s no better than anyone else.

* reticent: uncommunicative; restrained

ex> A lot of people think my dad is unpleasant, but he’s just a reticent person.

* take one so long: (누가) 무엇을 하는 데 오래 걸리다

One form of this expression, What took you so long?, is used both literally and sarcastically. In its literal sense, it means, “Why did it take so much time for you to do that?” The sarcastic version means, “Wow! That was fast!”

ex> I was wondering what took you so long. Is everything okay now?

PE 12/23 Take the Bus – It’s Cheaper!

* pay the piper: to face the unpleasant results of one’s actions

ex> I’ve fallen behind on this project, so now I have to pay the piper and spend the next few evenings getting caught up.

* go/come with the territory: to be an inevitable part of a specific situation

ex> A lot of media attention goes with the territory of being a sports star.

* creature of habit: one who always follows a regular routine

ex> My dad is such a creature of habit that I can predict what he’ll be doing at any time of the day.

* guesstimate: an estimate made without information

ex> The collision repair place didn’t want to give me a guesstimate because they prefer to calculate all their costs first.

* set one back: to cost a specific amount

ex> I’m trying not to think about how much these new boots set me back.

* adept: skillful or proficient at something

ex> Connor was very adept at getting the supervisor to agree to his plans.

* put (someone or something) out to pasture: 은퇴시키다, 물러나게 하다

Even though this expression originally refereed to grazing farm animals, it is now usually used to refer to people or vehicles that are too old or worn out to remain in service.

ex> I feel sorry for him. He’s far too young to be put out to pasture like that.

PE 12/22 Chris Mattews – Fordham University Commencement Speech

* out of bounds (out-of-bounds): beyond the limits of a playing field; forbidden

ex> The referee quickly indicated that the ball had gone out of bounds.

Note> If you’re out of bounds, you are breaking the rules and being unreasonable.

* run for it: to hurry to get something; run away in order to escape danger

ex> The bus was about to pull away, so we decided to run for it.

Note> It’s interesting to note the expression, go for it which may similar to the phrase above. These two phrases couldn’t be more different! Go for it means to try it or do it (after some hesitation).

* get in: to be accepted; gain admission

ex> I asked my cousin, an MIT graduate, what I should do to try to get in.

* cadence: the flow or rhythm of events

ex> I started watching movies in that language to hear the cadence of the speech.

* when lightning strikes: when something rare happens suddenly

ex> You need to diversify your investments so you’re more likely to benefit when lightning strikes.

* big-time: related to the most successful level

ex> Marcel dreamed of becoming a big-time sports hero, and practiced every day.

* lingo: (특정 집단이 쓰는) 용어, (외국어, 전문어 등) 뜻이 통하지 않는 말

The term lingo is often used as a synonym for “jargon”: the vocabulary of an area of interest that is mostly unknown to outsides. It is also used as a slang term for language in general, as in, “I couldn’t communicate with the locals because I didn’t speak their lingo.”

ex> Helen told me you’ve been writing an article about the lingo used in American diners in the 1950’s. 

PE 12/21 Rona’s Stolen Bike

* make off with something: to escape with something; steal something

ex> Police say that the thieves made off with over three million dollars’ worth of diamonds.

* have a history of: to be known for being or doing something repeatedly

ex> My brother has a history of breaking up with women as soon as they mention marriage.

* beloved: very loved; cherished

ex> Cheryl had a coffee mug made with a picture of her beloved dog Melvis on it.

* shoddy: badly made or done

ex> Because of the shoddy workmanship, the coat hooks fell off the wall in only a few weeks.

* bite the bullet: to face a difficult or painful situation

ex> I guess I’m going to have to bite the bullet and tell Gloria I lost her favorite gloves.

Note> Long ago, patients were given a stick or lead bullet to bit down on during painful surgical procedures. Although the bullet was quite strong, they would actually deform somewhat when bitten hard. Hence teeth would not break.

* bitter pill to swallow: something unpleasant that must be accepted

ex> It was a bitter pill to swallow when my kids started beating me at the games I taught them.

Note> This also means an unpleasant fact, disappointment, or humiliation that is difficult to endure. Failing an important exam or being demoted (opposite of promotion) in the office could be a bitter pill to swallow.

* in plain view: 잘 보이는

An alternate version of this expression is in plain sight. The meaning is exactly the same.

ex> It was sitting on the chair in the corner of the bedroom, in plain view. I can’t believe you couldn’t see it. 

PE 12/18 Our Weird Hobbies

* bend one’s ear: to talk to someone eagerly or annoyingly

ex> My cousin would come over and bend my ear about his problems with his parents for hours.

Note> If we “bend our ears” (forward), we are doing it to hear better. Theoretically we are able to pick up more words. So if someone does this to us, figuratively, it’s to force us to listen, whether we want to or not.

* morose: very serious and unhappy

ex> We used to think that Charles was morose by nature, but we discovered that he just needed some positive encouragement.

* a standstill: no movement

ex> Negotiations were at a standstill because the workers demanded the company pay for their birthday parties.

ex> Traffic on Highway 15 is at a standstill due to an accident, so motorists are advised to take the Williston Turnpike instead.

* like two peas in a pod: very similar, especially in appearance

ex> Hannah and her friend Elsie are like two peas in a pod: they even wear the same clothes.

Note> The definition is based on the extreme similarity of peas that come from the same pod.

* extensive: widespread; very large in area or scope

ex> Extensive evergreen forests cover much of the state’s northwest region.

* face up to: to accept a difficult situation; = face the music

ex> My parents are going to have to face up to the reality that I was not born to be a doctor.

* get cold feet: (계획한 일에 대해) 겁이 나다, 초조해지다

Although this expression is sometimes applied to other situations (like investors changing their minds about putting money into a company), it is usually applied to relationships, and marriage in particular.

ex> I think Adam’s getting cold feet. Every time I suggest a date, he comes up with a reason why we can’t get married then.