Speak English Like an American Lesson 23 Idioms and Expressions MCQ Test

LESSON 23 – Bob Has a Surprise Visitor

BOB HAS A SURPRISE VISITOR 

Bob’s former boss Peter, from the furniture store, comes to visit. He offers Bob his old job back, but Bob’s not interested.

Peter: Hi Bob. I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I’d stop by.

Bob: Come on in. Take a cookie.

Peter: Thanks. I’m glad to see you’re not holding a grudge against me for firing you.

Bob: Not at all. At first, it burned me up. But I feel better now.

Peter: Good. I’m glad you have no hard feelings. How would you like your old job back?

Bob: What happened to your wonderful new manager?

Peter: She drank at work. By five o’clock, she’d be lying under a dining room table, three sheets to the wind. Yesterday, I finally got rid of her.

Bob: Let me get this straight. You replaced me with some crazy woman who got plastered every day on the job?

Peter: Yeah, I lost my head.

Bob: I don’t think you lost your head. I just think you’ve got rocks in your head!

Peter: Bob, I’m trying to level with you. I never should’ve let you go.

Bob: No use crying over spilt milk.

Peter: So you’ll come back and work for me?

Bob: Not on your life! Susan and I are very well off now. We just sold our new company for a small fortune!

IDIOMS

• at first

→ in the beginning

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole didn’t like Don Quixote at first, but after 200 pages she started to get into it.

EXAMPLE 2: Don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed at first. The important thing is that you keep on trying!

• (to) burn someone up

→ to make someone angry

EXAMPLE 1: Jenny didn’t vote for Nicole. That really burns Nicole up.

EXAMPLE 2: I can’t believe Kristen and Andrew didn’t invite us to their wedding. That really burns me up!

• come on in

→ enter

EXAMPLE 1: Come on in, the door’s open!

EXAMPLE 2: If nobody answers the door when you ring tonight, just come on in.

NOTE: This is a more conversational way of saying “come in.”

• (to) get plastered

→ to get drunk

EXAMPLE 1: Harold got plastered at the wedding and fell into the wedding cake.

EXAMPLE 2: That’s your fifth martini. What are you trying to do, get plastered?

SYNONYMS: to get loaded [slang]; to get sloshed [slang]

• (to) get rid of

→ to free oneself of; to throw out

EXAMPLE 1: We finally got rid of our spider problem, but now we have ants.

EXAMPLE 2: I’ve got too many old magazines and newspapers in my office. I need to get rid of some of them.

• (to) get (something) straight

→ to clarify; to understand

EXAMPLE 1: Are you sure you got the directions straight?

EXAMPLE 2: Let me get this straight — you’re leaving your husband?

• (to) hold a grudge against (someone)

→ to stay angry with someone about a past offense

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole holds a grudge against Jenny for voting for Andrea instead of her.

EXAMPLE 2: Julia held a grudge against her boyfriend for not bringing her flowers on Valentine’s Day.

• (to) let (someone) go

→ to fire; dismiss employees

EXAMPLE 1: The investment bank let Chris go after they discovering he was stealing erasers, paper clips, and other office supplies.

EXAMPLE 2: The Xerxes Corporation was doing so poorly, they had to let many workers go earlier this year.

• (to) level with (someone)

→ to speak openly and honestly with someone

EXAMPLE 1: Let me level with you. I’m voting for Andrea instead of you.

EXAMPLE 2: I have a feeling you’re not telling me the whole truth. Please just level with me.

• (to) lose one’s head

→ to lose control of one’s behavior; to not know what one is doing

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole lost her head after losing the elections and started yelling at all her friends.

EXAMPLE 2: Remember to stay calm before the judge. Don’t get nervous and lose your head!

• no hard feelings

→ no anger; no bitterness

EXAMPLE 1: After the elections, Andrea said to Nicole, “I hope there are no hard feelings.”

EXAMPLE 2: I know you were disappointed that I beat you in the golf tournament, but I hope there are no hard feelings.

• no use crying over spilt milk

→ there’s no point in regretting something that’s too late to change

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole realized she’d made some mistakes with her campaign for president, but there was no use crying over spilt milk.

EXAMPLE 2: Your bike was ruined in an accident? There’s no use crying over spilt milk. You’ll just have to buy a new one.

• Not on your life!

→ definitely not

EXAMPLE 1: You want me to sit in that sauna for an hour? Not on your life!

EXAMPLE 2: Thanks for offering me a job in Siberia. Am I going to take it? Not on your life!

• on the job

→ at work

EXAMPLE 1: Jennifer has four men on the job painting her house.

EXAMPLE 2: Dan got fired for drinking on the job.

• (to) stop by

→ to pay a quick visit

EXAMPLE 1: I’m having some friends over for pizza tomorrow night. Why don’t you stop by?

EXAMPLE 2: Stop by my office on your way home tonight.

• three sheets to the wind

→ drunk

EXAMPLE 1: After drinking four beers, Bob was three sheets to the wind.

EXAMPLE 2: Somebody needs to make sure Greg gets home safely. He’s three sheets to the wind.

SYNONYMS: wasted [slang]; liquored up [slang]; dead drunk

• well off

→ wealthy; financially secure

EXAMPLE 1: Betsy’s grandfather used to be very well off, but he lost most of his fortune when the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929.

EXAMPLE 2: Debbie is a doctor and her husband is a lawyer. They’re quite well off.

• small fortune

→ a good amount of money

EXAMPLE 1: When her great aunt died, Anne inherited a small fortune.

EXAMPLE 2: You won $25,000 in the lottery? That’s a small fortune!