Conversation:

Alice:  Hi, Stacey.  This is a surprise!  What brings you here?

Stacey:  I haven’t seen your new apartment yet, but you haven’t returned my calls, so I thought I’d drop by.

Alice:  I’m sorry for the mess.  If I had known you were coming, I would have straightened up a little.  Since Alicia was born, I’ve been snowed under with work.  I never realized it would be so hard to take care of a baby.  It takes a lot out of me.  Listen, I’m sorry about not calling you.

Stacey:  That’s okay.  No harm done.  I’m here now.

Alice:  Let me show you around, but be quiet.  The baby’s asleep.

Stacey:  Sure.  Wow!  I love the way you set up the baby’s room.  I see you keep plenty of diapers on hand.  She must go through them quickly.

Alice:  She does.  But on the other hand she’s now sleeping through the night.  She takes after her father in that way.  He’s always been a sound sleeper.

Stacey:  By the way, did I tell you that Joe and I are getting married?  We’d both like you to take part in the ceremony as one of my bridesmaids.

Vocabulary:

diapers:  cloth or paper worn around the baby’s bottom.
sound sleeper:  someone who sleeps the whole night without waking up.
bridesmaid:  a member of the bridal party who stands near the bride during the marriage ceremony.

Idioms:

• straighten up:                                organize, make orderly
• snowed under:                               busy with too much work
• take a lot out of (someone)     drain energy from (someone)
• no harm done:                               no damage done
• show around:                                give a tour
• set up:                                                arrange / establish
• on hand:                                           available
• go through:                                     use completely / experience (something bad
• on the other hand:                     talking about the opposite
• take after :                                      resemble or have the same talent as (a relative)
• by the way:                                     speaking of something else
• take part (in):                              participate

Notes:

Set up has 2 meanings.  The other one is “establish.”  Example:  My brother and I have decided to set up an export business together.

Go through has 2 meanings.  The other one is “experience (something bad)”  Example:  I spent four hours at customs.  I don’t want to go through that again.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Jodie:  I saw my mother off at the airport yesterday, and now I’m stuck with taking care of her dog until next Thursday.

Sarah:  I can’t believe my ears.  You hate dogs.  I was hoping that you would come keep me company today while I go shopping at the mall.

Jodie:  I’d love to take some time off and go with you, but I don’t have anyone who could fill in for me.  What am I supposed to do with the dog?

Sarah:  How about leaving it with a neighbor?  On second thought, bring it along.  We can drop it off at the doggie daycare.

Jodie:  Well then, you can count me in.  I deserve a break today.

Sarah:  Great.  You know how I get carried away when I shop alone.

Jodie:  Who knows?  We might come across some bargains.

Sarah:  Thanks for coming with me.  We’ll start off with lunch, and I’ll pick up the tab.

Jodie:  Thanks.  I appreciate the invitation.  It’s nice having a friend who has deep pockets.

Vocabulary:

• doggie daycare:  a business that takes care of dogs for the day
• deserve:  have paid for with my time and effort
• bargains:  inexpensive items
• appreciate:  be thankful for

Idioms:

• see (someone) off                         accompany (someone) and say good-bye (at the airport, train station, etc.)
• be stuck with                                   have (something/someone) one cannot get rid of
• not believe one’s ears/eyes     unable to believe what one hears/sees
• keep (someone) company        be with someone so they are not alone
• take time off (from)                     take a break
• fill in (for)                                           do another person’s job
• on second thought                      after reconsidering
• count (someone) in                     include (someone) in an activity
• get carried away                           become so involved that everything else seems unimportant
• come across                                    find (something) unexpectedly
• pick up the tab                               pay the bill
• have deep pockets                       have a lot of money

Notes:

Not believe one’s ears/eyes can also be hardly believe one’s ears/eyes.

Take time off can also be take some time off / take a little time off.

On second thought is similar to have second thoughts, which means to reconsider.

Count (someone) in has an opposite:  Count (someone) out, which means exclude (someone) from an activity.
Example:  If you’re going dancing tonight, you can count me out because I don’t dance.

Come across and run across have the same meaning.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Converstion:

Mrs. Bell:  Sally, I hate to break the news to you, but if your grades don’t improve, you’re not going to pass this course.

Sally:  There’s no doubt about it.  I know I’m falling behind, but there are so many things I don’t understand in this course that I need to clear up.

Mrs. Bell:  Well, I know you’re having trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.  Even though I have my hands full right now, I’m happy to tutor you and help you catch up.  Let’s see.  I’m all booked up from Monday to Thursday, but I can see you on Fridays at 3:30.

Sally:  That’s good for me.  Thank you so much, Mrs. Bell.  Sometimes I feel like this work is over my head, and I’m never going to catch on.

Mrs. Bell:  Don’t worry, Sally.  Just remember that above all, you must stay positive.  Slowly but surely your marks will improve.  Who knows?  You may turn out to be my best student.

Sally:  Thanks, Mrs. Bell.  If I work really hard, maybe I can even pass with flying colors.

Vocabulary:

• improve:  get better
• positive:  believing you can do it
• tutor you:  teach you alone

Idioms:

• break the news                                 give bad news
• no doubt about it                             it’s a fact, it’s the truth
• fall behind                                           not go as fast as required
• clear up                                                 explain, solve / become sunny
• keep up (with)                                   go as fast as
• have one’s hands full                     be too busy
• booked up                                            have no time left / have no room left (hotel/restaurant)
• over one’s head                                too difficult to understand
• above all                                               most importantly
• slowly but surely                             gradually
• turn out                                                result in the end / produce / come (to an activity)
• pass with flying colors                 get top marks on a test or in a course

Notes:

Fall behind is similar to be behind, but fall behind is an action, and be behind is a condition after the action has happened.  It means “have work that needs to be done.”
Example:  I fell behind in math when I was sick, and now I am so far behind, I can’t catch up.

Clear up has 2 meanings.  The other meaning is “become sunny.”
Example:  I hope the weather clears up so we can go on a picnic.

Booked up has 2 meanings.  The other meaning is “have no room left (hotel/restaurant).”
Example:  The hotels are all booked up over the winter holidays.

Turn out has 3 meanings.  Another is “produce.”
Example:  This factory turns out 300 pairs of boots a day.

The last meaning is “come (to an activity).”
Example:  How many people turned out for the meeting?

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Jason: Hey Sean.  Sandra and I broke up, and she kicked me out of her place.  I need somewhere to stay while I look for an apartment.  Can I sleep on your couch?

Sean: Of course you can stay over for a while.  You can always count on me.

Jason: I sure can.  You’re a good friend.  You know, I never felt at ease with her.  I was always a little on edge.

Sean: Yes, I know.  I don’t mean to interfere, but I could tell that you two didn’t really get along.  I think you’re better off without her.

Jason: I’m not so sure.  I wish she’d have a heart and let me come back, but I don’t think that’ll happen.

Sean: Cheer up.  Things will get better, and in no time you’ll meet somebody new.

Jason: I guess you’re right.  I knew I could bank on you.  Maybe one of these days I’ll catch on to relationships and keep a girlfriend longer than three months.

Sean: Go easy on yourself.  Nobody understands relationships very well, including me.

Vocabulary:

• broke up:  stopped being boyfriend/girlfriend
• couch:  sofa
• place:  home (when preceded by a possessive.)
• interfere:  give advice that wasn’t asked for
• better off:  better than before (idiom from unit 2)
• including:  also

Idioms:

• kick (someone) out         force (someone) to leave
• stay over                               live in someone else’s home
• count on                                depend on
• at ease                                    calm, relaxed, not nervous
• on edge                                  tense, nervous
• mean to                                 intend to, plan to
• get along                               have a good relationship
• have a heart                        be compassionate
• cheer up                                become happy
• in no time                              quickly
• catch on (to)                        begin to understand / become popular
• go easy on (someone)    punish (someone) mildly

Notes:

Count on and bank on mean the same thing.

Get along is followed by ‘with’ if there is an object.
Example:  He doesn’t get along with her.

Catch on has 2 meanings.  In the dialogue it means ‘begin to understand’ and is followed by ‘to’ if there is an object.
Example:  I never caught on to astronomy.

Catch on can also mean ‘become popular,’but is never followed by ‘to.’
Example:  Twitter has really caught on.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Maria:  Did you hear that my brother has decided to drop out of school?

Sam:  You’re pulling my leg.  Has he really?

Maria:   Yes.  I told him he was better off staying, but he doesn’t listen to me.

Sam:  Maybe he’s feeling burned out.  After all, he has a heavy load this term.

Maria:  He told me he was looking into joining the army.

Sam:  That doesn’t make sense.  Doesn’t he realize that once he joins the army, he can’t

back out?  I know he can’t do without his freedom.

Maria:  I agree.  I don’t think much of his idea either.  Maybe we should have a talk with him.

Sam:  That’s a good idea.  I think he just wants to be on his own, but he’s going about it the wrong way.

Maria:  Let’s see if we can talk him into finishing grade 12.

Click on the audio recording  below to hear the lesson.

Vocabulary:

• heavy load:  a large amount of work to do
• realize:  understand, know

Idioms:

• drop out (of)                                           stop attending (classes/meetings)
• pull one’s leg                                          joke with someone
• better off                                                 better than before
• burn out                                                   become completely exhausted
• look into                                                   investigate to find information
• make sense (of)                                    be logical / understand logically
• back out (of)                                          withdraw from, not do
• do without (something)                 be able to live without (something)
• not think much of (something)  think (something) is not very good
• on one’s own                                         by oneself, alone
• go about                                                   plan a way to do (something)
• talk (someone) into                           persuade, convince (someone to do something)

Notes:

Drop out is used with ‘of’ if there is an object after it.  If not, then there is no ‘of.’
Example:  I haven’t seen Bill at the chess club for weeks.  He must have dropped out.

Look into and find out have the same meaning.

Make sense is used 2 ways.  It means to be logical, as used in the dialogue.
It also means to understand logically and must be used with ‘of’.
Example:  I can’t make sense of this recipe.  Could you help?

Talk (someone) into has an opposite:  Talk (someone) out of, which means “convince (someone) not to (do something).
Example:  I wanted to go swimming, but she talked me out of it because she wanted to go shopping

Conversation:

Andrei: Sven, I’ve always looked up to you. Would you give me some advice?

Sven: Sure. How can I help?

Andrei: I’m trying to get up the nerve to ask Victoria out.

Sven: Really? The girl in your math class who looks like a movie star?

Andrei: That’s right. I want to ask her to the dance this Friday, but my shyness gets in the way.

Sven: I know what you mean. It takes a lot of nerve to ask a beautiful girl out. My advice is to start talking to her and play it by ear.

Andrei: But what if she doesn’t warm up to me?

Sven: Don’t worry. On the whole, girls like it when a guy shows courage.

Andrei: Maybe, but I have butterflies in my stomach. I guess I’ll just have to put aside my fear and ask her.

Sven: Good luck. I hope everything works out.

Vocabulary:

• advice:  what you tell someone they should do
• shyness:  feeling like other people won’t like you
• guy:  man, boy
• courage:  going through your fear to do something
• fear:  feeling of being afraid

Idioms:

• look up to (someone)                               admire, respect
• get up the nerve                                          find the courage
• ask (someone) out                                     invite (someone) on a date
• look like                                                           resemble
• get in the way                                               make it difficult to do something
• take a lot of nerve                                       require a lot of courage
• play it by ear                                                 do something without a plan
• warm up to (someone)                            become friendly with (someone)
• on the whole                                                 generally
• have butterflies in one’s stomach     be nervous
• put aside                                                          save for later
• work out                                                          bring to a successful conclusion / solve / exercise

Notes:

Work out has three meanings. The other two are:
(solve) Example:  First, we had to work out the problem of transportation.
(exercise) Example:  I don’t have time to work out at the gym anymore.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Fumi:  What chapter did Mr. Johnson want us to read for homework in history class?

Hana:  Beats me.  We could call Sarah and find out.

Fumi:  Maybe we could put it off and do it tomorrow night.

Hana:  I don’t think so.  I remember he said we had to write a chapter summary and hand it in tomorrow.

Fumi:  That’s right.  I forgot.  Let’s call Sarah right away.

Hana:  Hang on.  I just remembered something.  Sarah told me she is looking after her niece tonight , so she won’t be home.

Fumi:  Let’s look up her aunt and uncle’s number in the phone book and call her there.

Hana:  Good idea.  Go ahead.  I’ll turn down the music.

Vocabulary:

• chapter:  part of a textbook
• history:  the story of people, countries, and war
• summary:  a short paragraph with the main ideas
• niece:  brother’s or sister’s daughter
• aunt:  mother’s or father’s sister, or uncle’s wife
• uncle:  mother’s or father’s brother, or aunt’s husband

Idioms:

beats me            I don’t know
find out             get information
put off                do (something) at a later time
hand in             give to the teacher/boss
right away       immediately
hang on            wait
look after         care for
look up             get information from a book or the Internet
go ahead          start / go before
turn down      decrease (sound, light, or heat) / say no to an offer

Notes:

Beats me and search me have the same meaning.

Hand in and turn in have the same meaning.

Hang on and hold on have the same meaning.

Look after and take care of have the same meaning.

Go ahead has 2 meanings.  The second meaning is “go before.
Example:  You only have a few items to buy, so you can go ahead of me.

Turn down has 2 meanings:  The second meaning is “say no to an offer.”
Example:  I asked her if she wanted to go to a movie with me, but she turned me down.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Diane:    Hold still, Ellen.  Now smile and say cheese.

Ellen:    Don’t take my picture!  Let me brush my hair and put on something nice first.

Diane:    Okay.  By the way, have you heard from your brother?

Ellen:    Yes.  He called me last night and said he was coming back to Canada for good.  He’s tired of traveling.

Diane:    Well, it’s about time he grew up and got a job.  He’s been away for what – four years?

Ellen:    About that long.  He told me he came down with a bad case of homesickness when he saw a  Canadian flag on someone’s backpack.

Diane:    When does he get back?

Ellen:    The day after tomorrow at 4:00.  Do you want to come to the airport with me to pick him up?

Diane:    Sure.  But we should play it safe and get there well ahead of time.

Ellen:      I’ve got a better idea.  Let’s go in the morning and hang out. We can have lunch in the cafeteria and have a look around the new airport.  We can keep an eye on the arrivals on the monitors, so we’ll know when his plane lands.

Vocabulary:

• say cheese:  when you say the word cheese, it puts a smile on your face.
• by the way:  not on the topic
• it’s about time:  it has been long enough
• homesickness:  a feeling of wanting to go back home
• backpack:  a bag carried on the back
• monitors:  TV sets

Idioms:

hold still                     don’t move
put on                          start to wear
hear from                  get a letter, phone call, e-mail, or text message from
for good                     forever
grow up                      stop acting childish / become an adult
come down with     become sick with
get back                      arrive back home
play it safe                 be cautious, be careful
hang out                     stay in one place doing nothing
keep an eye on        watch and (sometimes) protect

Notes:

Put on has an opposite, take off, meaning “remove (clothing).”
Example:  Many people take off their shoes when they enter someone’s home.

Grow up has two meanings.  The second meaning is “become an adult.”
Example:  Where did you grow up?

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Joan:    Jane?  Is that you?

Jane:    Joan!  Good to see you again.

Joan:    When you’re turned around, I can’t tell you apart from your sister.

Jane:    A lot of people say that.  By the way, did you hear what they’re going to give away at Budget Clothes to some lucky customer?

Joan:    I give up.  Tell me.

Jane:    A trip for two to Hawaii.  We should go down there and fill out some entry forms for the draw.  I think the limit is 10 entries each, so we’ll have 20 chances to win.  Maybe we’ll get lucky.

Joan:      That’s a great idea.  Then we can try on some new clothes while we’re there.  I feel like shopping.  How did you find out about the free trip?

Jane:    They were handing out flyers yesterday at the supermarket.

Joan:    There’s one thing I can’t figure out.  How can they afford to give away such an expensive trip?  It must cost a pretty penny.

Vocabulary:

• by the way:  changing the topic, talking about something else
• entry form:  paper you fill out so you can win if they pick it
• draw:  the choosing of the winner
• limit:  maximum, the most
• entries:  entry forms
• flyers:  advertisements on paper
• afford:  have enough money

Idioms:

turn around       face in the opposite direction
tell apart              see the difference
give away             give (to anyone)
give up                  not know the answer / stop (an activity) / let an opponent win
fill out                    complete (a form)
try on                     wear clothing, jewelry, or perfume before buying
feel like                 want to
hand out               give (to students or others)
figure out             find a solution, understand
a pretty penny    a lot of money

Notes:

Give up has three meanings.  The second meaning is “stop an activity.”
Example:  I gave up ballet lessons when I was ten.
The third meaning is “let an opponent win.”
Example:  I give up.  You win.  You play so much better than I do.

Fill out and fill in have similar meanings, but fill out is generally used for a whole form while fill in is used for one piece of information.
Example:  Don’t forget to fill in your social insurance number.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot

Conversation:

Chuck:    Oh no!  Not another parking ticket!  I want to tear it up and throw it away.

Paul:    I know how you feel.  I keep getting speeding tickets over and over again.  I’ve gotten so many tickets, I could tell you what they say by heart.

Chuck:    You should watch out for radar vans and slow down when you pass one.  I do, and so far, so good – I haven’t gotten any speeding tickets in a long time.

Paul:    Just a minute.  I’m mixed up.  I thought the government wasn’t using radar vans any longer.

Chuck:    They aren’t, but some municipalities still are, so you have to be careful and pay attention.  And don’t forget about road blocks.  Have you ever run into one on a Friday or Saturday night?

Paul:    Sure.  Hasn’t everybody?  If I were king, I’d wipe out all those too.

Vocabulary:

•  ticket:  a penalty you must pay if you do something wrong
•  speeding:  going faster than the speed limit
•  just a minute:  wait, stop
•  radar vans:  large cars that have radar that takes a photo of a car that is speeding
•  municipalities:  cities or towns
•  road blocks:  when police stop all the cars on a street

Idioms:

tear up                              rip into small pieces
throw away (or out)    put in the garbage
over and over                again and again
by heart                           every word memorized
watch out (for)              be careful (of)
so far, so good              up till now, things are okay
mixed up                         confused / out of sequence
pay attention (to)        look or listen carefully
run into                           meet unexpectedly / hit with a vehicle
wipe out                          destroy completely

Notes:

Throw away and throw out have the same meaning.  They are also the same as get rid of.

Watch out (for) and look out (for) have the same meaning.

Mixed up has 2 meanings.  The second meaning is “out of sequence,”  the same as out of order.
Example:  I can’t find my coffee card in the file box.  They’re mixed up.

Run into and bump into have the same meaning, but bump into is only used for people.
Example:  Guess who I bumped into at the grocery store yesterday?

Run into has 2 meanings.  The second meaning is “hit with a vehicle.”
Example:  Michael went through a stop sign and ran into a truck on his way home from work.

© 2004 Ambien Malecot