All Clear! Idioms in Context SECOND EDITION Helen Kalkstein Fragiadakis CONTRA COSTA COLLEGE ‘Heinle & Heinle Publishers, Inc. A Division of Wadsworth, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts 02116 U.S.A.Contents Acknowledgments ix To the Student xi Introduction to the Teacher xiii Suggested Teaching Methods xv A Note About the Terminology Used in This Text xxili Lesson? Cold Feet 1 get cold feet + can/can't afford + have second thoughts + deep down + get/be mamied + tie the knot + get hitched + can/can't tell + read someone’s mind + be a mind reader + shoot - for good » history repeats itself +» be through += be dying to * have something in common + cut out » be chicken + chicken out « wind up Lesson 2. Guess Who? 14 in ages + for ages » be on the way = be out of the way * be in the way - come on + get going + drop in + drop by + stop by + drop off - pick up « drop out « feel free + keep in touch = lose touch + be in/out of touch + get back in touch = run into * bump into Lesson 3 Please Leave a Message After You Hear the Beep 23 please leave a message after you hear the beep/tone « check one’s messages » a pain + a pain in the neck + go/be out of one’s mind « go nuts/bananas + go off one’s rocker * hang up + write something down + going on + stand still « get up the nerve + freeze + get/fbe tongue-tied + do something on one’s own/by oneself » be just about ready to » good for you + dont be silly « have a seat + wish me luck = take a deep breath + be out of breath + have bad breath + here goes Lesson 4 In Bad Shape 36 catchyhave a cold » catch/have the flu +! have news for you + be in the same boat » keep someone company « all day/night long + can't stop » | know what you mean + take sorneone’s temperature + sound like + chances are « get over + be in good/bad shape « feel sory forReview Games for Lessons 7—4: Crosswords Puzzle, Tic Tac Toe, Guess the Idiom 46 lesson 5 Are We Couch Potatoes? 50 get together » make oneself comfortable/at home + bein the mood + be in a good/bad mood + a tearjerker « how about « feel like + be scared out of one’s wits + that makes two of us * be kidding » you're pulling my leg + move over « here you go « hit pauses play * a couch potato « why do you ask » spend time + be glued to the tube = that’s funny * be a bookworm +» put a book down + be involved Lesson 6 Forgetting a Date 62 to be honest with you « to tell you the tuth * hurt someone’s feelings « be on someone's mind = have something on one’s mind + stand someone up + work somefhing out * make up » treat someone + show up « stand fer + can't stand + you've got o point Lesson 7 For Here or to Go? 71 cut in line + get in jine + its on me « let's split it = it’s my tum = take tums + eat out « that’s that + for here orto go « be upto + what’sup + yougotme « take a class « it’s about time » don't be so hard on semeane + cold turkey + lock who's here + speak of the devil « fo figure + how’s it going + so far + so far, so good + have a long way to go » make/keep/break a promisé « give up » end up Lesson 8 How About Going to a Movie? 83 make time + take/give a rain check + take time off + take a break + tum into - before you know It » get something over with » when you put it that way « talk someone into out of + change one’s mind Review Games for Lessons 5—8&: Crossword Puzzie, Tic Tac Toe, Guess the Idiom 92 Lesson 9 Pulling an All-Nighter 96 pull an all-nighter » bum the midnight oil = cram « in the nick of time +* tumhared in « hand out « handout + hand back « be in het water + a pop quiz » my ming went blank + getsleep » take/give/make up/corect/go over atest » be over + type do scrne- thing over > take a nap « be under pressure » you can say that again + m9 “he books + take a test cold Lesson 10 Sold Out 106 be sold out + be on sale « be for sale + on a first-come. first-served basis + first-come. first-served + that’s not fair + let someone know « stand in line + a waste of + % waste » get someone in + get in/into + stay up + get out + figure out « kill fime + "ove time io kilContents Lesson 11 Don't Throw it Away—Recycle! 116 hold it * whet in the world » what on earth « | can't believe my eyesvears + throw some- thingaway + throw out + getridof + get/oe upset + take iteasy + can't get over * care about + care for + take care of + clean up « feel guilty « be guilty « cant help + do research + find out + mun out of * go through » take something/someone out + pick up * once a week «+ roll up one’s sleeves and get to work Lesson {2 Let’s Make a Toast 130 quiet down « make a toast » here’s fo » cheers » may you/we « ili drink to that » bend over backwards + put up with + count on + give someone a hand - have a sense of humer * | wish you the Dest » no matter what + what's the matter « it doesn’t mater Review Games for Lessons 9-12: Crossword Puzzle, Tic Tac Toe, Guess the Idiom 139 Appendix A—Dictations 143 Appendix B—Answer Key 147 Appendix C—Answer Key for Review Games 154 Index—Alphabetical List of ldiorms and Expressions 157Acknowledgments | would like to thank all of my edifors, colleagues, friends, and family mem- bers who provided me with support, encouragement, and valuable feedback as | worked on this second edition of A Clear. l especially appreciate the wonderful working relationship that I've had since the early 1980s with members of the Heinle & Heinle staff. As I've watched the company expand in ESL over the years, I've been extremely impressed with how it has remained a friendly, warm, and really personal organization. | am grateful to Heinle & Heinle for encouraging me to write the second edition of Alf Clear, an endeavor that has been both a great challenge and pleasure. Thank you to everyone involved with the actual production of this book: Dave Lee, Kristin Thalheimer, Rachel Youngman, Taibet Hamlin, and Brian Or. And to my ESL colleagues—Kathi Jordan, Amy Prentiss, and Cynthia Weber, | would like fo express my great appreciation for your willingness fo fieid test the new material and provide me with such valuable feedback. To my friends, thank you for your first names for the dialogues. To my daughter, thank you fer giving me your “gut” native soeaker responses to my questions—you heloed me make sure that | was keeping the language notural, To ESL/EFL students, thank you for your enthusiasm for leaming idioms and your questions about their meanings and use. In this text, | have made a great effort to anticipate and answer your questions. And to everyone who uses “Son of All Clear,” as Dave Lee once called it, | hope you have a great time and laugh a lot. Helen FragiacdakisTo the Student To understand what an iciom is, take a lack ct the pictures below: Steve ran into Melissa yesterday. Literal meaning = Idiomatic meaning = They crashed into each other They met without planning For both pictures. we can say that “Steve ran info Melissa yesterday.” In the first picture, that sentence means that Steve was running and then crashed into Melissa, and maybe even hurt her. In the second picture, that sentence means that Steve and Melissa met each other without planning to meet. When they saw each other, they were surprised, “Ran info" in the second picture is an idiom. An iciom is a group of words with a special meaning. This idiom means “to meet someone without planning to meet.” It does not mean thal anyone was running.Write down two idioms from your native language: 6 2. Translate these into English for your classmates, and then tell the class the meaning of each of your idioms. You will study many idioms in this book, but you will also study formulas. Formulas are “sat” expressions that clo not change. These expressions are used in specific situa- tions. Formulas are NOT idioms because their words do not have a special meaning when they are put together. Here are some examples of formulas: It's nice to meet you. Excuse me. See you later. As you leam the néw vocabulary in this book, you will have many opportunities to improve your lisiening and speaking skills. Good luck, and have a great time! To the Student