Unit 13 Communicating

Drop someone a line to mail a letter to someone

             ▪ Larry dropped Angela a line so that she would know where he moved.

             ▪ Why don’t you drop me a line some time to let me know how you’re doing?

Dash off to write a quick letter or note to someone

             Also: get off

             GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: These idioms are separable, and are used when something is written in a hurry or at the last possible moment.

             ▪ Mrs. Sato dashed off a note to ger husband before heading to work.

             ▪ San got off a birthday card to his brother with no time to spare.

Hear from to receive a letter or phone call from someone

             ▪ Have you heard from Marco since he left on his trip?

             ▪ It’s so good to hear from you again, Bernice!

Be in touch (with) to have contact or communication with someone

             Opposite meaning: be out of touch (with)

             USAGE NOTE: Both idioms can also be used with the verbs keep and stay.

             ▪ Don’t worry. I’ll be in touch with you early tomorrow morning.

             ▪ My high school friends and I have kept in touch over the years through correspondence.

             ▪ Just because you’re moving, it doesn’t mean that we can’t stay in touch.

             ▪ While camping alone in the mountains, Yoshio was out of touch with everyone.

Get in touch with to contact, to reach

             Also: get ahold of, touch base with

             GRAMMAR NOTE: The word base can be either singular or plural.

             ▪ My office assistant can get in touch with me in an emergency.

             ▪ Do you know how to get ahold of Fred? I’ve lost his number.

             ▪ The Madisons asked their daughter to touch base with them often while away at school.

Get back to to contact someone again

             Also: get back with

             ▪ As soon as I receive more information about the party, I’ll get back to you.

             ▪ The manager said that she’d get back with the salesperson as soon as she had decided what furniture to buy.

Talk a mile a minute to talk very quickly

             Also: speak a mile a minute

            ▪ Some TV and radio commercials are difficult to understand because the people are talking a mile a minute.

             ▪ When you visit a foreign country and don’t know the landuage, everyone seems to be speaking a mile a minute.

Bend someone’s ear to talk for a long time without much iterruption

             Also: talk someone’s ear off

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms are used when someone is being forced to listen.

             ▪ Ali kept saying that it was late, but the visitor bent his ear for over two hours.

             ▪ Gow could Mark talk my ear off like that when ge knew I was sick?

Yackety-yak meaningless noise or uninteresting conversation

             ▪ All I heard was a lot of yackety-yak when I entered the crowded room.

             ▪ When someones bends you ear, you can say that it’s just a bunch of yackety-yak

juck mail generally unwanted information sent through the mail by businesses

             ▪ Some people don’t mind looking at junk mail, while others hate to receive it.

             ▪ You can be sure that the postal delevery persons don’t like to carry junk mail!

Unit 12 On the Telephone

Make a (phone) call to use the telephone

             USAGE NOTE: Adjectives such as important and quick are often added to this idiom.

             ▪ The manager went to ger office to make an important phone call.

             ▪ Jonah had to make a quick call before he left home.

Be on the phone to be using the telephone

             Opposite meaning: be off the phone

             ▪ Mr. Quintana is on the phone right now. She’ll be available in a moment.

             ▪ As soon as I’m off the phone, I’ll check the imformation for you.

Over the phone by using the telephone

             Also: on the phone

             USAGE NOTE: These expressions are used to show exactly how contact between two people is made. They are used with verbs such as give, talk, and speak, but not be.

             ▪ Instead of sending a fax, the assistant gave her boss the information over the phone.

             ▪ The doctor and his patient spoke on the phone about the medical problem.

Call up to telephone someone

             Also: give someone a call

             GRAMMAR NOTE: Call up is separable.

             ▪ You should call up Carmen before she calls Carlos up.

             ▪ Why haven’t you given her a call yet?

Hold on to wait for assistance on the telephone

             Related form: on hold

             ▪ The relephone operator asked the caller to hold on while she transferred the call

             ▪ I was on hold for several minutes because the clerks were busy with customers.

Off the hook not placed properly on the base unit of the telephone

             Opposite meaning: on the hook

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom means that the telephone handset is not properly placed on the base unit. The opposite form on the hook is less often used.

             ▪ Carl left the telephone off the hook so that he wouldn’t be bothered by any calls

             ▪ Please put the phone back on the hook so that we can be reached.

Call back to telephone someone who has just called and left a message, to call again

             Also: return someone’s call

             GRAMMAR NOTE: Call back is separable, so the object may follow the verb.

             ▪ Craig called back Alice as soon as he got her message.

             ▪ However, when he called her back, she wasn’t at home.

             ▪ He left a message for ger to return his call.

             ▪ I asked Frank to call me back because I was too busy to talk.

Hang up to put the telephone handset back on the base unit at the end of a call

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom may be used with or without an object. The idiom is separable if an object is used.

             ▪ The salesperson shouldn’t have hung the phone up before I could ask another question.

             ▪ Todd was enjoying his talk with an old friend so much that he didn’t want to hang up.

Crank call a telephone call intended only to annoy or bother someone

             ▪ Sometimes small children use the telephone to make crank calls.

             ▪ Kyle hung up the phone right away when she realized that it was a crank call.

Unit 11 Small Talk

Shake hands to greet someone by taking that person’s hand and shaking it

             Also: shake someone’s hand

             ▪ When you meet someone for the first time, it’s polite to shake hands.

             ▪ Your close friends are unlikely to shake your hand when you meet.

Not see for ages not to meet someone for a long time

             Also: not see in ages

             GRAMMAR NOTE: Use the present perfect tense or past perfect tense.

             ▪ Do you know where John has been? I haven’t seen him for ages.

             ▪ Karin returned home for Christmas because she hadn’t seen her parents in ages

a sight for sore eyes someone or something you’re glad to see again

             ▪ Fabio, you’re a sight for sore eyes! I missed you while you were gone.

             ▪ After Denise returned from a long business trip, her own bed was a sight for sore eyes.

Long time no see an expression to show that a long time has passed since you saw someone last

             ▪ Is that you, Alice? I can’t believe it. Long time no see!

Strike up a conversation to begin talking with someone for the first time

             ▪ A crowded elevator is an awkward place to strike up a conversation.

             ▪ As Linda waited at the bus stop, she struct up a conversation with a woman standing next to her.

Make small talk to talk about common topics such as the weather, activities, family, and work

             Also: make conversation

             ▪ Shinji isn’t good at making small talk at parties. He’s usually quiet and just listens.

             ▪ The prefessor made conversation with her students before class started.

Break the ice to end an awkward situation by suggesting a topic of conversation

             Related form: icevreaker (noun)

             ▪ When the hostess introduced Igor at the parth, there was a moment of silence until she broke the ice by saying, “Did you know that Igor is an Olympic silver medalist?”

             ▪ Jobs or hobbies are good icebreakers when you can’t think of anything to talk about.

Shoot the breeze to talk or chat casually

             Also: chew the fat

             ▪ Tom met his friends at the golf club for lunch and to shoot the breeze.

             ▪ Some office workers avoid getting their work done by chewing the fat.

What’s going on? What’s happening?

             Also: What’s new?, What’s up?

             USAGE NOTE: A common response is Not much or Nothing special.

             ▪ PERSON1: Hi, Michelle. What’s going on?

              PERSON2: Not much, Jorge.

             ▪ PERSON1: What’s new, Karla?

              PERSON2: Nothing special, Pete. What’s up with you?

So long good-bye, farewell

             Also: Take it easy, Take care

             ▪ TANYA: I’ve got to go, Jack. So long.

                JACK: So long, Tanya.

             ▪ SARAH: Well, Junko, time to go. Take it easy.

              JUNKO: Take care, SARAH.

Catch you later good-bye, with the idea of seeing someone at a later time

             Also: See you around

             GRAMMAR NOTE: The subject pronoun I + will can be used with these idioms. If it is not used, it is implied.

             ▪ Oh no, I’m late for my appointment. Catch you later.

             ▪ I’m glad you’ve enrolled in school again. I’ll see you around!

Unit 10 The Weather

Cool down to become cooler in temperature

             Also: cool off

             ▪ During the summer everyone is glad when evening comes and the weather cools down.

             ▪ The weather reporter says that is should cool off by the weekend.

Heat up to make or become warmer in temperature

             GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: Besides weather, this idiom is used for room temperature, cooking, and such. When an object is used, the idiom is separable.

             ▪ We should open all the windows tomorrow morning before the weather heats up

             ▪ The room heated up quickly with thirty-five people inside.

             ▪ Could you heat some water up for the coffee?

Rain cats and dogs to rain very hard

             Also: beat down

             GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: The subject pronoun it must be used with rain cats and dogs. The idiom beat down can also be used to refer to intense heat from sun rays.

             ▪ Look outside! It’s raining cats and dogs right now.

             ▪ The rain was beating down on the roof so hard that it sounded like hail.

             ▪ The desert sun beat down on the lost hikers, making them thirsty and sweaty.

Run off to flow from a high place to a lower place

             Related form: runoff (noun)

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is used to refer to excessive amounts of rainwater.

             ▪ It rained so long and hard that water ran off the hills and flooded many communities.

             ▪ The source of all rivers, such as the Mississippi, is runoff from mountain streams.

Cold spell a period of very cold weather

             Also: cold snap

             Opposite meaning: heat wave (a period of very hot weather)

             ▪ The city government had to open shelters for homeless people during the long cold spell.

             ▪ Farmers have to worry about frost damage to their crops during severe cold snaps.

             ▪ During a heat wave, people either use air-conditioning or open all their windows

Roll in to approach from a distance, over land or sea

             Opposite meaning: roll (back) out (to sea)

             USAGE NOTE: Roll (back) out (to sea) is used when coastal fog recedes from the land.

             ▪ The thunderstorm rolled in suddenly and dropped two inches of rain.

             ▪ The planes were not allowed to take off from the airport after the fod rolled in.

             ▪ Most flights were delayed several hours until the fog rolled back out to sea.

Die down to reduce in strength, to diminish, to subside

             Also: let up

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms can also be used to refer to sounds.

             ▪ We were lucky that the blizzard died down enough so that we could ski.

             ▪ After several hours of heavy hownpour, the rain finally let up.

             ▪ The thunder died down as the storm moved out of the area.

Clear up to become sunny

             ▪ It was cloudy all morning, but in the afternoon it cleared up completely.

             ▪ The weather cleared up nicely when the fog rolled out to sea.

Dry up to become dry, to lose moisture

             Also: dry out

             USAGE NOTE: Dry out applies to things that are not normally used when they are wet.

             ▪ Streams and small lakes can dry up during periods of drought.

             ▪ It took a long time for the soccer field to dry out after the heavy rains.

Unit 9 Commuting

Take off (to work) to depart immediately, to leave quickly

             Also: rush off

             ▪ I’m going to be late for work if I don’t take off right now.

             ▪ Before Leroy could ask another question, Brenda rushed off to work.

Buckle up to fasten one’s seatbelt

             ▪ Some drivers of cars with airbags think it’s unnecessary to buckle up too.

             ▪ Signs on the highways remind people that buckling up can save lives.

Drop off to deliver someone to a place

             Opposite meaning: pick up (to take someone from a place)

             GRAMMAR NOTE: This idiom is separable, and the object is usually placed after the verb.

             ▪ My son Elijah asked to drop him off at school on my way to work because it was raining.

             ▪ He also wanted me to pick him and his friend up if it was still raining after school.

Give a lift to transport someone in one’s vehicle

             Also: give a ride

             GRAMMAR NOTE: These idioms must be separated by a noun or pronoun after the verb.

             ▪ The young woman hitchhiking on the highway looked nice, so Vince gave her a lift.

             ▪ Could you give me a ride to the airport next Wednesday? I’d appreciate it.

On one’s way in the direction that one is going

             Opposite meaning: out of one’s way (not in the direction that one is going)

             ▪ Since the post office was on my way to the supermarket, I stopped there for some stamps.

             ▪ It’s no problem for William to give you a ride there. It’s not out of his way.

Rush hour the busiest commuting time (usually 6-9 A.M. and 4-7 P.M.)

             GRAMMAR NOTE: This compound noun can be hyphenated (-) to make an adjective form preceding the noun traffic.

             ▪ It takes Olilip three hours to commute to work during rush hour.

             ▪ Rush-hour traffic is generally lighter on Friday afternoons.

Share a ride to commute with one or more persons in the same car

             Also: rideshare

             Related form: ridesharing (noun)

             ▪ Some companies provide special benefits when employes agree to share a ride to work.

             ▪ The university maintains a list of people who want to rideshare to school.

             ▪ Ridesharing is one of the best ways to reduce air pollution caused by automobiles.

Carpool lane a special lane on city highways for cars with at least two people inside

             Related form: carpool (verb)

             ▪ You will have to pay a large fine if yhou drive in the carpool lane with out at least one other passenger.

             ▪ The office workers carpooled to avoid the heavy traffic in the other highway lanes.

Double-park to park in the street illegally next to a car that is parked legally along the curb

             Related form: double-parking (noun)

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is used to describe what happens when there are no available parking spaces along the curb of a street.

             ▪ Frank double-parked in front of the bakery in order to pick up the cake.

             ▪ Double-parking is unavoidable in some American cities where it is too crowded to park legally.

Unit 8 Transportation

Get around to move, to travel

             Also: get about

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms refer to one’s daily means of transportation.

             ▪ How do you get around if you haven’t bought a car yet?

             ▪ Since her operation, eighty-year-old Mrs. Jackson has used a wheelchair to get about.

Get out of to exit, to leave

             Also: Get off

             GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: You get ou of a car or truck, but you get off a bus, train, subway, motocycle, or bicycle. Get out of must be followed by a noun phrase; get off sometimes is followed by a noun phrase, but at other times it isn’t.

             ▪ Mr. Nguyen got out of the taxi as soon as it stopped at the curb.

             ▪ Linda wasn’t paying attention, so she got off the subway at the wrong station.

             ▪ Mr. Wells’s daughter was scared while riding on ger dad’s motocycle, so she asked to get off.

Get in(to) to enter

             Also: hop in(to), get on, hop on

            GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: You get in(to) or hop in(to) a car or truck; you get on or hop on a bus, train, subway, morocycle, or bicycle. When into is used, a noun phrase must follow. When in is used, a noun phrase may or may not follow.

             ▪ Mr. Olson got into the car to start the engine. His wife got in a short time later.

             ▪ I’d be glad to give you a ride to the store. Hop in!

             ▪ The high school students got on the bus when it arrived at the corner.

Ride shotgun to ride in the front passenger’s seat

             ▪ Jake’s brother rode shotgun for the entire trip acress the United States.

             ▪ If you’d like to drive now, I don’t mind riding shotgun.

Take a spin to drive for pleasure, usually for a short time

             Also: go for a spin, go for a ride

             ▪ Would you like to take a spin before you decide whether to buy this truck?

             ▪ We went for a spin around the block in Helen’s new car.

             ▪ It was a beautiful day to go for a ride in the country.

On someone’s tail following too closely behind

             Related form: tailgate (verb)

             ▪ I’d better change lanes. There’s a large truck right on my tail.

             ▪ The sports car was tailgating the car ahead when the accident occurred.

Make good time to travel efficiently (without wasting time)

             ▪ We made good time on our cross-country drive, which took only six days.

             ▪ We arrived at our relative’s house an hour early because we’d made good time.

Fill up to fill one’s vehicle with gas

             Also: gas up

             GRAMMAR NOTE: These idioms may or may not be used with noun phrases. When noun phrases are used, the idioms are separable.

             ▪ Look, we’re low on gas. We’ll have to stop at the next gas station to fill up.

             ▪ Did you gas the car up on your way home?

Gas-guzzler a vehicle that consumes too much gas

             ▪ Sascha replaced her old gas-guzzler with a modern economy car.

             ▪ During the 1960s and 1970s, U.S. auto companies produced large gas-guzzlers.

Take off to depart from an airport runway

             Opposite meaning: touch down

             Related form: take-off (noun)

             ▪ Several airplanes were waiting to take off because of the busy holiday weekend.

             ▪ The plane touched down gently on the runway and taxied to the terminal.

             ▪ On take-off the pilot banked the plane to the left and headed west toward Tokyo.

Unit 7 An Active Lifestyle

Early bird someone who likes to rise early in the morning

             ▪ I’ve always been an early bird. I rarely get up after six o’clock in the morning.

             ▪ Jake’s new job forces him to be an early bird. He has to start work at 5:00 A.M.

Night owl someone who likes to stay awake late at night

             ▪ It’s easy for Laura to study until three in the morning. She’s always been a night owl.

             ▪ Scientists believe that body chemistry may determine whether someone is more likely to be an early bird or a night owl.

Night on the town an evening of dining and entertainment

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is often used with the verb spend.

             ▪ Mr. Frederick impressed his fiancee with an expensive night on the town.

             ▪ Matt and Tina spent a night on the town with their guests from Europe.

Live (life) in the fast lane to lead a very active social life

             Related form: life in the fast lane (noun)

             ▪Jet-setters are rich people who travel around the world living life in the fast lane.

             ▪ How’s life in the fast lane, Van? You’re gone so often I hardly see you anymore!

Live it up to enjoy life by spending money freely

             Also: do it up (right)

             GRAMMAR NOTE: The pronoun it cannot be changed or removed.

             ▪ The Pierces go to Las Vegas once a year and live it up in the best hotel suite available.

             ▪ We shouldn’t worry about how much we spend on our vacation. We should do it up right.

Have a ball to enjoy oneself greatly, to have pleasure

             Also: have a good time

             ▪ Thanks so much for inviting us to the party. We really had a ball.

             ▪ Matt didn’t expect to have a good time at the picnic, but he actually did.

Party animal someone who likes to have fun often

             ▪ Up late again last night? This is the third day, you party animal.

             ▪ Dave had become such a party animal that he failed two classes.

Throw a party to invite guests to a party

             USAGE NOTE: Words such as farewell, retirement , and graduation can precede party.

             ▪ Are you free next Saturday evening? I’m throwing a party and I’d like you to come.

             ▪ The employees threw a farewell party before their supervisor left for another job.

Get out (and about) to leave home for a social activity

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is usually used when someone doesn’t leave home often enough due to overwork, injury, or old age.

             ▪ Since our child was born, my wife and I get out much less often.

             ▪ You should try to get out and about more now that you’ve recovered from the accident.

             ▪ Mrs. Carlson tends to stay home and watch TV. She should get out and about more often.

Unit 6 Resting and Relaxing

Take a nap to sleep (usually for a short time)

             Also: take a snooze

             ▪ Every afternoon old Mr. Jones takes a nap on his porch for an hour.

             ▪ I lay down on the couch and took a quick snooze in the afternoon.

Take a break to rest by stopping work or play

             Also: take a breather

             ▪ We’ve been working hard on this spreadsheet for ever three hours. It’s time to take a break.

             ▪ The hikers took a breather during a very steep portion if the trail.

Take a easy to relax, not to work hard

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom may be used when someone is upset and should relax.

             ▪ There’s no reason to work so hard. Take it easy!

             ▪ Why is Eduardo so angry at Elaine? He should take it easy.

Have free time to have little or no work to do, to have extra time

             Also: have time on one’s hands, have time to kill

             ▪ Whenever Mr. Ness has free time, he goes camping tn the moutains.

             ▪ Amy’s job is so easy that she has lots of time on her hands to read.

             ▪ Because we had time to kill in San Diego, we saw a few more sights.

Pass the time to spend time (usually relaxing)

             Also: while away

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is followed by an expression of time, such as the hours, the days, and so on.

             ▪ Our flight was delayed on departure, so we passed the time playing cards.

             ▪ On the small island of Tahiti, we had nothing to do but while away the hours.

Daydream to think about something not related to what is happening at that moment

             GRAMMAR/USAGE NOTES: This idiom is used when a person is not aware of what is happening around him or her because the person is thinking about other matters. It can also be used as a noun.

             ▪ Sandra sat at her desk and daydreamed about being with her boyfriend.

             ▪ It would be dangerous for an airline pilot to have a daydream while flying.

Loosen up to become more relaxed, to become informal

             Also: let one’s hair down

             ▪ This vacation is just the right way for me to loosen up and enjoy myself.

             ▪ Alana is serious at the office, but at parties she likes to let her hair down.