Unit 6 Resting and Relaxing

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.