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. 

Unit 4 On the Job

Do for a living to be someone’s job

             GRAMMAR NOTE/USAGE NOTES: This idiom usually occurs in a direct or indirect question. It is used to ask someone you have met recently about his or her employment.

             ▪ If you don’t mind my asking, what do you do for a living?

             ▪ I didn’t ask him what he did for a living because I knew he was unemployed.

Make a living to be employed, to earn enough money to servive

             Also: earn a living

             USAGE NOTE: Adjectives such as decent and good can be used.

             ▪ My new next-door neighbor makes a living as a car mechanic.

             ▪ It’s difficult for single parents to earn a decent living.

White-collar having to do with an office environment

             Related idiom: blue-collar (having to do with a nonoffice work environment)

             USAGE NOTE: These adjective forms are used before nouns such as worker and job.

             ▪ White-collar workers generally earn more money than blue-collar workers.

             ▪ Blue-collar jobs such as police work and postal delivery are usually well paying.

Put in to spend time at work

             ▪ Some workers choose to put in ten hours a day in order to work only four days a week.

             ▪ Frieda had to put in a busy day at the office after she was sick at home for three days.

Clock in to begin work

             Opposite meaning: clock out

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms were first used for jobs where workers’ hours were checked with time cards and time clocks. They are still used to refer to the time when someone starts and stops work, even when there is no time clock.

             ▪ Factory workers are among those who still clock in at the beginning of a shift and clock out at the end.

             ▪ Even though I’m expected to clock in at 9:00 A.M, I generally get to work around 9:15.

Get off (work) to leave work at the end of the workday

             ▪ Deborah got off work early because she didn’t feel well.

             ▪ I’ll stop by the bank after I get off today.

Call it a day to stop working

             Also: call it a night, call it quits

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms can also be used for schoolwork or physical labor.

             ▪ Look, it’s already 4:30. Time to call it a day.

             ▪ After four hours of studying this evening, I called it a night.

             ▪ We’ve been working in the garden for six hours. It’s time to call it quits.

Close up (shop) to close a business at the end of a workday

             ▪ I rushed to the bank but I got there just as they were closing up.

             ▪ There weren’t many customers on the holiday evening, so Mr. Merkur closed up shop early.

Graveyard shift an eight-hour work period through the early morning hours

             ▪ Some factory workers work the graveyard shift, generally from midnight to 8:00 A.M.

             ▪ Patrica works the graveyard shift at the service station so that she can go to school during the day.