Unit 2 In the Evening

Go out to leave home to do an activity (usually in the evening)

             ▪ Marco went out with his friends very often until he got married.

             ▪ Mr. and Mrs. Faulk go out for a walk almost every evening.

Stay out to remain away from home at night

             Opposite meaning: stay in (to stay at home)

             ▪ On New Year’s Eve many people stay out late at night.

             ▪ There was such a bad storm last night that we decided to stay in instead of going out.

Stay up to remain awake at night

             Related idiom: wait up

             USAGE NOTE: Wait up is often used when somone has to wait for another person, such as a child, to come home at night. Stay up can be used for this purpose, but it also has a more general meaning.

             ▪ Lisa was too tired to stay up for the late-night movie that she had planned to see.

             ▪ I can’t believe that my parents are going to wait up until I get home tonight.

Be tired out to be completely tired (usually at the end of the day)

             Also: be tuckered out

             USAGE NOTE: Be tuckered out is more informal than be tired out.

             ▪ I’m sorry that I’m too tired out to attend the lecture with you tonight.

             ▪ After a hard day’s work in the yard, Mr. Coulson said, “I’m tuckered out!”

Fall asleep to begin sleeping

             Also: drop off to sleep, doze off

             ▪ Terence fell asleep on the couch while watching a boring movie on TV.

             ▪ I like to read in the evening until I drop off to sleep around 10:00 P.M.

             ▪ One person in the theater audience started snoring after he dozed off.

Turn in to retire, to enter one’s bed

             Also: go to sleep, go to bed

             ▪ The Fares always turn in after watching the eleven o’clock news.

             ▪ When do you generally              go to sleep at night?

             ▪ Nancy was so tired that she couldn’t wait to go to bed.

Hit the sack to sleep

             Also: hit the hay, crash out

             USAGE NOTE: These idioms are more informal than turn in, go to sleep, and go to bed.

             ▪ I’m so tired that the only thing I want to do is take a shower and hit the sack.

             ▪ Arnold stumbled into the house at midnight and said, “Time to hit the hay!”

             ▪ Carla didn’t mind crashing out in her friend’s living room during her visit.

Bed down to prepare a temporary place to sleep

             USAGE NOTE: This idiom is usually used for sleeping outdoors in a temporary location.

             ▪ The hikers bedded down in a different place each night of their weeklong trip.

             ▪ The soldiers were told to bed down in the barn of an old farmhouse.

After hours after the normal, or permitted, time

             USAGE NOTE: After hours can be used as an adjecrive when it is hyphenated (-).

             ▪ Most large cities have a part of town where people can go after hours.

             ▪ The popular nightclub stayed open for a special after-hours party.