Lesson Two -- Idioms at School

What are we waiting for? 我們還在等什麽?	I can’t wait to get to the dance. What are we waiting for? Let’s go!
settle down 安定	Mark just wants to find a nice girl, get married and settle down.
That's the spirit. 真有道理	Diane, I know your husband is ill, but you are keeping cheerful. That’s the spirit!
shedding crocodile tears 貓哭老鼠	John pretends he’s sorry that he broke my wind chimes, but he’s just shedding crocodile tears
set my heart on 對...傾心	I set my heart on the blue dress, but when I got to the store, it was gone!
see eye to eye 我們意見相同	My brother and I don’t see eye to eye when it comes to buying a joint present for our mother.
same old stuff 陳舊貨色	I get tired of the same old stuff at dinner all the time, so I joined a recipe club for fresh ideas.
put one's heart and soul in sth 全心全意做某事	Jerry put his heart and soul into the presentation at work, and his boss really appreciated it.
regular guy 好人,靠得住的人	Even though Ron is an actor and dating a model, he acts just like a regular guy. He’s so friendly.
put on weight 胖了	Once I stopped smoking, I put on weight. It almost makes me wish I hadn’t stopped!
put heads together 一起商討問題	If we just put our heads together, we can figure out a solution to this problem.
put an end to 結束	Bono works hard to put an end to starvation around the world, but especially in Africa, the poorest continent.
plenty of fish in the sea 比喻多得很	They say there are plenty of fish in the sea, but I’m too tired to ”go fishing” these days. I’m afraid I’ll never find a boyfriend.
pain in the neck 極討厭的人或物	When I was younger, it was a real pain in the neck having to bring my little sister with me everywhere I went. I was her babysitter while my mom worked.
paint the town red 瘋狂地慶祝	My boyfriend just got a promotion, so we’re going out to paint the town red—we’ll go to dinner and dancing.
particular about food 對食物很講究	Madonna is incredibly careful about what she puts into her body, so she is very particular about food.
pick-me-up 喝酒、湯等刺激一下神經	By three in the afternoon, I’m starting to get tired, so I usually have a cup of coffee as a pick-me-up.
on the rocks 在岩石上	Mary and John have been fighting an awful lot lately. I suspect that their relationship is on the rocks.
new flame 新情人	My brother is very happy with his new flame. He likes having a girlfriend.
hit the spot –satisfying (not on Chinese list)	When it’s very hot outside, a tall glass of iced tea really hits the spot.

Kate, Julie and Veronica are going to have dinner out together in a restaurant, but first they stopped at a café to decide where to go. They don’t see each other often, so this is their chance to learn how each other is doing.

Kate: This coffee is really hitting the spot. I needed a pick-me-up before we decide where to go for dinner.

Julie: And this cola is so nice. Veronica, sorry we didn’t wait for you, but I really needed this. Let’s call the waiter over.

Veronica: I already ordered a coffee when I came in. He’ll be bringing it over in a minute.
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Julie: So, have you heard that Jim and I broke up? We have been on the rocks for a while.

Kate: No! I hadn’t heard! What happened?

Julie: Well, I put my heart and soul into that relationship, but he wouldn’t commit. So I decided that it was best to put an end to it.

Veronica: I’m so sorry to hear that!

Julie: It’s my fault, really. I set my heart on getting married. But Jim wasn’t ready to settle down.

Kate: Isn’t that always the way it goes?

Julie: When I confronted him on it, he seemed shocked. They he started shedding crocodile tears, but I could tell by the panicked look in his eye that he was thinking that he was happy to break up. I guess that means I am better off without him.

Veronica: That’s the spirit! I know you’ll be fine—there are plenty of fish in the sea!

Julie: Oh, I don’t think I’m ready for a new flame yet, but it might be nice.

Kate: Yeah, there must be a nice regular guy out there….

Julie: Someone I could see eye to eye with on marriage.

Kate: But now you’re single again. And that’s a pain in the neck! I hate having to find dates!

Veronica: But now we have an excuse to go out and paint the town red!

We have to help Julie. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can find a great spot to meet men.

Kate: Of course we do!

Julie: You guys are great! But right now, I think it’s time to think about what to eat for dinner.

Veronica: I’m not particular about food, but I don’t want to put on weight. I have to be so careful since I turned 30!

Kate: Can we find some place new, do you think? I’m tired of the same old stuff.

Julie: My office-mate told me of a great new Malaysian restaurant on Pine Street. She said the food was amazing.

Kate: What are we waiting for? Let’s go!