Lesson 19 - Just Checking In

Easy American Idioms » Lesson 19 - Just Checking In

Word List

To check in with someone

→ To talk to or visit with someone for the purpose of saying hi, or letting someone know that you’re okay.
To have a rough time of it

→ To experience difficulty dealing with a situation.
To feel or be under the weather

→ To feel ill, to feel less than healthy.
To catch a bug

→ To become sick with a cold or flu.
To get over something

→ To no longer suffer the pain or discomfort of something. This expression can also mean, “to move on, to feel better after a difficult situation.”
To be back on your feet

→ To recover from sickness, to feel healthyagain.
To be up to speed on something

→ To know or have all the necessary information about something.
To pass away

→ To die.
To pull through

→ To overcome a temporary difficult situation,including a serious injury or illness.
To take a nosedive

→ To become worse very quickly. Notice that“nose-dive” is also a verb.
To go downhill

→ To become bad very quickly. To deteriorate.
To catch off-guard

→ To catch someone unprepared. To happenwithout expectation or by surprise.
To take something

→ To react to a situation emotionally. Torespond to something.
To be hanging in there

→ To handle something as well as can be expected, especially a very difficult situation.
To be up to your neck in something

→ To have a lot of something to deal with, look after, or take care of.
To cost a pretty penny

→ To be expensive.
To be worth every dime

→ To be a reasonable match of value and cost.
To bend over backwards

→ To do more than is required or expected in order to help someone.
To take a toll on someone

→ To have negative consequences for someone.
To pay your respects

→ To visit the family of a deceased person inorder to show you care and tell them you are sorry.
To catch a flight

→ To take a plane to somewhere, sometimes onshort notice.
To take off from something

→ To not attend your normally scheduled activity, such as work.

Just Checking In ...

Father: Hello?

Maya: Hey Dad! How are ya?

Father: Maya! Glad you called.

Maya: Just checking in . . . How are things going?

Father: Well, to tell the truth, we’re having a rough time of it.

Maya: What’s happening?

Father: Well, your mother is feeling a bit under the weather.

Maya: Oh no. . . .

Father: Don’t worry, she’s caught a bug is all.

Maya: I hope she gets over it soon.

Father: Seems like a 24-hour thing . . . She’ll be back on her feet in a day or so, I think.

Maya: That’s good. I’m sorry I haven’t called in a few weeks. I was so far behind in my schoolwork, it took me some time to get up to speed for my midterms.What’s been going on at home?

Father: Your mother and I were planning on calling you today to give you some bad news.

Maya: What happened?

Father: Your great uncle Bill just passed away.

Maya: You’re kidding! I talked to him only two weeks ago . . . He seemed fine.

Father: Yeah, we were sure he would pull through. But he got an infection, and his health took a nosedive. He went downhill fast.

Maya: This is terrible.

Father: It caught everyone off-guard. Your aunt Helen said one day he was fine; the next day he was gone.

Maya: I can’t believe this. . . . And how is Aunt Helen taking it?

Father: You know your aunt—she’s hanging in there. But she’s up to her neck in bills.

Maya: I can imagine . . . what with the funeral and all.

Father: Not just that. Hospital, doctors, medication. It costs a pretty penny these days. But your aunt says it was worth every dime . . . She said the folks at the hospital bent over backwards to make them feel comfortable and at home. And Uncle Bill didn’t suffer very much. He was smiling right up to the end.

Maya: Is there anything I can do?

Father: You might want to call your cousin. It seems this is taking a big toll on Jackie. Your aunt says she’s not eating and won’t talk to anyone.

Maya: You think she’ll talk to me if I call?

Father: It’s worth a shot.

Maya: All right. Is there anything else?

Father: Yes, we’ll be paying our respects this Friday. Do you think you can catch a flight home?

Maya: I don’t have Friday classes, and I’ll take off from work. I’ll be there in the morning.

Father: Okay, give me a call with the details and I’ll come and pick you up at the airport.

Maya: Okay, I will. Bye, Dad.

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