Easy American Idioms » Lesson 9 - I’m Up to My Eyeballs in Work!
Dear Mom and Dad,
How are you? It’s the end of the semester and I’m really under the gun. I’m up to my eyeballs in work. The amount of reading my professors assign is ridiculous. And, as you know, I thought I’d try my hand at a new sport and joined the university’s rowing team this semester. With that decision, I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Between school, my job, and that, the only time I find time to study is late at night. I’m burning the midnight oil six days out of seven. And even though I’ve really buckled down and begun to study, I’m still not finding the time to get everything done.
What else? Oh! My old computer finally bit the dust. What a pain in the neck—right at the end of the semester! It really puts me between a rock and a hard place. I try to use the computers in the library, but it’s only open until 11 p.m. I never make it there on time, so I have to ask my roommate if I can use his computer. But as you know, the guy is a bit odd. Personally, I don’t think he’s playing with a full deck. You know, I always say, “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” but the favors he asks of me are usually outrageous, and he then gets mad if I don’t agree to them. The other day, he asked to borrow my car for a six-hour drive to visit his girlfriend for the day. When I said no, he blew up at me, and then that night, about an hour after I had turned in for the night, he got up, turned on his music and started to do yoga! Anyway, money’s not so good now that I have to save for a new computer. I don’t want to cut corners and buy a cheap computer, because I’d just have to replace it soon anyway.
On a more positive note, I’m all about this rowing thing. I wanted to be on the competition team next semester, but thought I didn’t have a prayer since, for most of the guys on that team, rowing is old hat. They’ve been at it since they were kids and I’m still green. But Coach said yesterday that if I keep at it, I’m a shoo-in for a position on the competition team. That made my day. Well, that’s all for now. I’ll write again soon.
Love, Brad
If you already speak some English and now would like to speak more like a native, “Speak English Like an American” will help you. One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, or idioms. American English is full of idioms. Speak English Like an American will help you understand and use idioms better. It contains over 300 of today's most common idioms.
Speak Business English Like An American covers over 350 idioms and expressions you're likely to encounter in today's business world. Familiarize yourself with all of them.
English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.
English the American Way: A Fun ESL Guide to Language and Culture in the U.S. is your very own ... well, guide, to... yes, American language and culture . You’ll find tons (a lot!) of vocabulary, all of it used in real-life ways.
The purpose of the Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories series is to introduce English language learners to common idioms through humorous examples and illustrations. The lessons in this book will both entertain and enlighten students while providing exposure to how each idiom can be used in a variety of contexts.
The purpose of the Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories series is to introduce English language learners to common idioms through humorous examples and illustrations. The lessons in this book will both entertain and enlighten students while providing exposure to how each idiom can be used in a variety of contexts.
Everyday Conversations is intended for sixth- and seventh-grade students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English as a Second Language (ESL). Students can listen to and/or read dialogues in English. Topics of the conversations include introductions and small talk, shopping, asking for directions, hobbies, and giving advice.