More Speak English Like an American » Lesson 10: Sara Confronts Mark
Example: When Tiffany got rejected from all of the colleges she applied to, she went to pieces.
Example: Craig, one of our sales managers, always tries to keep all the new accounts for himself. Fortunately, we all have his number.
Example: Linda, I saw you taking money from the cash register. The jig is up!
Example: "I don't know if you and I have a future together." - "What's that supposed to mean?"
Example: Gina found some love letters in her husband's night table and realized that he was cheating on her.
Example: "My roommate plays loud music every night while I'm trying to study!" - "Try not to get bent out of shape about it."
Example: When Kara handed in the report a week late, she told a cock-and-bull story about having her laptop stolen from a coffee shop.
Example: "You told Suzi she looks good with blonde hair?" - "Yes, I told a white lie."
Example: Sam broke up with Kara on Tuesday. To add insult to injury, he asked her good friend Joy out on a date for Saturday night!
Example: "You guys are talking too loudly. Please keep it down so the baby doesn't wake up."
Example: The reporter kept asking the actress questions about her divorce. Finally, the actress said, "I'd rather not air my dirty laundry in public."
Example: "Please let me apologize for being rude to you." - "Don't bother. I won't be dating you anymore, so it's not necessary."
Fill in the blank with the missing word:
When Sara sees Mark, she lets him know that she knows about his date with another woman on Saturday night. Mark tries to explain, but Sara just gets angrier. Angela tells them they may not want to argue so loudly where everybody can hear them.
Mark: How was the Lenny Kravitz concert on Saturday night?
Sara: Great.
Mark: I hope you're not mad at me. I really did want to go.
Sara: Right, but you had to help your friend.
Mark: Yes, his wife left him, and he went to pieces.
Sara: Well, I'm sure a lobster dinner and a couple of bottles of wine helped a lot!
Mark: What?
Sara: I've got your number now. The jig is up!
Mark: What's that supposed to mean?
Sara: You're cheating on me, and you're a liar!
Mark: Hey, don't get bent out of shape. I don't know what you heard or saw, but I can explain...
Sara: You told me a cock-and-bull story about a friend in trouble. Meanwhile, you were out with another woman.
Mark: Okay, so I told a little white lie.
Sara: To add insult to injury, you took this woman to the same restaurant you were going to take me to!
Angela: Hey, you guys might want to keep it down!
Mark: Right. Let's not air our dirty laundry in public. I'll call you later.
Sara: Don't bother!
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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.