More Speak English Like an American » Lesson 6: Mark and Cindy Make Dinner Plans
Example: Brian finally got a job? It's about time. He's been hanging around the house for over a year.
Example: Sorry I'm late. I got held up in a meeting.
Example: The service at this hotel has really gone downhill. They don't even help you with your luggage anymore.
Example: The Retox Rock Bar in New York is always packed to the rafters on Saturday nights.
Example: You paid last time we went out for lunch. Let me pick up the tab this time.
Example: "Jeff says he already paid you back." - "Like hell he did!"
Note 1: This is considered to be strong language by some.
Note 2: This expression can also be used to:
1) Express intensity: We tried like hell to win.
2) Say somebody looks bad: She looked like hell after staying up all night.
Example: Sorry to break our date, but I can't make it to the movies tonight.
Example: Did you hear the news? Laura and Tony have split up!
Example: "Is Rich's new girlfriend pretty?" - "No, to tell you the truth, she's a plain Jane."
Example: Although the restaurant was very crowded, we got seated right away. It pays to be friends with the owner!
Example: "Why did you lose your job?" - "Don't go there."
Note: You may also hear the variation "I don't want to go there"
Example: Don't ask Joy how old she is. Age is a touchy subject for her.
Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:
Mark had planned to take Cindy to Carmen's Bistro, but Cindy insists on going to Café Felix instead. Mark tells Cindy about his girlfriend Sara. Cindy is surprised to hear he is seeing someone and takes the opportunity to insult Sara.
Cindy: It's about time you got here! You're 20 minutes late.
Mark: Sorry. I got held up in traffic.
Cindy: Where are we going to dinner.
Mark: I made reservations at Carmen's Bistro.
Cindy: Carmen's? I was just there last weekend. It has really gone downhill. Let's go to Café Felix instead.
Mark: But we don't have reservations. It'll be packed to the rafters on Saturday night!
Cindy: I called yesterday and reserved a table.
Mark: I guess that means you'll be picking up the tab, too.
Cindy: Like hell I will! Don't forget that I'm going to share some valuable information with you.
Mark: I haven't forgotten. It's why I broke my date with Sara to go out with you.
Cindy: Who's Sara? I didn't know you had a new girlfriend!
Mark: Why should you know? You and I split up a year ago.
Cindy: Is that the Sara who's the receptionist at your company? The plain Jane who sits at the front desk?
Mark: She's not the receptionist anymore. She got a promotion and moved into the marketing department.
Cindy: I guess it pays to date the boss!
Mark: Don't go there.
Cindy: Why not? People must think that's why she got promoted!
Mark: It's a touchy subject. Let's not talk about it anymore.
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.