More Speak English Like an American » Lesson 9: Monday Morning at the Office
Example: Donna asked me what Max and I discussed during out meeting. She's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong!
Example: Did you hear the news? Laura and Tony have split up!
Example: During out weekend in Manhattan, we saw two Broadway shows and ate at a French restaurant. We really lived it up.
Example: Pamela told you that I have a bad attitude? That makes my blood boil!
Example: When Nicole's father asked her how her grades were last semester, she said, "I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up."
Example: Who was that actor in Pirates of the Caribbean? I couldn't keep my eyes off him!
Example: Ryan's wife isn't very nice, but she is eye candy.
Example: Our company lobby is very dull. Let's put some eye candy in there.
Note: This expression also means graphics that make software, video games, or a website more pleasing to look at.
Example: When Christie's passport was stolen in Budapest, it put a damper on her entire trip.
Example: Sam told everybody that I'm planning to leave the company? I should've known better than to trust him!
Example: Luke danced with all eight of the bridesmaids at the wedding. He's such a ladies' man!
Example: After her lousy lunch at Carmen's Bistro, Tammy decided to write to the owner and give him a piece of her mind.
Example: "How did you get on the teacher's bad side?" - "I came to class late every day."
Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:
Sara's co-worker Angela tells Sara that she saw Mark dining with a very attractive woman at Café Felix on Saturday night. Sara is very angry to hear this news.
Angela: Sara, I don't want to stick my nose where it doesn't belong, but did you and Mark split up?
Sara: No. Why?
Angela: I saw him with another woman on Saturday night at Café Felix.
Sara: Are you sure it was him?
Angela: Yes, he and his date were really living it up, too. She ordered lobster, and they had a couple of bottles of wine.
Sara: That makes my blood boil!
Angela: Sorry I brought it up, but I thought you'd want to know.
Sara: What did she look like?
Angela: Tall, thin, and blonde. My boyfriend couldn't keep his eyes off her. He thought she was eye candy.
Sara: That must have put a damper on your evening.
Angela: It sure did!
Sara: I should've known better than to start dating Mark.
Angela: He is known to be a ladies' man.
Sara: I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!
Angela: Please don't tell him I told you! He didn't see me at the restaurant. I don't want to get on his bad side.
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.