Speak English Like an American » LESSON 23 - Bob Has a Surprise Visitor

Bob Has a Surprise Visitor

Bob's former boss Peter, from the furniture store, comes to visit. He offers Bob his old job back, but Bob's not interested.

Peter: Hi Bob. I was just in the neighborhood so I thought I'd stop by.

Bob: Come on in. Take a cookie.

Peter: Thanks. I'm glad to see you're not holding a grudge against me for firing you.

Bob: Not at all. At first, it burned me up. But I feel better now.

Peter: Good. I'm glad you have no hard feelings. How would you like your old job back?

Bob: What happened to your wonderful new manager?

Peter: She drank at work. By five o'clock, she'd be lying under a dining room table, three sheets to the wind. Yesterday, I finally got rid of her.

Bob: Let me get this straight. You replaced me with some crazy woman who got plastered every day on the job?

Peter: Yeah, I lost my head.

Bob: I don't think you lost your head. I just think you've got rocks in your head!

Peter: Bob, I'm trying to level with you. I never should've let you go.

Bob: No use crying over spilt milk.

Peter: So you'll come back and work for me?

Bob: Not on your life! Susan and I are very well off now. We just sold our new company for a small fortune!

Idioms
  • at first
    in the beginning
    EXAMPLE 1: Nicole didn't like Don Quixote at first, but after 200 pages she started to get into it.
    EXAMPLE 2: Don't get discouraged if you don't succeed at first. The important thing is that you keep on trying!
  • (to) burn someone up
    to make someone angry
    EXAMPLE 1: Jenny didn't vote for Nicole. That really burns Nicole up.
    EXAMPLE 2: I can't believe Kristen and Andrew didn't invite us to their wedding. That really burns me up!
  • come on in
    enter
    EXAMPLE 1: Come on in, the door's open!
    EXAMPLE 2: If nobody answers the door when you ring tonight, just come on in.

    NOTE: This is a more conversational way of saying "come in."

  • (to) get plastered
    to get drunk
    EXAMPLE 1: Harold got plastered at the wedding and fell into the wedding cake.
    EXAMPLE 2: That's your fifth martini. What are you trying to do, get plastered?

    SYNONYMS: to get loaded [slang]; to get sloshed [slang]

  • (to) get rid of
    to free oneself of; to throw out
    EXAMPLE 1: We finally got rid of our spider problem, but now we have ants.
    EXAMPLE 2: I've got too many old magazines and newspapers in my office. I need to get rid of some of them.
  • (to) get (something) straight
    to clarify; to understand
    EXAMPLE 1: Are you sure you got the directions straight?
    EXAMPLE 2: Let me get this straight — you're leaving your husband?
  • (to) hold a grudge against (someone)
    to stay angry with someone about a past offense
    EXAMPLE 1: Nicole holds a grudge against Jenny for voting for Andrea instead of her.
    EXAMPLE 2: Julia held a grudge against her boyfriend for not bringing her flowers on Valentine's Day.
  • (to) let (someone) go
    to fire; dismiss employees
    EXAMPLE 1: The investment bank let Chris go after they discovering he was stealing erasers, paper clips, and other office supplies.
    EXAMPLE 2: The Xerxes Corporation was doing so poorly, they had to let many workers go earlier this year.
  • (to) level with (someone)
    to speak openly and honestly with someone
    EXAMPLE 1: Let me level with you. I'm voting for Andrea instead of you.
    EXAMPLE 2: I have a feeling you're not telling me the whole truth. Please just level with me.
  • (to) lose one's head
    to lose control of one's behavior; to not know what one is doing
    EXAMPLE 1: Nicole lost her head after losing the elections and started yelling at all her friends.
    EXAMPLE 2: Remember to stay calm before the judge. Don't get nervous and lose your head!
  • no hard feelings
    no anger; no bitterness
    EXAMPLE 1: After the elections, Andrea said to Nicole, "I hope there are no hard feelings."
    EXAMPLE 2: I know you were disappointed that I beat you in the golf tournament, but I hope there are no hard feelings.
  • no use crying over spilt milk
    there's no point in regretting something that's too late to change
    EXAMPLE 1: Nicole realized she'd made some mistakes with her campaign for president, but there was no use crying over spilt milk.
    EXAMPLE 2: Your bike was ruined in an accident? There's no use crying over spilt milk. You'll just have to buy a new one.
  • Not on your life!
    definitely not
    EXAMPLE 1: You want me to sit in that sauna for an hour? Not on your life!
    EXAMPLE 2: Thanks for offering me a job in Siberia. Am I going to take it? Not on your life!
  • on the job
    at work
    EXAMPLE 1: Jennifer has four men on the job painting her house.
    EXAMPLE 2: Dan got fired for drinking on the job.
  • (to) stop by
    to pay a quick visit
    EXAMPLE 1: I'm having some friends over for pizza tomorrow night. Why don't you stop by?
    EXAMPLE 2: Stop by my office on your way home tonight.
  • three sheets to the wind
    drunk
    EXAMPLE 1: After drinking four beers, Bob was three sheets to the wind.
    EXAMPLE 2: Somebody needs to make sure Greg gets home safely. He's three sheets to the wind.

    SYNONYMS: wasted [slang]; liquored up [slang]; dead drunk

  • well off
    wealthy; financially secure
    EXAMPLE 1: Betsy's grandfather used to be very well off, but he lost most of his fortune when the U.S. stock market crashed in 1929.
    EXAMPLE 2: Debbie is a doctor and her husband is a lawyer. They're quite well off.
  • small fortune
    a good amount of money
    EXAMPLE 1: When her great aunt died, Anne inherited a small fortune.
    EXAMPLE 2: You won $25,000 in the lottery? That's a small fortune!
Practice The Idioms

Choose the best substitute for the phrase or sentence in bold:

  1. Nicole was very angry that she lost the election. Her mother told her there was no use crying over spilt milk.
    • a) there was no point in feeling bad about what can't be changed
    • b) she should think about all the mistakes she made
    • c) maybe she could still change the results
  2. Many people have died while climbing Mount Everest. Would I like to try it? Not on your life!
    • a) Not if it means you'll be risking your life!
    • b) Yes, definitely
    • c) No way!
  3. When Carol told Bob she could no longer sell Susan's Scrumptious Cookies, it really burned him up.
    • a) made him feel happy
    • b) made him feel sick
    • c) made him very angry
  4. Sara, I'm going to have to let you go. You come to work late every day and spend all day chatting with your friends.
    • a) fire you
    • b) give you more vacation time
    • c) yell at you
  5. One day, Nicole woke up with big red spots on her face. She didn't know how to get rid of them.
    • a) make more of
    • b) remove
    • c) encourage
  6. Thanks for coming to my party. Come on in!
    • a) See you later!
    • b) Go away!
    • c) Enter!
  7. Susan was three sheets to the wind. Bob told her not to drink any more pina coladas.
    • a) really drunk
    • b) very thirsty
    • c) feeling very tired
  8. Now that Bob is well off, he definitely won't be taking a job at McDonald's.
    • a) employed
    • b) feeling well
    • c) secure financially
Answer Key
Practice The Idioms
  1. a
  2. c
  3. c
  4. a
  5. b
  6. c
  7. a
  8. c
Answer Key
Favorite Books

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

Do you want your English to sound natural and fluent? Idiomatic expressions are essential to natural sounding English, but they can be challenging to remember, and even harder to use in conversation. This simple and straightforward program can help you master hundreds of useful and common idiomatic expressions. Best of all, you don't need a book, so you can listen anywhere and anytime it's convenient. It's a piece of cake!

Read more

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.

Read more

More Speak English Like an American brings you another 300+ idioms and expressions you need to know. Maybe you have already read Speak English Like an American. But this is not a necessary requirement. You can start with this new book, if you like, and work back. This popular ESL book features a new story and new American English idioms and expressions.

Read more