60 Idioms Contextualised in Dialogues

10/5/2016
60idiomscontextualisedindialoguesMethodologiesandApproachesinELT
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Four Systems > Vocabulary >
60 idioms contextualised in dialogues

Clickable list of Idioms
As right as rain
Bark up the wrong tree
Introduction
Site news
Approaches
Global Issues in the ELT
Classroom
DATA DRIVEN LEARNING
Dogme
Methodologies
Beat about the bush

Break the ice
Chip off the old block
Cut someone dead
Drown your sorrows
Feel the pinch
Community Language
Learning
Fly off the handle

Get a kick out of something
Total Physical Response
Get cold feet
Communicative Language
Teaching
Get it off your chest
DATA DRIVEN LEARNING

Lexical Approach
Key Concepts from ELT J
Learning Strategies
Bloom's taxonomy
Get someone's back up

Get to the bottom of something
Go like a bomb
Have itchy feet
Vygotsky and
constructionism
Have someone eating out of your

hand
Vygotsky and Language
Have your heart in your mouth
Using ICT in ELT

Online tools
Use of ICT Journal
Academic Writing
Academic Writing
Resources
Integrating skills
Theshortlinkforthis
pageis
Be in deep water
Natural approach
Suggestopedia
Search this site
He wouldn't hurt a fly

Dvolver task
His bark is worse than his bite
Hog the limelight
I wouldn't touch it with a barge
pole
https://sites.google.com/site/eltmethodologies/foursystems/vocabulary/idiomsindialogues
1/24
10/5/2016
Reading
In the soup
Teaching Writing
It made my blood boil
Speaking
Listening
Four Systems
Keep it under your hat

Keep your fingers crossed
Vocabulary
Land on one's feet
Functions
Let the cat out of the bag
Grammar
Pronunciation
Language
Corpus analysis of words and
phrases
Lessons
Tidbits
About
Cited Resources
Like looking for a needle in a

haystack
Like water off a duck's back
Living in cloud-cuckoo land
Not my cup of tea
Not out of the wood yet
Nothing to write home about
Copyright notice
Off the top of one's head
Send a Message
One's hair stands on end
Online tools
Discovering English with
Sketch Engine
Sitemap
Out of the blue

Over my dead body
Over the moon
Pain in the neck
Pay the earth for something
Penny dropped
Plain sailing
Pour cold water on something
Pull someone's leg
Pull the wool over someone's eyes
Pull your socks up
Put your foot in it
Right up his street
Run before you can walk
See eye to eye
Set the cat among the pidgeons
Show someone the ropes
Sweep something under the carpet
Take the wind out of someone's
sails
Till the cows come home
Turn over a new leaf
Twist someone round your little
finger
Walking on air
http://bit.ly/maelt_idiom_dialogues
2/24
10/5/2016
SomeyearsagoonBBCWorldServiceradio,therewasaseries
ofprogramsthatillustrated
idiomsby
puttingthem
intothe
contextofdialoguesabouteverydaythings.TheBBCoffered
thescriptsfreeofcharge.Iconsiderthemquitenatural
soundingdialogueswithagreatmanytypicalEnglish
communicativephrasesembeddednaturallyinthem,andtheir
contextsarerealisticandclear.
IhavecontactedtheBBCanumberoftimestryingtoobtainthe
recordingsthatmusthaveexistedatthetimeoftheirbroadcast,
buttonoavail.Ihadhopedthatintheprocess,Iwouldbeable
todiscovertheauthorsandseekpermissiontousethe
dialogues.Ithasnotevenbeenpossibletofindoutiftheyare
copyright.Ifanyonecangivemealeadonthis,pleasecontact
me.
Thedialogues,aspresentedhere,aresimplythescriptsthat
werescanned.Theystillneedsomeediting.Clickingtheones
whicharelinked(underlined)takesyoutothepagesherewhich
havetheinteractiveorhypertextversions,ortheworksheets.
ThesedialoguesarenowavailableasacorpusintheSketch
Engine:ske.li/idiom_dialogues.
TOPUTYOURFOOTINIT
TOFEELTHEPINCH
A: Thatwomanyouwere
talkingtojustnow.She
didn'tlookverypleased
asshewalkedaway.Did
youhaveadisagreement
oversomething?
A: Hi,Frank.
B: Notexactly.Itwasall
veryembarrassing,
actually.
A: You'restillwiththesame
company,aren'tyou?
A: Wellwhathappened?
B: Weweretalkingabout
thatmanoverthere.
A: Whatthatone?With
thedreadfulhairand
thoseawfulclothes?
B: Exactly.Ijustsaidhow
B: Oh,hello,Mark.How're
things?
A: Fine.Whataboutyou?
How'swork?
B: Well,itcouldbebetter.
B: Ohyes.Butbusiness
hasn'tbeentoogoodthis
year,andI'vehadtotake
acutinsalary.
A: Thisisbadnews.Still,I
supposewe'reluckyto
havejobsatallthese
days.
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oddIthoughthelooked.
A: And?
B: Hehappenstobethat
woman'shusband
A: Ohdear.Youreallyput
yourfootinit,didn'tyou.
B: Mmm.
A: Youaremanagingthen?
Formoney,Imean.
B: Wellit'snotalwayseasy.
Especiallynowwe'vegot
thebaby.
A: Ohyes,ofcourse.
Shedroppedabrick
OUT OF THE BLUE
A: Where'sHelenthese
days?Ihaven'tseenher
forages.
B: Shelefttownwhenshe
gotmarried.
A: Married?Ididn'teven
knowshehada
boyfriend.
B: AndSheila'snotworking
anymore,sothere'seven
lessmoneycominginto
thehouse.
A: Icanseethingsmustbea
bitdifficultforyou.
B: Well,we'recertainly
feelingthepinch.
TOKEEPYOURFINGERS
CROSSED
B: Idon'tthinkanybodydid.
Itwasallverysudden.
Nobodyknewaboutittill
afterwards.
A: Lookatthetime.I'llhave
togo.DoIlookallright?
A: Wellwhodidshe
marry?
A: Imeanmyclothes,my
hair....IsitOK?
B: Someonefromoutof
town.Evenherfamily
didn'tmeethimtillthe
dayofthewedding.They
werealltotallytakenby
surprise.Itcamequite
outoftheblue.
B: Yes,youlookfine.
Helen'smarriagehithimlikea
thunderbolt.
TO PAY THE EARTH FOR
SOMETHING
A: Ohno!
B: What'shappened?
A: I'mallright.
B: I'mnotworriedabout
you.Whatdidyoudrop?
A: Itwasanaccident.I'm
afraiditjustslippedout
ofmyhands.
B: Mychinahorse!Ohno!
Haveyouanyideahow
B: Youlookverynervous
actually.
A: Right.I'dbetterbeoff
then.
B: You'vegotplentyoftime,
youknow.
A: Yes,butIdon'twantto
riskbeinglate.
B: Oh,stopworrying.I'm
sureyou'llgetthejob.
A: Doyoureallythinkso?
B: Ofcourse.I'msureyou're
exactlywhatthey're
lookingfor.
A: Let'shopeso.Keepyour
fingerscrossedforme.
B: Iwill.Goodluck.
A: Thanks.
Let'shopeforthebest.
We'lljusthavetohopeforthe
best.
TOKEEPITUNDERYOURHAT
4/24
10/5/2016
muchitcost?
A: I'mterriblysorry.I'llbuy
youanotherone
B: Don'tbesilly.You
couldn'taffordoneof
those.Ipaidtheearth
forthat.
Itcosttheearth.
Itcosttheearth.
Itcostanarmandaleg.
TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF
A: Goodheavens!Gerald's
drinkingorangejuice!Is
heillorsomething?
B: No,he'sfine.InfactI
thinkhe'shealthierthan
he'sbeenforalong
time.
A: Hecertainlylooksfit.
What'shebeendoing?
B: Well,he'sgivenupallhis
badhabits.He'scareful
aboutwhatheeats.He
takesregularexercise.
Andyouknowhowmuch
heusedtodrink!
A: Yes.
B: Wellhenevertouchesit
now.
A: Goodforhim!
B: Andhe'sgivenup
smokingtoo.He'sreally
turnedoveranewleaf.
A: Youlookabitworried.
What'sonyourmind?
B: Oh,nothing.
A: Comeon.Icansee
something'sbotheringyou.
Whatisit?
B: Well.Don'ttellanyone,but
Ithinkthebossisleaving.
A: Really.Whatmakesyou
thinkthat?
B: Iheardhimtalkingtothe
personnelmanagerof
anotherfirm...
A: Onthephone,youmean?I
see.
B: Wellanywayitsoundedas
ifhewasgoingtoworkfor
them.
A: Thatisinteresting.Waittill
Smithhearsaboutthis.
B: No.Youmustn'ttell
anyone,please.Ifhe
foundouthe'dknowImust
havebeenlisteningin.
Pleasedon'tmentionitto
anyone.
A: OK.I'llkeepitundermy
hat.
Tokeepmum.Mum'sthe
word.
ACHIPOFFTHEOLDBLOCK
A: Yoursontakesafterhis
father,doesn'the?
B: Johnny?Inwhatway?
Hemendedhisways.
TO CUT SOMEONE DEAD
A: What'sthematterwith
Catherine?
A: WellIoftenseeyour
husbandrepairingyour
car...
B: Yes,he'squiteagood
mechanic.
B: Whatdoyoumean?
A: AndIseeJohnnylikes
takingthingstopiecestoo.
A: Ipassedherinthestreet
todayandshelooked
straightthroughme.
B: Unfortunatelyhecan't
alwaysputthemback
togetheragain.
B: Really?Perhapsshe
didn'tseeyou.
A: Andtheybothlikefootball,
don'tthey?
5/24
10/5/2016
A: Shesawmeallright.I
smiledandsaidhello.
Butshelookedstraight
atmeandneversaida
word.
B: Youmusthaveupsether.
Youknowhowsensitive
sheis.
A: WellIcanseenoreason
forhertocutmedead
likethat.
Catherinegaveherthecold
shoulder.
TO BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH
A: Comein.Ohit'syou,
Nigel.WhatcanIdofor
you?
B: Well,it'sJuliereally.She
keepssayingsheneedsa
break.Shewantsusto
getawayforafewdays.
Iwas...er...wondering
er...whether...
A: Ihaven'tgotallday.Get
tothepoint.
B: Wellthereisn'tmuch
workinourdepartment
atthemoment,isthere?
Andwe'reallheretoo:
noone'soffsickoraway
onholiday.
A: Forgoodnesssake,stop
beatingaboutthebush.
Whatexactlydoyou
wanttosay?
B: Yes.
A: Andloudmusic.
B: Oh.I'msorry.
A: Andtheybothwatchmy
daughterwhenevershe's
around:infacttheycan't
taketheireyesoffher.
B: Oh.ButJohnny'sonly
eleven.
A: Well,anyway,he'sjust
likehisfather.He'sareal
chipofftheoldblock.
Itrunsintheblood.
Helenisverymusical,justlike
hermother.Itrunsintheblood.
TOSETTHECATAMONGTHE
PIGEONS
A: Helen!
B: Oh,helloMary.Whatare
youdoinghere?
A: Nevermindthat.What
haveyoubeensaying
aboutmebehindmyback?
B: Whatdoyoumean?
A: Petersaysyou'vebeen
tellingeveryoneI'mgoing
outwithMartin.He's
furious!
B: AllIsaidwasI'd
sometimesseenyouand
Martintogether.
A: Sometimes?When
exactly?
B: Well,onedaylastweek,I
think.
Heskirtedaroundthequestion
fortoolongbeforehegotto
thepoint.
A: Once!Whenwemetby
chancewhenIwas
shopping.
TO TWIST SOMEONE ROUND YOUR

LITTLE FINGER
A: Andyouknowverywell
howjealousPeteris.
B: Oh.
B: Ishe?
A: IsthatGeorgeover
there?
B: Where?Ohyes.That's
George.
A: Idon'tknowhowI'll
convincehimofthetruth
now.You'vecertainlyset
6/24
10/5/2016
A: Hedoesn'tlookvery
happy,doeshe?Andhe
lookssoold!Hashe
beenill?
B: No.Hegotmarried,you
know.
A: NoIdidn'tknow.
B: That'shiswife.Thattall
womannexttohim.She
seemstobedoingallthe
talking.
A: Yes,he'sasquietasa
mousewhenshe's
around.Andhenever
reallygetsawayfrom
herhedoesn'tgoout
withusanymore.And
heneverdoesanything
withoutaskingherfirst.
He'lldoanythingforthat
woman.Shecantwist
himroundherlittle
finger.
She'sgothimunderher
thumb.
TO GET SOMEONE'S BACK UP
A: Haveyoubeenwaiting
long?
B: Aboutaquarterofan
hour.Whatdoyouwant
the73?
A: Yes.
B: SodoI.Doyouknow
therehavebeenfour
seventytwo'swhileI've
beenstandinghere.
A: Yes.Itmakesmeso
angry!
B: Iagree.Ohlook,there's
abuscomingnow.Is
thataseventythree?
A: Ithinkso.Yes,itis.At
last.Infactthere's
anotheronebehindit.
Andanother!Three
seventythree'sallat
once.
thecatamongthepigeons
thistime!
He'sputaspannerintheworks.
Trusthimtoputaspannerin
theworks.
PLAINSAILING
A: Howdidthemeetinggo?
B: Oh,quitewell,thanks.
A: Betterthanyou'd
expected?
B: Well,yes,itdidactually.
A: Itoldyouitwouldbeall
right,didn'tI?Sowhat
happened?
B: Well,Idescribedmy
proposals,Itoldthem
whattheadvantagesofthe
newsystemwouldbe,and
IsaidhowlongIthoughtit
wouldtaketochangeover.
A: Werethereanyobjections?
B: Notreally.
A: Whataboutthechairman?
B: Hedidaskmeafewtricky
questions.ButnothingI
hadn'talreadythoughtof.
AfterIhadansweredhis
points,itwasplainsailing.
Therewerenomore
difficultiesatalland
everybodyseemedto
agreewithmypointof
view.
A: Welldone.
Itwentlikeclockwork.
TOPULLSOMEONE'SLEG
A: Whowasthat?
B: Mother.
A: Oh.Whatdidshewant?
B: Justachat.I'mheronly
son,youknow.
A: Hmm.
B: Shewasfeelingabit
7/24
10/5/2016
B: Typical!Isn'tit
maddening!Andifyou
trytocomplainthey
don'ttakeanynoticeat
all.Itreallygetsmy
backup.
Itreallygetsonmynerves.
Heneverstopscomplaining.
HE WOULDN'T HURT A FLY
A: Who'sthatmanwith
Sally?Helookslikea
boxer.
lonely,Ithink.I,er,
invitedherforthe
weekend.
A: What!OhAndrew!You
mighthavetalkedtome
aboutitfirst.
B: WellIknowwhatyou
wouldhavesaid,don'tI.
A: Thespareroomisn't
ready.I'vegotdozensof
thingstodothisweekend.
Andeverythingtakestwice
aslongwhenyour
mother'sround,gettingin
thewayallthetime.
B: Ohthat'sTerry.He'sa
truckdriverasamatter
offact.
B: Whathaveyougotagainst
mypooroldmother?
A: Goodheavensnotatall
Sally'susualtype,ishe?
B: Oh,Idon'tknow.You
can'talwaysjudgeby
appearances,youknow.
B: Wellshewon'tbe
interferingthisweekend.
Sheisn'tcoming.Ijust
wantedtoseeyour
reaction.
A: WellIwouldn'tliketo
haveanargumentwith
him.
A: Youmeanyouhaven't
invitedherforthe
weekend?
B: Iagreehelookslikea
roughsortofcharacter
B: No,ofcourseIhaven't.I
wasjustpullingyourleg.
A: Ibetallheisinterested
inisbeerandfootball.
A: Grr.Uh!
B: Butyou'rewrong.
Actuallyhe'savery
interestingmantotalk
to.He'sverypoliteand
civilised,andhenever
raiseshisvoice.Infact,
he'sthemostgentle
personI'veevermet.He
wouldn'thurtafly.
Hewouldn'tlayafingeron
anyone.
TILL THE COWS COME HOME
A: Whyonearthdidyou
starttalkingtoJack
aboutpolitics?
B: Thesubjectjustcame
up.
A: She'salwaysinterfering.
Pulltheotherone.
ITMADEMYBLOODBOIL
A: Youdon'tsoundvery
cheerful.Haveyouhada
badday?
B: Notreally.Itwasthe
journeyhome.
A: Oh.Hadtowaitalong
timeatthebusstop,did
you?
B: No.Itwasthismanonthe
bus...0oh,hemademeso
angry!
A: Why?Whathappened?
B: Wellthebuswaspacked
andalotofpeoplewere
standing.Thenaseat
8/24
10/5/2016
A: Wellyouknowverywell
whathisviewsare,and
you'llnevergethimto
changehismind.
B: Isupposeyou'reright.
A: Itjustmakeshimangry,
whenyoustarttelling
himwhatyouthinkthe
governmentshoulddo.
B: OK,Iwon'tdiscussitin
future.
A: Thatwouldbethewisest
thing,I'msure.Youcan
arguetillthecowscome
home,buthe'llnever
agree.
YoucanarguewithJacktill
you'reblueintheface,but
he'llneveragreewithyou.
camefree,andIstood
backtoletanoldladysit
down.Butbeforeshecould
getthere,amanfrom
behindmejustthrew
himselfintoit.
A: Youshouldn'tgetupset
aboutthesethings.
B: Iwasfurious.Iglaredat
him,buthejustsatthere
andsmiled.
A: Trytoforgetaboutit.
B: Oh,itmakesmybloodboil
whenpeoplebehavelike
that.
Hereallygotmybloodup.
Hotblooded.
Incoldblood.
TOBEINDEEPWATER
AS RIGHT AS RAIN
A: Andrew!Howareyou?
B: HelloJohn!I'mfine
thanks.Howareyou?
A: Great.ButIheardyou
weresick.
B: Oh,itwasnothingmuch.
Iwasoffworkfora
coupleofdayswithabad
chest,butIsoongot
better.I'masrightas
rainnow,thanks.
A: Good.
I'minthepink.He'sassound
asabell.She'sasfitasa
fiddle.
RIGHT UP HIS STREET
A: Ohno!Notagain!
B: What'sthematterwith
it?
A: Idon'tknow.Sometimes
itjustwon'tstart.Idon't
knowwhat'swrongwith
it.
A: Soyouwanttoborrow
somemoney,Mr.Dixon.
B: Yes.
A: Whatexactlyisyour
financialposition?
B: Well.LastyearIinvested
tenthousandinanew
company.Butbusiness
wasverybadandIlostall
mymoney.
A: Ohdear.
B: ThenthecompanyIwas
workingforhadfinancial
difficulties,andIlostmy
job.
A: Thatisbad.
B: I'mstilllookingforanother
job.Ihaven'tfinished
payingformyhouseyet,
andwe'vejusthadafire,
soIneedsomemoneyfor
therepairs.
A: Isee.Youareindeep
water,aren'tyou.
He'sindirestraitsfinancially.
9/24
10/5/2016
B: Iknow.I'llaskmy
brothertohavealookat
itifyoulike.
TOHAVEYOURHEARTINYOUR
MOUTH
A: Oh,great!Doesheknow
aboutcarsthen?
A: HelloPat.
B: Yeahcars,motorbikes,
vanshespendsnearly
allhistimeeithertaking
enginestopiecesor
puttingthemback
togetheragain.Infact,
anythingmechanicalis
uphisstreet.
A: Isawyouontelevision
lastweek.Ithoughtyou
wereeversogood.
It'sinhisline.
He'sinhiselement.
TO POUR COLD WATER ON

SOMETHING
A: I'vejusthada
marvellousidea.
B: I'llbelieveitwhenIsee
it.
A: Ifwedidn'tgotoahotel
thisyear,butwent
campinginstead,we
couldhaveawhole
month'sholiday,notjust
aweek's!
B: Camping!Idon'twantto
sleepinatent,thank
you!Iwouldn'tbeableto
sleep.It'dbefreezingfor
onething.Andwhatifit
rains?Andwheredoyou
thinkwe'dactuallyput
thetent?Onthebeach?
Sothatwe'dbewashed
awaybytheseainthe
middleofthenight?No
thankyouverymuch.
A: Butitwouldmeanwe
couldaffordtogoaway
foramonthsurely
that'sworthit,isn'tit?
B: No,itisn't.Idon'twant
togoawayforamonth
it'dbesoboring.
B: Hello,Sheila.
B: Thanks.Idon'tthinkI'd
liketodoitagainthough.
A: Whynot?Don'tyouenjoy
it?
B: Well,Iwassonervous.
A: Youdidn'tlooknervous.
B: WellIwas.Whenthe
cameraswereonme,my
heartwasbeatingsofast.
Andmykneeswere
shaking.Andmymouth
wassodryIcouldhardly
speak.Itwasterrifying.
A: Really?Youdidn'tlookat
allworried.
B: Well,Icantellyou,when
itwasmyturntospeak,I
reallyhadmyheartinmy
mouth.
Ireallyhadbutterfliesinmy
tummy.
LIKELOOKINGFORANEEDLEIN
AHAYSTACK
A: Oh.Isn'tMrBarlowhere?
B: Notunlesshe'shiding
underthatpileofpapers.
A: Veryfunny.Goodheavens,
hisdeskisinamess,isn't
it?
B: Ohit'salwayslikethat.
Anywaydidyouneed
Barlowspecially?OrcanI
help?
A: Wellhetoldmethere'sa
letterhewantsmetosee.
B: Whofrom?
A: FromtheMinistry,Ithink.
B: Well,youcanhavealook
10/24
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A: Whydoyoualwayspour
coldwateronmyideas?
B: Becauseyouneverhave
anygoodideas.That's
why.
onhisdeskifyoulike.I
don'tsupposehe'llmind.
A: Oh,thisisuseless!I've
neverseensuchamuddle.
It'slikelookingfora
needleinahaystack.
Don'tbeawetblanket.Don't
besuchawetblanket.
I'llleavenostoneunturned.
TO GET COLD FEET
TORUNBEFOREYOUCANWALK
A: Whenarewegoingto
getanewcar?
A: Hello,Jane.Hadanice
holiday?
B: Idon'tknow.Wecan't
afforditnowthatyou've
stoppedwork.
B: Oh,hello,Mark.Ididn't
seeyou.Yes,itwas
lovely,thankyou.Except
that
A: Didyoutalktoyourboss
today?
B: Yes.
A: Didyouaskhimfor
moremoney?
B: Well...
A: Oh,David,youpromised!
B: Ididn'tpromise...
A: Yes,youdid.Yourwere
goingtotellhimyou'd
leaveifhedidn'tgive
youapayrise.
B: Wellthatwouldn'tdo
muchgood,wouldit?IfI
endeduplosingmyjob
we'dhavenomoney,at
all.
A: Oh,comeon,stop
makingexcuses.You
didn'tsayanything
becauseyougotcoldfeet
again.Nocourage,that's
yourtrouble.
Hewasgoingtoaskforapay
rise,buthelosthisnerve.
LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK
A: How'sMartingettingon
atschool?
B: Well,hislastreport
wasn'tverygood
A: Where'sTony?
B: Well,hehadalittle
accident.A:Ohno.
Nothingserious,Ihope.
A: No,notreally.Justa
brokenleg.
B: Ohdear.Ofcourse,he'd
neverbeenskiingbefore,
hadhe.
A: No.Andyouknowwhat
he'slike.
B: Yes.
A: Eventhoughhecouldn't
ski,hewasn'tsatisfiedfor
theslopesforbeginners
ohno,hehadtogoonthe
onesintendedfor
experiencedskiers.
B: Yes,hewould.
A: Well,Ihopehe'slearned
hislessonnow.That'l1
teachhimtotrytorun
beforehecanwalk.
Youcan'tcutcorners.
TOHAVESOMEONEEATINGOUT
OFYOURHAND
A: How'sHenrygettingon
withhisnewboss?
B: Ohfine,muchtomy
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10/5/2016
actually.
A: Ohdear.Whynot?
B: Becausehejustwon't
work.He'sonly
interestedinsport,and
hejustwon'tputany
effortintoanythingelse
atall.We'vetried
everythingwe'vestopped
hispocketmoneywe
don'tlethimgooutin
theevenings.Infact,last
weekweevenwentto
seehisheadmaster.But
hejustdoesn'ttakeany
noticeofanybody.
A: Butsurelyhecan'tenjoy
allthat?Imean,it'snot
verypleasanttobe
criticisedallthetime,is
it?
B: Itdoesn'tbotherMartin.
It'slikewateroffa
duck'sback.
He'sgotathickskin.
Itdoesn'tmatterwhatyou
say,itwon'tupsethim:he's
gotathickskin.
He'sgotaskinasthickasa
rhinoceros.
He'sgotahidelikea
rhinoceros.
NOT MY CUP OF TEA
A: That'sfive.Youandme
that'sseven.Wereally
needanotherman.Who
elsecouldweask?
B: WhataboutArthur?
A: Arthur?No.He'sso
boring.
B: OhIdon'tagree.He's
alwaysgotlotstotalk
about.
A: Exactly.Heneverstops
talking.
B: Wellhisstoriesarevery
interesting:
surprise.
A: Iknowwhatyoumean!He
wasabsolutelyconvinced
thathe'dneverworkfora
womanandthatallthe
othermenwouldagree
withhim.
B: Well,itlooksasthough
they'vechangedtheir
minds,doesn'tit.Noone
hasresignedanyway.
A: NotevenHenry?
B: NotevenHenry!Infact
she'ssocharmingthey'll
doanythingforher.She's
reallygotthemeatingout
ofherhand.
She'sgottheminthepalmof
herhand.
She'sgottheminherpocket.
OVERTHEMOON
A: Where'sDavid?Isn'the
comingdowntodinner?
B: Hewashereearlier,butI
thinkhewastooexcitedto
sitaroundanylonger,and
hewentouttocelebrate
withsomeofhisfriends.
A: Celebratewhat?
B: Well,yourrememberthat
interviewhewenttolast
week?
A: Mm.
B: Hegotaletterfromthe
firmtoday.They've
offeredhimthejob.
A: Ohthatisgoodnews.He
mustbefeelingvery
pleasedwithhimself.
B: Pleased?He'soverthe
moonaboutit.
He'soncloudnine.
WALKINGONAIR
12/24
10/5/2016
A: Tohim,maybe.Notto
anybodyelse.Buthe's
tooconceitedtorealise.
A: I'mabitworriedabout
Tony.What'sthematter
withhim?
B: Conceited?Arthur
conceited?I'mreally
surprisedatyou,Anna.
B: Tony?Nothing.Why?
A: Look,darling.Hejust
irritatesme.I'msorry,
buthe'sreallynotmy
cupoftea.
Ican'tstomachhim.
Ican'tstandhim.
Idon'tlikehim.
TO GO LIKE A BOMB
A: John!
B: Hi!
A: Ididn'tseeyouat
Sarah'spartylastweek.
Didyoucomealong
later?
B: No.Ididn'tgo.Ididn't
thinkitwouldbemuch
funreally.Werethere
manypeoplethere?
A: Ooh,aboutsixtyIshould
think.Allverynicetoo.
Andtherewaslotsof
food,andthemusicwas
fantastic.Ididn'tget
hometillthreeinthe
morning!
B: OhSarah'spartiesare
usuallyprettydull.
A: Wellthisonecertainly
wasn't.Infactitcouldn't
havebeenbetter.
B: InthatcaseI'msorryI
missedit.
A: I'msorryyoudidtoo.It
reallywentlikeabomb
A: Wellheseemssoexcited
allthetimeandhe
smilesateverybodyand
tellsjokesandlaughs.I
don'tknow,itjustseems
unnatural.
B: Well,keepitasecret,but
thethingiswhilehewas
onholiday,hemet
someone.
A: Oh,Isee.Ho,ho!Sohe's
foundagirlfriendat
last,hashe?
B: Yes.You'venoneedto
worryaboutTony.Atthe
momenthe'swalkingon
air.
He'sinhisseventhheaven.
TOHOGTHELIMELIGHT
A: What'sonT.V.tonight?
Anythinggood?
B: Well,there'sthatnewchat
show.Youknow,theone
wewatchedlastweek.
A: Ohyes,Iremember.
B: Well?Shallwewatchit?
A: Thetroublewiththat
programmeis,assoonas
anyonesaysanything
interesting,thestupidhost
cracksajokeorchanges
thesubject.
B: Mmm.
A: Andheneverletsthe
gueststalktoeachother.
Sometimestheyhardlyget
awordinatall.
Thenewbook'sgoinglikea
bomb.
B: Yes.Hedoesliketobethe
centreofattention,doesn't
he.
GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST
A: That'sputtingitpolitely.
Hehogsthelimelightthe
A:
Morning!
13/24
10/5/2016
B:
Oh.Hello.
A:
Youdon'tlookvery
happytoday.What'sthe
matter?
B:
Oh.Nothing.
A:
Comeonnow.Tellme
what'swrong.
B:
There'snothingwrong.
I'mquiteallrightthank
you.
A:
Look,something's
obviouslyworryingyou.
Whydon'tyoutalkto
meaboutit.I'llhelp,
honestly.
B.: Well....
A:
B:
Comeon.Youknowyou
cantrustme.Tellmeall
aboutit.You'llreally
feelmuchbetterifyou
getitoffyourchest.
Allrightthen...
Shepouredherheartout.
TO BREAK THE ICE
A: Niceparty,isn'tit?
B: Yes.WasthatPeterI
sawyoutalkingto?
A: Yes.He'ssuchan
interestingman,isn'the?
B: Terriblyshythough.How
didyoumanagetoget
himtalking?
A: WellIreallywantedto
meethim.SoIthoughtif
Istoodnearhimhe
mightstarta
conversation.
B: Peter?Speakfirst?
Never.
A: Right.Ijuststoodthere.
Andthensomeone
accidentallyknockedhis
arm.Hisglassflewout
ofhishandandhisdrink
spiltallovermydress.
B: Wereyoucross?
wholetime.
Healwaysplaystothegallery.
What'sitlikebeinginthe
limelight?
TOSEEEYETOEYE
A: YouknowthatJohnand
Suearecomingtodinner
nextThursday?
B: Yes.Why?
A: WellIwaswondering
whetherwecouldask
Robertaswell.
B: Robert?Idon'tthinkthat's
agoodideareally.
A: Why?Whathaveyougot
againsthim?
B: Ihaven'tgotanything
againsthim.Butyouknow
thatJohnandRobert
alwaysarguewhenever
they'retogether.They
disagreeaboutreligion,
theydisagreeabout
politicsinfact,theydon't
seeeyetoeyeabout
anything.
Theygetonwelltogether,
becausethey'reonthesame
wavelength.
NOTOUTOFTHEWOODYET
A: We'vehadareallygood
week,youknow.
B: Wellit'scertainlybetter
thanwhenwestarted.
A: Doyouthinkwe'llbeable
tohaveaholidaythis
year?Justforafewdays?
B: WellI'mnotsure.We
arebeginningtodowell,
butIdon'tthinkwecan
affordtoclosedownatthe
momentnotevenfora
fewdays.
A: Oh.
14/24
10/5/2016
A: Notatall.Itmeanthe
hadtosaysomethingto
me
B: Oh.Itbroketheice,did
it?
A: Itcertainlydid.We
talkedandtalkedafter
that.
B: We'restillindebtyou
know.Weoughttotryand
payoffthebankloanas
soonaswecan.
A: Isupposeyou'reright.
B: Andthere'sthemoney
yourfatherlentus.Iknow
businessisgoingwell,but
we'renotoutofthewood
yet.
HIS BARK IS WORSE THAN HIS BITE

We'restillinthered.
A: Iwon'ttolerateit,doyou
hear?Personalphone
callsaretobemadein
yourtime,notthefirm's
time.I'vehadenoughof
allthistimewasting.
INTHESOUP
A: Isn'tPeterheretonight?
B: Ooh,Idoubtit.Haven't
youheard?
B: Goodheavens.Whatwas
allthatabout?
A: Heardwhat?
C: Oh,Ihappenedtobe
makingapersonalcall
whenhewantedme.It
wasonlyacoupleof
minutes,buthegets
angryveryeasily.
A: Why?Whathappened?
B: I'dheardhe'sgotabad
temper.ButIdidn't
realiseitwasasbadas
that.I'mgladhe'snot
myboss.
C: Oh,he'snottoobad
really.
B: Youmeanyoulikehim?
C: Well,we'vehadhimfor
threeweeksnow,andI
thinkhe'squitenice
whenyougettoknow
him.Actuallyhecanbe
verykindandhelpful.
A: Coffeeanyone?
C: Yesplease.Thereyou
areyousee.Hisbark's
muchworsethanhis
bite.
He'sgotasharptongue.
She'sgotanacidtongue.
LIVING IN CLOUDCUCKOO LAND
B: Sally'slefthim.
B: He'sgamblingagain.
A: Ohdear.Ithoughthe'd
curedhimselfofthatsince
hegothisnewjob.
B: That'swhateveryone
thought.Andit'swhathe
promisedSally.Butthe
otherdayhegothisfirst
paycheque...
A: Ohno.Surelyhedidn't...
B: Yes.Heputthewholelot
onahorse.Thehorsewas
suretowin.Itwasa
certainty.SoSally
wouldn'tfindout.Orthat's
whatPeterthought.
A: Andofcoursehelost.
B: Everypenny.Henever
learns.AndSallyjustwon't
takeitanymore.Soshe's
gone.
A: PooroldPeter.Sonowhe
reallyisinthesoup.
He'sinafinepickle.
TOGETAKICKOUTOF
SOMETHING
15/24
10/5/2016
A: Youknowthatlittle
clothesshopoppositethe
postoffice.
A: Ohlook,there'soneof
thosenewtelephone
booths.
B: Youmeantheonenext
tothelittlecafe?
B: Ohyes.They'renotvery
attractive,arethey.
A: Yes,that'stheone.It's
closeddown.
A: Ithinktheideawasto
makethemvandalproof,
actually.
B: Mmm,Iknow.Since
whenwereyou
interestedinclothes
shops?
A: I'mthinkingofbuyingit.
B: Buyingit?Whateverfor?
A: Ithinkwecouldturnit
intoacafe.
B: We?Idon'twanttowork
inacafe,thankyouvery
much.Anywaythere'sa
cafenextdoor.Infact
thereareseveralcafes
inthatstreetalready.
A: That'sbecausepeople
needcafesinthatarea.
B: Howcouldyoupossibly
affordtobuytheplace
anyway?
A: I'dborrowthemoney
fromthebank.
B: They'dneverlendyou
thatmuchmoney.It's
justnotpractical.Doyou
thinkyoucanstart
runningacafejustlike
that?Youcan'teven
cook!You'relivingin
cloudcuckooland,that's
yourtrouble.
He'sbuildingcastlesintheair.
Hisideasaretotally
impractical.
TO SWEEP SOMETHING UNDER THE
CARPET
A: ...fourteen,fifteen,
sixteen,seventeen.And
fifty.Twohundredand
seventeenpoundsfifty.
B: WellIhopethey've
succeeded.Yougetsickof
smasheduptelephones.
Whydotheydoit?
A: Whatthevandals,you
mean?
B: Yes.Whyaretheyso
destructive?
A: Isupposetheymustfindit
excitingorthrillingin
someway.Wellthey
obviouslygetakickoutof
it,ortheywouldn'tdoit.
Theydoitforkicks.Justfor
kicks.
THEPENNYDROPPED
A: Oh,I'mgladit'sFriday.
B: Metoo.I'mwornout.
A: Howwasyourlastlesson?
B: Awful.Ispentnearlythe
wholetimetryingto
convinceyoungSimpson
thatminusfivedegreesis
warmerthanminus
twenty.
A: Ohdear.
B: WellIaskedhimwhether
heknewwhyicecream
melts.Itoldhimto
imaginewhatwould
happentohisicecreamif
hesetthefreezeratfive
degreesbelowzero
insteadoftwentybelow.I
thinkthatwaswhenthe
pennydropped.ButIhope
hedoesn'tactuallytryit
outathome!
16/24
10/5/2016
B: Andhowmuchshould
therebe?
A: It'sright.There'sthirty
extrabecausewewere
thirtyshortyesterday.
B: Andwhywerewethirty
shortyesterday?
A: Well,Stephenborrowed
thirtylastnight.
B: Borrowed?Didheask
youfirst?
A: No.Buthepaiditback
thislunchtimeafterhe'd
beentothebank
B: Afteryou'dmentioned
youwerethirtyshort,I
suppose.
A: Yes.ButI'msurehewas
goingtopayitback
anyway.
B: Hmm.He'l1havetogo.
Wecan'ttrusthim.Ifhe
takestheshop'smoney
withoutaskingyouorme
first,wedon'tknowwhat
hemightdo.
A: ButI'msurehenever
intendedtokeepit.And
he'sagoodworker.Can't
weforgetaboutitjust
thisonce?
B: I'mafraidnot.Wecan't
justsweepitunderthe
carpet.He'llhavetogo.
Let'sforgetaboutit.Couldn't
weturnablindeyejustthis
once?
TO LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG
A: Bye.Haveanice
weekend.
B: Youtoo.Bye...
GoodnightPaul.
Aftertheteacher'slong
explanationitfinallydawnedon
him.
TOHAVEITCHYFEET
A: How'syourbrother?
B: Paul?Ohhe'sfine.Settling
innicely,asfaraswecan
tell.
A: Oh.Hashemovedthen?
B: Oh,didn'tyouknow?He's
goneabroadagain.He's
workinginTurkeynow.
A: Turkey?Buthe'sonlyjust
comebackfromSouth
America.
B: Yes,Iknow:
A: Andbeforethathewasin
theMiddleEast.What'sthe
matterwithhim?Isn'the
evergoingtosettledown?
B: Idoubtithelikes
travellingtoomuchtostay
inoneplaceforlong.
A: Yes.Hereallyhasgot
itchyfeet,hasn'the?
It'shiswanderlust.
NOTHINGTOWRITEHOME
ABOUT
A: Didyoudoanything
excitingoverthe
weekend?
B: Well,wewenttothe
theatreonSaturdaynight.
A: OhIbetthatwasnice.
Whatdidyousee?
B: Itwasthenewplaywith
MaggieSmith.
A: Ohyes.Didyouenjoyit?
B: Er...
B: Well,IalwayslikeMaggie
Smith,ofcourse.Butthe
playitselfisn'tverygood.
C: Youarecomingtothe
party,aren'tyou?
A: Whatdidn'tyoulikeabout
it?
C. ByeCarol.Seeyoulater.
17/24
10/5/2016
B: Erm.Yes,Iam.But
you'renotsupposedto
knowaboutthat!
Elizabethsaiditwas
goingtobeasurprisefor
yourbirthday.
B: Ohtheendingwaspoor
and,infact,thewholeplot
wasabitsilly.Youcouldn't
reallybelieveinit.
C: Yes,well.Shewasdoing
somuchcookinglast
night,itwasobviousshe
wasplanningsomething.
Ikeptaskingherwhat
wasgoingon,andinthe
endIgotitoutofher:
shetoldmeabout
tonight'sparty.
B: Ohyes.Butapartfrom
her,itwasnothingtowrite
homeabout.
B: SoElizabethletthecat
outofthebag,didshe?
C: Yes.I'mafraidso.
B: Seeyoulaterthen.Bye.
C: Bye.
Itwasgoingtobeasurprise,
butElizabethgavethegame
away.
TO PULL THE WOOL OVER
SOMEONE'S EYES
A: Haveyouheardabout
Jonesyouknowthe
newman?
B: No.What?
A: He'sdisappeared.
Apparentlyhe'sonthe
runfromthepolice.
B: Goodheavens:What'she
done?
A: Theysayhe'sstolen
moneyfromseveral
previousemployers.And
Jonesisn'thisrealname,
ofcourse.
B: Thedirectormustbe
furious.
A: Heis!It'sturnedoutthat
allJones'slettersof
referencewerefalse,but
noonebotheredtocheck
them.Hefooled
everybody.
A: YouenjoyedMaggieSmith
though.
Theplotleftalottobedesired.
TOPULLYOURSOCKSUP
A: French:hetakesno
interestinthesubject.
Maths:hehastheability
butrefusestowork.
Biology:averypoor
result.English:hehas
donenoworkatallthis
term.Hmmm.
B: It'snotaverygoodreport,
isit.
A: Youcansaythatagain.
Haveyoutalkedtohim
aboutit?
B: Yes.InfactIlethimread
it.
A: Andwhatwashisreaction?
B: Itdidn'tseemtobother
him.
A: What'sthematterwith
him?Can'theseehe'll
nevergetanywhereifhe
goesonlikethis?
B: That'sexactlywhatIsaid.
Hewon'tpasshisexams
nexttermunlesshebegins
toputsomeeffortintohis
work.Andifhefailshis
examshe'lllosehisplace
atUniversity.
A: Yes.Ifhe'sseriousabout
goingtocollege,hereally
willhavetopullhissocks
up.
You'llhavetobrightenyour
18/24
10/5/2016
B: Well,theywouldn't,
wouldthey?Imean,he
seemedsuchaniceman.
Sopolite.Quite
charming.
ideasupifyouwanttogoto
university.
OFFTHETOPOFONE'SHEAD
A: Goodliarsusuallyare
charming.That'swhywe
believethem.
A: HiTom.Howarethings?
B: Well,hecertainlypulled
thewoolovermyeyes.
A: Whatadvicewasthat?
Toleadsomeoneupthe
gardenpath.
Heledallhiscolleaguesup
thegardenpath.
TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF
SOMETHING
A: I'mback.
B: Oh,hellodear.James
washerethisafternoon.
A: Really?Whatdidhe
want?
B: I'mnotsure.Heleft
thesecigarsforyou.
B: Ohfine.Bytheway,
thanksforyouradvice.
B: Don'tyouremember?Jean
andIwerehaving
problemsandyousaid
leaveheralonefora
coupleofdays,tothink
thingsout.
A: DidIsaythat?
B: Yes.Onedaylastweek.
TuesdayIthinkitwas.
A: Really?
B: Mmm.Youmust
remember!Icametoyour
houseandtoldyouall
aboutit,andyousaid
"Leaveheralonefora
coupleofdays".
B: Andlookattheflowers
hegaveme.
A: Oh,yes...ButactuallyI
thinkIjustsaidthefirst
thingthatcameintomy
head.
A: Goodheavens.It'snot
likeJamestobeso
generous.
B: Wellitwasjollygood
advice,evenifitwasoff
thetopofyourhead.
A: Forme?That'snice.
B: No,it'sveryunusual.
A: Iwonderwhathewants.
Isheinsomesortof
trouble?
Itwasverygoodadvice,even
thoughitwasoffcuff.
B: NotthatIknowof.
TODROWNYOURSORROWS
A: Welltheremustbesome
reasonforhimtobeso
nice.Thisisn'tlikeJames
atall.
A: Isn'tthatBillsittingatthe
bar?
B: Ohyes.
B: No,itisn't.You'dbetter
asksomeofhisother
friends.
A: Hedoesn'tlookvery
cheerful,doeshe.
A: Iwill.Hemustbeupto
something,andIwantto
knowwhatitis.I'llask
arounduntilIfindout
what'sgoingon.
A: Why?What'shappened?
B: I'mnotsurprised.
B: Well,youknowheusedto
gooutwithSarahbefore
hemetDiane,
A: Yes....
19/24
10/5/2016
B: Good.
A: Don'tworry.I'llgetto
thebottomofit.
Meanwhle,IthinkI'lltry
oneofthesecigars.
B: andtheyarestillvery
friendly.Infacthetook
herouttolunchtoday.
A: And?
B: AndDianesawthem
together.
Iwon'tleaveasinglestone
unturned.
I'llleavenostoneunturned.
A: Oh,Isee.Tricky.Whatdid
Dianesay?
TO TAKE THE WIND OUT OF

SOMEONE'S SAILS
A: Ohdear.
A: ...SowhenIgothomeI
just...Oh.Lookout.It's
Stephanie.
B: Ohno.
C: Hi,youtwo.Listen.I've
justmetthismarvellous
man.
A: Really?
C: Hemustbethemost
interestingmanhere.
Andhe'ssoattractive
too.I'msorryyoutwo
haven'thadachanceof
meetinghim.Younever
meetinterestingmen,do
you?It'ssuchapity.
A: Where'sthismarvellous
man?
C: Erm,whereishenow?
Ohyes.He'soverthere
bythewindow.
B: Oh!YoumeanGeorge!
C: Youknowhim?
A: Ohyes,we'veknown
Georgeforyears,haven't
we,Di?
B: Yes!WeknowGeorge
verywellindeed.
C: Oh.Isee:Excuseme,I
thinkthere'ssomeoneI
wantto...
A: Thattookthewindoutof
hersails,didn'tit?
Ipulledtherugfromunderhis
feet.
B: Notaword.Shethrewthe
ringbackathim.
B: Sonowhe'sdrowninghis
sorrows,Isuppose.Shall
wegoandcheerhimup?
He'slickinghiswounds.
ONE'SHAIRSTANDSONEND
A: Ihadaterribleexperience
lastnight.
B: Really?Whathappened?
A: WellIwasworkinglate,
becauseIwantedtofinish
sometyping.
B: Youdidn'tgetlockedin,
didyou?
A: No,itwasn'tquiteasbad
asthat.Butallofasudden
thelightswentout.
B: Ohdear.
A: Well,Imanagedtofind
mywaytothedoor,and
thenjustasIwasgoingto
walkoutoftheoffice,I
heardthesefootsteps
comingslowlyalongthe
corridor.
B: Itwasprobablythe
caretaker.
A: You'reright.Itwas.ButI'd
thoughtIwasallalonein
thebuilding,anditwas
dark.Andyouthinkofall
thehorrormoviesand
murderandthingslike
that,don'tyou?Anyway,I
knowmyhairstoodon
end.
20/24
10/5/2016
A PAIN IN THE NECK

A: averygoodparty,isit?
B: Well...
A: Andthefood'sfinished
already!Iusuallylike
parties,butyouhaveto
geteverythingright...
food,people,youknow
...Iwenttothis
marvellouspartylast
week.Thefoodwas
delicious,themusicwas
fantastic,andtherewere
somebeautifulpeople
there.Notlikethisone
atall.Oh,excuseme,I
thinkthat'ssomeoneI
know...
B: Thankgoodnessshe's
gone!
C: Shedidn'tsoundmuch
fun.
B: Youshouldhaveheard
herearliercomplaining
andcriticising
everybody.
C: Whydoesn'tshejustgo
homeifshedoesn'tlike
theparty?
B: Sheobviouslyenjoys
boringpeoplewithher
complaints.
Shewasterrified.
Shewasrootedtothespot.
TOLANDONEONE'SFEET
A: Where'sSallythesedays?
Ihaven'tseenherfor
ages.
B: Ohshe'sinParis.Shewent
aboutthreeweeksago.
A: Foraholidayyoumean?
B: No.She'slivingthere.
A: Ididn'tknowshewas
planningtoleaveEngland.
B: Shewasn't.Butshelost
herjoblastmonth,you
remember.
A: Ohyes.
B: Soshejustpackedher
bagsandwenttoParis.On
herfirstdaythereshemet
someonewhohadthisflat
tolet.Andthenthenext
daythesameperson
introducedhertoanart
dealerwhowaslookingfor
apersonalassistant.
A: Goodheavens.Shewas
lucky,wasn'tshe.
B: WellyouknowSally:she
alwayslandsonherfeet.
C: Perhapsshedoesn't
realisehowannoying
peoplefindher.
Shealwaysfallsonherfeet.
Shealwayslandsonbothfeet.
B: Wellwhethershe
realisesitornot,she'sa
painintheneck.
TOFLYOFFTHEHANDLE
Shewasathorninher
brother'sfleshforyears.
She'sforevercomplaining.
TO SHOW SOMEONE THE ROPES
A: John.Iwouldlikeyouto
meetSarahRoberts.This
isJohnWalters.
B: Howdoyoudo.
A: Isn'tthatletterreadyyet?
B: Whichletter?
A: Theonetothebank.
B: Erm,...
A: Igaveittoyouhalfan
hourago
B: I'msorry,Ican't...
A: andaskedyoutodoit
straightaway.
B: Ohyes.Iremember.
A: Goodheavens,girl,what's
21/24
10/5/2016
C: Howdoyoudo.
A: You'llbeworkingquite
closelytogether.
C: Isee.
A: Infact,itmightbea
goodideaifIhandyou
overtoJohnnowandlet
himshowyouroundthe
restoftheoffice.
C: Fine.
A: Ifyoucanspareafew
moments,John?
sodifficultabouttyping
oneletter?
B: Nothing,I...
A: Thenwhyhaven'tyoudone
it?
B: Ihavedoneit.
A: Wellforgoodnesssake
whereisitthen?
B: Iputitonyourdesk.
Whenwhyonearthdidn't
yousayso?
A: Idiot
B: Ofcourse.It'llbea
pleasure.
B: Wow,he'sgotatemper,
hasn'the?
A: Good.I'llleaveyouinhis
handsthen.Johnwill
showyouwhere
everythingisandexplain
theofficeroutinetoyou.
C: Yes.Heoftenfliesoffthe
handleyou'llgetusedto
it.
Heblewhistop.
C: Thankyou.
A: YoucanshowSarahthe
ropes,can'tyou,John?
B: Yes,ofcourse.
OVER MY DEAD BODY

A: Dad.
B: Yes.
A: CouldIborrowthecaron
Fridayeveningplease?
B: Friday?Well...Whereare
youthinkingofgoing?
A: Iwashopingofgoingto
thecoast.
B: Justfortheevening?
A: Well,no.Iwasthinking
ofstayingawaytill
Sundayactually.
B: Soinfactyouwantthe
carforFridayevening,
alldaySaturday,andall
daySunday.Wellyou
canforgetit.The
answer'sNo.
A: Oh,goonDad.Please.
I'llbringitbackon
Saturdayifyoulike.
B: Overmydeadbody.
22/24
10/5/2016
You'renotstayingaway
evenonenightwithmy
car.
Borrowmycarforthe
weekend?Notonyourlife!
TO BARK UP THE WRONG TREE
A: Whatisit,Brown?
B: It'sMrsEllis,sir.She's
justprovidedJackson
withaperfectalibi.
A: MrsEllis?What'sshegot
todowiththiscase?She
isn'tafriendof
Jackson's,isshe?
B: Nosir.That'swhyit's
suchagoodalibi.She
saysshesawJackson
walkingintheparkatsix
o'clock.That'sexactly
thetimethemoneywas
stolen.
A. Iknowthetimethe
moneywasstolen,
Brown.
B: Yessir.IjustthoughtI
oughttotellyoustraight
awayaboutMrsEllis,sir.
A: AndIwasninetynine
percentcertainthat
Jacksonhaddoneit.
B: Yes.We'vebeenbarking
upthewrongtree,
haven'twesir?
A: Allright,Brown.Thank
you.Youcangonow.
He'srightthough:ifwhat
MrsEllissaysistrue,we
havebeenbarkingupthe
wrongtree.
We'reonthewrongtrack.
I WOULDN'T TOUCH IT WITH A
BARGE POLE
A: Oh,no.That'sthree
timesthiscar'sbroken
23/24
10/5/2016
downinthelastweek.
I'llhavetogetanew
one.
B: Abrandnewone,or
secondhand?
A: Oh,it'llhavetobe
secondhand.Ican't
affordabrandnewone.
There'salittletwodoor
FiatImightbuy.
B: Howmuch?
A: Aboutfifteenhundred,I
think.
B: That'snotbad.Wheredid
youseeit?
A: It'sGeorge's.Youknow
George,atthetennis
club.Hewantstosellhis
car.
B: Goodheavens,you'renot
serious,areyou?Have
youseenthewayhe
drives?Iwouldn'twant
anycarofhis.
A: Oh.
B: AndIwouldn'ttrust
Georgetoaskafair
priceeither.
A: Itwasjustathought.
B: No.IfIwereyou,I
wouldn'ttouchitwitha
bargepole.I'dsteer
clearofGeorgeandhis
car,ifIwereyou.
I'dsteerclearofit.
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60 Idioms Contextualised in Dialogues - Methodologies and Approaches in ELT

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60 Idioms Contextualised in Dialogues - Methodologies and Approaches in ELT

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10/5/2016

Four Systems > Vocabulary >

Beat about the bush

Fly off the handle

Total Physical Response

Get cold feet

Get it off your chest

DATA DRIVEN LEARNING

Get someone's back up

Have someone eating out of your

Vygotsky and Language

Have your heart in your mouth

Using ICT in ELT

Search this site

He wouldn't hurt a fly

It made my blood boil

Keep it under your hat

Land on one's feet

Let the cat out of the bag

Like looking for a needle in a

Off the top of one's head

One's hair stands on end

Out of the blue

TO TWIST SOMEONE ROUND YOUR

TO POUR COLD WATER ON

GET IT OFF YOUR CHEST

HIS BARK IS WORSE THAN HIS BITE

TO TAKE THE WIND OUT OF

A PAIN IN THE NECK

OVER MY DEAD BODY

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