WhimsicalLL

LESSON 4

NICOLE'S DAY AT SCHOOL

Nicole tells her mother Susan about her successful presentation at school. Her brother Ted overhears and interrupts the conversation.
 

Susan: How was your day at school today, Nicole?
Nicole: It was great, Mom. I gave a presentation on Hillary Clinton in government class. Afterwards, my teacher paid me a compliment.
Susan: What did she say?
Nicole: She said my presentation was head and shoulders above the others.
Susan: Way to go!
Nicole: She also said I should go into politics, just like Hillary.
Ted: You're so gung ho about school. It drives me crazy.
Nicole: Ted, don't butt in! You're just jealous.
Ted: Right. You hit the nail on the head. I'm green with envy.
Nicole: Would you just shut up? You're on thin ice with me right now.
Ted: Oh no! Look at me. I'm shaking in my shoes!

IDIOMS - LESSON 4

(to) butt in [slang] - to interrupt; to interfere
EXAMPLE 1: Nancy is always butting in to other people's business.
EXAMPLE 2: Sara is really rude. She always butts in to other people's conversations.

(to) drive one crazy - to annoy someone very much
EXAMPLE 1: Don't ask Mrs. Smith how old she is. It drives her crazy.
EXAMPLE 2: Please stop chewing gum so loudly. It's driving me crazy!
SYNONYMS: to drive one nuts; to drive one up the wall

(to) go into - to enter a profession
EXAMPLE 1: Lisa enjoys arguing with people, so she decided to go into law.
EXAMPLE 2: Do you like solving people's problems? If so, you should consider going into psychology.
NOTE: "Go into" has several other meanings, including:
1. Enter. Go into the house and get a pen.
2. Enter another emotional state. Sally went into hysterics.
3. Discuss details. I don't have time now to go into the whole story.

green with envy - desiring another's advantages or things
EXAMPLE 1: When Daniel got promoted to vice president of the bank, his colleagues were green with envy.
EXAMPLE 2: You won the lottery? I'm green with envy!

gung ho - very enthusiastic; very excited (about something)
EXAMPLE 1: Heather is really gung ho about her new job.
EXAMPLE 2: Sharon really loves college. She's very gung ho.
NOTE: If the expression "gung ho" doesn't sound like English to you, there's a reason. It comes from a Mandarin Chinese phrase meaning "working together." A US Marine Corps commander in China adopted this expression as the motto for his battalion during World War 2 and from there it sailed over to the United States and came into common use.

head and shoulders above - far superior to
EXAMPLE 1: The Boston Symphony Orchestra is head and shoulders above any other orchestra in the area.
EXAMPLE 2: I can't believe you only won second prize in the competition. You were head and shoulders above the first-prize winner!

(to) hit the nail on the head - to be right
EXAMPLE 1: Dawn hit the nail on the head when she said that Tiffany is jealous of Amber.
EXAMPLE 2: Steve hit the nail on the head with his idea of moving his company's manufacturing facility to China.

(to be) on thin ice (with someone) - to be in a dangerous position; to be temporarily on somebody's bad side
EXAMPLE 1: Joey was on thin ice with his mom after he spent his lunch money on candy bars.
EXAMPLE 2: Bill was on thin ice with his girlfriend after she saw him at the movie theater with another girl.
NOTE: There is also the variation "to skate on thin ice." Joey knew he was skating on thin ice when he bought candy with his lunch money.

(to) pay (someone) a compliment - to give someone a compliment; to offer someone an admiring comment
EXAMPLE 1: Professor Russo paid Jennifer a compliment. He said she had a beautiful smile.
EXAMPLE 2: Isn't it wonderful to pay someone a compliment? It makes them feel good, and it doesn't cost you anything!

(to) shake in one's shoes - to tremble with fear; to be afraid
EXAMPLE 1: Brianna is scared of her French teacher, Monsieur Le Monstre. Whenever he speaks to her, Brianna starts shaking in her shoes.
EXAMPLE 2: During the storm, Billy was hiding under his kitchen table and was really shaking in his shoes.

shut up
1) be quiet, stop speaking
EXAMPLE: The professor talked for hours. I thought he'd never shut up.
2) Stop speaking!
EXAMPLE: Nicole kept telling Ted to turn down his stereo. Finally, he got angry and said, "Shut up!"
NOTE: Remember that telling somebody to "shut up!" is rude. It's better to say "Be quiet!" or more politely, "Please be quiet!"

Way to go! - Good work!
EXAMPLE 1: You won $2,000 in the poetry writing contest? Way to go!
EXAMPLE 2: That was an interesting article you wrote. Way to go!

PRACTICE THE IDIOMS

Fill in the blank with the missing word:

1) Nicole is in a good mood because her teacher ____ her a compliment.
a) told b) paid c) provided

2) Nicole's teacher told her she was ____ and shoulders above her classmates.
a) elbow b) neck c) head

3) When my friend Chad told me he'd just won the lottery, I was ____ with envy.
a) blue b) green c) red

4) When you do something well, your boss might tell you, "Way ____!"
a) to come b) to go c) to act

5) When the robbers entered my house, I was in the kitchen shaking in my ____.
a) slippers b) pajamas c) shoes

6) If somebody is bothering you, you can tell them they're driving you ____.
a) crazy b) angry c) unhappy

7) If you like power, you might consider going ____ politics.
a) above b) towards c) into

8) "You've been yelling and screaming for the past two hours. Could you just shut ____ already?"
a) up b) in c) off

BONUS PRACTICE

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

1) When her friend Anna got into Yale, Nicole was green with
envy.
a) sick
b) happy for her
c) very jealous

2) Bob and Susan are really gung ho about the TV show Survivor. They watch it every Thursday night.
a) enthusiastic
b) concerned
c) angry

3) Shut up! I can't take any more of your screaming.
a) Talk louder!
b) Be quiet!
c) Get out!

4) You got a scholarship to attend Harvard? Way to go!
a) Too bad!
b) Good work!
c) Oh well!

5) Please don't butt in! We weren't talking to you.
a) look at us
b) disagree with us
c) interrupt our conversation

6) These cookies aren't very good. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said I should add more sugar next time.
a) were wrong
b) were right
c) were confused