CONFLICTOS SEMIÓTICOS

74 ADVICE, GOSSIP AND SECRETS

Dialogue

Florence: Why is he such a backseat driver when he rides with me?

George: Because you're a road hog.

Florence: Come off it.

George: It's true. Everyone honks his horn at you. In nothing flat, you could be side-swiped.

Florence: I never smacked into anyone or had a fender-bender.

George: You're lucky your car hasn't been totalled.

Florence: You said a mouthful.

Vocabulary

backseat driver road hog Come off it. in nothing flat side-swipe smack into fender-bender total

a mouthful

n.) passenger who tells you how to drive n.) person who takes too much room on the road Stop kidding, boasting or making believe.

adv.) quickly, in a short time v.) hit the side of a car v.) collide, hit

n.) dent in the fender; minor accident v.) completely ruin

n.) a true and impressive statement

Exercise I.

Complete the sentences with the correct idiom.

a) smacked into b) in nothing flat c) road hog d) side-swiped e) totalled f) fender-bender g) backseat driver h) come off it i) he said a mouthful

1. There was a terrible accident. The car went into a telephone pole. It was --- 2. My wife tells me how to drive. She's a---

3. I didn't stop at a stop sign and somebody --- me.

4. He drives all over the road. He's a --- 5. The road was icy and there were many ---

6. Arthur said he was the only one who could do the job. I told him to --- 7. When he heard I was taking him out for dinner, he got dressed --- 8. The road was so narrow that when the truck passed, my car was --- 9 . My b o ss sa i d I needed a vacation. He's right! ---

Exercise II.

Rewrite the phrases in italics, using the proper idiomatic expression.

1 . He wa s driving carelessly and completely ruined his car.

2 He wa s backing up and hit the tree.

o He a t e h i s dinner very quickly.

4 H e drives like he's the only one on the road.

■5. S h e always tells everybody how to drive.

6 . Wh a t you said was very true.

7. You know that's not true. Stop pretending.

8. There wasn't too much damage when he was hit on the side of his car.

9. He hit another car. It was just a minor collision.

Lesson 75. A Blabbermouth

' . .' • G O S S I P AND SECRETS

Dialogue

Alice: She let the cat out of the bag.

Millie: She's a blabbermouth.

Alice: She didn't mean to blow the whistle on him.

Millie: He's fuming anyway. He'll have hard feelings about this for a long time.

Alice: He brought it on himself. He egged her on.

Millie: Don't dwell on it. Maybe it will blow over.

Vocabulary

let the cat out of the bag blabbermouth

blow the whistle hard feelings bring on egg someone on dwell on blow over

v.) tell a secret

n.) person who tells secrets and talks a lot v.) expose, betray

v.) be angry n.) anger, bitterness v.) cause, produce v.) urge, excite, push

v.) talk and think about something all the time v.) end, pass

Exercise I.

Complete the sentences with the correct idiom.

a) blabbermouth b) blow over c) hard feelings d) fuming e) blew the whistle f) brought it o g) egged him on h) let the cat out of the bag i) dwell on

1. She didn't tell me she was pregnant. Her husband ___________________________

2. She only talks about money. I wish she wouldn't _________________________ this subject all the time.

3. The child didn't want to take the candy but his friends kept urging him. They _________________________________

4. He never saved any money. When he needed it he didn't have any. He ______________________________ himself.

5. She saw who robbed the store and told the police. She __________________________ on him.

6. Somebody stole my money. I'm _____________________

7. She talks so much. She's a _____________________

8. Everyone is talking about the scandal in her family. She hopes it will ______________________________ soon.

9. We hated each other as children, but today there are no ___________________________ between us.

Exercise II.

Rewrite the phrases in italics, using the proper idiomatic expression.

1. She talks too much.

2. I'm angry.

3. Don't think about it all the time.

4. By mistake, I told the secret.

5. Don't keep urging him and pushing him to do something wrong.

6. She was the only one who knew his whereabouts. The police wanted him, and she betrayed hii 7. Careless spending will result in inflation.

8. Let's not have any anger between us.

9. After her grandfather died, she was depressed. But this will pa s s .

Lesson 76. A Bookworm

76 A D V I C E. G O S S I P A N D S E C R E T S

Dialogue

I r en e- I don't want to hold you up. I see you're in a rush.

If I don't get to work soon, I'll be in the doghouse. My job is a pain in the neck. You're a bookworm. Why don't you go back to school? I should look into it. What do you think I should take up? That's up to you.

Pick a job where you can make a lot of money. Maybe computer science would do the trick.

Vocabulary

hold up in a rush in the doghouse pain in the neck bookworm look into take up up to someone do the trick

v.) delay, postpone adj. or adv.) in a hurry adj.) in trouble

n.) bothersome, annoying thing or person n.) person who reads a lot

v.) investigate, check v.) begin an activity or hobby n.) someone's choice

v.) be successful, achieve a good result

Exercise I.

Complete the sentences with the correct idiom.

a) take up b) in a rush c) held me up d) look into e) bookworm f) did the trick g) up to h) in the doghouse i) pain in the neck

1 . He reads a lot. He's a __________________

2 . T a k in g ou t th e garbage is a __________________

3 . I l ost a l l m y money. When I get home I'll be --- 4 . Do yo u b el i e v e she wants to_________________ karate?

•5. Th e ph on e was ringing so much today. It --- 6 . Maybe I'll buy that insurance. Tomorrow I'll --- it.

7. What movie do you want to see? It's --- you.

8. She wanted to make her husband happy. She made his favorite meal. That --- 9. I can't see anyone right now. I'm ---

Exercise II.

Rewrite the phrases in italics, using the proper idiomatic expression.

1. I could not get here earlier because I was delayed.

2. If she doesn't clean the house before her mother gets home, she'll be in a lot of trouble.

3. He is always reading.

4. I would like to study computers.

5. I don't want to be late. If I left ten minutes earlier, that should get good results.

6. Arthur is always in a hurry to catch his bus.

7. I don't care where we go tonight. It's your choice.

8. Before he got the job, the company investigated his background.

9. I've been trying to telephone her all day but the line is busy. That's annoying.

Ka t e : I r en e Ka t e : I r en e Ka t e :

In document UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA (página 182-188)