500 Really Useful English Phrases

Intermediate to Fluency

Jenny Smith

• Publisher: Isaac Perrotta-Hays
• Year: 2014
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780992904630
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: English Language
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Internet Dating

Part One

I am lucky enough to have a job that I absolutely love, however it is pretty demanding and I don’t really have much time for a social life. Of course I have friends but for the past few years I haven’t had a boyfriend. All of my friends are in relationships and I’ve started to feel like the odd one out. I suppose I could go out of my way to meet people, but I’m just so rushed off my feet at work that I don’t have the energy. Usually things like blind dates and that kind of thing are not my cup of tea but ‘needs must’, so I thought that I’d give internet dating a go.

Phrases:

To be the odd one out: the one person or thing that is different from the others. For example if all of your friends are men and you are a woman, then you would be the odd one out.

Example: All of my family are teachers. So I’m the odd one out, as I’m a doctor.

To be rushed off one’s feet: to be very busy.

Example: Christmas is a busy time of the year for most shops so the employees are usually rushed off their feet.

Not one’s cup of tea: you don’t really like this sort of thing. This phrase is more common in British English.

Example: Science fiction is not most women’s cup of tea, but I like it.

Needs must: it is necessary to do this thing. Circumstances have forced you to do this thing.

Example: I didn’t want to get an evening job, but as I don’t have enough to live on; needs must.

To give (something) a go/try: this means ‘to try something to see if you like it’.

Example: I thought that I would give cooking classes a go.

Part Two

I find talking about myself difficult at the best of times, so writing an online dating profile was going to be next to impossible. I sat down a few times to do it but could never get it done. I decided that it would require some Dutch courage so poured myself a nice big glass of wine and forced myself to write the profile. Most people when they are writing these things are economical with the truth, but my problem is that I am too honest. I read through the finished profile and I had to admit it didn’t make me sound that appealing. The next thing that I had to do was to choose a photo. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but everybody does so I tried to choose one where I looked at least halfway decent. In the end I was pretty satisfied with my profile even if was a little boring. It had taken me almost 5 hours to write but I eventually was ready to hit the ‘publish’ button. If I did this, there would be no going back; my profile would be there for the whole world to see. I held my breath and hit publish.

Phrases:

At the best of times: this phrase means that even under good conditions this thing is not great, so under bad conditions it’s really bad.

Example: Even at the best of times I get sea sick so if there is a storm (while I’m on a boat) then I feel really really sick.

Dutch courage: to drink alcohol in order to feel brave about something.

Example: I hate visiting my father in law so I find I need a bit of Dutch courage to make the experience manageable.

To be economical with the truth: to lie a little bit. This has the feeling of not being a serious lie but just not exactly telling the truth. To exaggerate.

Example: When applying for a job most people are a bit economical with the truth. But if you tell a real lie then you could end up getting into real trouble.

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover: you shouldn’t judge a person or situation just by appearances.

Example: I know that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but because he has a big scar on his face he does look a bit scary.

To be halfway decent: to be quite good. To be ok. To be acceptable for what you need.

Example: Do you know of any halfway decent hotels in this area?

There is no going back: this means that you have committed to something and you can no longer decide to not do it.

Example: I have handed in my notice at work so there’s no turning back now. So next month I will have to get a new job.

Part Three

The next morning I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. I don’t know why I was so nervous. Anyway I checked my email but no one had replied to my profile yet. Even though it was still early days I was a little disappointed. For the next few days I didn’t get any response, and then just as I was about to close the profile down, I received an email. It was from someone called Tim who said that he had seen my profile and that he would really like to meet me. I checked out his profile and couldn’t believe my luck; not only was he rich but he was gorgeous too. It was almost as if he was too good to be true. I really thought that I’d hit the jackpot; I mean he seemed so nice. We started contacting each other by email and soon we arranged to meet. I could hardly wait for our date. Unfortunately just a few hours before we were supposed to meet I received a phone call saying that something had come up and that we would have to take a rain check.

Phrases:

To have butterflies in one’s stomach: to feel nervous about something.

Example: Even though I have acted on stage for years, I still get butterflies in my stomach before every performance.

It’s early days: it is still early in a project/relationship etc.

Example: The company hasn’t made any money yet, but it’s early days so we should make some profit once we have become more established.

To check something out: to investigate something. To look at something in more detail.

Example: I would like to move to France but I need to go there first to check out the work situation.

I couldn’t believe my luck: this is used when you feel that you have been really lucky.

Example: I couldn’t believe my luck when I realized that my land is actually twice as valuable as I first thought.

To be too good to be true: this is used when you think that something is so good that there must be/could be a hidden problem.

Example: That job just sounds too good to be true. Are you sure you know everything about it?

To hit the jackpot: to win lots of money. To be lucky and receive a very good thing.

Example: He hit the jackpot with that job. Both the money and the conditions are great.

( I s/he etc) can hardly wait: you are very impatient for something to happen.

Example: I can hardly wait for my birthday. Finally I will be able to take driving lessons.

Something has come up: this is when something occurs that will delay something else. For example if you are at work and were going to go home ‘when something came up’. This means that something that you had to deal with occurred and you were delayed returning home.

Example: I was supposed to go to my mother’s after work but something came up so I couldn’t go.

To take a rain check: to postpone doing something until a later date.

Example: I’m sorry that I can’t come this weekend but maybe we can take a rain check?

Part Four

Even though we didn’t meet up, we emailed and spoke other over the phone. He seemed really nice and was very flirty but whenever I suggested that we should meet, he’d just make an excuse or back out at the last minute. This happened a few times and I started to smell a rat. I told my friends about it and they agreed that there was something fishy about the whole thing and that I should just call it quits. I didn’t have the heart to say anything on the phone so I just emailed him and said that I was very busy at work and wouldn’t be able to contact him for a while. I think he got the message because he stopped calling and I never heard from him again.

Phrases:

To smell a rat: to suspect that something is not right. To suspect dishonesty of some sort.

Example: The policeman smelt a rat when the woman wouldn’t let him see what was inside her bag. It turned out that she had had just stolen it of off someone else.

There’s something fishy about (something): this means there is something not quite right about something.

Example: There is something fishy about that couple. They never seem to work but they always have money.

To call it quits: to put an end to something. This has the feeling of ending something before its natural conclusion.

Example: After a few years of an unhappy marriage, me and my wife decided to just call it quits.

(I, s/he etc) didn’t have the heart to (do something): this means that you were intending to do something a bit unpleasant to someone but in the end you felt too bad and didn’t do it.

Example: I wanted to fire him immediately but as he has kids I didn’t have the heart, so I gave him an extra 2 months to find a new job.

To get the message: this is sometimes used when y...

Table of contents

• The New Business
• The Summer Holiday
• The Bully
• The Divorce and The Marriage
• The Fashion Show
• The End and then the Beginning
• The Birthday Party
• School Days
• Boy Hears Girl
• The Dead End Job?
• Fake
• A Tale of Three Careers
• The Art of Negotiation
• Does Ambition Equal Happiness?
• The Time Travel Record Shop
• Teenage Runaways
• Never a Lender or Borrower Be
• Reality TV! Reality?
• Spread Betting
• The Secret? The Lie?
• The Personality Makeover
• Unrequited Love
• Do Children Still Play Outside?
• Jargon Buster
• Death of the Job. Birth of Opportunity
• The Wind up Merchant
• Internet Dating
• The Family Holiday
• Goodbye