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"Somebody said you aced the test, Dave. That's great!"

A: "Come to the party with me. Please!"
B: "Oh, all right. I don't want to, but I will."

A: "How's your chemistry class?"
B: "It's all right, I guess, but it's not the best class I've ever had."

A: "You don't look normal. Are you all right?"
B: "Yes, but I have a headache."

A: "I'd guess your new computer cost about $2,000. "
B: "It cost that much and then some because I also bought extra RAM and VRAM."

"I hope Katy calls soon. Just sitting around and waiting is making me antsy."

"I thought you said this was a difficult problem. It isn't. In fact, it's as easy as pie."

"Yes, I got the work done in time. I finished it at the eleventh hour, but I wasn't late.

A: "I don't believe what Bob said. Why is he bad-mouthing me?"
B: "He's probably jealous of your success."

A: "Bob said the test was difficult, but I thought it was a piece of cake.""

A: "I just got an e-mail message from our old friend Sally."
B: "Tell me what she said. I'm all ears!"

"No, I can't lend you ten dollars. I'm completely broke until payday."

"Bill, you're too careless with your work. I'm fed up with
apologizing for your mistakes!"

"Could we postpone our meeting until tomorrow? I expect to
be in and out of the office most of the day today."

"I'm really tired. I've been on the go all week long."

"You won't be able to contact me tomorrow because I'll be on the road."

"I can't see you until around 4 o'clock. My meetings won't be over until then."

"Dave's ESL Cafe on the Web has been up and running since December 1995."

"It won't be hard to get up at 5:00 AM. I'm used to getting up early."

"This has been a long day. I'm beat!"

"Quit beating around the bush! If you don't want to go with me, just tell me!"

"Can you help me with this problem? I've been beating my brains out with it,
but I just can't solve it."

A: "What time's the party?"
B: "Beats me!"

A: "I'm really tired of working."
B: "Just be patient. The weekend will be here before long."

"I know you're worried about your job interview, but don't get bent out of shape.
You'll do just fine."

"I'm really behind with my project. Can you help me? I'm afraid I
bit off more than I could chew!"

"Don't say anything to Bob unless you want the whole office to know.
Bob's quite a blabbermouth."

A: "Was your father upset when you came home at 3 AM?"
B: "He was more than upset. He blew his top!"

"Don't forget to bring your boom box to the picnic!"

"The discussion lasted many hours. The bottom line was that
the XYZ Company isn't for sale."

"I understand you have a job interview tomorrow. Break a leg!"

"Joe broke his mother's heart when he dropped out of school."

A: "Can you lend me 10 dollars?"
B: "I'm afraid not. I'm broke."

"The cheapest tickets for the concert cost 25 bucks. Do you still want to go?"

"I'm trying to concentrate! Don't bug me!"

"Don't be so bull-headed. Why can't you admit that others' opinions are just as good as yours?"

A: "Your new car is really nice."
B: "It should be. It cost me a bundle!"

"I'm not ready for the test tomorrow. I guess I'll have to
burn the the midnight oil."

"I'm going to lie down for a while. I'm really bushed."

"I can't do this by myself. Can you help me?"

"I'll have to start earlier the next time. This time I only finished by the skin of my teeth."

"It's late and you've accomplished a lot. Why don't you call it a day?"

"I can't make heads or tails of your e-mail. Were you having problems
with your computer?"

"This brochure about Tahiti caught my eye when I was at the travel agency."

"You look tired, Dave. Why don't you catch some Zs?"

A: "Why are you working this week? I thought you were going to be on vacation."
B: "I changed my mind. I'm taking my vacation next month."

"Fred will never ask Lucy for a date. He's chicken / a chicken.

"How's the chow in the university cafeteria?"

"It's almost 6:00. Are you ready to chow down?"

A: How was the test?
B: It was a cinch. I finished it quickly and I know that all my answers were correct."

"The ESL Cafe on the Web is really cool!"

"There's no need to be so upset. Just cool it!"

A: "Your new car is really nice."
B: "It should be. It cost (me) an arm and a leg!"

"You're a real couch potato, Jay. You need to get more exercise!"

"Sidney did well on the test because he crammed for it. However, he probably
won't remember any of the information a couple of days from now."

"Tom's company is sending him to a business meeting in Istanbul.
Should he take a crash course in Turkish?"

"You kids are making too much noise. Cut it out!"

A: I'm sure that I'm going to win a lot of money in Las Vegas."
B: "Don't count your chickens until they hatch!"

A: A friend of mine says I can make a lot of moneyif I buy stock
in the XYZ company. Should I do it?
B: I wouldn't if I were you. The chances for success are too dicey."

"You shouldn't have ditched class yesterday. We had an unannounced test."

"Have you seen Frank's home page? He did a bang-up job with it."

A: "Is something wrong?"
B: "Not really, but I feel kind of down in the dumps."

"I haven't written to my parents for a long time. I'd better drop them a line
today or tomorrow."

"Joe should have finished his project a week ago. Why is he dragging his feet?"

"Jan is certainly an eager beaver. Any time there's work to be done,
she's the first to say she'll help."

A: "I'm going to move the table just a little further from the window."
B: "Easy does it! If you move too fast, you might knock over the plant!"

"Jake didn't make very good grades in school, but his sister was a real egghead."

"Yes, the car is pretty dirty, but it'll look nice again with a little elbow grease."

"In your essays, please write on every other line. That will make the
essays much easier to read."

"That story's pretty far-fetched. Nobody's going to believe it."

"I'm feeling blue because I haven't had any mail except bills for a long, long time."

"If you continue to be late for work, the company will fire you."

"Ted was feeling puny yesterday, so he decided not to go to work."

"Traffic was really slow on the freeway this morning
because of a fender-bender in one of the westbound lanes."

"Where's Marie? I haven't seen her for ages."

"Look at the time! I'd better get going!"

"I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"I really get a kick out of listening to children talk. They say some very funny things."

"I wish he'd get lost and stop bothering me. I don't want to talk to him!"

"I know you like that song, but it's getting on my nerves. Can you play something else?"

"If you don't want to be late, you'd better get a move on."

A: "Bill said there was a meeting this morning. Don't we have one?"
B: "No. The meeting's tomorrow. I guess Bill got his wires crossed."

"Your absences are getting out of hand, Bob. You'd better do something quickly to improve the situation if you want to keep your job."

A: "I'm going to Las Vegas. I know I'll win a lot of money!"
B: "Get real! You'll probably lose a lot of money!"

"I'm really tired. I don't have any get up and go."

"I can't do this alone. Can you give me a hand?"

"Dave's done a wonderful job with The ESL Café on the Web.
Let's give him a hand!"

"I'm not surprised that Jean finished before anyone else. She's a real go-getter."

"There's no need to worry. Everything will be OK if you just go with the flow."

"I'm really hungry. Would you like to grab a bite with me?"

"You'd better leave soon. If you don't, you'll miss your bus."

"I know it's a hassle to complete this form now, but Mr. Rogers
needs it in his office by the end of the day."

A: "I'm sorry that Jim got the job instead of you."
B: "I have no hard feelings toward him; I know that he had stronger qualifications."

"I don't think Julie will change her mind. She's pretty hard-headed."

"If you'd stop hassling me, I might get this finished on time!"

A: "Will you be able to help us this afternoon?"
B: "I'm afraid not. I'll have my hands full trying to finish my research paper."

"Dave's got a son whose name is Benjamin and a daughter whose name is Shannon."

"I know I did well on the test. I had all the material down pat."

"Dave's the head honcho of the ESL Cafe on the Web."

"I wish I could go to the movies, but I've got to hit the books."

"It's late, so I guess I'll hit the hay."

"I'm really tired. I think I'll hit the sack."

"If I had my druthers, I'd stay home from work today."

"Do you have time to help me? I thought I could do this myself,
but I'm afraid I'm in over my head. I just can't handle things alone."

"Why are you wearing your tee shirt inside out?"

"I'm sorry, but we just sold our last pair of hiking boots. If you come back
at the end of the week, however, we should have some more in stock.

"What did you do to increase profit and eliminate losses?
We've been in the black for two months in a row."

"We have to do something to increase profit and decrease losses.
We've been in the red for two months in a row."

A: "What's wrong with Joe?"
B: "He's feeling bad because his boss jumped all over him this morning."

A: "How did Marsha know about the party? It was supposed to be a surprise."
B: "Chuck jumped the gun. Without thinking, he said, 'I'm bringing the cake at your party;
I hope you like it!"

A: "Angela just doesn't like me. She won't even say hello."
B: "You're jumping to conclusions. Actually, she's very shy."

"I didn't have any letters today--only junk mail."

"You're busy, so you'll need to keep an eye on the time.
Remember that we have to leave at 4:30."

"I'll keep an eye out for John. If I see him, I'll tell him you want to talk to him."

"I know that things have been difficult for you recently,
but keep your chin up. Everything will be better soon."

"If I keep my nose to the grindstone, I should be finished by the end of the day."

"I haven't seen Frank for two or three years but we keep (stay) in touch by e-mail."

A: "How did you do on the test?"
B: "I think I passed, but I won't know until tomorrow.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!"

A: "You have three kids, don't you?"
B: "That's right. I have two girls and a boy."

"I was kidding when I said my teacher was a monster. She's strict,
but she's actually a very nice person."

"I'm feeling kind of hungry. I think I'll make myself a sandwich."

"Don't ask Jeff to dance with you. He's a real klutz and will probably step on your feet!"

"Don't try to make any suggestions to Bob. He's a know-it-all
and won't pay attention to anything you say."

"If you have a question about html tags, ask Susan. She knows html
backwards and forwards."

"I can't do this alone. Can you lend me a hand?"

"Don't tell Jim how to discipline his children. Leave well enough alone."

"It must've been quite a let-down not to be chosen for that job.
I know you really hoped you would get it."

"I know that what Julie said made you angry, but let sleeping dogs lie.
If you say or do anything, you'll only make things worse."

"Chuck and Alice are living from hand to mouth since Chuck lost his job."

"I'm not going to criticize Alice's family just because their habits
are a little strange. My motto is 'Live and let live.'"

A: "Fred seems depressed. Is he OK?"
B: "He's OK, but not good. It was a low blow for him to be laid off from his job."

"Her husband would never agree to help with the housework;
he's too macho to do that."

"Calm down. There's really nothing to worry about.
You're making a mountain out of a molehill."

A: Where are you going on your vacation?
B: Maybe Canada, maybe Mexico. I can't make up my mind."

"There's plenty in the refrigerator if you want something to nosh on."

A: "Someone said you cheated on the test. Did you?"
B: "Not on your life!"

A: "Do you see Jennifer often?"
B: "No, not really. I see her now and then, but not regularly."

"If your coffee's cold, just nuke it for about a minute."

A: "Stuart says some really strange things sometimes."
B: "Sometimes? All the time! He's nuts!"

A: "Come on, Al. We really need your help!"
B: "Oh, OK; I may be crazy, but I'll help you."

A: "How was the movie?"
B: "OK, I guess, but I've seen better ones."

A: "You look awfully pale. Are you OK?"
B: "Actually, I'm not. I have a terrible headache. "

A: "Did your boss OK your vacation plans?"
B: "No, but he said that taking them two weeks later would be all right.

"We're leaving at 9:00 on the dot. If you're late, we'll go without you."

"It's getting late. You'd better hurry if you want to get to work on time."

"The university's computer lab is (on the) cutting edge. It has
all the latest hardware and software."

A: "Would you like coffee or tea?"
B: "Coffee, please. I drink tea once in a while, but I generally drink coffee."

"I stayed up too late tonight. Tomorrow I'll have to pay the piper."

"Oh, no! I forgot to get any cash! I hope this restaurant accepts plastic!"

"I went to bed really early last night. I was pooped!"

"You shouldn't have missed class yesterday. We had a pop quiz."

"That car's pretty expensive. Are you sure you can afford it?"

A: "You look really tired."
B: "I am. I pulled an all-nighter to get ready for the meeting this morning."

"I don't think I can meet you after work. I have quite a few errands that I have to do."

A: "Annie seems to be doing well at her new job."
B: "I'm not surprised. She's a quick study."

"I think you're working too hard, Dave. You need some R and R."

"We're leaving tomorrow, rain or shine."

"You can't leave just now! It's raining cats and dogs
and you don't have an umbrella or raincoat!"

A: "I'll be you're thinking of what you're going to have for dinner."
B: "Hey, did you read my mind?"
A: "No. I just know that you're always hungry and lunch was several hours ago!"

"All my little brother says is 'Why?' Usually I'm patient with him,
but sometimes all his questions rub me the wrong way."

"Are you eating regularly and getting enough sleep? You look run-down."

"If you're having problems with your hard disk, talk to Jim.
He's very computer-savvy. "

"No, we weren't talking about anything important.
We were just schmoozing."

"No, we weren't talking about anything important.
We were just shooting the breeze."

"The job that you're offering me sounds really good, but I'd like
to sleep on it before giving you my final decision."

A: "Is your job difficult?"
B: "No, actually it's a snap. In fact, it's so easy that it's a little bit boring."

A: Jim upset everyone when he got angry at the meeting. Can we do anything
to make the situation better?
B: No. He's made his own bed; now let him lie in it."

"You've been working too hard for too long. If you don't relax a little,
sooner or later you're going to get sick."

"I think I'll lie down. I feel sort of dizzy."

A: "How're you doing?"
B: "So-so. I've been better, but I've also been worse."

"The company is very proud of the equipment in its
computer room. It's state of the art."

"Step on it! The taxi will be here at any time and you're not even dressed!"

"I don't have any special vacation plans. I'm just going to take it easy."

"The cake that Susan made tasted terrible, but I knew that she
made it because she wanted to please me, so when she asked
if I liked it, I told a white lie and said it was good."

"These shoes are worn out. I guess I'll have to toss them."

"There, there. Everything's going to be OK."

A: Do you think Charlie will donate any money to the activities fund?
B: No way! He's too tight-fisted!

A: Will Charlie donate any money to the activities fund?
B: Absolutely not! He's a real tightwad!"

"This problem is tricky. I don't really understand it."

"Ted was feeling under the weather yesterday, so he decided not to go to work."

"Chris can practice the piano until hell freezes over, but he'll never play
well because he's tone-deaf."

Note: This expression is used to describe something that will not
change, no matter how long or how often it's done.

"You can talk until you're blue in the face, but I won't change my mind."

Note: This expression is used in the same way as "until hell freezes over."

"I need to update my résumé. It doesn't show what I've done during the last year."

"Put the glasses upside down in the dishwasher. If you don't do that,
they'll fill with water and you'll have to dry them by hand."

"When I got to the meeting I noticed that I was wearing one black sock
and one brown one. Was my face red!"

A: "Can't you stay two or three more days?"
B: "No. I don't want to wear out my welcome."

"Don't include Fred as part of the bargaining team.He's just started
working here and is still too wet behind the ears."

A: "Come here for a minute. I need you."
B: "What for?"

Note: "What" and "for" can be separated--with "for" at the end of the question:

B: "What do you need me for?"

"Hi, Dave. What's up?"

"The cake that Susan made tasted terrible, but I knew that
she made it because she wanted to please me, so when she
asked if I liked it, I told a white lie and said it was good."

"Don't be so wishy-washy. Tell us how you really feel."

A: "Are you going to Sandra's party?"
B: "I'll be there with bells on!"

A: "Why does the boss think Arnold is so intelligent?"
B: "Because Arnold is a yes-man. He agrees with everything the boss says!"

A: "Have you heard the news? Jessica got married!"
B: "You don't say!"

A: "Did you know that Bob quit his job?"
B: "You've got to be kidding!"

"Don't eat the soup at the cafeteria. It's yucky!"

A: "How much money do you have?"
B: "Zilch. I'm broke until payday."

"What I told you is really important, so zip your lip!"