Lesson 3 Flashcards
beside the point
not relevant; not important
EXAMPLE 1: Whether or not I asked the waiter to bring us water is beside the point. Waiters should always bring water to the table.
EXAMPLE 2: The reason you’re late is beside the point. The fact is, your dinner is now cold.
(to) blow something
to spoil or botch something
EXAMPLE 1: Brenda blew the interview and didn’t get the job offer.
EXAMPLE 2: Randy managed to get a date with the most popular girl in his class. Now I hope he doesn’t blow it!
(to) buckle down
to start working seriously
EXAMPLE 1: If Don buckles down now, he might be able to graduate from high school this year.
EXAMPLE 2: Team, if we want to win this tournament, we’re going to need to buckle down!
can’t stand
to hate
EXAMPLE 1: Bob can’t stand bureaucrats, so he’d never do well working at a large corporation.
EXAMPLE 2: Nicole can’t stand broccoli. She simply refuses to eat it.
(to) cut class
to miss class without an excuse
EXAMPLE 1: Ted often cuts class to spend more time with his girlfriend.
EXAMPLE 2: If you keep cutting French class, you’re going to fail it.
Get real!
be serious or realistic about what’s going on
EXAMPLE 1: You think you won’t get a speeding ticket when you drive 85 miles per hour? Get real!
EXAMPLE 2: You think you’re going to win $1 million in the lottery? Get real!
(to) have one’s heart set on
to really want something
EXAMPLE 1 Nicole has her heart set on going to New York this weekend.
EXAMPLE 2: Did you really have your heart set on going to Harvard?
(to) hit the books
to start studying
EXAMPLE 1: Ted partied all weekend. Finally, on Sunday night, he decided it was time to hit the books.
EXAMPLE 2: Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow.
lost cause
something hopeless
EXAMPLE 1: Cindy spent five years studying Russian. Finally, she realized it was a lost cause. She would never learn it.
EXAMPLE 2: Jack needs to stop drinking so much coffee, but he’s so addicted to caffeine that it’s a lost cause.
(to) not give a hoot
to not care about
EXAMPLE 1: Tom likes to walk around town in his pajamas - he doesn’t give a hoot what people think.
EXAMPLE 2: Stephanie doesn’t give a hoot if she’s the only one wearing a green dress to the high school prom.
SYNONYMS: to not give a damn; to not give a dam
over one’s head
beyond one’s understanding
EXAMPLE 1: The professor was speaking over our heads. None of us could understand him.
EXAMPLE 2: The article on cloning was written for scientists. It was over
my head.
(to) slack off
to waste time
EXAMPLE 1: Amanda doesn’t get much done at the office. She’s too busy slacking off.
EXAMPLE 2: I’d better stop slacking off. My essay is due in two hours.
Norn: People who slack off all the time are called “slackers.”
(to) stand a chance
to have the possibility of success
EXAMPLE 1: Although the American figure skaters were good, they didn’t stand a chance of winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
EXAMPLE 2: Wilton High School has the best soccer team in the state. I’m afraid we don’t stand a chance against them!
