Lesson 23

Make do… give birth to…. close call… get on one’s nerves…. put down… go for… go in for…. stay up…. stay in….. take over…. show up…. clean out
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To make do: to manage, to cope
This idiom is used when a person must accept a substitute that is not the most suitable.
Ø Pearl doesn’t have a clean blouse so she has to make do with the one she wore yesterday.
Ø During difficult economic times, many people have to make do with less.
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To give birth to: to bear a human being or animal
Ø Jane’s mother has just given birth to twin girls.
Ø The zoo’s Siberian tiger just gave birth to a baby cub.
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Close call: a situation involving a narrow escape from danger (also: close shave)
Ø Bob, that car nearly hit us! What a close call.
Ø We had a close call when a small fire in our kitchen almost spread to the rest of the house.
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To get on one’s nerves: to annoy or disturb (also: to bug)
Ø Laura loves to talk to anyone. Sometimes her chatter really gets on my nerves.
Ø Jack asked his neighbor to turn down the stereo because it was bugging him and he couldn’t concentrate.
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To put down: to suppress, to quell (S), to criticize unfairly (S)
Ø The police arrived just in time to put down the disturbance before it got very serious.
Ø Fred tries his best at playing tennis. You shouldn’t put him down like that.
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To go for: to be sold at a certain price, to seek or strive for
Ø This dress probably goes for about $50, don’t you think?
Ø Peter was going for first place in the swim meet, but he wasn’t able to do better than third place.
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To go in for: to have as an interest, such as a sport or hobby (also: to go for, to be into, to get into)
Ø Hal goes in for tennis while his wife goes for painting and sculpture.
Ø What sports are you into? I don’t have any time to get into sports.
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To stay up: to remain awake, no to go to bed
Ø I want to stay up tonight and watch a late movie on TV.
Ø He stays up every night until after one o’clock, preparing his homework.
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To stay in: to remain at home, not to go out
An idiom with the opposite meaning is to stay out.
Ø On a rainy day, I like to stay in and read.
Ø Young people are able to stay out late at night and get very little sleep.
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To take over: to assume control or responsibility for (S), to do or perform again (S)
The meaning of the second definition is almost the same as do over in Lesson 11. Also for the second definition, a noun or pronoun must divide the idiom.
Ø That large investment company specializes in taking over smaller businesses that are in financial trouble.
Ø Most students didn’t do well on the important test, so the instructor let them take it over.
Ø Little Mike didn’t have much chance t hit the baseball during practice, so the coach let him take his turn over.
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To show up: to appear, to be found or located (also: for the second definition: to turn up)
Ø It really gets on my nerves that Ursula shows up late for every meeting.
Ø Willie hopes that the watch he lost last Sunday shows up soon.
Ø We’ve looked everywhere for that book, but it hasn’t turned up yet.
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To clean out: to empty, to tidy by removing (S), to steal, to rob (S), to buy or purchase all of something (S)
Ø It’s time for you to clean out your closet so that you can store more things in there.
Ø A burglar entered my apartment while I was gone and cleaned me out. He took over $200 in cash and jewelry.
Ø Thousands of shoppers cleaned out the store that had gone bankrupt and was selling all its remaining products at very reduced prices.
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E X E R C I S E S
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Choose the appropriate idiomatic expression to substitute for the italicized word or words in each sentence below. Idioms from previous lessons are indicated by number.
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1. The instructor allowed the student to do the class again because he had
received a letter grade of D the first time.
a. to do without (lesson 18)
b. to make to
c. to take over
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2. Last night my husband and I remained awake until after midnight waiting for my
daughter to return form a date.
a. stayed in
b. stayed up
c. showed up
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3. David doesn’t have a possibility of winning enough money in Las Vegas to buy
a new car. He’s just wasting his time by gambling.
a. have a close call
b. stand a chance (lesson 22)
c. be better off (lesson 21)
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4. We should get our refrigerator repaired soon. The rattling noise really disturbs
me.
a. turns me up
b. puts me down
c. gets on my nerves
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5. Mr. Fulsom was late leaving his office because a last minute telephone call
delayed him.
a. took him over
b. held him up (lesson 20)
c. went in for him
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6. Thousands of customers cleaned out the department store because everything
was being sold for a very cheap price.
a. was going for
b. was going in for
c. was coming to (lesson 13)
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7. The other students in Judy’s class criticize her unfairly because she enjoys
doing homework and helping the teacher.
a. put her down
b. go in for her
c. take her apart (lesson 21)
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8. Are there enough drinks to be sufficient for everyone, or should I go to the
kitchen to make more?
a. to go in for
b. to make do
c. to go around (lesson 19)
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9. When Ralph appears, we’ll discuss the matter of the missing funds.
a. cleans out
b. shows up
c. stays in
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10. I can’t believe what a narrow escape it was when the car went off the road and
passed within a few feet of us.
a. lost cause (lesson 17)
b. first-rate
c. close call
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Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
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1. If your car is broken but you still need to get to work, how would you make do?
2. Describe a close call that you, or someone you know, has had.
3. When might babies or small children get on your nerves?
4. What sports or hobbies do you go in for?
5. How late to you usually stay up?
6. Why might you decide to stay in instead of going out?
7. For what reasons might large businesses take over smaller businesses?
8. Why would someone have to take a class over? Has this ever happened to you?
9. In the United States, when should you generally show up for a business meeting? When should you show up for a casual party?
10. What would be a good reason for cleaning out a garage?