Lesson 25

Burst out... get away… serve (someone right)… keep up… keep up with…. stand out…. let on…. go wrong…. Meet (someone) halfway… check up on…. stick up
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To burst out: to depart quickly (also: to storm out), to act suddenly
For the second definition, this idiom is usually followed by a gerund form such as laughing, crying, singing, etc.
Ø Faye and Debbie were so angry at each other that one of them burst out the front door of the house and the other stormed out the back door.
Ø It was so funny to see a little baby in the audience burst out crying when the choir group burst out singing at the start of the recital.
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To get away: to get free, to escape
Ø We always try to get away from the noise and heat of the city for a month or two each summer.
Ø No one knows how the suspected criminal got away from the police.
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To serve (someone) right: to receive one’s just punishment (S)
This idiom is usually used at the beginning of a sentence after the subject it. Compare the following examples with those in the previous idiom above.
Ø It serves Jonathan right to be fired from his job.
Ø It serves Terence right that none of his friends are willing to help him move to a new apartment.
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To keep up: to prevent from sleeping (S), to continue maintaining (speed, level of work, condition, etc.) (S)
Ø Could you please turn down the TV volume? You’re keeping up the children.
Ø If we can keep up this speed, we should arrive there in about two hours.
Ø James is so proud of his daughter for getting mostly A’s in school. He’s certain that she can keep up the good work.
Ø The Federal Reserve Bank hopes to keep the value of the dollar up at least through the rest of the year.
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To keep up with: to have knowledge of, to understand as an explanation
This idiom should be compared to the meaning of to keep up with in Lesson 17.
Ø Evan keeps up with world affairs by reading a news magazine each week.
Ø I understand a lot of the Spanish language, but I can’t keep up with the fast conversation in this Mexican film.
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To stand out: to be easily visible or noticeable (also: to stick out)
This idiom is used for someone or something that is different from all others.
Ø Her bright red hair makes her stand out from others in the group.
Ø Brandon Styles is a tall, distinguished gentleman who sticks out in any crowd.
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To let on: to reveal or tell what you know to hint
Ø We are going to the movies tonight and we don’t want Doris to go. If you see her, make sure not to let on.
Ø They asked me not to let on to Ted that we’ve planning the birthday party, it’s supposed to be a big surprise.
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To go wrong: to fail, to result badly
Ø Something went wrong with the engine, so we had to have the car towed to a garage.
Ø Shawn should have been here over an hour ago, I’m certain that something went wrong.
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To meet (someone) halfway: to compromise with someone
Ø Steve wanted $4,500 for his car, and Gwen offered $4,000. They met each other halfway and agreed on $4,250.
Ø After a long process of give and take, the owners of the company agreed to meet the workers halfway by providing some additional health benefits but no wage increase.
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To check up on: to examine with the purpose of determining condition (also: to check on)
This idiom has the related noun form checkup.
Ø The government always checks up on the background of employees who are hired for sensitive military projects.
Ø The doctor wants me to have a thorough medical checkup as part of a preventive medicine program.
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To stick up: to point or place upwards (S), to rob (S)
Ø You should put some water on your hair. It’s sticking up in the back.
Ø A masked thief stuck up a grocery store in the neighborhood last night.
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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. That professor lectures so quickly that I have trouble understanding his
explanations.
a. keeping him up
b. checking up on him
c. keeping up with him
2. We hope to escape this weekend for some camping in the mountains.
a. to get away with
b. to break our (lesson 12)
c. to get away
3. That man’s purple pants and pink shirt really are noticeable from a long
distance.
a. stand out
b. keep up
c. stop by (lesson 22)
4. The government was forced to assume control of a failing financial institution.
a. to take over (lesson 23)
b. to burst out
c. to go wrong
5. You should really compromise with Sally and agree to share the cost of the car
repair.
a. serve Sally right
b. meet Sally halfway
c. check on Sally
6. How do you manage to have current knowledge of political affairs when you’re
so busy working?
a. to let on
b. to keep up with
c. to be in charge of (lesson 9)
7. Considering everything, we did a very good job of building that storage room by
ourselves.
a. All along (lesson 2)
b. Letting on
c. All in all (lesson 19)
8. The heat and humidity prevented me from sleeping late into the night.
a. kept me up
b. stuck me up
c. cut me off (lesson 16)
9. No one in the audience reacted to the comedian’s first joke except Tamara,
who acted suddenly by laughing.
a. got away with
b. cut down on (lesson 9)
c. burst out
10. Please be sure not to reveal that we already know about the change in stock ownership rules that are planned by the company board of directors.
a. to let on
b. to stick out
c. to storm out
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Answer these question orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
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1. Why might you burst out of a place such as a room, office, apartment, house, etc?
2. What do you like to do when you get away for a while?
3. As a child, what did you try to get away with? Did you usually succeed or did your parents usually catch you?
4. Some people think that it serves someone right to receive the death penalty for the crime of murder. Do you agree or disagree?
5. What might keep you up in bed? Do you usually go to sleep easily or with difficulty?
6. Do you try to keep up with world events? What is your preferred source of information?
7. In the room that you are in right now, what stands out the most?
8. What could go wrong during a travel tour of a foreign country?
9. Are you ever willing to meet someone halfway even after you have made up your mind about something? Why or why not?
10. Why is it important for a doctor to check up on your health condition? Do you go to the doctor regularly for a checkup?