Lesson 36

Check in... check out… take at (the/one’s) word… serve one’s purpose… in the worst way… cop out… line up… lose one’s cool… leave open… turn on… miss the boat… think up
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To check in: to register at a hotel or motel, to leave or deposit for transporting or safekeeping (S)
The adjective form check-in derives from this idiom.
Ø Courtney arrived in town at mid-day and promptly checked in at the Plaza Hotel. The hotel permitted an early check-in time.
Ø There were dozens of people at the airline counters waiting to check their bags in for their flights.
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To check out: to pay the bill at a hotel or motel and then leave, to investigate, to examine (S)
The adjective form check-out derives from this idiom.
Ø The latest you should check out of the hotel is 12 noon. However, in your case, we can set a special check-out time of 2:00 P.M.
Ø The police received a call from someone claiming to have witnessed a murder. The police sent two detectives to check the call out right away.
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To take at one’s word: to accept what one says as true, to believe
Ø When he offered to be responsible for the fund raiser, I took him at his word. Now he’s saying that he’s not available to do it.
Ø You should be careful about taking her at her word. She’s been known to say one thing but to do another.
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To serve (the/one’s) purpose: to be useful, to suit one’s needs or requirements
Ø I don’t have a screwdriver to open this, but I think that a knife will serve the purpose.
Ø Jane prefers working to studying, so it served her purpose to drop out of school and take that job.
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In the worst way: very much, greatly
Ø Jim and Claudia want to have children in the worst way. They are trying very hard to conceive.
Ø Because Umer has relatives in Turkey, he wants to visit there in the worst way.
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To cop out: to avoid one’s responsibility, to quit
This idiom is an informal version of the second definition to back out (lesson 29). The noun form copout means an excuse for avoiding responsibility.
Ø Evelyn had agreed to help us with arrangements for the party, but she copped out at the last minute.
Ø I can’t believe that Cindy offered such an explanation for failing to show up. What a poor copout!
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To line up: to form a line, to arrange to have, to manage to obtain (S)
Ø The moviegoers lined up in front of the theater showing the most popular film of the summer.
Ø Rob is going to schedule the famous author to speak at the convention if he can line her up in time.
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To lose one’s cool: to get excited, angry, or flustered
Ø Despite the boos from some in the audience, the actors on stage never lost their cool.
Ø Although the group of skiers was in danger from an apparent avalanche, their ski guide never lost his cool.
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To leave open: to delay making a decision on (S)
Ø In making up the job announcement, the firm decided to leave the salary open until a qualified candidate was found.
Ø We know that the annual summer camp will be held in August, but let’s leave the exact dates open for now.
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To turn on: to interest greatly, to excite (S)
The idiom with the opposite meaning is to turn off. These idioms are used to form the nouns turnon and turnoff.
Ø Does great art turn you on? I find going to a museum and viewing classic works of art a real turnon.
Ø Going to a bar and having silly conversation with strangers really turns me off. In fact, most bar scenes are really turnoffs to me.
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To miss the boat: to lose an opportunity, to fail in some undertaking
Ø The precious metal market was looking up several months ago, but unfortunately most investors missed the boat.
Ø Mr. Vlasic’s new business went bankrupt within a short time. He really missed the boat by opening a tanning salon near the beach.
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To think up: to invent, to create (also: to dream up)
This idiom is often used for an unusual or foolish thought.
Ø Who thought up the idea of painting the living room walls bright red?
Ø When asked by the teacher why she was late, the student dreamed up a plausible excuse.
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E X E R C I S E S
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Substitute an idiomatic expression for the word or words in italics, making any necessary grammatical changes as well. Then complete each sentence appropriately with your own idea. Also try to use idioms from previous lessons.
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1. The Smiths registered at the hotel as soon as…
2. The Smiths also deposit some jewelry at the front desk because…
3. The jealous husband hired a private detective to investigate the possibility that..
4. I accepted what my financial advisor had to say about….
5. On Thursday before a three-day holiday weekend, it suited the worker’s needs to…
6. While shopping in the expensive store, Mrs. Thurston … very much.
7. To ensure…, the politician managed to obtain the support of his colleagues in the Senate.
8. The athlete got angry and flustered on national television when…
9. We delayed making a decision on the arrangements for the wedding because…
10. Even though I had urged my parents to… my parents lost an opportunity when the stock market…
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Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
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1. What kind of items beside jewelry might a guest want to check in at the front desk of a hotel?
2. What is the latest that you have ever been able to check out of a hotel? Were you required to pay an extra fee for this arrangement?
3. If you and a friend are walking on a beach, what do you think your friend could mean if he or she says, “Check that out!”
4. Have you ever taken someone at his or her word, only to be disappointed at a later time? What happened?
5. What is it that you want at the present time in the worst way?
6. Have you ever copped out of a responsibility by thinking up a reasonable excuse? How do you feel when you do this? Why?
7. Think of different kinds of events or situations where people have to line up.
8. What kind of situation might cause you to lose your cool? Does this happen
easily to you, or not?
9. Why might you leave arrangements for a trip open? Has this ever happened
to you?
10. What kinds of sports or hobbies turn you on?