Lesson 39

Goof off... talk back to… be in… be out… draw the line at… get out of line… dry run… play by ear… be in (someone’s) shoes… keep after… fix up… be had
.
To goof off: to waste time, to be idle
Ø Some off the workers in our office always goof off when the boss is out.
Ø On Saturday afternoons, I like to go to a movie or just goof off at home.
.
To talk back to: to answer in a rude manner, to speak to disrespectfully
Ø Billy, if you talk back to me like that once more, you’re going to spend the rest of the day in your room.
Ø The school principal had to reprimand the child for talking back to her teacher.
.
To be in: to be popular or fashionable, to be available at one’s work or home
Ø Most young people tend to want anything that is in at the time, but a few don’t care about current trends.
Ø Could you please tell me when Mrs. Zachary will be in? I’d like to talk to her soon.
.
To be out: to be unpopular or no longer in fashion, to be away from one’s work or home
Ø These days, designer jeans are in and long skirts are out.
Ø I’m sorry; Mr. Jensen is out at the moment. Could I take a message?
.
To draw the line at: to determine to be unacceptable, to refuse to consider
Ø I don’t mind helping him with his homework, but I draw the line at writing a term paper for him.
Ø The conference organizers tried to accommodate the needs of the various interest groups, but they drew the line at extending the conference by two days.
.
To get out of line: to disobey or ignore normal procedures or rules (also: to step out of line)
Ø When a child gets out of line in that teacher’s class, she uses the old-fashioned method of making the child sit in the corner of the room.
Ø Any employee who steps out of line by coming to work in an unacceptable condition will be fired.
.
Dry run: rehearsal, practice session
Ø The college president requested a dry run of the graduation ceremony in order to ensure that all aspects went smoothly.
Ø Before the manager presented the reorganizational plans to the board of directors, he did several dry runs of his presentation.
.
To play by ear: to play music that one has heard but never read (S), to proceed without plan, to do spontaneously (S)
The pronoun it is often used with the second definition.
Ø That pianist can play most popular music by ear. She never needs to read sheet music.
Ø My husband wanted to plan our trip carefully, but I argued that it was more fun if we played it by ear.
.
To be in (someone’s) shoes: to be in another person’s position, to face the same situation as another person
Ø If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t take too many classes this semester.
Ø When his boss finds out about that accounting error, I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.
.
To keep after: to remind constantly, to nag
Ø Lynn always has to keep after her children about cleaning up their rooms and doing chores around the house.
Ø Lon is so forgetful that it’s necessary to keep after him about every little thing.
.
To fix up: to repair or put back in good condition (S), to arrange a date or an engagement for another person (S)
Ø Instead of buying an expensive new home, we decided to buy an older home and fix it up ourselves.
Ø Since my visiting friend didn’t have a date for dinner, I fixed her up with a male friend of mine. They got along very well together.
.
To be had: to be victimized or cheated
Ø When the jeweler confirmed that the diamonds that the woman had purchased abroad were really fake, she exclaimed, “I’ve been had!”
Ø The angry customer complained about being overcharged at the store, asserting that this was the third time that he had been had.
.
E X E R C I S E S
.
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.
.
Because most of her elementary school students were wasting time, the teacher…
When Joey spoke disrespectfully to his mother, she…
When he learned that the owner wasn’t available, the visiting salesperson…
Greg is willing to help his brother with some household chores, but he refuses to consider….
If you disobey the rules one more time, I will…
The theater group did a rehearsal of the play before…
Mrs. Dixson has the special ability to play music she has heard but never read. She doesn’t have to…
I wouldn’t want to be in Ted’s position. The police have discovered that he…
Every day after school, Harriet’s parents have to nag her to…
I decided to arrange an engagement for him because he…
.
Answer these questions orally by making use of the idiomatic expressions studied in this lesson.
.
Are you usually a serious person, or do you like to goof off a lot? Why might goofing off sometimes be healthy for you?
When you were young, did you talk back to your parents? Why or why not?
Do you pay attention to whether clothing fashions are in or out? What is an advantage of not paying attention?
Suppose that your boss sometimes asks you to stay late at the office and do extra work for him. At what point would you draw the line and refuse?
What happens to an athlete who gets out of line during a sporting event such as baseball or international football (“soccer” in the United States)?
If you had to give a speech in class, would you do a dry run? Why or why not?
When you travel, do you like to plan your trip carefully or to play it by ear?
When you were young, what did your parents have to keep after you about? Did you ever learn to remember it, or do you still forget?
Have you ever fixed someone up with a date, or have you ever been fixed up with a date yourself? Can you imagine why the term blind date is sometimes used in such cases?
Have you ever been had by someone you just met, such as a store clerk or a stranger on the street? What happened?