Unit 5
Set #19: No Pain No Gain
Dialogue
Jerry: I'm thinking about going back to school! Hitting the books
again. Am I crazy?
Linda: Well, as I like to say, “No pain, no gain!” If you're going to
make some bank at a new job afterwards, then why not?
Jerry: That's what I thought too. I'm going to enjoy the calm before the
storm though. I'm going to be as busy as a beaver once it starts up in
September.
Linda: Oh, you'll weather the storm just fine. You've got a good head
on your shoulders.
Vocabulary
No pain, no gain: Working hard for something.
Calm before the storm: A quiet period before a difficult period of time.
Weather the storm: Make it through, or survive a difficult situation.
Hitting the books: Studying.
Make some bank: To earn lots of money.
Good head on your shoulders: Smart/intelligent.
As busy as a beaver: Working a lot or very hard.
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Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. I'm going to work up in northern Canada to _____.
2. Sorry, I can't hang out. I'll be _____ this weekend.
3. I'm just going to enjoy the _____ before things get too crazy at work.
4. I'm trying to get in shape by training for a marathon. It's tough going but _____.
5. You have a _____. You'll be fine at university.
6. It's going to take more than that to _____.
7. He's _____ with that new course he's taking.
Answers:
1. make some bank 2. hitting the books
3. calm before the storm 4. no pain, no gain
5. good head on your shoulders 6. weather the storm
7. as busy as a beaver
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Set #20: Bite the Bullet
Dialogue
Jerry: Hey Linda, so I decided to finally bite the bullet and get a new
car.
Linda: Oh wow! Did it break the bank?
Jerry: Kind of, but I didn't want another lemon.
Linda: I know, when it rains, it pours, right? Your car was always in
the shop!
Jerry: For real. It was so annoying. Now, I just have to crack the whip
on my employees to get out there and make more money for me to pay for
it.
Linda: Don't discredit yourself! You're working your fingers to the
bone too.
Vocabulary
Bite the bullet: Doing something that you've been avoiding for a while. For
example, someone finally deciding to paint their house after delaying for years.
When it rains, it pours: When more than one bad thing happens at the same time.
Crack the whip: To be tough on someone.
Break the bank: Something that costs a lot.
A lemon: A reference to a car that needs more repairs than usual.
Discredit: Not give someone credit.
Working your fingers to the bone: Working very hard, beyond capacity.
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Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. I wish he'd just _____ and stop complaining so much!
2. My mom used to _____ and make us all clean the house every Sunday morning.
3. That guy has the worst luck! _____.
4. I hope this new-to-me car I just bought isn't _____.
5. Let's go on a nice vacation but I don't want to _____.
6. I don't want to _____ his success, but his father handed him the job.
7. Take a break Tom! You're _____ lately.
Answers:
1. bite the bullet 2. crack the whip
3. When it rain, it pours 4. a lemon
5. break the bank 6. discredit
7. working your fingers to the bone
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Set #21: Getting a Taste of His Own Medicine
Dialogue
Jerry: My son got a taste of his own medicine this weekend. He just
barely escaped legal trouble by the skin of his teeth.
Linda: Seriously? What happened?
Jerry: Well, if you can believe it, someone called in a noise complaint
to the cops. He's usually the one tattling on everyone else.
Linda: What was he doing?
Jerry: Just having a small shindig but I guess his neighbors were tired
of the cops always showing up at their house for minor things.
Linda: Well, it seems like sweet justice to me!
Vocabulary
Got a taste of his own medicine: Being treated in the same bad way he/she has
treated other people.
By the skin of his teeth: Just barely making it.
Noise complaint: Calling the police or authorities when neighbors are too loud.
Tattling: Telling on other people in an annoying way.
Cops: Another name for police.
Shindig: Party.
Sweet justice: When someone deserves what they get.
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Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. I filed a _____ recently on my neighbor after they hosted a late-night
party.
2. Let's have a little _____ to celebrate your birthday.
3. I had to call the _____ because I saw someone steal a car.
4. I'm so relieved that he _____ after bullying people for so many years.
5. Ahhh _____! That guy sure had it coming.
6. As a rule, I don't think _____ is a good thing but this guy deserved it.
7. He narrowly escaped that latest disaster _____.
Answers:
1. noise complaint 2. shindig
3. Cops 4. got a taste of his own medicine
5. sweet justice 6. tattling
7. by the skin of his teeth
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Set #22: Giving Someone the Cold Shoulder
Dialogue
Jerry: My daughter called me for the first time in ages. She usually
gives me the cold shoulder.
Linda: Why? What happened to your relationship?
Jerry: Well, we got in a big fight about paying for grad school. She was
counting her chickens before they hatch and assumed I would pay. But, I
just didn't have the dough. That new car I bought cost a pretty penny.
Linda: Yeah, my son only calls once in a blue moon. He usually wants
some moola too! But to be fair, he never misses a Mother's Day card.
Jerry: Kids these days! That seems like the bare minimum!
Vocabulary
Gives me the cold shoulder: To ignore someone.
Once in a blue moon: Rarely.
Counting her chickens before they hatch: Counting on something before it's
already happened. For example, making plans to go to a certain university before
getting the official acceptance letter.
In ages: In a long time.
Grad school: Graduate school.
The dough: Money.
Moola: Money.
Bare minimum: The least someone is obligated to do.
Cost a pretty penny: To be expensive.
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Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. I wish my kids would do more than the _____ to keep the house clean and tidy.
2. I haven't seen my parents _____ because of Covid.
3. I play tennis _____ because it's always rainy where I live.
4. My neighbor has been _____ lately but I'm not sure why.
5. My daughter is convinced that she'll get into Harvard but I keep telling her to
stop _____.
6. I wish that I'd gone to _____ right after I'd finished university.
7. My brother makes the big _____.
8. Give me _____ please!
9. My university education _____. I hope it was worth it!
Answers:
1. bare minimum 2. in ages
3. once in a blue moon 4. giving me the cold shoulder
5. counting her chicken before they hatch 6. grad school
7. Moola 8. the dough
9. cost a pretty penny
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Set #23: The Last Straw
Dialogue
Jerry: So I think I'm going to leave my wife.
Linda: On no! What happened? You guys always seemed like pretty
happy campers to me.
Jerry: Well, the last straw was looking at my retirement accounts and
seeing that most of them were cleaned out. Plus, we're in the red on all our
other accounts too. She loves to shop till she drops but I didn't realize how
dire it was until now.
Linda: Sorry to hear that. I hope you can get back in the black. You
went from rags to riches once. I'm sure you can do it again.
Jerry: Hopefully, but after paying the divorce lawyers, I'll have a lot of
work to make up for lost time on those retirement accounts. And she may
also want spousal support.
Linda: Well, hang in there my friend. I'm here for you.
Vocabulary
The last straw: The final annoying thing before someone loses their patience. For
example, a child has been misbehaving all day but his dad finally yelled at him
when he wouldn't stay in his room at bedtime.
In the black: To not be in debt.
Leave my wife: Separate or get a divorce.
Happy campers: People that are joyful or having fun together.
Cleaned out: Usually refers to money, when someone spends everything.
Shop till she drops: Loves shopping and spends lots of time doing it.
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Dire: Very bad.
Make up for lost time: Wasted time that you can't get back.
Spousal support: Money paid to a former husband or wife after getting divorced.
From rags to riches: Poor to rich.
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. The food situation is now becoming _____. One of us has to go shopping!
2. Honestly, this is _____ before he gets fired.
3. We started living frugally and are now _____.
4. I want to _____. We just don't have that much in common anymore.
5. The kids were such _____ when I bought them a new trampoline.
6. My wife loves to _____ but I feel nervous about how much money she's
spending.
7. I had to pay _____ after getting divorced.
8. I only started dating in my twenties. Now, I have to _____.
9. Wow! I love the story of that guy going _____ when he moved to the USA.
Answers:
1. Dire 2. the last straw
3. in the black 4. leave my wife
5. happy campers 6. shop till she drops
7. spousal support 8. make up for lost time
9. from rags to riches
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Set #24: The Elephant in the Room
Dialogue
Jerry: I'm ready to blow a gasket at work. Nobody wants to talk about
the elephant in the room.
Linda: Oh yeah? What's going on?
Jerry: Well, the project manager at my company is not on the ball. We
keep talking about budgets and timelines but the reality is that this guy
should get canned. Everything goes through him but it's like pulling teeth
to get anything done because of it.
Linda: It sounds like you guys are getting into deep water. Will your
client bail?
Jerry: I'm starting to wonder. If I was in their shoes, I'd certainly
demand a change. They're bleeding money right now because of it.
Linda: Tough times. I'm curious to see what happens.
Vocabulary
The elephant in the room: Something obvious and important that nobody wants
to talk about.
On the ball: Easily understands things or reacts quickly to a situation.
Getting into deep water: To be in trouble.
Get canned: Fired from a job.
Blow a gasket: Get very angry or annoyed.
Pulling teeth: Something painful or difficult to do.
Bail: To leave or exit quickly, to give up on something.
In their shoes: To consider someone else's position or way or thinking.
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Bleeding money: Losing money very quickly.
Exercise
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase or idiom
1. Honestly, my job would be decent if the company wasn't _____.
2. It's time to _____! I'm nervous that someone is going to call the police.
3. My brother might _____ because he's always leaving early.
4. Everyone is beating around the bush talking about unimportant stuff. But I wish
I had enough courage to mention _____.
5. He's _____ with all his financial commitments.
6. My boss is _____, unlike the last guy.
7. My dad is usually a pretty relaxed guy but sometimes he'd _____ over
something minor.
8. It's honestly like _____ to get any information out of him.
9. Before judging, try to put yourself _____.
Answers:
1. bleeding money 2. bail
3. get canned 4. the elephant in the room
5. getting into deep water 6. on the ball
7. blow a gasket 8. pulling teeth
9. in their shoes
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