Page 14 - Speak English Like an American

(to) break the news — to make something known
EXAMPLE 1: Samantha and Michael are getting married, but they haven’t
yet broken the news to their parents.
EXAMPLE 2: You'd better break the news to your father carefully. After
all, you don’t want him to have a heart attack!

(to) cost an arm and a leg — to be very expensive
Examp_e |: A college education in America costs an arm and a leg.
EXAMPLE 2: All of the furniture at Honest Abe’s costs an arm and a leg!

dead-end job — a job that won’t lead to anything else

EXxAMpLe 1: Diane realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job.
EXAMPLE 2: Jim worked many dead-end jobs before finally deciding to
start his own business.

(let’s) face it ~ accept a difficult reality
p
EXAmpLeE |: Let’s face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn’t
be failing so many of his classes!
EXAMPLE 2: Let’s face it, if you don’t have a college degree, it can be
difficult to find a high-paying job.

(to) give one the creeps — to create a feeling of disgust or horror
Exampce |: Ted’s friend Matt has seven earrings in each ear and an “I
Love Mom” tattoo on his arm. He really gives Nicole the creeps.
EXAMPLE 2: There was a strange man following me around the grocery
store. He was giving me the creeps!

(to) go back to the drawing board — to start a task over
because the last try failed; to start again from the beginning
Exampte 1: Frank’s new business failed, so he had to go back te the
drawing board.
ExampLe 2: The president didn’t agree with our new ideas for the com-
EXxampLe 2: Poor Paul! He was given the ax two days before Christmas.

pany, so we had to go back to the drawing board.

(to) go belly-up — to go bankrupt
ExampLe 1: Many people lost their jobs when Enron went belly-up.
EXAMPLE 2: My company lost $3 million last year. We might go belly-up.

(to) give someone the ax — to fire someone
Exampte |: Mary used to talk to her friends on the phone all day at work,
until one day her boss finally gave her the ax.

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