Toni Aberson - Its a Breeze: 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms

ITS A BREEZE 42 LIVELY ENGLISH LESSONS ON AMERICAN IDIOMS BY TONI ABERSON co-author of Compelling Conversation s and Compelling American Conversations Edited by Eric H. Roth and Hal Bogotch Published by Chimayo Press COPYRIGHT Its a Breeze 42 Lively English Lessons on American Idioms Copyright 2013 by Toni Aberson All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Aberson, Toni. It's a Breeze: 42 lively English lessons on American idioms / by Toni Aberson; edited by Eric H. cm. cm.

Includes index. LCCN 2012944362 ISBN 978-0-9847985-1-3 e-ISBN 978-0-9847985-2-0 1. English languageConversation and phrase books. 2. Americanisms. Idioms. I. I.

Aberson, Toni, 1937- II. Title. III. Title: 42 lively English lessons on American idioms. IV. Title: Forty-two lively English lessons on American idioms.

PE1131.A24 2012 428.3'4 QBI12-600201 Photographs by Toni Aberson, Dani Roth, Maya Roth, and Laurie Selik. Additional photographs from iStockphoto.com. To order additional copies, share comments, ask questions, or contribute American idioms, please visit . Chimayo Press 3766 Redwood Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066-3506 United States of America 1-855-ESL-Book or 1-855-375-2665 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) www.ChimayoPress.com DEDICATION Dedicated to Lisa Aberson (1947 2007) Lisa lived with strength and gusto. She had a passion for words and an enthusiasm for life.

I miss her daily. INTRODUCTION Hes wet behind the ears. The test was a piece of cake. She came right out of the blue. Do you know the words, but dont understand the meaning? These short sentences use common American idioms. You will find idioms on television, in sports, at work, and at school.

Idioms are one reason English can be a difficult language for many adults to learn. You have to learn common American idioms to really speak English in a natural style. The good news is that studying idioms even as an intermediate English student can be fun! We will go at a comfortable pace, learning idiom by idiom. In fact, each short lesson is built around a single common American idiom and its meaning. You will read a brief story of daily life, learn some vocabulary, write a few sentences, and ask and answer some conversation questions. The lively lessons encourage thinking and sharing in a relaxed atmosphere.

Lessons have been organized together in six units. The early units are easy, and later units are a bit more difficult. You will get a chance to show your increased knowledge on unit quizzes, too. As you know, in todays world, learning English is key to a better life. These lessons will help you use more colorful English in your life. These lessons will also help you gain a better understanding of the English you hear around you and on television, learn more about American culture, and speak more like an American.

Idiom by idiom, you will find speaking English less difficult and more fun. You might even find that speaking English is a breeze. Enjoy! Toni Aberson October 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS UNIT ONE LETS GET STARTED! Here are some easy lessons about idioms that are common in the United States. Doing these few warm-up lessons will help yo u learn the ropes . If learning about American culture is on you r bucket list , you will enjoy these lessons. If you learn all the vocabulary in this book, you ca n toot your own hor n .

See how idioms work? Once you start using them, it is hard to stop. They are fun. They make writing and speaking more interesting. Lets get started! You will see . Its a breez e . A person has to learn the ropes to sail a boat.

Its a breez e its easy; its pleasant. Learn the rope s learn how to do the job. Bucket lis t a list of experiences you would like to have sometime in your life. Toot your own hor n brag about how great you are. ITS A BREEZE USAGE Dont worry about the written driving test . Its a breeze.

MEANING Its a breez e means its easy and pleasant. STORY Jana had a new job working as a cashier in the local grocery store. She was a little worried, because she had never worked a cash register before. The manager said, Theres no need to worry. An experienced cashier will work with you the first few days. Shell show you how to scan groceries and how to put groceries in a cloth sack or paper bag.

If theres an unexpected problem, shell take over. Trust me , its a breez e . VOCABULARY breez e a gentle wind. The people on the beach enjoyed the cool breeze from the ocean. cashie r the person who totals the amount due, collects the payment from the customer, puts the money in the cash register, and gives appropriate change back to the customer. sca n to move or hold each item so that its code can be read and the price of the item can be entered into the electronic cash register. sca n to move or hold each item so that its code can be read and the price of the item can be entered into the electronic cash register.

For some reason, the spaghetti package would not scan, so the cashier entered the code by hand. sac k a paper, plastic, or cloth bag, used to carry things. A good cashier puts heavier items at the bottom of the sack, or grocery bag, so that lighter items are not broken. unexpecte d not expected; unplanned; surprising. I received an unexpected letter from an old school friend. 1. 1.

In each of the following sentences, fill in the blank with the vocabulary word that best completes the sentence. A grocery _____ often stands on her feet for hours. Be careful when you_____ the eggs. The pleasant _____ suddenly became a strong wind. 2. Use each of the letters in the word groceries (G R O C E R I E S) as the first letter of something you could buy at a grocery store or supermarket.

You may work with a partner. Note the example with the letter G. G: grapes R: O: C: E: R: I: E: S: CONVERSATION 1. Have you ever worried about something that late r was a breez e ? How did you feel before the event? How did you feel afterward? 2. Have you ever had a job where you handled money? What kind of job was it? Have you ever worked a cash register? If so, was it easy? What is the hardest part of using a cash register? 3. and shopping for groceries in your native country? What are the differences? Which do you prefer? Why? Other choices : Instead of sayin g its a breez e , one might say it wa s a walk in the park . and shopping for groceries in your native country? What are the differences? Which do you prefer? Why? Other choices : Instead of sayin g its a breez e , one might say it wa s a walk in the park .

Both idioms mean that the experience was easy and pleasant. LEARN THE ROPES USAGE Whenever you start a new job, you have t o learn the ropes. MEANING When yo u learn the ropes , you learn how to do the job. The meaning o f this idiom comes from learning how to sail a boat. Now it means learning how to do any job. STORY Steve got a job as a server at a popular Italian restaurant.

He wanted to start serving customers his first night on the job so he could earn tips, in addition to his salary. The boss said, Slow down. Dont rush things. Work with Mario for a few days, and you will see how we do things here. First, you wil l learn the rope s . Then well talk about your work schedule.