to put up with

Example #1:

Joe: I love living in Southern California!
Gina: Yeah, me too! But sometimes it's hard to put up with the traffic.
Joe: I know what you mean. When I'm stuck in traffic I listen to my favorite music. That helps me a lot.

Idiom: to put up with (something). This idiom is used as a verb phrase and it means to endure or to bear something unpleasant, uncomfortable, or inconvenient.

Example #2:

Kathy: So, how do you like your new apartment?
Debbie: The apartment is nice, but my new neighbors are crazy! Last night they had a party until 3am. The music was so loud I couldn't get to sleep. I'm not sure if I'll be able to put up with them if they do that every weekend!

Idiom: to put up with (someone). Here the object is a person. This idiom means to endure or to bear with someone who is really bothering you or making you feel annoyed.

This idiom is from LSI's textbook "Speaking Transitions." We use this book to teach Level 4 Speaking and Listening. For more information please visit
http:/www.languagesystems.com

Dead serious

Context #1:
Kelly: I have some very big news!
Joe: Really?
Kelly: Yeah... I'm engaged!!!!
Joe: You're joking. I don't believe it.
Kelly: No, I'm dead serious. My boyfriend proposed to me last night. Look at my ring!
Joe: Wow! Congratulations!

Context #2:
When Tom told me that he got fired, I didn't really believe him. I was waiting for him to say he was just joking. Then he told me that he was dead serious. I feel really bad for him.

Meaning: to be dead serious is an idiom that is very common in American English. It means that you are not joking or kidding. It means that you are very serious and what you are saying is really true.

This idiom was taken from LSI's text book titled Speaking Savvy. This book is used to teach Speaking and Listening in our Level 5 class. For more information please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/