The Bottom Line

Idiom: The Bottom line

Example 1:

Tammy: I'm so excited about starting my new business! I've always dreamed of selling
clothing. Now, I'm decorating my store and setting up fashion displays.

Selma: That's great! I'm sure it's a lot of fun getting everything ready and fixing up the store; however, the bottom line is that you need to get a lot of customers to stay open.

Tammy: Yes, I know and I've been adverstising my grand opening in the local media. I hope it
works.

Selma: Good luck with everything!

Example 2:

Sammy formed a band this year called "The Black Cats" with his friends Jimmy and Frank. They like to play popular songs and often perform at different places during the weekends. Each member of the band has a regular job during the week. Sammy and Jimmy are lawyers, and Frank teaches ESL at LSI. The bottom line is that they all love music and want to play it. They don't care if they make a lot of money.

Meaning:
The Bottom Line means the most important fact or point of something. In the first example, Tammy has opened a new business and is talking about decorating her store. However, the most important fact for Tammy is that she brings in customers to buy what she is selling. In the second example, three guys form a band and play at different places on the weekend. It's not enough to make a living, but the most important thing for these guys is that they are doing what
they love, playing music.

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook
Reading Transitions. This book is used at LSI schools in the level
Reading/Vocabulary classes. For more information, please visit: http://www.languagesystems.com/

to pull one's own weight

to pull one's own weight; used as a verb

Example 1: Mario has been looking for a new job for about a month. He doesn't like his current job because he has to do all the work. The other people in his work do not pull their own weight, so he is really stressed out all the time. He would rather work at a job where each person pulls his own weight and does their assigned duties.

Meaning: to pull one's own weight means to do the work you are responsible for. In the first example, Mario doesn't like his work very much because other people at his work do not pull their own weight, meaning they do not do their share of the work.

Example 2: Tom, Bill and Fred decided to rent a house together a couple of months ago. However, Bill and Fred have asked Tom to move out because Tom just doesn't pull his own weight around the house. Bill and Fred have to do all the housework and Tom just sits around watching TV.

Meaning: In example 2, Tom is not doing his share of the housework, so he is not pulling his own weight around the house. His roommates are doing all the work, so they want Tom to move out.

This idiom is from LSI's book "Speaking Savvy," which is used in the Level 5 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com