Idiom: Bells and
Whistles
Example 1:
Gerry: Congratulations,
Kiki! I heard you passed the driver’s test!
Kiki: Yes,
I’m so happy. It took me three tries, but I finally have a driver’s license.
Gerry: So have you
thought about buying a car?
Kiki: Of
course! My dad said he would help me, so we have been looking for cars
together. It’s been a little difficult because he has a completely different
idea about what kind of car I should buy.
Gerry: What
do you mean?
Kiki: Well, I want a
cute car with all the bells and whistles! Then I can drive around
the town in style. But my dad wants me to start with something boring and
basic.
Gerry: Actually, it’s
probably better to just get a basic car at first without the bells and
whistles. It’s cheaper and more practical.
Kiki: But it’s my
first car!
Example 2:
Jackie: What’s
the matter? You look upset!
Tommy: My computer
crashed and I don’t think I’ll be able to repair it. I really can’t afford to
buy a new computer right now!
Jackie: Don’t
worry. Computers are not that expensive, especially if you buy a computer
without all the bells and whistles. The more extras you add,
the more expensive it will be.
Tommy: I guess you are
right, but I really do a lot of things on the computer in addition to my work.
I especially like gaming and you need a strong computer for that, one that has
all the bells and whistles.
Jackie: Well,
maybe you will just have to make a sacrifice for now. Get a basic computer and
add the extras later when you can afford it.
Meaning: Extra; the things that a device or machine has or does that are not necessary, but that make it more exciting.
