To Ask For It

Idiom: "To Ask For It"

 

Context #1:

 

John:  Man!  What happened to your hand? It's all wrapped up like you just came from the hospital!

Tony:  I got bit by my neighbor's dog this morning.

John:  The dog just attacked you?

Tony:  No, I was teasing the dog and I guess the dog got angry and bit me.

John: That was pretty stupid of you.  You asked for it!

 

Context #2:

 

Paulina:  Guess what?  I got another speeding ticket today.

Kathy: Again?  I thought you were going to start driving more carefully.

Paulina:  Well, I was late for work and to make it on time I had to go like 85mph on the freeway.  I was driving so fast that I had to weave in and out of the cars that were going like 70.

Kathy: You were going 85 on the freeway?  You were asking for a ticket.

 

"To ask for something" is a common idiom used by native speakers.  It means that someone deserved the negative consequences they experienced.  It's the same as saying, "Well, you deserved it."  Practical idioms like this can be learning in LSI Speaking books like "Speaking Savvy," which is used to teach the Level 5 Speaking/Listening classes at Language Systems schools.  For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.com 

My Bad

Idiom: "My Bad"

Context #1:

Tom (passenger): Oh man look!  We got a parking ticket!  How much is it for?

Steve (owner of the car): I have to pay $55.

Tom: Do you want me to help you pay the ticket?

Steve: You don't need to.  It's my bad.  I knew I should have put some money in the parking meter.

Context #2:

Sally: I heard you broke up with your boyfriend.

Jane: Yeah, actually, he kind of broke up with me.

Sally:  Really?  What happened?

Jane:  Well, I think it was my bad.  I just kept nagging him too much about every little thing. 

Meaning: "my bad" is a very common idiom in American English, especially among young people.  It basically means, "it was my fault."  American young people use this expression when they take responsibility for something that went wrong.  Everyday expressions like this are taught in the Speaking/Listening classes at Language Systems International.  For more information please visit: www.languagesystems.com

Hit The Spot

Idiom: Hit the Spot

 

Example: Mike and Alex are eating at a restaurant after class

 

Alex: Wow! You ate that sandwich pretty quickly!

Mike: Dude, I was so hungry. I was running late today so I had to skip breakfast.

Alex: I see. Did the sandwich hit the spot?

Mike: Yeah! It definitely hit the spot!!

 

Meaning of 'hit the spot': to be exactly what is needed or wanted (if the food hits the spot, it makes you feel satisfied). 

http://www.languagesystems.com

To Go For It

To Go For It

Chad and Todd are standing in front of their workplace, drinking coffee.

Chad: I got a job offer yesterday.

Todd: You mean - you’re leaving us?

Chad: Well, I’ve been working for this company for 6 years. I love you guys, but I think I need to move on. I’m just a little nervous.

Todd: Tell me about the new position.

Chad: It’s a management position. But the salary is a little lower than what I make now. On the other hand, the benefits are great and I have one month off every year.

Todd: Sounds like a good deal. You should go for it!

Chad:  I think I will. Will you visit me in Alaska?

Meaning: To go for it – an expression which is used to encourage someone to do something.

This idiom was taken from LSI’s book, SPEAKING SAVVY. For more information, please visithttp://www.languagesystems.com

Take A Toll On / Take Its Toll On

Idiom: to take a/its toll on; used as a verb

First Example:

Sharon: Wow, you've been working late a lot lately!

Geoff: Yeah, and it's beginning to take a toll on me.

Sharon: What do you mean?

Geoff: Well, I've been really stressed, and my health is getting worse because I haven't been going to the gym or getting enough sleep. I've gotten sick twice in the last two months!

Sharon: Wow, maybe you should take some time off.

Geoff: I'm planning on it, once I get this report finished.

Meaning: When something "takes a toll on" something, it means that the subject is having a negative effect on the object of the idiom.  Usually, the idiom "take a toll on" is used when a person or thing has been doing a certain action a lot, and that action is starting to have a negative impact on the person or thing doing it.  In the example above, Geoff has been working late a lot, and the extra time at work and stress is having a negative impact on, or "taking a toll on", Geoff's health.  The expression can be used with the word "a" or "its" interchangeably, so the example above could have also been "Yeah, and it's beginning to take its toll on me" without a change in meaning.  Look at another example involving an object that is being affected: 

Michael: I need to get a new car.

Jennifer: I thought you said you would never get rid of that BMW?

Michael: Yeah, I love the car, but traffic is really beginning to take its toll on the engine.  I've broken down twice in the last month, and there's a weird sound coming from under the hood.

Jennifer:  How old is the car?        

Michael: It's from 1972, and it was great when I drove short distances, but I don't think it was made for sitting in traffic.  Hopefully I can find a collector who wants to restore it.  Then I can use the money as a down payment on something a little newer and more reliable.

In this example, Michael says he needs to get a new car because the traffic is "taking its toll" on his current car.  He thinks sitting in traffic is having a negative effect on the older car, so he is thinking about selling it and buying something newer.  Notice that Michael used "its" instead of "a" in the idiom (although "taking a toll" would also be technically correct in this instance).

This idiom is from LSI's new edition of "Reading Horizons," which will be used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com

To Take Something To Heart

Idiom: to take __  to heart; used as a verb

First Example:

Chrissie: Can you believe Patti said that?

Steven: What did she say?

Chrissie: She said that I should just quit the tennis tournament now so that I'm not embarrassed later. She said she's going to kick my butt!

Steven: Oh, you shouldn't take anything she says to heart.  She's just very competitive and loves talking trash* to her opponents.

Chrissie: Really?  She was so aggressive that she kind of scared me.

Steven: She's not going to hurt you, and I'm sure you're not the only person she has said that to.  Just focus on how good it's going to feel when you prove her wrong.

Chrissie: Yeah... I guess I am a more experienced player.

Steven: There you go.  Keep telling yourself that!

Meaning: When people "take something to heart," it means that they consider a comment as being personally significant.  Usually used with a noun or "it" in the middle, the expression is often used with a negative when telling someone not to take something personally.  In the example above, Chrissie is worried about Patti's comment, but Steven says that Patti is always aggressive when she competes, and that Chrissie shouldn't take her comments to heart.  The expression can also be used without a negative, as can be seen in the following example from an email: 

Hi Lou,

Thanks for your feedback on my behavior at work.  At first, I got a little defensive after you told me I "shouldn't be preaching at work."  I thought you were attacking my religious beliefs, and my feelings were hurt.  But then I thought about how I would feel if someone was forcing their beliefs on me at work, and I realized that you were not attacking me personally; I was just making you uncomfortable!  So I took your comments to heart, and I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I will try not to talk about religion at work any more, and if I'm ever making you feel uncomfortable again, please let me know.

Thanks,

Maureen

In this example, Maureen is writing an email to Lou thanking him for feedback on her behavior.  In the email, she says that his comment about preaching at work initially hurt her feelings, but that she eventually understood, and that she took his comments to heart.  This means that she applied them to herself and it made her change her opinion and/or behavior.

*Note: to "talk trash" means to speak in negative, insulting or abusive ways; it is commonly used when speaking to competitors.

This idiom is from LSI's new edition of "Reading Horizons," which will be used in the Level 6 Reading classes. For more information, please visit http://www.languagesystems.com/   

To Fend for Oneself

To Fend for Oneself

Meaning: To take care of oneself without help.

Example 1:

Tom: Oh, my! What a cute little kitten!

Sarah: Yes, isn’t she adorable? I just found her yesterday in the back yard of my parents’ house. She was all alone and in good health. I was surprised because she is so young and it is hard for a kitten to fend for herself without a mother cat.

Tom: Yes, that is surprising. Usually baby animals have a hard time surviving by themselves. It’s really great that she was able to fend for herself and stay healthy at the same time.

Sarah: Yes, I know. We want to pick out a good name for her that shows how strong she is. Do you have any ideas?

Tom: Well, you could call her “Kick Butt Kitty!”

Sarah: Ha ha! That’s cute, but a little too long.

Example 2:

Ken: Did you hear about Kevin’s mom?

Jack: No, what happened?

Ken: She was in a terrible car accident and will be in the hospital for at least two months!

Jack: Oh, no! And his father left them a long time ago, so he only has his mom!

Ken: Yes, on top of that, Kevin’s mom does everything for him even though he is 20 years old. I’m worried about him. I don’t think he will be able to fend for himself while she is gone.

Jack: Yes, that’s going to be really tough. I don’t think he even knows how to make a sandwich. He might starve! How will he eat? What about his clothes? Who will clean them?

Ken: Well, I told him last summer that he should come camping with me for two weeks in the wilderness. It’s a tough trip, but he could have learned how to fend for himself and not be so dependent on his mother.

Jack: He’ll have to find a job, too so that he can pay the rent and buy gas for his car. I guess he is going to learn really fast how to fend for himself!

Ken: Yes. I hope he can do it.

Meaning:
To Fend for Oneself means to take care of oneself without the help of others. In the first example, the kitten was able to fend for herself alone outside even though she was just a baby. In the second example, Kevin depends completely on his mother for every part of his life, so when his mother is in the hospital, Kevin’s friends are worried they he won’t be able to fend for himself.

This idiom can be found in the 2^nd edition of Reading Horizons. This book is used at LSI schools in the level 6 Reading/Vocabulary classes. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com