So much for that idea~!

So much for X

Today we're looking at a set phrase that we use to declare that we tried something or we were going to do something but now we've given up, usually due to circumstances beyond our control.

Fred: Did you hear it's going to rain this weekend?

Henry: So much for going camping. 

(due to the rain we need to give up on our plan to go camping)

Fred: Yeah, that sucks. Why don't we go see a movie instead?

-----------

Peter: Ok, turn it on and let's see if it works.

(pow! the computer sparks and gives off smoke)

John: Ouch! Turn it off, so much for that idea. We'll have to try something else.

So as you can see when something can't happen or doesn't work you can announce that you are giving up on X and ready to move on to a new option.

Sara: How're things with Paula?

Gareth: We broke up, she was cheating on me. So much for that relationship.

Sara: I'm sorry to hear that. I think Jenny likes you though.

Gareth: Really? She's cute, can I have her number?

Have a nice week,

Phil

How do you like being a dentist?

Hi everyone, today's post will look at a useful phrase you can use when talking about someone's job.

How do you like being X?

This is a question you can use when discussing someone's current state such as their job, being a father/mother/grandfather/uncle, in a band, etc.

When you answer you usually use one of two structures: one for positive feelings and one for negative ones.

It's negative adjective. I have to (do something unpleasant).

or

It's positive adjective. I get to (do something pleasant).

In the negative structure, you are forced to do something and so you don't enjoy your situation.

In the positive structure, you are permitted to do something and so you like your situation.

Let's look at some examples:

A: How do you like being married?

B: It's great. I get to be with the love of my life.

-------


A: How do you like being a factory worker?

B: It's so boring. I have to do the same thing all day everyday.

-------

A: How do you like being a doctor.

B: It's tough but rewarding. I get to save lives.

------

A: How do you like being on the basketball team?

B: It's fun. I get to spend a lot of time with my friends.

------

A: How do you like being a freelancer?

B: It's hard. I always have to look for new clients.


Any questions? Have a nice weekend,

Phil

He's not a team player

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted a new English Tip. Sorry about that, I'll try to post more regularly.

Today I'll look at 3 idioms:

To Be a Team Player

This means that you support your team and help them, you do your fair share of the work and work well as part of the group.

Bill's a real team player, he's always helping out people in the office.

If you're a team player, you'll do great as part of our company.

A glory hog

This is someone who selfishly wants to keep all the glory to themselves. 

I think LeBron James is a glory hog he always acts like he was the only person responsible for his team winning.

When I was in college, I was a glory hog who always had to be in the spotlight.

A show off

This is someone who likes to display his/her things or his/her skills to demonstrate that they are better than others. It can also be used as a phrasal verb.

Stop being such a show off, I know you're great at skateboarding but if you're not careful you'll hurt yourself.

Terry's always showing off his new Rolex these days.

Any questions? Here's a little dialogue using all three:


Al: Why'd David get fired?

Tom: He wasn't a team player. He was a glory hog always trying to steal the credit for other people's work

Al: Really? What a jerk! I knew he was a show off who liked to brag about all his expensive things but I didn't realize he was that bad.

Money is no object~!

Continuing the money theme from my last post I thought of this expression while in class today:

Money is no object!

Now unfortunately, I've never been in a position to say this but I've heard it in movies & TV shows often enough. It simply means that "I don't care about the cost" or "I will pay whatever price you like" or "Spare no expense". Basically, it's used to tell a shopkeeper that you want the best and don't care about the price. You can find thefreedictionary.com's definition here.

I just won the lottery, give me your best bottle of champagne! Money is no object.

After my uncle got promoted he started spending like money was no object, eventually he went bankrupt!

Here's a great video of a talk where Alan Watts a British philosopher asks the question:

What would you do if money was no object?




Have a great weekend!

Phil

Put your money where your mouth is~!

Today we'll look at a few idioms linked to gambling. If you are very sure about something you could say:

I'd put money on it.

This means that you believe it so much that you are willing to bet money that you're right. It is generally used in the following grammar structure:

X would put money on Y

And since you are telling people about your high degree of certainty X is usually I.

I'd put money on it raining tomorrow.

I'd put money on Tom getting the promotion.

You might talk about other people but this isn't so common:

She'd put money on him proposing on their anniversary next week.

In this case it is a form of reported speech, you are telling someone that she told you he is sure he will propose on their anniversary.

Another, more dramatic way, to express a high degree of certainty that something is true/will happen is to say:

I'd stake my life on it

You often hear this in casual English and it is in a ton of movies where gangsters catch someone and want them to talk:

Gangster: Where's the money?

John: I don't know~!

Gangster: (breaks a finger) Where's the MONEY?

John: Tom might have it...

Gangster: MIGHT? (pushes on the broken finger)

John: He has it, he has it. I'd stake my life on it.

Gangster: You just did.

In this case you are literally saying "I'd bet my life on it" so if you are wrong they'll kill you!

The last idiom we'll look at is one where two people are arguing and someone says"

Put your money where your mouth is!

This means that you talk tough like you are right or can do something but prove it - make a bet and show me I'm wrong.

Al: I can sink 3 basketballs in 1 minute from half-court.

Bill: What? No way!

Al: I can, I do it all the time.

Bill: Put your money where your mouth is, 20$ says you can't.

Al: You're on, let's go to the basketball court and I'll show you how it's done.

So Al said he could do something, Bill didn't believe him and bet him 20$ he can't. They made a bet and now they will go find out who is right.

Have a nice weekend guys,

Phil

A kind of handsome vs. kind of handsome

Sorry for not posting in awhile but I have been busy with other things, awhile back a student of mine said:

My friend is a kind of handsome.

Now in English when you add a the meaning can change quite significantly:

I ate a pizza yesterday (a whole pizza!)

I ate pizza yesterday (some pizza, we don't know how much)

In this case by using "a kind of" it means a type of or a variety of. This tells someone that your friend is not the normal style of handsome but rather that he is an unusual variety of handsome.

Pork is a kind of meat.

meaning 

Pork is one variety of meat.

So a kind of is used to define something or put it into a category.

My friend is kind of handsome.

In this case, kind of is a modifier where you can soften the following word. So it means that her friend is a bit handsome.

It's kind of far.

meaning

It's a little bit far.

So as you can guess in conversation people are much more likely to use kind of than a kind of!

Any questions?

Phil

be used to vs. used to

Now back in 2010 I wrote a blog post about the meaning and the way to use the expression used to. Today I will be looking at the difference between be+used to and used to.

BE + USED TO

This is what we say when people have adjusted to a change in their lives.

It was tough when I started my new job at first but I am used to it now.

Are you used to living in Japan yet?

In many cases, be will be replaced with get:

Oh you think it's noisy here? You'll get used to it.
(You will adapt to it.)

I couldn't get used to the smell of stinky tofu when I was in Taiwan.(I couldn't adjust and accept the smell)

USED TO + verb

This simply means that before X was true and now it isn't

I used to play tennis. (now I don't)

She used to work at Panasonic. (now she doesn't)

My company used to make a pomegranate jam. (now it doesn't - it was discontinued)

Be very careful not to mix these two up!

Any questions?

Phil