【Speak English Like An American】Lesson 14

Amber and Ted Heat up the Kitchen

Amber and Ted are in the kitchen baking cookies. Amber asks Ted to give her a kiss, but Ted tells her he’s too busy. Then he feels guilty and goes to her. But suddenly, they’re not alone!

Amber: Ted, when I met you, it was love at first sight.

Ted: I was nuts about you from the beginning too, Amber. Don’t forget, I broke up with that girl Tiffany after I met you.

Amber: Come here and give me a kiss.

Ted:Give me a break, Amber! We don’t have time for that now. We need to crank out these cookies.

Amber: You don’t really love me, do you?

Ted: Amber, I’m head over heels in love with you. But it’s crunch time with these cookies.

Amber: Cookies, cookies, cookies ——you’ve got a one-track mind. He loves cookies, yeah, yeah, yeah...

Ted: Amber, I need to keep working, but you can take a break if you want.

Amber: No, I’ll keep plugging away...I’m just your cookie slave. Go ahead, treat me like dirt! 

Ted: Sorry, Amber. Come here and let me give you a quick kiss.

(Susan enters the kitchen)

Susan: Hey, what’s going on in here? Are you two making cookies or making out?

Idioms

 (to) break up with (someone) - to end a relationship with a romantic partner 与……断绝关系

Example 1: When Nicole’s boyfriend told her he didn't want to see her any more, she replied, “I can’t believe you’re breaking up with me!”

Example 2: After dating her boyfriend Dan for four years, Erica finally decided to break up with him.

(to) crank out — to produce rapidly or in a routine manner 粗制滥造

Example 1: Last night, Nicole cranked out 200 signs for her campaign.

Example 2: We just bought a new printer at work. It can crank out 20 pages per minute.

crunch time - a short period when there’s high pressure to achieve a result 关键时刻

Example 1: The entire month of December is crunch time for Santa Claus.

Example 2: May is crunch time for many students. It’s when they have their final exams.

Give me a break! - that’s ridiculous; that’s outrageous 让我休息下

EXAMPLE 1: You want me to pay $3 for one cookie? Give me a break!

EXAMPLE 2: You expect me to believe that excuse? Give me a break!

Note:You might see this written in its informal, conversational form: “Gimme a break!” This is usually how the idiom is pronounced.

go ahead - to continue; to proceed without hesitation 继续

EXAMPLE 1: We have more than enough food for dinner. Go ahead and invite your friend to join us.

EXAMPLE 2: Let’s go ahead and buy our plane tickets now.

NOTE:“GO ahead” can also be used as a noun, as in the expression “to give somebody the go ahead,” meaning to give somebody permission to move forward with anactivity.

head over heels inlove - very much in love沉溺于爱河

Example 1: During the first years of their marriage, Brad and Jennifer were head overheels in love with each other.

EXAMPLE 2: Sara is head over heels in love with Mark. Unfortunately, he doesn’t even know her name!

love at first sight- an immediate attraction 一见钟情

EXAMPLE1: It took Allison several months to fall in love with Karl. It wasn’t love at first sight.

EXAMPLE2: Tony liked Tara immediately. It was love at first sight!

(to) make out - to kiss with much passion 柔情地接吻和抚摸；爱抚

EXAMPLE:Ted and Amber started making out at the stoplight and didn't realize that the light had turned green.

NOTE:“Make out” also means:

1) To manage. How did you make out at the doctor’s today?

2) To understand or see with difficulty. It was so foggy, I could barely make out the street signs.

3) To prepare a check or other payment. Please make out a check for this month’s rent.

(to be) nuts about - to like very much 迷恋

EXAMPLE 1:  Ted has every single Metallica album— he’s nuts about that band.

EXAMPLE 2: We’re just nuts about our new neighbors. We have them over for dinner once a month.

SYNONYM: crazy about

(to have a) one-track mind -having all thoughts directed to just one thing or activity; focused on just one thing 一根筋

EXAMPLE1: Ryan thinks about football all the time. He’s got a one-track mind.

EXAMPLE2: Mia has a one-track-mind. She thinks about boys all the time.

(to) plug away (at something) - to proceed with a boring or routine task; to keep trying 埋头苦干

Example 1: Only 842 more cookies to bake. Let’s keep plugging away!

Example 2: Don’t give up on chemistry class. If you keep plugging away, you will eventually learn the material.

take a break - see Lesson 13 休息一下

 (to) treat (someone) like dirt - to behave in a nasty way towards someone; to treat someone poorly 不把某人当人看

EXAMPLE 1: Nobody was surprised when Nicole’s boyfriend broke up with her, since she treated him like dirt.

Example 2: I feel sorry for Jeffrey. The kids at school are very nasty to him. They really treat him like dirt.

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