Mini-Lesson 1.

call it a day: stop doing an activity for the day / resting after doing an activity /
 ufff, after all the things I have done, I think I’m going to call it a day.
 Great job team, Let’s call it a day. But don’t forget tomorrow is a new day!

call off: cancel an activity

 I was not expecting these extra activities to show up, I’ll need to call our appointment off.
 I’ll need to call off our appointment.

call on: visit

 My parents-in-laws called on me this weekend. It was a nice surprise since I haven’t seen
them for ages

calm down: relax

 You need to calm down. you are no spring chicken anymore
 Watching TV calms me down when I’m nervous.

care for: take care of, look after / like , feel affection for
 Can you care for my dog tomorrow?
 I really care for you. Please marry me!

catch on: become popular / catchy / trendy

 Wearing a mask caught on in Colombia last year.
 I think this song is going to catch on.
catch on (to): understand = get
 I didn’t catch on to what you said.

catch up (with): reach the same level as others / to get up to date, but after getting behind
 My classmates already finished the project. I need to catch up with them.
 I haven’t paid the rent. I owe two months. I need to catch up.
 Yesterday, I couldn’t attend class because I was so busy at work, so today I’ll have to
brush up on the documents my partners study while I was absent in order to catch up.

check in (or into): register (at a hotel)

 People in Colombia check in their hotels at 3:00 p.m. give or take. (more or less)
 Before going up to your bedroom, make sure you pass by the reception area and check in

check out: take material out (from a library) / verify, examine / pay for
 I want to check out this book. / I want to check this book out.
 Don’t send the final paper until I had checked it out. We don’t want any trouble when the
printing process takes place.
 After you pick up some things in the supermarket or any other store, you have to check
products out. Otherwise, you could get arrested.

check out (of): leave (a hotel)

 If people in this Hotel want to check out, they must do it prior 2:00 p.m.

cheer up: become happy, be happy (motivational expression)

 It was just a test. Come on, cheer up! There more tests to come
 My best friend always cheers me up when I’m sad.

chip in (on/for): share the cost of something / contribute

Hey pals! I only have 5 bucks and I am starving, why don’t we chip in for a pizza?!
clear up: the weather becomes nice and sunny / clarify
 Even though last days have been cloudy and rainy, the day clears up today
 Can you clear me up some questions?

come across: bump into / run into

 I came across a fallen tree when I was driving.
 She came across her husband when she was in the mall with another man.

come around (to): begin to change your mind, begin to agree on something or with someone
 I came around to matrimony. When I was young, I used to think it was something
horrible, now I can clearly see how beautiful it is.
 As a child, when I was 12, I hated soup. Now I have come around to liking soup

come down with: become sick with an illness

 He came down with COVID.
 We got so wet on our way here, that’s why we came down with a cold

come up with: think of/ about (usually an idea)

 It’s Clara’s birthday tomorrow and we have to come up with something special.
 Where is George
I don’t know, he always comes up with excuses so he can avoid responsibilities.

cost an arm and a leg: exceedingly, extremely expensive

 That car cost me an arm and a leg.

count on: bank on / give some support, rely on

 You can count on me.
 who’s going to lead the project while the supervisor is away
 I am. Count on that!

count out: eliminate, no longer consider something, skip doing something // Don’t count on
someone
 Due to traveling restrictions, we’ll have to count going to Australia out. / Due to traveling
restrictions, we’ll have to count out going to Australia.
 I’m deeply sorry Rick, but today I am taking my wife to her mom’s house. Count me out
of the game.

cut off: stop, discontinue (a service: water, gas, etc)

 The electricity supply in our neighborhood was cut off this morning.

(be) cut out for: have aptitudes for doing something (really good at doing something), be
qualified for doing something, be an expert at doing something
 Michelle has a great deal of experience; she has worked for some of the most prominent
companies. I know she’s cut out for business.
 I’m cut out for testing analysis.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks in the sentences or dialogues with idioms from the list. There will be
one word per blank. It may be necessary to change the verb form in order for the sentence to be
grammatically correct.

1. The reception in the garden had to be __________ _________ because of rain.

2. Don't get so excited. Just __________ __________ and tell us what happened.
3. I was looking up some information in the almanac when I __________ _________ an

interesting fact.

4. I can __________ _________ my car. It's very dependable and never breaks down.

5. How did you __________ __________ _________ such a strange idea?

6. I arrived in town last night at seven-thirty and __________ _________ my hotel at around

eight. This morning I plan to __________ _________ at about nine.

7. "Did you rent this videotape?"

"No, I __________ it __________ _________ the library."

8. You look tired. Why don't we__________ __________ __________ _________ and finish

up tomorrow?

9. It won't be too expensive to buy Professor McMillan a present if we all __________

__________.

10.If Jim doesn't pay his electric bill soon, the utilities company might__________ _________

his electricity.

11."I don't understand this theorem at all."

"Talk to Professor Adler. I'll bet she can __________ __________ your confusion."

12.Who __________ __________ your cat while you were out of town?

13.A good stereo system doesn't have to __________ __________ __________ __________

__________ _________. You can find one for a reasonable price.

14.Cauliflower isn't my favorite vegetable. In fact, I don't __________ __________ it at all.

15."I'm depressed. I didn't do very well on the first quiz."

__________ _________! That quiz only counted for 10% of the total grade, and I'm sure

you'll do better on the other tests."

16."How did Eric do in the ski race?"

"He got off to a bad start, so he never __________ __________ _________ the leaders."

17."Why did Brenda drop out of business school?"

"She decided she wasn't __________ __________ _________ a career in business. She's

going to study art instead."

18.This song wasn't very popular when it was first recorded, but now it's starting to

__________ __________.

19."Your roommate is still planning to vote for Smithson for president of the Student Council?"

"Yes, but I'm going to keep talking to him. I think eventually he'll __________ __________

_________ our point of view and vote for Brannigan."

20.That saleswoman __________ _________ her clients at least once a month because she

thinks personal contact is important.

21."Is it still raining?"

"No, the rain has stopped, and it's starting to __________ __________."