[C] Fun with Colors: Idioms

LET'S UNLOCK WORDS AND PHRASES 🔐

spare

[ spair ]

verb

- to decide not to hurt or destroy something or someone

He wanted to spare his family from the stress he had endured.

abandon

[ uh-'ban-duhn ]

verb

- to leave a place, thing, or person, usually forever

We had to abandon the car.

offend

[ uh-'fend ]

verb

- to make someone upset or angry

I think she was offended that she hadn't been invited to the party.

slip through sb's fingers

phrase

- If you allow an opportunity or a person to slip through your fingers, you lose it, him, or her through not taking care or making an effort.

You shouldn't let a job like that slip through your fingers!

for the sake of

phrase

- for the purpose of something, or because you want to achieve a specific result

I stopped smoking for the sake of my health.

LET'S UNDERSTAND! 📚

A. out of the blue

something that happens suddenly, without warning, or when you are not expecting it

OUT OF THE BLUE

Dialogue

Icon_Alex

Alex

Did you hear that Sarah got engaged?

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

What? That came out of the blue! I had no idea she was even dating someone.

Icon_Alex

Alex

I know, right? Apparently her boyfriend proposed to her during her birthday.

B. golden opportunity

the perfect or excellent chance to do or get something that does not come a lot

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

Dialogue

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

I'm excited to share that I received a job offer from Apple, Inc. in California!

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Wow, congratulations! That's a golden opportunity you can't miss!

Icon_Anna Happy

Anna

Thank you! I've always dreamed of working for Apple, and I feel grateful that this dream is finally becoming a reality.

C. once in a blue moon

to refer to something that occurs very rarely

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

Dialogue

Icon_Sally

Sally

Did you hear that the boss is giving out bonuses this year?

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

Really? That's surprising. When was the last time that happened?

Icon_Sally

Sally

Once in a blue moon. It's been years since we received any sort of bonus.

D. show one's true colors

to show his real character and feelings

SHOW ONES TRUE COLORS

Dialogue

Icon_Worried(Woman)

Anna

I thought John was a nice guy, but he's been acting strange lately.

Icon_Cindy

Cindy

What do you mean?

Icon_Worried(Woman)

Anna

He was really rude to the new intern and showed his true colors. I never realized he had such a bad attitude.

E. a white lie

a small harmless lie that is told to be polite or to avoid hurting someone's feelings

WHITE LIE

Dialogue

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

Do you think it's ever okay to tell a white lie?

Melly_Happy Icon

Melly

I think it depends on the situation. Sometimes a small white lie can spare someone's feelings.

Icon_Keiko

Keiko

Yeah, I agree. Like if someone asks if you like their outfit and it's not your style, it's better to tell a small white lie than to hurt their feelings.

LET'S PRACTICE!

PART I

Direction: Fill in the blanks with the correct useful expressions. Make sure to use the correct tenses as well.

once in a blue moon	show one's true colors
out of the blue	golden opportunity
white lies

A seagull shrieked at me while I was at the beach eating bread.
For the sake of not offending anyone, I tell .
I don't usually go out to eat at fancy restaurants, but I treat myself .
When the pressure was on, he and abandoned his friends.

PART II

Direction: Listen as your mentor reads the statements twice. Then, repeat after your mentor.

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