burn the candle at both hands:
Lucy: I've flunked the doctorate certification test. I'm upset.
Dan: Oh! I'm sorry to hear that, Lucy. But you burn the candle at both hands: you either give up your full-time job, or doctorate study.
Lucy: Plus I have two kids. My husband should do more around the house.
Dan: I hear you. My wife doesn't go to school, but she has a demanding job and works after hours. So I must do more household chores than my share and take care of the kids at night when she works late in the evening.
Lucy: You're telling me, but you also burn the candle at both hands. Your wife is lucky, though. My husband goes to school, but he has a flexible work schedule. He could do more to help me spare more time for study.
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Mark: I have an extra ticket for The Color Purple for next Friday. Would you like to see it with me?
Pat: Thanks for the offer, Mark, but I have to see my parents next weekend. I'll leave early next Friday for Boston. I'll take a rain check this time.
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come down hard on someone
standard bearer
Mary: Don't come down so hard on your daughter if she doesn't want to go to college. May be she will change her mind later.
Doris: Listen. I work so hard for her. I don't want her to be miserable in life. I am doing my best to give her the best future I possibly can.
Mary: I understand what you're saying. Especially, nowadays college education is the standard bearer to get a job.
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Chuck: He blew up and lost the tennis match. I didn't expect that.
Jeff: Why, Dad? He's not a better player than his
opponent, a four-time college tennis champion.
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Jane: I blew up at my husband last night for no reason. I was so exhausted at work yesterday. When I went home very tired to see only there was no dinner ready yet, so I lost my temper at him. It was his turn to cook, but he said he had to stay at work little longer. So he couldn't get the dinner done.
Karen: Well. Sometimes I am the same, too. I am quick to anger, especially, when I am tired.
burn the candle at both hands: idiom . To try to do too much at once
give up: idiom To stop doing something; to quit
full-time job: 35-40 hours work in the U.S. an employee works in one job and gets additional benefits besides salary
plus: adv in this conversation means in addition
to do more around the house: do more household work in the house
demanding: adj. asking for more input, resources, time and effort
work after hours: idiomatic verbal phrase-to work extra hours; to stay in the work-place after the work-schedule
take care of: idiom to give care
I hear you: idiomatic verbal phrase. Truly understand your point
one's share: one's responsibility to carry out
household adj. Involving a family
chore: n. Usual work, routine work
household chores: house work we do regularly such as vocuming, laundary, cooking, ironing, doing the dishes, taking out the garbage, and etc.
flexible: adj. Adaptable, capable of making adjustment
spare: v. To reserve, put aside
The Color Purple: a popular musical play and movie of the 90's adapted from the novel of the same title in the U.S.
leave for: idiomatic verb-To leave our home, city our work to go a different place, city, country
rain check: idiom. A promise to accept an invitation at other time
come down hard on somebody: idiom. To punish strongly
miserable: adj. To be unhappy, incapable of taking care of oneself
standard bearer: idiom. A person or thing that leads a standard. In this conversation, a college diploma leads a standard to get a job
blow up: idiom To stop playing well
opponent: n. A person you compete against
champion: n. A person who has won medals in a field of sport
blow up: idiom. To explode in anger
for no reason: adverbial phrase. Without a good cause, reason
to be exhausted: to be very tired
only: adv- In this conversation, nothing else but only what it is. In this conversation, only is used to emphasize the idea that the only thing Jane saw that the dinner was not cooked
one's turn: to be in a position to do something a person expects you to because that person has done the same to you; reciprication
lose temper: idiomatic verb. To blow up
to be quick to anger: to get angry easily
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Daily Conversations Vocabulary
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An Example of Four-Paragraph Essay
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Illustrations of a Well- Written Paragraph
Steps to Write a Three-Paragraph Essay
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Recommendations for Writing a Good Paragraph
Appositives in Complete Sentence
