English Conversation Part 2

She is impossible to please !!!
First clerk	I've just had a terrible hour and a half.
Second clerk	Why, what happened ?
First clerk	Well I had a lady customer come in who wanted to buy a pair of shoes. And you know we've got a really good range.
Second clerk	We certainly do. Did she buy a pair ?
First clerk	No, but she didn't leave before getting me to bring her every single pair we had in the shop. And she complained about every single one.
Second clerk	I'd say she was impossible to please.

I haggled him down to $25 !!!
Danielle	I like your new anorak, it looks really expensive, where did you get it - in that upscale sports shop in the mall ?
Russell	Well thanks, but no I didn't. I got it in the market.
Danielle	How much did you pay for it ?
Russell	Not as much as the man asked for. He wanted $45.
Danielle	That would have been a bit steep, it's almost the shop price.
Russell	I know, but I haggled him down to $25, so I reckon I've got a bit of a bargain.

Explanation :
If you haggle, you argue about something before reaching an agreement, especially about the cost of something that you are buying.
Example : Ella showed her the best places to go for a good buy, and taught her how to haggle with used furniture dealers ....
I've got it on thirty days' free trial !!!
Alistair	Why are you talking to your computer. Is it lonely ?
David	No, don't be silly, I'm trying out some new speech recognition software.
Alistair	How does it work ?
David	Well, I just speak what I want to say into the microphone and my words appear on the screen.  It's magic !
Alistair	It must be very expensive.
David	It's not cheap but I haven't actually paid anything yet.
Alistair	How come ?
David	I've got it on thirty days' free trial. If I'm not satisfied with it, I can return it free of charge as long as I do so within 30 days.

Have you got them in my size ?
Shopper	Excuse me, could you show me to the skirts section please ?
Clerk	Certainly madam, please come this way..
Shopper	Ah! these are just what I've been looking for. Have you got them in my size ? I'm a size 8.
Clerk	Just a moment ..... ! I'm afraid not madam. We appear to be temporarily out of stock.
Shopper	Oh, how disappointing ! When will you next have some in ?
Clerk	We should be getting a delivery at the beginning of next week.
My feet are killing me !!!
Marie	You look a bit tired. What have you been doing ?
Yvonne	Shopping for some new outfits.
Marie	Did you get what you want ?
Yvonne	I did, but it took me all day.
Marie	What do you want to do now ?
Yvonne	I just want to sit down somewhere and relax. My feet are killing me !

Explanation :
If you say that something is killing you, you mean that it is causing you physical or emotional pain.
You've been ripped off !!!
Terry	What do you think of my new suit ?
Michael	Not bad. I like the wide lapels and the pant cuffs. It reminds me of one I saw in the department store the other day. Did you get it there ?
Terry	No, I got it at that new outfitters on the main street.
Michael	How much did it cost ?
Terry	Three hundred and fifty dollars.
Michael	What ? You could have got the one from the department store for $200. You've been ripped off !

Explanation :
If someone rips you off, they cheat you by charging you too much money for something or by selling you something that is faulty
Example : The Consumer federation claims banks are ripping you off by not passing along savings on interest rates ...
What a bargain !!!
Jenny	Look what I've got.
Fay	Wow, that's the snazziest looking handbag I've ever seen. Where did you get it ?
Jenny	I got it in Paris on my last trip.
Fay	I bet it cost a fortune ?
Jenny	No it didn't, I got it for half price because the shop was having a clearance sale.
Fay	What a bargain ! You'll have to take me with you next time.

Explanation :
Something that is a bargain is good value for money, usually because it has been sold at a lower price than normal.
Example : At this price the wine is a bargain ...
She's got a really useful right foot !!!
John	My sister's really keen on soccer.
Eric	Really, what team does she support.
John	She doesn't support any in particular. When I say keen, I mean she's an enthusiastic player. She plays for a local women's team.
Eric	Is she any good ?
John	Well, she's scored ten goals so far this season. She's got a really useful right foot.
Eric	Well if that's the case, you really must take me to see her play sometime.
My sister's hobby is dress making !!!
Marion	You look slimmer than when I saw you last.
Hettie	Yes, I must have lost six pounds over the last two months. my best dress is now too big for me.. I can't wear it any more.
Marion	Don't say that, I think I can help you.
Hettie	How do you mean ?
Marion	Well,  my sister's hobby is dress making and I'm sure she wouldn't mind taking it in so that it'll fit you again. I'll ask her.
Hettie	That would be fantastic. I'm no good at sewing myself.
She's got a really green thumb !!!
Gordon	What a beautiful garden your parents have !
Fiona	I'm glad you like it. They certainly spend a lot of time on it.
Gordon	And the houseplants are also very attractive.
Fiona	They're my mother's specialty. Some of them are nearly twenty years old.
Gordon	Good heavens, how does she do it ?
Fiona	She's got a really green thumb; plants seem to respond to her.

Explanation :
If you say someone has green fingers, or green thumb, you mean that they are very good at gardening and their plants grow well.
Example : You don't need green thumb to fill your home with lush leaves.
I wish I could play the piano like you !!!
Andy	I wish I could play the piano like you.
Dee	I'm sure you could if you tried. You should take some lessons.
Andy	I took some when I was younger but I was hopeless.
Dee	Why was that ?
Andy	I found that I was tone-deaf, which really made it impossible.
Dee	Never mind, why don't you try learning the drums? Then being tone-deaf shouldn't matter.

Explanation :
If you wish something were true, you would like it to be true, even though you know that it is impossible or unlikely.
Example : I wish it weren't true.
I like the way you pan across the ruins !!!
Carrie	Your vacation video is really interesting.
Donald	Well, Mexico is a fascinating country.
Carrie	What are we looking at now ?
Donald	These are the remains of a Mayan city.
Carrie	I like the way you pan across the ruins very slowly.
Donald	That helps you to see what a really large area they cover.

Explanation :
If you pan a film or television camera or if it pans somewhere, it moves slowly across an area in a wide sweep.
Example : He panned over the crowd for a few minutes before swiveling back to the right.
The Real goalie made a fantastic save !!!
Larry	Did you see the Barcelona-Real Madrid match on TV yesterday ?
Phillip	Of course, what a game ! Three goals each.
Larry	Who do you support ?
Phillip	Real Madrid, because I'm a Beckham fan.
Larry	Barcelona should have won it with that great shot on goal in the last minute.
Phillip	Only they didn't because the Real goalie made a fantastic save.
She sight-reads really well !!!
Clare	My elder sister is always in demand at family parties.
Angie	Why, is she a good singer ?
Clare	No, she plays the piano really well and she can play whatever music anyone puts in front of her.
Angie	I can play the piano, but I couldn't do that. How does she do it ?
Clare	She sight-reads really well.
Angie	I wish I could do that, it's a great skill.

Explanation :
Someone who can sight-read can play or sing music from a printed sheet the first time they see it, without practising it beforehand.
Example : Symphony musicians cannot necessarily sight-read.
She enjoys doing still lifes !!!
Cindy	My sister started a new hobby a few months ago.
Heather	Really ? Tell me more.
Cindy	She's been learning to paint watercolors.
Heather	How interesting. What are her favorite subjects ?
Cindy	She likes painting landscapes best, but she also enjoys doing still lifes.
Heather	I envy her. I've tried to paint in the past, but I'm no good - I have no artistic talent.

Explanation :
still lifes ( plural ) - a type of painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects that do not move, such as flowers, fruit, bowls, etc
Example : We went to an exhibition of 17th century Dutch still lifes.
They seem to have a lot in common !!!
Theresa	Mandy and Tom seem to be spending a lot of time together lately.
Yvonne	Yes that's true. I've seen them at the swimming pool lately and at the cinema.
Theresa	They go on regular bike rides together too.
Yvonne	They seem to have a lot in common.
Theresa	Yes, they clearly like the same things.
Yvonne	I wonder if we'll be hearing wedding bells soon.
He's clearly over the moon about something !!!
Gordon	Have you seen Johnny today?
Martin	No, why ?
Gordon	Well he's clearly over the moon about something.
Martin	What about ?
Gordon	He won't tell anybody, but I've never seen him looking so happy.
Martin	He's a betting man, so perhaps he's won a lot of money on the horses.

Explanation :
If you say that you are over the moon, you mean that you are very pleased about something.
Example : She was over the moon about/with her new bike.
What do you fancy ?
Sian	Let's eat out tonight. I don't feel like cooking.
Vincent	Well why not ? What do you fancy ?
Sian	I think Japanese would make a nice change.
Vincent	Fine. How about that new place just off the market square ?
Sian	Good idea. I'll go and freshen up first.
Vincent	OK, in the meantime I'll phone to book a table.

Explanation :
If you fancy something, you want to have it or to do it
Example : Do you fancy going to see a movie sometime ?
He kept changing channels on the remote !!!
Sharon	My mother got really annoyed with my father yesterday evening.
Heather	Why, did he complain about her cooking ?
Sharon	Oh no, she's a great cook. It was when they were watching television.
Heather	Don't tell me he fell asleep in front of the television and started snoring.
Sharon	No, he does that sometimes but this was because he kept changing channels on the remote.
Heather	All men do that, it's one of their most annoying habits.
My luggage went astray !!!
Maggie	I had a terrible time on my last trip to Europe.
Bernard	Why, what happened ? Did you have an accident ?
Maggie	No, my luggage went astray. When I arrived in Paris and went to collect my case from the baggage carousel, it never arrived.
Bernard	What happened to it ? Had somebody collected it by mistake or stolen it ?
Maggie	No, it had been sent on to London by mistake.
Bernard	Did you get it back.
Maggie	Yes I did, but it took two whole days. I was absolutely furious.

Explanation :

If something goes astray, it gets lost while it is being taken or sent somewhere.

Example : Many items of mail being sent to her have gone astray.