Lesson 13. It’s a Steal!
Realtor: So,Mr. and Mrs. York . . . you’ve seen the place three times now.What do you think? Are you in the market for such a wonderful house?
Mrs. York: It really is lovely. But I think we’d like another week to mull it over.
Realtor: Sure. But I will say . . . for what you’re getting, the scenic location, the amenities—the place is truly a steal. You won’t find a better deal. The value of this land is going up daily . . . in a couple of years, it’ll go through the roof. If you decide to buy,what you’ll pay now is a drop in the bucket compared to what you could eventually sell it for. You’ll really clean up.
Mrs. York: We’ll keep that inmind.We just don’t want to rush into anything . . .We want to take our time with this decision . . .We’ve been burned before.
Realtor: I shouldmention, though, there are two other couples who are eyeing the place up. They would like to see the place next week, and are chomping at the bit to buy it. And, because the buyer’s market has never been better, you want to strike while the iron’s hot.
Mr. York: Do you think we could have a couple minutes to ourselves to talk things over?
Realtor: Of course. I’ll make myself scarce and wait for you outside.
Mr. York: Fromwhat I’ve seen, this place is a dream come true.
Mrs. York: Yes, dear . . . but keep in mind, it’s his job to talk the place up. It does seem perfect—too perfect. I keep thinking,“What’s the catch?”
Mr. York: So what aren’t you happy with?
Mrs. York: Nothing in particular. I guess I always get cold feet before any big decision . . .
Mr. York: I thought maybe you were hung up on the kitchen . . . I know how you like your space in the kitchen.
Mrs. York: Oh, the kitchen is small, but that’s not a problem.
Besides, I’ll have everything right at my fingertips, right?!
Mr. York: So what is the problem?
Mrs. York: It’s just . . . so much money! We could lose our shirts with this!
Mr. York: Let’s not forget, dear, anytime you make an investment, it’s a crap shoot. But we should remember why we’re doing this . . .We wanted to simplify our lives, and to have a nest egg for retirement. And from what Martin tells us, even if we end up hating it here, if wemove,we’ll almost surely make money—if not for the house, then for the land.
Mrs. York: You’re right . . . And I do love that hot tub out back. . . .
Mr. York: We’llmake an offer, then?
Mrs. York: Let’s findMartin, and tell himit’s a go.
1. To be in the market for something. To want to buy something, to be looking to buy something.
2. Tomull something over. To think about something. To consider a situation.
3. To be a steal. To be a great bargain. To get a lot of value for your money.
4. To go up. To increase, to become higher or larger.
5. To go through the roof. With reference tomoney, price, value, it means “to become very high.”To have an extreme, angry reaction.
6. To be a drop in the bucket. To be small in comparison to something else, to be a very small portion of some much larger total.
7. To clean up. To make a very large profit, to make a lot ofmoney.
8. To take your time doing something. To not rush. To do something slowly and carefully.
9. To be burned. To be betrayed, fooled, or hurt, especially after expecting a positive outcome.
10. To eye something up. To look at, examine, or consider visually.
11. To chomp at the bit. To be very anxious or eager to do something.
12. To strike while the iron’s hot. To take advantage of a favorable opportunity.
13. To talk something over. To discuss carefully in order to come to a decision.
14. To make yourself scarce. To leave, to move away from someone. Rude when said to someone else.
15. A dream come true. Something wonderful, something so good it’s as though it came out of a dream.
16. To keep in mind. To remember. To consider.
17. To talk something up. To praise something verbally. To speak highly of something or exaggerate its value.
18. A catch. A drawback or negative quality that might not be obvious. In other contexts,“a catch” is a person who would be good to date.
19. To be hung up on something. To find fault with something, to identify a weakness or a drawback in something.
20. At your fingertips. Readily available.
21. To lose your shirt. To become financially ruined. To lose a lot of money.
22. A crapshoot. A chance or risk, named after the dice game.
23. Nest egg. A sum of money saved up and set aside.
Source: Easy American Idioms
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