Lesson 20 -- Bob Gets an Angry Call From Carol

 

Lesson 20 -- Bob Gets an Angry Call From Carol

Speak English Like an American -- Lesson 20

 

Carol calls Bob to tell him that a customer found a hair in her cookie. Bob wants Carol to forget about this, but Carol thinks it's very serious. She refuses to buy any more cookies from Bob.

Carol:  Bob, a lady came into the Villiage Market today
           ranting and raving.
Bob:    Oh yeah? What happened?
Carol:  She found a blue hair in her chocolate chip cookie.
Bob:    Aha, I can see how she'd be taken aback.
Carol:  Does anybody in your family have a blue hair?
Bob:    As a matter of fact, my son's girlfriend Amber has blue hair.
Carol:  Bob, I can't sell your cookies any more.
Bob:    Aren't you blowing things out of proportion?
Carol:  The health department would throw the book at me 
           if they found out about this.
Bob:    Could we just sweep this under the rug?
Carol:  No, it's too serious.
Bob:    But I was just getting a handle on the cookie business.
           Now what will I do? I don't have any other way of
           making a living.
Carol:  My heart goes out to you, Bob, but you need to
           get your act together. I want to sell chocolate chip cookies,
           not hair cookies!
Bob:    I guess I just knocked myself out for the past week for nothing.
Carol:  Clearly!

 

Idioms,

 

As a matter of fact – in fact; actually

(to)blow things out of proportion – to exaggerate; to make more of something than one should

(to) find out – to learn ; to discover

(to) get a handle on – to gain an understanding of

(to) get one’s act together – to get organized; to start operating more effectively

(to) knock oneself out – to work very hard at something (sometimes too hard)

One’s heart goes out to (someone) – to feel sorry for someone

(to) rant and rave – to talk loudly , often in anger

(to) sweep (something) under the rug – to hide something, often a scandal