در خانه

lesson 13

at first glance = after a quick look, at first glance.

At first glance, he looked similar to his brother. But now, I can see the difference.

The problem looked easy at first glance.

At first glance, she seemed to be very young.

What do you think of my drawing?

At first glance, it looks like a monkey in a suit.

attend to = take care of, attend to

She attended to her guests.

She had to attend to the guests in the other room.

The staff attended to our every need at the resort.

I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that I have to leave.

No problem. I have some things to attend to as well.

back and forth = go and come between two places, back and forth.

Back and forth! Back and forth!

The dog ran back and forth across the yard.

The tennis players hit the ball back and forth for almost five minutes.

So you work in New York, but you live in Vermont?

Yes, I drive back and forth every weekend.

be no use -ing = does not change the situation, be no use -ing.

It’s no use getting upset over an ex-girlfriend.

It’s no use getting upset over a broken glass.

I tried to cheer her up, but it was no use talking to her.

It’s no use trying to fix that old TV again!

You’re right. Let’s buy a new one.

clear-cut = easily seen; clear, clear-cut

It looks like we have a clear-cut winner!

That is the most clear-cut explanation of the theory I have ever heard.

There did not seem to be any clear-cut solution to the problem.

If you don’t like your job, just quit!

It’s not so clear-cut. My boss is also my father-in-law.

drive one crazy = make angry; bother or annoy, drive one crazy.

He’s beginning to drive me crazy.

These mosquitoes are driving me crazy!

He was trying to drive her crazy on purpose.

That noise is driving me crazy!

Sorry, I’ll practice my violin somewhere else.

fed up with = sick of; at the limit of one’s endurance, fed up with.

I’m fed up with your behavior!

She was fed up with living in such a small apartment.

Aren’t you fed up with having to work so much overtime?

I am fed up with eating ham everyday!

OK, Tomorrow we’ll have bacon.

play a part in = have an effect on something; be involved with, play a part in.

Regular exercise plays a part in staying healthy.

The bad weather played a part in our decision to I cancel the picnic.

Education plays an important part in success.

How did you put out the fire so quickly?

Volunteer fire fighters played a part in stopping the fire.

take into account = consider, take into account.

He didn’t take into account the possibility that the bus might be late.

She didn’t take into account the fact that the bank was closed on Saturdays.

Did you take into account the possibility that some people don’t like seafood?

I made reservations at the Milton Hotel for dinner.

Did you take into account that we only have $20!?

turn into = become; change to, turn into

They say when I drink, I turn into a monster.

The conversation turned into an argument.

The frog turned into a handsome prince.

Your puppy really eats a lot!

Yes, He’s going to turn into a big dog someday.

Dialogue

At home

Honey, I’m home.

How was your day, dear?

Terrible. I had to attend to a problem at our branch office all the way across town.

Was traffic a problem or something?

No, the situation at the branch office is the problem. There doesn’t seem to be a clear-cut solution at the moment. So, I will have to keep going over there.

Then you won’t be working in the head office for a while.

Oh, I still have my work there, too. So now I have to drive back and forth between the offices. This job is driving me crazy.

Well, you’ve been complaining about this job for a while. If you are so fed up with it, why don’t you try to find a new one?

You’re right. This job plays a part in making my life too stressful. I’m going to quit.

Idioms in context

Sometimes at my job I have to attend to work in the back of the store, like unpacking boxes or checking inventory. When someone comes in the store and they don’t see anyone at first glance, they think the store is closed.

Just to make it clear that I am in the store and ready to help, I put a bell on the counter. I also put a sign next to the bell that says, “Please ring the bell if you need help.”

I thought the bell was a clear-cut solution to my problem, and it worked great at first. I could always hear it even if I had on headphones and was listening to music. For the first week, I never missed a customer.

Unfortunately, however, my great idea didn’t last long. I didn’t take into account the fact that some people might enjoy ringing the bell for fun.

The bell started driving me crazy after a while. Children played a big part in this problem. They would come into the store, ring the bell, and run outside again.

I had to keep running back and forth from the back of the store to the front. One day a little boy took the bell and ran around the store ringing it over and over again!

I knew it was no use getting angry with the boy. He was just a child. However, I was really fed up with the bell! I threw it in a box and hid it under the counter. However, I forgot to take down the sign when I got rid of the bell. This turned into the real solution to my problem.

Now, when someone comes into the store, I know that they need help when I hear them yell, Hey Where is the bell?