در پارک

be well off = rich, be well off

Mr Sanchez is well off.

They aren’t very well off, but they’re happy.

He was well off until he lost all of his money in a bad investment.

I heard that Carol’s folks are well off.

Yes, her mother is a fashion designer.

for good = finally; forever, for good

Our relationship is over for good.

He plans to move to New York for good.

They closed their store downtown for good.

Good news! I quit smoking for good!

Congratulations! Now, what about your gambling?

let alone = never mind; even less, let alone

He can’t even swim, let alone work as a lifeguard!

I can barely afford this apartment, let alone a house.

She won’t do any typing, let alone organize the filing.

Would you like to be on our baseball team?

Me? Hah! I can barely throw a ball, let alone hit one.

look back on = remember, look back on

He sometimes looks back on his childhood.

There are many good memories I can look back on from high school.

She doesn’t like to look back on her life in Arizona.

When you look back on your life, do you have any regrets?

Yeah I wish I hadn’t invested all that money in stocks.

lose one’s head = act irrationally (from anger or worry)lose one’s head

In an argument, it’s important not to lose your head.

He lost his head when she told him she was leaving.

In an emergency, it is important not to lose your head.

Ted, that bear is coming right at us!

Don’t loose you head! Just pretend to be asleep and it will go away.

make faces = move one’s eyes and mouth to create a silly or funny appearance, make faces

He’s always making faces at the girls.

The baby laughed when I made faces at him.

Don’t make faces! Just eat your broccoli. I don’t care if you don’t like it.

Why were you arrested?

I made faces at the queen.

regardless of = no matter; without considering, regardless of

He decided to wear his favorite outfit regardless of what the others thought.

She plans to go to Spain regardless of the cost.

Regardless of what other people thought, he quit his job and joined the circus.

Steve is a crazy guy!

Yeah, He plays with crocodiles regardless of the danger.

result in = lead to; cause, result in

Coming to work late again will result in him losing his job.

The earthquake resulted in the deaths of thirty people.

Smoking often results in health problems.

Speeding could result in a traffic fine.

I know, but we’re late for the wedding!

stand up to = fight; be against (usually someone stronger)stand up to

I just can’t stand up to my father.

You can’t let them push you around like that. Stand up to them!

She finally stood up to her mother and told her she was old enough to get married.

I want to be a dancer, but my father says I have to join the army.

I think you should stand up to him and tell him what you really want.

what for = why, what for

Here. I got you this! What for?

“She gave me five dollars.” “What for?”

“I have to go back to the office.” “What for?”

Let’s give Jimmy some money for his birthday.

What for? He’ll just waste it on video games.

Dialogue

In the park

What happened to you?

That big guy over there hit me.

What for?

I’m not sure. Looking back on what happened, it doesn’t make any sense.

You must have done something to result in his hitting you.

I was playing with some kid. I guess it was his son.

How were you playing?

We were just making faces at each other. Then I must have made a scary face because the kid started crying but I didn’t touch the kid, let alone hurt him.

So the kid’s father hit you?

Yeah, I guess when he heard his son crying, he lost his head and attack me.

Let’s go get some ice for your eye. It looks terrible.

Idioms in context

I used to deliver the mail in a very rich neighborhood. When I look back on that time, I have to laugh. Most people in that neighborhood were very well off and had big houses, but they all tended to prefer small dogs. Those dogs were little, but they were also mean! In fact, I quit that job for good after one of those little dogs bit me.

One thing I learned about dealing with dogs is that you have to stand up to them when they start barking at you.

Don’t make faces at them. If you show them your teeth, it will just result in making them angry.

And, as a rule, it’s best not to move, let alone turn your back on them. Regardless of how much a dog barks, just stand there and wait for it to get I bored. Don’t lose your head and panic. They usually won’t bite unless you do something aggressive.

Once a little dog was barking at me when one of the people from the neighborhood passed by on the other side of the street. He yelled, “Ask the dog if he wants a bath!”

I asked him, “What for?”

The man yelled back, “If you ask him, he’ll run away.”

So I tried it. I asked the dog, “Do you want a bath?” And it stopped barking, looked at me, and then ran away! I told the man across the street, “Wow! That dog must really hate baths.”

He said, “No, he loves them. He’s running home now to get one.”