Phrase of the Week: You can’t be too careful

“Mountain climbing can be very dangerous. You can’t be too careful.” No matter how careful you are, it isn’t too careful. It’s impossible to be too careful. In some contexts, though, this phrase can have almost the opposite meaning. “Jim is very sensitive. You can’t...

Phrase of the Week: Bit by Bit

“Learning Japanese is so hard! I don’t feel like I’m making any progress.” “Don’t worry. Keep studying and practicing, and you’ll learn it bit by bit.” A bit can mean “a little” or “a small piece of something bigger”. “Bit by bit” describes something that happens very...

Phrase of the Week: Take it for granted

Daughter: “Aw, spaghetti again? I hate spaghetti.” Father: “Don’t take your mother’s cooking for granted. You’ll miss it when you go to college next year and have to take care of yourself.” When we take something for granted, we don’t appreciate it. We think we have...

Phrase of the Week: Get a load of this

“Hey, Dad! Get a load of this! Rover brought home a huge stick!” “You call that a trick? Get a load of this! I can do a backflip!” “Get a load of this” means “look at this”. We use it to draw someone’s attention to something surprising or amazing. Rover is an old...

Phrase of the Week: Ask Out

“Oh no! Valentine’s Day is this Friday and I don’t have a date!” “Well, you had better hurry up and ask someone out!” Because Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday, some people like to make sure they have a date every year on Valentine’s Day. To get a date, especially...