eat up

99
everyday
english
phrases
in less than a week

...and remember them forever

a book of Kien Tran

 make
1 a fuss
Complain about something (usually unimportant)

After work, I have to submit a report to

my boss. I never want to forget it because
if I do, she'll definitely make a fuss about it
and I don't like her voice at all. In fact,
nobody does.
 bang for
2 the buck
Worth the money you spend

MacBook is relatively expensive but it

gives you more bang for the buck. I get
more things done since I bought it. And
you should consider buying it too,
because if you don't get your work done
on time, your boss will make a fuss
about it
 Around
3 the corner
Coming up very soon

The next IELTS exam is just around the

corner. You study or you die. New Year is
also around the corner too.. You have to
choose which one is your priority
 Hands
4 down
Simply too obvious and not worth arguing at all

Calgary is the best city in Canada to get

rich, hands down

Siro-A is the hands down the best

performer in America's Got Talent this
year
 Heads-
5 up
An advance notice, just to remind you something
is coming so better be prepared

It's easier to get A and A+ in Canada

than in Vietnam because professors
usually give students a heads-up
before the exams on what chapters
to focus on. I feel like I get more
bang for the buck
 Big
6 time!
Used to stress the extreme (usually put at the
end of the sentence)

I earned $3,000 from stock

investing big time last week..
However, yesterday's market crash
also made me lose,
big time. To get more bang for the
buck, I better do more research.
 Back to
7 square
one
Back to the starting point (square one), usually
as a result of a failure
After losing all the money in the stock
market, my saving is now back to square
one. But still I believe stock maket is
hands down the best place to make
some bucks
 Pull off
8 (Pull it off)
Successfully make something happen or
accomplish something, succeed
I had a job interview last week and guess
what, I pulled it off!

I just pulled off the $200,000 real estate

deal with my client. Now I have money to
spend!
 Pull an all
9 nighter
Do not sleep at all to do some­freaking­thing.
Most used by college students

Even though I'm well-prepared , I still

have to pull an all-nighter for the exam
tomorrow. Coffee is ready. Hopefully
I can pull it off
 Goof
10off
Waste time instead of studying or working

I don't get it when Jim goofs off all

the time but still get A+. He must have
a secret sauce.
 A
11 Rip-off
Something unreasonably expensive

$1000 for an IELTS course? Definitely a

rip-off. They're obviously trying to rip
you off. So stay away. You will not get
any bang for your buck at all.
 Tie
12knotthe
Get married

I'm 23 this year and I'm not gonna

tie the knot anytime soon. Getting
married involves a lot of responsibility,
both expected and unexpected. My
friends, Jim and Lori, will tie the knot
this month and their wedding is just
around the corner.
13 Step up
my game
Try harder and make it better

I want to go back to stock investing to

make some money. I'm aware that to
make a nice return, I'll have to stop
goofing off to step up my game.
14 I'm buyin'
it
I'm convinced!

Linh was always trying to convince me

she saw an alien. At first, I was not
buying it because her story was so
sketchy. But then I saw it with my own
eyes and I have to believe in it. I'm
buying it.
 Hold
15 onto your
hat!
Be ready to hear something surprising!

Hi everybody, I got some good news.

Please hold onto your hat. I finally have
a girlfriend!

Oh, Congrats! Unbelievable1

16Screw it!
Whatever happens, I don't care

In teamwork, people often slack off.

That really annoys me sometimes. But
you know what, screw it. I'll just do my
part and I'll pull an all-nighter as usual.
17 Crunch
time
Busy period of time when everyone has to work
hard

The tax season is just around the

corner. In Canada, it's between March
and April. It's crunch time for
accountants to file tax for their
clients.
18 What's
the catch?
It sounds weird. What's the reason behind it?

AT&T is giving away free iPhone

Really? so what's the catch?

You have to sign a 2-year contract with

them. costing you around $70 every
month.
19Recoup (v)
Recover what you have lost

I lost $3,000 in stock market last week

Yesterday, I earned $4,000. I have not

only recouped the money but made a
profit after all.
 Fit into
20 the
picture
Does not fit with the overall plan

Having a job is important. But

having a job that is not related to
what you study doesn't really fit
into the picture. And of course,
doesn't give you more bang for
your buck after all.
 I wasn't
21 born
yesterday
Come on, I'm not stupid

One of my friends suddenly called me

for the first time after 3 years and
said he had a business opportunity
that could help me earn several
thousands dollars per day without
working. Come on, I wasn't born
yesterday
 Up and
22 running
Active, actively working, functioning

My iPhone 4 is so slow and isn't

working sometimes. I may have to
reset it to get it up and running again.

I love when I see my money-counting

machine always up and running
 Hands-
23 on
Practical (experience)

Working gives you hands-on

experience so you can be up and
running for the job right after
graduation.
 On my
24 toes
Be really ready, alert, attentive, focused

Whenever my boss is around, all

employees are always on their toes.
They don't want to mess up or she
may make a fuss about it.
25 Look Listen! Attention!
(Used a lot in conversation to get attention)

Kien: You are not so smart, Jim

Jim: Kien, look, do you think you are?

 Out
26 handof
Out of control, unable to control

Greece's national debt is getting out

of hand as the government is hands
down unable to pay its debt
 day in
28day out
Every day (used to emphasize)

I don't know why I study IELTS day in

day out but still cannot get above 7?

Have you read kientran's handbook?

 pave
28the way
Make it easier to do the next things

Getting the IELTS certificate can

pave the way for your dream of
studying aboard. You'll need to
study day in day out to get your
English up and running. And of
course, step up your game.
 I've been
29 there
I've experienced that. I did that. So I know.

Your parents don't allow you to

get married and you're sad? I've
been there. I know how it feels.
Wanna catch a movie?
 It slipped
30 my mind
I forgot it!

I already submitted my
Marketing assignment via email to
my professor. However, it totally
slipped my mind since I did not
attach the file to the email.
 In no
31 time
Instantly (well, almost)

Many people believe attending an

IELTS class can get them IELTS 7.0
in no time. I believe to step up
their games, they have to stop
goofing off and start hitting the
book.
 Not
32fast so
Don't be so eager believing in something just yet,
slow down a bit

After you've done school, you think

you can have freedom? Not so fast,
face your boss at work and you'll
see how freedom really looks like.
 On the
33 verge of
Very close to

Greece is on the verge of

default if it cannot pay its
debt on time

I'm on the verge of failing

the IELTS test because I
didn't put enough effort on
studying
 Go
34 bananas
Be wild, lose control

Lena totally went bananas

when students asked her
about the class schedule
 psyched
35up
Ready and excited

After reading Kien Tran's

handbook, many are psyched
up for the next big challenge!
 No-
36brainer
Something that is extremely easy to do or too
obvious

Hacking the U.S. government's

website is a challenge to me
but is a no-brainer to some
famous hackers
 cut
37dry and
Too obvious and clear, no further explanations
required

I don't know why I failed so

many times just to make a
cake although the
instructions are very cut and
dry. I'm going to go bananas!
 Tag
38along
To follow or go with someone

Linh is going to catch a movie

later today and I really want
to tag along but am not really
sure if she will be happy if I do
 bad-
39mouth
say bad things about

If you don't like someone,

just ignore him or her. It's not
a good idea to bad-mouth
other people
 Pump
40iron
Lift weight (in the gym)

After work, I have no energy

left to pump some iron. But I
used to pump iron in the gym
all the time
41on fire
Doing so great that nobody is able to stop
him/her

My friend's totally on fire after

she read my ielts handbook. She
is doing so much better than
anyone else now and looks like
she's not gonna stop. She told
me she got psyched up every
time after reading that
handbook
42 Leave me
high and dry
Leave me alone to do all the work, no help at all

I got a bad experience with

my professor when she left me
high and dry with all the new
learning materials that she never
explained in class. Let's face it,
those are not really cut and dry
for me to self-study. And I think
I'm on the verge of failing her
class
43 Turn me
offDisappoint, disgust

I kinda like a girl named XYZW,

but the fact that she never takes
a shower really turns me off
 make
44 ends meet
earn just enough money to pay the bills (expenses)
and there is almost no money left after that

If you are earning $50,000 per yea

well you're good. But if you only
earn $30,000, you may just make
ends meet. If you only earn less
than that, you're on the verge of
poverty.
 money
45talks
Money can make your problems go away

In Vietnam, whenever you get

caught by the police, just
remember Money talks. It also
works for hospital, or even in
school. You want to get high
marks? Well, money talks.
 early
46birds
Those who come earliest (than expected)

Parking fee for early birds is $10 per

hour. Regular fee is $5. Unless you
really need to, don't come too early.
It's a rip-off, I know.
 double-
47check
Check again to make sure

Before going to the CFA testing

center, you need to doublecheck
to see if you forget the financial
calculator. Otherwise, the
consequence would be
catastrophic.. If you can, have
someone tag along with you to
make sure everything's right.
 on the
48 same
page
Seeing things the same way, in agreement!

After figuring out that my

friend is also a stock trader, I
know that we are on the same
page. He knows what I know and
vice versa. We can work extremely
well with each other.
 in the
49 same
boat
in the same trouble, have the same problem or
situation

After figuring out that Linh was

ripped off when she paid $3,000 for
an useless bike, I feel like we're in
the same boat as I also paid
around $4,000 for a made-in-china
bike. We had the same situation.
 fill
50in me
Tell me more (about stuff I've missed)

I was sleeping during class so

my classmate had to fill me in
after we got home. And she told
me there was nothing special.
The professor just wanted to
give us a heads-up on some
new special events.
 filthy
51 rich super rich

Doctors and lawers make

around $200 per hour. They're
hands down filthy rich. But
before getting there, they
definitely have to study day in
day out.
 Do you
52 follow
me?
Do you understand what I've said so far?

After reading all the idioms and

phrases, do you still follow me?

Yes? Good, we should continue!

And step your our games.
 for
53good
forever

If you win the lottery, do you

think you will change your life
big time for good?

Not so fast, many people get

poorer after spending all the
money. They can't even make
ends meet.
54 freebie
free stuff

People who are just making ends

meet tend to seek freebie. Some
freebies are worthless. But
some of them do give people
bang for the buck.
 watch
55 out
be cautious

Canada's GDP is slowing down

and could be on the verge of a
recession.
.Better watch out.
the new recession might
just be around the corner.
 weed
56out
get rid of, remove

It's easy to get through

Accounting Basic. But the
Advanced Accounting course is
really the one that weeds out
lots of lazy students who
goof off all the time.
 well
57 taken
true, significant

Practice always leads to success

is such a well taken statement.
I'm really buying it.
 Got it
58 all planned
out
Ready, planned out, prepared

I have done all the preparation

for the company project and
gotten it all planned out. All the
key points will never slip my mind
again.
 hit
59hay the
Go to bed

For guys who want to pump iron,

hitting the hay early is a good
thing to do to build muscles. Do
you follow me?
 how it
60 plays out
how it happens

.I quite like the girl next door and

I decided to talk to her
tomorrow. I don't know what will
happen, so let's see how it plays
out. I guess I will have to be
constantly on my toes.
61 in a bit
in a short moment

I'm busy making this ebook

now so I'll talk to you in a bit
It's crunch time for me. This bo
will be up and running very short
 in a
62flash
very quickly, in no time

In stock market, you can

make a few thousands in a flash.
Or you can lose the same in no
time. Things sometimes get out
of hand for even most
sophisticated traders.

hello, I'm an alien,

and I speak English
 in deep
63shit
In big trouble!

Lena was in deep shit last week

that everyone wanted a piece of
her. She doesn't seem to
apologize. Let's see how it plays
out.
 Yeah,
64no shit
Yeah, obviously

$50 for a bowl of Pho is

a rip-off.

Yeah, no shit.
 in mint
65 condition
in very good condition (stuff)

My iPhone 4 is 4 years old and it's

still in mint condition. So what's the
catch? I don't have to spend
money to change cellphone.
66 keep in
mind
Remember that

Keep in mind that the boss can

come in no time. Stay on your
toes. Better watch out.
67 in the
long haul
In the long run

In the long haul, pumping iron day

in day out will make you a model.
68 keep it
up!
Continue doing the good work!

Hey Nigahiga, you're hands down

the best YouTuber. Please keep it
up.
69 know the
ropes
Have the skills and experience

If you happen to be in Toronto, call

me right away and I'll show you
around. I know the ropes. What's
the catch? You have to be my
friend!
70Clam up
Say nothing

Whenever my friends ask me if I

have a girlfriend, I tend to clam up.
Maybe I need to pump some iron
to step up my game
 Cry over
71 spilt milk
Complain about something unfortunate
happened and cannot be changed

One problem many people have

is crying over spilt milk. I know it's
a no-brainer to say but you
cannot change the past so why
bother?
 rock-
72 bottom
price
Lowest possible price. can't be lower

The rock-bottom price for this

car is $2,000. Take it or leave it?

I don't like it, but screw it. I'll take

it.
 tough
73call
A situation where it's difficult to make a
decision or to judge

It's a tough call for America's Got

Talent judges to choose between 2
best performers. They don't want
to weed out any talent. Getting
through this round can definitely
pave the way for their success.
 your guess
74 is as good as
mine
I have no idea either

Linh asked me how to pull off the

magic trick like in TV and I honestly
had no idea. Her guess is as good
as mine.
 once in a
75 blue
moon very rarely!

$30 is the rock-bottom price of

this shirt and it only happens once
in a blue moon. You have to buy it
or it'll be all gone in no time.
76 fair and
square
very fair

In Canada, there's no cheating and

plagiarism. That keeps the system
fair and square. Everyone has the
motivation to work hard and
really study. Many has to pull an all
nighter everyday because they
don't want the courses to weed
them out.
77 Spring
for
Pay for

I'll spring for the telephone bill next

week because right now I don't
have money. My finance is now back
to square one since I lost the
money. I hope I can recoup my
money
78 in a blink
of an eye
Super fast, (or within a blink of an eye)

Whenever there are freebies, they

tend to be gone within a blink of an
eye.
79 nail it
down
finish it

The due date for your IELTS exam

is just around the corner. Step up
your game and try your best to
nail down all the mock tests.
80 neck and
neck
side by side, same speed

The presidential election is just

around the corner and two
candidates seem to be running neck
and neck. as they are rated equally.
 out of the
81 woods
Out of danger

After the exam, people tend to think

they're out of the woods. But
the new semester is coming.
and we don't know what's gonna
happen
Let's see how it plays out.
82nest eggs
Money for retirement, savings

If you put 10% of your income

into your nest eggs and earn
compound interest. You may not
be filthy rich but you won't have
to make ends meet when you retire.
83No-frills
Inexpensive, no luxury, just basic

It doesn't fit into the picture

when some filthy rich guys driving
no-frills cars.
 I'm not
84 just saying
that
I'm serious

I bought a no-frills backpack last

week and I think I pull off the best
deal because it's in mint condition. I
love my life and I'm not just saying
that. Do you follow me?
 no
85 questions
asked
Yes, no questions asked

Do you want a credit card?

Just give us your student ID and

we'll sign up for you, no questions
asked. And we're not just saying that
86 there's no
truth to it

Create a credit card with just student

ID and no questions asked? Come on,
it's a scam. There's no truth to it. I
wasn't born yesterday.
87 a slim
chance
Very unlikely to happen

There is a slim chance Kien

will be the next president. If
that happens, then we'll all clam up
88 A steal
A bargain, something ridiculously
underpriced

$5 for a printer is a steal. But

there's a very slim chance that you
will find a good one. Doublecheck
everything before you make the final
decision.
89 all ears
Listening carefully

Whenever Obama says anything, people

are all ears. He really pulls off
his charisma and
makes people like him
90 down
the road
in the future

1 years down the road, Obama

will leave the White House. Let's
see how it plays out
91 Play it
safe
Stay careful and not taking any chance

Old people tend to play it safe

with their money. They don't want
to risk losing the value of their
nest egg because if something bad
happens, it'll take long for them to
recoup all the lost money
92 Politically
correct
Appropriate (words)

Saying "I don't care" is politically

correct. Saying "I don't give a shit"
isn't. Be careful with your word
use and I'm not just saying that
93pop up
Show up, appear

The name Donald Trump pops up

quite often recently because he's
running for the president of the
United States. I like him because
he's taking risk and not playing it
safe.
94out
psyched
Lose confidence

My boss is making a fuss over a

new employee, making him psyched
out. Everybody's on their toes.
 fuss
95 over
care too much for, pay too much attention to

Linh just bought a new expensive

phone and she's fussing over it day
in day out.
 get down
96 to
business
Not talking about something else, just talking
and doing business
Get psyched up and get down to
business because everything is now
cut and dry. If we need to work hard
to step up our game.
97 get off
the ground
Start successfully!

Let's get down to business. I want

our business to get off the ground
so we can earn at least
$5000/month
 Get on
98 my
nerves bother

My brother gets on my nerves

sometimes when he says
inappropriate stuff in the public and
I usually make a fuss about it.
 screw
99up
cannot handle a situation properly, mess up

If you still goof off, you'll screw up

on the exam. So better pull an all
nighter to review all chapters so you
can pump up some grades
 Writer: Kien tran
Graphic: Brad Lawrence