Advanced English Conversations - Robert Allans, Ahmet Mustafaoglu, Metin Emir 2019
Set (99) - A big fish in a small pond!
Dialogue
Carl: Where’s the head honcho? Has he left yet?
Kathy: Yeah, he has - the coast’s clear! Come on! Let’s get going.
Carl: Did you bring the burgers? I’m starving hungry.
Kathy: Are you sure we’ll get away with this?
Carl: Stay loose ! It’s all under control. I feel myself the big cheese here not that empty-headed nerd.
Kathy: I see! You’re literally a big fish in a small pond!
Vocabulary
Head honcho: the boss; the person in charge of a place or an organization.
The coast is clear: there is no danger of being observed or caught.
Get going: to start taking some action.
Starving hungry: very hungry.
Get away with: escape blame, punishment, or undesirable consequences for (an act that is wrong or mistaken).
Stay loose: to relax and stay calm; take it easy.
Empty-headed: lacking intelligence or knowledge; foolish; brainless.
Nerd: a foolish or contemptible person who lacks social skills or is boringly studious.
A big fish in a small pond: A person who is important in a limited arena.
Exercise
Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrases:
head honcho
the coast is clear
get going
starving hungry
get away with
stay loose
empty-headed
nerd
a big fish in a small pond
a. Who called this an .......... young girl — She’s a pain in the neck!
b. Let’s stop by one of these shops; I’m ..........
c. Ever since David was transferred to that village, he felt like ..........
d. I have a playlist of music that I listen to that helps me .......... before a game.
e. Come on, kids, let's .......... — the party starts in 20 minutes.
f. That decision is above my pay grade. You'll have to ask the ..........
g. You got lucky when you ran that red light. Next time you might not .......... it.
h. Let’s not hang out for long after dinner. I can’t stand Steven’s observations - He’s such a ..........
i. As soon as .......... he climbed in through the window.