Advanced English Conversations - Robert Allans, Ahmet Mustafaoglu, Metin Emir 2019
Set (60) - I can kiss it goodbye now!
Dialogue
Ben: You’ve been fiddling around with this washing machine for hours! Aren’t you fed up already? Maybe you won’t doctor it up this time! Will you?
James: You’re right! I can kiss it goodbye now.
Ben: Good for you! You’re cut out to be a technician!
James: Stop ridiculing and help me remove this screw. It needs a lot of elbow-grease!
Ben: I told you all along that the panel is broken but you took no notice!
You’re as stubborn as a mule.
Vocabulary
Fiddle around: to play with or idly handle (something) improperly.
Doctor something up: to fix superficially or temporarily.
Kiss something a goodbye: to see something ruined or lost.
Elbow-grease: hard physical work, especially vigorous polishing or cleaning.
All along: from the beginning.
Take no notice: to pay no attention to someone or something.
Stubborn as a mule: extremely obstinate.
Exercise;
Fill in the gaps with the appropriate expressions;
fiddle around
doctor something up
kiss something a goodbye
elbow-grease
all along
take no notice
stubborn as a mule
a. You'll never get Rich to change his opinion — he's ..........
b. The legislature has .......... while our schools are falling apart.
c. I .......... the photo .......... to make myself look younger.
d. Nothing would shift it however much .......... we used
e. As I had suspected .........., he was not a real policeman.
f. Don’t waste your breath! They will .......... of your advice!
g. After my horse lost in the final race, I .......... all the money I'd won that day at the track ..........