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 ..........