Advanced everyday english: Advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions - Collins Steven 2011

Listen to the CD track 3
Chapter Two in Use

Personal note in diary

Monday 12th September

I was called into the boss’s office this morning. He gave me a long drawn-out speech, the gist of which was that my work had not been up to scratch. He said that he knew that I had a lot on my plate, but it was better to nip things in the bud now. What it boiled down to was that my promotion was by no stretch of the imagination a foregone conclusion, and that my job was at stake. I can usually shrug off such criticism but I thought my boss had gone over the top. I don’t feel his comments were warranted at all. Maybe I shouldn’t let myself get so worried about things, but deep down, I know something isn’t right. I spent the rest of the day in a sulk. What a wimp!

Tuesday 13th September

Today the company laid on a huge lunch for some clients. I could see their director was trying to weigh me up by asking me questions like,“What if a major stumbling block comes to light?” I suppose, in a way, he was quite down-to-earth, but I felt outnumbered by serious businessmen, and all I wanted to do was to keep a low profile. I got the distinct impression that in the end they wrote me off as the sort of guy who would jump on the bandwagon rather than get drawn into controversy.

A conversation between two best friends at lunch

JANE: I think I might’ve fallen out with my sister.

PATRICIA: Really? Why?

JANE: Well, I wrote off her car last week. We’d already had a row earlier in the day, and then I asked if I could borrow her car to pick up the kids from school. Unfortunately, I crashed into the front wall of her house. It was the final straw.

PATRICIA: Surely not? It’ll all blow over in time, you’ll see. Why don’t you come out with us tonight? By staying at home you could be missing out on a great opportunity to meet new blokes. You only go out once in a blue moon.

JANE: Well as far as meeting a new man is concerned, at forty-three, I think I’ve missed the boat, and I must say, as the nights are drawing in, I can’t really be bothered to go out. Sorry.