Dialogues with Idioms

Bad Allergies

New Idioms are “Mess up” and “Give the axe.” The Grammar focus is on Adverbials.

Jordan: “Wow, these allergies are killing me.”
Spencer: “Why, what’s wrong?”
Jordan: “I’m just sneezing all the time, and my eyes are so itchy.”
Spencer: “I guess it could be worse.”
Jordan: “Don’t say that! I use allergy eyedrops but they don’t help much. Sometimes not at all.”
Spencer: “Did you look up the pollen count?”
Jordan: “No, that doesn’t help. But it’s definitely this town.”
Spencer: “Why, are you better somewhere else?”
Jordan: “Definitely. Other places are fine, but this town really messes me up.”
Spencer: “Sucks to be you, I guess. It doesn’t bother me at all.”
Jordan: “Lucky you. I guess everybody’s different.”

VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS

Not at all means not in any way or capacity. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Pollen count means a measure of the amount of pollen in the air over a 24-hour period. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Mess up means to damage or harm someone or something. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Sucks to be you is a sarcastic or mocking expression when someone is in an undesirable situation. See online Idioms Dictionary.

INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE

New Idioms are “Give you the axe” and “Lactose intolerant.” The Grammar focus is on Phrasal Modals.

Kaiko: “What are you crying for? Your boyfriend give you the axe?”
Levina: “Hilarious, thanks. No, it’s these damned allergies.”
Kaiko: “You have those too? Ya, it hits my whole ear-nose-throat system. Runny nose, my hearing is bad, and I’m crying all the time.”
Levina: “Sounds like you have it worse than I do.”
Kaiko: “Ya I think technically I have asthma, although I’m not sure.”
Levina: “Do you take anything for it?”
Kaiko: “Tons of antihistamines. I don’t want to take the asthma inhaler, it’s a steroid.”
Levina: “Is it just these tree blossoms, or what?”
Kaiko: “It can be all kinds of things. Even just cat hair.”
Levina: “I don’t have a cat, but I could be allergic to milk.”
Kaiko: “Ya, I am too. It’s called lactose intolerant.”
Levina: “I think bedbugs and a dusty apartment can cause problems too.”
Kaiko: “I don’t even want to think about it. I’m going to take a pill.”
Levina: “It’s climate change, too.”
Kaiko: “I know. Welcome to 2023.”

VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS

Give the axe to someone here means to divorce or break up with them. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Asthma inhaler is a device that delivers a specific amount of medication to the lungs in short bursts of aerosolized medicine, self-administered by the patient. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Lactose intolerance is a congenital disorder consisting of an inability to digest milk and milk products. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Climate change is change in the world’s climate. See online Idioms Dictionary.

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