Got Lemons? Make Lemonade
New Idioms are “Got lemons” and “In the limelight.” The Grammar is focused on Adverbials.
Rashid: “How’s the weather outside?”
Gerhard: “It’s pretty cold. I think it’ll rain.”
Rashid: “We were supposed to have sunshine today!”
Gerhard: “The weatherman is a doofus.”
Rashid: “They should punish him when he’s wrong.”
Gerhard: “I agree. What should we do with this bad apple?”
Rashid: “A public whipping is appropriate. These guys get paid a lot.”
Gerhard: “And they’re famous, they’re in the limelight.”
Rashid: “Exactly. And now we’re left high and dry?”
Gerhard: “A whipping in the town square at high noon.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
Doofus is slang for an incompetent, foolish or stupid person. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Bad apple means a person whose words or actions negatively impact an entire group of people. See online Idioms Dictionary.
In the limelight means at the center of public attention. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Leave high and dry means to leave someone helpless, unsupported. See online Idioms Dictionary.
High noon means at or near midday (noon). See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Adverbials
“A whipping in the town square at high noon.” Here we have two consecutive Adverbials, one answering the question Where? and the other answering the question When? Adverbials of Position typically go before Adverbials of Time, and this sentence is no exception.
INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE
New Idioms are “Cold as a witch” and “Has a screw loose.” The Grammar focuses on Conditionals.
Barr: “What kind of weather is this? I can’t believe it.”
Matthew: “It’s cold as a witch. So much for our bike ride.”
Barr: “We could still go out to the cliffs if you feel like it.”
Matthew: “Not a chance. It’s freezing out.”
Barr: “How did this happen? This wasn’t the forecast.”
Matthew: “The weatherman definitely has a screw loose.”
Barr: “This whole week was supposed to be sunny.”
Matthew: “What do we do if we know the weather guy has totally lost it?”
Barr: “I guess you could kill yourself.”
Matthew: “Somehow that doesn’t seem right if somebody else screwed the pooch.”
Barr: “Yeah, no kidding. It’s not our fault. So what do you want to do?”
Matthew: “This is weather for ducks. I’m completely turned around.”
Barr: “We don’t have to be gym rats every day of the week. Let’s go over to the chess club.”
Matthew: “When you’ve got lemons, you make lemonade.“
Barr: “So we put our biking on ice for now. It’s not the end of the world.”
VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS
So much for means that is the last of someone or something; there is no need to consider someone or something any more. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Cold as a witch is shortened from “cold as a witch’s teat,” which is considered rude slang and means extremely cold. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Has a screw loose means mentally unstable or eccentric. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Weather for ducks means wet and rainy. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Lost it means became deranged or mentally disturbed. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Screwed the pooch is considered vulgar slang which means to make a very serious, grievous, or irreversible mistake. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Turned around means that one’s purpose or intention is distorted or reversed. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Put on ice means to postpone acting on something or someone. See online Idioms Dictionary.
When you’ve got lemons, you make lemonade is a proverb meaning focus on the good in a bad situation and take action accordingly. See online Idioms Dictionary.
ENGLISH GRAMMAR
Suggested Topic for Comments: Conditionals
Example: “When you’ve got lemons, you make lemonade.” For both generic and habitual conditionals, it is possible to substitute “when” or “whenever” for “if” and still express the same idea.
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