Dialogues with Idioms

Student Debt Relief

New Idioms are “Point out” and “Leading light.” The English Grammar focuses on Modals.

Caden: “I was 55 before I paid off my school loans.”
Malik: “55! A lot of people are dead by 55.”
Caden: “Thanks for pointing that out.”
Malik: “Sorry.”
Caden: “The point is, I hope Biden gives these student debtors a break.”
Malik: “Do you think it should be free?”
Caden: “Of course it should be free. All the best-educated people in the world come from other countries. Our dog-eat-dog system is moronic.”
Malik: “That’s pretty severe.”
Caden: “Our standing in the world is severe.”

VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS

Point out means to bring attention to someone or something. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Give a break means to stop putting pressure on someone about something. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Leading light means a person who is well respected and viewed as important to a group. See online Idioms Dictionary.
Dog-eat-dog means characterized by ruthless behavior and competition, as of a society or situation. See online Idioms Dictionary.

INTERMEDIATE-ADVANCED DIALOGUE

New Idioms are “Take a shot” and “Rolling in money.” The Grammar focuses on the Present Perfect Tense.

Darien: “Can you believe Biden is going to give some student debt relief to something like 45 million people?”
Paige: “I don’t think it’s gone through yet. That’s gotten political just like everything else.“
Darien: “Why do you say that?”
Paige: “Six Republican-led states brought a lawsuit against Biden’s plan. They claim it will stoke the flames of inflation.”
Darien: “I thought a federal judge dismissed that lawsuit.”
Paige: “I heard they’re appealing, and the judges higher up are more conservative.”
Darien: “So Biden wants to give people a 10K break if they earn less than $125,000 a year. What’s wrong with that? He’s taking a shot at giving some relief to people who aren’t as rich as Croesus.”
Darien: “So many of these battles are between the rich and the poor.”
Paige: “And who do you think always wins?”
Darien: “The ones rolling in the money.”
Paige: “Education should be free, it shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Darien: “I know what you’re saying. But it’s not about education, or youth, or any real ideals we care about. Look at how awful teacher salaries are. For those at the top, it’s just about the green, nothing else.”

VOCABULARY WITH IDIOMS

Go through means to be approved. See online the Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
Stoke the flames means to provoke, intensify, or contribute to an already volatile situation. See Farlex online.
Take a shot is informal and means to try to do something. See Farlex online.
As rich as Croesus means exceptionally wealthy. See Farlex online.
Rolling in money means to be very rich. See Farlex online.
Cost an arm and a leg means excessively expensive, exorbitant. See Farlex online.
The green means money. See online the Urban Dictionary.

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