英语日常口语 Unit7:Paying the rent

本单元是关于付房租的对话

Helen: Oh no, it's that time of the month again - time to pay the rent.
Tim: Comes round fast enough, doesn't it?
Alice: Yeah and I'm so broke just now. I don't know where my money goes.
Tim: You need to tighten your belt Alice. Well, I'm fairly flush this month, want me to lend you some cash?
Alice: Tim, would you?
Tim: Sure, you know me, always willing to help a damsel in distress. There's only one small catch......

Vocabulary:

Rent (n, uncountable): amount of money you pay (usually every month) to live in a house or flat that belongs to someone else

A damsel in distress (humorous): a young woman who needs help

There's a catch: There is a condition (usually something difficult or unpleasant). In this case Tim will lend Alice some money but she has to repay him in a way that he chooses

A casino (n): a place where people can gamble (bet money) on the result of games with cards, dice or machines

Greyhound racing (n): a spectator sport where people watch dogs race and bet money on the result

本单元的语言点是关于钱的习语，有时习语很难通过字面单词猜出其意义，看看下面的习语，你能猜出他们是什么意思吗？

Idioms use language metaphorically rather than literally. If you paid 'through the nose' for something, it means you paid too high a price for it (the metaphorical meaning) not that you paid for something with money that came out of the middle of your face (the literal meaning).

Idioms are also fixed groups of words so you can't change the wording of an idiom. For example, you can say 'That shop is a real rip off' to describe a shop that overcharges its customers but you can't say 'It's a real tear off'.

Idioms - rich and poor:

I'm so broke/I'm flat broke.
I don't have any money.

I don't have a bean.
I don't have any money.

You need to tighten your belt.
You should try to spend less.

He's flush (with cash).
He's got a lot of money.

She's rolling in it.
She's very rich.

Idioms - expensive and cheap:

We really splashed out on our new car.
We spent a lot of money on our new car.

This dress cost me an arm and a leg.
This dress was very expensive.

This bag was dirt cheap.
This bag wasn't expensive.

I got this new top for a song.
This blouse was very cheap.

I can't believe the price of a cup of coffee here. It's daylight robbery!
This cafe charges very high prices for its coffee.