Woman: Ahh, finally. Yes, erm ok, I’d like a beer, please! Sorry? what kind? (Man rolls eyes) A beer? Erm, lager, please. Yeah, that will do. Sorry, what? Half pint or a pint? (To man) How big is a pint?
Man:(gestures with hands, size of a pint)
Woman: Yes. OK. A pint.
Man: Ok, great, I’d like a...
Woman: Oh, sorry. Two pints of lager, please.
Man: OK great, I’ll have...
Woman: Oh…and a packet of crisps. (To man) Sorry. (To barman) What flavour? Erm, let me just check. (Turns round and shouts) What flavour? (Turns back) Cheese and onion.
Man: OK give me...
Woman: And a glass of wine. Red, please. Yes, I’m sure that’s it. Thank you. How much is that? (starts to look for wallet) Let me just check my wallet. I’ve got five, and that’s another six.
Man:(with note already in hand) OK great, I’d like a pint of bitter and two halves of lager please. Cheers. Keep the change. (To woman) That’s how it is done!
In any new country, the roads can be dangerous for pedestrians … so … Even for those not driving it is important to be aware that traffic may be approaching from unexpected directions.
Although, apart from motorways, it’s not illegal to cross the road at any point it is advisable to use crossings, some of them controlled by traffic lights, whenever you can.You may cross the road when the green man is showing but, if the light is flashing, don’t start to cross.
There are crossing points known as Zebra crossings which have black and white road markings and orange flashing beacons at each side of the road. Drivers should give way to pedestrians on the crossing, but you should be careful as there are no red traffic lights instructing drivers to stop.
Don’t forget, pedestrians are not allowed to walk along or cross any motorway at any time.
Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising that there are many expressions about cats. Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.
Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches.
So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother and then take it away when he reaches for it.
A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.
Two old and funny expressions describe something that is the best or finest. Americans might say that something is the cat's meow and the cat's pajamas.
Children might call a child who is easily frightened a fraidy cat or a scaredy cat. A copycat is someone who acts just like someone else or copies another person's work. A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
You may have known that cats spend most of their time sleeping. Sometimes people sleep for a short time during the day. This is called a cat nap.
If you tell about something that was supposed to be a secret, we say you let the cat out of the bag. If you are not able to speak or answer a question someone might ask if the cat has got your tongue.
Have you ever watched children in a classroom when their teacher leaves for a few minutes? When the cat's away, the mice will play means people sometimes misbehave when there is no supervision.
You may have heard this expression: curiosity killed the cat. This means being too concerned about things that are not your business might cause problems.
If your home is very small, you might say there is not enough room to swing a cat. But you probably should not try this at home!
If you ever had cats as pets, you know it is difficult to train them or to get them to do something. Cats are not like sheep or cows that can be moved in a group. So we say a difficult or impossible job is like herding cats.
We leave you with a song from the musical play, "Cats."
Oh! Well I never! Was there ever A cat so clever as magical Mr. Mistoffelees! He is quiet and small He is black From the ears to the tip of his tail He can creep through the tiniest crack He can walk on the narrowest rail He can pick any card from a pack He is equally cunning with dice He is always decieving you into believing That he's only hunting for mice
