Free Lessons

FRUGAL: When a person is careful how they spend their money because they don’t have a lot of money. They are frugal when they grocery shop. She has to be frugal; she doesn’t make much money. THRIFTY: You get creative with how you spend your money. Thrift shop/Thrift store =Goodwill He is the sole provider for the family, so they have to be thrifty with their money. She is thrifty; she checks the newspapers for coupons every week.   CHEAP: When someone is cheap, it is a negative connotation, saying they won’t part with a little amount of money. They are He is cheap, he refused to pay a fair price for good quality work. STINGY: “Can’t part with” (Can’t spend/give away) a cent/penny. He is stingy, refuses to pay extra for that service. They have so much money, but they are very stingy.

The word dare has a few different meanings and can be used in different ways. Verb meanings: To have the courage to do something. To disobey or challenge someone Examples: I dare you to go over there and talk to him. She wouldn’t dare ask him for a favor. She doesn’t dare disagree with them. He wouldn’t dare talk about his problems. Don’t you dare ask him, his “plate is already full” (the person is occupied with many things).     Noun meaning: a challenge Examples: It is a dare. They dared him to streak (run naked).     The game: Truth or Dare There is a game called Truth or Dare. It is when a group of people get together. One by one, someone asks another person “Truth or Dare” If the person says “truth”, they have to honestly answer the question that is asked. If the person says “dare”, they have to complete the dare told to them.  

When you overhear something, it means to hear people talking about something, but you’re not involved in the conversation. Examples: I overheard the waiter tell the table next to us that they are out of salmon. I overheard them talking yesterday about eliminating positions.

Remote area: an area that is far from the city or places where most people live, often difficult to get to. Other words with the same meaning: secluded, isolated   Phrases about the city, suburbs, countryside, or a rural area “In the middle of nowhere” = a place far from other people, homes, businesses, cities, etc. Example: They live in the middle of nowhere.   “In the sticks” = in an area where there is lots of forest and woods Example: Their house is out in the sticks.   “In the boondocks” = to live along (far) away from town or civilization. Example: This place is out in the boondocks.   “God-knows where”: A place that people may not know its location. Example: God-knows where it is located.   “backwoods”: A wooded area that is far away from the city. Example: The bar is located in some backwoods area.   “In a backwater”: A place where there is no development or progress happening. Example: They live in some backwater town.   Terms Used to Talk About People from the city and countryside/ rural areas.   “City slicker”: Used by people who live in the countryside/a rural area to describe a person who is from the city. Example: We don’t like city slicker’s like you coming around here trying to buy farmland to then build condos.   “Country bumpkin”: An insult for a person who lives in the countryside and the person is thought to not be intelligent or educated. Example: Just because he is wearing overalls, doesn’t mean he is a country bumpkin.   “hick”: An offensive word used to refer to someone who has always lived in the country/countryside and does not know about “city life” (living in a city). Example:  Just because they own a farm, does not…

These are eggs. When you go to the grocery store,  you will see cartons of eggs.   On the carton of eggs, you will see words like… Cage eggs Cage-free eggs Free-range eggs Pasture-raised eggs Let’s talk about these terms… Cage Eggs: Conventional cages are often sloped to the floor. There could be up to 3-8 birds in a cage. Hen’s don’t participate in natural behavior like walking or foraging. They can not nest or roost. They can have foot damage due to overgrown claws. Cost $. Cage-Free Eggs: Then hen can move free horizontally (side to side) and vertically (up and down). They have at least 1 square foot of floor space.  However, the hens might not have access to the outdoor. The hens are free to nest, roost and forage. Cost $$. Free-range eggs: The hens have at least 1 square foot of floor space, like cage-free eggs. They also have access to some form of an outside area. However, there is no standard on how much time the hens are outside or what the outside space looks like. Cost $$$. Pasture-Raised Eggs: The hens have regular access to a large outdoor that is covered with grass and other plants, like a pasture. Cost $$$$. After knowing about cage, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs, what kind of eggs do you want to eat? What kind of eggs, do you prefer to buy?

If the bartender says to someone “you’re cut off” it means they can see you have had too much to drink and they will not serve you any more alcohol. Sometimes someone will tell a bartender, you need to “cut someone off” someone else notices the person has had too much to drink.   Examples: At Club Blu, there were 2 bartenders working. Roxanne had been drinking all night. She was starting to get loud and have slurred speech. One bartender said to the other, if she comes to order another drink, tell her, “Sorry, but you’re cut off.”   Rob and Barry were out at a sports bar. Throughout the evening, Rob had two beers. Barry had 4. Barry waved over the bartender to order another beer. Rob shook his head at the bartender, to signal him to cut Barry off.    

To get wasted/trashed/bombed= want to get drunk Example: The guys showed up to the party shouting “let’s get wasted”.   To be wasted/trashed/bombed = to be drunk Example: Bea noticed that Suzy was completely wasted. Bea drove Suzy home and put her in her bed, to sleep on her side.   Was/were/got wasted/bombed/trashed= was drunk/were drunk/ got drunk Example: He was so trashed last night. I doubt he remembers anything he did.

A designated driver is a person who doesn’t drink alcohol so that they can drive after others have been drinking. The person stays sober. Many times, when people go out in a group to a restaurant, bar, club, or have a “night on the town” someone in the group offers or agrees to be the designated driver. They don’t drink any alcohol and they drive the car. Everyone else I the group rides in the car. Example: Tom and a group of his friends go out every Thursday night. Each week they take turns being the designated driver. This week Andy is the designated driver. When the waitress came to the table to take their drink order, Tom and the other guys ordered a beer. Andy asked for a soda.   Have you ever been a designated driver? Would you agree to be the designated driver?

The Check: In a restaurant, the bill is a list of each item (food & drinks) that you ordered, and the cost/charge of each item. Most people call the bill “the check”. Using the word “check” will may you sound 100% American! Example: Can I have the check? This lets the waiter/waitress know you would like to pay the bill and leave. Then, they will bring you the check.   The Tip: The amount of money you leave after receiving a service, like being served in a restaurant. In the United States, the typical custom is to tip (gratuity) 15-20% of your bill. It is usually rounded up to the nearest dollar. Example: Like in the photo below, the bill looks like it was $20. The person left a $4 tip. If you’re in a restaurant and you pay with cash and you are going to give the waiter/waitress the amount of the check and the tip together. You are not expecting any more back. You can hand the waiter/waitress the money and say, “I don’t need any change.” This, lets them know you are paying the bill and the rest of the money is their tip.   If you are paying with a credit card, there is a section to add/write in the tip ad you add the total amount, letting the restaurant know, the amount you are authorizing your card to be charged.   If you are worried about trying to calculate the tip. Here is a trick! Round up the amount to the nearest dollar. Then, double the amount. Move the decimal place to the left to get the tip. Example: The bill is $49.75. Round the amount up to the nearest dollar. $50.00 Double the amount. $100.00 Move the decimal (.) over 1 place to the…

Early Bird: a person who wakes up early in the morning. People who have a natural habit of waking up early.  Example: He has always been an early bird.   Night Owl: A person who goes to sleep very late. People who have the habit of staying up late at night or until the early hours of the morning. Example: She is a night owl; she usually goes to sleep after midnight.   I am a ____________________.