ESL Podcast 437 - Having a Best Friend
to grow up together - to spend a lot of time with someone from the time when one is a child until the time when one is an adult
Akiko and her brother grew up together in a small apartment.
to be joined at the hip - to be with another person most or all of the time; to be inseparable; to always spend a lot of time with another person
Bryan and his girlfriend are joined at the hip! I never see them apart from each other.
blood brother - best friend; a boy or man who has a very strong friendship with another boy or man, traditionally created when each person cuts his finger and they put their fingers together to share the blood
William is my blood brother and I'm closer to him than I am to my real brothers.
confidant - a person whom one can share one's secrets with; a person to whom one can say anything
She tells things to her confidant that she would never tell to anyone else.
to have (someone's) back - to defend someone; to help someone; to look out for someone's best interests
Irma is a great friend who has always has my back, even in the most difficult situations.
to count on (someone) - to trust someone; to believe that someone will do something
We're counting on you to help us move the piano next weekend.
to give it to (someone) straight - to tell someone the truth, even if it is unpleasant
Give it to me straight, doctor. Do I have a serious illness?
hard to come by - difficult to find or get; rare; uncommon
It's hard to come by a home for less than $300,000 in this neighborhood.
close - with a tight, comfortable relationship, especially between friends; liking or loving someone very much
She has a lot of acquaintances, but none of them are close friends.
to keep up with (something) - to be informed about the current status of something that is changing over time
Do you read the newspaper, watch the news, or listen to the radio to keep up with the news?
to break the news - to announce something or to tell someone about something, especially if it is unpleasant and unexpected
When Chantrelle and her husband decided to get a divorce, they had a hard time breaking the news to their kids.
face-to-face - in person; in a situation where two people can see each other and speak to each other directly; not over the phone or by email
Some things are too important to talk about over the phone. We need to sit down and talk face-to-face.
maid of honor - an important woman, usually the best friend of the woman who is getting married, who participates officially in a wedding
She asked her sister to be her maid of honor at the wedding.
to pick (something) out - to choose something; to select something
Which sweater did you pick out? The blue one or the green one?
to break up (something) - to end or ruin a relationship, friendship, or romance
I can't believe they broke up their marriage after 25 years of living together.