ESL Podcast 607 - Being Pestered on the Phone
to ring off the hook - for a phone to ring many times in a short period of time, because one is receiving many phone calls
Ever since our ad appeared on TV, our company's phones have been ringing off the hook!
What's the deal? - What's happening? A phrase used when one wants to receive an explanation for something strange or unusual that is happening
Last week, you said you had the best job in the world, but today you want to quit. What's the deal?
to go out with (someone) - to date someone; to pursue a romantic relationship with someone
How long have you been going out with Magda?
to let (someone) down easy - to end a relationship or reject or disappoint someone gently, while trying not to hurt his or her feelings
When Jack broke up with his girlfriend, he tried to let her down easy, but she screamed and cried anyway.
to take the hint - to understand what someone is trying to say subtly and indirectly; to understand what is meant, even if nothing is said directly and clearly
I thought the salesperson would take the hint and leave me alone if I said I was "just looking," but he kept trying to pressure me to buy the car.
to screen calls - to accept telephone calls only from certain people, refusing to talk to others
I wish someone could screen calls for us so that we never have to talk to the bill collectors.
to take the direct approach - to be very direct; to say exactly what one means in a very clear way
Eddy decided to take the direct approach when asking his boss for a raise.
to figure - to think that something is true; to believe a certain thing; to have a certain opinion
I figure becoming a doctor is a good career choice, because no matter how bad the economy is, people will always need medical care.
to take (someone's) calls - to receive telephone calls from another person; to speak with someone who is calling oneself on the phone
Do you think Chuck has stopped taking my calls, or is he just out of town?
to get the message - to understand what another person is trying to say, especially if that message is not expressed very clearly
Virginia hasn't seen, emailed, or spoken to anyone in her family for more than three years, but her relatives still haven't gotten the message and they keep trying to contact her.
voicemail - an electronic system that records audio messages from people who call when one is not available to speak with them over the phone
You have two voicemail messages: one from the doctor's office and one from your mother.
caller ID - caller identification; a small box or a telephone feature that allows one to see the telephone number and/or name of the person who is calling before one picks up the phone
Mena always looks at the caller ID before answering a phone call.
sooner or later - sometime; at an unspecified time in the future
Sooner or later, we're going to suffer the consequences of eating so much unhealthy food.
to take the phone off the hook - to remove the headset (the part of the phone that one puts next to one's ear and mouth) from the base of the phone, so that anyone who calls receives a busy signal and mistakenly believes that one is talking to someone else
They always take the phone off the hook at dinnertime so that their family can eat together without interruptions.
on (one's) doorstep - at one's front door; visiting one's home
When the doorbell rang, she was really surprised to see her childhood friend standing on her doorstep.
to pester - to bother or annoy; to do things that make another person feel frustrated, annoyed, upset, or angry
Excuse me, miss, is this man pestering you?
Timbuktu - a very faraway place that is difficult to reach or find, often mentioned when one wants to go where one cannot be found by other people
I've never heard of the town they moved to. Why did they move to Timbuktu?