ESL Podcast 695 - Being Late for an Event

to get a move on - to hurry; to rush; to do something very quickly

Get a move on! We have to finish wrapping all of these packages by noon!

to hold (one's) horses - to wait; to be patient; to stop rushing or hurrying another person

Why are you in such a hurry? Hold your horses and wait for me to finish cleaning up the house before we leave.

on the verge of - almost; about to happen; very soon; imminently

The president is on the verge of announcing a major policy decision.

Rome wasn't built in a day - a phrase meaning that doing important things well takes time and cannot be rushed

The author has been working on his next book for almost four years, but when his editor asks him about it, he just reminds her that Rome wasn't built in a day.

to settle for - to accept something that is not what one really wanted, but is satisfactory; to compromise

I'd really like a glass of ice tea, but if you don't have that, I'll settle for a glass of water.

to be running late - to be behind schedule; to be doing something too slowly, so that one will not be able to finish it on time or when it is due or expected

Harry called to say he overslept and he's running late, but he should be at the office within another half hour.

to march to the beat of a different drummer - to do things differently than other people, or to have different beliefs and interests than other people do; to be very independent and non-conformist

Kyoko dies her hair pink to show the world that she marches to the beat of a different drummer.

to watch the clock - to be very aware of what time it is and to make an effort to arrive places on time and do things when others expect one to do them

Vicky's boss is always watching the clock, noting exactly when she takes her lunch break and when she returns.

to live in the moment - to fully experience what is happening right now, without worrying about the past or the future

Why are you always so worried about saving money? You need to learn to live in the moment and enjoy life.

very - a world used for emphasis; exact or precise

I still remember the first time I saw the Taj Mahal. That was the very moment when I realized I wanted to become an architect.

to give (someone) a couple of minutes - to give someone a little more time to do something; to stop rushing someone; to stop asking or demanding that someone do something more quickly

If you can give me a couple of minutes, I think I can fix your spreadsheet.

punctual - arriving places on time, when other people are expecting one to arrive

We'll meet here tomorrow morning at 8:15. Please be punctual. If you're late, we might leave without you.

to know better - to have enough experience or knowledge to know how something will actually be, which is different than how it should be or how one is told it will be

Mark said he'd help me move, but I should have known better than to believe him. Now I'll need to find someone else.

all set - ready to do something; prepared

Our bags are packed and there's gas in the car, so I think we're all set for our road trip. Let's go!