Podcast 146 - Six B2 Idioms (part 1)

The Black Asteroid (story) starts at 7:09

The Hunter (story) starts at 9:06

The Meeting (story) starts at 11:04

What a Difference a Day Makes (story) starts at 14:00

Black Asteroid story

break the ice - something we say to start a conversation in a relaxed way.

break sb's heart - to hurt somebody by saying something horrible about someone who loves you very much.

be a pain - be annoying, make people angry by your behaviour.

to lose track (of time, of a story, not up to date with the facts) - to not have information about what is happening e.g. not know what time it is.

be over the moon - be delighted by some very good news you hear.

from out of nowhere - to appear unexpectedly.

The Black Asteroid

Everything was silent and dark when he awoke. Space cadet Mathews sat up and peered out into the darkness to see if he could see anything he recognised. But whether he stared upwards, down or to his left and right, the world around him was the same. He could not make out any object on the ground and there were no stars in the sky. When he lifted his wrist to glance at his watch, he realised it had stopped working. The only clue to the watch's existence was that he could feel it there as he stroked his wrist with his other hand.

So this was it. He had teletransported to the Black Asteroid. With no visual or sound evidence around him, space cadet Mathews soon lost track of time. Why could he not see the stars in the space around him? Then Space cadet Mathews realised - he was not on the surface of the asteroid. He was where he did not want to be. He was underground, deep inside it.

The Hunter

Bolger knelt down on the soft grass breathing heavily while supporting himself with his spear pushed into the soil. That had been close. The animal had nearly got him in there. But Bolger had left the forest behind him now, and all around him was flat grassland. He thought he'd be safer here. The sabre-toothed tiger could hide from him in the forest and prepare an ambush. Out here, where there was no tall vegetation, Bolger thought he would not be surprised by a sudden and unexpected attack. In the open, he knew the tiger would think twice before hunting him down.

But then he heard the sound of a twig cracking just behind him. He turned quickly and there it was. The sabre-toothed tiger had appeared from out of nowhere. There it stood with its cruel yellow eyes looking straight into Bolger's. Its teeth, enormously long and sharp, dripped with saliva. Then the tiger jumped straight at him…

The Meeting

Smithy stood at the bar with his untouched glass of orange juice in front of him. He nervously played with the glass, turning it one way and then another. He looked round again at the girl at the other end of the bar. She was taking her time drinking her cocktail, and this time she was alone. For many weeks now, Smithy had come to this bar on a Friday afternoon after leaving work. He was a filing clerk in an office. A dull job, which had probably made Smithy rather a dull person. At forty-five and still single, his colleagues at work made fun of him. “You've been left on the shelf, Smithy!�? they would say.

The girl at the other end of the bar had long and straight, dark hair. She was dressed in a smart red dress and she wore high heel shoes and black tights. Her face was quite dark too and fascinating to look at. She was Spanish. Smithy knew this as he had heard her talk to a girlfriend who usually accompanied her to the bar. She had talked about her time in Spain to her friend and she spoke with what, Smithy thought, was a very attractive accent.

This was his moment. Smithy had to make a move now she was alone and try to get to know her. He had the perfect phrase he thought to break the ice, because he had learnt some Spanish at school. He had practised the words again and again for several days and now he was ready. Smithy picked up his orange juice and walked towards the girl in an attempt to look as cool and as masculine as possible. The girl looked up from her cocktail as he approached and then Smithy spoke.

'Guten Abend, Fräulein. Mein Name ist Smithy.'

What a difference a day makes

Alice sat on the hospital bed and looked out of the window at the gardens. It was a bright sunny morning. Although the windows were closed, Alice could still hear the birds singing in the tall, leafy trees that surrounded the garden. She thought of her university friends and colleagues at the nature reserve and how they would all be busy on a morning such as this.

Alice had loved her work in research of bird behaviour. In fact, recently, things had become even more rewarding as they were about to make a breakthrough in bird migration research. How some birds were able to fly several thousand kilometres each year to Africa in winter and then return to the exact same place in England for breeding in the spring.

However, Alice knew she had to forget all that now. Her passion for life, her devotion to her work were all behind her. Soon, very soon according to the doctors, she would no longer be in this world. Cancer, they said it was, had taken hold of her body. She had just one month to live. When she had first heard the news, it had made sense. It explained the agonising pain she was feeling in her back and why she often had to lie down to find relief. Now the doctors were deciding what to do; whether it was worthwhile to give Alice some sort of chemotherapy treatment. It might give her a little longer to live: one month, two months…

The door of the private hospital bedroom opened and a doctor walked in. He said nothing at first, but just approached Alice sitting on the bed. Alice looked up at his face as he stood over her. She realised she had never seen him before. His expression was serious. It was quite obvious to Alice he had some terrible news to tell her.

'Alice Laverne. That's right, isn't it?'

'Yes, I'm Alice.' The doctor sat down in an armchair opposite her.

'I'm Doctor Benito. Actually, I have some good news for you,' he began. A half smile crossed his face.

Alice thought to herself. No you don't. What is it now? Three months, four months? Perhaps I'll see my last Christmas. Is that it?

'There's been a mistake,' continued the doctor. 'An awful mistake.'

Alice froze. Her brain stopped working. She was unable to process the phrase “an awful mistake�?. It did not seem to fit in with the context of what they were discussing.

'What!' she said rudely.

'Alice,' said the doctor. 'I don't know how to say this. Well, I suppose it's quite simple really. Alice, you don't have cancer!'

A long pause.

'I don't have cancer,' repeated Alice. 'What do you mean I don't have cancer?'

'There was a mistake in the biopsy,' answered the doctor. 'It seems to have been a computer analysis error. But we've double-checked and you definitely do not have cancer, Alice.'

'But… but… what about the pain in my back? What is it?' Alice could hardly speak. The shock from this news was so powerful.

'You just seem to have a bad back, Alice. You know, from sitting badly. With the right type of exercise, you should be fine. Now,' and the doctor looked serious again. 'I understand you may want to make a complaint…'

But Alice's mind was suddenly a long way from that hospital room and the doctor. She was thinking of the open spaces, the countryside, the birds she was studying and loved so much, long migrations, winter and spring, the grand circle of life, and she was happy to be part of it again.

'Doctor!' interrupted Alice. 'Say no more. I'm not interested in making a complaint. I'm just over the moon!'