Speak English like an American with CD

Hello:
  
 I think we need to speak plain American English, real  American English. So we 
need some idioms. I've found a book surfing on  Internet about this:
  
  SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE AN AMERICAN (WITH CD)
  
  So I copied the first lesson in this mail. Here it is!
  
  Regards.
  
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
      Peter: Bob, I hate to break  the news, but our sales were down
      again last month.
      Bob: Down again, Peter?
      Peter: Yeah. These days,  everybody's shopping at our competition,
      Honest Abe's  Furniture Store.
      Bob: But everything in  there costs an arm and a leg!
      Peter: That's true. They  do charge top dollar.
      Bob: And their  salespeople are very strange. They really give
      me the creeps!
      Peter: Well, they must be  doing something right over there.
      Meanwhile, we're about  to go belly-up.
      Bob: I'm sorry to hear  that. I  thought  my new advertising
      campaign would save  the day.
      Peter: Let's face it: your advertising  campaign was a real flop. .
      Bob: Well then I'll go  back to the drawing board.
      Peter: It's too late for  that. You're fired!
      Bob: What? You're giving me the ax?
      Peter: Yes. I've already found a new  manager. She's as sharp
      as a tack.
      Bob: Can't we even talk this over?  After all, I've  been
      working here for 10 years!
      Peter: There's no point in arguing, Bob. I've already made up
      my mind.
      Bob: Oh well, at least I won't have to put up with your nonsense
      anymore! Good-bye to you and  good-bye to this
      dead-end job.
      Peter: Please leave before I lose my temper!
      IDIOMS -  LESSON  1
      about to -  ready to; on the verge  of
      EXAMPL1E:  It's a  good thing Bob left the furniture store when he did.
      Peter was so angry,  he was about to throw a dining room chair at him.
      EXAMPL2E: I'm glad  you're finally home. I was just about to have dinner
      without you.
      after all -  despite everything;  when everything has been considered;
      the fact is
      EXAMPL1E:  You'd  better invite Ed to your party. After all, he's a good 
friend.
      EXAMPL2E: It  doesn't matter what your boss thinks of you. After all,
      at least -  anyway; the good thing is that ...
      EXAMPL1E :  We've  run out of coffee, but at least we still have tea.
      EXAMPL2:E Tracy can't afford to  buy a car, but at least she has a good
      bicycle.
      NOTE: The second  definition of this phrase is "no less than": There were
      at least 300 people waiting  in line to buy concert tickets.
      (to) break the news  - to make something known
      EXAMPL1E: Samantha  and Michael are getting married, but they haven't
      yet broken the  news to their parents.
      EXAMPL2E: You'd  better break the news to your father carefully. After
      all, you don't want  him to have a heart attack!
      (to) cost an arm  and a leg - to be very expensive
      EXAMPL1E: A college education  in America costs an arm  and a leg.
      EXAMPL2E: All of  the furniture at Honest Abe's costs an arm and a leg!
      dead-end job - a job that won't  lead to anything else
      EXAMPL1E: Diane  realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job.
      EXAMPL2E: Jim  worked many dead-end jobs before finally deciding to
      start his own  business.
      (let's) face it -  accept  a difficult reality
      EXAMPL1E:  Let's  face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn't
      be failing so many  of his classes!
      EXAMPL2E: Let's  face it, if you don't have a college degree, it can be
      difficult to find a  high-paying job.
      (to) give one the  creeps - to create a feeling of disgust or horror
      EXAMPL1E:  Ted's  friend Matt has seven earrings in each ear and an "I
      Love Mom"  tattoo on his arm. He really gives Nicole the creeps.
      EXAMPL2E: There was  a strange man following me around the grocery
      store. He was giving  me the creeps!
      (to) go back to the  drawing board - to start a task over
      because the last  try failed; to start again from the beginning
      EXAMPL1 E:  Frank's  new business failed, so he had to go back to the
      drawing board.
      EXAMPL2E: The  president didn't agree with our new ideas for the company,
      so we had to go  back to the drawing board.
      (to) go belly-up - to go bankrupt
      EXAMPL1E:  Many  people lost their jobs when Enron went belly-up.
      EXAMPL2:E My  company lost $3 million last year. We might go belly-up.
      (to) give someone  the ax - to fire someone
      EXAMPL1E:  Mary  used to talk to her friends on the phone all day at work,
      until one day her  boss finally gave her the ax.
      EXAMPL2E: Poor  Paul! He was given the ax two days before Christmas.
      (to) lose one's  temper - to become very angry
      EXAMPL1E: Bob always loses  his temper when his kids start talking on
      the telephone  during dinner.
      EXAMPL2E:  When Ted handed in his essay two weeks late, his teacher
      really lost her  temper.
      (to) make up  one" mind - to reach a decision; to decide
      EXAMPL1E: Stephanie couldn't make  up her mind whether to attend
      Harvard or  Stanford. Finally, she chose Stanford.
      EXAMPL2E:  DOY  OU want  an omelette or hed eggs? You'll need to make
      up your mind quickly because the  waitress is coming.
      no point in - no reason to; it's not worth (doing  something)
      EXAMPL1 E: There's no point  in worrying about things you can't change.
      EXAMPL2E:  There's no point in going on a picnic if it's going to rain.
      (to) put up with - to endure without complaint
      EXAMPL1:E  For many years, Barbara put up with her husband's annoying
      behavior. Finally,  she decided to leave him.
      EXAMPL2E:  I don't know how Len puts  up with his mean boss every day.
      real flop or flop  - a failure
      EXAMPL1E: The  Broadway play closed after just 4 days - it was a real  
flop!
      EXAMPL2:E  The company was in trouble after its new product flopped.
      (to) save the day - to prevent a disaster or misfortune
      EXAMPL1 E: T he Christmas tree  was on fire, but Ted threw water on it and
      saved the day.
      EXAMPL2E:  We forgot to buy champagne for our New Year's party, but
      Sonia brought some  and really saved the day!
      (as) sharp as a  tack - very intelligent
      EXAMPL1E: Jay  scored 100% on his science test. He's as sharp as a tack.
      EXAMPL2E:  Anna got a scholarship to Yale. She's as sharp as a tack.
      (to) talk over - to discuss
      EXAMPL1E :  Dave  and I spent hours talking over the details of the plan.
      EXAMPL2E:  Before you make any big decisions, give me a call and we'll
      talk things over.
      top dollar - the highest end of a price range; a  lot of money
      EXAMPL1E : Nicole paid top  dollar for a shirt at Banana Republic.
      EXAMPL2E:  Wait until those jeans go on sale. Why  pay top dollar?
       
    

                
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 Probalo ya! 

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