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Martin, I have found the perfect hotel for oursummer holiday.
Perfect location?
Right beside the beach.
Perfect rooms?
Large, bright, and every room has a sea view.
Perfect price?
Well, perhaps the price is not completely perfect.
How much is it?
I would prefer not to say.
Julia, does this hotel cost an arm and a leg?
Possibly one arm, one leg, and a few fingers.
Then we need a new plan.
Welcome to your English Toolbox and Practice Arena5-Minute English.
I am Martin.
And I am Julia.
Today we are exploring Lesson 3 of our free idiomscourse, Money.
The course takes you through 25 lessons and 100useful English idioms.
Each lesson includes a natural dialogue, clearmeanings, grammar notes, examples, listening, and
interactive practice.
You can find the course at yourenglishtoolbox.comslash idioms.
And the direct link to this free lesson is waitingfor you in the episode description.
Today we are learning four expressions.
Cost an arm and a leg, on a shoestring, make endsmeet, and save for a rainy day.
Let us return to my beautiful but painfullyexpensive hotel.
If something costs an arm and a leg, it isextremely expensive.
The expression is an informal exaggeration.
You do not really pay with parts of your body.
Fortunately.
We could say, that new phone costs an arm and aleg.
Or, the repairs cost us an arm and a leg.
Notice that cost is irregular.
The past form is also cost, not costed.
So the repairs cost us an arm and a leg.
Exactly.
Now, if the hotel is too expensive, perhaps wecould travel on a shoestring.
On a shoestring means using a very small amount ofmoney.
You can travel on a shoestring, make a film on ashoestring, or start a business on a shoestring.
And before a noun, we often say a shoestringbudget.
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We traveled on a shoestring, but we had ashoestring budget.
That sounds possible.
We could stay at a small hostel and prepare ourown food.
Good, because after paying my bills this month, Iam simply trying to make ends meet.
To make ends meet means to have just enough moneyto pay for essential living costs.
Rent, food, electricity, and transport.
It does not mean that you are earning a lot ofmoney.
It means your income and your necessary expensescan just meet.
And ends is always plural.
Make ends meet, not make the end meet.
Perhaps an expensive beach hotel is not the rightchoice when we are trying to make ends meet.
Especially because I also want to save for a rainyday.
To save for a rainy day means to keep money for afuture problem or unexpected need.
The rainy day is figurative.
You might need the money if your car breaks downor your boiler stops working.
You can save for a rainy day or put money asidefor a rainy day.
And before a noun, we can talk about rainy daysavings.
So your plan is to travel on a shoestring and keepyour savings for an emergency.
Exactly.
I am beginning to like this plan.
Time for a quick challenge.
Say the correct idiom before Martin answers.
Situation 1.
A simple concert ticket is unbelievably expensive.
It costs an arm and a leg.
Situation 2.
Two students travel across Europe with almost nomoney.
They travel on a shoestring.
Situation 3.
A family has just enough income to cover itsessential bills.
They make ends meet.
Final situation.
You put some money aside in case your car needs anunexpected repair.
You save for a rainy day.
Now choose one expression and make a sentenceabout your own life.
Quick recap.
Cost an arm and a leg means be extremelyexpensive.
On a shoestring means with a very small budget.
Make ends meet means have enough money foressential living costs.
And save for a rainy day means keep money for afuture difficulty.
Continue with Lesson 3 through the direct link inthe description.
Its interactive practice will help you retrievethese expressions instead of simply recognizing
them.
So, Martin, where are we going on holiday?
Somewhere that does not cost an arm and a leg.
On a shoestring?
On a very comfortable shoestring.
I am not sure that exists.
Then we may need to save for another rainy day.
06:00
Lesson 3.
