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burn the candle at both hands:
Lucy: I've flunked the doctorate certification test. I'm upset.
Dan: Oh! I'm sorry to hear that, Lucy. But you burn the candle at both hands: you either give up your full-time job, or doctorate study.
Lucy: Plus I have two kids. My husband should do more around the house.
Dan: I hear you. My wife doesn't go to school, but she has a demanding job and works after hours. So I must do more household chores than my share and take care of the kids at night when she works late in the evening.
Lucy: You're telling me, but you also burn the candle at both hands. Your wife is lucky, though. My husband goes to school, but he has a flexible work schedule. He could do more to help me spare more time for study.
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Mark: I have an extra ticket for The Color Purple for next Friday. Would you like to see it with me?
Pat: Thanks for the offer, Mark, but I have to see my parents next weekend. I'll leave early next Friday for Boston I'll take a rain check this time.
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come down hard on someone
standard bearer
Mary: Don't come down so hard on your daughter if she doesn't want to go to college. May be she will change her mind later.
Doris: Listen I work so hard for her. I don't want her to be miserable in life. I am doing my best to give her the best future I possibly can
Mary: I understand what you're saying. Especially, nowadays college education is the standard bearer to get a job.
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Chuck: He blew up and lost the tennis match. I didn't expect that.
Jeff: Why, Dad? He's not a better player than his opponent, a four-time college tennis champion.
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Jane: I blew up at my husband last night for no reason I was so exhausted at work yesterday. When I went home very tired to see only there was no dinner ready yet, so I lost my temper at him. It was his turn to cook, but he said he had to stay at work little longer. So he couldn't get the dinner done.
Karen: Well. Sometimes I am the same, too. I am quick to anger, especially, when I am tired.
burn the candle at both hands: idiom. To try to do too much at once
give up: idiom To stop doing something; to quit
full-time job: 35-40 hours weekly work in the U.S. an employee works in one job and gets additional benefits besides salary
plus: adverb. In this conversation means in addition
do more around the house: To do more household work in the house
demanding: adjective. Asking for more input, resources, time and effort
work after hours: idiomatic verb. To stay in the work-place after the work-schedule
take care of: idiomatic verb. To give care
I hear you: idiomatic verb.al phrase. I truly understand your point.
one's share: One's responsibility to carry out
household: noun. Involving a family
chore: noun Usual work, routine work
household chores: House work we do regularly such as vacuuming, laundry, cooking, ironing, doing the dishes, taking out the garbage, and etc.
flexible: adjective. Adaptable, capable of making adjustment
spare: verb. To reserve, put aside
The Color Purple: a popular musical play and movie of the 90's adapted from the novel of the same title in the U.S.
leave for: idiomatic verb. To leave our home, city our work to go a different place, city, country
rain check: idiom. A promise to accept an invitation at other time
come down hard on somebody: idiom. To punish strongly
miserable: adjective. To be unhappy, incapable of taking care of oneself
standard bearer: idiom. A person or thing that leads a standard. In this conversation, a college diploma leads a standard to get a job
blow up: idiom To stop playing well
opponent: noun. A person you compete against
champion: noun. A person who has won medals in a field of sport
blow up: idiom. To explode in anger
for no reason: adverb.erb.ial phrase. Without a good cause, without a reason
to be exhausted: To be very tired
only: adverb. In this conversation, nothing else but only what it is, to emphasize the idea that the only thing Jane saw that the dinner was not cooked.
one's turn: To be in a position to do something a person expects you to because that person has done the same to you; reciprocation
lose temper: idiomatic verb. To blow up
to be quick to anger: idiom: To get angry easily
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