July, 8, 2020 Telling stories	
The office party (1)	
collocation	example	
say the least-по меньшей мере, мягко говоря
from the word go- негласно
at stake-на кону
put it mildly-мягко говоря
the penny dropped-дошло, все понятно
for good measure- для ровного счета, для разнообразия, для полного счастья
drop a clanger-сказать глупость, ляпнуть	The office party was embarrassing, to say the least . It all went wrong from the word go, when I couldn't find the venue and was two hours late. I'd been at the company for only a week and didn't really know anybody there, so there was a lot at stake in terms of getting to know my new colleagues and making a good first impression. I started talking to someone who was, to put it mildly, one of the most boring people I've ever met, so I escaped quickly and started talking to Alice, who I sit next to at work. I was complaining about the man I'd been talking to and noticed she had gone very quiet. The penny dropped when she said, 'He's my husband.' I later discovered that, for good measure, he's also a director of the company. I can't believe I dropped such a clanger.	
Getting a job (2)	
collocation	example	
more by luck than judgement- по счастливой случайности
say nothing of- не говоря уже о
nearly fell off my chair-чуть со стула не упал
into the bargain- к тому же, вдобавок
there's a lot to be said for- есть много преимуществ	I'm sure I got my job more by luck than judgement. My CV wasn't very good, to say
nothing of the disastrous interview. I nearly fell off my chair when they offered me the job, and I even got a company car into the bargain. There's a lot to be said for not worrying about things until you know the final outcome.	
Other stories (3)	
collocation	example	
for a split second- на долю секунды	John told me he'd won the lottery and for a split second I believed him!	
between you and me- между нами говоря	Between you and me, I think Kate's thinking of dropping out of university.	
a bolt from the blue- как гром среди ясного неба	Guess who I bumped into on the way to work? Sara! It was a real bolt from the blue. I've not seen her for years.	
at first glance- на первый взгляд	The exam looked really easy at first glance, but it was actually really difficult, and I think I've failed.	
when all's said and done- в конечном итоге	They may seem a strange couple, but when all's said and done, they're really happy together.	
a turn-up for the books- диковинное чудо, чудеса в решете	That's a real turn-up for the books- I just got a pay rise I wasn't expecting.	
Exercise 1 Complete each idiom.

1 I felt at home in my new flat from the word.........................................
2 It took a while for the penny to ......................... , but eventually Joe realised I was joking.
3 Kathy nearly fell off her .................................................. when she saw a film star in her local restaurant.
4 For a ....... . ........ second I was afraid the car was going to crash.
5 He doesn't like spending money, to ...................... it mildly.
6 Just ................................ ................. you and me, I'm thinking of applying for a new job.
7 Be careful what you say in the meeting - there's a lot at................................
8 I dropped a ........ at Emma's party: I asked where her cat was, but apparently it died last week!	
Exercise 2. Correct the mistakes in these idioms.

1 The party was fantastic - delicious food, a great band and all my favourite people there for full
measure.
2 She's pretty, clever and nice for the bargain.
3 When all 's told and done, I think you made the right decision.
4 No one thought the film would be a success, so it was a real turn-up in the books when it won
three Oscars.
5 I feel very nervous about this exam; there is a lot at the stake.
6 I didn't understand what he meant at first, but then the pound dropped.
7 We got on really well from the word start.
8 I think you were rather rude to her, to tell it mildly.	
Все материалы из  книги "English Idioms in Use" by M. McCarthy, F. O'Dell.