Lesson 2 Tying the Knot
Mike: Hmmm. . .What’s this card? “Join us!Matt and
Allison are tying the knot! Take the plunge with
themSaturday, June 22nd, at their Engagement/
Beach Party. There’ll be no chance to get cold feet
at this sizzling hot summer party! Takes place at
Turtle Beach. This party is no stuffy ceremony, so
join in if you want to see the couple let their hair
down one last time before the walk down the aisle!
RSVP by Friday, June 15th. It’ll be a blast!”Wow.Matt
and Allison are gettingmarried! Didn’t see that
coming.
Allison: Mike! You’re here! So glad you couldmake it!
Mike: Wouldn’t miss it for the world!
Matt: Hey, buddy! How are ya?
Mike: Great! Congratulations, you two!
Matt and Allison: Thanks!
Mike: Looks like a good turnout!
Matt: Yeah,we’re happy somany people could come.
Mike: So you two are finally gonna get hitched.Who
popped the question?Was it you,Matt, or did you
propose to him, Allison?
Matt: I decided to be the romantic one. I took Allison to
the park where we had our five-year anniversary
picnic, and asked her there . . . She was in a bad
mood that day . . . I almost lost my nerve—I
thought she was gonna turn me down!
Allison: He’s right . . . I almost left himin the park. I had a
terriblemigraine. Stress at work. And he’d been
acting so strange, I guess getting ready for the big
question.
Mike: Have you guys settled on a date yet?
Allison: We’re close . . . Sometime next July. You’ll be
around,won’t you?
Mike: You can count on it.
Allison: Oh, I just sawmy aunt arrive. Sorry to bail on youMike,
right when you get here!
Mike: No, no problem;we’ll catch up later on.
Allison: Great. See you both in a bit.
Mike: Okay, can I ask you something direct?
Matt: Ha! It’s not like you’ve ever been one to beat around
the bush.
Mike: Fair enough. Give it to me straight. Did she bully you
into this?
Matt: No, seriously . . . I really want this.
Mike: I tell ya,when I got the invite, it really threw me for a
loop. You’ve done a complete 180. Just a couplemonths
ago, you were tellingme how you kind ofmissed
playing the field.
Matt: I know. But things have changed. I guess I’ve settled
down.
Mike: I guess so!What happened?
Matt: Well, remember that car accident Allison had?When I
found out, it was a real wake-up call. I remember
thinking I didn’t know how I would live without this
woman. It hit me—she was the one forme. I decided I
should eithermarry her or stop seeing her.
Mike: Wow.
Matt: Really, and since I’ve proposed, everything has been
perfect. I feel like amillion bucks. It was the right
decision.
Mike: I have to hand it to you. It seems like you’re really
getting your life on track. You’re a luckyman. She’s a
great person. You deserve a great woman.
Matt: Thanks, I appreciate that. But come on, this is
supposed to be fun. Let’s grab a beer and join the
party.
Mike: Great idea.
2. To take the plunge. To follow through on a big or life-changing
decision.On the invitation, it has a doublemeaning. It refers
both to a “plunge” into water at the beach party and to the fact
that Matt and Allison will be gettingmarried.
3. To get cold feet. To be or become afraid to do something. To
have second thoughts.Notice that you can also say “have cold
feet.”
4. Stuffy. Formal.Overly conservative in ceremony and style.
5. To let your hair down. To celebrate in a free and uninhibited way.
6. To walk down the aisle. To get married.
7. To not see something coming. To not expect something. To be
surprised by something.
8. A turnout. The number of people at an event.Notice that there’s
also the verb “to turn out.”
9. To get hitched. To get married. These days, this expression is an
informal, humorous, and exaggerated way to say “to get
married.”
10. To pop the question. To proposemarriage to someone.
11. To lose your nerve. To lose courage.
12. To turn someone or something down. To say “no” to someone or
something.
13. To settle on something. To decide something after discussion,
consideration, or negotiation.
14. To count on something. To depend on something happening. To
be sure something will happen.
15. To bail. To leave a person or quit a project earlier than expected.
You can also say “to bail out on someone or something.”
16. To beat around the bush. To be indirect in approach in order to
avoid confrontation.
17. To give it to someone straight. To be direct and honest with
someone.
18. To bully someone into something. To force someone to do
something.
19. To throw someone for a loop. To surprise someone. To confuse
someone with something unexpected.
20. To do a 180. To change in a drastic way. To turn completely
around.
21. To play the field. To datemany different people.
22. To settle down. To grow comfortable and content in a routine or
situation, especially in a relationship with another person.
Often, this implies growing older andmore responsible, or less
fun-loving and free, depending on how you look at it!
23. To be a wake-up call. To be something that changes your view of
what is important or possible.
24. To be seeing someone. To date someone informally.
25. To hand it to someone. To acknowledge someone’s
achievement.
26. To get something on track. Tomake decisions and take actions
about something that will lead to a favorable outcome.
