Lesson
(1) to do smb a favour,
to do smb a good turn them too and that you're just dying to do them a favour. It's sort of funny, in a way.
2. This is for a friend who's done me a good turn.
3. "1 came to do you a good turn," she said.
(2) so far (as yet) — up to now, all the while up to now
1. Hm! May I ask what you have said so far?
2. Thirty years ago five doctors gave me six months to live, and I've seen three of them out so far.
3. So far you are right.
(3) to take a fancy to (for) somebody (to take a liking to somebody, to take to somebody) — to become fond of, to like (often followed by immediately)
1. I met this young man in the train Just now, and I've taken a fancy to him already.
2. Mr. Short himself had taken a liking to George.
3. He had a warm, cheerful air which made me take to him at once.
(4) to be all for — strongly in favour of, to want it to be so, definitely to want something
1. Mother, I'm all for Hubert sending his version to the papers.
2. "I'm ready to welcome what you call half the truth — the facts." — "So am I. I'm all for it."
3. Anthony was all for the open fields and his friends, Steve on the other hand took little notice of other children.
(5) as a matter of fact — in fact, in reality; to be exact, really
1. "Haven't you finished?" — "As a matter of fact, we haven't begun."
2. "Do you happen to have any cigarettes, by any chance?" — "No, 1 don't, as a matter of fact."
3. I've been meaning to have a word with you as a matter of fact.
(6) not to care two pins about (not to care a hang, fig, hoot, etc.) — to care nothing
1. I don't care two pins if you think me plain or not.
2. ... a laugh you couldn't trust, but a laugh which made you laugh back and agree that in a crazy world like this all sorts of things didn't matter a hang. (Or. Greene)
(7) to put up with — to bear, to endure, to tolerate
1. If only he could be happy again she could put up with it.
2. She's my sister. We put up with each other.
3. I want to know how long this state of things between us is to last? I have put up with it long enough.
(8) as good as — practically, almost, nearly
1. You'll be as good as new in six months or dead in twelve.
2. You see, I'm an only child. And so are you — of your mother. Isn't it a bore? There's so much Expected of one. By the time they've done expecting, one's as good as dead.
(9) to slip (out of) one's mind (memory) — to forget
1. Perhaps you really have a friend called Merde and it slipped your mind.
2. ... that the main purpose of my visit had slipped from his failing memory.
(10) all along — from the very first, from the very beginning (it implies 'over a period of time' or 'during that period')
1. Miss Boland is the daughter of a close friend. Thus, all along, he regarded her as his own responsibility.
2. Savina realized now that all along she had felt a secret superiority to Edna.
3. That's what I suppose I intended doing all along.
