Slang and Colloquial terms 6 (for B2/C1 level students)

Dear ELT community,
Here´s EPISODE 6 of SLANG AND COLLOQUIAL TERMS HEARD IN AMERICAN MOVIES AND SERIES (For B2/C1 level students), which features an innovative learning experience (EXERCISE 1).

This time we´re gonna focus on the following 10 terms:

BUST SOMEONE´S BALLS – NO-BRAINER – FLIP THE BIRD – SHOOT STRAIGHT – VIBES

TAKE A DUMP – KICK SOMEONE´S ASS – HIT THE FAN – BALLSY – YOU NAME IT

I – MEANING/EXPLANATION + EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Bust someone´s balls: annoy someone very much; seriously irritate someone

Ex.: “Fred is going to kick your ass if you don´t stop busting his balls all the time.”, Lenny advised Mike.

No-brainer:a situation or problem that is very easy to deal with or solve; something obvious; very easy

Ex.: “I was expecting a tough test, but honestly, I though most of the questions were no-brainers.”, said Jeff to a classmate.

Flip the bird: give someone the finger; make an obscene gesture by closing the fist and extending the middle finger upwards

Ex.: “What the fuck! Did you see that? That stupid truck driver flipped the bird at me.”, Randy told Sam.

Shoot straight: talk to someone honestly; be direct

Ex.: “I like working with Matthews because he always shoots straight with us.”, Ronny told a coworker.

Vibes: the atmosphere or aura that emanates from a place or person

Ex.: “Joey seems to be a cool dude. I like the vibes I get from him.”, Billy told Wagner.

Take a dump: defecate; take a shit; take a crap

Ex.: “I hate it when my neighbor´s dog takes a dump on my lawn.”, said Fred to a friend.

Kick someone´s ass: beat someone up; attack someone physically

Ex.: “Are you crazy? He´ll totally kick your ass if you don´t do as he says.”, Burt told Greg.

Hit the fan:become publicly known; become a scandal

Ex.: “I wish I hadn´t been there when it hit the fan. It was awful!”, said Randy to a friend.

Ballsy:courageous; tough; brave

Ex.: “Lauren is a ballsy girl who isn´t easily intimidated.”, said Charlie to a friend.

You name it: everything you can think of; anything you need or want; anything

Ex.: “This hotel has all the facilities we need: an indoor heated pool, a gym, a business center, a sauna, you name it.”, said Jerry to Ronald.

II – EXERCISE 1: REWRITE THE SENTENCES IN A MORE COLLOQUIAL WAY (10 SENTENCES)

“I like the good atmosphere of this place. Everybody is always smiling and relaxed here.”, said Howard to a friend.
“If Mike starts shouting at you again just give him the finger and leave.”, Sally told Elaine.
“You should´ve seen the bouncer beat that guy up! Man, I felt sorry for him!”, Jake told his friends at the nightclub.
“We´ll be in big trouble if this story becomes publicly known, you know our jobs are on the line here, don´t you?”, Julian asked a coworker.
“That guy is such a pain in the ass. I wish he would stop annoying me all the time.”, Joey told Ronald.
“Ralph is one tough fellow. He fought a guy twice as big as he is.”, said Nicholas.
“So, what´s your poison? They have all kinds of drinks here: whisky, gin, vodka, anything.”, Josh told Rupert.
Deciding where to spend his vacation was very easy for Ryan since he´d always loved beaches.
“I need to stop by the drugstore and buy some medicine. I haven´t gone to the bathroom in four days.”, Nick told Robin.
“Why don´t you talk to Barry honestly and tell him what´s going on?”, said Linda to Melanie.

III – EXERCISE 2: MATCH THE COLLOQUIAL TERMS WITH THEIR DEFINITIONS (10 TERMS)

A. Hit the fan B. Vibes C. You name it D. No-brainer E. Ballsy F. Kick someone´s ass

G. Take a dump H. Flip the bird I. Bust someone´s balls J. Shoot straight

Courageous; tough; brave ____
A situation or problem that is very easy to deal with or solve; something obvious; very easy ____
Beat someone up; attack someone physically ____
Talk to someone honestly; be direct ____
Become publicly known; become a scandal ____
Annoy someone very much; seriously irritate someone ____
Give someone the finger; make an obscene gesture by closing the fist and extending the middle finger upwards ____
Everything you can think of; anything you need or want; anything ____
Defecate; take a shit; take a crap ____
The atmosphere or aura that emanates from a place or person ____

IV – KEY TO EXERCISES

I– Rewrite the following sentences in a more colloquial way

“I like the good vibes of this place. Everybody is always smiling and relaxed here.”, said Howard to a friend.
“If Mike starts shouting at you again just flip him the bird and leave.”, Sally told Elaine
“You should´ve seen the bouncer kick that guy´s ass! Man, I felt sorry for him!”, Jake told his friends at the nightclub.
“We´ll be in big trouble if this story hits the fan, you know our jobs are on the line here, don´t you?”, Julian asked a coworker.
“That guy is such a pain in the ass. I wish he would stop busting my balls all the time.”, Joey told Ronald.
“Ralph is one ballsy fellow. He fought a guy twice as big as he is.”, said Nicholas.
“So, what´s your poison? They have all kinds of drinks here: whisky, gin, vodka, you name it.”, Josh told Rupert.
Deciding where to spend his vacation was a no-brainer for Ryan since he´d always loved beaches.
“I need to stop by the drugstore and buy some medicine. I haven´t taken a dump in four days.”, Nick told Robin.
“Why don´t you shoot straight with Barry and tell him what´s going on?”, said Linda to Melanie.