Hear Through the Grapevine | Bite the Bullet | Add Insult to Injury | Sick and Tired | Plain as Day
Vocabulary
hear through the grapevine
Phrase
hir θru ðə ˈgreɪpˌvaɪn
to hear rumors about something
I heard through the grapevine that he was fired yesterday!
I heard through the grapevine that Cindy is pregnant.
bite the bullet
Phrase
baɪt ðə ˈbʊlət
to accept and endure a painful or unpleasant situation
She really doesn't like doctors, but she'll just have to bite the bullet and go for a checkup.
He will have to bite the bullet and live with it.
add insult to injury
Phrase
æd ˈɪnˌsʌlt tʊ ˈɪnʤəri
to make a bad situation worse
To fire him now would only add insult to injury.
sick and tired
Phrase
sɪk ən ˈtaɪərd
to be annoyed or bored because of doing something (usually unpleasant)
I’m sick and tired of listening to you complain.
plain as day
Phrase
pleɪn əz deɪ
very obvious/clear
It’s plain as day that he’s the one who stole her purse.
It was plain as day that you guys were planning a surprise party for me, but I didn't want to say anything.
Dialogue Practice
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
 Nina | Hey, Andrei! How are you doing? I heard through the grapevine that you got into a big fight with Mark. |
 Andrei | That’s true. I got sick and tired of his offensive behavior. |
 Nina | Really? What did he do? |
 Andrei | He was really rude to my girlfriend. And, to add insult to injury, he was telling lies about me to other people. Apparently, he was telling everyone that I was going to break up with my girlfriend. |
 Nina | No way! He’s such a jerk! |
 Andrei | And it’s plain as day that he is lying! |
 Nina | Yes, but I don't think you should have yelled at him. Anyway, I'm sure he will bite the bullet and apologize for what he's done. |
 Andrei | I hope so. |
Article
Read the passage aloud with your teacher.
I heard through the grapevine that Sarah got into a big fight with her family. It's plain as day that she has never been close to her parents anyway. However, she has always had a good relationship with her older brother. I was shocked to hear that he didn’t support her when she got fired. To add insult to injury, he actually told her that it was her fault. Sarah was just sick and tired of his comments. No wonder she argued with her brother. Her parents sided with him, making it harder for Sarah. She will have to bite the bullet and carry on.
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks to complete the dialogue.
Matt is complaining to Nathan. | |
 Matt | I’m so (1) of everything! |
 Nathan | Something happened between you and your girlfriend again, right? It's (2). |
 Matt | Yes. I (3) that she has been cheating on me. |
 Nathan | For now, you really have to (4) and just keep studying. The exam is tomorrow! |
 Matt | I know, but I just can't focus. To (5), she has been avoiding me these days. I am really starting to think it might be true... |
 Nathan | Maybe it's all just a rumor. Try calling her again and ask her. |
Choose answers from the options below that fit in blanks 1 to 5
Answer Pool (Questions 1-5)
- heard through the grapevine
- plain as day
- bite the bullet
- sick and tired
- add insult to injury
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the sentences.
1.
and admit that you broke the window.
2.
It’s that they are dating! Did they really think no one knew?
3.
First, the pipe burst and then, to , the electricity went off!
4.
She just and continued with the business on her own.
5.
I got soaked in the rain and then, to , I fell into a puddle.
6.
I that Charlie is getting married.
7.
I’m of airplanes. I wish I didn't have to travel so much for work.
8.
The fact that Peter hates Sam is .
9.
The reason she quit the job is that she got of the way people were treating her.
10.
You shouldn't believe everything you .
Sentence Building
Create sentences using the following idioms.
- bite the bullet
- add insult to injury
- hear through the grapevine
- sick and tired
- plain as day
