In a Tight Spot | Unearthly Hour | Etched in Stone | Fair and Square
Vocabulary
in a tight spot
Phrase
ɪn ə taɪt spɑːt
in a difficult situation
The company is in a tight spot right now. Its stock price is dropping.
Anna is in a tight spot in life. Her boyfriend just broke up with her.
unearthly hour
Phrase
əˈnɜrθli aʊr
inconvenient time, especially very early in the morning or very late at night
She has to wake up at an unearthly hour every morning because of the commute.
My girlfriend always calls me at an unearthly hour.
etched in stone
Phrase
ɛʧt ɪn stoʊn
something that cannot be changed, such as rules, decisions, etc.
She is planning to leave the country, but it’s not etched in stone yet.
The boss’s decision is etched in stone, so everyone must abide by it.
fair and square
Phrase
fɛr ən skwɛr
just and honest; in an honest way, without cheating
He won the match fair and square.
Dialogue Practice
Read the dialogue aloud with your teacher.
 Saya | Hi, Masa. Did you complete the project report? |
 Masa | Yeah, finally. I was in a tight spot while making the report, though. |
 Saya | Oh, why? |
 Masa | I had to wake up at an unearthly hour to start working on it. I couldn't do it last night. My wife went out to watch a movie with her friends, leaving me with our 2-year-old daughter. So, there was no way I could have done it last night. I woke up at 4:00 am this morning to write my report. |
 Saya | Wow, that sounds tough! |
 Masa | It really was. But, Mrs Jackson set the deadline at 9 am, so I needed to submit it first thing in the morning. When she asks us to do something, we really need to do it. You know, her words are etched in stone. |
 Saya | I see. But why didn’t you ask me for help? I would have gladly helped you. |
 Masa | Thanks, but I wanted to do it by myself, fair and square. |
Article
Read the passage aloud with your teacher.
Masa works for an IT company. He was put in a tight spot the night before because he had to take care of his daughter. The next day, he had to wake up at an unearthly hour to complete a report. He had no choice but to finish the report in the morning because his boss, Mrs Jackson, had set the deadline at 9:00 am, and he knew that it was etched in stone. Saya said that she would have helped, but Masa told her that he had preferred to do the report by himself, fair and square.
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the dialogue.
Mr. Adachi and Mr. Abbott are talking about their new boss. | |
 Akio Adachi | How come they set up a meeting at such an (1)? Holding a meeting at 6:00 am is crazy! |
 Jonathan Abbott | You can say that again! Ever since Bernard became our boss, we have been (2). |
 Akio Adachi | I expected him to treat us (3), but he really hasn't! And every decision he makes is (4). Nothing is ever open for discussion! |
 Jonathan Abbott | That's true! I really miss our previous boss. |
Choose answers from the options below that fit in blanks 1 to 4
Answer Pool (Questions 1-4)
- in a tight spot
- fair and square
- unearthly hour
- etched in stone
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms to complete the sentences.
1.
Mark was when he bumped into a tree with his new car.
2.
It's not really safe to walk the city alone at an .
3.
The decision made by management is .
4.
I admire him; he always plays and never breaks the rules.
5.
He said he would resign from this job, but the decision isn’t .
6.
We must get up at an tomorrow. We can’t miss the flight.
7.
I want to treat all employees , but it’s very difficult.
8.
I've been since I lost my job.
Sentence Building
Create sentences using the following idioms.
- in a tight spot
- unearthly hour
- etched in stone
- fair and square
