Daily Life Routines

crack the books

start studying

The reason why he isn’t doing very well is that he rarely cracks the books.”

cut class

miss school

Although some of my daughter’s friends cut class a lot, she is at school every day.

bow (verb)

bend your head and waist to show respect and thanks to another person 

soft-hearted

gentle, kind

He might not seem very understanding, but you’ll see he’s soft-hearted once you get to know him.

run in the family

physical or personality traits that are similar

All their kids are very athletic; it seems to run in the family.

burn the candle at both ends

work to excess that affects your physical and emotional well-being

It’s just not wise to burn the candle at both ends; it’s just impossible to work full time, go to school, and spend time with family

work one’s tail off

work very hard

I have to work my tail off just to pay my rent.

catch (verb)

to get on

I have to catch a bus in front of the bus station.

get off work (verb)

finish work

She seldom gets off work before 6:00 p.m.

stay up (verb)

not go to bed

I almost never stay up past midnight.

set aside (verb)

reserve, allow, or give a certain amount to

You have to set aside time for the family and yourself.

You have to set aside enough time to study for your classes.

toughest (adjective)

most difficult, hardest

The toughest part about being a parent is setting aside time for both work, family, and self.

take care of (verb)

watch, look after

You should take care of yourself so you don’t get sick.

lend someone a hand

help someone

Could you lend me a hand with the housework before your parents arrive.

lift a finger

do the smallest amount of work required

Susan’s husband rarely lifts a finger to help her around the house.

scrub (verb)

clean thoroughly by rubbing hard

You’ll need to scrub really hard to remove that stain from the table.

dust (verb)

to remove small pieces of dirt

Please dust all the furniture in the front room.