Using English at Work
Lesson 10 - Socializing with Coworkers
SCRIPT
When I walk past Van's desk on my way out of the office, I see that he's talking to a group of people. He stops and asks if I want to go with them to happy hour at the restaurant and bar down the street. It has been a busy week and I need to blow off some steam. On top of that, I don't have any big plans for the evening, so I say, "yes."
Eight of us walk down the street to Steve's Cantina. We find a table in the back of the bar and look at the drinks menu. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 p.m., and the drinks are half price. We order our drinks and I go to get some snacks and appetizers. I look at the food that's available and I see a lot of deep-fried foods and chips and dip, so I load up and go back to the table.
One of the guys, Brian, starts to grumble about work and to bad-mouth the boss. I'm in no mood to talk about work, so I change the subject. I ask everybody what his or her plans are for the weekend. Diana says that she's planning to kick back and relax. Rodrigo said he has a hot date. Van tells us a funny story about the last date he went on that didn't go very well. We have a good laugh over it.
We all have a great time at happy hour and it's a good way to kick off the weekend!
GLOSSARY
happy hour - a time in the late afternoon on weekdays at many bars where drinks and food cost less than usual
* Hank's Pub has a great happy hour at 6:00 on Thursdays where beers are only $1.50 each.
to blow off some steam - to let go of emotions and stress that have been building up over a period of time; to relax
* Derek goes for a run whenever he needs to blow off some steam.
on top of that - in addition; furthermore; moreover; also
* When Eleanor asked me to go to the movies tonight, I said "no" because I was really tired, the movie theater is too far away, and on top of that, I didn't like the movie she wanted to see.
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Using English at Work
Lesson 10 - Socializing with Coworkers
big plans - exciting and interesting arrangements for doing something; plans to do important or interesting activities
Moira has big plans for opening a business and working independently. half price - costing 50% less than usual
Normally this necklace costs $60, but today it's half price so I'm going to buy it for only $30.
snacks - food eaten between regular meals
* Since I'm trying to lose weight, I'm trying to eat healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables, and yogurt.
appetizer - a small amount of food eaten at a restaurant while one is waiting for the main course to be served; the first course in a meal
* Grandma doesn't eat very much, so when we go to restaurants she usually just orders an appetizer while the rest of us order bigger meals.
deep-fried food - food that has been cooked in oil for a long time and has a lot
of fat
* A lot of Americans grew up eating deep-fried foods like French fries and fried chicken.
chips and dip - a large plate with potato or corn chips (thin pieces of potato or corn that are fried in oil and salted) that are served with a small cup of dip (a thick, creamy sauce) so that people can put the dip on the chips to eat them
* Whenever Wayne has friends come to his house, he makes a big plate of chips and dip for everyone to share.
to load up - to put a lot of something on one's plate or in a container
* Miguel is on a diet, so he loaded up his plate with lots of fruits and vegetables, ignoring the cheese, meats, and bread.
to grumble - to complain quietly about something
* The man sitting next to me on the bus was grumbling about all the noisy teenagers who were riding in the bus with us.
to bad-mouth (someone) - to say bad things about another person; to say all the reasons that one does not like another person
* Lana was bad-mouthing the professor, telling us that he isn't fair when he grades the tests.
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