🔑 Refined Daily Expressions & Phrasal Verbs
1. Blow-dry (past: blow-dried)
- Meaning: To dry hair using a blow dryer.
- Example:
“I blow-dried my hair before heading to the office since I had a big client meeting.”
2. Blow out (past: blew out)
- Meanings:
a) Extinguish a flame
b) When a tire bursts - Examples:
“The kids got excited when she blew out the candles.”
“I had to pull over because my tire blew out on the freeway.”
3. Blow up (past: blew up)
- Meanings:
a) To explode
b) To lose one’s temper suddenly
c) To enlarge (e.g. a photo) - Examples:
“The boiler blew up last night, scared the life out of us.”
“He blew up at me during the meeting, and I honestly didn’t see it coming.”
“I blew up the family photo to hang in the living room.”
4. Blow up at someone
- Meaning: Get angry and direct that anger at a person.
- Example:
“She blew up at her coworker in front of everyone, very out of character for her.”
5. Blew up over a misunderstanding
- Meaning: Became very angry because of a miscommunication.
- Example:
“He blew up over a misunderstanding that could’ve easily been cleared up with one phone call.”
🎭 Role Play Script (from the episode)
Context: Two friends are prepping for a birthday party.
Aubrey:
“Lindsay, can I borrow your hair dryer? I blow-dried my hair before coming over, but it’s still damp.”
Lindsay:
“Sure! I’m almost done frosting the cupcakes, and then I’ll grab it. I can’t wait for her to blow out the candles.”
Aubrey:
“Did you hear about Angie’s bike tire last night? It totally blew out on her way home.”
Lindsay:
“Oh no, seriously? I’ve been meaning to call her. She actually blew up at me over a misunderstanding, and we need to talk.”
Aubrey:
“Sorry to hear that. Hopefully, she comes tonight, and you two can chat.”
🧩 Paragraph Using All Expressions
I blow-dried my hair this morning because we’ve got that big birthday dinner later, and I want to look sharp. I even remembered to pick up a candle for the cake. Hopefully she doesn’t blow it out before we finish singing. On the way to the store, I saw a guy on the shoulder of the highway; his tire must’ve blown out. Reminded me of Angie who blew up at me last week over a simple mix-up with the calendar. Totally caught me off guard. I’m planning to enlarge that group photo from last year, too, which is going to blow it up and hang it in the den. Just hoping tonight goes smoothly and no one blows up again.
❓ Is “misunderstanding” countable?
✔️ Yes, it is.
You can say:
- “A misunderstanding”
- “Several misunderstandings”
Example:
- “She blew up at me over a misunderstanding.”
This means there was one specific miscommunication that caused the problem.
❓ What does “sharp” mean in “I want to look sharp”?
✔️ It means to look stylish, clean, and well-dressed.
This phrase is often used when someone wants to make a good impression, especially in social or professional situations.
Example:
- “He looked sharp in that blazer and dress shoes.”
- “I got a haircut because I wanted to look sharp for the interview.”
❓ Where is the “shoulder” of the highway?
✔️ It’s the emergency stopping area on the side of the road.
It’s a narrow strip where drivers pull over if there’s car trouble.
Example:
- “My tire blew out, so I pulled over onto the shoulder.”
❓ What does “totally caught me off guard” mean?
✔️ It means something surprised me because I wasn’t expecting it.
You were unprepared and didn’t see it coming.
Example:
- “He suddenly got angry. It totally caught me off guard.”
This is the opposite of being on guard, which means alert and ready.
❓ What is a “den” in a house?
✔️ It’s a small, cozy room for relaxing, often used for watching TV or reading.
Not as formal as a living room. Think of it as a quiet personal space inside the home.
Example:
- “I blew up the photo and hung it in the den.”
- “We usually watch movies in the den after dinner.”
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