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I had lunch with a friend of mine. I don't quite remember how we came to talk about it but we're talking about how much you would pay for this or that, and what you would buy if money were no object.

Are you familiar with the expression "money is no object"?

When you say "money is no object", it means you're not concerned about the price of things: you can spend as much as money as you want to on something.

For example, when it comes to my daughter's education, money is no object. Show me your finest car. Money is no object. I want the best. Money is no object.

I think you should be careful when using this phrase because it could sound "I have an obnoxious amount of money". In fact, the Urban Dictionary defines it as what rich people say to make it very clear that they are rich.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

The phrase "money is no object" is used

1.when you need money.

2.when you have money.

3.when you borrow money.

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Last week we talked about the word "ruin" and when I gave you examples offered by Vocabulary.com, I used the expression "when it comes to". Today, let's look at this phrase closely.

When you say "when it comes to this or that", it means "I don't know about other things but when you speak about this or when the topic is about that".

For example, Mary has a sweet tooth. When it comes to sweets, Mary can't control herself. David is a troublemaker. When it comes to trouble, David knows how to cause it.

For your reference, "when it comes to" can go at the beginning of a sentence or at the end. Instead of saying "When it comes to sweets, Mary can't control herself", you can also say "Mary can't control herself, when it comes to sweets".

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me:

When it comes to sweets, I can't control myself.

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Last week we talked about the idiom "to get over it". When someone tells you to get over something or someone, they really mean "Don't let the past ruin your life" or "It's time to move on".

Today, let's focus on this verb "ruin". To ruin means to spoil, destroy or damage something severely or completely.

For example, if you drink too much, you can lose your health. You can lose your job. You can lose your money. You can lose your friends or marriage. You can "ruin" yourself by too much drinking.

Now, when it comes to the word "ruin", good examples are offered by Vocabulary.com. Let me share them with you.

Bad news always ruins your day and a guest's bad behavior can really ruin a party and all your fun! Be careful when adding salt to your food — too much will ruin it.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

To ruin means:

1.to wreck.

2.to improve.

3.to grow.

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Just this morning I saw a woman coming out of the Lawson store in my neighborhood. She was wearing a sweatshirt with a big message printed across the front, saying "GET OVER IT!".

Do you know what it means?

To get over something means to recover from an unpleasant, disappointing, or really upsetting experience. For example, you failed an exam for the first time in your life. That happened 6 months ago, but you still feel upset. You can't get over it.

Likewise, to get over someone means to recover from a failed relationship. Let's say, your boyfriend left you and you're heartbroken. Then your friend says to you "Get over him". It may sound like "forget about him", but it really means "Don't let the past ruin your life. Stop living in the past. Just move on."

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

When someone tells you to get over it, you're likely:

1.disappointed.

2.interested.

3.upset.

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If someone tells you "there is an elephant in the room", how would you react?

I'm sure you know what an elephant is. An elephant is an animal, four-footed, having big ears and a long trunk. And it's an enormous animal. Actually, elephants are the largest animals that live on land. If there were an elephant in the room, it would be impossible not to see it. If you don't see it, that's because you don't want to see it.

So, if you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people don't want to talk about, because talking about it may be awkward or uncomfortable. For example, you're having a family get-together. Great dinner, great conversation. But you know there is an elephant in the room. Your sister's just separated.

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

The expression "elephant in the room" refers to:

1.A big problem.

2.A big animal.

3.A big house.

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I dropped my phone in water. A friend of mine, who was there with me when that happened, just looked at me and said "Oops..." That was a real disaster, but she is an optimist. She said, "Look on the bright side. You can now justify getting a new one."

Are you familiar with the expression "to look on the bright side"? It means to think positive. It's about trying to find good things in a bad situation. You can use this expression when you're speaking to someone who's having a problem.

For example, you got into a road accident and missed an important business meeting. You're upset. But hey, look on the bright side. Nobody was killed or injured. Your boyfriend left you. Again, look on the bright side. You now have your bathroom all to yourself!

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

If you always look on the bright side of life,

1.you're perfectionist.

2.you're pessimist.

3.you're optimist.

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Are you familiar with the expression "set in stone"?

The other day, I was in a meeting as an interpreter. My clients and their counterparts were talking about a project they're launching together. One of the gentlemen in the meeting, who's from the U.S., said about its timeline and milestones, "Nothing is set in stone yet".

If something is set in stone, it's fixed, permanent and unchangeable. For example, you're negotiating an agreement. At this point in time, anything can change. In other words, nothing is set in stone yet. Once the agreement is signed and executed, you can no longer change it. It's now set in stone.

The phrase is very often used in business as it typically refers to a plan or idea. And instead of saying "set in stone," you can also say ‘written in stone" or "carved in stone".

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

If something is set in stone,

1.it's decided.

2.it's flexible.

3.it's heavy.

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Last time we talked about the announcement made by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk about taking a Japanese billionaire on a trip around the moon. According to the announcement, the fashion entrepreneur, Mr. Maezawa, has already put a significant down payment for the mission. The financial details were not disclosed but Musk said, "He puts his money where his mouth is."

Are you familiar with the expression? You can probably guess what it means from the context. It means, if you believe in something, stop just talking about it, but do something about it, especially, if not always, by giving money.

For example, if a company claims to care about the environment, then it should put its money where its mouth is. In other words, the company should spend money on sustainability and environmental protection measures.

Now, would you like to practice together? Please repeat after me.

Put your money where your mouth is.

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Did you see the news about a Japanese billionaire announcing his intentions to travel to the moon with SpaceX? Actually, it seems more like a travel "around the moon" rather than "to the moon" because their plan is to circle the moon without landing on it.

According to the SpaceX CEO, the e-commerce entrepreneur has already put down a significant deposit. They didn't give us concrete numbers, but you can tell the plan involves a lot of money.

Now, when you talk about something very big like building a rocket to the moon, you probably want to have words like huge and enormous. They both mean "very big". For example, you have a huge house. It has 20 rooms. Building a spaceship will certainly cost an enormous amount of money. And the cost of flying to the moon must be astronomical!

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is NOT true. Ready?

If something is enormous,

1.it's huge.

2.it's very large.

3.it's expensive.

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A couple of weeks ago, I talked about my toilet getting clogged and I said when your toilet is working OK, you take it for granted. Today, let's focus on this idiom "to take something or someone for granted".

If you take something or someone for granted, you expect that they will always be there when you need them and never think how important or useful they are. As a result, you fail to appreciate as much as you should.

Actually, we take a lot of things for granted, like clean water, safe food, air-conditioning. We often take our parents or their love and devotion for granted, especially when we're young. After all, if you take things or people for granted, you are not grateful enough.

Personally, I can no longer take it for granted that my toilet works. Every time I see my toilet flush properly, I thank God!

Now, would you like to try a quiz? You'll be given three options. Please listen carefully and choose the one that is TRUE. Ready?

If you take someone for granted,

1. you need them.

2. you don't need them.

3. you don't appreciate them.