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| [ESL/ EFL Podcast] Buying and Selling |
| Expressions related to prices. Fourteenth in a series of English language lessons |
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Jennifer Lebedev (jenesl)  |
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Published 2008-10-29 13:09 (KST) |
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EXPRESSION No.1: A BARGAIN
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TODAY'S TOP STORIES |
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FROM THE SECTION |
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| No one wants a cheap product or service because "cheap" implies poor quality. A BARGAIN, however, means getting a low price on a great item or for a good service.
Salespeople talk about a BARGAIN PRICE.
Buyers say: THAT’S A REAL BARGAIN. / I FOUND A BARGAIN. / I GOT A BARGAIN.
Shoppers who always look for a good deal are called BARGAIN HUNTERS.
And when two people reach an agreement regarding a product or service, we say they STRIKE A BARGAIN.
EXPRESSION No.2: AT A FRACTION OF THE COST
Bargains make buyers happy. We like to know that we didn’t have to spend too much to get what we wanted. If a price is significantly low, you can say you bought the item AT A FRACTION OF THE COST or you PAID A FRACTION OF THE COST.
EXPRESSION No.3: NEXT TO NOTHING
Have you ever gotten something for free? Probably yes, but not very often. Everything has a price tag. If you’re lucky, though, the cost can be NEXT TO NOTHING. This means that they were practically giving away the item for free.
EXPRESSION No.4: PAY THROUGH THE NOSE
Sometimes buyers are left with little choice but to pay a high price because of the demand or scarcity of a product. No one wants to PAY THROUGH THE NOSE, but we can’t always find great bargains.
EXPRESSION No.5: HIGHWAY ROBBERY
Similar to paying through the nose is facing HIGHWAY ROBBERY. It can really hurt to pay a lot of money, but some high prices are unavoidable. It’s as if the buyer is being robbed.
EXPRESSION No.6: COST AN ARM AND A LEG
Sometimes the price can’t exactly be called ridiculous, but it is high. In other words, a price may not qualify as highway robbery, but the purchase will COST YOU AN ARM AND A LEG.
Now let’s do a quick review. Listen to how I use the expressions from this lesson:
BARGAIN HUNTERS would love to pay NEXT TO NOTHING in every store, but it’s simply not possible. In today’s economy, be happy if you find something AT A FRACTION OF THE COST. Many companies are losing money, so they may begin to ask you to PAY THROUGH THE NOSE for their services and products. HIGHWAY ROBBERY will likely become more common, unfortunately. Maintaining your present lifestyle may COST YOU AN ARM AND A LEG, but as long as the consumer demand is there, companies will continue to drive up the prices to meet their own expenses.
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©2008 OhmyNews
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Jennifer Lebedev is a teacher of English as a second and foreign language with 12 years experience. She has additional experience in teacher training and administration of an IEP and is a published author. Find more of her online English instruction on YouTube under the name "JenniferESL". |
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