Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (20 page)

Bye
.
Good-bye. (Friendly and familiar.)
T
OM
: Bye. M
ARY
: Take care. Bye
.
S
ALLY
: See you later. Bye. T
OM
: Bye.

Bye-bye
.
Good-bye. (Very familiar.)
M
ARY
: Bye-bye. A
LICE
: See you later. Bye-bye
.
T
OM
: Bye-bye. Remember me to your brother. B
ILL
: I will. Bye.

Call again
.
Please visit this shop again sometime. (Said by shopkeepers and clerks.)
“Thank you,” said the clerk, smiling. “Call again.
”
C
LERK
: Is that everything? J
OHN
: Yes. C
LERK
: That's ten dollars even. J
OHN
: Here you are. C
LERK
: Thanks. Call again.

Call me
name. Go to (You can) call me name.

Can do
.
I can do it. (The opposite of No can do.)
J
ANE
: Will you be able to get this finished by quitting time today? A
LICE
: Can do. Leave it to me
.
B
OB
: Can you get this pack of papers over to the lawyer's office by noon? B
ILL
: Can do. I'm leaving now. Bye.

Can I speak to
someone
?
Go to Could I speak to someone?

Can it
!
Be quiet!; Stop talking!; Drop the subject! (Slang and fairly rude.)
B
OB
: I'm tired of this place. Let's go. F
RED
: That's enough out of you! Can it!
J
OHN
: Hey, Tom! What are you doing, man? T
OM
: Can it! I'm studying.

Can too
.
Go to (I) can too.

Can you excuse us, please?
Go to Could you excuse us, please?

Can you handle it? 1
.
Are you able to deal with this problem? (May be a personal problem or a work assignment.)
B
ILL
: This file is a mess. Can you handle it?
F
ATHER
: This is a difficult situation, Son. Can you handle it? B
OB
: Yeah, Dad. Don't worry
.
2
.
AND
Could you handle it?
Will you agree to deal with what I have described?
M
ARY
: I need someone to work on the Jones account. Can you handle it? J
ANE
: Sure
.
B
ILL
: Someone is on the phone about the car payments. Could you handle it? F
ATHER
: Yes.