Everyday Grammar TV: Give Me a Break!

John: Say, Dr. Jill, did you hear about Metro?
Jill: Yes, my phone is blowing up with all the “Breaking News” alerts. Was it some kind of a breakdown?
John: I heard they stopped all the trains because of a problem with their main computer.
Jill: Sometimes the “breaking news” is not so special. It used to mean “we are interrupting this broadcast for an important event.”
John: Now, it’s just something that is not unusual. Like when it’s going to rain.
Jill: But this time it IS important, because I need to find another way to get home tonight.
John: You reminded me - there are some other ways we use the word “break.”
Jill: My favorite one is "coffee break," the time we take a few minutes away from work.
John: And then there’s “Breaking Bad,” one of my favorite TV shows.
Jill: Did you know, the writer of the show lived in a place where “breaking bad” meant “going wild” or to "break the law?
John : Sounds a little like you, Dr. Jill!
Jill: Hey! Well, maybe when I was younger. . Anyway, he thought everyone knew it. In Southern Virginia, you might hear, "I was out the other night at the bar…and I really broke bad."
John: Not me!
Jill (kind of sarcastically): Of course not, John. "Breaking bad" means for a good person to start doing bad things. I know you ONLY do good things!
John : Hey, give me a break!
Jill : Another way we use “break” – to say “Stop bothering me!”
John: And that’s everyday grammar!
Originally published at - https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a...