Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (25 page)

Come in and sit a spell
.
AND
Come in and set a spell.; Come in and sit down.; Come in and take a load off your feet
.
Please come in and have a seat so we can visit. (Colloquial and folksy.
Set
is especially folksy.)
“Hi, Fred,” smiled Tom, “Come in and sit a spell.
”
T
OM
: I hope I'm not intruding. B
ILL
: Not at all. Come in and set a spell.

Come in and sit down
.
Go to Come in and sit a spell.

Come in and take a load off your feet
.
Go to Come in and sit a spell.

Come off it
!
Don't act so haughty!; Stop acting that way!
T
OM
: This stuff just doesn't meet my requirements. B
ILL
: Come off it, Tom! This is exactly what you've always bought. T
OM
: That doesn't mean I like it
.
M
ARY
: We are not amused by your childish antics. S
UE
: Come off it, Mary. Who do you think you're talking to?

Come on! 1
.
Stop it!; Stop doing or saying things like that!
Sally was tickling Tom, and he was laughing like mad. Finally, he sputtered, “Come on!
”
M
ARY
: Are you really going to sell your new car? S
ALLY
: Come on! How dumb do you think I am?
2
.
Please oblige me!
M
OTHER
: Sorry. You can't go! B
ILL
: Come on, let me go to the picnic!
“Come on,” whined Jimmy, “I want some more!
”

Come (on) in
.
Enter.; Come into this place. (A polite invitation to enter someone's home, office, room, etc. It is more emphatic with
on
.)
B
OB
: Hello, you guys. Come on in. We're just about to start the music. M
ARY
: Great! Mmm! Something smells good! T
OM
: Yeah. When do we eat? B
OB
: Just hold your horses. All in good time
.
B
ILL
: Come in. Nice to see you. M
ARY
: I hope we're not too early. B
ILL
: Not at all.

come out of left field
[for a problem or dilemma] to come from a place that one would not expect.
This new problem came out of
left field. We were really surprised.
Your remarks came out of left field. I can't understand your complaint.