10.18.07
crank it up a notch
crank it up a notch — increase or intensify a bit (See [crank up] and [notch])
On Friends, Joey envied Chandler and Monica being together. He thought that the two got along because they were friends first. So Joey attempted to hit on Rachel. He said to her: “Since we are friends, maybe you and I can crank it up a notch“. This phrase seems to come from a song called “crank it“.
10.16.07
Flattey is like chewing gum.
This is from the Reader’s Digest (Oct 2007): “Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it, but don’t swallow it.“
10.14.07
attaboy
attaboy — (informal) from common pronunciation of “that’s the boy!”; used as a cheer of encouragement or approval. [dict]
On “Two and a half man”, this phrase is used frequently in conversations. For example, Charlie’s Mum tends to say “Attaboy” whenever Charlie does something that pleases her. I didn’t get the spelling of this word until today.
10.10.07
rake in something
rake in — earn large sums of money [dict]
This article explains a fast way to become rich in Turkey — get married! It says that as a custom in Turkey, if one is invited to a wedding, he/she should usually give $200 to the newlyweds. The president and prime minister of Turkey had taken advantage of this custom by inviting nearly 5000 people to their children’s weddings, “raking in literally $millions from distinguished and wealthy guests”.
