English Idiom: Let’s not waste our breath Dialogue Sarah: Michael is a brain. I’m sure he’s gonna get the job. I read all the applications; and he’s unquestionably the cream of the crop. Emily: But there’s something fishy about him. I just can’t put my finger on it. Sarah: Come on! Aren’t you judging a book by its cover? Emily: I just can’t put up with people who are full of themselves. Sarah: We can’t turn him down anyway. You know he’s Mary’s cousin and she’ll pull some stings to get him hired. Emily: As long as our hands are tied, let’s not waste our breath. Sarah: Obviously; You can hardly ever find a person who has made their own way these days. It’s all favoritism and patronage. Vocabulary A brain: an intelligent person. The cream of the crop: the best among others. Fishy: (adj) arousing feelings of doubt or suspicion. To put one’s finger on (something): to discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is, especially when something is wrong. Judge a book by its cover: make judgments depending on appearances. Put up with: to tolerate; to endure. Full of oneself: very self-satisfied and with an exaggerated sense of self-worth. Pull strings: secretly use influence or power. Hands are tied: unable to act freely. Waste one’s breath: to speak or argue without result. Make one’s own way: to rely on one’s own abilities.