Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[stevenukd]

Dear Teachers,

1. The guy I like is in my gym class, and I know he likes me too. Because we fooled around one day after everyone had gone.
- What does �fool around� mean here?

2. Everyone thinks that he�s gay, but he�s not. But he knows if he tells his girlfriend what happened with that guy, she�ll go ballistic and tell everyone.
- What does �go ballistic� mean here?

Thanks a lot to Teachers,

Stevenukd

[CP]

1. Usually it means flirting, kissing, or more intimate activity. It can also mean teasing, joking, or just wasting time, depending on the context. Here, since the person is talking about someone she likes, the fooling around is probably not just wasting time talking about video games.

2. To go ballistic means to lose one's temper in a big way. Ballistics is the study of bodies in motion, often related to projectiles like bullets and rockets. If you've ever seen someone go from quiet calmness to uncontrolled fury, the image of a rocket blasting off may have come to mind. That's because the person went ballistic.
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