Quote
1. Quote - Listen to the quote and guess what the slang means.
“All the choices in her life boil down to whether or not to live.”
Author Gayle Forman, talking about a character in her book If I Stay
Definition
1. Definition - Study the definition.
what something really means, basics
2. Use - Learn how the slang is used.
Cooking rice is pretty simple. Put one part rice and two or three parts water into a pot on the stove and turn up the heat. When the water starts bubbling, it’s boiling, so it’s time to turn down the heat and let the rice simmer. Depending on what kind of rice you’re making, 15 minutes to an hour will be long enough for all the water to disappear. Even though you started with a pot full of water, what it boils down to is lots of fluffy rice.
Oftentimes, when people tell stories or talk about complex topics, they don’t have time to give every single piece of information they know. For example, instead of telling his buddies everything his boss said, a man might just let them know what it boils down to is that he got a promotion. A mom who spends all day at home with her kids might not explain how many times she cleans up messes, but she might say what it boils down to is that she needs a night off. Whenever people talk about what something boils down to, they are focusing on the important information, not all the extra details.
Author Gayle Forman knows a lot about the book If I Stay. Everything, in fact, since she wrote it. However, because she doesn’t want to spoil the plot for people who might read the book, she says what it boils down to is that the main character has to decide whether or not to live.
Are there certain topics where all you want to tell people is what it boils down to? When is it OK to tell somebody every detail?
Examples
1. Examples - Hear some example sentences.
“His book was long, but what it boiled down to was his interest in ending gun violence.”
“What it boils down to is that if you want me to work, I want to be paid.”
“My philosophy on life can change, but what it boils down to is be kind to others and they will be kind to you.”