“OK, so for the sake of discussion, let's say that the flight is a thousand bucks each.”

You and your boyfriend want to go on an overseas trip together. You're debating whether you can afford it. You don't agree on how much plane tickets will cost, but you want to continue to talk about the other expenses. You say:

OK, so for the sake of discussion, let's say that the flight is a thousand bucks each.

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“She makes a compelling argument.”

You're shopping for a new car with your wife. The car saleswoman is trying to convince you to buy a car that's more expensive than you originally planned on. She's a very good salesperson so you've started to change your mind. You say to your wife:

She makes a compelling argument.

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“Sylvia, where do you stand on this?”

You're leading a meeting at work to discuss a major business decision. Most of the people in the meeting have given their opinions and there is some disagreement. You want to ask one of the people who hasn't spoken what she thinks. You ask:

Sylvia, where do you stand on this?

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“Let's all take a step back and remember that it's about what's best for the kids.”

You're a teacher. You're having a meeting with some colleagues to decide how to spend some money that's in the school's budget. People are getting really angry and emotional as they debate how to use the money. You want everyone to calm down, so you say:

Let's all take a step back and remember that it's about what's best for the kids.

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“The bottom line is that you have to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight.”

You're commenting on an online discussion about ways to lose weight. A lot of commenters are suggesting complicated diets that involve eating only certain kinds of food. You don't think those diets are effective or necessary. You feel strongly that you are correct, so you write:

The bottom line is that you have to reduce your calorie intake to lose weight.

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“He's too effeminate. I like manly guys.”

You're talking with a group of girlfriends about guys on TV shows that you think are really attractive. Your friend mentions one guy that she likes, but you think he looks to much like a girl. You say:

He's too effeminate. I like manly guys.

(someone is) effeminate

"Effeminate" is an adjective that means "like a woman". But it's usually used to describe men. A man who looks or acts somewhat like a woman can be called "effeminate. If you want to describe a woman who looks like a woman, you can say that she is "feminine" or "girly".

a manly man

The word "manly" describes a man who has characteristics that men are supposed to have. I picture a "manly" man as being strong, having a beard or other facial hair, being brave, and so on. If you want to describe a woman who acts or looks like a man, you can call her "masculine".

guys

When women are discussing men's attractiveness with each other, it's usual for them to call the men "guys":

What kind of guys are you into?

I met a really cute guy in my Spanish class.

“Yeah, I don't know... the privacy issue doesn't really concern me too much.”

You're talking with a coworker about why she doesn't use social networking web sites like Facebook. She says that she doesn't like to share her personal information. You don't think that's a problem, so you say:

Yeah, I don't know... the privacy issue doesn't really concern me too much.

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“We spent the first month just debating what to call ourselves.”

You're a member of a band. You're telling someone the story of how you chose the name for you band. You spent a really long time trying to choose the best name. You describe this period:

We spent the first month just debating what to call ourselves.

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