You're a teacher. One of your students is failing the class. You're talking to her about her grades. You say:
I'm willing to help you out, but you've got to put forth a little more effort.
hard work, idiom, teacher (speaker) 
Your teenage son doesn't have a job. He seems depressed about it, but he hasn't been looking for a job very actively. You give him this advice:
No one's going to come knocking on your door. You've got to take the initiative.
A friend asks if he can borrow some money for a few days until his next paycheck. You don't have much money either, so you say no.
I'm pretty strapped for cash myself.
You're going to have after-work drinks with some coworkers. One coworker doesn't usually come. Today he seems stressed. You want to invite him to come with you, so you say:
Come on out with us and blow off some steam!
idiom, phrasal verb, stress, work 
A lot of people work hard to get a higher-paying job and bigger house, but you don't like this. You're complaining about this way of thinking to a friend. You say:
I could care less about climbing the social ladder or whatever.
At work, one of the employees you manage noticed a problem with your software. She asks if you should tell your clients about it. You're afraid that the clients will get upset and have a lot of questions about it. You say:
I'd rather not open up that whole can of worms.
business, idiom, preferences, work 
You try a new beer that comes from a brewery that was recently built near your house. It's surprisingly good. You're telling the people that you're eating dinner with that you like it.
That's not half bad!
idiom, praise, understatement 
Your knee often hurts because of a sports injury you got many years ago. Today it's hurting. Someone asks if something is wrong, so you explain what's happening.
My knee is acting up again.
health, idiom, pain, progressive aspect 
A friend suggests that you ask out a girl that you have a crush on. You think she's too pretty and doesn't like you in that way.
Nah, she's way out of my league.
You're talking to your friend, who lives in another city. She asks about your baby, who she hasn't seen for several months. The baby talks now, so you say:
She's talking up a storm these days.
