Keesha is chatting with her classmate Ming in the common room of their dorm.

    Keesha: Ming, what happened? You look terrible!

    Ming: I FEEL terrible! I went out with my friends last night, and we were having so much fun that we stayed out until 4 a.m.!

    Keesha: Ooo, sounds like you had too much of a good thing!

    Ming: How is that possible?

    Keesha: How can you ask me that? Look at you! You were doing something good, and you did it so much that now you feel bad.

    Ming: I see. Like eating too much ice cream or something.

    Keesha: Right!

    Ming: And then, for good measure, we couldn't get a cab, so we had to walk all the way home. My feet are killing me!

    Keesha: Poor Ming! Maybe you should go back to bed.

    Ming: But I can't! I have a presentation in class today. We have to use five idioms containing the word "good."

    Keesha: Look, you have two already. "Too much of a good thing" and "for good measure."

    Ming: Can you tell me where the last one comes from?

    Keesha: It had to do with buying food. The vendor would measure out whatever you ordered--a pound of wheat, or a gallon of wine, or whatever--then would add a little extra to make sure you weren't cheated.

    Ming: I get it. To make sure the measure wasn't "bad."

    Keesha: That's right! Let's see, some other good ones...

    Ming: That's one! "That's a good one!"

    Keesha: Oh, yeah. A funny joke.

    Ming: Right. You make a good joke and I say, "That's a good one!"

    Keesha: Okay, what are some others?

    Ming: What's "good riddance?"

    Keesha: Ah, excellent. You say it when you "get rid" of something that you didn't like.

    Ming: So "riddance" is a noun for the verb "rid?"

    Keesha: Exactly. Maybe there's a bad player on your basketball team. Someone tells you he has quit, and you say, "Good riddance."

    Ming: That's a little harsh.

    Keesha: You think THAT'S harsh? Some people say, "Good riddance to bad rubbish."

    Ming: Ouch!

    Keesha: I know, huh. Okay, we need one more.

    Ming: Well, my teacher told me the other day, "You're a good egg, Ming." I know it was a compliment, but I don't know why.

    Keesha: Have you ever smelled a bad egg?

    Ming: Yeah. Yuck!

    Keesha: A rotten egg is really disgusting. So first, people would call a "rotten person" a "bad egg." Then they started using the opposite for decent people.

    Ming: That makes sense. I can use that!

    Keesha: Actually, you should be kind of careful. It's a little old-fashioned, and when we use it, it might sound kind of jokey.

    Ming: But my teacher used it! Was he joking?

    Keesha: No, he was just being friendly. Besides, maybe he's a little old-fashioned himself--but in a good way!