1-30

Question 1

ask somebody out

Answer 1

invite on a date

Brian asked Judy out to dinner and a movie

Question 2

ask around

Answer 2

ask many people the same question

I asked around but nobody has seen my wallet

Question 3

add up to something

Answer 3

equal

Your purchases add up to $205.32

Question 4

back something up

Answer 4

reverse

You’ll have to back up your car so that I can get out

support

My wife backed me up over my decision to quit my job

Question 5

blow up

Answer 5

explode

The racing car blew up after it crashed into the fence

Question 6

blow something up

Answer 6

add air

We have to blow 50 balloons up for the party

Question 7

break down

Answer 7

stop functioning (vehicle, machine)

Our car broke down at the side of the highway in the snowstorm

get upset

The woman broke down when the police told her that her son had died

divide into smaller parts

Our teacher broke the final project down into three separate parts

Question 8

break in

Answer 8

force entry to a building

Somebody broke in last night and stole our stereo

interrupt

The TV station broke in to report the news of the president’s death

Question 9

break into something

Answer 9

enter forcibly

The firemen had to break into the room to rescue the children

Question 10

break something in

Answer 10

wear something a few times so that it doesn’t look/feel new

I need to break these shoes in before we run next week

Question 11

break up

Answer 11

end a relationship

My boyfriend and I broke up before I moved to America

start laughing (informal)

The kids just broke up as soon as the clown started talking

Question 12

break out

Answer 12

escape

The prisoners broke out of jail when the guards weren’t looking

Question 13

break out in something

Answer 13

develop a skin condition

I broke out in a rash after our camping trip

Question 14

bring somebody down

Answer 14

make unhappy

This sad music is bringing me down

Question 15

bring somebody up

Answer 15

raise a child

My grandparents brought me up after my parents died

start talking about a subject

My mother walks out of the room when my father brings up sports

vomit

He drank so much that he brought his dinner up in the toilet

Question 16

call around

Answer 16

phone many different places/people

We called around but we weren’t able to find the car part we needed

Question 17

call somebody back

Answer 17

return a phone call

I called the company back but the offices were closed for the weekend

Question 18

call something off

Answer 18

cancel

Jason called the wedding off because he wasn’t in love with his fiancé

Question 19

call on somebody

Answer 19

ask for an answer or opinion

The professor called on me for question 1

visit somebody

We called on you last night but you weren’t home

Question 20

call somebody up

Answer 20

phone

Give me your phone number and I will call you up when we are in town

Question 21

calm down

Answer 21

relax after being angry

You are still mad. You need to calm down before you drive the car

Question 22

not care for somebody/ something

Answer 22

not like (formal)

I don’t care for his behaviour

Question 23

catch up

Answer 23

get to the same point as somebody else

You’ll have to run faster than that if you want to catch up with Marty

Question 24

check in

Answer 24

arrive and register at a hotel or airport

We will get the hotel keys when we check in

Question 25

check out

Answer 25

leave a hotel

You have to check out of the hotel before 11:00 AM

Question 26

check somebody/ something out

Answer 26

look at carefully, investigate

The company checks out all new employees

Question 27

check out somebody/ something

Answer 27

look at (informal)

Check out the crazy hair on that guy!

Question 28

cheer up

Answer 28

become happier

She cheered up when she heard the good news

Question 29

cheer somebody up

Answer 29

make happier

I brought you some flowers to cheer you up

Question 30

chip in

Answer 30

help

If everyone chips in we can get the kitchen painted by noon