1. PEOPLE & THINGS Flashcards
no longer young
After climbing the hill, I realized
I’m no spring chicken!
young and inexperienced
My assistant is a bit wet behind the ears. He still has a lot to learn.
(US) getting old
Becky’s worried she’s getting on in years after spotting more gray hairs.
extremely old
Sanjay feels as old as the hills when his kids talk about technology.
young, enthusiastic, fashionable, or ambitious people
These bright young things have just started college.
appeals to people of all ages
This TV show bridges the generation gap.
The whole family loves it.
at my best; healthy and successful
I’ve just turned 40, and I’m in the prime of my life, I always go to he gym after work
very young
Kaetie started learning piano when she was knee-high to a grasshopper
Being to old to do something
I’m too long in the tooth to try out skydiving.
the last years of someone’s life
Derek and Joan spent their twilight years traveling the world.
old; past my best years
I can’t come to that nightclub with you! I’m over the hill.
youthful, despite being old
Angela might be 84, but she is still young at heart.
very old age
Stephen has reached the great age of 100.
My grandpa got married again at the ripe old age of 92.
behaving in a way appropriate to his age
Brendan’s teacher told him to start acting his age.
very young age
Sally first sang on stage at the tender age of 7.
am conscious of being older
I feel my age when I go shopping with my children.
the period of adolescence when people feel very self-conscious
Damien’s at that awkward age and finds it hard to talk to people.
reach maturity, or have the same legal rights as adults
In many countries, there is a big celebration when young people come of age.
get better as they get older
Many singers’ voices improve with age.
no longer being in contact with
Harper regrets losing touch with all her old school friends
the perfect person to be a friend or partner
I think Claire’s found a soulmate. Both she and Dan love reading.
continued to be in contact with
I’ve kept in touch with Lin since we left college 25 years ago.
a shared friend of two people
Marie and Pierre met through Isaac, a mutual friend of theirs.
get along extremely well; have a very good relationship
Ramón and Tara get on like a house on fire. They’re always talking and laughing.
slowly become less friendly or close to each other
Mia and I have drifted apart since she left our choir and started boxing instead.
became friends with
I struck up a friendship with Pete while we were in cooking class last year.
became friends very quickly
My wife and I hit it off immediately when we first met at a country music concert.
a friend who deserts you when you have difficulties
Donna was a fair-weather friend.
She wouldn’t help when my house flooded.
started our relationship badly
Cy and I got off on the wrong foot on our date. He was an hour late and forgot my name.
very similar to someone in his family
Bob seminds me so much of his father. He is a chip off the old block
have children
We’re moving to a bigger house because we’re hoping to start a family soon.
someone who has known your family for some time
Jade is a family friend. She grew up on the same street as us.
close family, such as parents, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters
I am close to my immediate family, but rarely see my other relatives.
someone who brings shame to the family or is the odd one in the family
Uncle Tony is the black sheep of the family.
He’s been to prison three times.
teaching a child how to behave
We’re bringing up our children to be kind to animals.
an object that has been passed down through the generations of a family
That vase is a family heirloom.
Lou’s grandfather bought it in China in 1893.
wider family, such as grandparents, cousins, nephews, and nieces
Boris often asks members of his extended family to help with childcare.
a loyal and supportive family
We’re a close-knit family. We always meet up for birthdays and holidays.
is a common feature in our family
Curly hair runs in our family, and my daughter, mom, and I all have it.
fit into a place in large numbers
Hundreds of people packed into the town hall to watch the debate.
pack into
feel like you belong in a group
I found it really hard to fit in with the art class. They’re all much younger than me.
fit in (with)
form a group to hurt someone
Some of the older children have been ganging up on me and calling me names.
gang up (on)
think you are better than another person
Sheila’s neighbors look down on her because her house is smaller than theirs.
look down on
convince someone to do what you want (often by asking many times)
I got my son a puppy for his birthday.
After asking me for months, he finally wore me down!
wear down
ask for news about someone
I bumped into Sandra at the park.
She was asking after you.
ask after
enter a space in large numbers
Thousands of fans flooded into the stadium to watch the singer perform.
flood in(to)
leave a space in large numbers
After the concert, everyone spilled out of the stadium and made their way to the train station.
spill out (of)
attack someone without warning
Adi has got a temper. He turned on me the instant I suggested he buy a new suit.
turn on
praise or flatter someone so that they will do you a favor
Toshiro’s been buttering his brother up because he wants to borrow his car.
butter up
pay a lot of attention to someone
Jordan’s aunts always fuss over him when they come to visit.
fuss over
admire someone
Barney really looks up to his grandfather.
He loves listening to his stories.
look up to
make sure nothing bad happens to someone or something
My sister watched over our son while ANIA and I went shopping
Watch over
an ability to think of exciting images and ideas
Lucia has a vivid imagination.
Her artworks are so original.
someone who is unwilling to try new things
Norah is such a fuddy-duddy.
She never wants to come out with us on Saturday’s night
a tendency to be selfish
Gustav has a selfish streak.
He won’t share his cookies with his friends.
very confident
Chetan is as bold as brass. He walked up to the actor and asked for an autograph.
insincere or hypocritical
Arturo is so two-faced. He said he liked my haircut but told his friends he hated it.
a stereotypical man who has simple tastes
My dad’s just an average Joe.
He enjoys burgers and fries, and loves watching baseball.
fun person or situation
It was great to see Jasmine at the party. She’s always a barrel of laughs.
someone who cries a lot without good reason
Bob is such a crybaby. He was very upset about not getting a perfect score.
annoyingly proud of her intelligence or knowledge
Zoe loves proving how much she knows. She’s too smart for her own good.
practical and unpretentious
Noah is really down to earth.
He earns lots of money, but he lives in a little cottage.
looks extremely similar
Leo bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather.
extremely similar to each other
Matteo and his brother Lucas are like two peas in a pod. I can’t tell them apart
almost identical to
Karen is the spitting image of that actor in the new sci-fi film.
too thin
You must eat something!
You’re all skin and bones.
going bald
Oscar is only 25, but he’s already getting thin on top. (US)
looked very scared or shocked
Rita looked like she’d seen a ghost after I told her my news.
the beginning of a beard
Milan returned home with five o’clock shadow after a long day at the office.
was very wet
Rachel looked like a drowned rat after she got caught in the rain on her way home.
looks innocent, like she wouldn’t do anything bad
Edie looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth, but she’s actually really naughty.
pretending that things are going well
My aunt believed in keeping up appearances despite having little money.
looked extremely glamorous
Clara looked like a million bucks when she arrived for her wedding. (Us)
extremely neat and well groomed
Nalini never has a hair out of place. She cares a lot about her appearance.
elegantly dressed and well presented
George arrived at the restaurant immaculately groomed for his date with Cassie
was dressed in the right way
Domenica looked the part for her first day of work at the bank
is descended from important people or aristocracy
Rebecca has blue blood.
Her great-grandmother was a princess.
was born into a wealthy family
Philip was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up in a castle in France.
an important or well-respected person
My aunt is a pillar of the community.
She supports charities and attends local events.
a very talented and successful person
Maxine is such a highflier.
She’s been promoted twice this year and is only 23. (US)
the wrong social background
or part of town
Danika’s parents don’t approve of Bob because he’s from the wrong side of the tracks.
To be very poor
My parents didn’t have two pennies to rub together, but we still had lots of fun.
teach children how to behave
Dan and Sheila have brought up their children to be kind to animals. bring up
have a good relationship with someone
Liam gets on very well with his elder sister.
They’re always laughing together. get on (with)
share the same house
Colin lives with his son in a house at the edge of town.
live with
develop from child to adult
Sam wants to be a pilot when he grows up.
grow up
lose interest in something as you get older
Jenny’s grown out of her old toys. She prefers playing video games now.
grow out of
give someone the same name as someone else
Albert’s parents named him after his great-grandfather.
name after
live in one place
After traveling for a few years, Bill settled down and bought a house next door to his parents.
settle down
work as a group to deal with a difficult situation
My family pulled together when my father was unwell
care for, take responsibility for
My mother looks after my children while I’m at work.
look after
recognize the difference
Will and Joe are identical twins. It’s almost impossible to tell them apart.
tell apart
have the characteristics of a parent or relative
Jasmine takes after her mother.
They’re very similar people.
take after
wait for someone to get home before going to bed
Whenever his children stay out late, Carlo waits up until they get home.
wait up
place inside
Lisa puts her rabbit in its cage each evening before bed.
put in
become fond of
Fiona’s cat doesn’t like strangers, but he’s warming to Dan.
warm to
allow to leave
I let the cat out every morning after l’ve woken up.
let out
allow to enter
I let the cat in when it started to rain.
let in
Escape
Olly’s dog ran away last week while they were at the park.
run away
return
After a few days, Olly’s dog came back all by herself.
come back
create a close relationship
Our shared interest in music has really brought us together.
Bring together
like something or someone less
I’ve really gone off Paul since I saw him at the party. He behaved very badly.
Go off
continue to support someone who is in a difficult situation
Ken stuck by Cath when her restaurant went bankrupt.
stick by
support or defend someone when other people don’t
Misha stood by Colin when he decided to quit college.
stand by
slowly become less close
After we left school, my friends and I drifted apart. I became more interested in my career than music.
drift apart
receive news from
Although I haven’t seen Zaira for many years, I always hear from her on my birthday.
hear from
stay together and support each other
My best friends and I have stuck together since high school.
stick together
share a secret with someone you trust
Bernadette confided in Martha that she was in love with Pavel.
confide in
love someone or like them very much
Jack and Ula really care for each other.
They’ve been together for 50 years.
care for
persuade someone to start having a romantic relationship with you again
Sonia is trying to win Claude back because she’s still in love with him.
win back
start loving someone, fall in love
I think Pierre has fallen for Clara.
Have you seen how he looks at her?
fall for
arrange a date for someone else
My brother set me up with a woman who works at his office.
set up
end a relationship with someone
Luisa has finished with Ben.
He’s very upset.
finish with (UK)
After a huge argument, Maria and Pablo decided to break up.
break up (with)
have a romantic relationship with someone
They started going out with each other when they were at school.
go out (with)
lose energy over a period of time, slowly come to an end
Katia and I dated for a few weeks, but our relationship fizzled out.
fizzle out
invite someone to go on a date with you
Robin asked Helen out yesterday. They re going to the movies together.
ask out
take someone on a date
For our first date, Phil took me out to an expensive restaurant.
take out
end a romantic relationship
After a huge argument, Maria and Pablo decided to break up.
break up (with)
restart a romantic relationship
Carlos and Mia separated a few months ago, but they recently got back together.
get back together
visit someone at their home (informal)
I popped in to see Brian on Saturday morning.
pop in (UK)
stay somewhere longer than planned
We chatted for hours, and he suggested I stick around for dinner.
stick around
arrive (often unexpectedly)
Angelo turned up at my house at 6am.
I was still in bed!
turn up
ask someone to enter your house
After chatting on the doorstep for a moment, Malik invited me in.
invite in(to)
visit someone at their home (often on your way elsewhere)
On our way home from the beach, we called in to see Grandma.
call in (UK)
take someone to the door as they leave
Following the interview, the secretary showed Connor out.
show out
have people as guests at your home
My new neighbors, Kaito and Leiko, had me over for dinner last night.
have over
give someone a tour
They showed me around their beautiful home.
show around
ask someone to go somewhere with you
It looks like Kia has invited everyone she knows along to the party.
invite along (to)
visit someone’s house on your way somewhere else
While you’re in town, try to swing by.
It would be good to see you.
swing by
enter a place
My father came into the house and took off his coat.
come in (to)
visit someone at their home (informal)
Yesterday afternoon, Liam dropped in for a cup of coffee and a chat.
drop in
stop during a journey to do something
On her way home from the gym, Miriam stopped off at the supermarket to get something for dinner.
stop off
secretly look for something
While everyone was in the garden, I found Klaus snooping around the kitchen.
snoop around
invite someone to your home
We’d like to invite you over for a barbecue to celebrate Beth’s birthday.
invite over
visit someone (at their home)
Omar told us to come over any time after 2pm.
Come over
bring someone or something with you
Mason and Emily brought the kids along to the barbecue.
bring along
stay at someone’s house overnight
We ended up staying over at Beth and Omar’s house.
stay over
go somewhere with someone
Katie asked Lisa if she wanted to come out to play.
come out
talk to friends who you have not talked to recently
Once a year, my school friends and I go out for a meal together to catch up.
catch up (with)
spend time at a certain place with your friends (informal)
Chris spends most weekends hanging out with his friends.
hang out with
accompany someone, go somewhere with someone
As I was leaving for the art exhibition, I asked Joe if he wanted to come along.
come along (with)
remain at home
Vincent and Maya decided to stay in. They ordered some pizza and watched a movie.
stay In
remain away from home until late
The carnival was amazing. We stayed out
until dawn.
slowly move around a room or space (often waiting for something)
Lots of guests were milling around, waiting for Raji to make his speech
mill around
go somewhere with someone (often without an invitation)
Amara let her little sister tag along when she went to the ice rink with her friends.
tag along
go somewhere with someone, socialize with friends
Fleur and Clare were getting ready to go out for the evening.
go out
allow someone to use something in exchange for money
Our local hotel has a large room that it hires out for parties.
hire out (UK)
make something more exciting
I was glad to see Marvin at the party. He always manages to liven things up.
liven up
meet and spend time with friends
Ella likes to get together with her friends at the ice cream parlor on Friday evenings.
get together
leave (often unexpectedly)
Joe suddenly took off without saying where he was going.
take off
leave, begin a journey
We headed off to the beach early because we wanted to avoid the crowds.
head off (to)
leave without telling people
The movie was terrible, so we slipped out halfway through.
slip out
refuse to let someone enter
Neil was turned away from the nightclub because he was wearing casual clothes.
turn away (from)
leave somewhere because you are angry
Charlie stormed out of the store when the manager refused to give him a refund.
storm out (of)
make someone leave a place even though they want to stay
I hate to tear you away, but we re going to miss the last train.
tear away (from)
leave quickly (informal)
Paul had to shoot off at the end of the meeting to catch his train home.
shoot off (UK)
leave quickly (informal)
Nadiya had to dash off to pick up the kids from school.
dash off (UK)
extremely good
My kids think this TV show is the best thing since sliced bread.
was the best, or attracted the most praise
Marcelo stole the show with his amazing singing.
the very best
The ice cream at Giuseppe’s parlor really is the bee’s knees!
much more advanced than
My new TV is miles ahead of my old one.
superb
The workmen have done a first-class job on our kitchen. It looks beautiful.
amazing
The view from the top of the mountain is totally out of this world.
You can see for miles.
really likes or admires
Francisco thinks the world of his grandson. He loves spending time with him.
among the best in the world
World-class athletes need to train for a few hours every day.
the best part of a good experience
We had a wonderful boat trip.
The icing on the cake was seeing some dolphins.
that she has fantasized about having
Elisa just moved into the house of her dreams. It’s a fabulous lakeside villa.
the benefits of two different things at the same time
Walking to work gives me the best of both worlds. It helps me save money and get fit.
something that seems bad, but is actually good
Losing my office job was a blessing in disguise. My new job is much more interesting.
the best quality
Chan’s store only sells watches that are top of the line. (US)
the best quality
excellent reviews
Laura’s play has received rave reviews. The critics loved it!
difficult to beat
Javier’s performance will be a tough act to follow. It was incredible.
highest quality
Abel is a top-notch reporter.
He’s interviewed some really famous actors.
far better than any others
Karolina’s cake is second to none. It looks beautiful, and it tastes delicious.
collect things together
Nuwa gathered up the plates from the table and took them to the kitchen
gather up
relinquish something important to you
It was really hard to part with my old car.
I’d had it since I was a student.
part with
find something by chance
While looking through things in my attic, I came across an old portrait of my great-grandfather.
Come across
retrieve something
Mel lent Dave her lawnmower a month ago, and she finally got it back from him. get back (from)
be found (usually by accident)
Ava lost her passport ages ago. It turned up when she was cleaning the living room.
Turn up
have a strong effect on something
Heavy traffic has impacted badly on the city’s air quality.
impact on
accept and deal with a bad situation
Due to her injury, Coleen had to face up to the fact that she couldn’t play the match
cause something to happen
The heavy rain resulted in floods throughout the city.
result in
cause something to happen
The discovery of some ancient ruins has led to an increase in tourism.
lead to
disappear, become extinct
Scientists think that an asteroid colliding with Earth caused the dinosaurs to die out.
die out
cause something to happen
The invention of the computer brought about the end of the typewriter.
bring about
be as good as something else
Old cell phones can’t compete with today’s smartphones.
compete with
be as good as people had hoped
Sanjay got 100% on his exam. He more than measured up to his parents’ expectations.
measure up (to)
be as good as people had hoped
The new action movie really lived up to the crowd’s expectations.
live up to
do something better than before
To get into college, you’ll need to improve on last year’s results.
improve on
wants to get or achieve something very much
Harjit has his heart set on getting a pet.
extremely nervous
Maureen was a bundle of nerves before her wedding
became too nervous to do something
Scarlett got cold feet about going on the rollercoaster
know everything that’s going on around you
When you’re a parent, you need to have eyes in the back of your head!
a general, approximate rule based on experience
As a rule of thumb, it takes about 10 minutes to cook pasta.
a lot of appreciation
Boris deserves a pat on the back for making this beautiful table.
a sympathetic and supportive person
Wyatt is a good friend. He was a shoulder to cry on when I broke up with my girlfriend.
Try to stay cheerful, even if circumstances are difficult.
Keep your chin up! I’m sure the weather will get better soon.
ask for your opinion and advice
You’ve been to Bali, haven’t you?
Can I pick your brain about the best places to visit?
do something without planning ahead
I haven’t booked a restaurant for lunch, so let’s play it by ear and find somewhere that looks nice.
was very shocked or frightened
Paolo almost jumped out of his skin when a bat flew into his room.
very quickly
I can’t believe Iris is starting high school, she has grown up in a blink of the eye
a careless person who forgets things easily
Oh, no! I’ve forgotten my wallet.
I’m such a scatterbrain!
a liking for sweet food
Isla has such a sweet tooth.
She loves eating cakes.
Annoying me
I wish Nathan would turn his music down.
It’s getting on my nerves.
Annoying me
I wish Nathan would turn his music down.
It’s getting on my nerves.
Good luck! (said before performing on stage)
I hope the performance goes well, Adam. Break a leg!
I felt sad and disappointed
My heart sank when I got to the museum and saw that it was closed.
doing nothing
There’s nothing to do at work at the moment. I’m just sitting here twiddling my thumbs.
not easily upset by criticism
You have to be very thick-skinned when you work in this job. The customers often get angry.
ignoring a problem and hoping it will go away
Our profits keep falling, but our boss is burying his head in the sand and not doing anything about it.
pay attention
Listen up! You’re going to fail your exam unless you start working a bit harder.
pay attention to someone talking or something making a sound
Dayita listened to the radio while she ate her breakfast.
listen to
listen attentively to hear a noise you are expecting
Marion asked her son to listen out for the doorbell while she was in the garden.
listen out for
secretly listen to someone
Andy hid behind the curtains so he could listen in on Carmen and Simon’s conversation
listen in (on)
receive information about something
Have you heard about the new gym in town? It’s supposed to be great.
hear about
listen to someone without interrupting
Please hear me out! I don’t want to be a lawyer. I want to be an actor!
hear out
have the smell of something
Alex’s cookies smelled of cinnamon.
I asked to try one.
smell of
try to find information
That journalist’s been sniffing around again trying to find out what’s going on.
Sniff around
cause somewhere to smell unpleasant (informal)
Whatever Pablo has cooked is stinking the whole house out.
Stink out
have the flavor of something
This soup is delicious! It tastes of tomato and basil.
Taste of
search for something
Robert has been looking for his glasses the whole weekend
look for
examine something
The geologist looked at each of the rocks. They were unlike anything he’d seen before.
look at
pay attention to notice something
While you’re in the national park, look out for bald eagles near the rivers and lakes.
look out for
watch something without taking part
We all looked on in silence as the magician seemed to cut the person in half.
look on
raise yourself to see past an obstacle
The children looked over the wall, trying to see where the ball had landed.
look over
turn your eyes away from something
The scary scene in the movie made everyone look away.
look away
look at a hole, room, or hollow object to see what is inside
Sarah and Dionne looked into the well.
There was no sign of the bottom.
look into
look at one side of something to see what is on the other side
Marcus looked through his telescope to see the moon.
look through
secretly watch someone
Fiona spied on her colleagues to steal their ideas.
Spy on
have a view of
Vineeta’s summer house has the perfect location. It looks out over a lake.
look out over
is completely harmless
I know Rex looks a bit scary, but he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
a very sociable person
Claire is a social butterfly. She’s always going to parties.
someone who prefers to live or work alone
My uncle’s a lone wolf. He lives on his own in a cabin in the forest.
is very timid and nervous
Tony wouldn’t say boo to a goose.
He gets really shy when he talks to customers. (UK)
She’s not as scary as she seems.
Don’t be afraid of Linda. Her bark is worse than her bite.
an honest, reliable, or considerate person
Jim’s a good egg. He helped me to move last week.
kind, honest, and unpretentious
Hassan is the salt of the earth. I saw him help an old lady cross the road
determined and physically or emotionally strong
Debbie’s a tough cookie. She doesn’t mind when people criticize her work.
calm and relaxed
Kirsty remained as cool as a cucumber throughout her performance.
tired or in a bad state
Leo was feeling the worse for wear after he stayed out all night.
suddenly get worse
My hay fever tends to flare up every summer.
not well, slightly sick or ill
Ayano was feeling under the weather, so she left work early.
a terrible headache
This music’s far too loud! It has given me a splitting headache.
starting to get sick
I don’t feel very well. I think I’m coming down with something.
getting better
Pablo is on the road to recovery after breaking his leg.
call my employer to say I am too sick to work
I’m not well enough to go to work today, so l’m going to call in sick.
getting better
I broke my finger a few weeks ago but I’m on the mend now
a bad cold
Jeanne has a heavy cold, so she’s staying at home today.
in poor physical condition
I’m in bad shape. I was exhausted after running to catch the bus.
able to walk around
Uma is up and about following her operation last week.
the news that you are completely healthy
Ollie received a clean bill of health from his doctor.
very fit and healthy
The dancers in this show have to be as fit as a fiddle.
become fitter and healthier, usually by losing weight
After turning 40, Tom decided to get in shape and started jogging.
new energy and enthusiasm for life
Moving to the country has given Kira a new lease on life. (US)
exactly what was needed
A week at a health spa was just what the doctor ordered after a stressful month at work.
regain my energy by resting
A relaxing afternoon in the park helped me recharge my batteries.
extremely healthy
Imran looks the picture of health since he started going to the gym.
fit and healthy
After a few days by the coast, Lauren began to feel as right as rain.
