34 Communicators

Question 1

be at odds with sth

Answer 1

be in conflict with sth; contradict sth.

If what someone says is at odds with what they do, are you pleased?

Question 2

pick up on sth

Answer 2

notice sth and perhaps react to it.

Pick up on little things that are important to people ,such ad names and dates.

Question 3

on a need-to-know basis

Answer 3

so that sb is told only what they need to know and only when they need to know it.

Do you give them much information?
Only on a need-to-know basis.

Question 4

get sb’s back up

INF

Answer 4

annoy sb.

Don’t get people’s backs up by being rude.

Question 5

win sb over/round (to sth)

Answer 5

get sb’s support or approval by persuading them you are right or sth is right.

They will need persuading. Don’t worry. Pete will soon win them over/round.

Question 6

open up (to sb)

Answer 6

talk about what you really feel and think.

Be prepared to open up to people,so that others will open up to you.

Question 7

Giving people information:
put sb in the picture

keep sb in the picture
SYN keep sb posted (about/on sth)

get the picture

Answer 7

If you put sb in the picture, you give them the information they need to understand a situation.
If you keep sb in the picture, you continue to give them the necessary information. sYN keep sb posted (about/on sth).
If you get the picture, you understand a situation that somebody is describing to you.

Question 8

mull sth over

Answer 8

spend time thinking carefully about a plan or proposal.

I want to think about it =
I I want to mull it over.

Question 9

read between the lines

Answer 9

look for or discover a meaning that is suggested rather than actually stated.

Due to her spending money ,I’m reading between the lines that she’s got fired.

Question 10

give sth/sb away

Answer 10

make known sth that sb wants to keep secret.

My best friend gave away what I had prepared as a surprise for my girlfriend.

Question 11

let sb in on sth

INF

Answer 11

allow sb to share a secret, or know what only a few people know.

He doesn’t let anyone in on what he’s thinking.

Question 12

get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick

INF

Answer 12

understand sth in the wrong way.

I completely misunderstood what he meant.=
I got  (hold of) the wrong end of the stick.

Question 13

occur to sb

Answer 13

(of an idea or a thought) come into sb’s mind.

It doesn’t occur to me that he is cheating.

Question 14

it makes no odds

INF

Answer 14

used to say that sth makes no difference or is not important.

It makes no odds to me what people think.

Question 15

let on (to sb about sth) 
INF

Answer 15

tell sb sth, especially sth you have been keeping secret.

He let on to me about his ex girlfriend’s marriage.

Question 16

Keeping information back :

keep sth to yourself

play/hold/keep your cards close to your chest

keep sb in the dark

Answer 16

If you keep sth to yourself, you don’t tell others about it.

If you play/hold/keep your cards close to your chest, you keep your plans or ideas secret.

If you keep sb in the dark, you don’t tell them something because you want to keep it secret from them.

Question 17

take sth in

Answer 17

understand, absorb, and remember new facts and information.

Did you understand everything?
No, I couldn’t take it all in.