Assimil Flashcards
Matches
A barre piece of material, usually wood or cardboard, coated on one end with a compound that ignites when scratched against a rought or chemically treated surface
Ashtray
a small dish or container, sometimes decorative, in which people can leave cigarette ash and cigarette butts
Pounds
(written abbreviation lb) a unit for measuring weight:
One pound is approximately equal to 454 grams.
One kilogram is roughly the same as 2.2 lbs.
Loaf-Loaves
a portion of bread or cake baked in a mass, usually oblong with a rounded top.
Tin
(symbol Sn) a chemical element that is a silver-coloured metal, often combined with other metals or used to cover and protect other metals
UK (UK and US also can, tin can) a closed metal container in which food is sold.
UK (US cookie jar) a metal container with a lid used for keeping cakes or biscuits.
UK (US pan) a metal container without a lid used for cooking food in the oven
Lid
a cover on a container, that can be lifted up or removed:
Soucepan
a deep, round pan with straight sides, usually with a handle and a lid, used for cooking things over heat
Have you got a light?
When you ask to someone if he has got a lighter
I’m fed up
I’m bored
Extension
any of two or more phones in the same house that share the same number, or any of a number of phones connected to a switchboard in a large building such as an office
Racket
(also racquet) an object used for hitting the ball in various sports, consisting of a net fixed tightly to a round frame with a long handle
Net
material made of threads of rope, string, wire, or plastic with spaces between them, allowing gas, liquid, or small objects to go through, or an object made with this material that is used to limit the movement of something
(a fishing net)
Thread
(A length of) A very thin fibre.
The thread of a book, discussion, speech, etc. is its story or the way that it develops, one part connecting with another
Rope
(A piece of) strong, thick string made of long twisted threads.
several of one type of object connected together on a string (a rope of garlic, a rope of pearls)
Thick
Not Thin
String
(A piece of) strong, thin rope made by twisting very thin threads together, used for fastening and tying things
Wire
A piece of thin metal thread that can be bent, used for fastening things and for making particular types of objects that are strong but can bend.
To bend
To (cause to) curve.
To move your body or part of your body so that it is not straight.
Bend
A curved part of something
Briefcase
A flat rectangular bag, used especially for carrying business documents
I’m off
A way to say you’re leaving right now. (Vado!)
At last!
Finally!
To last
To continue for a period of time, or to continue to exist
(The tour lasts about an hour).
To continue being good or suitable (there’s no point buying something that isn’t going to last)
Commuter
someone who regularly travels between work and home
Firm (noun)
A company offering a professional service, for example a company of lawyers (She’s just started working for an accounting firm)
Firm (adjective)
Not soft but not completely hard (These pears are still too firm to eat.)
Well fixed in place or position
Fixed at the same level or opinion and not changing.
That’s much too dear
it is too expensive
To bargain
to try to reach agreement with someone in order to get a lower price (You can usually bargain with antique dealers)
Dealers
A person or company that buys and sells something (a second-hand car dealer)
Pretty (adverb)
Quite, but not extremely
Pretty much/well: almost (I’ve pretty much finished here)
Silly-Sensible
Stupid-Reasonable
To drown
to (cause to) die by being unable to breathe underwater
He drowned in a boating accident
Handkerchief
a square piece of cloth or paper used for cleaning the nose or drying the eyes when they are wet with tear
To lend
to give something to someone for a short period of time, expecting it to be given back (She doesn’t like lending her books)
To be Sleepy
To be tired and wanting to sleep
Harm
physical or other injury or damage
Hierarchy
A system in which people or things are arranged according to their importance
To Flatten
to become level or cause something to become level, make thinner, to make or become flat, to stop increasing or stop something from increasing (to flatten prices/profits).
Examples:
*He was immediately flattened by a single punch to the head.
*The whole area was flattened in the bombing raid - not a building was left standing.
Path
A route or track between one place and another, or the direction in which something is moving.
A set of actions, especially ones that lead to a goal or result (The path to success is fraught with difficulties.)
Hill
An area of land that is higher than the surrounding land
Slope
A surface that lies at an angle to the horizontal so that some points on it are higher than others, (part of) the side of a hill or mountain:
Examples:
*There’s a very steep slope just before you reach the top of the mountain.
*There are some nice gentle (= not steep) slopes that we can ski down
Rota
A list of things that have to be done and of the people who will do them
Wide (adjective)
*Having a larger distance from one side to the other than is usual or expected, especially in comparison with the length of something; not narrow (a wide river/road/gap/foot)
Example:
His eyes were wide (= opened much more than usual) with surprise.
*Used when describing how long the distance between the two sides of something is or when asking for this information (The swimming pool is five metres wide.)
*Used to describe something that includes a large amount or many different types of thing, or that covers a large range or area.
Examples:
They sell a wide range of skin-care products.
She has a wide experience of teaching, in many different schools.
Wide (adverb)
- Farther than usual, or as far as possible (“Open wide,” said the dentist.)
- Completely, or by a large amount (She left the door wide open).
Pick up
- to Increase or improove
* To answer the phone
Workload
The amount of work to be done, especially by a particular person or machine in a period of time
Broad Church
A group, organization, or set of beliefs that includes a wide range of different opinions or ideas
Broad
- including a wide range of things; general (The politician gave a broad outline of his proposals)
- (strong) If someone has a broad accent (= way of speaking), it is strong and noticeable, showing where they come from (He spoke with a broad Australian accent)
Tricky
If a piece of work or problem is tricky, it is difficult to deal with and needs careful attention or skill.
Commitment
- A promise or firm decision to do something, or the fact of promising something (determination). The fact of being willing to give your time and energy to something (motivated).
- She is very bright, but she lacks commitment
- An amount of money that you have to pay, or the fact of promising to pay (We believe that a commitment of $25 million is a good investment for our policyholders)
Willingness
The quality of being happy to do something if it is needed:
[ + to infinitive ] She shows a willingness to work on her own initiative.
Spiel
A speech, especially one that is long and spoken quickly and is intended to persuade the person listening about something
Vest
A type of underwear, often with no sleeves, that covers the upper part of the body, worn for extra warmth
(undershirt, vest top, waistcoat, gilet, bodywarmer)
Wiked
Morally wrong and bad. (wicked sense of humour)
Slang: extreme, excellent
To Stutter
To speak or say something, especially the first part of a word, with difficulty, for example pausing before it or repeating it several times.
“C-c-can we g-go now?” stuttered Jenkins
To Stain
- To leave a mark on something that is difficult to remove
* To change the colour of something using a chemical
Strain
- Something that makes you feel nervous and worried
* An injury to a muscle or similar soft part of the body caused by using that part too much.
Ditch
A long, narrow, open channel dug in the ground, usually at the side of a road or field, used esp. for supplying or removing water
To ditch
To get rid of or not continue with something or someone that is no longer wanted:
It’s time to ditch this old, torn sweater.
Torn
*Finding it difficult to choose between two possibilities
I was torn. Part of me wanted to leave, and part wanted to stay
To tear/tore/torn
- to pull or be pulled apart, or to pull pieces off (A couple of pages had been torn out of/from the book)
- (informal) to move very quickly (He went tearing along the road after the bus.)
Polymath
a person who knows a lot about many different subjects
To stave off something/someone
to prevent something, or prevent someone from doing something, esp. until a later time
To bait
To intentionally make a person angry by saying or doing things to annoy them (Ignore him - he’s just baiting you)
Bait (noun)
A small amount of food on a hook (= curved piece of wire) or in a special device used to attract and catch a fish or animal (We put down some poisoned bait to kill the rats.)
Darts
a game in which darts are thrown at a circular board. The number of points won depends on where the darts land on the board
To shut/shut/shut
To (cause to) close something (Please shut the gate.)
To come and see
To visit
Off-Licence
a shop that sells mainly alcoholic drinks to be taken away and drunk at home
To Type
A Typewriter
A Typist
To Type: to write using a machine, either a computer keyboard or a typewriter.
A Typewriter: a machine with keys that you press to produce letters and numbers on paper.
A Typist: a person whose job is to type letters, reports, and other documents
To cook
A cook
A cooker
Cooking
To cook: When you cook food, you prepare it to be eaten by heating it in a particular way, such as baking or boiling, and when food cooks, it is heated until it is ready to eat.
A cook: someone who prepares and cooks food (she is a wanderful cook).
A cooker: a large box-shaped device that is used to cook and heat food, either by putting the food inside or by putting it on the top. (a gas/electic cooker)
Cooking: the activity of preparing or cooking food
es: I love my dad’s cooking (= the food that he cooks)
Editor-Publisher
Editor: a person who corrects or changes pieces of text or films before they are printed or shown, or a person who is in charge of a newspaper or magazine.
Publisher: an organization that publishes text or music; an employee of a publishing company who has responsibility for deciding what is published
Aloud
in a voice loud enough to be heard
I can’t help it
to not be able to control or stop something
“Stop laughing!” “I can’t help it!”
Mean (adjective)
not generous, not willing to give or share things, especially money
Lorry
a track; a large road vehicle that is used for transporting goods. (Lorry-driver)
To Earn
to receive money as payment for work that you do
Dry-wine
Straight whiskey
Dry-wine or sweet wine
Straight whiskey, without ice
Glutton
a person who regularly eats and drinks more than is needed
Short-sighted
myopic
The more the merrier
in più si è e più si ci diverte
chiu ne simm e chiu bell parimm
Beetroot
the small, round, dark red root of a plant, eaten cooked as a vegetable, especially cold in salads
Trout
a fish that lives in rivers and lakes, or lives in the sea but returns to rivers to produce its eggs, that is a popular food
Wasp
a flying insect, often black and yellow, that can sting (= produce a small, painful skin injury):
drink like a fish
to drink too much alcohol
For instance
For example
To strike/To be on strike
*to refuse to continue working because of an argument with an employer about working conditions, pay levels, or job losses
(The only option available to us is to strike/the tube is on strike)
*to cause a person or place to suffer severely from the effects of something very unpleasant that happens suddenly
(They predict that a large earthquake will strike the west coast before the end of the decade.)
*to hit or attack someone or something forcefully or violently
To Slight
Slight (noun)
- to insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if they are not important (I felt slighted when my boss thanked everyone but me for their hard work.)
- insult
Slight (adjective)
*small in amount or degree (just a little bit)
(He speaks with a slight French accent)
*(of people) thin and delicate:
He was a young man of slight build with sensitive eyes and expressive hands.
By mistake/on purpose
to do something by mistake/ to do something intentionally
A fault
- a weakness in a person’s character that makes him not perfect. (He has many faults, but dishonesty isn’t one of them.)
- A Mistake, especially something for which you are to blame (It’s not my fault she didn’t come!)
To use gesture
to use the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling
average
the result you get by adding two or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts
Nasty
bad or very unpleasant
don’t be nasty!
Difficult to please/hard to please
difficult to make someone feel happy or satisfied, or to give someone pleasure
whatever/whoever/anywhere + please
whatever/whoever/anywhere want, like, or choose
(She thinks she can just do whatever/as she pleases.
I shall go out with whoever I please.)
To hold (held, held) a pop festival in the sixties
To organize a pop festival set in the years between 60 an 69
Sixties
a nmber between 60 and 69
At once
straight away, immediately
Canteen
A place in a factory, office, school etc. where food and meals are sold, often at a lower than usual price and only to people of the factory, office, school…
You will be soon on your feet
You can tell that to someone who is sick, to reassure him that he will feel better soon.
To feel someone forehead
When you put your hand on the face of someone to feel his temperature
Cheek
*The soft part of your face that is below your eye and between your mouth and ear [The tears ran down her cheeks]
*Behaviour or talk that is rude and shows no respect:
For instance:
- He told me off for being late when he arrived half an hour after me. What a cheek!
- [ + to infinitive ] She’s got some cheek to take your car without asking.
- He had the cheek to ask me to pay for her!
- She’s always getting into trouble for giving her teachers cheek (= being rude to them)
Cheeky (adjective)
Slightly rude or showing no respect, but often in a funny way [She’s got such a cheeky grin]
Handy
Useful or convenient
- It’s a nice house and it’s handy for (= near) the train station.
- (informal) Don’t throw those bottles away. They’ll come in handy (= be useful) for the picnic next Sunday.
5 Things we can do to keep healthy
- CUT DOWN ON fast food (reduce)
- CUT OUT alcohol (eliminate)
- GIVE UP smoking (quit)
- TAKE UP Exercise (start)
- WORK OUT AT the gym (exercise)
To make a speedy recovery
Get Better soon! I hope you make speedy recovery!
To feel poorly
To be under the weather
To call in sick
I feel poorly (or I am under the weather) I’m going to call in sick today
To pull a muscle
Ouch! i think I’ve pulled a muscle in my leg
To give up smoking
I have more energy since I have given up smoking
To catch a cold
Wear a warm coat today or you’ll catch a cold!
To put on weight
I try to eat healthily so I don’t put on a weight
To treat a patient
to prescribe a medicine
The doctor prescribed me a medicine in order to treat me
