Chapter 2 Flashcards
Spearhead
Meaning: to lead something such as an attack or a course of action.
Examples: British troops spearheaded the invasion.
Joe Walker will be spearheading our new marketing initiative.
He’s spearheading a project to start rebuilding the hospital.
In and of itself
Meaning: By itself, without considering any other factors. Considering it alone.
Examples: In and of itself the plan might work, but I doubt that it will be approved.
The idea in and of itself is not bad, but the side issues introduce many difficulties.
And so likewise, once we have learnt the application for virtue it will acquire a value in and of itself.
Unaccounted for
Meaning: (person) it is not known where they are or whether they are still alive. (something) it is not present and there is no explanation for what has happened to it.
Examples: A fire on the ship killed a hundred or more passengers - some likely victims are still unaccounted for.
An audit of the police department found that $100,000 in cash and one handgun were unaccounted for.
Many people were unaccounted for after the disaster.
A far cry from
Meaning: to be completely different from something.
Examples: This flat is a far cry from the house they had before. What you did was a far cry from what you said you were going to do.
The song they played was a far cry from what I call music.
Way off the mark
Meaning: very inaccurate or wrong.
Examples: I never once said that! Your reporter is far off the mark in her accusations.
I guessed it cost three thousand dollars and apparently I wasn’t far off the mark.
While he does make one or two valid points, I find much of his argument off the mark.
Go about
Meaning: 1. do something as normal. 2. deal with something.
Examples: There were no further reports of violence in the town, and most people went about their daily activities as usual.
You are going about this in the wrong way.
How should I go about researching this topic?
Would you tell me how to go about it?
Take it out on
Meaning: to punish or harm someone or something because one is angry or disturbed about something.
Examples: Dan has been frustrated by the lack of progress, and unfortunately he’s been taking it out on his coworkers.
I know you’ve had a bad day, but you don’t have to take it out on me!
She feels tensed most of the time and takes out her anger on her pets.
Take for granted
Meaning: not value somebody/something just because they are/it is always there.
Examples: We take so many things for granted these days: electricity, running water, cars…
The plenitude of our natural resources has resulted in most people taking them for granted for most of human history.
The boss takes us for granted, but if we weren’t here, this whole company would collapse.
In one’s element
Meaning: In an environment naturally suited to or associated with one; doing what one enjoys.
Examples: Kate, of course, was in her element, making all the arrangements.
He’s in his element when he’s doing woodworking.
As an outgoing person, I’m in my element when I have to make a speech off the top of my head in front of a crowd of people.
loophole
Meaning: something that has been left out of a law or legal document that people can use to avoid obeying it
Examples: Our solicitor is bound to find a loophole enabling us to get round the law.
He exploited a legal loophole in order to avoid paying child support.
The new law has closed a loophole that enabled rich corporations to pay no tax.
In a dither
Meaning: In a nervous, confused, or agitated state.
Examples: The economy is still in a dither after news that the country’s largest corporation has filed for bankruptcy.
We were in a dither waiting to meet the president at our school rally.
Planning the wedding put her in a dither.
Lay out
Meaning: 1. to explain something carefully and clearly. 2. to arrange in a pattern or design. 3. to spend an amount of money.
Examples: They had already laid out a substantial sum for the wedding.
The city was laid out with the town hall on a hill in its centre.
The documents lay out the principles clearly enough.
The designer laid out the book with pictures on every page.
Up to scratch
Meaning: reaching an acceptable standard; as good as the usual standard.
Examples: Your last essay wasn’t up to scratch/didn’t come up to scratch.
The last few episodes of the TV program haven’t been quite up to scratch.
She was turned down because her German was not up to scratch.
Understatement
Meaning: the presentation of something as being smaller or less good or important than it really is.
Examples: To say that her resignation was a shock would be an understatement - it caused panic.
To say he’s been busy would be the understatement of the year.
He called it a postscript but he had always had a taste for understatement.
On the ball
Meaning: attentive, knowledgeable, and quick to take action; alert to new ideas, methods, and trends.
Examples: I’m so glad that my assistant is always on the ball because I’m too scatterbrained to manage my schedule on my own.
Some clubs struggle to raise money.
A few are on the ball and make a professional job of it. maintaining contact with customers keeps me on the ball.
