Chapter 9 Flashcards
Shattered
Meaning: 1. broken into very small pieces. 2. extremely upset, impaired or destroyed.
Examples: Shattered glass lay all over the road.
The family were shattered by the news of Annabel’s suicide.
We feel emotionally shattered by what’s happened.
At nine-and-twenty I was gaunt and gray; my nerves were shattered, and my heart was broken.
Blurred
Meaning: 1. not clear or distinct; hazy. 2. unable to see or be seen clearly.
Examples: Do you agree that male and female roles are becoming blurred? T
he photograph was very blurred.
The picture on the TV went all blurry.
Jimmie walked to the window and began to look through the blurred glass.
To tar with the same brush
Meaning: to unfairly categorize someone or something as being the same as another person or thing, usually in a negative manner.
Examples: Just because the CEO turned out to be a rotten scoundrel doesn’t mean we should tar the entire company with the same brush.
There is absolutely a segment of video game enthusiasts who create a hostile and toxic environment online, but tarring all gamers with the same brush does a disservice to the community.
Not to have a leg to stand on
Meaning: have no facts or sound reasons to support one’s argument or justify one’s actions.
Examples: Now that your alibi has been eliminated, you really don’t have a leg to stand on, so it’s time to confess.
You may think you’re in the right, but you don’t have a leg to stand on.
My lawyer said I didn’t have a leg to stand on, so I shouldn’t sue the company.
Deliberate
Meaning: 1. done consciously and intentionally. 2. careful and unhurried.
Examples: This was a deliberate attempt to wreck the peace talks.
I don’t think his name was left off the list by accident - I think it was deliberate.
From her slow, deliberate speech I guessed she must be drunk.
She was nevertheless a slow, deliberate worker unable to grasp the newer technologies and easily flustered by changes in routine.
Indispensable
Meaning: absolutely necessary; crucial.
Examples: Few would dispute that mobile phones are an indispensable business tool.
International cooperation is indispensable to resolving the problem of the drug trade.
The library will have three copies of a text considered indispensable to 1,000 students.
Stand out from the crowd
Meaning: to be better than or noticeably different from ordinary people or things
Examples: Jane’s particular fashion sense makes her stand out from the crowd, but I’m not sure that’s always a good thing.
They’ll be getting hundreds of applications from people with similar experience, so you need to do something to make your resume stand out from the crowd.
Give your business a name that fits, and create icons that clearly identify it and help it stand out from the crowd of competitors.
Deterrent
Meaning: (n.) a thing that is intended to discourage someone from doing something.
Examples: They seriously believe that capital punishment is a deterrent.
Tougher prison sentences may act/serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
I should think the smell of her breath must act as a deterrent to any man.
Think twice
Meaning: to reconsider, be cautious about, or thoroughly contemplate something before committing to it.
Examples: You should think twice before quitting your job.
That’s a serious decision. I’m going to sue them for everything they’re worth—maybe then they’ll think twice about trying to steal my ideas!
We should think twice about investing so much money in a project we know so little about.
Think highly of / Think a lot of
Meaning: to admire and respect someone a lot.
Examples: The two guys are friends of ours and we think highly of them, so it was disappointing to see our mates left out like that.
Our last boss thinks very a lot of you, judging from the reference letter she wrote for you. Somehow I doubt the mayor will think too a lot of an article exposing all of his financial details.
Blessing in disguise
Meaning: an apparent misfortune that eventually has good results.
Examples: Running late for work turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
I would have been in the middle of that big multi-car pileup had I left the house on time.
Tony’s motorcycle accident was a blessing in disguise, because he got enough insurance money from the other driver to make a down payment on a house. Dad’s illness was a blessing in disguise; it brought the family together for the first time in years.
Be bound to
Meaning: Be certain or destined to; also, be determined or resolved to.
Examples: We all thought that Doug was bound to be an artist, so we were very surprised when he became a trader on Wall Street.
A: “Do you think it will rain today?” B: “It hasn’t rained for weeks, so it’s bound to.”
The kids are out late, so of course she’s bound to worry.
So-called
Meaning: 1. commonly called. 2. incorrectly or falsely termed.
Examples: My so-called friend has stolen my girlfriend.
It’s fairly shocking when a so-called developed country can’t even provide homes for all its citizens.
This so-called charity has robbed thousands of poor people of their money.
And this is one of the so-called privileges of working for this company.
Going/getting nowhere
Meaning: to fail to achieve something, or to fail to be successful.
Examples: The talks are going nowhere, no progress is being made.
For five days he toiled on at “Overdue,” going nowhere, seeing nobody, and eating meagerly.
I finished it because I thought we were going nowhere, but I now realise I’m still in love with him.
Uncharted territory/ water
Meaning: an activity or subject that people do not know anything about or have not experienced before.
Examples: We’re starting to get into uncharted waters exploiting these tax loopholes.
As I opened up the computer to try and fix the problem, I realized that I was getting into completely uncharted waters and decided to leave it to the experts.
We’re in uncharted waters, which make earnings harder than usual to predict.
