COMMUNICATION & SITUATIONS Flashcards
talk to someone without letting them speak
Marco is always talking at people. He never gives them a chance to speak.
talk at
persuade someone to do something
My kids talked me into getting a puppy.
They’ve promised to take care of it.
talk into
persuade someone not to do something
Shona wanted to dye her hair green, but her sister talked her out of it.
talk out of
talk loudly while someone else is talking
Every time Rita tries to say something, Greg talks over her.
talk over
talk in a patronizing way to
Uncle Toby still talks down to me like I’m a child, even though I’m 25.
talk down to
interrupt
While Julia was explaining her idea, Rupert cut in to tell her she was wrong.
cut in
suddenly begin speaking with enthusiasm about something
We were chatting about movies when
Tina launched into a speech about her favorite actors.
launch into
talk negatively about something or someone (informal)
Simone spent the whole of lunch mouthing off about how much she hates her new boss.
mouth off
Ben’s not knee on buying a new car. I’m trying to talk him round
manage to persuade someone
Kirsty talked the workers through the new software system
explain how something works
stop talking (rude)
Shut up and listen to me for once!
shut up
make your language less strong
I think you should tone down your language.
tone down
talk louder than someone else
I couldn’t hear Louise at all. The man next to us was completely drowning her out.
drown out
say something surprising
Lauren comes out with the funniest things. Today she told me she wants to live on the Moon.
come out with
talk for a long time about something (in an annoying or incoherent way)
Diana is always rambling on about how things were better when she was a child.
ramble on
talk for a long time in a very boring way
The lecturer droned on for what felt like hours. We were half asleep by the end
drone on
Stop talking gradually
Craig was trying to tell a joke, but tailed off as he realized that no one was listening.
Tail off
start a conversation
After the concert, I struck up a conversation with one of the guitarists.
Strike up
be mentioned in conversation, usually unexpectedly
When soccer came up in conversation, Bill and I realized we support the same team.
come up (in)
say something without thinking about it first
Andy blurted out the name of the winner. It was supposed to be a secret.
blurt out
complete a form
You must fill in this form to get an appointment
write something quickly or roughly
Miguel scribbled down a note to his housemate to say that he was going out for evening
Scribble down
type something from written notes
Celia read through her notes from today’s lecture and typed them up.
type up
make written notes quickly
The journalist jotted down the details as Dan described his role in the new movie.
jot down
Reduce in size
Your essay’s too long,
Marcel. You need to cut it down a bit.
Cut down
remove material from a text
Okay. I’ll try to cut out 500 words.
Cut out
record information by writing it
When I write a restaurant review I usually write down a few thoughts while I’m eating.
write down
write or type something in full from notes
I wrote up my review at home later that evening.
write up
enter information by writing it
When completing the form, Damian wrote in his age.
write in
make written notes
Paco read the book and noted down the most important points.
note down
read short parts of a book or text
I’ve only dipped into Nia’s new novel, but it’s fantastic so far.
dip into
represent, be an abbreviation for
What does UFO mean?
It stands for Unidentified Flying Object.
Stand for
read with great attention
We pored over the old document looking for clues.
pore over
result in
Adventures in the Wilderness should make for interesting reading!
Make for
Alexandra flicked through a magazine while she waited to get her hair cut.
Alexandra flicked through a magazine while she waited to get her hair cut.
flick through
read something from start to finish
Max read through the full report before giving his opinion.
read through
research or revise a topic
Fatima read up on ancient Greece before her history exam.
read up on
read aloud (for others to hear)
As the judge read out the names of the winners, Pablo waited hopefully.
read out
answer a phone call
Pick up
Call back
return a call, phone someone who tried to speak to you earlier
end a phone call (often suddenly)
After chatting for over an hour, Simon and I said goodbye and hung up.
Hang up
join a conference call
Anna works from home on Tuesdays, so she will dial into the meeting.
dial in(to)
end a phone call (often suddenly)
After chatting for over an hour, Simon and I said goodbye and hung up.
hang up
make contact with someone by phone
I’ve called Olly a few times this evening, but I can’t get through.
get through (to)
talk more loudly
Could you please speak up?
I can’t hear you very well!
speak up
become difficult to hear (because of a bad signal or connection)
Sorry, I can’t hear you very well, I’m afraid.
You keep breaking up.
break up
phone several people
I phoned around to ask if any of my friends wanted to go to the beach with me.
phone around
connect someone to the person they want to speak to
Could I speak to Mr. Yamamoto, please?
Certainly. I’ll put you through now, madam.
Put through
give someone a message that someone else has given to you
Dave passed on a message telling me that Rob had called.
pass on
find out more information, do something in response to something
Rob wants to follow up on the conversation we had about the new logo.
follow up on
reply to a phone call or email, contact someone (with a response to a question)
He asked me to get back to him as soon as possible.
get back (to)
reply by letter or email
I love receiving letters from my dad.
I always write back immediately.
write back
send to a group of people
Claudia sent wedding invitations out to all her friends and family.
send out (to)
reply by email
Chris emailed me a week ago, but l only just remembered to email him back.
email back
contact
Our company is trying to reach out to new customers by offering discounts.
reach out (to)
send something by post or email
Murat completed all the forms and sent them off to the passport office
send off (to)
talks in a convincing way
Ahmed talks the talk, but isn’t very hardworking.
persuade him to behave in a sensible way
Ryan wants to join the circus.
I’m trying to talk some sense into him.
She’s just as bad herself!
Kirsty’s always commenting on other people’s clothes.
She can talk!
talk about their jobs
My colleagues love to talk shop when they meet for lunch.
boast or exaggerate
Linda likes to talk big. She claims she’s visited every country.
escape from any difficult situation using lies or humor
Leo can talk himself out of any awkward situation.
talk at great length
Tamara is really friendly, but she can talk your ear off.
polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial things
I made small talk with Marisha while we waited for the train.
patronizes me
I hate it when my boss talks down to me!
polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial things
I made small talk with Marisha while we waited for the train.
tells funny or unlikely stories
My grandpa spins a good yarn.
He loves telling us about his childhood adventures.
repeated word for word
The students parroted the facts without using their own words.
talking in a relaxed way
I sat on the shore with my boyfriend, shooting the breeze. (US)
began a conversation
Akio struck up a conversation with one of his fellow passengers.
talking at length in an uninteresting way
Nina keeps droning on about her new car. It’s getting really boring!
the ability to speak confidently and persuasively
Sarah was born with the gift of the gab.
She could sell you anything the ability to speak confidently and persuasivel
someone who talks too much
My cousin is such a loudmouth.
He never stops talking! someone who talks too much
You’re being very quiet.
Cat got your tongue? You usually have so much to say.
You’re being very quiet.
keep me informed with the latest news
Good look with your interview today. Keep me posted about how it goes.
keep me informed with the latest news
spread very quickly
Rumors that the two actors had secretly gotten married spread like wildfire.
had a brief conversation to get an update
Anna’s manager touched base with her for a quick update on her research.
told me all the latest important information
Angie filled me in on what happened at work while I was away.
by people talking about it
This restaurant couldn’t afford an advertising campaign, but it has become really popular by word of mouth.
misunderstood information, or become confused
We must have got our wires crossed.
I thought the dress code for this party was casual.
heard the news directly from the original source
Pedro’s going to marry Elena. I heard it from the horse’s mouth.
someone (whose name I won’t reveal) told me
A little bird told me that Richa is going to be promoted
reveal a secret by mistake
I’m planning a surprise trip to Paris with Liam to celebrate our wedding anniversary.
Don’t let the cat out of the bag!
caused a lot of upset or excitement
The boss stirred up a hornet’s nest when she said we would have to take a pay cut. (US)
keep you fully informed
I’m afraid your cat will have to stay here overnight, but I promise I’ll keep you in the picture about how she’s recovered
share something worrying or upsetting
Lin decided to get it off her chest and told Melanie all her relationship problems
revealed important (and usually bad) news
The tour rep broke the news to us that our flight had been canceled.
keep me updated about shared information
The design team make sure they always keep me in the loop.
the practical rules of something
Phil showed me around the kitchen.
He knows the nuts and bolts of running a restaurant.
someone who delivers bad news
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we won’t be able to fix your computer.
(US) don’t completely believe them
When news stories are shocking, I always take them with a grain of salt. (US)
shared malicious gossip
After leaving the band, Marco dished the dirt about the other band members to a journalist.
heard some news through gossip or rumor
I heard it through the grapevine that Luisa is pregnant.
reveal a secret
Why did you spill the beans and tell Luke I had a new boyfriend? | wanted to tell him myself.
realize something is happening
I never caught on that Dad’s company was in such debt.
catch on
become known
When it came out that he was bankrupt, I was shocked!
come out
tell someone the truth
I have to level with you, Anu. The cake looks lovely, but it tastes terrible.
level with
admit that something was your fault
Conan finally owned up to breaking the window. He’d been denying it all morning.
own up (to)
understand what someone wants, or what kind of person they are
It’s really hard to suss the new neighbours out. They don’t say anything about themselves
Suss out
be aware that something is not true
Gary was always exaggerating about how rich he was, but Sophie could see through his lies
see through
discover information
I’ve been trying to find out from Nisha who Sammy’s dating.
find out
admit or reveal something
I think she knows more than she’s letting on.
let on
be tricked into believing something
We fell for the salesman’s talk. The car we bought broke down after a few days.
fall for
invent a story to explain something
Pio’s always making up excuses for handing in his homework late. Today, he claimed his school bag had been stolen.
make up
discover that someone is lying
Amrit promised his mother he’d stay home and study, but she caught him out when she heard him come home late.
catch out
try to make bad news or a mistake seem unimportant
Mario glossed over the bad result, claiming the team would soon be back on form.
gloss over
Pretend
Kirstie’s been making out that everything’s okay, but I know she’s stressed about her interview.
make out
It looked as if Aaron had been injured but I knew he was putting it on.
put on
try to persuade someone that a bad situation is not important or not your fault
Josie tried to explain away the damage to my car by saying it was just a small scratch.
explain away
treat someone badly by deceiving them or changing plans regularly
Alice accused me of messing her around when I canceled our date for a third time.
mess around
give someone false hopes or make them believe something that is false
Tyler has been promising to pay me back for months, but he’s just stringing me along.
string along
hide the truth from other people
After eating all the cake, John tried to cover it up by claiming the dog had eaten it.
cover up
make sense, be a logical explanation
Larry’s claim that he was at home on the night of the crime didn’t add up.
add up
make a problem seem unimportant
The CEO has been playing down the company’s financial problems.
play down
to be completely honest
I’m scared of dogs. In fact, I’m terrified of them, to tell you the truth.
confessed to doing something wrong
Nathan came clean with his parents and told them he had broken the window.
honest in a very direct or insensitive way
My teacher was brutally honest with me and told me my essay was terrible.
honest, open, or legal
The voting process in this election is completely above board. All the votes are counted and checked.
someone who tells a person in authority about something illegal or wrong
A whistleblower has told the authorities about the dirty conditions in the kitchen at work.
avoid telling anyone
Tania told me a secret but asked me to keep it under my hat.
completely secret
Anita’s recipe for her banana cake is top secret. She won’t share it with anyone.
I will keep it a secret.
I promise I won’t tell Lizzie you’re going to propose to her. My lips are sealed.
private information
I’m not going to tell you how much my house cost. It’s none of your business!
Secret
We’re keeping our new car model under wraps until the launch later this week.
a lie to avoid hurting someone’s feelings
I thought Bella’s hat was ridiculous, but I told her a white lie and said I loved it.
lying, misleading people, or exaggerating
I think Warren was bending the truth when I interviewed him for this job. He said he had excellent IT skills.
did something without telling her
My wife was angry when I went behind her back and bought myself a new motorcycle.
told a blatant lie
David lied through his teeth to his mom. He claimed the cat had broken her favorite vase.
told a blatant lie
deceived or cheated us
The salesman really took us for a ride when he sold us this car. It’s always breaking down!
not telling the whole truth
Our boss says the company is doing well, but she has a reputation for telling half-truths
suspect something without firm evidence
have a sneaking suspicion that Marcia was at a job interview this morning.
suspected that someone had lied
knew Frida hadn’t been out sick.
I smelled a rat when she came back to work with a suntan.
something suspiciou
The children are being very quiet.
I think there’s something fishy going on!
suspected that someone had lied
I knew Frida hadn’t been out sick.
I smelled a rat when she came back to work with a suntan.
Suspected
The piano teacher had a hunch that Jordan hadn’t done any practice since his last lesson.
Someone looked very angry.
Kezia looked furious when I told her I’d torn her dress. If looks could kill!
looked quickly
Felipe cast a glance at his watch. The bus was already 10 minutes late
watched carefully
Bastian kept a close watch on his children as they played outside.
watched very carefully for something
We kept our eyes peeled, hoping we’d spot some rare birds.
ignored, or pretended not to see
The teacher turned a blind eye to his students’ bad behavior.
take care of something, or watch something carefully
I asked my brother to keep an eye on the dinner while I was talking on the phone.
a quick check or inspection
The border guard gave my documents the once-over, then let me drive on.
the ability to spot small details
Karen has an eagle eye. She found lots of mistakes when I asked her to check my essay.
look at or check something quickly
I always cast an eye over my desk to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything when I leave the office.
I’m eager to hear about it!
Jenny, please tell me how the interview went. I’m all ears!
Looked quickly
Felipe cast a glance at his watch. The bus was already 10 minutes late
partially deaf
My grandfather is hard of hearing, so l often have to repeat things to him.
Was ignored
I told my daughter she should work harder, but my advice fell on deaf ears
listened to someone’s problems with sympathy
Omar lent a sympathetic ear when I broke up with my boyfriend.
you never know who’s listening when you’re talking in a public place
Be careful what you say about the boss.
Remember, walls have ears!
not listening at all
Martina didn’t hear the teacher’s question.
She was a million miles away.
stopped listening or concentrating
I completely zoned out during that meeting.
It was so boring!
wonderful news
It was music to my ears when my son told me he’d passed his driving test.
found out about something that was meant to be a secret
When my parents got wind of the fact that I’d had a house party, they were furious.
not listening attentively
Ethan was only listening with half an ear and kept checking his phone as I spoke to him.
ask too many questions, give too much information
They bombarded us with so much information during the training course
Bombard with
exchange creative ideas to see how other people respond to them
Gill and the design team are bouncing ideas off each other before the show next week
Bounce off
briefly mention something in a talk or text
The president’s speech touched on the economy, healthcare, and education.
Touch on
make a suggestion so that others can choose to accept it or not
I wrote a proposal for more environmentally friendly policies and put it to the directors.
put to
offer support to someone
When I told my friends I was starting my own business, they all got behind the idea.
get behind
do what someone suggests
When my husband suggested buying a new kitchen, I ran with it.
Run with
offer support to someone
When I told my friends I was starting my own business, they all got behind the idea.
get behind
suggest lots of spontaneous ideas
The creative manager asked her team to throw out as many ideas as they could.
throw out
remove someone or something as an option when making a choice
We have ruled out three of the candidates.
It’s a choice between Danny and Carmen.
rule out
think of an idea, suggestion, or plan
Ted has come up with some good ideas for a new logo.
come up with
offer an opinion, idea, or suggestion
He decided to put forward the version with the star.
put forward
mention something indirectly
The politician alluded to housing in his speech, but mostly spoke about transportation.
allude to
explain something very clearly (usually with anger or frustration)
How many times do I have to spell it out to you?
spell out
return to a subject
During her speech, the senator kept coming back to her financial policies.
come back to
give more details about something
The interviewer asked me to expand on my experience of working with animals.
expand on
explain the details of something again
l asked the professor if he could go back over some of the points from the lecture.
go back over
explain or show something by performing or re-enacting it
Pete couldn’t remember the French word for “swimming,” so he acted it out.
act out
help someone to notice something
My friend pointed out some of the mistakes l’d made in my code.
point out
successfully explain an idea or express a feeling
Yuri managed to put his ideas across very well during the debate.
put across
make something easier to understand
Gio didn’t know anything about computers, so he asked the salesperson to dumb it down for him.
dumb down
encourage someone, inspire someone to do something
The thought of winning first prize spurred Farukh on.
spur on
tell someone about something they might find useful
Helen has put me onto this great new hair salon
Put onto
persuade someone to support your idea
Lisa’s speech in favor of a new nature reserve has brought many people around to the idea.
bring around
encourage someone to do something that is wrong
When Zoe asked her daughter why she’d stolen the cookies, she said her elder brother had put her up to it.
put up to
show your support for someone
Kendra was very nervous, but was happy to see her friends rooting for her.
root for
make someone feel happier
My son was upset, so I bought him an ice cream to buck him up.
buck up
encourage someone to do something (often something naughty)
Marcus’s friends egged him on as he climbed the tree.
egg on
encourage someone to do something
The crowd urged Mona on as she approached the end of the tightrope.
urge on
offer logical arguments to try to change someone’s mind
Rahul was skeptical about electric cars until the salesman reasoned with him.
reason with
successfully persuade someone to support your idea
He eventually won him over by explaining how eco-friendly they are.
win over
make a mistake
Coralie’s graph didn’t make sense, so she looked through the data again to see where she’d slipped up.
slip up
have people forget about an embarrassing mistake you made
I’ll never live down the moment I dropped his birthday’s cake at his party
Live down
include someone or something in an activity
Wang thought hed bought everyone a drink until he noticed he’d missed Ellie out. miss out
forget to
get into a bad situation
Tariq landed himself in trouble when he forgot to do his homework.
land in
make someone feel worse about a mistake or failure
When Juan missed the penalty, his teammates rubbed it in by laughing at him.
rub in
accidentally mistake one thing for something else
When Chris got home from work, he realized that he had mixed his bag up with Simon’s.
mix up (with)
forget to take someone or something with you
Enzo went back to the café when he realized he’d left his wallet behind.
leave behind
fail to meet someone’s expectations or fail to keep a promise
I was relying on Selma to bring candles for the cake, but she let me down.
let down
be obvious to someone
The spelling mistake in Juanita’s homework jumped out at me.
jump out at
draw a line or lines through a word
I crossed out the misspelled word and wrote it again correctly.
cross out
happen unexpectedly
Sorry, I’ll be home late tonight.
Something’s come up.
come up
make something easier to understand by separating it into smaller parts
break down
happen differently than expected
I thought the event was going to be a disaster, but it turned out alright.
turn out
against encounter difficulties
The proposals for a new highway have come up against a lot of local opposition.
come up
be a source of worry
It was very hard for Somrita and her friends to relax with their final exams hanging over them.
hang over
solve a problem, resolve an argument
Ben and I cleared up our disagreement when we realized it was all just a misunderstanding.
clear up
deal with difficulties or opposition
While climbing the mountain, we had to contend with strong winds and heavy rain.
contend with
happen (often unexpectedly)
A number of problems have cropped up with the new printer. We need to get someone to fix it.
crop up
treat a problem as unimportant, refuse to take it seriously
Bitna told Danny she was nervous about her presentation, but he just brushed it aside.
brush aside
find a solution to a problem
Clare and Wei Ting had to sort out a problem with their experiment
Sort out
discuss a problem to find a solution
They stayed up late to trash it out and find a solution
thrash out
consider something methodically
Kavitha didn’t know why her equation was wrong, so she thought it through carefully.
think through
avoid an obstacle that is stopping you from achieving something
Sawad’s computer crashed, but she worked around it by using pen and paper instead.
work around
avoid or solve a problem or obstacle
Anton had run out of green paint, but he managed to get around it.
get around
ask a skilled person to deal with a problem for you
One of the pipes was leaking, so we called in a plumber to fix it.
call in
find out if someone or something is acceptable
Femmy’s thinking of moving to a new part of town, so she went to check out the area.
check out
not tell someone something
Jessica has been keeping the name of her new boyfriend from me.
keep from
reveal a secret
Paolo has prepared a new sculpture for the exhibition. I’ve asked him what it is, but he’s not giving anything away!
give away
begin to understand or realize something
I only cottoned onto the fact that Lisa and Pete were dating when I saw them at the ice rink together.
cotton on(to) (UK)
say something suddenly, without thinking about it
My little sister blurted out to Dad that we’d organized a surprise party for him. She can’t keep a secret.
blurt out
say something by mistake
I didn’t mean to tell the team that it was your birthday. It just slipped out.
slip out
conceal the truth
The movie star tried to hush up the fact that she had a new boyfriend.
hush up
enter a room or building suddenly
We were all eating our dinner when the dog burst into the room.
burst in(to)
amaze or impress someone
I was bowled over when Nadia announced that she had been accepted into dance school.
bowl over
approach someone quietly to surprise them
Mollie crept up on her grandfather while he slept in the garden.
creep up on
impress very strongly (informal)
Kamal was blown away by Jose’s account of his adventures in the Amazon.
blow away
understand or accept some news or information
The surprising news was a lot to take in.
take in
announce something without warning
My best friend sprang it on me last night that she’s moving to Canada.
spring on
be fully understood
Clara can’t believe she passed her medical exams. It’s going to take a while for it to sink in.
Sink in
pretend something is true or that you believe in something
My daughter often pretends to be a dinosaur. We all have to play along with her.
play along
realize the importance of something
People have woken up to the fact that we need to look after the environment.
wake up to
meet someone without expecting it
While I was on vacation in Venice, I bumped into one of my cousins. I couldn’t believe it.
bump into
find by chance
I was shopping at the antiques market when I stumbled upon a valuable necklace.
stumble upon
surprise or shock someone
I was taken aback when Tia and Juan told me they were getting married.
take aback
extremely easy
The test was a clinch. I finished it 20 minutes early
easy
Getting around my city is a breeze.
Our trains are excellent.
Finding Angela’s house was easy peasy. I have a GPS.
I already play the violin, so learning the cello was a walk in the park.
very easy (usually about overcoming competition)
Winning that race was like shooting fish in a barrel.
Nobody else had trained.
(usually about a mistake)
It’s all too easy to forget to turn off the lights when you go out.
very easy
not very complicated or difficult
Making a great cup of coffee is not rocket science.
extremely easy and straightforward
Unclogging my sink was a piece of cake for Carlita.
She’s a plumber.
easy, without major problems
Driving on the left was difficult at first, but soon it was smooth sailing. (US)
easily, or without thinking
Alicia’s worked in this factory so long she could do her job with her eyes shut.
very annoying or problematic
Doing the dishes after a dinner party is a pain in the neck.
caused a situation that leads to more difficulties
My home improvements opened a can of worms. The builders discovered so many problems.
make a small task or problem seem bigger than it is
Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. I only asked you to help me bake a cake!
a huge amount to do, or problem to overcome
The team has a mountain to climb if it wants to win the game.
very difficult
Finishing the building this month is going to be a tall order
not as easy as it seems
Giving up chocolate is easier said than done.
in a difficult or unusual situation
I was like a fish out of water at the science fiction convention.
problems at the beginning of a process
There have been teething problems with the new computer system at work. (UK)
extremely difficult, usually because of someone’s behavior
I tried to make the politician answer my question, but it was like getting blood from a stone. (UK)
in a situation that is too difficult
Bashir was totally out of his depth on his first day working at the florist.
in a difficult situation
Oh, no, l’ve missed the last bus home.
I’m really in a jam now
in a very bad situation
Logan’s restaurant is in dire straits.
There are never any customers.
couldn’t make any progress
The police officer came up against a brick wall when he asked if there were any witnesses to the crime.
very difficult or unpleasant
Getting to work today was a nightmare. All the trains were canceled.
something that causes problems and stops progress
Not being able to read music was a stumbling block when I started learning the saxophone.
in a difficult or awkward situation
I’m in a bit of a tight spot because my boss has just asked me to work late tonight and it’s my wedding anniversary.
the last in a series of events that makes a bad situation impossible to tolerate
I hated working at the diner. The final straw was when they made me dress as a chicken.
a small, visible part of a larger problem
The peeling wallpaper was just the tip of the iceberg. The house needed so many repairs.
put in a difficult situation with no time to prepare
Rosa was thrown in at the deep end when she had to teach the worst class in the school on her first day at work.
a difficult situation with no possibility of a positive outcome
Tina was in a no-win situation. Her son wanted a beach vacation, but her daughter wanted to go skiing.
a difficult time
Lisa has had a bumpy ride recently.
First she broke her arm, and now she has failed her tests.
made a bad situation feel worse
When Ava told me how much fun she’d had at the party, it rubbed salt into the wound. I wasn’t invited.
facing a choice between two bad options
I have been offered a more interesting job, but the pay is terrible. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place.
causing yourself more difficulties in the future
If you let your children eat whatever they want for dinner, you’re making a rod for your own back. (UK)
trying to achieve something that is very unlikely
The protesters want to stop the building being demolished, but they’re fighting a losing battle.
a difficult problem to solve
Getting the old gramophone record player to work was a tough nut to crack.
found out what is causing a problem or situation
The plumber got to the bottom of what’s causing the leak. We need to replace the pipe.
try to make a situation better after something bad has happened
I can’t believe you’ve upset your sister again! I’m the one who has to pick up the pieces.
learn how to do something challenging
Working on the farm meant I had to come to grips with driving a tractor. (US)
accept a bad situation
without complaining
I hate going to the dentist, but I Know I have to grin and bear it
