Consolidation 9 Flashcards
an unknown quantity
person or thing that one has no experience of
as a last resort
when all else has failed
at close quarters
from a short distance
be in a quandary
George was in a quandary—should he go or shouldn’t he?
be confused; undecided
beg the question
Spending the summer travelling around India is a great idea, but it does beg the question of how we can afford it.
fail to deal directly with a question
call it quits
give up; stop
cut sb to the quick
His accusations cut me to the quick.
deeply hurt sb’s feelings
hit the roof
get very angry
in a rut
I gave up my job because I felt I was stuck in a rut.
be fixed in a monotonous (repititous) routine
in the long run
This measure inevitably means higher taxes in the long run.
after a long period of time
it stands to reason
it is logical
keep sth quiet
We’ll have to keep this quiet—if it gets out, we’ll all be in a lot of trouble.
keep sth secret
know the ropes
knoe all the details of a business
off the record
Strictly off the record, some members of staff will have to be made redundant.
unofficial(ly)
on the quiet
He’d been meeting her on the quiet.
secretly
on the rack
Only a year ago, he was on the rack with a heroin addiction that began when he was 13.
in a state of great anxiety
open to debate
Whether he deserved what happened to him is open to debate.
not decided/settled
out of the question
impossible
put down roots
After ten years travelling the world, she felt it was time to put down roots somewhere.
settle down
work to rule
-> work-to-rule
adhere strictly to the rules as a form of a protest
