Conversation 1 Flashcards
intense
adj
serious and often involving a lot of action in the short period of time
e.g. There is intense competition for the top jobs.
mode
n
A particular way of feeling or behaving
e.g. As soon as this week is over, I will be in holiday mode.
freshers’ year
n
The first year at university
e.g. My freshers’ year was just one long party!
to be someone’s scene /cup of tea
idiom
what somebody likes or is interested in
e.g. An evening at the opera isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
Was it really your scene?
Was it your a cup of tea?
to socialise
v (i)
to meet and spend time with people in a friendly way, in order to enjoy yourself
e.g. I enjoy socialising with the other students.
** daunting**
adj
making somebody feel nervous and less confident about doing something; likely to make somebody feel this way
e.g. Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.
lock in
phr v
to be fixed in one position or state and unable to change
e.g. I thought everyone would’ve arrived before me and made all the friends and that was locked in. I’ll be there on my own.
a fresh start
an opportunity to begin something again
e.g. When I moved to the city, it was a fresh start for me.
to be in the same boat
idiom
to be in the same situation, usually a difficult one
e.g. You may think it’s just you, but we are all in the same boat.
Oh my word
phrase used to express surprise or disbelief; more polite than ‘Oh my God’
e.g. Oh my word. That is a big umbrella!
to work out
phr v
to develop in a successful
e.g. Things have worked out quite well for us.
How is the new monitoring procedure working out?
Let’s hope this new job works out well for him.
to come in
phr v
to start
e.g. When the new laws came in about smoking, the whole bar scene changed here.
flaw
n
A weakness in somebody’s character or habit that someone may find annoying
e.g. His flaw was that he trusted the people around him.
all in all
When everything is considered
e.g. All in all, it has been a great success.
to fight for
phr v
to try very hard to get something or to achieve something
e.g. We fought for years before we got the recognition we deserved.
whilst
conj
at the same time as something else is happening
e.g. In the UK, it is illegal to drive whilst holding a mobile phone.
social circle
n
A group of people who are connected socially, and who often socialise together
e.g. When I went to uni, I soon had a complete new social circle.
entirely
adv
in every way, possible; completely
e.g. The experience was entirely new to me.
like-minded
adj
having similar ideas and interest
e.g. I find it hard to spend time with people that aren’t like-minded.
ongoing
adj
continuing to exist or develop
e.g. Training is part of our ongoing career development program.
lads
n
A young man who enjoys a lot of things thought to be typical of young men, such as drinking, alcohol, sex and sport
e.g. Tony was a bit of a lad — always had an eye for the women.
niche
n
interesting to only a small number of people
e.g. Croquet is quite a sport and very few people have even heard of it.
inclusive
adj
to try to include many different types of people and treat them all fairly and equally
e.g. Our aim is to create a fairer, more inclusive society.
introvert
n
A quiet person who is more interested in their own thoughts, and feelings than in spending time with other people
e.g. You could describe him as a bit of an introvert.
extroverted
adj
lively and confidence, and enjoying being with other people
e.g. His teacher always described him as being quite extroverted.
to be one’s idea of hell
idiom
an experience or situation that people would fear or hate most
e.g. I couldn’t ever go to a jungle; that’s my idea of hell.
Tell me about your idea of hell.
dreadful
adj
very bad or unpleasant
e.g. The weather this week has been dreadful!
to mould
v
to strongly influence the way somebody’s character or opinions develop
e.g. That experience moulded her into a more outgoing person.
to be oneself
to not be influenced by the opinions or expectations of other people
e.g. Sometimes you just need to learn to be yourself and not worry about what other people think.
to not take (any) rubbish
idiom
to defend oneself when being teased or bullied by others
e.g. I’m just not going to take any more of your rubbish!
to reminisce
v
/ˌrem.ɪˈnɪs/
To think, talk or write about a happy time in your past
e.g. We spent hours last night reminiscing about the past.
to go down the … path
idiom
to choose a particular direction in life
e.g. After learning to play the guitar, he decided to go down the live music path.
to be behind in life
idiom
when an other person seems to be at a more advance stage in their life, despite being the same age or from the same background
e.g. Jack never really cared much about his studies, and now he’s behind most of his friends in life.
to stay on
phr v
to continue, studying, working, etc. somewhere for longer than expected or after other people have left
e.g. She failed her exam, and had to stay on at school for another year.
to find one’s feet
idiom
to become able to act independently and with confidence
e.g. I only recently started working here, so I’m still finding my feet.
chaos years
appeared in a persons life (usually 18 to 30 years old) when there are a lot of changes and instability, or where a person is more focused on having fun than developing their career or life
e.g. My early 20s were certainly the chaos years — I just used to party all the time and not care about the future.
tame
adj
not very interesting or exciting
e.g. You’re fine life here pretty tame in New York.
occasionally
adv
sometimes, but not often
e.g. We occasionally meet for a drink after work.
