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My English > Deck 24 > Flashcards

Deck 24 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

a modicum [S]

A

a small amount of something good such as truth or honesty

  • ‘There’s not even a modicum of truth in her statement.’
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2
Q

rancor

A

bitter anger or unfriendly feelings

  • ‘Can we settle this disagreement without rancour?’
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3
Q

to enrapture

A

to give delight to

  • ‘The audience was enraptured by her performance.’
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4
Q

a jaunt

A

a short journey for pleasure, sometimes including a stay

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5
Q

to muse

A

to think about something carefully and for a long time

  • ‘I began to muse about/on the possibility of starting my own business.’
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6
Q

placid

A

having a calm appearance or characteristics

  • ‘a slow-moving and placid river’
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7
Q

languid

A

moving or speaking slowly with little energy, often in an attractive way

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8
Q

dissent

A

a strong difference of opinion on a particular subject, especially about an official suggestion or plan or a popular belief

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9
Q

absolution

A

the act of forgiving someone, especially in the Christian religion, for something bad that they have done or thought

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10
Q

to dilate

A

to (cause a part of the body to) become wider or further open

  • ‘The pupils of the eyes dilate as darkness increases.’
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11
Q

levity

A

humour or lack of seriousness, especially during a serious occasion

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12
Q

a cranium

A

the hard bone case that gives an animal’s or a human’s head its shape and protects the brain

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13
Q

precognition / postcognition

A

Precognition is seeing the future, and postcognition is seeing the past.

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14
Q

a pre-cog

A

an individual who possesses precognition as a form of extra-sensory perception

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15
Q

a crucible

A

a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new

  • ‘Their relationship was forged in the crucible of war.’
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16
Q

a breach

A

an act of breaking a law, promise, agreement, or relationship

  • ‘They felt that our discussions with other companies constituted a breach of/in our agreement.’
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17
Q

primordial

A

existing at or since the beginning of the world or the universe

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18
Q

ooze

A

a thick brown liquid made of earth and water found at the bottom of a river or lake

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19
Q

recursion

A

something that is done or said several times in order to produce a particular result or effect; the act of doing something several times

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20
Q

to edify

A

to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge

  • ‘These books will both entertain and edify readers.’
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21
Q

a bed of roses

A

used in reference to a situation or activity that is comfortable or easy

  • ‘Farming is no bed of roses.’
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22
Q

to dust off

A

to get something ready to use that you have not used for a long time

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23
Q

to vault

A

to jump over something by first putting your hands on it or by using a pole

  • ‘He vaulted over the gate.’
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24
Q

to gallop

A

to move or act quickly

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25
Q

sagacious

A

having or showing understanding and the ability to make good judgments

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26
Q

putrid

A

decayed and having an unpleasant smell

  • ‘the putrid body of a dead fox’
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27
Q

germane

A

relevant to a subject under consideration

  • ‘That is not germane to our theme.’
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28
Q

haphazard

A

not having an obvious order or plan

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29
Q

a debacle

A

a complete failure, especially because of bad planning and organisation

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30
Q

incipient

A

just beginning

  • ‘He could feel incipient anger building up.’
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31
Q

to curb your appetite

A

to control or restrain your appetite

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32
Q

a rabble-rouser

A

a person who makes speeches that make people excited or angry, usually intentionally in order to make them act in a particular way

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33
Q

to take sth with a pinch of salt

A

to not completely believe something that you are told because you think it is unlikely to be true

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34
Q

a straight arrow

A

someone who is very honest and careful to behave in a socially acceptable way

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35
Q

the bottom line

A

the most important fact in a situation

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36
Q

in cahoots (with)

A

acting together with others for an illegal or dishonest purpose

  • ‘It’s reckoned that someone in the government was in cahoots with the assassin.’
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37
Q

a cohort

A

a group of people who share a characteristic, usually age

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38
Q

atemporal

A

independent of or unaffected by time

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39
Q

to temporise

A

to delay making a decision or stating your opinion in order to get an advantage

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40
Q

benevolent

A

kind and helpful

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41
Q

to heave

A

to move something heavy using a lot of effort

  • ‘He heaved the bag onto his shoulder.’
42
Q

acumen [U]

A

skill in making correct decisions and judgments in a particular subject, such as business or politics

43
Q

to atrophy

A

(of a part of the body) to be reduced in size and therefore strength, or, more generally, to become weaker

  • ‘After several months in a hospital bed, my leg muscles had atrophied.’
44
Q

to eulogise

A

to praise someone or something in a speech or piece of writing

45
Q

outmoded

A

no longer modern, useful, or necessary

46
Q

to broach

A

to begin a discussion of something difficult

  • ‘At some point, we’ve got to discuss money but I don’t know how to broach the subject with him.’
47
Q

brevity

A

concise and exact use of words in writing or speech

48
Q

to get a/your foot in the door

A

to have an opportunity

  • ‘This part-time work has allowed Frank to get his foot in the door and he hopes it will lead to a full-time job.’
49
Q

loquacious

A

Someone who is loquacious talks a lot.

50
Q

a bereavement

A

the death of a close relation or friend

51
Q

a pinnacle

A

the most successful point; the culmination

  • ‘He had reached the pinnacle of his career.’
52
Q

a libel

A

a piece of writing that contains bad and false things about a person

  • ‘She threatened to sue the magazine for libel.’
53
Q

to peddle

A

to sell things, especially by taking them to different places

54
Q

impropriety

A

behaviour that is dishonest, socially unacceptable, or unsuitable for a particular situation

55
Q

a narrative

A

story or a description of a series of events

56
Q

subversive

A

trying to destroy or damage something, especially an established political system

57
Q

a blip

A

an unexpected, minor, and typically temporary deviation from a general trend

58
Q

to console

A

to make someone who is sad or disappointed feel better by giving them comfort or sympathy

59
Q

to consolidate

A

to become, or cause something to become, stronger, and more certain

60
Q

a thicket

A

a dense group of bushes or trees

61
Q

a forgery [C/U]

A

an illegal copy of a document, painting, etc. or the crime of making such illegal copies

  • ‘These banknotes are forgeries.’
  • ‘He increased his income by forgery.’
62
Q

a scapegoat

A

a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done

63
Q

to give someone lip

A

to speak to someone in an impertinent and offensive way

  • ‘People get on here all day long and all they do is give me lip.’
64
Q

to percolate

A

(of a liquid or gas) filter gradually through a porous surface or substance

  • ‘Sea water percolates down through the rocks.’
65
Q

hellish

A

very bad or unpleasant

66
Q

to precipitate

A

to make something happen suddenly or sooner than expected

  • ‘Fear of losing her job precipitated (= suddenly forced) her into action.’
67
Q

bereft

A

not having something or feeling a great loss

  • ‘Alone now and almost penniless, he was bereft of hope.’
68
Q

to not have the stomach for sth

A

to not feel brave or determined enough to do something unpleasant

69
Q

a noose

A

one end of a rope tied to form a circle that can be tightened round something such as a person’s neck to hang them

70
Q

sea legs

A

a person’s ability to keep their balance and not feel seasick when on board a moving ship
- ‘Now I’ve found my sea legs I’ll be much more useful.’

71
Q

disenfranchised

A

not having the right to vote, or a similar right, or having had that right taken away

72
Q

servitude

A

the state of being under the control of someone else and of having no freedom

73
Q

to cut to the chase

A

to talk about or deal with the important parts of a subject and not waste time with things that are not important

74
Q

facade [fuh-sahd]

A

the front of a building, especially an imposing or decorative one

75
Q

to make the cut

A

to succeed at something or meet a requirement

76
Q

a crone

A

a withered old woman

77
Q

boldface

A

a type or print that has thick, heavy lines, used for emphasis, headings, etc.

78
Q

to gloat

A

to feel or express great pleasure or satisfaction because of your own success or good luck, or someone else’s failure or bad luck

  • ‘She’s continually gloating over/about her new job.’
79
Q

a prodigy

A

someone with a very great ability that usually shows itself when that person is a young child

80
Q

to wallow

A

(especially of some animals) to lie or roll around slowly in deep, wet earth, sand, or water

81
Q

to haggle

A

to attempt to decide on a price or conditions that are acceptable to the person selling the goods and the person buying them, usually by arguing

  • ‘It’s traditional that you haggle over/about the price of things in the market.’
82
Q

a hag

A

an ugly old woman

83
Q

an inkling

A

​a feeling that something is true or likely to happen, although you are not certain

84
Q

nay

A

or rather = used to introduce a second and more extreme phrase in a sentence when the first phrase was not strong enough

  • ‘It is my pleasure, nay (my) privilege, to introduce tonight’s guest speaker.’
85
Q

a blight

A

something that spoils or has a very bad effect on something, often for a long time

  • ‘His arrival cast a blight on the wedding day.’
86
Q

a posse [pos-ee]

A

a group of people who have come together for the same purpose

87
Q

to be on/off the table

A

offered for discussion/ not offered for discussion

  • ‘Our offer is still on the table. Let us know if you want to take it.’
88
Q

a miscreant

A

someone who behaves badly or does not obey rules

89
Q

a shindig

A

a noisy event or situation, especially a large, energetic party, celebration, etc.

90
Q

prissy

A

caring too much about behaving and dressing in a way that is considered correct and that does not shock

91
Q

to corroborate

A

to add proof to an account, statement, idea, etc. with new information

92
Q

sage

A

wise, especially as a result of great experience

93
Q

scrutiny

A

the careful and detailed examination of something in order to get information about it

  • ‘The government’s record will be subjected to/come under (close) scrutiny in the weeks before the election.’
94
Q

to vet

A

to examine something or someone carefully to make certain that they are acceptable or suitable

95
Q

sardonic

A

grimly mocking or cynical

96
Q

a coroner

A

an official who examines the reasons for a person’s death, especially if it was violent or unexpected

97
Q

irrevocable

A

impossible to change

  • ‘an irrevocable decision’
98
Q

solicitous

A

showing care and helpful attention to someone

99
Q

to backslide

A

to revert to a worse condition

  • ‘Smokers who quit often backslide within a year.’
100
Q

to adhere

A

to stick firmly

  • ‘A smooth, dry surface helps the tiles adhere to the wall.’

My English (37 decks)

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