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My English > Deck 25 > Flashcards

Deck 25 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

to wrong

A

to treat someone in an unfair or unacceptable way

  • ‘She felt deeply wronged by his accusations.’
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2
Q

a steamroller

A
  1. a person who forces other people to agree with them and prevents any opposition
  2. a vehicle that moves forward on a large, heavy wheel in order to make a road surface flat
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3
Q

to pull your weight

A

to work as hard as other people in a group

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4
Q

an appendage

A

an arm, leg, or other body parts

  • ‘He had a tattoo on every visible appendage.’
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5
Q

a chairperson

A

a person in charge of a meeting or organization

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6
Q

a tryst

A

a meeting between two people who are having a romantic relationship, especially a secret one

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7
Q

to stifle

A

to (cause to) be unable to breathe because you have no air

  • ‘He is said to have stifled his victim with a pillow.’
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8
Q

an infringement

A

an action that breaks a rule, law, etc.

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9
Q

a sight for sore eyes

A

a way of saying that you are very pleased to see someone or that you think someone is very attractive

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10
Q

to embezzle

A

to secretly take money that is in your care or that belongs to an organization or business you work for
* embezzlement

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11
Q

freshly/newly minted

A

recently produced or made

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12
Q

to impound

A

If the police impound something that belongs to you, they take it away because you have broken the law

  • ‘The police impounded cars and other personal property belonging to the drug dealers.’
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13
Q

wantonly

A

in a deliberate and unprovoked manner

  • ‘During the raids, the police wantonly destroyed property.’
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14
Q

to galvanise

A

to cause someone to suddenly take action, especially by shocking or exciting them in some way

  • ‘The prospect of his mother coming to stay galvanized him into action and he started cleaning the house.’
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15
Q

to make/do the rounds

A

to talk to a lot of people

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16
Q

(all) of a piece

A

of the same kind

  • ‘Willner edited the music to make the different parts seem all of a piece.’
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17
Q

food for thought

A

something worth thinking seriously about

  • ‘Thank you for your suggestion – it gave us a lot of food for thought.’
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18
Q

to hold up one’s end

A

to fulfil or attend to one’s obligation(s) or promise(s) as agreed

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19
Q

chiseled

A

clearly marked with firm, strong and sharp lines

  • ‘chiselled abs/face’
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20
Q

a tarp

A

a large piece of waterproof cloth or plastic that is used as a cover

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21
Q

knee–deep

A

deeply engaged or occupied

  • ‘knee–deep in work’
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22
Q

to spitball

A

throw out (a suggestion) for discussion.

-‘I’m just spitballing a few ideas.’

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23
Q

the id

A

in psychoanalysis, the deepest part of the unconscious mind that represents the most basic natural human needs and emotions such as hunger, anger, and the wish for pleasure

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24
Q

to stay put

A

to remain in the same place or position

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25
Q

to chortle

A

to laugh, showing pleasure and satisfaction, often at someone else’s bad luck

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26
Q

livid

A

extremely angry

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27
Q

teeny

A

tiny

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28
Q

a voyeur [vwah-yœr]

A

a person who gets sexual pleasure from secretly watching other people in sexual situations, or (more generally) a person who watches other people’s private lives

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29
Q

to be vested in sb/sth

A

If power or authority is vested in someone or something, or if someone or something is vested with power or authority, it is officially given them

  • ‘By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.’
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30
Q

tone-deaf

A

incapable of understanding or comprehending the different facets/nuances of a given situation

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31
Q

to meet someone halfway

A

to make a compromise with someone

  • ‘The buyers wanted to bring the price down from $15,000 to $10,000, so I offered to meet them halfway at $12,500.’
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32
Q

to retch

A

to react in a way as if you are vomiting

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33
Q

a ped xing

A

on road signs: pedestrian crossing

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34
Q

unbridled

A

not controlled or limited

  • ‘unbridled ambition/enthusiasm/lust’
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35
Q

to jeopardise

A

to put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure

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36
Q

a don

A

a lecturer (= a college teacher), especially at Oxford or Cambridge University in England

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37
Q

a retcon

A

a piece of new information given in a film, television series, etc. that changes, or gives a different way of understanding, what has gone before. Retcon is short for “Retroactive Continuity”.

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38
Q

the truth will out

A

said to show that you believe the truth will always be discovered

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39
Q

to be penny-wise and pound-foolish

A

to be extremely careful about small amounts of money and not careful enough about larger amounts of money

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40
Q

to hold someone accountable (for something)

A

to consider someone responsible for something; to blame something on someone

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41
Q

to give the sack

A

to terminate the employment of

42
Q

to take a dislike

A

If you take a dislike to someone or something, you decide that you do not like them.

43
Q

to posit

A

to suggest something as a basic fact or principle from which a further idea is formed or developed

  • ‘Experts posit that such a rocket could potentially travel 4,100 miles.’
44
Q

reciprocity

A

behaviour in which two people or groups of people give each other help and advantages

45
Q

to be devoid of sth

A

to lack or be without something that is necessary or usual

  • ‘Their apartment is devoid of all comforts.’
46
Q

to cut up

A

to behave in a very active and silly way in order to make people laugh

  • ‘There are a couple of kids who are always cutting up in class.’
47
Q

fickle

A

likely to change your opinion or your feelings suddenly and without a good reason

48
Q

on file

A

in a file or filing system

49
Q

a lingo

A

the language and speech, especially the jargon or slang of a particular field, group, or individual

50
Q

of late

A

recently

51
Q

eye-watering

A

an eye-watering amount is extremely high or large, and much higher or larger than you would expect

52
Q

to concoct

A
  1. to make (a dish or meal) by combining various ingredients

2. to invent an excuse, explanation, or story in order to deceive someone

53
Q

to get on your high horse

A

to start talking angrily about something bad that someone else has done as if you feel you are better or more clever than they are

54
Q

regicide

A

the action of killing a king

/or [C]: a person who kills or takes part in killing a king

55
Q

deprecating

A

showing that you think something is of little value or importance

  • ‘His deprecating smile clearly showed that she thought I’d said something stupid.’
56
Q

congenital

A

A congenital disease or condition exists at or from birth

57
Q

hirsute

A

having a lot of hair, especially on the face or body

58
Q

irreconcilable

A

​impossible to find agreement between or with, or impossible to deal with

59
Q

kibble

A

food for animals in the form of hard round balls

60
Q

dismay

A

a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment

  • ‘She discovered, to her dismay, that her exam was a whole month earlier than she’d expected.’
61
Q

to screen

A

to protect or hide

62
Q

to bicker

A

to argue about things that are not important

  • ‘They’re always bickering with each other about/over their personal problems.’
63
Q

on my honour

A

used when someone is promising to do something

64
Q

to spin a good yarn

A

to tell a good story

65
Q

epiphany

A

a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you

66
Q

on the back burner

A

If something is on the back burner, it is temporarily not being dealt with or considered, especially because it is not urgent or important

67
Q

to blow a raspberry

A

to make a rude noise by putting your tongue between your lips and blowing

68
Q

to maim

A

​to injure a person so severely that a part of their body will no longer work as it should

  • ‘Many children have been maimed for life by these bombs.’
69
Q

to usurp

A

to take control of a position of power, especially without having the right to

70
Q

a sleuth

A

someone whose job is to discover information about crimes and find out who is responsible for them

71
Q

to abet

A

to help or encourage someone to do something wrong or illegal

  • ‘His accountant had aided and abetted him in the fraud.’
72
Q

to coerce

A

to persuade someone forcefully to do something that they are unwilling to do

  • ‘The court heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession.’
73
Q

a mild oath

A

Swearing without being vulgar. Shoot! instead of Sh*t! Darn! instead of Gdamn!

74
Q

Egad!

A

used as a mild oath

75
Q

gestation

A

(the period of) the development of a child or young animal while it is still inside its mother’s body

76
Q

to accost

A

to approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.

  • ‘Reporters accosted him in the street.’
77
Q

to mince

A

to walk with small, delicate steps, in a way that does not look natural

78
Q

defunct

A

no longer existing, living, or working correctly

79
Q

to get/keep out of someone’s hair -

A

to keep away from someone in order to avoid trouble or to avoid annoying them

80
Q

the pitter patter

A

the sound of water or a similar liquid rapidly dripping or falling onto a surface

  • ‘The pitter patter of the rain outside was relaxing as I snuggled in my warm bed.’
81
Q

to put your foot down

A

to decide something and express your decision

  • ‘Mom put her foot down and said I couldn’t use the car until my grades improved.’
82
Q

to pummel

A

to hit someone or something repeatedly, especially with your fists

  • ‘The boxer had pummelled his opponent into submission by the end of the fourth round.’
83
Q

infirmity

A

physical or mental weakness

84
Q

to supersede

A

to replace something, especially something older or more old-fashioned

  • ‘Most of the old road has been superseded by the great interstate highways.’
85
Q

repugnant

A

If behaviour or beliefs, etc. are repugnant, they are very unpleasant, causing a feeling of disgust

  • ‘a repugnant smell’
86
Q

to waver

A

to lose strength, determination, or purpose, especially temporarily

87
Q

capricious

A

changing mood or behaviour suddenly and unexpectedly

88
Q

fodder

A

food that is given to cows, horses, and other farm animals

89
Q

dead wood

A

people or things that are no longer useful

90
Q

a nutcase

A

a mad or foolish person

91
Q

grandiose

A

larger and containing more detail than necessary, or intended to seem important or great

92
Q

municipal

A

of or belonging to a town or city

  • ‘municipal authorities’
93
Q

a caveat

A

A caveat is a warning. When someone adds a caveat to something they’re telling you to beware — maybe what they’re telling you comes with certain conditions or maybe there’s something dangerous lurking.

94
Q

to protrude

A

extend beyond or above a surface

  • ‘Something like a fin protruded from the water.’
95
Q

compelling

A

If a reason, argument, etc. is compelling, it makes you believe it or accept it because it is so strong

96
Q

wistful

A

sad and thinking about something that is impossible or in the past

97
Q

to jog along/on

A

continue in a steady, uneventful way

  • ‘Our marriage worked and we jogged along.’
98
Q

to have/take a gander

A

to have a quick look

99
Q

to torch

A

to burn a building or other large thing, intentionally and usually illegally

100
Q

to wince

A

to show pain suddenly and for a short time in the face, often moving the head back at the same time

  • ‘It makes me wince even thinking about eye operations.’

My English (37 decks)

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