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My English > Deck 33 > Flashcards

Deck 33 Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

to taper

A

to become gradually narrower at one end, or to make something do this

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2
Q

an amber light

A

a yellow light

= An amber-coloured traffic light indicating that vehicles should stop unless it is unsafe to do so.

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3
Q

a normie

A

“Normie” refers to people who use popular social media and believes the popular opinion

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4
Q

the kiss and ride

A

A car park at a railway station, airport, etc. for the dropping off and picking up of passengers.

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5
Q

the path of least resistance

A

the easiest way to continue

  • ‘I took the path of least resistance and agreed with the others.’
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6
Q

untenable

A

If a theory or argument is untenable, it cannot be supported or defended against criticism.

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7
Q

adage

A

a wise saying

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8
Q

a detainee

A

a person who has been officially ordered to stay in a prison or similar place, especially for political reasons

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9
Q

to bemuse

A

to slightly confuse someone

  • ‘I was bemused at his sudden anger.’
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10
Q

blue balls

A

A painful condition when a man has been profoundly sexually stimulated but not allowed to ejaculate, leaving his balls feeling heavy and sore.

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11
Q

hair of the dog

A

An alcoholic beverage consumed as a hangover remedy. The phrase comes from the expression “hair of the dog that bit you”, meaning that the best cure for what ails you is to have some more of it.

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12
Q

a colander

A

a bowl-shaped kitchen utensil with holes in it used for draining food such as pasta or rice.

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13
Q

the swill [U]

A
  1. waste human food that is fed to pigs

2. food that is very bad:

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14
Q

to swill

A

to drink, especially alcohol, quickly and in large amounts

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15
Q

rash

A

careless or unwise, without thought for what might happen or result

  • ‘That was a rash decision - you didn’t think about the costs involved.’
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16
Q

a manizer

A

the female version of a womanizer

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17
Q

interminable

A

continuing for too long and therefore boring or annoying; seeming to have no end

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18
Q

to waft

A

When your grandmother cooks her famous spaghetti sauce, many wonderful smells may waft from the kitchen. In other words, the air will gently carry this familiar aroma throughout the house.

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19
Q

a toothpick

A

a small, thin, pointed stick of wood that can be used for removing pieces of food from between the teeth, especially after a meal

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20
Q

a crime of passion

A

a crime committed because of very strong emotional feelings, especially in connection with a sexual relationship

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21
Q

to spurt

A

to (cause to) flow out suddenly and with force, in a fast stream

  • ‘Blood was spurting out all over the place.’
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22
Q

sardonic

A

showing little respect in a humorous but unkind way, often because you think that you are too important to consider or discuss a matter

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23
Q

zilch

A

nothing

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24
Q

innocuous

A

completely harmless

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25
Q

to segue [seg-wey]

A

A segue is a smooth transition. When you segue in conversation, you change the topic so smoothly that people might not even notice.

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26
Q

pur se [pur sey]

A

by or in itself

  • ‘It is not these facts per se that are important.’
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27
Q

a sham

A

something that is not what it seems to be and is intended to deceive people, or someone who pretends to be something they are not

  • ‘It turned out that he wasn’t a real doctor at all - he was just a sham.’
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28
Q

a foodstuff

A

any substance that is used as food or to make food

  • ‘They lack basic foodstuffs, such as bread and milk.’
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29
Q

love handles

A

deposits of excess fat at a person’s waistline

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30
Q

to play (all) the angles

A

to make use or take advantage of every means or opportunity in order to reach one’s goal; to scheme

  • ‘Unless you happen to be incredibly lucky, you have to play all the angles when you’re an actor looking for work. ‘
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31
Q

to strum

A

to move your fingers across the strings of a guitar or similar instrument

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32
Q

unimpeded

A

not stopped, blocked, or prevented by anything

  • ‘unimpeded particles’
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33
Q

a ramification

A

a complex or unwelcome consequence of an action or event

Have you considered all the ramifications of your suggestion?

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34
Q

to conflate

A

to combine into one

  • ‘The urban crisis conflates a number of different economic, political, and social issues.’
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35
Q

to give sb an earful / to get an earful

A

When you give someone an earful, you angrily tell the person what you think.

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36
Q

by no means

A

not at all

  • ‘The world is by no means a safe place.’
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37
Q

an epiphany

A

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

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38
Q

to put your finger on sth

A

to discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is, especially when something is wrong

  • ‘There’s something odd about him, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.’
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39
Q

a vocation

A

a type of work that you feel you are suited to doing and to which you should give all your time and energy, or the feeling that a type of work suits you in this way

  • ‘To work in medicine, you should have a vocation for it.’
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40
Q

to oil (or grease) the wheels

A

to facilitate, expedite, ease, or aid something or some process

  • ‘The parents paid a hefty contribution so that the school would consider their son’s admission.’
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41
Q

a priss

A

a spoiled or uptight person who thinks they are too good for everyone or everything

42
Q

ageism

an ageist

A

discrimination against people based on age

43
Q

to keep on the DL

A

DL - down-low

to keep something in a state of secrecy or minimal public knowledge; to not share something with anyone else

44
Q

dumb as a box of rocks

A

very stupid

45
Q

a pint [pahynt]

A

a pint of beer or of any other liquid contains 568 ml

46
Q

crisp water

A

cold, refreshing water

47
Q

to slate

A

to criticise severely

48
Q

spontaneity [spon-tuh-ney-i-tee]

A

the condition of being spontaneous

49
Q

a loaner

A

something that is frequently loaned

  • ‘I am driving a loaner while my car is in the shop.’
50
Q

an altercation

A

a loud argument or disagreement

51
Q

quid pro quo [kwid proh kwoh]

A

a favour or advantage granted in return for something

52
Q

to mar

A

to spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable

  • ‘Sadly, the text is marred by careless errors.’
  • ‘It was a really nice day, marred only by a little argument in the car on the way home.’
53
Q

a quandary [kwon-dree]

A

a state of not being able to decide what to do about a situation in which you are involved

  • ‘I’ve had two job offers, and I’m in a real quandary about/over which one to accept.’
54
Q

fine

A

very thin or in very small pieces or drops

55
Q

scant

A

​very little and not enough

  • ‘He pays scant attention to the needs of his children.’
56
Q

a baby daddy

A

the father of one or more of a woman’s children, especially one who is not her husband or current partner

57
Q

at gunpoint

A

while threatening to use a gun

  • ‘He was robbed at gunpoint in his shop three years ago.’
58
Q

to take a gander

A

to look at, to glance at

  • ‘Will you take a gander at that woman’s red hair!’
59
Q

puce [pyoos]

A

of a dark red or purple-brown colour.

  • ‘His face was puce with rage and frustration.’
60
Q

bar none

A

with no exceptions.

  • ‘The greatest living American poet bar none.’
61
Q

to chatter

A

If your teeth chatter, they knock together repeatedly because you are very cold or frightened

62
Q

red (bell) pepper

A

czerwona papryka

63
Q

to go cold turkey

A

the abrupt and complete cessation of taking a drug to which one is addicted

  • ‘I had to go cold turkey.’
64
Q

a cold shoulder

A

a show of deliberate indifference or disregard

65
Q

espionage

A

the act or practice of spying and discovering secrets, especially political or military

66
Q

a thrum [S]

A

a continuous rhythmic humming sound

  • ‘The steady thrum of rain on the window.’
67
Q

ginormous

A

extremely large

68
Q

conspicuous

A

very noticeable or attracting attention, often in a way that is not wanted

  • ‘In China, her blonde hair was conspicuous.’
69
Q

seasoned

A

having a lot of experience of doing something and therefore knowing how to do it well

  • ‘a seasoned traveller’
70
Q

the mile high club

A

slang for the people who have had sexual intercourse while on board on a flying aircraft

71
Q

a romcom

A

a romantic comedy

72
Q

a dark horse

A

a person who keeps their interests and ideas secret, especially someone who has a surprising ability or skill

  • ‘Anna’s such a dark horse - I had no idea she’d published a novel.’
73
Q

to barrel down/into/through

A

to move very quickly in a deliberate or determined way

  • ‘David was barrelling down the hall towards her.’
74
Q

an adulterer

A

a married person who has sex with someone who is not their wife or husband

75
Q

a pick-me-up

A

A pick-me-up is something that you have or do when you are tired or depressed in order to make you feel better.

76
Q

to relegate

A

to put someone or something into a lower or less important rank or position

  • ‘She resigned when she was relegated to a desk job.’
77
Q

to resonate

A

to be received or understood

  • ‘It’s an issue that clearly resonates with members of our community.’
78
Q

to drop the ball

A

to make a mistake; to mishandle things

  • ‘I really dropped the ball on this one.’
  • ‘For God’s sake don’t drop the ball on this - we’re relying on you.’
79
Q

NB

A

nota bene is Latin for ‘note well’

written before a piece of important information to make readers notice it

  • ‘NB Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.’
80
Q

glabrous

A

having no hair and smooth

  • ‘a glabrous scalp’
81
Q

to have (too much) time on one’s hands

A

to have extra time; to have time to spare

  • ‘Your problem is that you have too much time on your hands.’
82
Q

keenly

A

in an eager or enthusiastic manner

83
Q

prior

A

more important

  • ‘Mothers with young children have a prior claim on funds.’
84
Q

a peck / to peck

A

(to give) a quick kiss

  • ‘She gave me the usual peck on the cheek.’
85
Q

a gavel

A

a wooden mallet, used by a courtroom judge

86
Q

stationery

A

paper, esp. that used for writing letters, or writing materials such as pens, pencils, and books for writing in

  • ‘I got these folders at the stationery store.’
87
Q

a felon

A

a person who is guilty of a serious crime

88
Q

a chauffeur [shoh-fer]

A

a person employed to drive a private or hired car

89
Q

to open a (bar) tab

A

This means to ask the bartender to tally your drinks as they are ordered so that you can pay all at once when you are finished. This usually secured by handing the bartender a credit card, which they will either scan and hand back to you or hold until you ask to “close out your tab”.

90
Q

DUI

A

short for Driving under the influence

91
Q

to castigate

A

o criticize someone or something severely

  • ‘Health inspectors castigated the kitchen staff for poor standards of cleanliness.’
92
Q

mum’s the word

A

(as a request or warning) say nothing; do not reveal a secret

  • ‘Mum’s the word, or the surprise party won’t be a surprise.’
93
Q

an admonition

A

a piece of advice that is also a warning to someone about their behaviour

  • ‘The most common parental admonition must surely be “Don’t stay out late”.’
94
Q

and whatnot

A

used to refer to an item or items that are not identified but are felt to have something in common with items already named

  • ‘little flashing digital displays, electric zooms and whatnot’
95
Q

to smoke trees

A

to smoke marijuana

96
Q

arson

A

the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building

97
Q

last but one

A

the one before the final one

= penultimate, second to last

98
Q

(as) thick as two short planks

A

very stupid

99
Q

a white night

A

a sleepless night

100
Q

to absolve

A

​(especially in religion or law) to free someone from guilt, blame, or responsibility for something

  • ‘The priest absolved him of all his sins.’

My English (37 decks)

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