Deck 6

Question 1

groan inwardly

Answer 1

• feel dismayed by something but remain silent.

Everything has a tepid inevitability, and even as you smile you may be groaning inwardly

Question 2

chicken out

Answer 2

• to decide not to do something because one is afraid

He was going to ask her on a date, but he chickened out at the last minute.

Question 3

spirit away

Answer 3

• To take, sneak, or carry someone or something away in a mysterious, secretive, or furtive manner

Someone spirited away the suspect just before he was due to be arraigned in court.

Question 4

plough back

Answer 4

• reinvest profits in the enterprise producing them.

Savings made through greater efficiency will be ploughed back into the service

Question 5

eager breaver

Answer 5

• a keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard.

When she first started working she was a real eager beaver

Question 6

be left holding the baby

Answer 6

• be left with an unwelcome responsibility, typically without warning

The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding the baby.

Question 7

cap in hand

Answer 7

• humbly asking for a favour.

We have to go cap in hand begging for funds

Question 8

hold out a carrot

Answer 8

• persuade them to do something by offering them a reward

Dad’s going to have to dangle a carrot in front of us
if he wants us to clean out the whole garage.

Question 9

show and tell

Answer 9

If someone does a show and tell, they show people something and talk about it

Question 10

helter-skelter

Answer 10

-Haphazard; chaotic.

The campaign has been utterly helter-skelter. They don’t even have an official spokesperson

Question 11

tilt at windmills

Answer 11

• To waste time fighting enemies or trying to resolve issues that are imaginary.

The CEO seems to be tilting at windmills lately, flinging accusations at members of the press for no reason.

Question 12

het up

Answer 12

• highly excited; upset; ..

What are you so het up about?

Question 13

the whole ball of wax

Answer 13

• everything

There’s nothing more to tell you. That’s the whole ball of wax.

Question 14

punch-up

Answer 14

• make something more lively or interesting.

he needed to punch up his meandering presentation

Question 15

to cast pearls before swine

Answer 15

• offer valuable things to people who do not appreciate them

I’m afraid you’re casting pearls before swine with your good advice - he won’t listen.

Question 16

stuff and non-sense

Answer 16

• Utter foolishness or absurdity

He deplored that a great deal of stuff and nonsense is being put across, mainly by commercial firms, about alleged vitamins

Question 17

to be ill at ease

Answer 17

• uneasy

He seemed ill at ease when we spoke with him.

Question 18

in a jiffy

Answer 18

• Immediately, very quickly, or at once

Don’t worry, boss, I’ll have this report typed up in a jiffy.

Question 19

a wild goose chase

Answer 19

• a foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable.

Physicists searching for the hypothetical particle may be on a wild goose chase

Question 20

sit on the fence

Answer 20

• avoid making a decision or choice

You can’t sit on the fence any longer - you have to decide whose side you’re on