Diary of A Wimpy Kid Flashcards
a guilt trip
(informal) things you say to somebody in order to make them feel guilty about something
ex) For me, summer vacation is basically a three-month guilt trip.
Don’t lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.
frolic verb
BrE /ˈfrɒlɪk/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪk/
present simple I / you / we / they frolic BrE /ˈfrɒlɪk/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪk/
he / she / it frolics BrE /ˈfrɒlɪks/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪks/
past simple frolicked BrE /ˈfrɒlɪkt/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪkt/
past participle frolicked BrE /ˈfrɒlɪkt/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪkt/
-ing form frolicking BrE /ˈfrɒlɪkɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈfrɑːlɪkɪŋ/
[intransitive] to play and move around in a lively, happy way
ex) Just because the weather’s nice, everyone expects you to be outside all day “frolicking” or whatever.
children frolicking on the beach
more/less/much of a something
used for describing the importance of a quality that something has
ex) But the truth is, I’ve always been more of an indoor person.
It was really more of a comment than a question.
Jet travel has made moving from place to place less of an ordeal.
Getting tickets for Tuesday shouldn’t be much of a problem.
let out
(North American English) (of school classes, films/movies, meetings, etc.) to come to an end, so that it is time for people to leave
ex) Rowley’s family belongs to a country club, and when school let out for the summer, we were going there every single day.
The movie has just let out.
think twice about something/about doing something
to think carefully before deciding to do something
pass something↔on (to somebody)
to give something to somebody else, especially after receiving it or using it yourself
ex) I reported all my complaints to Rowley’s dad, but for some reason, Mr. Jefferson never passed them on to the clubhouse manager.
Pass the book on to me when you’ve finished with it.
I passed your message on to my mother.
Much of the discount is pocketed by retailers instead of being passed on to customers.
joe noun
(also Joe)
/dʒoʊ/ usually singular
an ordinary working man
ex) And once you’ve tasted the country club life, it’s hard to go back to being an ordinary Joe at the town pool.
a fitness program for the average joe
soap verb
BrE /səʊp/ ; NAmE /soʊp/
soap yourself/somebody/something to rub yourself/somebody/something with soap
ex) At the town pool you have to go through the locker room before you can go swimming, and that means walking through the shower area, where grown men are soaping down right out in the open.
traumatic adjective
BrE /trɔːˈmætɪk/ ; NAmE /traʊˈmætɪk/
1) extremely unpleasant and causing you to feel upset and/or anxious
ex) The first time I walked through the men’s locker room at the town pool was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.
a traumatic experience
Divorce can be traumatic for everyone involved.
a traumatic childhood
stink verb
BrE /stɪŋk/ ; NAmE /stɪŋk/ (informal)
2) [intransitive] stink (of something) to seem very bad, unpleasant or dishonest
ex) Mom had a “house meeting” last night and said money is tight this year and we can’t afford to go to the beach, which means no family vacation. That really stinks.
The whole business stank of corruption.
‘What do you think of the idea?’ ‘I think it stinks.’
cranium noun
BrE /ˈkreɪniəm/ ; NAmE /ˈkreɪniəm/ (pl. craniums, crania BrE /ˈkreɪniə/ ; NAmE /ˈkreɪniə/ )(anatomy)
the bone structure that forms the head and surrounds and protects the brain
synonym skull
ex) Anyway, I was looking forward to going to the beach because I’m finally tall enough to go on the Cranium Shaker, which is this really awesome ride that’s on the boardwalk.
boardwalk noun
BrE /ˈbɔːdwɔːk/ ; NAmE /ˈbɔːrdwɔːk/ (especially North American English)
a path made of wooden boards, especially on a beach or near water
ex) Anyway, I was looking forward to going to the beach because I’m finally tall enough to go on the Cranium Shaker, which is this really awesome ride that’s on the boardwalk.
run verb
BrE /rʌn/ ; NAmE /rʌn/
30) [transitive] run something to print and publish an item or a story
ex) One is my birthday, and the other is when the last “Li’l Cutie” comic runs in the paper.
To give you an idea of what I’m talking
about, here’s what ran in the paper today
On advice from their lawyers they decided not to run the story.
butt heads
North American (informal) engage in conflict or be in strong disagreement; to argue uncompromisingly
ex) Even though me and Dad see eye to eye on “Little Cutie,” there are still a lot of things we butt heads over.
They always seem to butt heads when they end up talking about politics.
And it’s very intense, and it’s good to have somebody really strong to butt heads against.
crabby adjective
BrE /ˈkræbi/ ; NAmE /ˈkræbi/ (informal)
(of people) bad-tempered and unpleasant
ex) But Dad gets kind of crabby if I’m still in bed when he gets home from work.
wide awake
1) completely awake
ex) So I keep a phone by my bed and use my best wide-awake voice when he calls.
I was already wide awake before the alarm went off.
2) able to think clearly and react quickly
I want to be wide awake for the board meeting at ten.
kick back
(especially North American English) to relax
ex) I think Dad’s jealous because he has to go to work while the rest of us get to kick back and take it easy every day.
Kick back and enjoy the summer.
take it/things easy
- take it easy
to relax and avoid working too hard or doing too much
ex) I think Dad’s jealous because he has to go to work while the rest of us get to kick back and take it easy every day.
The doctor told me to take it easy for a few weeks.
I like to take things easy when I’m on holiday.
- (informal) used to tell somebody not to be worried or angry
ex) Take it easy! Don’t panic.
snowplough noun
(North American English snowplow)
BrE /ˈsnəʊplaʊ/ ; NAmE /ˈsnoʊplaʊ/
a vehicle or machine for cleaning snow from roads or railways
ex) But if he’s gonna be all grumpy about it, he should just become a teacher or a snowplow driver or have one of those jobs where you get to take summers off.
on top of something/somebody
4) in control of a situation
ex) When my older brother, Rodrick, was a baby, Mom was totally on top of things.
Do you think he’s really on top of his job?
Work tends to pile up if I don’t keep on top of it.
shaggy adjective
BrE /ˈʃæɡi/ ; NAmE /ˈʃæɡi/ (shaggier, shaggiest)
1) (of hair, fur, etc.) long and untidy
ex) Today Mom said I was looking “shaggy,” so she told me she was taking me to get a haircut.
a shaggy mane of hair
The dog has a thick, shaggy white coat.
checkout noun
BrE /ˈtʃekaʊt/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃekaʊt/
1) [countable] the place where you pay for the things that you are buying in a supermarket
ex) Second, they have lots of tabloids, those newspapers you see in the checkout lines at grocery stores.
a checkout assistant/operator
long queues at the checkouts
You can’t just go through the checkout without paying!
have time on your hands, have time to kill
(informal) to have nothing to do or not be busy
ex) Granma’s dog, Henry, died recently, and ever since then Granma has had a lot of time on her hands.
fish out somebody | fish out somebody of something | fish out something | fish out something of something | fish somebody out | fish somebody out of something | fish something out | fish something out of something
to take or pull something/somebody out of a place
ex) Last week I fished one out of the trash and read it in my bedroom.
She fished a piece of paper out of the pile on her desk.
They fished a dead body out of the river.
dirt noun
BrE /dɜːt/ ; NAmE /dɜːrt/ [uncountable]
3) (informal) unpleasant or harmful information about somebody that could be used to damage their reputation, career, etc.
ex) The ladies who work there know the dirt on just about everyone in town.
Do you have any dirt on the new guy?
just about (informal)
1) almost; very nearly
ex) The ladies who work there know the dirt on just about everyone in town.
I’ve met just about everyone.
‘Did you reach your sales target?’ ‘Just about.’
2) approximately
ex) She should be arriving just about now.
head start noun
1) [singular] head start (on/over somebody) an advantage that somebody already has before they start doing something
2) a situation in which you start a race before your opponent or from a position that is further ahead
ex) I figured if anything came out of there in the middle of the night, it would grab Rowley first and I’d have a five-second head start to escape.
Being able to speak French gave her a head start over the other candidates.
trample verb
BrE /ˈtræmpl/ ; NAmE /ˈtræmpl/
1) [transitive, intransitive] to step heavily on somebody/something so that you crush or harm them/it with your feet
ex) Me and Rowley practically trampled each other to death trying to get up the basement stairs.
People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit.
He was trampled to death by a runaway horse.
The campers had trampled the corn down.
Don’t trample on the flowers!
rustling noun
BrE /ˈrʌslɪŋ/ ; NAmE /ˈrʌslɪŋ/
1) [uncountable, countable] the sound of light, dry things moving together; the sound that papers or leaves make, for example when the wind blows on them
ex) I heard some rustling and a few bumps, and I was ready to make a run for it.
the soft rustling of leaves
fess up
(informal) to admit that you have done something wrong
synonym own up
ex) Dad wanted to know what was going on, and I had to fess up.
It’s time for the President to fess up.
dream something↔up
(informal) to have an idea, especially a very unusual or silly one
synonym think up
ex) I thought about it, though, and I realized there’s only so much ground a muddy hand can cover in a day.
Trust you to dream up a crazy idea like this!
horse about | horse around
(informal) to play in a way that is noisy and not very careful so that you could hurt somebody or damage something; to play in a very lively or rough way
ex) After Mom caught me horsing around, she banned me from watching TV until I read the book.
He was horsing around in the kitchen and broke my favourite bowl.
trip verb
BrE /trɪp/ ; NAmE /trɪp/
1) [intransitive] to catch your foot on something and fall or almost fall
ex) This morning Dad tripped over a dictionary I left at the top of the stairs, so now he’s mad at me.
She tripped and fell.
Someone will trip over that cable.
(figurative) I was tripping over my words in my excitement to tell them the news.
Be careful you don’t trip up on the step.
hang out to dry
2) (transitive, idiomatic) to abandon someone who is in need or in danger, especially a colleague or one dependent; leave somebody in a difficult situation without your support, especially to avoid receiving any blame yourself; to expose someone’s weakpoints or vulnerability
ex) Yesterday Rowley went golfing or something with his dad, so he kind of hung me out to dry.
It was his own party who hung him out to dry for losing the election.
At the town meeting next week, the city council is going to hang out to dry the mayor
rack your brain(s)
to think very hard or for a long time about something
ex) Me and Rowley racked our brians all day yesterday trying to figure out how to pay off that eighty three dollars.
She racked her brains, trying to remember exactly what she had said.
run-of-the-mill adjective
BrE ; NAmE (often disapproving)
Add to my wordlist
ordinary, with no special or interesting features
ex) I’m not talking about some average, run-of-the-mill lawn care service, either. I’m talking about a company that lawn care to the next level.
a run-of-the-mill job
These should be run-of-the-mill problems to the experienced manager.
clip art noun
BrE /ˈklɪp ɑːt/ ; NAmE /ˈklɪp ɑːrt/ uncountable
pictures and symbols that are stored in computer programs or on websites for computer users to copy and add to their own documents
ex) After that we got some clip art of lawn tools and put it all together.
hit verb
BrE /hɪt/ ; NAmE /hɪt/
9) [transitive] hit something (informal) to reach a place
ex) After we hit a few houses, we realized it would be a lot easier to just ask the next person we spoke with to pass the flyer along so me and Rowley wouldn’t have to do all that walking.
Follow this footpath and you’ll eventually hit the road.
The President hits town tomorrow.
roll in(informal)
1) to arrive in great numbers or amounts
ex) Now the only thing we have to do is sit back and wait for the phone calls to start rolling in.
Offers of help are still rolling in.
light into
NORTH AMERICAN (informal) criticize severely; attack
ex) Well, I must’ve caught Gramma on a bad day, because she really lit into me.
“he lit into him for his indiscretion”
buy verb
BrE /baɪ/ ; NAmE /baɪ/
5) [transitive] buy something (informal) to believe that something is true, especially something that is not very likely
ex) Believe it or not, Mrs. Can field bought it.
You could say you were ill but I don’t think they’d buy it (= accept the explanation).
go along with somebody | go along with something
to agree with somebody/something
ex) I guess Mrs. Canfield must have been pretty desperate to get her lawn mowed, because she went along with my plan.
I don’t go along with her views on private medicine.
poke around/about
look around a place, typically in search of something
ex) That’s when me and Rowley realized neither one of us had ever actually operated a lawn mower before. So the two of us poked around for a while and tried to figure out how to get the thing started.
tilt verb
BrE /tɪlt/ ; NAmE /tɪlt/
[intransitive, transitive] to move, or make something move, into a position with one side or end higher than the other
synonym tip
ex) Unfortunately, when we tilted the mower on its side, all the gasoline spilled out onto the grass, and we had to go back over to Gramma’s to get a refill.
Suddenly the boat tilted to one side.
The seat tilts forward, when you press this lever.
His hat was tilted slightly at an angle.
She tilted her head back and looked up at me with a smile.
while you’re/I’m etc. at it
used to suggest that somebody could do something while they are doing something else ~하는 김에
ex) I picked up the owner’s manual for the mower while we were at it.
‘I’m just going to buy some postcards.’ ‘Can you get me some stamps while you’re at it?’
get the feel of something/of doing something
to become familiar with something or with doing something
ex) I got the feeling from the bits and pieces I could understand that operating a lawn mower was a lot more dangerous than I originally thought.
I haven’t got the feel of the brakes in this car yet.
bits and pieces/bobs
(British English, informal) small objects or items of various kinds
ex) I got the feeling from the bits and pieces I could understand that operating a lawn mower was a lot more dangerous than I originally thought.
She stuffed all her bits and pieces into a bag and left.
skull and crossbones noun
BrE ; NAmE [singular]
a picture of a human skull above two crossed bones, used in the past on the flags of pirate ships, and now used as a warning on containers with dangerous substances inside
ex) Around the Spanish instructions, there was a picture of a skull and crossbones, a guy with his leg cut off, and even a guy getting electrocuted.
crack noun
BrE /kræk/ ; NAmE /kræk/
5) [countable] crack (at something) | crack (at doing something) (informal) an occasion when you try to do something
synonym attempt
ex) I told Rowley he could have the first crack at the lawn mowing and that I would go sit in the shade and start working on our business plan.
She hopes to have another crack at the world record this year.
grunt work noun
BrE ; NAmE uncountable
hard boring work
ex) I told Rowley we needed someone to do the grunt work and someone to handle the money so it didn’t get all sweaty.
She has assistants to do the grunt work like research and proofreading.
There’s a lot of grunt work involved in the assignment.
I was used to grunt work but pouring concrete was the worst.
walk off the job
(North American English) to stop working in order to go on strike
ex) Believe it or not, that was enough to make Rowley walk right off the job.
cough up | cough something↔up
(informal) to give something, especially money, unwillingly
ex) I told her about the dog poop issue, but she still wouldn’t cough up what she owed me.
Steve finally coughed up the money he owed us.
pan out
(informal) (of events or a situation) to develop in a particular way
ex) The V.I.P. Lawn Service has not really panned out the way I thought it would.
I’m happy with the way things have panned out.
tweak noun
BrE /twiːk/ ; NAmE /twiːk/
2) a slight change that you make to a machine, system, etc. to improve it
ex) I thought about just giving up and closing our business, but then I realized that with a few tweaks to the flyer, we could start things back up again in the winter.
With a few tweaks this venue will be perfect.
catch on (to something)
(informal) to understand something
ex) I’ve been lazy ever since I was a little kid, and if someone had caught it early on, maybe I wouldn’t be the way I am now.
He is very quick to catch on to things.
put something↔away
1) to put something in the place where it is kept because you have finished using it
ex) I remember in preschool, when playtime was over, the teacher would tell everyone to put away their toys, and we would all sing the “Cleanup Song” while we did it.
I’m just going to put the car away (= in the garage).
pull noun
BrE /pʊl/ ; NAmE /pʊl/
3) [countable, usually singular] the pull (of something) the fact of something attracting you or having a strong effect on you
ex) For some reason I don’t have that same kind of pull.
The magnetic pull of the city was hard to resist.
He felt the pull of paternal love.
noogie noun
the act of rubbing your knuckles on a person’s head to cause annoyance or slight pain
ex) I got so many birthday noogies that I couldn’t even lift my arms to swim.
equation noun
BrE /ɪˈkweɪʒn/ ; NAmE /ɪˈkweɪʒn/
3) [countable, usually singular] a problem or situation in which several things must be considered and dealt with; all the different aspects that you have to consider in a situation
ex) So when it comes to your birthday, I’ve learned it’s best to just keep kids out of the equation.
When children enter the equation, further tensions may arise within a marriage.
In a choice between the use of rail and car, the question of cost will come into the equation.
rack up something
(especially North American English) to collect something, such as profits or losses in a business, or points in a competition
ex) Mom and Dad got Rodrick a cell phone last year, and he racked up a bill for three hundred dollars in the first month.
The company racked up $200 million in losses in two years.
In ten years of boxing he racked up a record 176 wins.
falling-out noun
BrE ; NAmE (informal)[singular]
a situation where people are no longer friends, caused by a disagreement or an argument
ex) Annette, my hairstylist, said she heard from a lady who knows Mrs. Jefferson that me and Rowley had a falling out.
Dave and I had a falling-out.
pal around (with somebody)
(informal, especially North American English) to do things with somebody as a friend
ex) Every time I see Rowley, he’s palling around with his dad.
I palled around with him and his sister at school.
chummy adjective
BrE /ˈtʃʌmi/ ; NAmE /ˈtʃʌmi/ (old-fashioned, informal)
very friendly
ex) Unfortunately, Rowley’s chummy relationship with his dad is starting to affect my life.
be cut out for something | be cut out to be something
(informal) to have the qualities and abilities needed for something
ex) But the thing is, me and Dad just aren’t cut out for that kind of father-son stuff.
He’s not cut out for teaching.
He’s not cut out to be a teacher.
drastic adjective
BrE /ˈdræstɪk/ , also /ˈdrɑːstɪk/ ; NAmE /ˈdræstɪk/
extreme in a way that has a sudden, serious or violent effect on something
ex) I knew I had to take drastic measures, so I went to the kitchen to call the cops.
drastic measures/changes
The government is threatening to take drastic action.
a drastic shortage of food
a drastic reduction in their standard of living
Talk to me before you do anything drastic.
play date noun
an arrangement that parents make for their children to play together at a particular time and place
ex) She said I’ve seemed “lonely” ever since I had that fight with Rowley, and she thought she’d set up a “playdate” with Fregley.
Hannah has a play date with a friend after school.
cut to the chase
(informal) to stop wasting time and start talking about the most important thing
ex) I like to cut to the chase on my birthday and get right to the gifts, so I told everyone to gather in the living room.
Right, let’s cut to the chase. How much is it going to cost?
beat somebody to … | beat somebody to something | beat somebody to it
to get somewhere or do something before somebody else; get ahead of someone to obtain something
ex) Then Mom told everyone it was time to go into the dining room to have some cake. Unfortunately, Uncle Joe’s dog, Killer, had beaten us to it.
You beat me to it and took the last cookie.
There was only enough for one, so Jane ran as fast as she could in order to beat Jerry to it.
Ken beat John to the door.
I beat all the other
students to the end of the test.
She beat me to the top of the hill.
I was about to take the last cake, but he beat me to it.
not have the heart (to do something)
to be unable to do something because you know that it will make somebody sad or upset
ex) I didn’t have the heart to tell Dad that Sweetie had just spent the past half hour on my pillow licking his rear end.
baloney noun
BrE /bəˈləʊni/ ; NAmE /bəˈloʊni/ [uncountable]
1) (informal, especially North American English) nonsense; lies
ex) But by the time I realized Rodrick was full of baloney, it was too late.
Don’t give me that baloney!
pit stop noun
2) (North American English, informal) a short stop during a long trip for a rest, a meal, etc.
ex) So I made a pit stop in the bathroom and lathered myself in suntan oil.
lather verb
BrE /ˈlɑːðə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈlæðər/
1) [transitive] lather something to cover something with lather
ex) So I made a pit stop in the bathroom and lathered myself in suntan oil.
I lathered my face and started to shave.
flex verb
BrE /fleks/ ; NAmE /fleks/
[transitive, intransitive] flex (something) to bend, move or stretch an arm or a leg, or contract a muscle, especially in order to prepare for a physical activity
to flex your fingers/feet/legs
ex) Well, that was pretty embarrassing, because it meant whoever was in there could see me flexing in front of the mirror the whole time.
He stood on the side of the pool flexing his muscles.
dip noun
BrE /dɪp/ ; NAmE /dɪp/
1) [countable] (informal) a quick swim
ex) If she wants someone to put suntan lotion on her back or towel her off after she takes a dip in the pool, I’m the man for the job.
Let’s go for a dip before breakfast.
wasted on sb
If you say that something is wasted on someone, you mean that its quality is too high for that person and they will not understand its true value
ex) See, this is why I always say that technology is wasted on grown-ups.
I’m not going to serve that good coffee to Chris and Melanie - it would be wasted on them.
Don’t give the smoked salmon to the children – it’d just be wasted on them.
wobbly adjective
BrE /ˈwɒbli/ ; NAmE /ˈwɑːbli/ (informal)
1) moving in an unsteady way from side to side
ex) I was riding home from the pool yesterday, and the bike started getting all wobbly.
a chair with a wobbly leg
a wobbly tooth
He’s still a bit wobbly after the operation (= not able to stand firmly).
When I stood up my legs went all wobbly.
2) not firm or confident
synonym shaky
the wobbly singing of the choir
The evening got off to a wobbly start.
shriek verb
BrE /ʃriːk/ ; NAmE /ʃriːk/
1) [intransitive] to give a loud high shout, for example when you are excited, frightened or in pain
synonym scream
ex) I was really nervous about touching one of the shower guys, and for a second there I thought I did. And it made me shriek out loud.
She shrieked in fright.
The audience was shrieking with laughter.
(figurative) The answer shrieked at her (= was very obvious).
knock/throw somebody for a loop
(North American English, informal) to shock or surprise somebody
ex) But then Mrs. Jefferson said something that really threw me for a loop.
The result of the election knocked most people for a loop.
chime in (with something)
to join or interrupt a conversation
ex) Mr. Jefferson didn’t look too thrilled with that idea, but before he could speak up Mom chimed in.
He kept chiming in with his own opinions.
‘And me!’ she chimed in.
breaking point noun
BrE ; NAmE
(also break point)
[uncountable]
the time when problems become so great that a person, an organization or a system can no longer deal with them
ex) Last night, I was at my breaking point, so I did something a little risky.
to be at/to reach breaking point
to be stretched to breaking point
rattle something↔off
to say something from memory without having to think too hard
ex) I rattled off an e-mail to Mom as quick as I could, then ran upstairs and got into bed.
She can rattle off the names of all the presidents of the US.
pooped adjective
BrE /puːpt/ ; NAmE /puːpt/
(also pooped out)
not before noun
very tired
ex) My event was the 100-meter freestyle, and I got so pooped that I had to walk the last lap, splashing and sploshing across the bottom of the pool.
I’m pooped!
scoop noun
BrE /skuːp/ ; NAmE /skuːp/
4) the scoop [uncountable] (North American English, informal) the latest information about somebody/something, especially details that are not generally known
ex) But then Rodrick saw me with my first-place champions ribbon, and he gave me the scoop.
I got the inside scoop on his new girlfriend.
go through with something
to do what is necessary to complete a course of action, especially one that is difficult or unpleasant
ex) I guess parents think they’re doing their kids a favor by going through with all that, but if you ask me, I think it just causes more problems down the road.
She decided not to go through with (= not to have) the operation.
내야 플라이 (뜬 공)
pop fly noun (also pop-up) (sport)
(in baseball) a ball that is hit high into the air but does not go far, making it easy to catch
ex) Then the next year, in junior baseball, all my teammates and the other parents would boo me off the field if I dropped a pop fly or something.
hang back
to remain in a place after all the other people have left
ex) I though Rowley was right behind me, but he was hanging back about ten feet.
널빤지
plank noun
BrE /plæŋk/ ; NAmE /plæŋk/
1) a long narrow flat piece of wood that is used for making floors, etc.
ex) Then I slipped the dollar bill up between the planks of wood and waited for our first victim.
a plank of wood
a wooden plank
the coast is clear
(informal) there is no danger of being seen or caught
ex) We hid there a while more, but the teenagers never showed up, and eventually we decided the coast was clear.
As soon as the coast was clear he climbed in through the window.
knock/talk some sense into somebody
to try and persuade somebody to stop behaving in a stupid way, sometimes using rough or violent methods
ex) I was pretty glad to see them because I figured if anyone could talk some sense into this kid, it was Mr. Jefferson.
Try and talk some sense into her before she makes the wrong decision.
Where would I be without you to knock some sense into my head?
snap out of it/something, snap somebody out of it/something
[no passive] (informal) to make an effort to stop feeling unhappy or depressed; to help somebody to stop feeling unhappy
ex) That seemed to get Rowley to snap out of it.
You’ve been depressed for weeks. It’s time you snapped out of it.
one-up verb
to outdo somebody
ex) I couldn’t let Rowley one-up me like that, so when he got into bed I got his boppy balloon, pulled back the giant rubber band, and let it rip.
If you want to correct somebody or one-up them with your clever little story, it can kill your rapport with them.
pull someone’s leg
to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke
ex) I’m pretty sure Rodrick was pulling my leg, because it looked an awful lot like his handwriting.
I think he was just pulling your leg.
I wouldn’t put it past somebody
something that you say when you think that it is possible that someone might do something wrong or unpleasant
ex) Dad was willing to ship me off to a military academy before, and I wouldn’t put anything past him.
‘Do you really think he’d go off with another woman?’ ‘I wouldn’t put it past him.’
I wouldn’t put it past Lorna to deny all knowledge of this plan.
shudder verb
BrE /ˈʃʌdə(r)/ ; NAmE /ˈʃʌdər/
1) [intransitive] to shake because you are cold or frightened, or because of a strong feeling
ex) When I asked what for, he said it was a “surprise.” That made me shudder.
Just thinking about the accident makes me shudder.
Alone in the car, she shuddered with fear.
I shuddered at the thought of all the trouble I’d caused.
I shudder to think how much this is all going to cost (= I don’t want to think about it because it is too unpleasant).
flap noun
BrE /flæp/ ; NAmE /flæp/
1) [countable] a flat piece of paper, cloth, metal, etc. that is attached to something along one side and that hangs down or covers an opening
ex) I opened the tent flap, then slipped my hand inside and made it crawl like a spider.
the flap of an envelope
I zipped the tent flaps shut.
The jacket was fastened with a complicated buttoned flap.
He was wearing a deerstalker hat with flaps to cover the ears.
smash, blow, etc. something to smithereens
(informal) to destroy something completely by breaking it into small pieces
ex) But before I had a chance to open the flap and check, my hand got crushed to smithereens.
The bomb blew the car to smithereens.
mallet noun
BrE /ˈmælɪt/ ; NAmE /ˈmælɪt/
1) a hammer with a large wooden head
ex) I was really ticked off at Rowley. Not because he smashed my hand with a mallet, but because he thought that it could stop the muddy hand.
Use a heavy mallet to drive in the pegs.
2) a hammer with a long handle and a wooden head, used for hitting the ball in the games of croquet and polo
give somebody a piece of your mind
(informal) to tell somebody that you disapprove of their behaviour or are angry with them
ex) I was about to give Rowley a piece of my mind, but right then the guy from the Game Hut came and opened the front door.
up to speed (on something)
1) (of a person, company, etc.) performing at an expected rate or level
ex) the cost of bringing the chosen schools up to speed
2) (of a person) having the most recent and accurate information or knowledge
ex) So I had to show him the poster from the window to get him up to speed.
Are you up to speed yet on the latest developments?
start back
to begin to return somewhere
ex) I’m actually starting to get a little concerned, because school starts back up in a few days, and if we’re gonna get this friendship back on track, something needs to happen quick.
Isn’t it time we started back?
be through (with someone)
to have ended a relationship
ex) If me and Rowley really are through, that would stink, because the two of us had a pretty good thing going.
I’ve told Larry I’m through with him, but he keeps bothering me.
urinal noun
BrE /jʊəˈraɪnl/ , /ˈjʊərɪnl/ ; NAmE /ˈjʊrənl/
a type of toilet for men that is attached to the wall; a room or building containing urinals
ex) But he pulls his pants all the way down when he uses the urinal, and I don’t know if I can ever get past that.
Modern waterless urinals can help to save the environment.
the way things are (going)
the way things stand
as the situation is now
ex) Because the way things stand, he’s not gonna come out looking very good in my autobiography.
The way things are going, soon most people will be working at home.
The way things stand, I don’t think we’ll be able to leave for vacation until Monday.
with any luck
used for saying that you hope a particular thing happens
ex) With my luck, though, I’ll go on to be rich and famous and Rowley will still find a way to ride my coattails.
With any luck, this time next year I’ll be living in France.
on somebody’s coat-tails
using the success and influence of another person to help yourself become successful
ex) With my luck, though, I’ll go on to be rich and famous and Rowley will still find a way to ride my coattails.
She got where she is today on her brother’s coat-tails.
burn verb
BrE /bɜːn/ ; NAmE /bɜːrn/
11) [transitive] burn somebody (North American English, informal) to make somebody very angry
ex) The thing that really burns me is that Rowley probably doesn’t even know his parents are paying this guy to spend time with him.
So you did it just to burn me?
luck out
(North American English, informal) to be lucky
ex) But this year I totally lucked out.
I guess I really lucked out when I met her.
blowout noun
BrE /ˈbləʊaʊt/ ; NAmE /ˈbloʊaʊt/
3) (North American English, informal) a large party or social occasion
ex) One reason Jordan is so popular is because he always has these big blowout parties, and it’s really hard to get invited.
We’re going to have a huge blowout for Valentine’s Day.
lackey noun
BrE /ˈlæki/ ; NAmE /ˈlæki/
2) (disapproving) a person who is treated like a servant or who behaves like one
ex) He doesn’t actually need a best friend, because he’s got a bunch of lackeys who basically worship him.
irk verb
BrE /ɜːk/ ; NAmE /ɜːrk/
irk somebody (to do something) | it irks somebody that… (formal or literary) to annoy or irritate somebody
ex) Still, it kind of irks me that Rowley is having more fun than I am.
Her flippant tone irked him.
from the look(s) of things
by the look(s) of things
by the look of it
- by the sound of it/things
from the sound of it/things
judging by the information we have now
ex) And from the looks of things, they’re all having a way better time than I am.
By the look of things, we won’t finish till next week.
- used for saying that you are basing your ideas, opinions etc on what you have heard or read
ex) From the sound of things, they’ll probably have to move before next year.
solid adjective
BrE /ˈsɒlɪd/ ; NAmE /ˈsɑːlɪd/
7) (informal) without a pause; continuous
ex) Well, after Rowley heard that, he wouldn’t even walk on the same side of the street as me for a sold month.
The essay represents a solid week’s work.
It rained for two hours solid this afternoon.
