English vocabulary - III

Question 1

window dressing

Answer 1

the act of making something look more attractive than it really is, especially when you are hiding negative facts or details;

the skill of decorating shop windows and arranging goods in them so that they look attractive to people going past

Question 2

His speech was full of bombast

Answer 2

(formal) words which sound important but have little meaning, used to impress people

Question 3

The new director has introduced a series of changes against little opposition from the supine staff

Answer 3

not willing to act or disagree with somebody because you are lazy or morally weak

Question 4

It is immaterial to me whether he stays or goes

Answer 4

irrelevant

Question 5

George was in a quandary—should he go or shouldn’t he?

Answer 5

dilemma

Question 6

He is the mainstay of our theatre group

Answer 6

a person or thing that is the most important part of something and enables it to exist or be successful

Question 7

qualm

Answer 7

scrupolo

Question 8

dough

Answer 8

impasto

Question 9

skirmish

Answer 9

schermaglia, scaramuccia

Question 10

His career has been blighted by injuries

Answer 10

to cause serious damage or harm to something

Question 11

stampelle

Answer 11

crutches

Question 12

The dip in the share price wiped £36.8 million off the value of the company yesterday

Answer 12

a reduction in the amount or level of something

Question 13

cancelleria

Answer 13

stationery

Question 14

Farm labourers have to toil in the fields all day.

Answer 14

to work very hard doing something difficult and tiring, especially physical work

Question 15

preordained

Answer 15

already decided or planned by God or by fate

Question 16

I’d given the talk so many times I had it down pat.

Answer 16

to know something so well that you can say or do it without having to try or think:

Question 17

jog sb’s memory

Answer 17

to make someone remember something

Question 18

a blast from the past

Answer 18

something or someone that surprises you because you had almost forgotten about it

Question 19

keepsake

Answer 19

souvenir

Question 20

The shoe is on the other foot and he is the one asking for help this time

Answer 20

used to say that a situation has changed to the opposite of what it was before

Question 21

​checkered past history/career

Answer 21

a person’s past, etc. that contains both successful and not successful periods

Question 22

a golfer of middling talent

Answer 22

moderate, unremarkable, of average size, quality, status, etc.

Question 23

We can get six people round this table at a pinch

Answer 23

if it is really necessary