English vocabulary - III Flashcards
window dressing
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
His speech was full of bombast
(formal) words which sound important but have little meaning, used to impress people
The new director has introduced a series of changes against little opposition from the supine staff
not willing to act or disagree with somebody because you are lazy or morally weak
It is immaterial to me whether he stays or goes
irrelevant
George was in a quandary—should he go or shouldn’t he?
dilemma
He is the mainstay of our theatre group
a person or thing that is the most important part of something and enables it to exist or be successful
qualm
scrupolo
dough
impasto
skirmish
schermaglia, scaramuccia
His career has been blighted by injuries
to cause serious damage or harm to something
stampelle
crutches
The dip in the share price wiped £36.8 million off the value of the company yesterday
a reduction in the amount or level of something
cancelleria
stationery
Farm labourers have to toil in the fields all day.
to work very hard doing something difficult and tiring, especially physical work
preordained
already decided or planned by God or by fate
I’d given the talk so many times I had it down pat.
to know something so well that you can say or do it without having to try or think:
jog sb’s memory
to make someone remember something
a blast from the past
something or someone that surprises you because you had almost forgotten about it
keepsake
souvenir
The shoe is on the other foot and he is the one asking for help this time
used to say that a situation has changed to the opposite of what it was before
checkered past history/career
a person’s past, etc. that contains both successful and not successful periods
a golfer of middling talent
moderate, unremarkable, of average size, quality, status, etc.
We can get six people round this table at a pinch
if it is really necessary
