expressions Flashcards
Descend/sink to somebody’s level
To behave as badly as someone
Bottle something up
To deliberately not allow yourself to show a strong feeling or emotion
To keep up with somebody
To manage to do as much or as well as other people
Mutual respect
When two people respect each other
Pull the somebody’s string
To control something or someone, especially when you are not the person who is supposed to be controlling them
Control the situation from behind the scenes
Present company excepted
Used when you are criticizing a group of people and you want to tell the people you are with, that they are not included in the criticism
Go dutch( with somebody)
To share the cost of a meal in a restaurant
Dutch treat
An occasion when you share the cost of something such as a meal in a restaurant
Pull the plug ( on something )
To prevent a plan, business etc from being continue especially by deciding not to give it any more money
Typical of
It is typical of somebody to do something
Happening in a usual way
Look down on somebody
To think that you are better than someone else, for example because you are more successful, or of a higher social class than they are
Coed
Coeducational
Using a system in which students of both sexes are educated together
Pull somebody’s leg
To tell someone something that is not true, as a joke
As a matter of fact
Used when adding more details about what you have just said
Get on somebody’s nerves
If someone gets on your nerves, they annoy you especially by doing something all the time
Let/ get somebody off the hook
To allow someone or help someone to get out of a difficult situation
Free someone from danger or blame or obligation
Actions speak louder than words
Used to say that you are judged by what you do, and not by what you say
Be/get tarred with the same brush
If someone is tarred with the same brush as someone else, people think they have the same faults or have committed the same crimes even if they have not
First degree murder
Murder of the most serious type, in which someone deliberately kills someone else
Pet peeve
Something that you strongly dislike because it always annoys you
Fall out with
To have a quarrel and end a friendship
Economical with the truth
Used humorously to say that someone is not telling the truth
Lie through your teeth
Say something that is completely untrue ,
To lie a lot and easily
From somebody’s perspective
Example: the novel is written from a child’s perspective
Ditch (spoken)
To not go to school, a class etc when you should
Or
To leave someone you are with in a place without telling them you are going
Be on the same/ a different wavelength
To have the same or different opinion and feelings as someone else
Haste makes waste
Used to say that it is better to do something slowly, because if you do it too quickly you will make mistakes
Immediate family
People who are very closely related to you, such as your parents, children, brothers, and sisters
Extended family
A family group that consists not only of parents and children but also of grandparents, aunts etc
Wear somebody out
To make someone feel extremely tired
Keep/ stay/ steer clear of somebody/ something
To avoid someone or something because of possible danger or trouble.
Example: you need to steer clear of him. He is not a good guy.
Steer clear of writing before recording
Sugar- coated
Used to describe something that is made to seem better than it really is
Be out of breath
Have difficulty breathing after running, hurrying etc
Bump into somebody or run into somebody
To meet someone who you know, when you were not expecting to
Square one
The situation from which you started to do something
Get away with something
To not be caught or punished when you have done something wrong
Tremble with anger/ fear etc
To shake slightly in a way that you can not control , especially because you are angry or frightened
Be in (too) deep
To be very involved in a situation, especially so that it causes your problems
Be/get used to (doing) something
To have experienced something so that it no longer seems surprising, difficult, strange etc
Example: I can’t get used to the idea that you’re grown up now
The other day
A few days ago
In the meantime
In the period of time between now and a future event, or between two events in the past.
Example: the doctor will be here soon. In the meantime, try and relax
In the meanwhile
While something else is happening
Live off somebody/something
To get your income or food from a supply of money or from another person
Example: dad lost his job and we had to live off welfare
Example2: i am living off my parents
Rat on or grass on
If someone rats on you, they tell someone in authority about something wrong that you have done
Sell somebody down the river
To do something that harms a group of people who trusted you in order to gain money or power for yourself
Blow the whistle on somebody
To tell someone in authority about something wrong that someone is doing
Tongue-tied
Unable to talk in a relaxed way because you feel nervous or embarrassed
Inhibition
A feeling of shyness or embarrassment that stops you doing or saying what you really want
Example: people tend to lose their inhibition when they’ve drunk a lot of alcohol.
Big time (adverb)
To a very large degree
Example: you owe your parents bigtime
Pick on somebody/ something
To behave in an unfair way to someone, for example by blaming them unfairly
Example: why don’t you pick on someone else for a change?
Settle in
To begin to feel happy and relaxed in a new situation, home, job, or school
White lie
A lie that you tell someone in order to protect them or ovoid hurting their feelings
Come or go down with a cold
To catch cold
Example: a lot of people go down with colds at this time of year
Call/ phone/ ring in sick
Phone to say you are not coming to work because you are ill
Stretch the truth/fact
To say or write something that is not completely true
Example: we stretch the truth to make someone feel good.
Make ends meet:
To have only just enough money to buy the things you need.
Example: when Mike lost his job, we could barely make ends meet.
a recipe for disaster
(= a situation that is very likely to end badly)
If you get married too young, it’s a recipe for disaster.
get back at sb
to do something to hurt or harm someone who has hurt or harmed you:
He’ll probably go out with her just to get back at me.
Bad hair day
a day when you are unhappy and easily upset, especially because your hair does not look the way you want it to look
Far-fetched
extremely unlikely to be true or to happen:
Example: All this may sound a bit far-fetched, but companies are already developing ‘intelligent’ homes.
Henpecked
a man who is henpecked is always being told what to do by his wife, and is afraid to disagree with her:
Example: a henpecked husband
Shit happens
used to say that sometimes bad things happen, and people cannot always prevent them from happening
Fail somebody
to not do what s/o has trusted you to do
SYN: let sb down
Example: I feel I’ve failed my children by not spending more time with them.
vibes
the good or bad feelings that a particular person, place, or situation seems to produce and that you react to:
good/ bad etc vibes
I have good vibes about this contract.
liven up
To become more exciting, or to make an event become more exciting:
The party really livened up when Mattie arrived.
Third party
someone who is not one of the two main people involved in an agreement or legal case, but who is affected by it or involved in it in some way
third party insurance
insurance that pays money to someone who is hurt or whose property is damaged by something that you have done:
Does third party insurance cover (=pay for) this type of damage?
Rich in
containing a lot of something, full of sth.
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C.
grab/ seize a chance
quickly use an opportunity
As soon as she stopped speaking, I grabbed the chance to leave.
Cross somebody’s mind[usually in negatives, like it didn’t cross my mind]
if you say that an idea, thought etc never crossed your mind, you mean that you did not think of it
It didn’t cross her mind that she might be doing something illegal.
Womanizer
a man who has sexual relationships with many different women – used to show disapproval
Man-eater
a woman who people think is frightening because she has many sexual partners – used humorously
The bottom line
used to tell someone what the most important part of a situation is, or what the most important thing to consider is:
In radio, you have to keep the listener listening. That’s the bottom line.
In the blink of an eye
very quickly
in a jiffy (spoken)
very soon:
I’ll be with you in a jiffy.
(Be/feel) like a fish out of water
to feel uncomfortable because you feel you do not belong in a place or situation:
I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.
Room and board
a room to sleep in, with food provided:
You’ll receive free room and board with the job.
Brain drain
a movement of highly skilled or professional people from their own country to a country where they can earn more money
⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
the language barrier:
the problem of understanding people who do not speak the same language.)
Example: Living in China was hard for me at first because of the language barrier.
Somebody’s bark is worse than their bite:
used to say that someone who seems unpleasant or difficult to deal with is not really too bad
Tarnish somebody’s reputation
make it worse
His reputation was tarnished by allegations(اتهامات ) that he had taken bribes.
Cut it/ that out
used to tell someone to stop doing sth because it is annoying you:
Hey, you guys, cut it out – Mom’s trying to get some sleep.
Blow your/ somebody’s brains out
to kill yourself, or someone else, with a shot to the head
Spit it out
used to ask someone to tell you something that they seem too frightened or embarrassed to say:
Come on, Jean. Spit it out!
snitch: noun
[countable]
(informal)
someone who is not liked because they tell people in authority when other people do things that are wrong or against the rules
SYN sneak
He didn’t want to be a snitch, and besides, Kevin was his friend.
⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
talk somebody out of (doing) something:
to persuade someone not to do something
Can’t you talk them out of selling the house?
Go with the flow:
to agree that you will do the thing that most people want to do:
I don’t mind, I’ll just go with the flow.
⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
shrug: [intransitive and transitive]
(shrugged, shrugging)
to raise and then lower your shoulders in order to show that you do not know something or do not care about something:
I just shrugged my shoulders and ignored him.
Melanie shrugged and walked away.
Be about to do sth
if someone is about to do something, or if something is about to happen, they will do it or it will happen very soon:
We were just about to leave when Jerry arrived.
Somebody or something is to blame ( for something)
used to say that someone or something is responsible for something bad:
Officials believe that more than one person may be to blame for the fire.
Money talks
used to say that people with money have power and can get what they want
Take notice
(=pay attention to something)
I began to take notice when the subject of money came up.
Bring somebody / something up
To mention a subject or start to talk about it
= raise
Why did you have to bring up the subject of money?
Drop a hin
to suggest or ask for something in an indirect way, hoping that the person you are talking to will understand what you mean:
He dropped some big hints about what he wanted for his birthday.
Never/ don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
used to tell someone to be grateful for something that has been given to them, instead of asking questions about it or finding something wrong with it
For good
For good:
if someone leaves, comes back etc for good, they leave or come back
permanently
The injury may keep him out of football for good.
Cost an arm and a leg
(=have a price that is much too high)
A skiing holiday needn’t cost you an arm and a leg.
limp [intransitive]
To walk slowly and with difficulty because one leg is hurt or injured:
Farzan limped off the class with a foot injury.toss:[transitive]
to throw something, especially something light, with a quick gentle movement of your hand:
toss something into/onto etc something
She crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fire.
have somebody do something (especially AmE)
to order someone to do something because it is their job or duty or responsibility :
I’ll have Hudson show you to your room.
Get somebody to do sth:
to persuade someone to do something:
I’ll get Terry to check the wiring for me.
We couldn’t get him to sign the agreement.
What goes around comes around
used to say that if someone does bad things now, bad things will happen to them in the future
Nationwide
adjective[usually before noun]
happening or existing in every part of the country
= countrywide
1.a nationwide search for a missing British tourist
2.nationwide television
touched
adjective[not before noun]
Feeling happy and grateful because of what someone has done:
touched by
We were deeply touched by their present.
Over the counter
drugs, medicines etc that are bought over the counter are ones that you can buy in a shop without a prescription from a doctor
Brace
to mentally or physically prepare yourself or someone else for something unpleasant that is going to happen:
brace yourself (for something)
Nancy braced herself for the inevitable arguments.
Draw (somebody’s) attention
to make someone notice something
I have been asked to draw your attention to the following points.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ Speak volumes (about/ for something):
if something speaks volumes, it clearly shows the nature of something or the feelings of a person:
What you wear speaks volumes about you
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
cut something down
to reduce the amount of something
Installing double-glazing will cut down the noise from traffic.
adopt a policy
(=use one)
He adopted a policy of radical reform.
raise a question
bring it to people’s attention
This study raises several important questions.
the dawn of civilization
(=the beginning of civilization)
toss something/ somebody out
To get rid of something that you do not want
= throw out
Throw away
discard
Purchasing power
[uncountable]
The amount of money that a person or group has available to spend:
increases in purchasing power
The amount that a unit of money can buy:
The purchasing power of the local currency has halved.
Skyrocket:
verb[intransitive] (informal)
if a price or an amount skyrockets, it greatly increases very quickly:
The trade deficit has skyrocketed.
skyrocketing inflation
a trade deficit
(=the difference between the amount of goods a country imports and the amount it exports)
Last year the country had its largest trade deficit in recent history.
)
succeed in doing something
Scientists claim they have succeeded in finding a cure for cancer.
Very few people succeed in losing weight and keeping it off.
⚠ Do not say ‘succeed to do something’. Say succeed in doing something.
Police state
noun
[countable]
a country where the government strictly controls people’s freedom to meet, write, or speak about politics, travel etc
run a story
(=print it or broadcast it)
There wasn’t enough definite information to run the story.
Unrest:
noun[uncountable]
a political situation in which people protest or behave violently:
There is growing unrest throughout the country.
CEO
noun[countable]
(Chief Executive Officer)
the person with the most authority in a large company
Double dealer:
noun
[countable]
informal
someone who deceives other people
Dos and don’ts (also do’s and don’ts):
things that you should and should not do in a particular situation:
The booklet lists the dos and don’ts of caring for dogs.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
to go from a bad situation to one that is even worse
Many kids who run away from unhappy homes discover they’ve jumped out of the frying pan into the fire when they try to live on their own.
Usage notes: often used with jump, as in the example
Sit-in:
noun
[countable]
a type of protest in which people refuse to leave the place where they work or study until their demands are considered or agreed to.
sign a petition
Five hundred villagers have signed the petition.
Tipping point:
noun
[countable]
the moment when one particular result of a process becomes the most likely one, after a period when the result is not sure
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Accountable
adjective[not before noun]
responsible for the effects of your actions and willing to explain or be criticized for them
-accountable to:
The government should be accountable to all the people of the country.
-accountable for
Managers must be accountable for their decisions.
for some reason (or other) (also for some unknown reason) :
for a reason that you do not know
For some reason she felt like crying.
for no apparent reason
for no obvious reason
He tried to kill me for no apparent reason.
learn a skill:
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
(also acquire a skill [formal])
People can acquire new skills while they are unemployed.
Strike somebody as (being) something:
to seem to have a particular quality or feature:
His jokes didn’t strike Jack as being very funny.
You struck me as a sociable person the first time I saw you.
keep a low profile
to not go to places or be careful not to do anything that will attract attention to yourself or your actions
OPP high profile
He’s not the sort of politician to keep a low profile for long.
make yourself understood:
make what you say clear to other people, especially when speaking a foreign language.
I’m not very good at German, but I can make myself understood.
Learn (something) the hard way:
to understand a situation or develop a skill by learning from your mistakes and bad experiences
Character assassination:
an unfair attack on someone’s character
The campaign was accused of character assassination because of its negative ads.
In terms of something
if you explain or describe something in terms of a particular fact or event, you are explaining or describing it only in relation to that fact or event.
describe/ measure/ evaluate etc sth in terms of sth: Femininity is still defined in terms of beauty.
It’s a mistake to think of Florida only in terms of its tourist attractions.
get by:
phrasal verb
to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more.
I don’t earn a huge salary, but we get by.
get by on
Sometimes they had to get by on very little.
Fall flat
if a joke, remark, or performance falls flat, it fails to interest or amuse people:
Marlow’s attempts at jokes fell flat.
social status:
Position in a social hierarchy.
I lied about my family’s social status.
Broken English/French etc
if you speak in broken English, French etc, you speak slowly and make a lot of mistakes because you know only a little of the language
Strike a balance (between something)
to give the correct amount of importance or attention to two separate things:
He was finding it difficult to strike a balance between his family and his work. It isn’t always easy to strike the right balance.
balance out:
phrasal verb
if two or more things balance out, the final result is that they are equal in amount, importance, or effect:
Sometimes I look after the kids and sometimes John does – it all balances out.
Open to something
Likely to suffer from something or be affected by something:
The magazine’s editor is open to criticism in allowing the article to be printed.
The regulations are open to abuse by companies.
He has left himself open to accusations of dishonesty.
Willing to consider something new or to accept something new:
Teachers need to be open to children’s ideas.
The committee is open to suggestions.
The owners of the building want to sell and are open to offers.
put something into action
start doing something you have planned to do
She was looking forward to putting her plans into action.
The committee uses the expertise of local organisations to put these ideas into action.
State the obvious
to say something that is already obvious so it is not necessary to say it.
It is stating the obvious, but regular measurement of blood pressure is essential in older people.
Out of the picture:
if someone is out of the picture, they are no longer involved in a situation:
Injury has effectively put Woods out of the picture as far as international matches are concerned.
big/ bigger/ wider picture:
We were so caught up with the details, we lost sight of the big picture (=the situation considered as a whole).
Identify with somebody/ something:
to feel sympathy with someone or be able to share their feelings:
Humans can easily identify with the emotional expressions of chimpanzees.
He identified with our distress.
Relate to:
to feel that you understand someone’s problem, situation etc:
Laurie finds it difficult to relate to children.
I know he feels upset, and I can relate to that.
eclectic
liking a wide variety of different things,
including a mixture of many different things or people, especially so that you can use the best of all of them
SYN diverse
galleries with an eclectic range of styles and artists
My tastes are very eclectic.
Suppress
To stop yourself from showing your feelings:
Harry could scarcely suppress a smile.
suppressed anger
soundtrack
the recorded music from a film
soundtrack to
the soundtrack to ‘Top Gun’
Empty words/ gestures/ promises etc
words etc that are not sincere, or have no effect:
His repeated promises to pay them back were just empty words.
Be/ get caught up in something:
to be or get involved in something, especially something bad:
I didn’t want to get caught up in endless petty arguments.
Read between the lines:
to guess someone’s real feelings from something they say or write, when they do not tell you directly:
Reading between the lines, I’d say Robert’s not very happy.
For the better:
in a way that improves the situation:
a definite change for the better The president’s fortunes seem, at last, to have taken a turn for the better (=started to improve).
tackle/ address a problem
(=deal with it)
There is more than one way to tackle this problem.
fundraising
noun[uncountable]
the activity of collecting money for a specific purpose, especially in order to help people who are ill, old etc
charity/ fundraising etc event
The school raises money by organizing fundraising events.
fertile
adjective
land or soil is able to produce good crops:
800 acres of fertile cropland
Able to produce babies, young animals, or new plants
OPP infertile
Most men remain fertile into old age.
Peer pressure
noun
[uncountable]
a strong feeling that you must do the same things as other people of your age if you want them to like you:
Teenagers often start smoking because of peer pressure.
mow the grass
(=cut it with a special machine)
I usually mow the grass once a week.
Out of this world
Extremely good, enjoyable etc
Let alone
Used after a negetive statement to say that the next thing you mention is even more unlikely
Example: they didn’t have a telephone, let alone a cell phone
Leap of faith
Sth you do even though it involves a risk, hoping that it will have a good result
On the verge of sth
To be at the point where sth is about to happen
I am very sensetive and i am always on the verge of crying
Tell sb off
If sb in authority tells you off, they speak to you angrily about sth wrong that you have done
catch up on:
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
To do what needs to be done because you have not been able to do it until now:
I have some work to catch up on.
I need to catch up on some sleep (=after a period without enough sleep).
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
ajar
adjective[not before noun]
a door that is ajar is slightly open
Wetland
noun[countable often plural, uncountable]
an area of land that is partly covered with water, or is wet most of the time
Inferior
adjective
1not good, or not as good as someone or something else
OPP superior
Smell a rat
informal
to guess that something wrong or dishonest is happening
cut corners
to save time, money, or energy by doing things quickly and not as carefully as you should:
Don’t try to cut corners when you’re decorating.
Get off the track
spoken
to begin to deal with a new subject rather than the main one which was being discussed
Don’t get off the track, we’re looking at this year’s figures not last year’s.
be expecting a baby
(=be pregnant)
My wife’s expecting a baby.
Fishy:
Informal
seeming bad or dishonest
SYN suspicious
There’s something very fishy about him.
put up with somebody/ something
phrasal verb
to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining:
She put up with his violent temper.
The odds
how likely it is that something will or will not happen:
The odds are (=it is likely) that he will commit the same crime again.
