Expressions

Question 1

Put your foot down

Answer 1

to use your authority to stop something happening

Question 2

To make ends meet

Answer 2

Have just enough money to buy the things you need

Question 3

What if?

Answer 3

used to ask about something that could happen in the future, especially something bad:

“What if the bus is late?”

Question 4

to be in a rut

Answer 4

to not have changed what you do or how you do it for a very long time so that it is not interesting any longer:

“I was in a rut and couldn’t get out of it”.

Question 5

A dead-end job

Answer 5

A job in which there is no chance of progressing to a better, more important job

Question 6

not be cut out for sth

Answer 6

to not be the right type of person for something

“I’m not cut out for an office job.”

Question 7

From scratch

Answer 7

From the beginning, without using anything that already exists
“Ben built the shed from scratch”

Question 8

To be taken aback

Answer 8

to be very shocked or surprised

“I was somewhat taken aback by her honesty”

Question 9

To realise your potential

Answer 9

auto realizarse

Question 10

To overcome or to face setbacks in life

Answer 10

superar o enfrentarse a imprevistos

Question 11

slip sb’s memory/mind

Answer 11

to be forgotten

“I forgot I’d arranged to meet Richard last night - it completely slipped my mind”

Question 12

To do the trick

Answer 12

If something does the trick, it has the necessary or wanted effect:

“This sauce needs more flavour - I know, some lemon juice should/ought to do the trick”

Question 13

rack your brain

Answer 13

to try very hard to think of or remember something:

“I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to remember her name”.

Question 14

make a mental note of sth

Answer 14

to make an effort to remember something:

I made a mental note of her address.

Question 15

flotsam and jetsam

Answer 15

Restos y desechos

Question 16

turn your back on sth

Answer 16

to stop being involved in something:

“The country cannot afford to turn its back on tourism”·

Question 17

call the shots

Answer 17

to be in the position of being able to make the decisions that will influence a situation
“You’re the boss here – you get to call the shots”

Question 18

to be up to sb

Answer 18

to be the responsibility of someone:

“It’s up to the manager to make the final decision”

Question 19

Word of mouth

Answer 19

given or done by people talking about something or telling people about something:

We get most of our work through word-of-mouth recommendations.
word-of-mouth publicity

Question 20

to carry weight

Answer 20

to be considered serious and important enough to influence other people:

“The Senator’s opinion carries a lot of weight in Congress.”

Question 21

To go downhill

Answer 21

to gradually become worse:

“After his wife died, his health started to go downhill.”