FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS Flashcards
HYPOCRITICAL
Saying that you have particular moral beliefs but behaving in a way that shows these are not sincere
Example: Their accusations of corruption are hypocritical - they have been just as corrupt themselves
It’s rather hypocritical of you, telling me not to shout. I’ve seen you lose your temper with the children many times!
UPFRONT
Speaking or behaving in a way that makes intentions and beliefs clear
Example: She’s very upfront about why she wants the job - she’d earn a lot more money.
She’s very upfront about her feelings
TACTFUL
Careful not to say or do anything that could upset someone
Example: Mentioning his baldness wasn’t very tactful
I entirely agree that it was the most tactful way of saying it
IMPETUOUS
Likely to do something suddenly, without considering the results of your actions
Example: He’s so impetuous - why can’t he think things over before he rushes into them?
Example: The governor may now be regretting her impetuous promise to reduce unemployment by half
FORCEFUL
Expressing opinions strongly and demanding attention or action
Example: The opposition leader led a very forceful attack on the government in parliament this morning
She has a very forceful personality which will serve her well in politics
NON-CONFRONTATIONAL
Avoiding conflict at all costs
Exampe: I wish she just was non- confrontational for once
He is a non-confrontational person, you will never see him argue
COOPERATIVE
Willing to help or do what people ask
Example: I asked them to turn down their music, but they’re not being very cooperative
He went voluntarily and was very cooperative
TOLERANT
Willing to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them
Example: People in Italy are more tolerant of children in public places than in Britain
I think men are less tolerant of stress than women
PASSIVE
Not acting to influence or change a situation; allowing other people to be in control
Example: Traditionally in many professions women have been confined to more passive roles
He’s very passive in the relationship
PUGNACIOUS
Wanting to start an argument or fight, or expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully
Example: I found him pugnacious and arrogant
A pugnacious politician
TACTLESS
Not careful about saying or doing something that could upset someone
Example: It was tactless of you to invite his ex-girlfriend
It is about time somebody was tactless and that this was said, because it is true
TIMID
Shy and nervous; without much confidence; easily frightened
Example: Kieran is a timid child
My dog is a little timid - especially around other dogs
SYMPATHETIC
Used to describe someone who shows, especially by what they say, that they understand and care about someone else’s suffering
Example: He suffers from back trouble too, so he was very sympathetic about my problem
She just needed someone who would lend a sympathetic ear to her
HOME TRUTHS
An unpleasant fact about a person told to him or her by somebody else
Example: She told him some home truths and he stayed mad for a week
I am not someone who usually tells home truths but in this case I had to make an exception
SLUMB
(villa) a neighborhood where poor people live
Example: now he is rich but as a child, he lived in a slumb
Slumbs are overpopuated because of the lack of jobs and money in the country
SURPASS
To do or be better than (tipo sobrepasar)
Example: His time for the 100 metres surpassed the previous world record by one hundredth of a second
The book’s success has surpassed everyone’s expectations
HECTOR
To talk and behave towards someone in a loud and unpleasantly forceful way, especially in order to get them to act or think as you want
Example: He was hectored in elementary school
Hectoring is a very common issue among highschool students
DRACONIAN
Draconian laws, government actions, etc. are extremely severe, or go further than what is right or necessary
Example: He criticized the draconian measures taken by the police in controlling the demonstrators
Draconian laws/methods
GO WITH THE FLOW
To do what other people are doing or to agree with other people because it is the easiest thing to do
Example: Just relax and go with the flow!
He almost always goes with the flow and never does anything for himself
PLAY GOOSEBERRY
To be an unwanted third person who is present when two other people, especially two people having a romantic relationship, want to be alone
Example: She was playing gooseberry all night long
I don’t want to go, I dont want to play gooseberry
FAIR-WEATHER FRIENDS
Someone who is a good friend when it is easy to be one and who stops being one when you are having problems
Example: He is sorrounded by fair-weather friends, I wonder when is he gonna notice
They turned out to be fair-wether friends
THE HONEYMOON IS OVER
Used to say thay al the beggining of a relationship (any reltionchip) you get along, but as time passes, yo start to have lots of arguments and possibly end the relationship
Example: I saw them fight yestarday, their honeymoon is over
Their honeymoon is far from being over, that are always kissing and hugging, it’s just depressing for us who are single
HAVE A CHINWAG
have a friendly talk with someone close
Example: we were having a chinwag yesterday but his sister interrupted us
I was him yestarday having a chinwag with his ex, I think thay are friends now
IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO
Said when you want to emphasize that both people involved in a difficult situation must accept the blame, or that an activity needs two people who are willing to take part for it to happen
Example: She may want to argue, but it takes two to tango and I won’t stoop to her level
In order for this relationship to work, you have to cooperate, it takes two to tango
BIRDS OF A FEATHER, FLOCK TOGETHER
Said about people who have similar characters or interests, especially ones of which you disapprove, and who often spend time with each other
Example: Look at them, I could never have guessed they would hace so much in common, but you know. Birds of a feather…
PULL THE STRINGS
To use your personal influence to make things happen
Example: She may be retired, but she can still pull strings in the city
She pulled a few strings to get her daughter in Cambridge University
MOVE IN THE SAME CIRCLES
Used to say that people have the same or simmilar social connections
Example: They met because they move in the same circles
Moving in the same circles as your boyfriend can not always be good
TWO IS COMPANY, THREE IS A CROWD
Example: She wanted to come with us but two is company, three is a crowd
Two is company, three is a crowd but he doesn’t seem to understand that
STRANGE BEDFELLOWS
People who is rare they are friends or relate because they are completely different
Example: Competition over the issue of tax fairness could create strange bedfellows around the idea of reducing payroll taxes
Only we can see an issue taking shape around a selection of contributions which, at face value, might make strange bedfellows
SIGNIFICANT OTHER
The person you are involved romantically
Example: She found her significant other
I don’t really know if he is my significant other, I might break up with him
BE AT LOGGERHEADS WITH SOMEBODY
To strongly disagree (with someone) and therefore have a bad relationship
Example: The party is at loggerheads with the president over public spending
She is at loggerheads with her boss
SICK LEAVE
Licencia por enfermedad
She he took a week’s sick leave
MATHERNITY LEAVE
Licencia por maternidad
Susan is on mathernity leave, she gave birth a week ago
COMPASSIONATE LEAVE
A period of time that a company allows you not to come to work because a member of your family has died or is ill
Example: He took compassionate leave, his brother just died
LIKE CHALK AND CHEESE
If two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different from each other
Example: My brother and I are like chalk and cheese
LIKE TO PEAS IN A POD
Very similar, especially in appearance
Example: The twins are like two peas in a pod
They are bist friends but they are like two peas in a pod, that’s why people think they are sisters
OVERBEARING
Too confident and too determined to tell other people what to do, in a way that is unpleasant
Example: Milligan had a pompous, overbearing father
Perhaps, quite simply, he desired his freedom or perhaps his mistress was unreasonable and overbearing
BE THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD
To be an excellent person or thing
Example: Tom holland’s video dancing is the best thing since sliced bread
This cake is the best thing since sliced bread
SHOW SOMEONE THE ROBES
To show someone how to do a job or activity
Example: Lynn spent an afternoon showing the new girl the ropes
Nobody care to show her the ropes on her first day
LASH OUT AT SOMEBODY
To suddenly attack someone or something physically or criticize him, her, or it in an angry way
Example: I was only teasing him and suddenly he lashed out (at me) and hit me in the face
Why’s Tina in such a bad mood? She really lashed out at me when I was late for work
PROFFESIONAL RIVALITY
Type of rivality that usually happens at work, when the coworkers are looking for the same possition or reward
Example: They are friends but I’m afraid their proffesional rivality is tearing them apart
Harvey and Scottie form SUITS had only a professinal rivality
WITHDRAW
To take or move out or back, or to remove
Example: This credit card allows you to withdraw up to £200 a day from ATMs
Once in court, he withdrew the statement he’d made to the police (= he claimed it was false).
EAT HUMBLE PIE
To admit that you were wrong
Example: After boasting that his company could outperform the industry’s best, he’s been forced to eat humble pie
He had to eat humble pie after sending as the wrong way to the party
GET YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS
Be able to communicate or explain sth. you want to say
Example: This is the message that we want to get across to the public
He tried to get his message across his boss about his feelings (or get his feelings acrossed) but she didn’t listen
LIE THROUGH YOUR TEETH
To tell someone something that you know is completely false
Example: He asked me how old I was and, lying through my teeth, I said “29”
He lieth through his teeth but the thing is, I alredy knew the truth
TALK SENSE INTO SOMEONE
To cause (someone) to stop thinking or behaving foolishly
Example: He talked (some) sense into her and she promised to get rid of that dangerous car
He had to talk sense into her cause she wanted to jump off the bridge
GET SOMETHING OFF YOUR CHEST
To express something that has been worrying you and that you have wanted to say
Example: I thought these meetings would help the kids get some of their worries off their chests
He has been trying to get that off his chest all morning
TAKE SOMETHING TO HEART
Take criticism seriously and be affected or upset by it
Example: Don’t take it to heart - he was only joking about your hair
He took my opinion to heart and now he is mad at me
HAVE A HEART TO HEART
A serious conversation between two people, usually close friends, in which they talk honestly about their feelings
Example: We had a heart-to-heart over a bottle of wine
We had a heart to heart and decided that the best thing to do was to break up
FALL OUT WITH SOMEONE
To argue with someone and stop being friendly with them
Example: He left home after falling out with his parents
She’d fallen out with her boyfriend over his ex-girlfriend
MISS THE POINT
To not understand something correctly or what is important about it
Example: What you say is true, but you’ve missed the point of my argument
You are missing the point here, we have to focus on the problem in Serbia
DISCORD(ance)
The state of not agreeing or sharing opinions
Example: marital discord
A note of discord has crept into relations between the two countries
ADVOACTE
To publicly support or suggest an idea, development, or way of doing something
Example: She advocates taking a more long-term view
He advocates the return of capital punishment
PUT SOMETHING DOWN TO STH. (the fact that)
To think that a problem or situation is caused by a particular thing
Example: I put the children’s bad behaviour down to the fact that they were tired
he put the succes of his marriage down to the fact that they are tolerant of each other
nurture
**To take care of, feed, and protect someone or something, especially young children or plants, and help him, her, or it to develop
Example: She wants to stay at home and nurture her children
**To help a plan or a person to develop and be successful
Example: As a record company executive, his job is to nurture young talent
