Lesson 16 Flashcards

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1
Q

at first

A

in the beginning

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole didn’t like Don Quixote at first, but after 200 pages she started to get into it.

EXAMPLE 2: Don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed at first. The important thing is that you keep on trying!

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2
Q

(to) get the hang of (something)

A

o learn how to do some­ thing; to acquire an effective technique

EXAMPLE 1: Billy had trouble learning how to ride a bike, but after a few months he finally got the hang of it.

EXAMPLE 2: When I went snowboarding for the first time, I kept falling down. But after a while, I got the hang of it.

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3
Q

(to) give (someone) a ring

A

to telephone someone

EXAMPLE 1: Give me a ring tomorrow so we can discuss plans for this weekend.

EXAMPLE 2: If you’re free on Saturday, give me a ring and we can go to
the movies.

SYNONYM: to give (someone) a buzz [slang]

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4
Q

in any case

A

whatever the fact is; certainly

EXAMPLE 1: We can either go to the new Star Wars movie or see a play tonight. In any case, you’ll need to be at my house by six o’clock.

EXAMPLE 2: You’ll probably be too tired on Sunday to come over. In any case, give me a call in the morning to discuss.

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5
Q

in person

A

personally; in one’s physical presence

EXAMPLE 1: Tim hoped that he and Svetlana would get along as well in person as they did over the Internet.

EXAMPLE 2: After hearing so much about Donna’s boyfriend, I’m looking forward to meeting him in person.

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6
Q

(to) keep posted

A

to provide up-to-date information

EXAMPLE 1: Keep me posted about your plans for the summer. If you’re going to be at your cottage on the lake, I’d love to come visit.

EXAMPLE 2: Good luck selling your house and keep me posted! I’d love to know how much you get for it.

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7
Q

(to) learn the ropes

A

to learn the basics

EXAMPLE 1: Mark learned the ropes of the restaurant business by work­ing as a cook at Outback Steakhouse.

EXAMPLE 2: David worked at a big law firm for 10 years where he
learned the ropes. Now he runs his own law firm.

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8
Q

pain in the neck

A

an annoyance

EXAMPLE 1: Yesterday I had to stay home all day and wait for the re­pairman. What a pain in the neck!

EXAMPLE 2: Alice wants me to drive her to the airport early tomorrow morning. That’s going to be a pain in the neck!

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9
Q

piece of cake

A

very easy

EXAMPLE 1: Nicole finished her physics test in just 25 minutes. It was a
piece of cake.

EXAMPLE 2: The driving test is a piece of cake. Don’t worry about it.

SYNONYM: easy as pie. You should have no trouble passing the driving test. It’s as easy as pie.

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10
Q

(to) round up

A

to gather people together

EXAMPLE 1: The town rounded up 200 volunteers to search for the hiker, who was lost in the woods of Yosemite National Park.

EXAMPLE 2: Let’s round up some volunteers to help bake cookies and pies for the bake sale.

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11
Q

second nature

A

a behavior that has been practiced for so long, it seems to have been there always

EXAMPLE 1: Karen has been arguing with her husband every day for the past 20 years, so by now it’s just second nature.

EXAMPLE 2: With practice, riding a unicycle becomes second nature.

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12
Q

to tell you the truth

A

to speak openly; to admit

EXAMPLE 1: To tell you the truth, Ted isn’t a very good student.

EXAMPLE 2: To tell you the truth, I didn’t even want to attend Katie’s wedding. But I knew she’d be offended if l didn’t go.

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13
Q

your guess is as good as mine

A

I don’t know; I don’t know any more than you do

EXAMPLE 1: Will we ever find intelligent life on other planets? Your guess is as good as mine.

EXAMPLE 2: Will Ted graduate on time? Your guess is as good as mine!

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