MONEY, BUSINESS & CLOTHING Flashcards
receive suddenly; inherit
I came into a lot of money when my grandfather died.
come into
give money you owe (reluctantly)
Sara has finally coughed up the money | lent her last year.
cough up
return the money you have borrowed
I lent Jenny $20 yesterday and she paid me back today.
pay back
spend a lot of money on something
Tommy had to fork out more than $600 to get his car repaired
fork out (for)
contribute money
Nura asked Craig’s friends to chip in $5 each toward his birthday present.
chip in each
reduce in value
More than a million dollars was wiped off the price of our company this morning.
wipe off
get enough money from somewhere to pay for all the things you need
Gary lives off the money that he inherited from his aunt. He does not need to work.
live off
have a limited amount of money to buy the things you need
I try to live on half my paycheck every month so I can save the rest.
live on
allow a debt or bill to increase to a certain amount
The cost of the new stadium has already run into the millions.
run into
accumulate, build up
Try to pay your bills as soon as they arrive. They can soon add up.
add up
put money in a bank
Patrick went to the bank to pay in some cash.
pay in(to)
withdraw money from a bank
Pete went to the ATM to take out some cash.
take out
have just enough money to survive
Nick doesn’t earn much money, but it’s enough to get by.
get by
reach a certain amount
The food was excellent, but we were shocked when the bill came to more than $200.
come to
pay someone what you owe them
Wayne paid for everyone’s lunches yesterday, so we settled up with him today.
settle up (with)
allow a debt or bill to increase
Colin has run up some huge debts renovating his house.
run up
finish giving back the money you have borrowed
He doesn’t know how he’s going to pay them off.
pay off
save money (for something in particular)
Tara and Ali are saving up for a new house
save up
return (usually unwillingly) all the money you have borrowed
Dan has owned me £200 for six months, but he’s finally paid up
pay up
reduce the amount of money you spend
I’ve decided to cut back on waisting money partying all night
cut back (on)
a large amount of money
Luisa had to pay a hefty sum to get a ticket at last minute
comfortably rich
To be well off
pay a lot of money
Sarah had to pay through the nose to get a taxi home after she missed the last train.
spend less money
Marco had to tighten his belt, so he started bringing his own lunch to work.
a large sum of money saved for a specific purpose
Luna wants to buy a house soon, so she’s building up a nest-egg.
Expensive
Irena’s new handbag was very pricey.
It cost hundreds of dollars.
share the cost of a meal out equally
Aranza and Dominic decided to go Dutch at the end of the meal.
were very cheap
The shoes at the market cost next to nothing, so Jeremy bought three pairs.
Vegetables don’t have to be expensive.
Carrots and cabbage are dirt cheap at this store.
wasting money
If you don’t turn off the lights when you leave the house, you’re throwing money down the drain.
money earned for doing very little work
I loved looking after Nadia’s cat while she was on vacation. It was easy money.
show off by spending money
It was really generous of Imran to buy us dinner at that expensive restaurant, but he does like to throw money around.
with less money than we started with
We ended up out of pocket when no one wanted to buy our ice cream.
saved money for when it might be needed unexpectedly
Getting the car fixed will be expensive, but luckily I have saved for a rainy day.
extremely rich
Mike is rolling in it. He’s just bought himself another yacht.
very low prices
The stall is closing in an hour, so it’s selling its sandwiches at rock-bottom prices.
there is only a limited amount of money
My daughter wants a new smartphone.
I keep telling her money doesn’t grow on trees!
pay for my basic needs
I found it hard to make ends meet when I was a student, so I started working in a café
far more expensive than it should be
The popcorn in this movie theatre is a rip-off!
start work
I clock in at gam every morning.
clock in
finish work
I clock off at 5pm every afternoon.
clock off
continue trying to achieve something despite difficulties
Despite the storm, the engineers soldiered on and installed the new phone line.
soldier on
take a break from work for a certain amount of time
Debbie took the afternoon off so she could go to the dentist.
take off
telephone your workplace
I’m not feeling very well today, so I’m going to call in sick.
call in
finish work
Steve gets off work early on Fridays so he can collect his children from school.
get off
cancel an event
Our manager was busy, so she had to call off our meeting.
call off
discuss
Let’s talk over all your designs and make a decision.
talk over
get together with
Angela meets up with her colleagues once a week to discuss all their new ideas.
meet up (with)
agree a time or date that might be changed later
I might be busy tomorrow, but let’s pencil in a meeting anyway.
pencil in
work very hard for a long time
Jennie’s been slogging away trying to finish writing her presentation.
slog away (at)
ask someone for something (again)
Kamal’s manager chased up the report, which was already a week late.
chase up
avoid hard work
Ted used to be very proactive, but he’s been slacking off lately.
Slack off
complete a task
Ola is carrying out a survey about worker satisfaction.
carry out
do work that you did not have time to do earlier
Gio has been on vacation for two weeks, so he has a lot of work to catch up on.
catch up on
start to work very hard
I’ve got lots to do! I need to knuckle down and get it finished.
knuckle down
have a break from work for a certain amount of time
I’ve been very busy lately, but I have next week off work.
have off
work hard to achieve something difficult
Fiona was struggling to finalize the company’s accounts, but she kept plugging away at them.
plug away (at)
increase to an unmanageable amount
The applications for the new manager position are piling up. I’d better start looking through them
pile up
knowledge and skill gained through doing something
Carlos has lots of hands-on experience working with horses.
in a few words
Our snack bars are delicious, healthy, and affordable. In a nutshell, your customers will love them
does more than is expected
Rory goes the extra mile to make sure his customers are satisfied.
Leo always goes the extra mile to keep our customers happy.
extremely busy
I’m afraid Glen’s busy. He’s up to his eyeballs grading papers.
an opportunity to start doing a new job
Irena’s internship at the fashion firm helped her to get a foot in the door.
the normal routine of a company or workplace
Despite the snow, it’s business as usual at the store today.
forced to leave a job
I was fired from my job at the salon after I dyed a customer’s hair green by mistake.
had everything prepared and organized
Andrew made sure he had his ducks in a row before his presentation.
formally told her employer that she will leave her job
Sara has handed in her notice at work. She’s going to study engineering.
a situation with a positive outcome for everyone
We offer customers a discount when they recommend us to a friend. It’s a win-win situation.
started a new career
After studying for many years, Anna embarked on a career as a surgeon.
thinks about things in an original way
Maya is a great designer. She always thinks outside the box.
working all day and night
Were working around the clock to make sure the new subway line opens on time.
busy doing something else
I’m afraid Katya can’t come to the phone.
She’s tied up in meetings all morning.
getting higher pay and more responsibility at work
To get the career ladder
the pleasure you get from work
Working at the kindergarten is tiring, but the job satisfaction is high.
found a good job
Miguel has just landed a job at a photography firm in San Francisco.
keep a job
I’m surprised Cheryl has managed to hold down a job at the store for so long. She’s always being rude to customers.
a job with regular daytime hours, from Monday to Friday
I used to work night shifts, but now I have a nine-to-five job.
Looking for a new job
I’m really bored at work, so I’ve decided to start job hunting
administration, paperwork, or rules and regulations
There’s a lot of red tape involved in health and safety in the warehouse.
put on a list of untrustworthy people or organizations
We decided to blacklist this supplier after they sent us faulty products.
a job that involves manual or physical work
My dad had a blue-collar job in the construction industry.
an office-based or administrative job
I have a white-collar job in an investment bank.
losing money, or in debt
Our ski clothing stores are in the red because there hasn’t been any snow this winter.
a payment or gift from a company to someone who is leaving it
Boris was given a golden handshake when he retired from the company. (UK)
It is your turn to act
We’ve already reduced our price by 25 percent. The ball is in your court.
the person or organization most likely to win something
Our boss is leaving the restaurant soon, and Angela is the front-runner to get his job.
an environment in which everyone has equal opportunities
We ask all our interview candidates the same questions to create a level playing field.
a person who works well with other people
Emily is a team player. She works so well with all her colleagues at the bookstore.
selling quickly in large numbers
Our new bags are selling like hotcakes.
We need to order more
an important person in a company or industry
After many years in journalism, Simon became a big cheese in the media.
give too much help to
Evan is always asking me what to do. I feel like I have to spoon-feed him.
make money
My gardening business is starting to bring home the bacon.
main source of income
I play in a band every weekend, but teaching guitar is my bread and butter.
a way of urban working life that puts people under pressure
I’ve decided to leave the rat race and move to the country.
the most important person
Raul isn’t our boss, but he still tries to be the top dog in our team. He’s always telling us what to do.
the largest part
We made the lion’s share of our profits last year from our new smartphone.
a product or investment that gives you a steady income
Our range of cereal is a cash cow. It’s cheap to make and customers love it.
an overpaid and lazy person
My boss is a fat cat. He earns lots of money, but doesn’t work very hard.
(about a business) earn an amount of money over a certain period of time
Marco’s garden center is doing well.
It turns over almost $250,000 a year.
turn over
gain a benefit from a situation
Alan’s sportswear company profited from the cold weather earlier this year.
profit from
arrive at, reach (a decision)
The board has finally come to a decision about the new logo for the company.
come to
open a business
Chrissie has just started up her own hair salon. It opened last week.
start up
go bankrupt
Mario’s gas station has just gone under.
It had been struggling for a long time.
go under
buy and sell goods
Ellie’s company deals in antiques. She sells pieces from all over the world.
deal in
sell a business
Elsa’s tired of running her own business.
She’s decided to sell up.
sell up
cancel a debt
The bank agreed to write off the debt, saving Ethan’s company from bankruptcy.
write off
buy someone’s share of a business
Gemma has bought out all the other partners. She now owns the whole company.
buy out
give some of your work to people who do not work for your company
Rita’s company sells furniture, but farms out all of its manufacturing to other people.
farm out (to)
employ
Our business is growing, so we are taking on more staff.
take on
give official approval to something
We need the CEO to sign off on this important decision.
sign off on
open for the first time
A new bookstore is opening up in our neighborhood.
open up
stop employing someone
The company is facing difficulties. We may need to lay off some staff.
lay off
write a contract
Could you draw up a contract for our new clients?
draw up
begin a (business) relationship
We are proud to announce that our two banks are entering into a partnership
enter into
Increase support for something
Katie is trying to drum up interest in her cafe by offering free samples on her cakes
Drum up
Close permanently
All of the banks in our town have closed down. Everyone’s using online banking
Close down
Fail to happen
My plans to expand my business fell through when the bank refused to land me enough money
Fall through
working very hard, from the early morning until late at night
Nicole’s burning the candle at both ends.
She must be exhausted.
am very busy
I’m sorry, I can’t talk to you for long. I have my hands full.
hard work or cleaning
It took a lot of elbow grease to get the old car looking good again.
did everything possible to solve a problem
The police left no stone unturned in their efforts to solve the crime.
extremely busy, or overwhelmed
Samira was snowed under with complaints from unhappy customers.
tried her best
Although Julie had never tried roller-skating before, she gave it her best shot.
did everything possible to succeed
Adele’s parents pulled out all the stops to make sure she had a wonderful 18th birthday.
concentrate and work hard
Celia had to put her head down and finish her essay to meet the deadline. (US)
had a short sleep
Kelly took a cat nap in the afternoon sun.
nave a rest
After a long day working at the store, Marc likes to put his feet up and watch TV.
have a short break and a rest
We stopped to take a breather before loading the rest of the boxes into the van.
resting and relaxing
We were up late at our housewarming party last night, so we’re taking it easy today.
Has a short sheep
Akash usually takes 40 winks after he’s finished his lunch
not working as hard as other members of the team
Carmen is not pulling her weight. I found her asleep at her desk again!
did absolutely nothing
Erik was so lazy. He didn’t lift a finger to help us clean up after the party.
a very lazy person
Brandon is a slacker. He looks at his phone all day and ignores the customers.
I was such a lazybones when I was a student. I spent most of the time playing video games.
try to do things quickly and cheaply without thinking of quality
If you cut corners to save time, the quality of your work will suffer
try to do things quickly and cheaply without thinking of quality
If you cut corners to save time, the quality of your work will suffer
make use of your experience
Katie has been a therapist for 20 years, so she has a lot of experience to draw on.
draw on
become involved in something, start a career
Olivia is trying to get into journalism. She’s just started an internship at a radio station.
get into
use skills that you already have (when things go wrong)
If I ever lose my job at the bank, I’ll always have my cooking skills to fall back on.
fall back on
begin doing something with a specific aim in mind
When he left school, Paul set out to become a millionaire by the time he reached 30.
set out
improve your position at work
Carolina went on a training course to help her get ahead at work.
get ahead (at)
return to a job after a break
I went back to my job as a mechanic when my children started school.
go back to
gradually bring to an end
Joanna is winding down her business to take a job managing a large hotel.
wind down
gradually bring to an end
Joanna is winding down her business to take a job managing a large hotel.
wind down
applying for
ask to be considered for a job
Chad just finished his degree and is applying for jobs in the media.
burn out
become exhausted by working too much
Ken’s going to burn himself out if he keeps working 16 hours a day.
lead, be in charge of a department or organization
We have chosen Diana to head up our new sales department.
head up
begin doing something with great enthusiasm
Femi has thrown himself into his new job at the hair salon. He loves it!
throw (oneself) into
begin doing something with great enthusiasm
Femi has thrown himself into his new job at the hair salon. He loves it!
throw (oneself) into
start a career in something
Naina is planning to go into teaching when she finishes university.
go into
continue despite difficulties
Even though he doesn’t like his job, Tom is sticking with it until he gets promoted.
stick with
continue despite difficulties
Even though he doesn’t like his job, Tom is sticking with it until he gets promoted.
stick with
take advantage of a situation to make money
Brian has started selling umbrellas in his store to cash in on the recent terrible weather.
cash in on
take responsibility for a company or role
His daughter Jess is taking over the family business
Take over
leave an important job or position
After 35 years running his own company, Robert is standing down and retiring.
stand down
start doing something different (but related)
Marvin has become such a successful tennis player that he’s branching out into coaching younger players
Branch out into
have a positive outcome
When I didn’t get into college, I started my own successful business. Everything worked out in the end!
work out
be successful after difficulty
I know these results are disappointing, but keep working and you will win out eventually.
win out
benefit after investing time or money
Anita’s hard work has paid off.
The dress looks beautiful.
pay off
unexpectedly succeed at something
I never imagined James would be so great playing Hamlet, but he really carried it off.
carry off
be successful (despite difficulties)
The Scottish team pulled off an amazing victory, scoring two goals in the last four minutes.
pull off
be successful (about a plan)
Maria’s dream of becoming famous finally came off when her song became a huge summer hit.
come off
only just succeed in doing something
Marco did not study at all for the English exam but somehow scraped by.
scrape by
deal with something very easily
Kwase sailed through his driving test. He didn’t make any mistakes.
sail through
use your knowledge, experience, or success as a way to become more successful
Build on
manage to do something despite having no plan or understanding of it
Clive muddled through the interview without any preparation. He was shocked when he got the job
Muddle through
won it easily and with little effort
Melissa did really well in the race.
She won it hands down.
successful very quickly
Nathan’s first book was an overnight success. It sold a million copies in a month.
was successful, popular, or accurate
Jane really nailed it with her jokes.
The audience loved her.
become financially successful
Miguel has hit the jackpot with his new ice cream machine.
Become very successful
Malik’s band has hit the big time.
It performed at the national stadium last night.
a very important position
Tyler has finally reached the dizzy heights of head chef. He started out doing the dishes.
becoming increasingly successful
Lucy’s beauty salon is going from strength to strength. She’s opening another soon.
happened as planned, without any problems
The soccer tournament ran like clockwork.
Everyone really enjoyed it.
become successful
I knew Helena would go places as an athlete. She was so good at running at school.
was very impressive
Erica’s presentation worked like a charm with the investors.
They loved the designs.
greatly impressed an audience
The dancers brought the house down with their fantastic performance.
extremely successful
The outdoor exhibition has been a runaway success. Lots of people have come to see it.
wasting energy on something that will never succeed
Tim’s beating a dead horse. Nobody wants to buy his old car. (US)
was a complete failure
Margaret’s performance fell flat on its face. She can’t sing!
a complete failure
The barbecue was an utter failure.
It rained and none of my friends turned up.
We won’t use them again. made a mess of
The decorators have really screwed up this job!
go wrong, or fail
My dinner party started to go sideways when I spilled soup everywhere. (US)
a cause of major problems
Nicolas decision to take her dog shopping turned out to be a recipe for disaster.
going badly, or failing
Kevin’s career is on the ropes.
His boss has given him an official warning.
failed completely
The gang’s plan to rob the bank went belly up when a policeman recognized Mike.
begin to experience something negative
Simon’s campaign ran into difficulties when he was accused of lying.
run into
make a mess of something (informal)
The decorators have screwed up this job!
We won’t use them again.
screw up
be beaten by something
Many smaller stores have lost out since the supermarket opened in town.
lose out (to)
stop trying to achieve something
Marcello tried to fix the washing machine, but he has given up
give up
depend on
The future success of our company rides on us winning this contract.
ride on
attribute events to a particular reason
When accepting the award, Carla put her success down to hard work.
put down to
help to cause something
Having supportive parents really contributed to my success.
contribute to
develop into (often used in the negative
My teachers told me I’d never amount to anything, but now I’m a lawyer.
amount to
become involved in a successful activity
When Al saw how many people were making money by selling things online, he decided to get in on it.
get in on
compare prices at various stores
Ilike to shop around before I buy a new sofa.
cost a lot of money
Be careful, Max! That vase cost a fortune.
pay more than is typical
Tourists usually pay over the odds when they buy souvenirs. (UK)
cost a large amount of money
My new suit cost an arm and a leg.
I bought it from a tailor in Milan.
search for goods that are cheaper than normal
Adrian loves to go bargain-hunting at his local market.
a very low price or good bargain
Martina found a designer jacket for a steal at a thrift store.
mass-produced, commercially available
Most customers prefer to buy off-the-shelf products because they are cheaper.
reduce prices dramatically
During the sales, many stores slash prices by more than 50 percent.
far more expensive than it should have been
The taxi from the airport cost more than $70. It was highway robbery! (US)
spend money extravagantly
For her 50th birthday Davina decided to splurge on a new sports car
bought a large number of things
After winning the lottery, Tomás went on a shopping spree.
very low prices
This store sells designer labels at bargain-basement prices.
looks at goods in store windows without buying them
Ayesha goes window shopping with her friends every Saturday.
a good price
Hannah needed a new party dress and found a good deal online.
did a lot of shopping
On the last day of the sales, Sam and Hiromi shopped till they dropped.
shopping as a way of getting rid of stress
Austin needed some retail therapy, so he spent the afternoon at the mall.
close a business temporarily or permanently
It was so quiet on Monday that we decided to close up shop for the afternoon. (US)
had a small amount of money to spend
We were on a tight budget for our vacation, so we stayed in a cheap hostel.
an achievement to be proud of
When Juan won the national art prize, it was a feather in his cap.
treat him very carefully or sensitively
Pedro’s upset about failing the test. You’ll have to handle him with kid gloves.
I’ll be amazed (but I doubt it will happen)
If Sven wins the race, I’ll eat my hat!
I am very impressed with
I take my hat off to Jo for collecting so much money for charity this year.
old-fashioned
My daughter thinks my taste in music is really old hat.
agitated and angry
My boss got very hot under the collar when l handed my report in late.
spying, or things that happen in secret
The movie was a spy thriller with lots of cloak-and-dagger action. involving mystery,
ready, but not yet common knowledge
Our plan to improve sales didn’t work, but I have a new plan up my sleeve.
gets very angry and annoyed
Jane has a bee in her bonnet about people dropping litter on the sidewalk.
arrogant or self-important
lan’s become too big for his boots since his promotion. He always ignores me. (UK)
in his situation
Austin is in a lot of trouble. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes.
difficult to cut or chew
This steak really is as tough as shoe leather. I need a sharper knife! (US)
leave his job
If Gavin doesn’t start working harder, we’ll have to give him the boot.
force him to
start working harder
My teacher explained that I would fail the exam if I didn’t pull my socks up. (UK)
immediately, or without thinking too much about it
My cousin is very emotional. He’ll start an argument at the drop of a hat.
a person who likes to show how intelligent they are
Carter is such a clever clogs. He’s always the first to raise his hand in class. (UK)
unprepared and spontaneous
I don’t think he thought about what he was saying. It was just an off-the-cuff comment.
retire
After working at the bank for 30 years, it was time for me to hang up my boots.
making money illegally, often by corruption
Cathy had been lining her pockets with company funds for years before the boss caught her
get ready to work hard
To roll up one’s sleeves
fasten the buttons on a piece of clothing
Angelica helped her son to button up his shirt as he got ready for school.
button up
put a piece of clothing on quickly
When Tom realized he was late, he threw on a jacket and tie, and ran for the bus.
throw on
fall off by mistake
As Hasan was running across the school yard, one of his shoes came off.
come off
wear a costume to look like something
All the children at the party had dressed up as dinosaurs.
dress up (as)
be washed clean (about a stain
hope this juice stain comes out when I wash my shirt.
come out (of)
look good with another piece of clothing
Gemma’s shoes go really well with that dress.
go with
show people something you are proud of
Arnie’s so proud of his new jacket. He’s been showing it off to everyone.
show off (to)
fasten a piece of clothing
Mirek did up his coat to keep out the icy breeze.
do up
become big enough to wear an item of clothing
Carly’s shoes are too big for her, but she’ll grow into them.
grow into
become too big for an item of clothing
Gio’s grown out of his sweater, so he’s going to give it to his little brother.
grow out of
make a piece of clothing smaller
This dress is a bit too big. We’ll need to take it in a little.
take in
fasten (usually your shoe laces)
Kelly stopped to tie up one of her shoe laces.
tie up
remove (a piece of clothing)
It was very hot in the lecture theater, so Mario took off his sweater.
take off
wear a piece of clothing
Alex put on her prettiest dress to go out for her wedding anniversary.
put on
wear certain clothes to keep you warm
Make sure you wrap up before heading out into that cold weather.
wrap up
place a piece of clothing on a hook or hanger
Maurice hung up his coat as he walked in.
hang up
make a piece of clothing smaller by folding it neatly
Zane folded up his clothes and put them in the wardrobe.
fold up
protect your skin with clothing
The sun is really strong today, so make sure you cover up.
cover up
fasten the zipper on a piece of clothing
Marlon zipped up his leather jacket and walked toward the door.
zip up
make a piece of clothing bigger
The jacket is too tight. We need to let it out a bit
let out
