Phrases

Question 1

money is tight

Answer 1

[el dinero escasea]

tight (adjective)
[If time or money is tight, there is only just enough of it]
- I’m sorry I can’t stay for a chat, time’s really tight.
- They’re raising three kids on one small salary so money is very tight.

Question 2

on the verge (of)

Answer 2

[If you are on the verge of something or come to the verge of something, you are very close to experiencing it.]
- on the verge of collapse/success/tears/death/disaster/war
- Her husband’s violent and abusive behaviour drove her to the verge of despair.

Question 3

over and out

Answer 3

[said when you are talking to someone by radio in order to end the conversation, or when you humorously want to say that something is finished]
- “Thank you, control tower. Over and out.”
- “You have clearance to land.” “Roger that. Over and out. See you on the ground.”

Question 4

be/get carried away

Answer 4

[to become so excited about something that you do not control what you say or do]
[dejarse llevar]
- There’s far too much food - I’m afraid I got a bit carried away.
- The manager warned his young players not to get carried away by the emotion of the occasion.
- Apologies - I just got carried away by the excitement of the game.

Question 5

set/put your mind to something

Answer 5

[to decide you are going to do something and to put a lot of effort into doing it]
- If you set your mind to something, you have to be persevering
- If you’d just put your mind to it, I’m sure you could do it.

Question 6

at ease

Answer 6

[rexaled, confortable]
[a gusto]
- I felt at ease at the party once I got to know a few people.
- The soothing music helped me feel at ease after a stressful day

Question 7

first thing

Answer 7

[at the earliest time in the day]
[a primera hora]
- He said he’d call back first thing tomorrow.
- I have a big report due first thing in the morning.
- He went to see Katy first thing the next morning.

Question 8

all in all

Answer 8

[considering all the different parts of the situation together]
- All in all, I think you’ve done very well.
- The cruise wasn’t perfect, but all in all it was pretty good.

Question 9

hit it off

Answer 9

[to like someone and become friendly immediately]
- I didn’t really hit it off with his friends.
- Jake and Sue hit it off immediately.
- I met his sister and we hit it off right from the start.

Question 10

at the ready

Answer 10

[being prepared or in a state of readiness to take immediate action or respond to a situation]
- The support team had their equipment at the ready, ensuring they could assist the athletes immediately
- American knows they will have to have their candy at the ready

Question 11

(at) any minute (now)

Answer 11

[very soon]
- Hurry up! He’ll be back any minute now.

Question 12

in a state of flux

Answer 12

/flʌks/
[If something is in a state of flux, it is constantly changing.]
- Education remains in a state of flux which will take some time to settle down.

Question 13

to the best of my knowledge/belief

Answer 13

[from what I know and understand from the information that I have]
- To the best of my knowledge, the chemicals which were found are not dangerous.
- He didn’t speak to us and nor, to the best of my knowledge, did he speak to any of our friends or family.
- To the best of my knowledge, there have been no cases of poisoning caused by consumption of these fish.

Question 14

take the place of someone/something

Answer 14

[to be used instead of someone or something]
- These portable machines can take the place of your desktop PC.
- Virtual reality should never take the place of real imagination.

Question 15

in full

Answer 15

[completely]
- The bill must be paid in full by the end of the month.
- He was fined £2000, which he paid in full.
- These loans are unlikely to ever be repaid in full.
- Any payment you have made will be refunded in full.

Question 16

a new/record/all-time low

Answer 16

[the lowest level]
- The dollar has hit an all-time low against the Japanese yen.
- With interest rates at a new low, this could be a good time to take out a loan.
- The dollar is currently heading to a new low against the euro.

Question 17

on the rise

Answer 17

[increasing]
- Police say that youth crime is on the rise again.
- Nationalism is once again on the rise.
- Resignations are on the rise as the economy improves.

Question 18

sleep on something

Answer 18

[to consider an idea or plan carefully before making a decision]
- I’ll think it over and give you an answer next week.

Question 19

how about…?

Answer 19

(informal)
[used to make a suggestion]
- How about the cinema tonight?
- How about going to the cinema?

Question 19

for the time being

Answer 19

[for a limited period]
- Leave the ironing for the time being - I’ll do it later.
- She’s put her career on hold for the time being.
- We’ll think about buying a bigger car next year but for the time being we’ll carry on with this one.

Question 20

is that so?

Answer 20

¿en serio?

Question 21

turn around and

Answer 21

(spoken)
[used when talking about something that someone says, especially when they say it in a very direct way without worrying about people’s reactions]
- If we actually say anything, they just turn around and tell us to shut up.
- For him to turn around and accuse me of lying was a huge insult.

Question 22

few and far between

Answer 22

[not happening or existing very often]
- Apartments that are both comfortable and reasonably priced are few and far between.
+ In this area, good jobs are few and far between.

Question 23

without fail

Answer 23

[If you do something without fail, you always do it]
- I go to the gym every Monday and Wednesday, without fail.
- This film always makes me smile, without fail.
- She attended church every Sunday without fail.

[used to tell someone that they must do something]
- Be there at nine o’clock, without fail.
- They need to feed the animals every day, without fail.
- We must, without fail, turn our country into a flourishing and democratic state.

Question 24

have yet to

Answer 24

[If you have yet to do something, you have not done it]
- They have yet to make a decision.
- Peters has yet to choose his next project.
- She has yet to reach her full potential as an athlete.
- We’ve yet to receive an apology.
- They have yet to announce any plans.
- I’ve verbally agreed to do the work but I’ve yet to receive a contract.

Question 25

droves

Answer 25

[a large group, especially of people, moving towards a place or doing something together as a group]
- Every summer droves of sightseers crowd the city.
- Fans came in droves to see her concerts.
- The show has been attracting audiences in droves.

Question 26

on (an) impulse

Answer 26

[because you suddenly want to, although you haven’t planned to]
- “I didn’t know you were looking for some new shoes.” “Oh, I wasn’t - I just bought them on impulse.”
- She decided, on an impulse, to get in touch with some of her old classmates.
- On an impulse, he went into the florist’s and bought a huge bunch of roses.

Question 27

hustle and bustle

Answer 27

[noise and activity]
- I love the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.
- I come from New York, so I’m used to hustle and bustle.
- We wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.