The Peter Pan Generation - Explain in english!

Question 1

mortgage

Answer 1

An agreement that lets you borrow money from a bank, usually to buy a house.

'’Houses are very expensive, so you’ll probably need to take out a mortgage if you want to buy one.’’

Question 2

to admit

Answer 2

To agree that something is true, to confess (negative; you don’t want to agree that it’s true).

'’She admitted that she had made a mistake.”

Question 3

miraculously

Answer 3

In a way that is very surprising or difficult to believe.

'’Many people say to have been miraculously cured by a priest.’’

Question 4

to cough

Answer 4

To force air out of your lungs through your throat with a short, loud sound.

'’The smoke from the cigarettes made me cough.’’

Question 5

to sink (a drink)

Answer 5

To drink a beverage all at once.

'’He had no wine left, because he had sank the glass.’’
‘‘He sank his glass of wine - he has none left now.’’
‘‘Don’t sink your drinks, it’s not healthy. Drink slowly!’’

Question 6

to settle down

Answer 6

To start living in a place for a long time with a partner and children.

'’He settled down early. He already had a wife, 2 kids and a house by the time he was 25.’’

Question 7

to shrug

Answer 7

To raise and lower your shoulders when you don’t know something or aren’t sure.

'’He shrugged when asked about what he wanted to eat.’’

Question 8

to mutter

Answer 8

To speak quietly in a low voice that is hard to hear.

'’He kept muttering when doing his homework, it really bothered me because it wasn’t completely quiet in the room.’’

NOTE: to mutter under your breath: a phrase, you usually say something negative so that someone else doesn’t hear it.

Question 9

immortal

Answer 9

Something that lives or exists forever.

'’Vampires are immortal.’’

Question 10

to put someone through school

Answer 10

To help someone finish school, supporting them financially.

'’He was putting three kids through school and had very little money left for himself.’’

Question 11

a pension

Answer 11

The money the government gives to someone who doesn’t work anymore because they are too old/retired.

'’When you retire, you’ll get a pension.’’

Someone who receives a pension = a pensioner

Question 12

to speak of

Answer 12

To mention or have something.

'’I have few savings to speak of.’’ = ‘‘I barely have any savings.’’

Question 13

as for someone/something

Answer 13

Considering or speaking about something, someone.

'’America and Canada agree on this. As for Mexico, well, they haven’t said anything yet.’’

Question 14

paid-up

Answer 14

Doing everything required to be a member of something.

'’I pay taxes, vote, and go to work. I’m a fully paid-up member of society!’’

(someone who has paid the money necessary to be a member of a particular organization)

Question 15

to be in denial

Answer 15

An unwillingness to accept that something unpleasant is true - you don’t want to believe that something bad is true.

'’She’s 40 and wears something a teenager would wear. She in denial about her age.’’

Question 16

to cast (a vote)

Answer 16

To throw something, to cast a vote = a phrase (to vote)

'’I cast my vote.’’ - ‘‘I voted.’’

Question 17

sizeable

Answer 17

Large in size or number.

'’24 000 people in the city have a car - that’s a sizeable group of people!’’

Question 18

a phenomenon

Answer 18

something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, … But is surprising or hard to believe.

'’A rainbow is a beautiful natural phenomenon.’’

Question 19

anxious

Answer 19

Worried or nervous.

'’He was very anxious just before he got his exam results back.’’

Question 20

a commitment

Answer 20

A promise or plan, something you have to do.

'’You must make a commitment to play football for an entire year. You have to do it if you say yes!’’

To make a commitment (a phrase)

Question 21

middle-aged (a middle-aged person)

Answer 21

Someone who is around 30 years old.

Question 22

to come about

Answer 22

To happen or appear.

'’When did Facebook come about? -In 2004, I think.’’

Question 23

adultescent

Answer 23

Some who is old (an adult), but still behaves like an adolescent.

An adolescent = some young, a teenager.

Question 24

to buy vs to rent

Answer 24

To buy = purchase and own something

To rent = to pay money to use, but you don’t own it.

'’I rent a flat, but would like to buy a house one day.’’

Question 25

headlines

Answer 25

Newspaper, magazine or news titles of news/articles.

to make the headlines (a phrase; to happen and become the main topic of an article)

'’He made the headlines by saving a cat from a tree.’’

Question 26

the root of something

Answer 26

The origin of something, the reason for something.

'’Capitalism is the root of all evil.’’

'’Not doing your homework is the root of your poor knowledge.’’

Question 27

refusal, to refuse

Answer 27

Not wanting to do something - to say no/to not do something because you don’t want to.

‘I refuse to eat this soup because I hate mushrooms!’’

'’She expressed her refusal to eat the soup.’’

Question 28

values (a value)

Answer 28

How much someone or something is worth, how important someone or something is.

'’This statue has large cultural value for us.’’

Question 29

to be spoilt for choice

spoiled

Answer 29

To have so many things you can choose that you don’t know what to choose.

'’There are 20 different restaurants that we can go to - we’re spoilt for choice!’’

Spoiled (british: spoilt) = treat very well and now not appreciating something

'’My parents bought me everything I wanted, and I never appreciated it. I was a very spoiled child.’’

ALSO SPOILED = something that is damaged, unusable.

'’This chicken is a month old, it’s spoiled, we souldn’t eat it or we might get sick.’’

Question 30

to cling

Answer 30

To hold onto someone or something strongly, not wanting to let go.

'’A baby clings to their mother with their small hands.’’

Phrase: to cling (on) to someone or something!