UNITS 25&26 • PAT Flashcards
get into someone
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. If you do not know what has got into someone, you do not understand why they are behaving strangely
* “I can’t think what’s got into him. He doesn’t usually get so angry.”
get into something
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to become interested in an activity or subject, or start being involved in an activity
* “She’s been getting into yoga recently - she does three classes a week.”
get (someone) into something
uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|
verb
1. to (cause someone to) become involved in a difficult situation, often without intending to
* “After he lost his job, he got into debt.”
* “Are you trying to get me into trouble?”
go in for something
uk |ɡəʊ| us |ɡoʊ|
verb
1. to do something regularly, or to enjoy something
* “I’ve never really gone in for classical music, but I love jazz.”
2. to take part in a competition
* “Are you planning to go in for the 100 metres race?”
go off
uk |ɡəʊ| us |ɡoʊ|
verb
1. If a light or a machine goes off, it stops working
* “The lights went off in several villages because of the storm.”
2. If a bomb goes off, it explodes
* “[bomb goes off] The bomb went off at midday.”
3. If a gun goes off, it fires
* “His gun went off accidentally.”
4. If food or drink goes off, it is not good to eat or drink any more because it is too old [UK]
* “This bacon smells a bit funny - do you think it’s gone off?”
go off someone/something
uk |ɡəʊ| us |ɡoʊ|
verb
1. to stop liking or being interested in someone or something [UK]
* “I went off beefburgers after I got food poisoning from a takeaway.”
* “I went off Peter when he said those dreadful things about Clare.”
grow on someone
uk |ɡrəʊ| us |ɡroʊ|
verb
1. If someone or something grows on you, you like him, her, or it more and more than you did at first
* “I wasn’t sure about this album when I bought it, but it’s really grown on me.”
hang out
uk |hæŋ| us |hæŋ|
verb
1. to spend a lot of time in a place or with someone [informal]
* “[hang out at] You still hang out at the pool hall?”
* “[hang out with] I’ve been hanging out backstage with the band.”
keep someone up
uk |kiːp| us |kiːp|
verb
1. to prevent someone from going to bed or sleeping
* “He keeps yawning - I hope we’re not keeping him up.”
keep something up
uk |kiːp| us |kiːp|
verb
1. to make something continue at its present level and not allow it to fall
* “You must eat to keep your strength up.”
keep (something) up
uk |kiːp| us |kiːp|
verb
1. to continue without stopping or changing, or to continue something without allowing it to stop or change
* “Keep up the good work!”
keep up
uk |kiːp| us |kiːp|
verb
1. to be able to understand or deal with something that is happening or changing very fast
* “I read the papers to keep up with what’s happening in the outside world.”
laze
uk |leɪz| us |leɪz|
verb
1. to relax and enjoy yourself, doing very little
* “We spent the day lazing around on the beach.”
mess around
uk |mes| us |mes|
verb
1. to spend time doing various things that are not important, without any particular purpose or plan [informal]
* “They spend their weekends messing around on their boat.”
* “[mess around with] My brother likes messing around with computers.”
* “He spent the day with friends, just messing about.”
2. to behave in a stupid or annoying way
* “Stop messing around and listen to me!”
pick someone/something up
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. to lift someone or something using your hands
* “If she starts to cry, pick her up and give her a cuddle.”
* “I picked up the kids’ clothes that were lying on the floor.”
* “I went to pick up the phone/receiver, but it had stopped ringing.”
2. to collect, or to go and get, someone or something
* “When you’re in town could you pick up the books I ordered?”
* “Whose turn is it to pick the children up after school?”
* “The crew of the sinking tanker were picked up (= saved from the sea) by helicopter.”
pick something up
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. to learn a new skill or language by practising it rather than being taught it
* “Don’t bother with the computer manual - you’ll pick it up as you go along.”
* “When you live in a country you soon pick up the language.”
2. to learn interesting or useful information from someone or something
* “The nurse had picked up the information from a conversation she overheard.”
3. to buy something cheaply
* “[pick up a bargain] She picked up some real bargains in the sale.”
pick (something) up
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. to start something again after an interruption
* “The author picks the same theme up again on page ten.”
* “[pick up where someone left off] Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday.”
pick someone up
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. (of the police) to stop someone and take them to a police station in order to be questioned or arrested [UK informal]
* “[be picked up for] He was picked up by the police for drug dealing.”
* “The police picked her up just outside Canterbury.”
2. to start a sexual or romantic relationship with someone you do not know, by talking to that person and giving them a lot of attention [informal]
* “He said he’d picked the woman up in a bar.”
pick up (something)
uk |pɪk| us |pɪk|
verb
1. to increase or improve
* “The truck picked up speed slowly.”
* “The wind always picks up in the evening.”
* “The number of applicants will pick up during the autumn.”
* “His spirits picked up when he got the good news.”
* “Her career only began to pick up when she was in her forties.”
2. to answer the phone
* “I tried his home number but he didn’t pick up.”
3. to tidy a room [US]
* “I picked up, but I didn’t vacuum.”
* “Pick up your room - you’d think a pig lived here!”
put sth in/into sth
uk |pʊt|
verb
1. to spend a lot of time or effort doing something
* “If I put in some extra hours today, I can have some time off tomorrow.”
* “We’ve put a lot of time into redesigning the packaging.”
2. to invest money in something
seek someone/something out
uk |siːk| us |siːk|
verb
1. to look for someone or something, especially for a long time until you find him, her, or it
* “While he was at the library, Steve decided to seek out some information on the history of the area.”
take delight in something/doing something
collocation
1. to enjoy something very much, sometimes in a way that seems surprising or unkind
* “He seems to take great delight in teasing his sister.”
* “The media has taken delight in reporting every detail of the crisis.”
* “She takes delight in things that many of us take for granted.”
take something off
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to remove something, especially clothes
* “He took off his clothes and got into the shower.”
* “After the poisoning scare, the product was taken off the shelves/the market (= removed from sale).”
2. to spend time away from your work
* “He took two weeks off in September.”
take off
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. If an aircraft, bird, or insect takes off, it leaves the ground and begins to fly
* “The plane took off at 8.30 a.m.”
take someone off
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to copy the way a particular person speaks or behaves, or the way something is done, usually in order to entertain other people
* “She’s really good at taking people off.”
take-off
uk |ˈteɪk.ɒf| us |ˈteɪk.ɑːf|
noun
1. the moment when an aircraft leaves the ground and begins to fly [C/U]
* “Night take-offs and landings are banned at this airport.”
2. a piece of acting or writing, etc. that copies the way a particular person speaks or behaves, or the way something is done, usually to entertain other people [C]
* “It was the best take-off of the prime minister that I have ever seen.”
take something out
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to remove something from somewhere
* “They had to take out two of his teeth.”
2. to get money from a bank account
* “I took out some money for the weekend.”
3. to arrange to get something from a company, bank, etc.
* “I’m going to take out a life insurance policy.”
* “He had to take out a loan to pay his taxes.”
4. to buy food in a restaurant and eat it somewhere else [US (UK take away)]
* “Is that to eat in or take out?”
take someone out
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to go somewhere and do something with someone, usually something you plan and pay for
* “[take someone out to something] Dad’s taking the whole family out to the cinema.”
* “[take someone out for something] Our boss took us out for drinks.”
take someone/something out
uk |teɪk| us |teɪk|
verb
1. to kill someone or destroy something
* “The soldiers said that they were trying to take out the snipers.”
warn
uk |wɔːn| us |wɔːrn|
verb
1. to make someone realize a possible danger or problem, especially one in the future
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] We were warned not to eat the fish which might upset our stomachs.”
* ”[+ obj + (that)] Have you warned them (that) there will be an extra person for dinner?”
* “I was warned against/off going to the east coast because it was so full of tourists.”
* “The boating area is marked with buoys to warn off swimmers.”
* “There were signs warning of fog as soon as we got onto the motorway.”
* “This particular curry is extremely hot - be warned!”
* “Put that ball down now, Laura - I’m warning you (= I will punish you if you do not)!”
wide choice
collocation
1. a large range of different things from which you can choose
* “The evening menu offers a wide choice of dishes.”
* “The new legislation will introduce a wider choice of retirement options.”
choice
uk |tʃɔɪs| us |tʃɔɪs|
noun
1. an act or the possibility of choosing [C/U]
* “If the product doesn’t work, you are given the choice of a refund or a replacement.”
* “It’s a difficult choice to make.”
* “It’s your choice/The choice is yours (= only you can decide).”
* “[choice between] It was a choice between pain now or pain later, so I chose pain later.”
* “Now you know all the facts, you can make an informed choice.”
* “[not have much choice] I’d prefer not to work, but I don’t have much choice (= this is not possible).”
* “[have no choice but to] He had no choice but to accept (= he had to accept).”
* “I live alone by choice.”
2. the range of different things from which you can choose [S/U]
* “There wasn’t much choice on the menu.”
* “The evening menu offers a wide choice of dishes.”
* “The dress is available in a choice of colours.”
choice
uk |tʃɔɪs| us |tʃɔɪs|
adjective
1. of high quality
* “I had the the most expensive dish on the menu - a choice fillet of fish.”
choose
uk |tʃuːz| us |tʃuːz|
verb
1. to decide what you want from two or more things or possibilities
* “[choose between] She had to choose between the two men in her life.”
* “Danny, come here and choose your ice cream.”
* “[choose something from something] He chose a shirt from the many in his wardrobe.”
* ”[+ question word] It’s difficult choosing where to live.”
* “[choose something for someone] I’ve chosen a present for Luis.”
* “[UK] [+ two objects] I’ve chosen Luis a present.”
* “[choose someone as something] Yesterday the selectors chose Dales as the team’s new captain.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] The firm’s directors chose Emma to be the new production manager.”
* “[choose someone to do something] They chose him to be their candidate in the election.”
pick and choose
phrase
1. to take some things but not others
* “The richest universities can pick and choose which students they take.”
* “He’s such a good player, he’s able to pick and choose the tournaments he plays in.”
* “With this package, viewers are able to pick and choose what they watch.”
* “They just pick and choose parts of the research that support their own argument.”
* “You can’t pick and choose which laws you obey and which you break.”
little/not much to choose between
phrase
1. When there is little to choose between two or more things, they are (all) very similar
* “Board members agreed that there was little to choose between the two manufacturers.”
* “When it comes to the question of Scottish independence, there is little to choose between the two parties.”
* “There are two pubs in the village, and there’s little to choose between them.”
* “It was a poor match, with not much to choose between the two teams.”
* “Financially, there’s not much to choose between living here or in Canada.”
decide
uk |dɪˈsaɪd| us |dɪˈsaɪd|
verb
1. to choose something, especially after thinking carefully about several possibilities [I/T]
* “They have to decide by next Friday.”
* “It doesn’t matter to me which one we have - you decide.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] In the end, we decided to go to the theatre.”
* ”[+ (that)] She decided (that) she would travel to India.”
* ”[+ question word] I can’t decide what to do.”
* “He can’t decide whether to buy it.”
* “[decide in favour of] The committee decided in favour of (= made a formal judgment to choose) the cheapest option.”
2. to be the reason or situation that makes a particular result happen [T]
* “The weather decided the outcome of the tennis match.”
* “Tim’s mistake decided the game (= caused him to lose).”
decide on something/someone
uk |dɪˈsaɪd| us |dɪˈsaɪd|
verb
1. to choose something or someone after careful thought
* “I’ve decided on blue for the bathroom.”
take delight in something/doing something
collocation
1. to enjoy something very much, sometimes in a way that seems surprising or unkind
* “He seems to take great delight in teasing his sister.”
* “The media has taken delight in reporting every detail of the crisis.”
* “She takes delight in things that many of us take for granted.”
take delight in something/doing something
collocation
1. to enjoy something very much, sometimes in a way that seems surprising or unkind
* “He seems to take great delight in teasing his sister.”
* “The media has taken delight in reporting every detail of the crisis.”
* “She takes delight in things that many of us take for granted.”
delight
uk |dɪˈlaɪt| us |dɪˈlaɪt|
noun
1. a feeling of great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness [U]
* “Her face had a look of pure delight.”
* “[with delight] I read your letter with great delight.”
* “[in delight] The children squealed in delight when they saw all the presents under the Christmas tree.”
* “[delight at] His delight at seeing her again was obvious.”
* “[to someone’s delight] To my delight, I was proved right.”
* “[to the delight of] She played all her biggest hits, to the delight of the crowd.”
* “[take delight in] He seems to take great delight in (= enjoys) teasing his sister.”
2. something or someone that gives great pleasure, satisfaction, or happiness [C usually singular]
* “My sister’s little boy is a real delight.”
* “The film is a delight from start to finish.”
* “[it is a delight to] It was a delight to see her so happy and relaxed.”
delight
uk |dɪˈlaɪt| us |dɪˈlaɪt|
verb
1. to give someone great pleasure or satisfaction
* “Peter’s academic success delighted his family.”
eager
uk |ˈiː.ɡər| us |ˈiː.ɡɚ|
adjective
1. wanting very much to do or have something, especially something interesting or enjoyable
* “the children’s eager faces”
* ”[+ to infinitive] She sounded very eager to meet you.”
* “[eager for] They crowded around the spokesperson, eager for any news.”
free someone from/of something
uk |friː| us |friː|
verb
1. to help or make life better for someone by taking something unpleasant away from them
* “He dedicated his life to freeing the world from famine and disease.”
* “I’d like to free myself of some of the responsibilities of this job.”
walk free
idiom
1. to not be charged with a crime, or to be allowed to leave a court after being found not guilty of a crime
* “They were not arrested or charged and walked free after a seven-hour interrogation.”
* “One of the women charged with this 2017 murder is set to walk free.”
* “[walk free from] He walked free from court in October after judges ruled he was suffering from temporary mental illness.”
free and easy
phrase
1. relaxed and informal
* “The atmosphere in the office is fairly free and easy.”
* “Until then, things were free and easy at home.”
* “After Maria’s arrival, life wasn’t quite so free and easy.”
* “Life with my hippie parents was free and easy.”
* “I think he enjoyed the free and easy lifestyle.”
* “People looking for a restful holiday are attracted to this island by its free and easy spirit.”
free and easy
uk |ˌfriː ənd ˈiː.zi| us |ˌfriː ən ˈiː.zi|
adjective
1. relaxed and without many rules
* “After the free and easy theatre life, marriage to this man could present problems.”
* “Young people from all over Europe come here in the summer months to enjoy the free and easy lifestyle and atmosphere.”
on (an) impulse
phrase
1. 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.”
* “He called Judy on impulse and invited her to lunch.”
* “Acting on impulse, she grabbed her camera and ran after the man.”
keen to do sth
collocation
1. very eager to do something
* “They were very keen to start work as soon as possible.”
* “I was keen to see how exactly he’d managed to pull off the heist.”
* “After a disappointing start, the team are keen to get back on track for the second half.”
at leisure
idiom
1. when you have enough time and are not in a hurry, or whenever you want (also at your leisure)
* “These are precious memories to be recalled and enjoyed at leisure.”
* “You can get on and off the bus at leisure to visit attractions en route.”
* “You can take the documents home and study them at your leisure.”
* “I make quick voice notes on my phone, then type them up later at my leisure.”
* “Using online services allows doctors and patients to communicate at their leisure, without scheduling problems or time conflicts.”
2. free to do whatever you want because you are not working or doing other duties
* “After a morning tour of the city sights, the rest of the day is spent at leisure.”
* “At the weekend she is at leisure to explore the beautiful countryside where she lives.”
* “We had a day at leisure to relax by the pool.”
* “They retired to spend more time with family and at leisure.”
* “Think about the clothes you wear at work and at leisure.”
leisure centre
uk |ˈleʒ.ə ˌsen.tər| us |ˈliː.ʒɚ ˌsen.t̬ɚ|
noun
1. a building containing a swimming pool and other places where you can play sports
leisure
uk |ˈleʒ.ər| us |ˈliː.ʒɚ|
noun
1. the time when you are not working or doing other duties
* “The balance between work and leisure is changing.”
* “[leisure activity] Popular leisure activities included reading, going to movies, and talking with friends.”
* “[leisure time] Most people only have a limited amount of leisure time.”
* “[leisure industry] There has been a growth of jobs in the tourism and leisure industries.”
* “[leisure facility] The town lacks leisure facilities such as a swimming pool or squash courts.”
* “[life of leisure] Hugely wealthy, he enjoyed a life of leisure (= did not need to work).”
feel like (doing) something
idiom
1. [infml] to want to have or do something
* “I feel like going to get ice cream – want to come?”
just like that
idiom
1. suddenly and unexpectedly
* “Their son went off and got married last week, just like that.”
need
uk |niːd| us |niːd|
verb
1. to have to have something, or to want something very much [T]
* “Babies need constant care.”
* “The doctor said I needed an operation.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] I need to go to the toilet.”
* “Most people need to feel loved.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] I need you to help me choose an outfit.”
* “I badly need (= strongly want) a rest from all this.”
* “[informal] I don’t need all this hassle.”
2. If you say that someone or something needs something else, you mean that they should have it, or would get an advantage from having it [T]
* “What you need is a nice hot bowl of soup.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] This room needs cleaning.”
* ”[+ past participle] She needs her hair washed.”
3. to have (to) [+ to infinitive/+ infinitive without to]
* ”[+ to infinitive] He needs to lose some weight.”
* “I need to do some shopping on my way home from work.”
* “There needs to be more effort from everyone.”
* ”[+ infinitive without to] I don’t think we need ask him.”
* “Nothing need be done about this till next week.”
* “[formal] “Need we take your mother?” “No, we needn’t.””
need
uk |niːd| us |niːd|
noun
1. the state of having to have something that you do not have, especially something that you must have so that you can have a satisfactory life [S/U]
* “Are you in need of help?”
* “There’s a growing need for cheap housing in the larger cities.”
time off
noun
1. a period of time when you do not work because of illness or holidays, or because your employer has given you permission to do something else
* “[take/have time off] One in five employees admits to taking time off because of stress.”
* “[get/be given/receive time off] Staff can get time off for a close relative’s funeral but not for the funeral of a friend.”
* “[time off to do sth] Increasing numbers of fathers want time off to care for their children.”
* “[time off for sth] Research revealed that more than 241,000 people had been unable to take any time off for a holiday in the last year.”
* “There are rules covering time off work for maternity leave, sickness, or other temporary absence.”
* “[time off from sth] She decided to take some time off from work in order to focus on her family.”
* “[additional/extra/more time off] The company has introduced a volunteer initiative that lets their workers use flexible schedules to take additional time off for projects in the community.”
* “paid/unpaid time off”
work something off
uk |wɜːk| us |wɝːk|
verb
1. If you work off an unpleasant feeling, you get rid of it by doing something energetic
* “She works off stress by running for at least half an hour every day.”
opt
uk |ɒpt| us |ɑːpt|
verb
1. to make a choice, especially of one thing or possibility instead of others
* “Mike opted for early retirement.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] Most people opt to have the operation.”
have no option (but to do something)
phrase
1. to have to do a particular thing because there is no possibility of doing anything else
* “After her appalling behaviour, we had no option but to dismiss her.”
* “We had no option but to close the entire factory.”
* “She felt she had no option but to resign from her job.”
* “I’m afraid we have no option but to suspend him until the investigation is concluded.”
* “We had no option but to terminate his contract since these unfortunate stories appeared in the press.”
* “I had to leave - I had no option.”
have/keep your options open
idiom
1. to wait before making a choice
* “I’m going to keep my options open while I find out about studying abroad.”
play at something
uk |pleɪ| us |pleɪ|
verb
1. to pretend to be a particular person or to do a particular thing, usually as a game
* “The children were playing at Batman and Robin.”
2. to do something for enjoyment or interest, or without much care and effort, rather than in a serious way or as a job
* “She’s only playing at being an actress - she’s going off to law school next year.”
play for time
idiom
1. to delay until you are ready
* “We can’t sign the agreement yet - we’ll have to play for time.”
act/play the fool
phrase
1. to behave in a silly way, often intentionally to make people laugh
* “Stop acting the fool, I’m trying to talk to you.”
* “He loves playing the fool.”
* “I’m happy to play the fool if it makes my kids laugh.”
* “He’s made his name acting the fool.”
* “I get the impression that he plays the fool a lot in class to make the other kids like him.”
* “He’s a bit old to be acting the fool, isn’t he?”
play (something) by ear
idiom
1. to play a piece of music by remembering the notes
* “He did not need sheet music. He could play the piece by ear.”
praise
uk |preɪz| us |preɪz|
verb
1. to express admiration or approval of the achievements or characteristics of a person or thing
* “He should be praised for his honesty.”
* “My parents always praised me when I did well at school.”
* “He was highly praised for his research on heart disease.”
2. to honour, worship, and express admiration for a god
* “They sang hymns praising God.”
praise
uk |preɪz| us |preɪz|
noun
1. things that you say that express your admiration and approval of someone or something
* “They deserve praise for all their hard work.”
* “His economic policies have won widespread praise for reducing government debt.”
* “Praise from Adrian is (high) praise indeed. (= praise from him is particularly special because he rarely praises anyone.)”
2. an expression of respect and worship to a god [formal]
* “As we give praise to God, let us remember those who are less fortunate than ourselves.”
prefer
uk |prɪˈfɜːr| us |prɪˈfɝː|
verb
1. to like, choose, or want one thing rather than another
* “Do you prefer hot or cold weather?”
* “I prefer red wine to white.”
* ”[+ -ing verb] He prefers watching football to playing it.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] I’d prefer not to discuss this issue.”
* “[formal] I’d prefer you not to smoke (= I would like it better if you did not smoke), please.”
2. to accuse someone officially [law UK specialized]
* “The police have decided not to prefer charges against them because of insufficient evidence.”
rest on/upon something
uk |rest| us |rest|
verb
1. If something rests on a particular idea, belief, or fact, it is based on it or needs it in order for it to be true
* “Christianity rests on the belief that Jesus was the son of God.”
rest on/upon someone/something
uk |rest| us |rest|
verb
1. to depend on someone or something
* “Our success rests on an increase in sales.”
rest assured
collocation
1. If you tell someone that they can rest assured about something, you mean that they can feel confident that it is true or that it will happen
* “You can rest assured that I shall be there as promised.”
* “Rest assured, things are not as bad as they seem.”
come to rest
idiom
1. to stop moving
* “The car hit the curb and came to rest in a ditch.”
acquire a taste for something
collocation
1. to gradually develop a liking for something
* “I soon acquired a taste for the local cuisine.”
* “How long did it take you to acquire a taste for Mexican food?”
* “If you want to travel with that set, you’ll need to acquire a taste for golf and fancy dinners.”
* “He acquired a taste for Shakespeare at school and auditioned for his first leading role in his early 20s.”
* “We’ve tried to keep the dog from splashing about puddles outside, but I’m afraid she’s acquired quite a taste for it.”
an acquired taste
idiom
1. something that you dislike at first, but that you start to like after you have tried it a few times
* “Olives are an acquired taste.”
want
uk |wɒnt| us |wɑːnt|
verb
1. to wish for a particular thing or plan of action. “Want” is not used in polite requests
* “I want some chocolate.”
* “She wants a meeting with you.”
* “He’s everything you’d ever want in a man - bright, funny and attractive.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] What do you want to eat?”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] Do you want me to take you to the airport?”
* ”[+ obj + past participle] This package - do you want it sent today?”
* ”[+ obj + adj] Do you want this pie hot?”
* ”[+ obj + -ing verb] I don’t want you coming in at two a.m., waking me up.”
* “You wait - by next year she’ll be wanting a bigger house!”
want
uk |wɒnt| us |wɑːnt|
noun
1. a lack of something [U]
* “[for want of] For want of anything better to do I watched television for a while.”
* “If we fail it won’t be for want of trying (= we have tried even if we fail).”
not/never want for anything
idiom
1. to have all the basic things you need to lead a satisfactory life
* “As children we never wanted for anything.”
be at a loose end
idiom
1. to have nothing to do
* “If you find yourself at a loose end, you could always clean the bathroom.”
couch potato
uk |ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪ.təʊ| us |ˈkaʊtʃ pəˌteɪ.t̬oʊ|
noun
1. a person who watches a lot of television and does not have an active life
whim
uk |wɪm| us |wɪm|
noun
1. a sudden wish or idea, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained
* “We booked the trip on a whim.”
* “You can add what you want to this mixture - brandy, whisky, or nothing at all - as the whim takes you.”
* “Oh for a husband who would indulge my every whim!”
have time on your hands
idiom
1. to have nothing to do
* “Gina has some time on her hands, so she is taking a college course.”
let your hair down
idiom
1. to allow yourself to behave much more freely than usual and enjoy yourself
* “Oh let your hair down for once!”
the life and soul of the party
idiom
1. someone who is energetic and funny and at the centre of activity during social occasions
put your feet up
idiom
1. to relax, especially by sitting with your feet supported above the ground
* “You go home and put your feet up.”
recharge
uk |ˌriːˈtʃɑːdʒ| us |ˌriːˈtʃɑːrdʒ|
verb
1. If a battery recharges, it becomes filled with electricity so that it can work again and if you recharge a battery, you fill it with electricity [I/T]
* “He cursed himself for forgetting to recharge the batteries.”
* “The device can recharge throughout the day.”
2. to rest and relax for a period of time so that you feel energetic again [I (also recharge your batteries)]
* “People use the spa to relax and recharge.”
* “Employees should be allowed to take breaks and do what is necessary to recharge.”
* “She took a trip to the South of France to recharge her batteries.”
have (got) your heart set on something
idiom
1. to want something very much, so that you would be very disappointed if you do not get it
* “She’s got her heart set on ballet lessons.”
variety is the spice of life
idiom
1. said to emphasize that doing many different things, or often changing what you do, makes life interesting
center around/on something
us |ˈsen.t̬ɚ| uk |ˈsen.tər|
verb
1. to have something as the main subject of discussion or interest
* “The discussion centered around reducing waste.”
