UNITS 7&8 • PAT Flashcards
follow suit
phrase
1. in a game of cards, to play a card of the same suit (= any of the four types of card in a set of playing cards, each having a different shape printed on it) as the card that has just been played
* “You have to follow suit if you can, but if you can’t, you can play a trump.”
* “The suits had been played out in turn, and all the players had followed suit in most of the tricks.”
* “When one airline reduces its prices, the rest soon follow suit.”
* “If one company tries to gain the competitive edge with a new product, other companies tend to follow suit.”
* “One chain started offering vegan options and the others quickly followed suit.”
* “France led the way, hoping that other countries would swiftly follow suit.”
* “It’s thought that other states may soon follow suit.”
pick a fight/quarrel/argument
idiom
1. to start a fight/quarrel/argument with someone
* “He’d had too much to drink and tried to pick a fight with the bartender.”
defy someone to do something
phrase
1. to tell someone to do something that you think will be impossible
* “I defy you to prove your accusations.”
* “I defy you to find a better cup of coffee anywhere in this city.”
* “I defy you to read this description without laughing.”
* “I defy you to tell where I’ve painted over the scratch on my car.”
* “She defied me to come up with a more plausible explanation.”
give-and-go
uk |ˌɡɪv ən ˈɡəʊ| us |ˌɡɪv ən ˈɡoʊ|
noun
1. in sports such as football and hockey, an occasion when a player passes the ball and then moves quickly into a position where they can receive the ball
* “[play give-and-go] He played a perfect give-and-go with Alcacer before shooting from the edge of the box.”
* “give-and-go passes”
gear sth for/to/towards sb/sth
uk |ɡɪər|
verb
1. to design or organize something so that it is suitable for a particular purpose, situation, or group of people
* “Questionnaires geared for non-US respondents are also available.”
* “These advertisements are geared to a younger audience.”
* “The workshops are geared towards helping people to become more employable.”
head
uk |hed| us |hed|
verb
1. to go in a particular direction [I + adv/prep]
* “[head out of] I was heading out of the room when she called me back.”
* “[head towards] We were heading towards Kumasi when our truck broke down.”
* “[head back] I think we ought to head back (= return to where we started) now, before it gets too dark.”
* “[head home] I called into see Gerry before heading home for the weekend.”
2. to be in charge of a group or organization [T]
* “She heads one of Britain’s leading travel firms.”
* “Judge Hawthorne was chosen to head the team investigating the allegations of abuse.”
3. to be at the front or top of something [T]
* “The royal carriage headed the procession.”
* “Jo’s name headed the list of candidates.”
4. to hit a ball with your head [T]
* “Rooney headed the ball into the back of the net.”
jump the queue
idiom
1. to move to the front of a line of people who are waiting for something, so that you are served or dealt with before them
* “This pre-paid smart card allows you to jump the queue to 60 of the capital’s favourite attractions.”
* “When the All Clear sounded we queued up again. No one jumped the queue.”
2. to be dealt with earlier than other people who are also waiting for something and who may have been waiting longer than you
* “Under this plan the better-off will be able to jump the queue by paying for private health care.”
* “Claims that immigrants jump the queue for council houses are incorrect, the Institute for Public Policy Research says.”
jump the gun
idiom
1. to do something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it
* “They’ve only just met - isn’t it jumping the gun to be talking about marriage already?”
be on the move
idiom
1. to be physically active
* “I’ve been on the move all day and I’m really tired.”
2. to be going somewhere; to be travelling
* “We’re going to be on the move all next week, but we’ll call you when we get home.”
beside the point
phrase
1. not important or not related to the subject being discussed
* “The fact that he doesn’t want to come is beside the point - he should have been invited.”
* “It’s a place to meet people and the music is almost beside the point.”
* “Whether you win or lose is beside the point - the important thing is taking part.”
* “When it comes to discussing this issue with Rosie, logic is beside the point.”
* “For these doll collectors, monetary value is beside the point.”
sore point
uk |ˌsɔː ˈpɔɪnt| us |ˌsɔːr ˈpɔɪnt|
noun
1. a subject that someone prefers not to talk about because it makes them angry or embarrassed
* “Don’t ask him about the job search - it’s a bit of a sore point.”
crack a smile
idiom
1. to smile slightly
* “The coach cracked a smile, but didn’t say anything.”
run riot
idiom
1. If people run riot, they behave in a way that is not controlled, running in all directions or being noisy or violent
* “I dread them coming here because they let their kids run riot.”
2. If your imagination runs riot, you have a lot of strange, exciting, or surprising thoughts
* “My imagination was running riot, thinking of all the ways that I could spend the money.”
run on
uk |rʌn| us |rʌn|
verb
1. If an event runs on, it continues for longer than expected
* “[run on for] The game/speech/discussion ran on for hours.”
2. If time runs on, it seems to pass quickly
* “[time runs on] Time’s running on - let’s get this job finished soon!”
3. to talk for a long time, especially too long a time
* “I know I sometimes run on a little when I talk about my job.”
* “People were suprisingly willing to share their thoughts - some even had a tendency to run on.”
run on something
uk |rʌn| us |rʌn|
verb
1. If a machine runs on a particular type or supply of power, it uses that power to work
* “Some calculators run on solar power.”
2. to operate with something as an important part
* “Unfortunately, the country runs on corruption at every level.”
* “How does a society that was based on community and solidarity adapt to a world that runs on possessive individualism?”
run through something
uk |rʌn| us |rʌn|
verb
1. to look at, examine, or deal with a set of things, especially quickly
* “We ran through the list, but none of the machines seemed any good.”
* “[run through something with someone] I’d like to run through these points/questions with you, if that’s okay, because you’ve made several mistakes.”
2. If a quality runs through something, it is in all parts of it
* “Melancholy runs through all her stories.”
* “Racism runs right through society.”
3. to use up an amount of something quickly
* “It took him just a few months to run through all the money his father left him.”
run someone/something through
uk |rʌn| us |rʌn|
verb
1. to push a sword or similar pointed weapon right into a person or animal
* “He drew his sword and ran the villain through.”
run-through
uk |ˈrʌn.θruː| us |ˈrʌn.θruː|
noun
1. the activity of performing or playing something from beginning to end in order to practise it
* “We’ve got time for one more run-through before the concert.”
run the risk of doing something
idiom
1. to do something although something bad might happen because of it
* “If you tell him the truth, you run the risk of hurting his feelings.”
rush
uk |rʌʃ| us |rʌʃ|
verb
1. to (cause to) go or do something very quickly [I/T, usually + adv/prep]
* “[rush (about/around)] I’ve been rushing (about/around) all day trying to get everything done.”
* “I rushed up the stairs/to the office/to find a phone.”
* “When she turned it upside down the water rushed out.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] We shouldn’t rush to blame them.”
* “You can’t rush a job like this.”
* “[be rushed through] The emergency legislation was rushed through Parliament in a morning.”
* “Don’t rush me!”
* “The United Nations has rushed medical aid and food to the famine zone.”
* “He rushed the children off to school so they wouldn’t be late.”
2. If a group of people rush an enemy or the place where an enemy is, they attack suddenly and all together [T]
* “We rushed the palace gates and killed the guards.”
3. In American football, to rush is to carry the ball forward across the place on the field where play begins. Also, a member of the opposite team rushes when they force their way to the back of the field quickly to catch the player carrying the ball. [I]
4. in some US colleges, to take part in a process in which students look around fraternities (= social organizations for male students ) and sororities (= social organizations for female students) to see which one they would like to join, and fraternities and sororities try to attract new members [I/T]
* “Check out a number of sororities before you rush.”
* “Freshman students would no longer be allowed to rush fraternities and sororities in the fall semester.”
* “She was looking forward to rushing Delta Sigma Theta sorority in the spring.”
rush
uk |rʌʃ| us |rʌʃ|
noun
1. a situation in which you have to hurry or move somewhere quickly [S]
* “Slow down! What’s the rush?”
* “Why is it always such a rush to get ready in the mornings?”
* “[in a rush] Everyone seemed to be in a rush.”
* “He was in a rush to get home.”
* “[in no rush] They were in no rush to sell the house.”
2. a time when a lot of things are happening or a lot of people are trying to do or get something [S]
* “There’s always a rush to get the best seats.”
* “I try to do my shopping before the Christmas rush.”
* “[rush for] There’s been a rush for (= sudden popular demand for) tickets.”
3. the act of suddenly moving somewhere quickly [S]
* “[rush of] There was a rush of air as she opened the door.”
* “They made a rush at him to get his gun.”
4. a sudden movement of people to a certain area, usually because of some economic advantage [S]
* “the California gold rush”
5. in American football, an attempt to run forwards carrying the ball, or an attempt to quickly reach and stop a player from the opposing team who is carrying the ball [C]
6. a sudden strong emotion or physical feeling [S]
* “The memory of who he was came back to him with a rush.”
* “I had my first cigarette for a year and felt a sudden rush (of dizziness).”
7. a plant like grass that grows in or near water and whose long, thin, hollow stems can be dried and made into floor coverings, containers, etc. [C usually plural]
* “a rush mat”
rush hour
uk |ˈrʌʃ ˌaʊər| us |ˈrʌʃ ˌaʊr|
noun
1. the busy part of the day when towns and cities are crowded, either in the morning when people are travelling to work, or in the evening when people are travelling home
* “rush hour traffic”
steel
uk |stiːl| us |stiːl|
noun
1. a strong metal that is a mixture of iron and carbon, used for making things that need a strong structure, especially vehicles and buildings
* “steel girders/rods/struts”
* “a steel helmet”
* “a steel-plated army truck”
steady/strong nerves
phrase
1. the ability to be calm in difficult situations
* “You need a cool head and steady nerves for this job.”
* “This kind of work requires steady nerves and super-quick reflexes so retirement age is usually 50.”
* “Competitors in this event need immense powers of concentration, not to mention steady nerves.”
* “Driving on these mountain roads can require strong nerves.”
* “In the current climate, investors need strong nerves and deep pockets.”
on track
idiom
1. making progress and likely to succeed in doing something or in achieving a particular result
* “[on track to] They’re on track to make record profits.”
* “[on track for] The theme park is on track for a record year with more than 4 million visitors.”
* “[back on track] With the help of her parents, she’s finally back on track.”
* “We are seeing on-track growth this financial year.”
2. at or on a track where a race is being held, or found or happening there
* “A motorsport commentator’s role is to put what’s happening on track into words.”
* “If you bet on track, only do so with the official racecourse bookmakers.”
* “Some tracks have prospered because they also have on-track casinos and slot machines.”
* “[on-track betting] The two companies have recently withdrawn on-track betting operations in Britain and Ireland.”
* “With the help of crash data recorders the racing teams were able to study on-track incidents.”
get something out of the way
idiom
1. to finish something
* “I like to get my homework out of the way on a Friday night so that I can enjoy the weekend.”
make room/space/way
phrase
1. If you make room/space/way for something or someone, you move your body or move other things, so that there is space for it or them
* “I was wondering if I could make room for a grand piano somewhere in my house.”
* “They made room for me on the sofa.”
* “They lowered the floor in the basement to make space for a home gym.”
* “The community centre was demolished to make space for a new apartment block.”
* “The trees were pruned to make way for double decker buses.”
by the way
idiom
1. used to introduce a new subject to be considered or to give further information
* “I think we’ve discussed everything we need to - by the way, what time is it?”
* “Oh, by the way, my name’s Julie.”
as the crow flies
idiom
1. used to say that a distance is measured in a straight line between two points or places
follow your nose
idiom
1. to keep moving forward in a straight line
* “Turn left, then just follow your nose and you’ll see the shop on your left.”
2. to trust your own feelings rather than obeying rules or allowing yourself to be influenced by other people’s opinions
* “Take a chance and follow your nose - you may be right!”
(in) the middle of nowhere
idiom
1. far away from any towns and cities and where few people live
* “He lives in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere.”
lose your bearings
phrase
1. If you lose your bearings, you do not know where you are
* “They lost their bearings in the dark.”
* “Inexperienced pilots sometimes lost their bearings and flew into mountains.”
* “It’s very easy to lose your bearings if you are exploring underground caverns.”
* “At one point, we misread the map and lost our bearings.”
* “I was worried that if I turned back, I would lose my bearings.”
* “New York is a city where it’s easy to lose your bearings.”
make a beeline for something
idiom
1. to move quickly and directly toward something
* “When he saw me in the kitchen, he made a beeline for the door.”
off the beaten track
idiom
1. in a place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns
* “The farmhouse we stayed in was completely off the beaten track.”
stop (dead) in your tracks
idiom
1. to suddenly stop moving or doing something
* “I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the scream.”
slant
uk |slɑːnt| us |slænt|
verb
1. to (cause to) lean in a position that is not vertical; to (cause to) slope [I/T]
* “[slant to] Italic writing slants to the right.”
* “[slant through] The evening sun slanted (= shone with the light moving in a slope) through the narrow window.”
2. to present information in a particular way, especially showing one group of people, one side of an argument, etc. in such a positive or negative way that it is unfair [T often disapproving]
* “[be slanted against/towards] The police claimed that reports in the media were slanted against/towards the defendant.”
slant
uk |slɑːnt| us |slænt|
noun
1. a position or direction that is sloping [S]
* “[on a slant] The car was parked on a slant.”
* “[at a slant] The snow came down at a slant.”
2. a particular way of showing or looking at something [C usually singular]
* “The book had a personal/political/sociological slant.”
3. in American football, a play (= period of action) in which a player runs forward and then turns to run diagonally to catch a ball thrown by the quarterback (also slant route)
* “The receiver ran a slant and caught a pass for a first down.”
* “Because he is shorter than other receivers, he is good on short passes and slant routes.”
