UNITS 9&10 • PAT

Question 1

blurt something out

uk |blɜːt| us |blɝːt|

verb

Answer 1

1. to say something suddenly and without thinking, usually because you are excited or nervous
* “He blurted everything out about the baby, though we’d agreed to keep it a secret for a while.”
* ”[+ speech] She suddenly blurted out, “I can’t do it!””
* ”[+ that] Late one evening, Gianni blurted out that he loved her.”

Question 2

catch on

uk |kætʃ| us |kætʃ|

verb

Answer 2

1. to become fashionable or popular
* “I wonder if the game will ever catch on with young people?”

2. to understand, especially after a long time [informal]
* “He doesn’t take hints very easily, but he’ll catch on (to what you’re saying) eventually.”

Question 3

come out

uk |kʌm| us |kʌm|

verb

Answer 3

1. to go somewhere with someone for a social event [UK]
* “Would you like to come out for a drink sometime?”

2. If a book, record, film, etc. comes out, it becomes available for people to buy or see
* “When does their new album come out?”

3. When the sun, moon, or stars come out, they appear in the sky
* “The clouds finally parted and the sun came out.”

4. If something comes out, it becomes known publicly after it has been kept secret
* “[it comes out that] After her death, it came out that she’d lied about her age.”
* “When the truth came out, there was public outrage.”

5. If information, results, etc. come out, they are given to people
* “The exam results come out in August.”

6. to tell people that you are gay, queer, transgender, non-binary, or another identity that is not heterosexual (= sexually attracted to men if you are a woman and women if you are a man)or cisgender (= having a gender that matches the body you were born with), often after having kept this a secret from them for some time
* “[come out as] He was the first CEO of a major company to come out as gay.”
* “Seeing LGBTQ+ characters represented on television has helped many young people come out to their families.”

Question 4

come out with something

uk |kʌm| us |kʌm|

verb

Answer 4

1. to say something suddenly and unexpectedly
* “He comes out with the strangest things!”
* “She comes out with some good ideas though.”

Question 5

dry something up

uk |draɪ| us |draɪ|

verb

Answer 5

1. to dry plates, cups, etc. with a cloth after they have been washed

Question 6

dry up

uk |draɪ| us |draɪ|

verb

Answer 6

1. If a river, lake, etc. dries up, the water in it disappears.

2. If a supply of something dries up, it ends
* “His main source of work had dried up, leaving him short of money.”

Question 7

get something across

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 7

1. to manage to make someone understand or believe something
* “[get your point across] We tried to get our point across, but he just wouldn’t listen.”
* “[get a message across] This is the message that we want to get across to the public.”

Question 8

get around

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 8

1. to travel to a lot of places
* “Spain last week and Germany this week - he gets around, doesn’t he!”

2. to be able to go to different places without difficulty, especially if you are old or ill
* “My grandmother is finding it harder to get around these days.”

Question 9

get around something

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 9

1. →get round something UK

Question 10

get through

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 10

1. to succeed in talking to someone on the phone
* “I tried to call her but couldn’t get through.”
* “[get through to] I got through to the wrong department.”

Question 11

get through something

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 11

1. to succeed in an exam or competition
* “She got through her exams without too much trouble.”

2. to finish something
* “I can get through a lot more work when I’m on my own.”
* “We’ve got a lot to get through today.”

3. to use up something [UK (US go through)]
* “We’re getting through a lot of coffee/toilet paper.”
* “She gets through ten bars of chocolate each week.”

Question 12

get (someone) through something

uk |ɡet| us |ɡet|

verb

Answer 12

1. to deal with a difficult or unpleasant experience, or to help someone do this
* “I don’t know how I got through the first couple of months after Andy’s death.”
* “We need to conserve our supplies so we can get through the winter.”

Question 13

let on

uk |let| us |let|

verb

Answer 13

1. to tell other people about something that you know, especially when it is a secret
* “I suspect he knows more than he’s letting on.”

Question 14

pass on

uk |pɑːs| us |pæs|

verb

Answer 14

1. [polite expression for] die
* “It’s important to remember friends and family who have passed on.”

Question 15

pass on something

uk |pɑːs| us |pæs|

verb

Answer 15

1. to refuse an opportunity or decide not to take part in something
* “He passed on the chance to be head coach and took a job in Florida.”

Question 16

pass something on

uk |pɑːs| us |pæs|

verb

Answer 16

1. to tell someone something that another person has told you
* “If he provided us with any information, no one passed it on to me.”

2. to give someone something that another person has given you
* “Could you pass it on to Laura when you’ve finished reading it?”

3. to give a disease to another person
* “It’s possible to pass on the virus to others through physical contact.”

Question 17

put something across

uk |pʊt| us |pʊt|

verb

Answer 17

1. to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them easily
* “It’s an interesting idea and I thought he put it across well.”

Question 18

put yourself across

uk |pʊt| us |pʊt|

verb

Answer 18

1. to express your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them and realize what you are like as a person
* “I don’t think I managed to put myself across very well in my interview.”

Question 19

set something down

uk |set| us |set|

verb

Answer 19

1. to write or print something, especially to record it in a formal document [often passive]
* “The rules of the club are set down in the members’ handbook.”

2. to land an aircraft

Question 20

set someone down

uk |set| us |set|

verb

Answer 20

1. If a vehicle sets down a passenger, it stops so that the passenger can get out [mainly UK]
* “The cab set us down a long way from our hotel, and we had to walk.”

Question 21

shout someone down

uk |ʃaʊt| us |ʃaʊt|

verb

Answer 21

1. to prevent someone who is speaking at a meeting from being heard, by shouting
* “She was shouted down when she tried to speak on the issue of abortion.”

Question 22

speak out

us |spik|

verb

Answer 22

1. to say in public what you think about something such as a law or an official plan or action
* “He spoke out against the school’s admissions policy.”

Question 23

talk something over

uk |tɔːk| us |tɑːk|

verb

Answer 23

1. to discuss a problem or situation with someone, often to find out their opinion or to get advice before making a decision about it
* “[talk something over with someone] I’d like to talk it over with my wife first.”

Question 24

talk someone round

uk |tɔːk| us |tɑːk|

verb

Answer 24

1. to persuade someone to agree with you or to do what you want them to do
* “She’s not keen on the idea but we think we can talk her round.”

Question 25

**ask about someone** | us |æsk| uk |ɑːsk| ## Footnote verb

Answer 25

**1. to ask for information about someone, especially about his or her health** * *"Tell your father I was asking about him."*

Question 26

**for the asking** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 26

**1. easily available** * *"There are a lot of organizations that have scholarship money for the asking."*

Question 27

**asking for trouble** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 27

**1. behaving in a way that is likely to cause problems for you** * *"If you wear light shoes for a long walk you're asking for trouble."* * *"He knows Mom doesn't like it when he stays out this late. He's asking for it!"*

Question 28

**ask around** | uk |ɑːsk| us |æsk| ## Footnote verb

Answer 28

**1. to ask a lot of different people in order to get information or help** * *"Our babysitter's just moved away, so we're asking around for a replacement."*

Question 29

**read (someone) the riot act** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 29

**1. to speak angrily to someone about something they have done and warn that person that they will be punished if it happens again** * *"He'd put up with a lot of bad behaviour from his son and thought it was time to read him the riot act."*

Question 30

**in my book** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 30

**1. in my opinion** * *"She's never lied to me, and in my book that counts for a lot."*

Question 31

**in someone's bad books** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 31

**1. If you are in someone's bad books or black books, they are angry with you** * *"He's in Melanie's bad books because he arrived two hours late."* * *"She hasn't visited her relatives in Ireland for a long time, so she knows she's in her aunt's black books."*

Question 32

**in someone's good books** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 32

**1. If you are in someone's good books, they are pleased with you** * *"I cleaned the bathroom yesterday so I'm in Dad's good books."*

Question 33

**in someone's words** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 33

**1. used when you repeat what someone said** * *"His wife, Mary, was 25 years his junior and, in his words, "my guiding light"."*

Question 34

**discussion** | uk |dɪˈskʌʃ.ən| us |dɪˈskʌʃ.ən| ## Footnote noun

Answer 34

**1. the activity in which people talk about something and tell each other their ideas or opinions** * *"[hold/have discussions with] We will hold/have discussions with employee representatives about possible redundancies."* * *"[under discussion] The matter is still under discussion (= being considered)."* * *"a discussion group/document"*

Question 35

**to the letter** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 35

**1. If you obey instructions or rules to the letter, you do exactly what you have been told to do, giving great attention to every detail** * *"I followed the instructions to the letter and it still went wrong."*

Question 36

**the letter of the law** | ‎ ## Footnote phrase

Answer 36

**1. the exact words of the law and not its more important general meaning** * *"She abided by the letter of the law, but not the spirit of the law."* * *"I suppose that his application is valid according to the letter of the law."* * *"The letter of the law prohibits jaywalking, but few police officers will ticket jaywalkers."* * *"I believe that we must follow the letter of the law strictly if we want to be equitable."*

Question 37

**letter bomb** | uk |ˈlet.ə ˌbɒm| us |ˈlet̬.ɚ ˌbɑːm| ## Footnote noun

Answer 37

**1. a small bomb that is put in an envelope or parcel and posted to someone**

Question 38

**letterbox** | uk |ˈlet.ə.bɒks| us |ˈlet̬.ɚ.bɑːks| ## Footnote noun

Answer 38

**1. a rectangular hole in the door or in a wall near the entrance of a house or other building, through which letters, etc. are delivered [C UK (US mail slot)]** **2. a metal container in the street or other public place in which you can put letters for them to be collected and sent to someone else [C UK (US mailbox)]** **3. a way of showing widescreen images on a screen that is not intended for this, by having an empty area, usually black, at the top and bottom of the screen, or a screen with empty areas like this [C/U theatre & film, media specialized]** * *"I don't see what's wrong with watching films in letterbox."* * *"People are watching movies on the 10-inch letterbox screen of their mobile devices."*

Question 39

**letterbox** | uk |ˈlet.ə.bɒks| us |ˈlet̬.ɚ.bɑːks| ## Footnote verb

Answer 39

**1. to display a widescreen image on a screen that is not intended for this by having empty areas, usually black, at the top and bottom of the screen [T usually passive theatre & film, media specialized]** * *"The discs included widescreen, letterboxed versions of films, rather than full-frame versions."* * *"21:9 aspect ratio films are letter-boxed with narrow bars at the top and bottom."*

Question 40

**take notice** | ‎ ## Footnote phrase

Answer 40

**1. to give attention to something** * *"I asked him to drive more slowly, but he didn't take any notice."* * *"Take no notice of what your mother says - she's just in a bad mood."* * *"At the time, few took much notice of the event."* * *"A few years ago, everyone would stare but now no one takes any notice."* * *"Nobody seemed to take much notice, or perhaps they pretended not to."* * *"Sam is just being silly - don't take any notice."*

Question 41

**a paper chase** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 41

**1. the activity of dealing with many different documents in order to achieve something** * *"To receive even the smallest amount of financial aid from a college, it's a real paper chase."*

Question 42

**paper over something** | uk |ˈpeɪ.pər| us |ˈpeɪ.pɚ| ## Footnote verb

Answer 42

**1. to hide an unpleasant situation, especially a problem or disagreement, in order to make people believe that it does not exist or is not serious** * *"He tried to paper over the country's deep-seated problems."*

Question 43

**paper round** | uk |ˈpeɪ.pə ˌraʊnd| us |ˈpeɪ.pɚ ˌraʊnd| ## Footnote noun

Answer 43

**1. the job, often done by children, of taking newspapers to people's homes**

Question 44

**paperwork** | uk |ˈpeɪ.pə.wɜːk| us |ˈpeɪ.pɚ.wɝːk| ## Footnote noun

Answer 44

**1. the part of a job that involves writing letters and reports and keeping records** **2. the written records connected with a particular job, deal, trip, etc.** * *"I've kept all the paperwork for the car."*

Question 45

**put/set pen to paper** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 45

**1. to start to write** * *"It's time you put pen to paper and replied to that letter from your mother."*

Question 46

**the pen is mightier than the sword** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 46

**1. said to emphasize that thinking and writing have more influence on people and events than the use of force or violence**

Question 47

**pen pusher** | uk |ˈpen ˌpʊʃ.ər| us |ˈpen ˌpʊʃ.ɚ| ## Footnote noun

Answer 47

**1. a person who has an office job that is not interesting**

Question 48

**pen pal** | uk |ˈpen ˌpæl| us |ˈpen ˌpæl| ## Footnote noun

Answer 48

**1. someone who you exchange letters with as a hobby, but usually have not met** * *"I've got a pen pal in Australia."*

Question 49

**print on demand** | uk |ˌprɪnt ɒn dɪˈmɑːnd| us |ˌprɪnt ɑːn dɪˈmænd| ## Footnote noun

Answer 49

**1. a way of producing books or other documents in which copies are printed only after they have been ordered**

Question 50

**bring someone to book** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 50

**1. to punish someone and make that person explain their behaviour**

Question 51

**read between the lines** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 51

**1. to try to understand someone's real feelings or intentions from what they say or write** * *"Reading between the lines, I'd say he isn't happy with the situation."*

Question 52

**take something as read** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 52

**1. to accept that something is true without making sure that it is** * *"I just took it as read that anyone who applied for the course would have the necessary qualifications."*

Question 53

**on the record** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 53

**1. If you say something on the record, you state it publicly** * *"None of the company directors were prepared to comment on the record yesterday."*

Question 54

**off the record** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 54

**1. If someone says something off the record, they do not want it to be publicly reported** * *"She made it clear that her comments were strictly off the record."*

Question 55

**the last straw** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 55

**1. the latest problem in a series of problems, that makes a situation impossible to accept** * *"The last straw was when the company fired most of the managers."*

Question 56

**say your piece** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 56

**1. to say what you are obviously wanting to say** * *"Just say your piece and then go."*

Question 57

**speak/talk out of turn** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 57

**1. to say something that you should not have said** * *"I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, but I thought you already knew."*

Question 58

**so to speak** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 58

**1. used to explain that what you are saying is not to be understood exactly as stated** * *"In that relationship it's very much Lorna who wears the trousers, so to speak (= Lorna makes all the important decisions)."*

Question 59

**on speaking terms** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 59

**1. friendly enough to talk** * *"We had an argument, but we’re back on speaking terms now."*

Question 60

**speaking as someone** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 60

**1. with the experience of being this type of person** * *"Speaking as a mother of four, I can tell you that children are exhausting."*

Question 61

**talk your way into/out of something** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 61

**1. to persuade people that you should do something/not do something by the reasons you give** * *"He talked his way into the job."* * *"You might be able to talk your way out of most things but you still have to wash the dishes!"*

Question 62

**talk some sense into sb** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 62

**1. to help someone to think about a situation in a reasonable way** * *"She won't listen to me - can you try to talk some sense into her?"*

Question 63

**speak/talk of the devil** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 63

**1. something you say when the person you were talking about appears unexpectedly** * *"Did you hear what happened to Anna yesterday - oh, speak of the devil, here she is."*

Question 64

**tell it like it is** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 64

**1. to describe a situation honestly without avoiding any unpleasant details** * *"I want a newspaper that tells it like it is, without any opinion or political bias."*

Question 65

**chance would be a fine thing** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 65

**1. said when you would very much like something to happen but there is no possibility that it will** * *""You should relax a bit more." "Chance would be a fine thing.""*

Question 66

**on the understanding** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 66

**1. according to someone's promise or statement** * *"We purchased the computer on the understanding that it could be returned within ten days."*

Question 67

**put in a good word for someone** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 67

**1. to say positive things about someone** * *"I really need a job and I was hoping you might put in a good word for me with your boss."*

Question 68

**spread the word** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 68

**1. to communicate a message to a lot of people** * *"We've arranged a meeting for next Thursday so if you see anyone do spread the word."*

Question 69

**say the word** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 69

**1. used to tell someone that you will do what they want at the time they ask you** * *"You only have to/Just say the word, and I'll come and help."*

Question 70

**from the word go** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 70

**1. from the start of something** * *"[right from the word go] The bridge-building project had problems with funding right from the word go."*

Question 71

**word-of-mouth** | uk |ˌwɜːd.əvˈmaʊθ| us |ˌwɝːd.əvˈmaʊθ| ## Footnote adjective

Answer 71

**1. given or done by people talking about something or telling people about something** * *"We get most of our work through word-of-mouth recommendations."* * *"word-of-mouth publicity"*

Question 72

**in other words** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 72

**1. to explain it more clearly** * *"He was economical with the truth – in other words, he lied."*

Question 73

**nothing to write home about** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 73

**1. not exciting or special** * *"Their performance was nothing to write home about."*

Question 74

**big mouth** | uk |ˈbɪɡ ˌmaʊθ| us |ˈbɪɡ ˌmaʊθ| ## Footnote noun

Answer 74

**1. If someone is or has a big mouth, they often say things that are meant to be kept secret** * *"He has such a big mouth."* * *"He went and opened his big mouth and told them the whole story."*

Question 75

**come clean** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 75

**1. to tell the truth about something that you have been keeping secret** * *"[come clean with] I thought it was time to come clean with everybody."* * *"[come clean about] I thought it was time to come clean about what I'd been doing."*

Question 76

**get something off your chest** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 76

**1. to tell someone about something that has been worrying you or making you feel guilty for a long time** * *"I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my chest."*

Question 77

**get the wrong end of the stick** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 77

**1. to not understand a situation correctly** * *"Her friend saw us arrive at the party together and got the wrong end of the stick."*

Question 78

**give your word** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 78

**1. to promise** * *"He gave his word that he would marry her and she had no cause to doubt him."*

Question 79

**hear (something) through/on the grapevine** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 79

**1. to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone else** * *"I heard through the grapevine that he was leaving - is it true?"*

Question 80

**keep someone posted** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 80

**1. to make sure someone knows what is happening, esp. in a situation that is quickly changing** * *"The doctors kept me posted about her condition."*

Question 81

**pull something out of a/your hat** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 81

**1. to do something unexpected that suddenly improves a bad situation (UK pull something out of the bag/hat)**

Question 82

**lay your cards on the table** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 82

**1. to be honest and not hide what you are thinking or doing** * *"I'm going to lay my cards on the table here, and say that I don't know what to do."*

Question 83

**speak volumes** | ‎ ## Footnote idiom

Answer 83

**1. If something speaks volumes, it makes an opinion, characteristic, or situation very clear without the use of words** * *"She said very little but her face spoke volumes."*