1 - 6 & handouts |
||
to take pot luck |
choose sth or go somewhere without knowing very much about it, but hope that it will be good, pleasant, etc. |
|
by rights |
if justice were done |
|
slip one's mind |
forget sth or forget to do sth |
|
to pick someone's brains |
to ask sb a lot of questions about sth because they know more about the subject than you do |
|
within earshot |
near enough to hear sb/sth or to be heard |
|
to bark up the wrong tree |
to have the wrong idea about how to get or achieve sth |
|
to push one's luck |
to take a risk because you have successfully avoided problems in the past |
|
left, right and centre |
in all directions; everywhere |
|
sprawl |
a part of a city that starts to spread into the countryside in a way tat is ugly and not carefully planned |
|
disparity |
difference between two things |
|
merge |
to combine or make two or more things combine to form a single thing |
|
urban dweller |
a person living in the city |
|
farmland |
land that is used for farming |
|
egalitarian |
based on, or holding, the belief that everyone is equal and should have the same rights and opportunities |
|
tipping point |
the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to a new and irreversible situation |
|
unprecedented |
never having happened or existed before |
|
marginal |
by only a very small amount |
|
cluster |
to form a small, close group |
|
rebuke |
to speak severely to sb because they have done sth wrong |
|
invariably |
always |
|
torrent |
a large amount of sth that comes suddenly and violently |
|
foul-mouthed |
swearing too much |
|
damage |
an amount of money that a court decides should be paid to sb by the person, company, etc. that has caused them harm or injury |
|
bobby on the bit |
policeman on duty |
|
predicament |
problem |
|
expatriate |
sb who lives in other country |
|
salvation *final salvation* |
the state of being saved from the power of evil |
|
cease |
to stop happening or existing |
|
bank holiday |
a public holiday, for example Christmas Day, New Year's Day |
|
law-abiding |
obeying and respecting the law |
|
cut a dash |
to look very impressive and attractive in particular clothes (old-fashioned) |
|
be / come to the fore |
to be / become important and noticed by people, to play an important part |
|
mere |
used to emphasize that sth is not large or important |
|
mitigation |
a reduction in how unpleasant, serious etc. sth is (formal) |
|
prophecy, forecast |
prediction |
|
plight |
a difficult and sad situation |
|
relatively |
fairly, quite |
|
vulnerable |
weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally |
|
levy |
an extra amount of money that has to be paid, especially as a tax to the government |
|
fraction |
a small part or amount of sth |
|
scheme |
an officially organized plan or system |
|
spur |
to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster |
|
poignant |
having a strong effect on your feeling, especially in a way that makes you feel sad, moving |
|
aid |
help |
|
relocation |
moving from one place to another |
|
crouch |
to squat, to bend |
|
chase |
to run after, to pursuit |
|
trapped |
to be cornered; to be caught |
|
land |
to touch down, to disembark |
|
label |
name, categorize |
|
fragile |
delicate, frail, weak |
|
be on the breadline |
be very poor |
|
live in the lap of luxury |
live an extremely comfortable life |
|
well off / well to do / well heeled |
having plenty of money |
|
spend money like water |
spend too much, often without thinking about it |
|
tighten your belt |
spend less than you did before, economize |
|
make a killing |
earn a lot of money very easily |
|
be a money spinner |
be a successful way of making money |
|
pay through the nose |
pay a lot of money |
|
be a rip-off |
sth that is not worth the money tat you paid for it |
|
(spend / cost) a small fortune |
a lot of money (informal) |
|
pick up the tab / bill |
pay for sth, often sth that is not your responsibility (informal) |
|
at a considerable price |
by sacrificing a lot or by doing sth unpleasant in order to get it |
|
put paid to |
stop someone from doing sth that they were planning to do |
|
pay the price for |
experience the unpleasant consequences of |
|
spent money like there was no tomorrow |
spend money like water |
|
move the goalposts |
change the rules |
|
be in the saddle |
be in charge |
|
blow hot and cold |
someone who does it is enthusiastic at one time and not at another |
|
bloke |
boyfriend (informal) |
|
spectacles / specs |
glasses |
|
PTO |
please turn over |
|
RSVP |
reply please |
|
FYI |
for your information |
|
AFK |
away from keyboard |
|
EZ |
easy |
|
pcm |
per calendar month |
|
excl |
excluding |
|
pw |
per week |
|
f/f |
fully furnished |
|
s/c |
self-contained (has all it needs within itself) |
|
n/s |
non-smoking |
|
prof |
professional |
|
all mod cons |
all modern conveniences |
|
ch |
central heating |
|
d/g |
double garage |
|
o.n.o |
or nearest offer |
|
amber |
yellowy-orange precious stone |
|
lexicon |
vocabulary |
|
linguistic consequences |
results affecting language |
|
roster |
list of people's turns for jobs |
|
tabby |
female or stripy cat |
|
gimmick |
frivolous way of attracting attention |
|
tonic |
medicine to make you feel more lively |
|
cot |
child's bed with high vertical sides |
|
mumps |
a childhood illness |
|
hara-kiri |
type of ceremonial suicide |
|
palaver |
unnecessary trouble |
|
intelligentsia |
social class of intellectuals |
|
hammock |
net hung and used as a bed |
|
turban |
type of men's headwear |
|
end up |
finish |
|
upend |
move into a vertical position |
|
hold up |
delay |
|
uphold |
confirm, support |
|
do out |
decorate |
|
outdo |
do better than |
|
7 - At work: colleagues and routines |
||
be one's opposite number |
have the same position; do the same job as one |
|
rapport |
communication / relationship |
|
talk shop |
talk about work (informal) |
|
hierarchical |
gave a structure with powerful and less powerful people |
|
pecking-order |
a system where some people have the right to get benefits / promotions before others |
|
do a job-share |
have a 50% contract for the same job |
|
clock in / out |
use an electronic card to record the time one arrives and leaves job each day |
|
nine-to-five job |
work fixed hours |
|
be on / work flexi-time |
not to have fixed working hours |
|
(work) freelance |
work for different companies at different times |
|
meet a deadline |
have sth finished by a fixed day / time |
|
heavy workload |
amount of work one has to do |
|
mechanical (work) |
don't have to think about what you are doing |
|
repetitive |
the same thing every day |
|
knock off |
finish work (e.g. at 3 pm) |
|
monotonous |
boring because it never changes |
|
manual |
hard and physically |
|
vocational (work) |
which helps people |
|
glamorous |
very exciting, which everyone admires |
|
irregular and antisocial |
do not enable one to have a normal social life |
|
stuck behind a desk |
sit in an office all day (informal) |
|
stuck in a rut |
stuck in a job one can't escape from |
|
dead-end job |
job without prospects of promotion |
|
8 - At work: career and promotion |
||
achiever |
person determined to succeed and achieve great things |
|
basic |
guaranteed minimum salary without overtime or bonuses |
|
drive |
strong motivation |
|
rewarding |
giving you a lot back |
|
close-knit |
working in a close relationship |
|
fit description |
have certain qualities |
|
to look to work in |
to hope to work in |
|
maternity / paternity leave |
time away from work to have a new baby |
|
perk (informal) / (extra) benefits (formal) |
extra things apart from salary e.g. a car |
|
holiday entitlement |
number of days you have the right to take as holiday |
|
reach / hit a glass ceiling |
reach level where you cannot get further promotion |
|
overworked and underpaid |
often said together as a humorously fixed expression |
|
9 - Business I |
||
tlesales / telemarketing |
selling or marketing goods and services by phone |
|
cold-calling |
phoning people who have not requested a call in order to try to sell them sth |
|
hard sell |
attempt to sell sth by being very forceful |
|
inertia selling |
when a company behaves as if you agreed to buy sth because you did not actually refuse it |
|
confusion marketing |
selling products and services in a package, in a way that makes it very difficult to work out which company is cheapest |
|
loss leader |
when some items are sold very cheaply just to attract a lot of people into the shop where they will also buy more profitable items |
|
niche market |
market selling specialised items for customers with particular interests |
|
brand locality |
confidence in that particular make and a tendency always to choose it |
|
shop around |
try different companies or shops to see which offers best value |
|
buy sth on approval |
have the right to return it if it is not satisfactory |
|
first refusal on sth |
the right to decide whether to accept or refuse sth before it is offered to others |
|
come / go under the hammer |
sale of goods at an auction |
|
red tape |
bureaucracy (negative) |
|
merging |
joining together to form one new company |
|
reach a compromise |
come to an agreement in which both sides have to give in a little bit on what they would have otherwise liked |
|
hammer out a deal |
talk seriously and in detail until a business agreement is made |
|
swallow up |
take over by a larger company (slightly negative) |
|
entrepreneurship / ˌɒntr ə prə ˈnɜːʃɪp / |
involvement in business and taking financial risks |
|
capital assets |
buildings and machines owned by a company |
|
10 - Business II |
||
to put in / submit a tender |
to supply a written offer to do a job for an agreed price |
|
to win a tender |
to be given a job, after submitting a tender |
|
to meet / miss a deadline |
to supply / fail to supply sth by the agreed time |
|
a penalty clause |
part of a contract specifying what will happen if an agreement is broken |
|
an outstanding account |
an account that has not yet been paid |
|
to default on a payment |
to fail to pay sth that had been agreed |
|
to acknowledge receipt |
to inform the sender when sth is received |
|
morale |
amount of confidence felt by a person or group |
|
flaw |
weakness |
|
11 - Cramming for success: study and academic work |
||
cram |
study intensively for a short time |
|
rote-learning |
learning purely by repetition |
|
mnemonics / nɪ ˈmɒn ɪks / |
tricks that help you remember sth |
|
bury yourself in your books |
spend the maximum time studying |
|
know the subject inside out |
know the subject completely |
|
composition |
50 up to 100 words, often used to refer to children's work |
|
essay |
longer than a composition, more serious, hundreds or even thousands of words |
|
assignment |
a long essay, often part of a course, usually thousands of words |
|
project |
like an assignment, but emphasis on student's own material and topic |
|
portfolio |
a collection of individual pieces of work, not necessarily written |
|
dissertation / ˌdɪs ə ˈteɪʃ ən / |
a long, research-based work, 10 to 15.000 words, for a degree or diploma |
|
thesis |
a very long, original, research-based work, perhaps 80 to 100.000 words, for a higher degree (e.g. PhD) |
|
mind-map |
diagram that lays out ideas for the topic and how they are connected to one another |
|
plagiarism / ˈpleɪdʒ ə ˌrɪz əm / |
using other people's work as if it was yours |
|
submit |
hand in (formal) |
|
feedback |
comments from the teacher / tutor |
|
carry out |
do |
|
inter-library loan |
system where libraries exchange books/journals with one another |
|
drop out |
leave the course before the end because they cannot cope |
|
finals |
the last exams before receiving a degree |
|
fall behind with |
find yourself far behind other students |
|
breeze through the exams |
do exams calmly and efficiently |
|
get the hang of sth |
understand sth |
|
go blank |
become empty |
|
12 - Education: debates and issues
|
||
equality of opportunity |
when everyone has the same chances |
|
selective (debate) |
pupils take exams for debate entry |
|
comprehensive (debate) |
everyone enters without exams |
|
schooling |
education received at school |
|
elitism |
when you favour a small, privileged group |
|
inherent in sth |
existing as a basic part of sth |
|
league tables |
lists of schools or colleges from the best down to the worst |
|
perpetuate |
make sth continue forever |
|
two-tier system |
a system whit two separate levels, one of which is better than the other |
|
better-off |
richer |
|
well-endowed (schools) |
receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people, etc. |
|
depressing |
reducing |
|
syllabus |
a list of the topics, books, etc. that students should study in a particular subject at school or college |
|
excel |
achieve an excellent standard |
|
the three Rs |
reading, writing and arithmetic, the traditional, basic skills |
|
literacy & numeracy |
ability to read & count |
|
curriculum reform |
changes to the educational programme, e.g. the national syllabus |
|
lifelong / continuing education |
education for all ages |
|
mature student |
adult student older than the average student |
|
special needs education |
education for children who cannot learn in the normal way |
|
one-to-one |
one teacher and one pupil |
|
provision |
the act of supplying sb with sth that they need or want; sth that is supplied |
|
PTA |
group consisting of teachers and parents who meet regularly |
|
school governors |
group which oversees all the business of the school |
|
supply teacher |
teacher who works in a school when needed e.g. if someone is sick |
|
peripatetic teacher / ˌper ɪ pə ˈtet ɪk / |
teacher who works in different schools and travels between them |
|
13 - Talking about yourself |
||
opportunistic |
using situations for own benefit |
|
methodical |
systematic, careful |
|
chauvinistic |
too patriotic |
|
to get carried away |
become too excited and lose control |
|
obliging |
ready to help |
|
gallant |
(of man) polite to women |
|
superficial |
not caring about things that upset offend people |
|
sagacious |
wise |
|
intuitive |
understanding instinctively |
|
procrastinate |
delay doing sth |
|
placid |
calm, does not easily become excited or angry |
|
plagued by worry / pleɪɡd / |
troubled or distressed by |
|
magnetic personality |
personality tht attracts people to you |
|
self-seeking |
wanting to gain advantage for oneself |
|
shrewd / ʃruːd / |
having good judgement |
|
flashy |
expensive or impressive |
|
altruistic |
thinking of others rather than oneself |
|
morose |
gloomy |
|
sharp-tongued |
inclined to speak in a severe and critical way |
|
a fault-finder |
critical personality |
|
downfall |
cause of destruction |
|
adj. affectionate /əˈfekʃənət/ n. affection |
showing caring feelings and love for sb |
|
stingy /ˈstɪndʒi/ |
not given or giving willingly; not generous, especially with money |
|
unstinting |
given or giving generously |
|
immoderate |
extreme; not reasonable |
|
astute |
very clever and quick at seeing what to do in a particular situation, especially how to get an advantage |
|
sly |
(disapproving) acting or done in a secret or dishonest way, often intending to trick people |
|
resolute, dogged |
having or showing great determination, not giving up easily |
|
mulish /ˈmjuːlɪʃ/ |
stubborn |
|
sober |
serious |
|
sullen, morose |
bad-tempered and not speaking, either on a particular occasion or because it is part of your character |
|
thrifty, frugal |
careful about spending money and not wasting things |
|
parsimonious /ˌpɑːsɪˈməʊniəs/ (formal) |
extremely unwilling to spend money |
|
pithy (approving) (of a comment, piece of writing, etc.) |
short but expressed well and full of meaning |
|
terse /tɜːs/ |
using few words and often not seeming polite or friendly |
|
unprincipled, unscrupulous |
without moral principles, dishonest |
|
thick-skinned |
(of a person) not easily upset by criticism or unkind comments |
|
lowbrow |
having no connection with or interest in serious artistic or cultural ideas |
|
14 - Relationships: positive aspects |
||
only have eyes for someone |
be only attracted to someone |
|
platonic relationship |
affectionate relationship between people of the opposite sex that is not sexual |
|
be infatuated with |
be romantically obsessed with |
|
be besotted with |
to be almost stupidly or blindly in love with |
|
hit it off |
liked each other the moment we met |
|
lifelong companion |
friend who is with one all one's life |
|
a man/woman after one's own heart |
someone you admire because they do or think the same as you |
|
to get on like a house on fire |
have a very good, enjoyable relationship |
|
bosom friends / buddies / pals |
very close, good friends |
|
kindred spirits |
people who are very similar to each other in the way they think |
|
a well-matched couple |
couple that seems to be perfect |
|
family ties |
family bonds |
|
adj. amiable /ˈeɪmiəbl/ n. amiability /ˌeɪmiəˈbɪləti/ |
pleasant; friendly and easy to like |
|
adj. considerate, n. consideration |
always thinking of other people's wishes and feelings; careful not to hurt or upset others |
|
adj. fond, n. fondness |
finding sth pleasant or enjoyable, especially sth you have liked or enjoyed for a long time |
|
15 - Relationships: problems |
||
ally /ˈælaɪ/ |
a person who helps and supports sb who is in a difficult situation, especially a politician |
|
casual acquaintance |
person you know, but not very well |
|
supportive |
always supports you |
|
supportive |
critical |
|
allies |
countries which fight on the same side |
|
bitter rivals |
people in competition with each other in an aggressive and negative way |
|
staunch |
strong and loyal in your opinions and attitude |
|
discord |
disagreement and discontent |
|
not to see eye to eye |
have different opinions |
|
turn sour |
become bad |
|
to have one's ups and downs |
have good and bad times |
|
bumpy relationship |
up and down like a car on a road with bumps |
|
family feud /fjuːd/ |
quarrel in a family causing bad feeling for many years |
|
a broken home |
family split up by divorce |
|
16 - Passions: reactions and emotions |
||
crave / have a craving for |
to have a very strong desire for sth |
|
hanker after / have a hankering for |
to have a strong desire for sth you usually cannot have |
|
thirst / have a thirst for / hunger for |
a strong desire for sth |
|
yearn to do / yearn for / have a yearning for |
desire for something that you don't have and, often, can never have |
|
to covet |
to want to possess sth very much |
|
defuse |
make a dangerous or tense situation calmer |
|
placate |
stop someone feeling angry |
|
conciliate |
end a disagreement between two people or groups by acting in a friendly way towards both sides |
|
appease |
end a disagreement by giving the other side an advantage that they are demanding (used in disapproving way) |
|
implacable |
used about someone's opinions and feelings and means that they cannot be changed |
|
to rejoice |
be extremely happy |
|
exultant |
feeling great pleasure and happiness, usually because of a success |
|
jubilant |
expressing great happiness especially at a victory |
|
rapture, adj rapturous |
extreme pleasure or happiness |
|
bliss, (adj blissful, adv blissfully happy / ignorant / unaware) |
perfect happiness |
|
full of the joys of spring |
extremely happy |
|
thrilled to bits |
very happy |
|
feel on top of the world / be over the moon / to be on cloud nine |
to feel extremely happy |
|
float / walk on air |
to feel very happy |
|
tantrum |
a sudden short period of angry, unreasonable behaviour, especially in a child |
|
17 - Feelings: antipathies and aversions |
||
antipathy |
feeling of strong, often active, dislike or opposition towards something or someone |
|
hostile |
very unfriendly or aggressive and ready to argue or fight |
|
unsympathetic |
not easy to like, unpleasant, ~to / towards sth not in agreement with sth not supporting an idea |
|
(have / feel an) aversion (to) |
feeling of intense dislike or an unwillingness to do sth |
|
pet aversion |
the thing you dislike the most |
|
averse to |
opposed to, usually used with not *I'm not averse to a good night out* |
|
n. loathing, adj. loathsome, v. loathe |
intense hatred |
|
n. abhorrence, adj. abhorrent, v. abhor |
intense disgust |
|
n. scorn, adj scornful, v. scorn |
lack of respect for sth or someone felt to be worthless |
|
n. revolution, adj revolting, v. revolt |
strong disgust |
|
n. repulsion, adj repulsive, v. repulse |
a feeling of very strong dislike of sth that you find extremely unpleasant |
|
bland |
lacking taste, character or interest (food, etc.) |
|
brash |
too confident, too bright (clothes, etc.) |
|
dowdy |
dull in appearance or lacking style (clothes, person, especially of woman) |
|
fickle |
changing opinions suddenly without reason |
|
fuddy-duddy |
old-fashioned |
|
grasping |
always wanting more money |
|
nit-picking |
meticulous, too concerned about unimportant details |
|
obnoxious |
unpleasant and rude |
|
obsequious |
too eager to praise or obey people |
|
off hand |
showing rude lack of interest in others |
|
officious |
too eager to tell others what to do |
|
ostentatious |
displaying wealth or possessions in a vulgar way |
|
pompous |
too formal and showing that you think that you are more important than other people |
|
pretentious |
trying to appear more serious or important than you really are |
|
puerile |
too silly and childish |
|
sloppy |
not taking care in the way you work |
|
squalid |
very dirty and unpleasant |
|
trite |
lacking in originality, banal |
|
18 - Observing others: appearance and mannerisms |
||
pick one's nose |
removing dirt from it with finger |
|
scrawny |
unattractively thin and bony-looking |
|
lanky |
very tall and thin, and usually moving awkwardly |
|
gangling / gangly |
with long, thin arms and legs and rather awkward movements, often used of man and boys |
|
portly |
with fat stomach and chest, often used humorously about older man |
|
stout |
with a quite fat, solid body |
|
corpulent |
fat |
|
unkempt |
untidy, scruffy |
|
never a hair out of place |
hair that is always neat and tidy |
|
swarthy |
dark-colured, used about skin |
|
sallow |
yellowish and unhealthy-looking |
|
haggard |
showing tiredness and age, with the skin hanging in folds, about face |
|
pout |
push out your lips, to show you are annoyed or to look sexually attractive |
|
grimace |
make an expression of pain or strong dislike |
|
scowl |
give a bad-tempered, angry look |
|
leer |
to look or smile at sb in an unpleasant way that shows an evil or sexual interest in them |
|
fold one's arms |
cross one arm over the other close to one's body |
|
19 - Observing others: character traits |
||
adj. impetuous, n. impetuousness/impetuosity |
acts on a sudden idea without thinking first (negative) |
|
impulsive |
acts on a sudden idea (positive) |
|
effusive |
gives exaggerated expression of pleasure, praise or gratitude |
|
excitable |
easily excited |
|
pushy |
always selfishly promoting one's own position or interests (informal) |
|
adj. garrulous, n. garrulousness / garrulity |
talks too much, especially about unimportant things |
|
taciturn |
reserved or says very little (negative) |
|
introvert |
inward-looking and quiet |
|
extrovert |
outward-looking and sociable |
|
diffident |
lacks confidence, has a low opinion of himself |
|
aloof |
unfriendly and not sociable |
|
haughty |
unfriendly and thinks oneself better than others |
|
adj. disdainful, n. disdain |
does not believe others deserve respect |
|
(un-) approachable |
(not) easy to be sociable with or start a conversation with |
|
conceited |
thinks oneself wonderful |
|
self-important |
has an exaggerated sense of oneself importance |
|
flirt |
makes constant romantic approaches |
|
gullible |
easily deceived |
|
conscientious |
always taking oneself very seriously |
|
adj. pig-headed, n. pig-headedness |
obstinate (more disapproving) |
|
unscrupulous |
lacking in moral principles, prepared to do very bad things |
|
scrupulous |
extremely hones and not wanting to do wrong |
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20 - Birth and death: from cradle to grave |
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make medical history |
do sth medically very unusual |
|
deliver |
help mother to give birth |
|
Caesarean section |
operation in which mother's stomach and womb are cut to allow baby to be born |
|
foetus |
a young human or animal before it is born |
|
fallopian tube |
one of the two tubes in the body of a woman or female animal along which eggs pass from the ovaries to the utevrus |
|
bequest |
money or property that you ask to be given to a particular person when you die |
|
placenta |
tissue joining the foetus i.e. the developing baby, to the mother and giving it food |
|
uterus |
womb (medical) |
|
ectopic pregnancy |
when the egg develops outside the womb in the fallopian tubes, which link the ovaries to the womb |
|
ovary |
either of the two organs in a woman's body that produce eggs |
|
conceive (a child) |
become pregnant |
|
termination |
intentional ending of a pregnancy, usually by a medical operation (aka abortion) |
|
miscarriage |
the process of giving birth to a baby before it is fully developed and able to survive |
|
labour |
the period of time or the process of giving birth to a baby |
|
fertilise |
to join sperm with an egg so that a baby or young animal develops |
|
to live to a ripe old age |
living well into old age |
|
late |
now dead |
|
sheltered accommodation |
special housing, usually for old people, where care staff also live |
|
to keep/have all one's wits about one |
to be able to think and react quickly |
|
cremation |
service where a dead body is burned |
|
to scatter ashes |
throw the remains of body after cremation |
|
obituary |
newspaper article giving details about the lives of people who have died |
|
to be close to death (informal) |
to be at death's door, to be on one's last legs |
|
to die |
to pass away, to pass on, to perish |
|
fatalities |
dead people |
|
slaughter |
kill violently |
|
the deceased |
the dead person |
|
to bequeath |
to leave sth |
|
to die intestate |
to die without having made a will |
|
21 - Free time: relaxation and leisure |
||
rewarding |
giving a lot of positive experiences |
|
fruitful |
producing good results |
|
therapeutic |
making one healthy in body and/or mind |
|
time-consuming |
taking a lot of time |
|
culture vulture |
big fan of anything cultural |
|
couch potato |
physically very inactive person |
|
dabbler |
person who never keeps doing one activity for long |
|
doer |
person who believes in acting and doing things, not just thinking |
|
Shopa-, worka-, chocka- holic |
person addicted to... |
|
split fifty / fifty |
divided quality |
|
be into |
take great interest in / be very involved in |
|
go off |
stop linking / lost interest in |
|
lock oneself away |
isolate oneself from the world |
|
be hooked on |
be addicted to |
|
get up to *what do you get up to at weekends?* |
do (informal) |
|
(have a) full diary |
(to have) a lot of commitments / activities |
|
22 - All the rage: clothes and fashion |
||
scruff |
dirty and untidy person |
|
pastel |
in pale colours |
|
power outfits |
formal clothes to make you seem powerful |
|
frumpy |
old-fashioned and boring |
|
outfit |
set of clothes for a particular occasion |
|
dress code |
accepted way of dressing in a particular social group |
|
dress down *in offices many staff dress down on Friday* |
wear less formal clothes |
|
smart-casual clothes |
clothes that are informal but clean, tidy and stylish |
|
dressy |
suitable for formal occasions |
|
skimpy |
close-fitting, using little material |
|
baggy |
loose, e.g. of sweater |
|
snazzy |
modern, stylish |
|
designer / label clothes |
clothes produced by popular brands |
|
(buy clothes) off the peg / rack clothes / on the high street |
(buy clothes) made to a standard average size and not made especially to fit you |
|
be all the rage |
be very fashionable |
|
the height of fashion |
an extremely fashionable way |
|
up-to-the-minute |
dealing with the most recent trends |
|
set a new trend for |
start a new fashion |
|
ahead of ones time |
have new ideas or opinions before the are fashionable |
|
catch on |
become popular |
|
slave of / to fashion |
someone who is strongly influenced by fashion |
|
(speak) off the cuff |
(speak) without having prepared anything |
|
to be hand in glove with someone |
to have a close working relationship with someone |
|
to have / take the shirt of someone's back |
someone's last possession |
|
to do sth on a shoestring |
spending as little as possible |
|
without frills |
simple and plain |
|
to put someone in a straitjacket |
restrict someone's freedom |
|
to wear the trousers |
to be the dominant partner in a marriage |
|
dagger |
a short pointed knife that is used as a weapon |
|
frill |
a narrow strip of cloth with a lot of folds that is attached to the edge of a dress, curtain, etc. to decorate it |
|
cloak |
a type of coat that has no sleeves, fastens at the neck and hangs loosely from the shoulders, worn especially in the past |
|
hem sb / sth in |
to surround sb/sth so that they cannot move or grow easily |
|
be bursting / bulging at the seams (informal) |
to be very full, especially of people |
|
cloak in sth |
to cover or hide sth |
|
a feather (pióro) in ones cap |
an action that you can be proud of |
|
23 - Homestyles, lifestyles |
||
a squat |
an empty building where people start living without the owner's permission |
|
a hovel |
a very poor, dirty house or flat in a bad condition |
|
a pied a terre |
a small flat or house in a city owned or rented by people in addition to their main home and used when they are visiting the city |
|
a penthouse |
a luxury flat at the top of a building |
|
council housing |
flats provided by the state for people who cannot afford to buy their own homes |
|
high-rise flat |
a flat in a tall, modern building with a lot of floors |
|
a granny flat |
a set of rooms for an elderly person, connected to a relative's house |
|
minimalism |
a style which involves using the smallest possible range of materials, colours etc. |
|
post-modernism |
a style of architecture, the arts which includes features from several different periods |
|
New Age |
a way of life and thinking includes a wide range of beliefs and activities e.g. alternative medicine, astrology |
|
subsistence farming |
farming where people live by growing just enough foood for their own family |
|
a household word / name |
sth everyone knows |
|
(a drink) on the house |
a free (drink) |
|
home truths |
information that is true but not pleasant or welcome |
|
nothing to write home about |
nothing special |
|
hit home |
become fully understood or fully felt |
|
That's the story of my life |
that's what always happens to me (used humorously) |
|
have the time of your lie |
have a wonderful time |
|
get a new lease of life |
become more energetic and active than before |
|
a dog's life |
a very unhappy and difficult life |
|
24 - Socialising and networking |
||
A housewarming (party) |
a party to celebrate moving to a new house or flat |
|
a launch (party) |
a party to celebrate the publication of a new book or product |
|
a stag party |
a party before a wedding for the future husband and his male friends |
|
a girls' night out / a hen party |
an evening just for female friends spent at a restaurant, theatre or club, a hen party is usually just before one of them gets married |
|
a reception |
a formal party, e.g. after a wedding or to meet an important visitor |
|
a black / white tie event |
a formal party at which men have to wear black / white bow ties |
|
socialising |
meeting people purely for pleasure |
|
networking |
making contacts that will be useful to one's business or career |
|
old school tie / old boy network |
contacts made by the children of the traditional ruling class while at expensive private schools |
|
pro-active |
taking action yourself rather than waiting for sth to happen |
|
put oneself about |
make oneself visible in the hope of being noticed by someone important and, thus, help oneself to climb the career ladder |
|
to hobnob |
to be friendly with someone who is important or famous (negative) |
|
to rub shoulders with |
to mix socially with people who are famous (informal) |
|
hang out with / knock around with |
spend social time with |
|
a bash / do / get-together / booze up |
a party (last one connects with drinking a lot of alcohol) |
|
outstay one's welcome |
stay too long |
|
party animal |
someone who loves going to parties |
|
party pooper |
someone who spoils parties by being disapproving or miserable |
|
go out on the town |
enjoy the entertainments in a town e.g. pubs, bars, clubs |
|
chummy / pally |
friendly |
|
a clique, v. be cliquey |
a small group of people who spend time together and do not allow others to in them (disapproving) |
|
be an item |
have a romantic relationship |
|
stay someone up *I'd drop him if he ever stood me up* |
fail to turn up for a date |
|
go on a pub crawl |
go clubbing |
|
25 - The performance arts: reviews & critiques |
||
hackneyed |
done so often it is boring |
|
impenetrable |
complex and impossible to understand |
|
disjointed |
unconnected and not in a clear order |
|
far-fetched |
impossible to believe |
|
risqué |
slightly immoral and likely to shock some people |
|
harrowing |
extremely upsetting |
|
memorable |
you remember it long after |
|
understated |
done or expressed in a simple but attractive way |
|
panned |
very negatively criticised |
|
lauded |
highly praised |
|
the play bombed |
the play was a failure |
|
up-and-coming |
likely to become very famous or successful |
|
be miscast |
be the wrong person for the role |
|
typecast |
always associated with that type of role |
|
rendition |
performance on a specific occasion |
|
portrayal *The actor's portrayal of the mother* |
the picture an actor created |