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1(IN) BROAD DAYLIGHT
د ن دیہا ڑ ے ۔2 A BAD BEGINNING MAKES A BAD ENDING Listen Pronunciation!, Report Error!آغاز بد انجام بد ۔3A BAD BUSH IS BETTER THAN THE OPEN FIELD Listen Pronunciation!, Report Error!خالی میدان سے جھاڑی ہی بھلی ۔ پہاڑ نہ ہو تو تِنکے کی اوٹ بھلی ۔4A BAD CAT DESERVES A BAD RAT Listen Pronunciation!, Report Error!جیسا کام ویسا دام ۔ جیسی روح ویسے فرشتے ۔5A BAD COOK LICKS HIS OWN FINGERS Listen Pronunciation!, Report Error!اناڑی باورچی اپنی ہی انگلیاں چاٹتا ہے ۔ To be up in arms If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry.
"The population was up in arms over the demolition of the old theatre." Get off my back!If you tell somebody to get off your back, you ask them to stop finding faults or criticizing you. A bad hair dayOriginating as a humorous comment about one's hair being unmanageable, this term has broadened to mean 'a day when everything seems to go wrong'."What's wrong with Jenny? Is she having a bad hair day?"Like a bear with a sore headIf someone is behaving like a bear with a sore head, they are very irritable and bad-tempered. "When his team lost the match, Brad was like a bear with a sore head." Bite someone's head offIf you bite someone's head off, you criticize them strongly (and perhaps unfairly). "I worked 10 hours a day all week and my boss bit my head off for not doing my share of the work!" Blow a fuseIf you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and become very angry. "Charlie blew a fuse yesterday when he discovered that his ipod had been stolen."Blow your topIf you blow your top, you suddenly become very angry."When my mother saw the state of the apartment after the party, she blew her top!" Have a bone to pick with someoneTo say that you have a bone to pick with somebody means that you are annoyed with them and want to talk to them about it. In somebody's good/bad booksIf you are in somebody's good or bad books, you have their approval or disapproval."I'm in my wife's bad books at the moment because I forgot our wedding anniversary!" Cheesed offIf someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated. "Julie is absolutely cheesed off with her job. For crying out loudThis expression is used to show irritation, exasperation or anger. "For crying out loud! Turn that television off!" Cut no ice (with somebody)If something cuts no ice, it has no effect or makes no impression on someone. "Her explanation cut no ice with the teacher who said he would tolerate no more unjustified absences." Cut it out!If you say cut it out to someone, you are telling them to stop doing something. "I've had enough of your insinuations, so just cut it out!" Drive up the wallIf somebody or something drives you up the wall, they do something that greatly annoys or irritates you."I can't concentrate with all the noise - it's driving me up the wall!" Get/take flakIf you get or take flak, you receive severe criticism for something you have done. "He got a lot of flak for the way he handled the situation." Flea in one's earAfter an attempt at something, if you are sent away with a flea in your ear, you are angrily reprimanded or humiliated."When he tried to put the blame on Pete, he was sent away with a flea in his ear." Fly off the handleA person who flies off the handle becomes suddenly very angry. "Dad flew off the handle when I told him I had damaged his new car." Foam at the mouthSomeone who foams at the mouth is extremely angry about something."The director was foaming at the mouth when he saw a picture of his children in the newspaper." Get your knickers in a twist. If you get your knickers in twist, you are angry, nervous or upset faced with a difficult situation "Don't get your knickers in a twist! Everything is under control." Get a rise out of somebodyIf you make someone react angrily by jokingly saying something that you know will irritate them, you get a rise out of them."He gets a rise out of his daughter by asking about her latest diet." Get in someone's hair If you are getting in somebody's hair, you are annoying them so much that they can't get on with what they're doing. "I'd finish the report more quickly if my colleague wasn't getting in my hair all the time!" Give it a rest!If someone tells you to give it a rest, they are asking you to stop doing something such as complaining or talking continuously."All you talk about is politics - give it a rest...please! " Give the (rough) of one's tongueIf you give the (rough) edge of your tongue, you scold someone severely or speak to them very aggressively or rudely. "My boss was so angry that I really got the rough edge of his tongue." Give someone a tongue-lashingWhen you scold someone severely, you give them a tongue- lashing. "The teacher gave Jeremy a tongue-lashing when he arrived late for school." Go off the deep endA person who goes off the deep end becomes suddenly very angry or emotional. "The old lady went off the deep end when her cat was killed." Go through the roof If someone goes through the roof, they become very angry"His father went through the roof when Paul damaged his new car." Good riddance!This expression is used to express relief at becoming free of an unpleasant or unwanted person or thing."Our horrible neighbour has moved house, and all I can say is 'good riddance'!" Harp on (about) somethingIf you harp on (about) something, you tire others by continuously and tediously talking about it. "My parents are always harping on about my school results." Haul someone over the coalsIf you haul someone over the coals, you reprimand them harshly because they have done something wrong or incorrectly. "He was hauled over the coals for the poor quality of his presentation. Hot under the collarIf you get hot under the collar, you feel annoyed, indignant or embarrassed. "If anyone criticizes his proposals, Joe immediately gets hot under the collar." Look daggers at someoneSomeone who looks daggers at another looks at them very angrily. "David looked daggers at Paul when he invited his new girlfriend to dance." Make one's hackles riseIf someone makes your hackles rise, they make you angry. "Her constant criticism really makes my hackles rise!" Make a song and danceIf someone complains in an annoying way or becomes unnecessarily excited about something unimportant, they make a song and dance about it. "OK. You don't like carrots! There's no need to make a song and dance about it!" More heat than lightIf a discussion or debate generates more heat than light, it causes anger or intense reaction but doesn't clarify anything. "The meeting that was held to discuss the problem generated more heat than light." Kick yourselfIf you feel like kicking yourself, you are angry with yourself for something you have done or not done. "I could have kicked myself for forgetting Julie's birthday." Like a red flag to a bullTo say that a statement or action is like a red flag to a bull means that it is sure to make someone very angry or upset. "Don't mention Tom's promotion to Mike. It would be like a red flag to a bull! Like a ton of bricksIf somebody comes down on you like a ton of bricks, they criticize you severely because you have done something wrong. "If you mix up the order the boss will come down on you like a ton of bricks!" Have a quick temperIf you have a quick temper, you get angry very easily. "He makes me nervous - he's got such a quick temper." Rant and raveIf you rant and rave about something, you protest noisily and forcefully. "The old man ranted and raved about the new waste collection system, but he had to accept it." Rap on the knucklesIf someone gets a rap on/across the knuckles, they are punished or reprimanded, not very severely, but as a reminder not to do that again."Andy got a rap on the knuckles for coming home late." Road rageAggressive driving habits sometimes resulting in violence against other drivers. "A number of car accidents today are a result of road rage." Scream blue murderSomeone who screams blue murder shouts or complains very loudly as if something very serious has happened. "The crowd started screaming blue murder when the football match was interrupted." Short fuseWhen someone has a short fuse, they are likely to become angry easily or quickly. "Be careful how you explain the situation. The boss has a very short fuse these days!" See redIf someone sees red, they suddenly become very angry or a nnoyed about something. "Discrimination of any kind makes me see red!" Smooth somebody's ruffled feathersIf you smooth somebody's ruffled feathers, you make that person feel less angry or offended. "Tom took the criticism badly, but James managed to smooth his ruffled feathers" Steamed upIf someone is or gets steamed up about something, they become very angry, excited or enthusiastic about it. "Calm down - there's no need to get all steamed up about it! " A storm is brewingTo say that a storm is brewing means that the atmosphere indicates that there is going to be trouble, probably with outbursts of anger or emotion. "As soon as we saw Pete's face, we knew there was a storm brewing." Tear a strip off someoneIf you tear a strip off someone, you reprimand them severely for doing something wrong. "The teacher tore a strip off Charlie for being late again." That makes my blood boil!If something makes your blood boil, it makes you really angry. "His condescending attitude made my blood boil!" That's going too far! If you go too far, you do something that is considered extreme or unacceptable. "Stealing is bad, but stealing from a poor person - that's going too far!" That takes the biscuit!This expression refers to something very irritating or annoying. "After waiting for an hour, we were told that there were no seats left. That really took the biscuit!" That's the last straw!The expression means that this is the latest unpleasant event, and that you cannot tolerate the situation any longer. "The kids are screaming, dinner is not ready, and now the dog has run away - that's the last straw! Vent your spleenWhen you vent your spleen, you release or express all your anger about something. "Whenever Jack is angry about new government measures, he vents his spleen by writing to newspapers." Wink of sleepIf someone doesn't get a wink of sleep, they don't sleep at all. "It was so noisy in the hotel, I didn't get a wink of sleep." At all costs If you are determined to obtain or achieve something at all
costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or sacrifice involved. "The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone." Beard the lion in his den If you visit someone important in the place where they work, because you are determined to challenge him/her or obtain something, you beard the lion in his den. Have a bee in one's bonnet A person who has a bee in their bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts. "She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York." Beyond one's wildest dreams If something is beyond your wildest dreams, it is better than you imagined or hoped for. "The research team received a grant from the government that was beyond their wildest dreams." Blood, sweat and tears A project or action which involves blood, sweat and tears requires a lot of effort and hard work. "His success wasn't due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears all the way." Have something on the brain If you have something on the brain, you think or talk about it constantly. "Stop talking about golf. You've got golf on the brain!" Buckle down If you buckle down, you apply yourself with determination to hard work and give it your full attention. "If you want to pass your exams, you'll have buckle down and do some serious work." Dig in your heels If you dig in your heels, you refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so. "My grandfather dug in his heels and refused to move to an apartment." An eager beaver The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hard- working and enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous. "The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave - a real eager beaver!" Explore all avenues If you explore all avenues, you try out every possibility in order to obtain a result or find a solution. "We can't say it's impossible until we've explored all avenues." Fight tooth and nail If you fight tooth and nail for something, you fight with all your energy. "The Transport Minister fought tooth and nail to have to have the proposed road safety law accepted." Fly by the seat of your pants If you fly by the seat of your pants, you do something without knowledge or experience, using only your instinct and hoping that you will succeed. "Without any formal training, he decided to fly by the seat of his pants and try his luck in New York." Go the extra mile If you go the extra mile, you do more than what is expected of you. "You can count on Tom; he's always willing to go the extra mile." Go to great lengths When trying to achieve something, if you go to great lengths, you do everything that is possible in order to succeed. "The two parties went to great lengths to reach an agreement." Going places To say that someone is going places means that they show talent and ability that will no doubt lead to a successful future. "Even at college it was obvious that Paul was going places." Go into overdrive If someone or something goes into overdrive, they begin to work very hard or start to perform intensely. "At the start of every new collection, my imagination goes into overdrive." Keep your nose to the grindstone A person who keeps their nose to the grindstone is someone who concentrates on working hard at his job. Hang in there This expression is used to encourage someone to persevere and not give up in spite of the difficult circumstances. "I know the atmosphere is very tense, but just hang in there and eventually things will calm down." Have one's heart set on something Someone who has their heart set on something wants it very much. "From an early age Tiger had his heart set on becoming a professional golfer." Hell-bent on something If you are hell-bent on doing something, you are recklessly determined to do it, even if it's dangerous or stupid. "Although he is still weak, he's hell-bent on playing the match." Hitch one's wagon to a star Someone who hitches their wagon to a star has great ambitions and is very determined to reach their goal. "At an early age she decided to hitch her wagon to a star and become rich and famous." Kill two birds with one stone If you kill two birds with one stone, you succeed in doing two things at the same time. "By studying on the train on the way home every week-end, Claire kills two birds with one stone." A long row to hoe This expression refers to a difficult task, assignment or undertaking that will take a long time. "Getting through medical school is going to be a long row to hoe." Make hay while the sun shines This expression is used as an encouragement to take advantage of a good situation which may not last. "Successful sportsmen are advised to make hay while the sun shines." Make headway If you make headway, you make progress in what you are trying to achieve. "Investigators have made little headway in their search for the causes of the catastrophe." Mean business If someone means business, they are serious about what they announce. "The boss says that in future any missing material will be reported to the police, and he looks as though he means business." Paddle your own canoe If you paddle your own canoe, you do what you want to do without help or interference from anyone. "He decided to paddle his own canoe and set up his own company." Pester power This expression refers to the power children exert over their parents by continually nagging or pestering them until they accept to buy advertised toys or fashionable products. "Pester power leads busy parents to buy more and more for their children." Pull out all the stops If you pull out all the stops, you do everything you can to make something successful. "We'll have to pull out all the stops to get the store ready for the opening day." Punch above one's weight If you punch above your weight, you try to perform at a level that is considered to be beyond your ability. "She submitted her idea for the 'invention of the year' award, knowing that she was punching above her weight." Reach for the moon If you reach for the moon, you are very ambitious and try to achieve something even if it's difficult. Raise/lower your sights If you raise or lower your sights, you raise or lower your expectations, or you are more or less ambitious.. "He had to lower his sights and accept a less well-paid job than what he had hoped for." Sink one's teeth into something If you sink your teeth into something, you do it with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. "When Julie got promoted, she immediately sank her teeth into her new job." Stand on your own two feet If you stand on your own two feet, you are independent and need no help from anyone. "When young people leave home, they learn to stand on their own two feet." Stand one's ground If you stand your ground, you maintain your position and refuse to yield or give way. "He claimed innocence and stood his ground in spite of the repeated accusations." Stick to one's guns If you stick to your guns, you show determination when faced with opposition. "The government stuck to its guns in spite of the criticism." The sky's the limit To say "the sky's the limit" means that there is no limit to the possibility of success or progress for someone or something. "How successful do you think the project will be? Who knows... the sky's the limit!" Waiting in the wings If someone is waiting in the wings, they are waiting for an opportunity to take action, especially to replace someone else in their job or position. "There are many young actors waiting in the wings, ready to show their talent." Idioms
Meanings Example Sentences -------------------------- At the drop of a hat without needing any advance notice My Grandma will babysit for anyone at the drop of a hat. (Have a) bee in one's bonnet something that is annoying someone Milan has had a bee in his bonnet all day, but he won't tell me what's wrong. Below the belt beyond what is fair or socially acceptable His comment about Manfred's handicap was below the belt. Bursting at the seams not fitting anymore I ate too much. I'm bursting at the seams in these jeans. Caught with one's pants down unprepared My students caught me with my pants down on Monday. I forgot about the field trip. (Have a) card up one's sleeve have a secret or reserve plan I think Josh has a card up his sleeve cause he wants me to wear a dress to the fast-food restaurant. Buckle down work extra hard It's almost exam time, so I need to buckle down this weekend. Burn a hole in one's pocket money that one is tempted to spend Let's go to the mall after school. There's a hundred dollar bill burning a hole in my pocket. Dress to kill, dress to the nines, be in your Sunday’s best dress in nice, attractive or best clothes My cousin was dressed to kill on her birthday. Fit like a glove fit perfectly (tight to one's body) Anita's prom dress fits me like a glove. Fine-tooth comb in great detail, extremely carefully The police looked for fingerprints with a fine-tooth comb. Fly by the seat of one's pants do by instinct, not by plan I had never taught art to kids before. I had to fly by the seat of my pants. Handle with kid gloves treat delicately Please handle my grandmother's tea set with kid gloves. Hand-me-down used clothing We buy hand-me-down skates because the kids' feet grow so quickly. Hat trick three goals scored by one person The fans cheered when the hockey player got a hat trick. In one's birthday suit in the nude The swimmers in the lake were in their birthday suits. Keep one's shirt on try to stay calm I know you're in a hurry, but please keep your shirt on. Keep something zipped keep something a secret We know we're having a boy, but we're keeping it zipped from the grandparents. Off the cuff said without planning I didn't have a speech prepared. Everything I said was off the cuff. Pull up one's socks try harder Marco will have to pull up his socks if he wants to make the football team. Put a sock in it stop talking Put a sock in it! I'm trying to tell a story. Put one's thinking cap on think hard in order to solve a problem I can't remember where the Christmas decorations are. I'll have to put my thinking cap on. Put oneself in someone else's shoes imagine what it would be like to be in someone else's situation Put yourself in Sara's shoes. She doesn't even have a car to drive. Ride one's coattails let someone else do all of the work It was a group project, but everyone rode Andrew's coattails. Roll up one's sleeves get down to hard work The celebrities rolled up their sleeves and washed cars for charity. Take one's hat off to someone recognize or honour someone for something I take my hat off to Jim. The doctors said he'd never walk, and he just ran a marathon. Wear one's heart on one's sleeve display emotions openly My Dad's not afraid to cry. He always wears his heart on his sleeve. Wear the trousers be in charge, make the rules By the looks of things, the kids wear the trousers in this household. about to (do something)
- to be on the point of doing something I was about to leave when the phone rang. according to (someone or something) - as said or told by someone, in agreement with something, in the order of something, in proportion to something According to our teacher, there will be no class next week. We did everything according to the terms of our agreement. account for (something) - to provide an explanation or answer for something The bad weather accounts for the fact that few people came to the meeting. after all - considering the fact that something happened, something that is usually assumed "You don't need to phone him. After all, he never phones you." all of a sudden - suddenly, without advance warning All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain. as a matter of fact - actually "As a matter of fact, we have been to the history museum many times." as far as - to the extent or degree of something As far as I know the movie will start in a few minutes. as for - with regard to, concerning "As for me, I think that I will return home now." as if - in the same way that something would be, that The drink tastes as if it were made with orange juice. It seemed as if the whole town came to the concert. as long as - provided that, on condition that "As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car." as soon as - just after something, when I phoned my friend as soon as I finished dinner. as to - with regard to, according to "As to your question, I will answer it tomorrow." The players were put into groups as to their ability. as well - in addition, also, too I plan to take a computer course this summer as well. as well as - in addition to "Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel." back and forth - backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision. better off - to be in a better situation than before My friend would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one. break down (something) - to divide something into parts, to separate something into simpler substances We tried to break down the problem for further study. The sugar began to break down soon after it was swallowed. break up - to separate, to divide into groups or pieces, to put an end to something Nobody wanted to break up their groups. We usually break up into small groups during our class. by the way - incidentally "By the way, could you please bring your laptop computer tomorrow." carry out (something) - to put something into action, to accomplish something, to do something The scientist wanted to carry out several experiments before discussing the new medicine. come on! - please, hurry, go faster "Come on, I only have a few minutes before I must go." "Come on, stop doing that." come up - to happen unexpectedly I will not be able to go to the party if something else comes up. come up with (something) - to produce or find a thought/idea/answer I tried to come up with a name for the new magazine. deal with (something) - to be concerned with something, to take action about something We will deal with the boxes tomorrow. end up (doing something or going somewhere) - to do something that one had not planned to do, to go somewhere one had not planned to go We ended up going to a restaurant after the movie last night. figure out (someone or something) - to try to understand someone or something, to solve something I finally figured out how to use the new DVD player. fill in (something) - to write words in blank spaces "Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist." find out (something) - to learn or discover something My mother is angry at me because she found out that I had quit my French class. first of all - the very first thing First of all we prepared the garden and then we planted the seeds. for good - permanently The city will close the public swimming pool for good next week. for sure - without doubt, certainly, surely "I will go to the movie with you for sure next week." get back to (something) - to return to something I was happy to get back to my work after my holiday. get into (something) - to become interested or involved in something I do not want to get into an argument with my friend. We will get into the details of the plan tomorrow. get into (somewhere) - to enter somewhere My friend wants to get into a good university. I bumped my head as I was getting into the car. get out of (somewhere) - to leave somewhere, to escape from somewhere I want to hurry and get out of my house. get rid of (something) - to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear I bought a new television set so I want to get rid of the old one. get through (something) - to complete something, to finish something My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams. I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow. go ahead - to begin to do something "Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer." go on - to continue The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave. go over (something) - to examine or review something The accountant will go over the books tomorrow. We plan to go over that question tomorrow. go through (something) - to discuss something, to look at something, to do something The teacher decided to go through the exercise before the test. go with (something) - to choose one thing rather than another We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one. hang out (somewhere/with someone) - to spend one`s time with no great purpose, to spend leisure time with friends Recently my friend has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him. have (something) to do with (something) - to be about something, to be on the subject of something, to be related to something "The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it." That problem has nothing to do with me. hold on - to wait a minute, to stop, to wait and not hang up the phone "Please hold on for a minute while I lock the window." in a way - to a certain extent, a little, somewhat In a way I want to go to the new restaurant but in a way I don`t really care. in case - if, if something should happen I will take my umbrella in case it rains. in common - shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all I had nothing in common with the other members of the class. in detail - giving all the details, item by item The saleswoman explained about the new product in detail. in effect - for practical purposes, basically The man's silence was in effect a way of disagreeing with the other people in the meeting. in fact - actually, the truth is The man has been to China before. In fact he has been there three times. in favor of (someone or something) - to approve or support someone or something Everybody is in favor of the new police chief. My company is not in favor of changing our holiday schedule. in general - in most situations or circumstances In general, most of the people in our apartment are happy with the new manager. in order to - for the purpose of They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs. in other words - in a different (usually more direct) way "In other words, if you do not finish the assignment by Wednesday you will not pass the course." in place - in the proper place or location Everything in the room was in place when we arrived for the meeting. in some ways - in some unspecified way or manner, by some unspecified means In some ways I know what my friend means but in some ways I do not. in terms of (something) - with regard to something In terms of our agreement with the other company we were not allowed to sell the products online. in time - early enough I did not come home in time to meet my cousin. keep (someone or something) in mind - to remember and think about someone or something I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind. kind of - somewhat, more or less, moderately I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night. look for (something) - to try to find something, to hunt/search for something My friend has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can`t find it. look up (something) - to search for something in a dictionary or other book I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book. I looked up the word in the dictionary. make a difference - to cause a change in a situation It does not make a difference whether our boss comes to the meeting or not. make sense - to seem reasonable His new proposal really does make sense. make sure - to make certain, to establish something without a doubt I want to make sure that my friend is going to meet me tomorrow. more or less - somewhat, to some extent I more or less have decided to study business next year. no matter - regardless No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied. not at all - certainly not I am not at all happy with my new computer. of course - certainly, definitely, naturally "Of course you can use my car if you want to." on the other hand - looking at the opposite side of a matter He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks at school. on time - to be at the scheduled time Our train arrived exactly on time. once again - anew, again I tried once again to phone my boss at his home . open to (something) - to be agreeable to learn or hear about new ideas or suggestions Most members of the class were open to the teacher's ideas. pick up (something) - to get or receive something I will pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow. I picked up a copy of the newspaper at the station. point out (someone or something) - to explain or call attention to someone or something My teacher was very kind when she pointed out the mistakes that I had made. put out (something) - to produce or make something (a product/brochure/report/CD/movie/paper) The company puts out a newsletter every month for the employees. regardless of (something) - without considering something, at any rate Regardless of the weather we are going to go fishing tomorrow morning. right away - immediately "I forgot to bring my book but I will go home and get it right away." rule out (someone or something) - to decide against or eliminate someone or something The police ruled out the man as a possible bank robber. We decided to rule out Monday as the day to have our meeting. run into (something - a fact/trouble/problems/difficulty) - to experience something, to encounter something The mechanic ran into trouble when he was fixing my car. I ran into some interesting facts when I was researching my essay. set up (something) - to establish something, to provide the money for something The newspaper company provided the money to set up the new travel magazine. The company set up a unique situation to test the new product. show up - to appear, to arrive, to be present "What time did your friend show up for the party?" so far - until now So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station. so to speak - as one might or could say, this is one way to say something We had a good time at the restaurant, so to speak, although the service was not very good. sort of (something) - to be almost something, to be similar to something, to be not quite something "Did you finish cleaning the kitchen?" "Sort of, but not really." stick with (something) - to continue doing something, to not quit something My brother has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child. take advantage of (someone or something) - to use someone or something for one's own benefit We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach. take care of (someone or something) - to look after or give attention to someone or something You should take care of your health or you will become sick. take out (something) - to remove something from somewhere, to extract something The teacher told us to take out our books. I took out some onions from the refridgerator. take over (something) - to take control of something, to take command of something The large company wants to take over some of the small companies in our area. take place - to happen, to occur The soccer game took place on the coldest day of the year. to the extent that - to the degree that, in so far as I plan to provide information about the new company policy to the extent that I am familiar with it. turn in (something) - to give something to someone, to hand something to someone I arrived at school early so that I could turn in my essay. turn out - to be found or known, to prove to be true It turned out that more people came to the party than we expected. up to - until, as far as a certain point, approaching a certain point Up to last week I had never been inside a bowling alley. There were probably up to thirty people at the meeting. up to (someone) to decide/do (something) - to be responsible to choose or decide something It is up to the company president to decide when the meeting will start. used to - accustomed to My friend is not used to living in such a big city. with respect to (something) - referring to something, concerning something I do not know what the company will do with respect to the old computer system. work out (for the best) - to end successfully I hope that everything will work out for my friend when she moves to London next week. zilch: nothing.
A: "How much money do you have?" B: "Zilch. I'm broke until payday." Zip your lip!: keep something secret; promise not to tell what has just been said. "What I told you is really important, so zip your lip!" a yes-man: someone who tries to get approval by agreeing with everyone.
A: "Why does the boss think Arnold is so intelligent?" B: "Because Arnold is a yes-man. He agrees with everything the boss says!" You don't say!: Really? / Is that really true? A: "Have you heard the news? Jessica got married!" B: "You don't say!" You've got to be kidding!: You can't be serious! (What you said can't be true. What you said is very surprising/hard to believe.) " A: "Did you know that Bob quit his job?" B: "You've got to be kidding!" yucky: terrible; distasteful; very unpleasant. "Don't eat the soup at the cafeteria. It's yucky!" yummy: delicious. "Have you tried the cookies that Jonathan baked? They're yummy!" Was my face red!: I was very embarrassed.
"When I got to the meeting I noticed that I was wearing one black sock and one brown one. Was my face red!" wear out one's welcome: make someone uncomfortable by visiting too long. A: "Can't you stay two or three more days?" B: "No. I don't want to wear out my welcome." wet behind the ears: inexperienced and naive. "Don't include Fred as part of the bargaining team.He's just started working here and is still too wet behind the ears." What for?: Why? A: "Come here for a minute. I need you." B: "What for?" Note: "What" and "for" can be separated--with "for" at the end of the question: B: "What do you need me for?" What's up?: What's new? What's happening? "Hi, Dave. What's up?" a white lie: a lie that is told to avoid offending someone or hurting his / her feelings. "The cake that Susan made tasted terrible, but I knew thatshe made it because she wanted to please me, so when sheasked if I liked it, I told a white lie and said it was good." wishy-washy: uncommitted; without an opinion of one's own. "Don't be so wishy-washy. Tell us how you really feel." with bells on: very eagerly; with the feeling that one will have a very good time. A: "Are you going to Sandra's party?" B: "I'll be there with bells on!" would ('d) just as soon: would ('d) rather; prefer. "I know we have a lot of work to do, but I'm tired. I'd just as soon leave and finish tomorrow. Is that OK with you?" under the weather: ill; sick; unwell.
"Ted was feeling under the weather yesterday, so he decided not to go to work." until hell freezes over: forever. "Chris can practice the piano until hell freezes over, but he'll never play well because he's tone-deaf." Note: This expression is used to describe something that will not change, no matter how long or how often it's done. until you're blue in the face: forever. "You can talk until you're blue in the face, but I won't change my mind." Note: This expression is used in the same way as "until hell freezes over." update: make current; add information to show what has happened recently. "I need to update my résumé. It doesn't show what I've done during the last year." upside down: with the bottom part on top and the top part on bottom. "Put the glasses upside down in the dishwasher. If you don't do that, they'll fill with water and you'll have to dry them by hand." used to (+ V): an action that was true in the past but is not true now. "Jane used to live in Austin, Texas. She lives in San Francisco now." |
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