Short Vowels

/a/ Crab Grass Class Cat Adult Apple Ant Pant

/e/ Egg Chest Bread Bury Friend Said Many Leopard
/i/ Tip drill Rib Kit Build Busy Women England
/o/ Lot Top Orange Cop Octopus Qualify Salt Watch
/u/ Umbrella Son Touch Mug Monkey Trouble Mug Blood
/oo/ Book Should Push Could Good Crook Pull bull
Long Vowels

/ā/ Snail Baby Weight Straight Break They Cake make

/ē//ee/ Bee Me Seat Key Phoenix Brief Ski people
/ī//igh/ Spider Fly Night Pie Buy Island Kite height
/ō/ /oa/ Oat Toe tow boat bow Coke Choke Poke
/ü/long /oo/ Moon Screw Blue Flute Shoe Fruit Who through
/y//ü//y +oo/ Uniform You Few View Yule Queue beauty fuel
/oi/ Coin Boy Choice Destroy Employ Avoid Enjoy poison
/ow/ About Brown clown Shout Bounce Brow Sound house
/ә/ Ladder Dollar Honor Doctor center
R’ controlled vowels

/ã/ /air/ Chair Square Pear Where Their Prayer Hair bear
/ä/ /ar/ Car Bath Laugh Sergeant Heart Guard Soft
/û/ /ur/ Bird Birth Blur Nurse Earth world pearl journey
/ô/ /or/ Paw Door Law Boar Four Dawn Sauce quarter
/ēә//eer/ Deer Ears Adhere cashier
/üә//y+oor/ Pure Cure Tourist
Consonants

/b/ Bob Cab Crab Cub Web Tub Pub Rib

/d/ Dad Bed Pad Clad Bird Hood Toad Loud
/f/ Beef Reef Hoof Wolf Proof Belief Half Calf
/g/ Big Pig Game Cog Bag Wig Jug Jog
/h/ Hot Hub House Home Hole Hook Heat Health
/j/ Joke Jinx Edge Soldier Giraffe Stage Giant General
/k/ Case Queen Christmas Acclaim Kite bike like peak
/l/ bill Hill Pile Ball Pull Bull Cool bell
/m/ Mom Worm Exam Clam Room Warm Jam Spam
/n/ Line Lane Near New Nap Cone Nine Pain
/ng/ Along Angry Spring Hung King Sing Lung Reading
/p/ Pop Top Cap Cup Flip Hip Hop Stop
/r/ Bar Tar Car Thirst Rain Jar Rope Ripe
/s/ Sea Seat Star Scan Stair Beats Stops sleeps
/t/ Beet Eat Blast Rust Cat Bright Bite Sprite
/v/ Alive Brave Cave Evening Five Vacation Drive Leave
/w/ Wave White Will Waist Wake Web Well work
/y/ Young You Yahoo Yes Yesterday Yawn Hallelujah Opinion
/z/ Zebra Buzz Scissors Maze Doze Booze Bronze Cozy
Digraphs

/zh/ Division Television Treasure Pleasure Collision Closure Vision Casual

/ch/ Cheap Beach Catch Chain Question Future Trench Such
/sh/ Shark Ocean Sure Special Tension Station Conscience wish
/th/ Feather This That Those The Although Weather whether
/th/air Breath Birth Thanks Thing Thunder Tooth Throw Three
 Nouns Vocabulary
Clothing

Anorak High Heels (High- Shoes Trousers Keying

Apron Heeled Shoes) Pair of Shoes Pair of Trousers Lighter
Baseball Cap Jacket Shorts T-Shirt Lipstick
Belt Jeans Skirt Underpants Makeup
Bikini Jumper Slippers Vest Mirror
Blazer Knickers Socks Wellingtons Necklace
Blouse Leather Jacket Stilettos Personal Items Piercing
Boots Miniskirt Stockings Bracelet Purse
Bow Tie Nightie (Nightdress) Suit Cufflinks Ring
Boxer Shorts Overalls Sweater Comb Sunglasses
Bra Overcoat Swimming Costume Earrings Umbrella
Cardigan Pullover Swimming Trunks Engagement Ring Walking Stick
Coat Pajamas Thong Glasses Wallet
Dinner Jacket Raincoat Tie Handbag Watch
Dress Sandals Tights Handkerchief Wedding Ring
Dressing Gown Scarf Top Hair Tie or Hair Band
Gloves Shirt Tracksuit Hairbrush
Hat Shoelace Trainers Keys

Cleaning Supplies

Bin bag or bin liner Dustbin bag Furniture polish Washing powder
Bleach Duster Hoover bag
Detergent Fabric softener Shoe polish
Disinfectant Floor cloth Soap

Household Supplies

Battery Fuse Needle Pen Toothpaste

Candle Glue Safety pin Pencil Tube of toothpaste
Cotton Light bulb Scissors Tissues Writing paper
Envelopes Lighter Sellotape Toilet paper
Firelighters Matches Stamps toilet roll
Household Appliances

Alarm clock Gas fire Record player Blanket Pillow

Bathroom scales Hoover or vacuum Spin dryer Blinds Pillowcase
Blu-ray player cleaner Stereo Carpet Rug
CD player Iron Telephone Curtains Sheet
DVD player Lamp TV (television) Cushion Tablecloth
Electric fire Radiator Washing machine Duvet Towel
Games console Radio Soft furnishings Mattress Wallpaper

Other useful words

Bath Door knob Houseplant Picture Sponge

Bin Doormat Ironing board Plug Tap
Broom Dustbin Lampshade Plug Torch
Bucket Dustpan and brush Light switch Plug socket or Vase
Coat hanger Flannel Mop power socket Waste paper
Cold tap Fuse box Ornament Plughole basket
Door handle Hot tap Painting Poster

Furniture

Armchair Chair Cupboard Filing cabinet Sofa

Bed Chest of drawers Desk Mirror Sofa-bed
Bedside table Clock Double bed Piano Stool
Bookcase Coat stand Dressing table Sideboard Table
Bookshelf Coffee table Drinks cabinet Single bed Wardrobe

Cutlery

Knife Teaspoon Crockery Saucer Cling film (plastic wrap)

Fork Carving knife Glass Sugar bowl Cookery book
Spoon Chopsticks Jar Teapot Dishcloth
Dessert spoon Crockery & glassware Jug Wine glass Draining board
Soup spoon Cup Mug Other kitchen items Grill
Tablespoon Bowl Plate Bin Kitchen roll
Plug Sink Other useful words To clear the table
Tea towel Tablecloth To do the dishes To set the table
Shelf Washing-up liquid To do the washing up to lay the table

Kitchen Appliance

Fridge (refrigerator) Stove Corkscrew Mixing bowl Tin opener

Coffee pot Toaster Frying pan Oven cloth Tongs
Cooker Washing machine Grater or cheese grater Oven gloves Tray
Dishwasher Kitchen utensils Juicer Rolling pin Whisk
Freezer Bottle opener Kitchen foil Saucepan Wooden spoon
Kettle Chopping board Kitchen scales Scouring pad or scourer
Oven Colander Ladle Sieve

Features of a house

Back door Guttering Telephone bill Flowerpot Logs

Bath Roof Water bill Flowers Orchard
Ceiling Shower To do the Front garden Path
Central heating Stairs housework Garage Patio
Chimney Staircase The garden Garden furniture Plants
Door Wall Back garden Gate Pond
Doorbell Window Clothes line Gravel Shed
Drainpipe Other useful words Drain Greenhouse Swimming pool
Double glazing Downstairs Drive Hanging basket Swing
Fireplace Upstairs Dustbin Hedge Trampoline
Floor Gas bill Fence Lawn Vegetable garden
Front door Electricity bill Flower bed Letterbox Weeds
To mow the lawn Fork Lawn mower Shears Watering can
Garden tools Hoe Rake Spade Wheelbarrow
Axe Hose or hosepipe Secateurs Trowel

Rooms

Attic Bedroom Conservatory Hall Landing

Bathroom Cellar Dining room Kitchen Lavatory
Living room Loft Lounge Shower room Study
Sun lounge Toilet Utility room WC

Means of Transport

By bicycle Making travel Passenger To cancel a Delay

By boat arrangements Destination booking Information desk
By bus Ticket office Itinerary Making a journey Luggage or
By car Travel agent Journey To arrive baggage
By coach Brochure Travel insurance To leave Map
By ferry Price Holiday To depart Passport control
By motorcycle Fare Sightseeing To travel Suitcase
By plane Ticket Business trip To visit Cancelled
By train Booking To book Cancellation Delayed
On foot Reservation Customs

Motoring

Roads Level crossing Breathalyzer Driving lesson Traffic warden

Bypass Pavement (US Jack Driving license At a petrol station
Country lane English: sidewalk) Jump leads Driving school Car wash
Dual carriageway Pedestrian crossing Flat tire Driving test Diesel
Main road Road sign Fog Learner driver Oil
Motorway Roadside Icy road To fail your driving Petrol
One-way street Road works Puncture test Petrol pump
Ring road Roundabout Speeding fine To pass your Petrol station
Road Services Spray driving test Unleaded
Toll road Signpost Traffic jam Parking Types of vehicle
Road features Speed limit To crash Car park Bike (abbreviation
Corner T-junction To have an Disabled parking of bicycle)
Crossroads Toll accident space Camper van
Kerb Traffic light To skid Multi-story car park Bus
Fork Turning To stall To park Car
Hard shoulder Problems To swerve Parking meter Caravan
Junction Accident Learning to drive Parking space Coach
Lay-by Breakdown Driving instructor Parking ticket Lorry
Minibus Tractor Cyclist Pedestrian Tire pressure
Moped Truck Driver Reverse gear Vehicle
Motorbike Van Garage Road map To accelerate
(motorcycle) Other useful words Mechanic Second-hand To brake
Scooter Car hire Insurance Speed
Taxi Car keys Passenger Traffic
To change gear To overtake To slow down To steer
To drive To reverse To speed up

Car Parts

Accelerator Engine Manual Wing mirror Glove box

Brake pedal Fan belt Tax disc Other parts Heater
Clutch pedal Exhaust Sat nav (satellite Aerial Number plate
Fuel gauge Exhaust pipe navigation) Back seat Passenger seat
Gear stick Gear box Lights and mirrors Bonnet Petrol tank
Handbrake Ignition Brake light Boot Roof
Speedometer Radiator Hazard lights Bumper Roof rack
Steering wheel Spark plug Headlamp Child seat Seatbelt
Temperature gauge Windscreen wiper Headlamps Cigarette lighter Spare wheel
Warning light Windscreen wipers Headlights Dashboard Tow bar
Mechanical parts Other useful words Indicator Front seat Tire
Battery Air conditioning Indicators Fuel tank Wheel
Brakes Automatic Rear view mirror Glove Window
Clutch Central locking Sidelights compartment Windscreen

Describe Food and Drinks

Fresh Juicy Tough Bland Salty

Moldy Ripe Over-done or over- Delicious Sickly
Off Unripe cooked Horrible
Rotten Tender Under-done Poor
Sweet Sour Tasty Spicy or hot Mild
Cooking Methods

To bake Meals Supper (a light snack Other useful words To clear the table
To boil Breakfast taken late in the Ingredient To come to the table
To fry Lunch evening) Recipe To leave the table
To grill Tea To have breakfast To cook To wipe the table
To roast Dinner To have lunch To lay the table or to To prepare a meal
To steam To have dinner set the table

Describing Alcoholic drinks

Ale Red wine Gin Barmaid Drunk

Beer White wine Rum Bartender Hangover
Bitter Rosé Whisky, whiskey Beer glass Pub
Cider Sparkling wine Vodka Beer mat Sober
Lager Champagne Alcohol Binge drinking Spirits
Shandy Martini Aperitif Bottle Tipsy
Stout Liqueur Bar Can Wine glass
Wine Brandy Barman Cocktail

Occupations by industry

Business Insurance broker Sales rep (sales Web developer Florist

Accountant PA (abbreviation of representative) Retail Greengrocer
Actuary personal assistant) Salesman / Antique dealer Hairdresser
Advertising executive Investment analyst saleswoman Art dealer Sales assistant
Bank clerk Project manager Secretary Baker Shop assistant
Bank manager Marketing director Stockbroker Barber Shopkeeper
Businessman Management Telephonist Beautician Store detective
Businesswoman consultant Information Bookkeeper Store manager
Economist Manager technology Bookmaker Tailor
Financial adviser Office worker Database Butcher Travel agent
Health and safety Receptionist administrator Buyer Wine merchant
officer Recruitment Programmer Cashier Health and social
HR manager (human consultant Software developer Estate agent work
resources manager) Web designer Fishmonger Carer
Counsellor Plasterer Sea captain or ship's Weather forecaster Military
Dentist Plumber captain Law and order Airman / airwoman
Dental hygienist Roofer Taxi driver Barrister Sailor
Doctor Stonemason Train driver Bodyguard Soldier
Midwife Tattooist Pilot Customs officer Science-related jobs
Nanny Tiller Writing and creative Detective Biologist
Nurse Tree surgeon arts Forensic scientist Botanist
Optician Welder Artist Judge Chemist
Paramedic Window cleaner Editor Lawyer Lab technician
Pharmacist or chemist Hospitality and Fashion designer Magistrate (laboratory
Physiotherapist tourism Graphic designer Police officer technician)
Psychiatrist Barman Illustrator (policeman or Meteorologist
Social worker Barmaid Journalist policewoman) Physicist
Surgeon Bartender Painter Prison officer Researcher
Vet or veterinary Bouncer Photographer Private detective Scientist
surgeon Cook Playwright Security officer Religion
Trades Chef Poet Solicitor Imam
Blacksmith Hotel manager Sculptor Traffic warden Priest
Bricklayer Hotel porter Writer Sport and leisure Rabbi
Builder Pub landlord Broadcasting and Choreographer Vicar
Carpenter Tour guide or tourist entertainment Dance teacher or Less reputable
Chimney sweep guide Actor dance instructor occupations
Cleaner Waiter Actress Fitness instructor Arms dealer
Decorator Waitress Comedian Martial arts instructor Burglar
Driving instructor Transport Composer Personal trainer Drug dealer
Electrician Air traffic controller Dancer Professional footballer Forger
Gardener Baggage handler Film director Sportsman Lap dancer
Glazier Bus driver DJ (disc jockey) Sportswoman Mercenary
Grounds man Flight attendant (air Musician Education Pickpocket
Masseur steward, air Newsreader Lecturer Pimp
Masseuse stewardess) Singer Music teacher Politician
Mechanic Lorry driver Television producer Teacher Prostitute
Pest controller TV presenter Teaching assistant Smuggler
Stripper Archaeologist Civil servant Council worker Factory worker
Thief Architect Construction Diplomat Farmer
Other occupations Charity worker manager Engineer
Firefighter Interior designer Miner Refuse collector Temp (temporary
(fireman) Interpreter Model (bin man) worker)
Fisherman Landlord Postman Surveyor Translator
Housewife Librarian Property developer Undertaker

Shopping

Cheap Special offer Fitting room Cash Purse

Customer To buy Manager Change Queue
Discount To sell Shelf Checkout Receipt
Expensive To order Shop assistant Complaint Refund
Price To go shopping Shop window Credit card Till
Sale In the shop Stockroom In stock Wallet
Shop Aisle Trolley Out of stock
Shopping bag Basket At the checkout Plastic bag or
Shopping list Counter Cashier carrier bag

Human Body

Head and face Lip Elbow Lower body Penis

Beard Mouth Hand Ankle Pubic hair
Cheek Nose Finger Anus Shin
Chin Nostril Fingernail Belly Sole
Head Moustache Forearm Big toe Testicles
Hair Tongue Knuckle Bottom (slang: Thigh
Ear Tooth (plural: Navel or belly bum) Toe
Eye teeth) button Buttocks Toenail
Eyebrow Wrinkles Neck Calf Vagina
Eardrum Upper body Nipple Foot (plural: feet) Parts of the eye
Earlobe Adam's apple Palm Genitals Cornea
Eyelash Arm Shoulder Groin Eye socket
Eyelid Armpit Throat Heel Eyeball
Forehead Back Thumb Hip Iris
Freckles Breast Waist Knee Retina
Jaw Chest Wrist Leg Pupil
Internal body parts Esophagus Kneecap Urine To have the
Achilles tendon Pancreas Pelvis Vomit hiccups
Artery Organ Rib Other related To sneeze
Appendix Prostate gland or Rib cage words To sweat or to
Bladder prostate Skeleton Bone perspire
Blood vessel Rectum Skull Fat To urinate
Brain Spleen Spine or backbone Flesh To vomit
Cartilage Stomach Vertebra (plural: Gland To yawn
Colon Tendon vertebrae) Joint Senses
Gall bladder or Tonsils Body fluids Limb Smell
gallbladder Vein Bile Muscle Touch
Heart Windpipe Blood Nerve Sight
Intestines Womb or uterus Mucus Skin Hearing
Large intestine Bones Phlegm Digestive system Taste
Small intestine Collarbone or Saliva or spit Nervous system To smell
Kidneys clavicle Semen To breathe To touch
Ligament Thigh bone or Sweat or To cry To see
Liver femur perspiration To hiccup To hear
Lungs Humerus Tears To taste

Education and academic subjects

Educational Teacher training Lesson Head teacher School meals

establishment college Homework Headmaster School dinners
School University Test Headmistress Facilities
Nursery school School Term Teacher Computer room
Primary school Classroom Half term Pupil Cloakroom
Secondary school Desk Class Head boy Changing room
State school Blackboard Reading Head girl Gym (gymnasium)
Private school or Whiteboard Writing Prefect Playground
independent school Chalk Arithmetic School governor or Library
Boarding school Marker pen or Spelling governor Lecture hall
Sixth-form College marker To read Register Laboratory (lab)
Technical college Pen To write Assembly Language lab
Vocational college Pencil To spell Break (language
Art College Exercise book To teach School holidays laboratory)
Hall of residence Debate Grade History of art Media studies
Locker Higher education Mark Literature Politics
Playing field Semester Exam results Modern languages Psychology
Sports hall Student loan Qualification Music Social studies
University Student union Certificate Philosophy Sociology
Professor Tuition fees Attendance Theology Other subjects
Lecturer University campus Calculator Sciences Accountancy
Researcher Other related Projector Astronomy Architecture
Research words Textbook Biology Business studies
Undergraduate Exam Question Chemistry Geography
Graduate (examination) Answer Computer science Design and
Post-graduate or To sit an exam Mistake or error Dentistry technology
post-graduate Essay or paper Right or correct Engineering Law
student To fail an exam Wrong Geology Math
Masters student To pass an exam Academic subjects Medicine (mathematics)
PhD student To study Arts and Physics Nursing
Master's degree To learn humanities Science PE (physical
Bachelor's degree To revise Art Veterinary education)
Degree Student Classics medicine Religious studies
Thesis Curriculum Drama Social sciences Sex education
Dissertation Course Fine art Archaeology
Lecture Subject History Economics

Diseases and Medical Problem

Acne Athlete's foot Chest pain Dehydration Epilepsy

AIDS (acquired Backache Chicken pox Dementia Fatigue
immunodeficiency Bleeding Cold Depression Fever
syndrome) Blister Cold sore Diabetes Flu (abbreviation of
Allergic reaction Boil Concussion Diarrhea influenza)
Allergy Broken (for example Conjunctivitis Disease Food poisoning
Altitude sickness broken bone, broken Constipation Dizziness Fracture
Amnesia arm, or broken leg) Cramp Dyslexia Frostbite
Appendicitis Bronchitis Corn Earache Glandular fever
Arthritis Bruise Cough Eating disorder Gout
Asthma Cancer Cut Eczema Graze
Hemophilia Leukemia Sore throat Urine sample Painful
Hemorrhoids (piles) Low blood pressure Splinter X-ray Well
Hair loss or alopecia or hypotension Sprain Blind Unwell
Hay fever Lump Spots Deaf Ill
Headache Lung cancer STI (sexually Partially sighted Pus
Heart attack Malaria transmitted infection) Disabled Scar
Heart disease Measles Stomach ache Paralyzed Stitches
Heartburn Meningitis Stress Asthmatic Wound
Heat stroke Migraine Stroke Epileptic Bandage
Hepatitis Miscarriage Sunburn Hemophiliac Crutches
Hernia Morning sickness Swelling Injection Hearing aid
High blood pressure MS (multiple Tonsillitis Vaccination Sling
or hypertension sclerosis) Tuberculosis Suppository Splint
HIV (human Mumps Typhoid fever or Pregnancy Wheelchair
immunodeficiency Nausea typhoid Pregnant Sleep
virus) Nosebleed Ulcer To give birth To bleed
Hypothermia Obesity Virus Contraception To catch a cold
Indigestion Pneumonia Appointment Abortion To cough
Infection Polio Medical insurance Infected To be ill
Inflammation Rabies Waiting room Inflamed To be sick
Injury Rash Waiting room Septic To feel sick
Ingrown toenail Rheumatism Blood sample Swollen To heal
Insomnia Schizophrenia Pulse Unconscious To hurt
Jaundice Slipped disc Temperature Pain To limp

Animal features

Tail Farm animals Chicken Horse Turkey

Fur Cattle Donkey Kid Wild animals
Claw Bull Duck Lamb Badger
Paw Bullock Ewe Ram Bat
Hoof Cow Foal Pig Deer (plural: deer)
Mane Calf Goat Piglet Frog
Trunk Cock Goose (plural: Sheep (plural: Fox
Snout Hen geese) sheep) Hare
Hedgehog Camel Reindeer Mackerel (plural: Crab
Lizard Chimpanzee Rhino (rhinoceros) mackerel) Crayfish
Mole Crocodile Snake Octopus Lobster
Mouse (plural: Elephant Tiger Plaice (plural: Mussel
mice) Emu Wolf plaice) Oyster
Otter Giraffe Zebra Salmon (plural: Prawn
Rabbit Gorilla Fish and marine salmon) Sea urchin
Rat Hippo animals Sea lion Shrimp
Reindeer (plural: (hippopotamus) Carp (plural: carp) Seal Starfish
reindeer) Kangaroo Catfish Shark Parts of a fish
Snake Leopard Cod (plural: cod) Squid Fin
Squirrel Lion Dolphin Stingray Gills
Toad Monkey Eel Trout (plural: trout) Scales
Exotic animals Ostrich Haddock (plural: Tuna (plural: tuna) Aquarium
Alligator Panda haddock) Walrus Fish tank
Antelope Penguin Herring Whale To swim
Bear Polar bear Jellyfish Shellfish Pincers

Industries

Accountancy The construction Healthcare Marketing PR (public relations)

Advertising industry Hotel and catering The medical profession Publishing
Agriculture The drinks industry Human resources Mining The retail trade
Banking Engineering Insurance The motor industry Sales
Broadcasting The entertainment IT (information The newspaper The shipping industry
The building trade industry technology) industry Teaching
The chemical industry Farming The legal profession The oil industry Telecommunications
The civil service Financial services Local government The pharmaceutical Television
Computing The fishing industry Manufacturing industry The travel industry

Building Materials

Brick Gravel Sand Metals Copper

Cement Marble Slate Aluminum Gold
Concrete Metal Stone Brass Iron
Glass Plastic Wood Bronze Lead
Magnesium Gases Leather Gas Fiberglass
Mercury Carbon dioxide Linen Oil Mud
Nickel Helium Man-made fibers Paraffin Paper
Platinum Hydrogen Nylon Petrol Rubber
Silver Nitrogen Polyester Asbestos Smoke
Steel Oxygen Silk Ash Soil
Tin Fabrics Wool Cardboard Ice
Uranium Cloth Other materials Chalk Steam
Zinc Cotton Charcoal Clay Water
Alloy Lace Coal Dust

Coastal features

Ocean Cliff Tide Harbor Avalanche

Sea Island Wave Oil rig Landslide
Coast or shore Peninsula Pier Earthquake
Beach Rock Lighthouse Tsunami
 Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes, identifies, modifies, or quantifies something (a noun or a pronoun). In the phrase,
"the black cat" the word black is an adjective because it describes the cat.
In English, an adjective usually comes before the noun it pertains to (for example, a red apple or a cute cat.).
Adjectives can be classified into many categories. In English, adjectives are generally used in the order:
Quantity-->opinion-->size-->age-->shape-->color-->origin-->material-->purpose.
• Quantity
Few Two Little All Each
No Three Several Some
One Four Many Every
• Opinion

Good Splendid Dirty Worthless Scarce Loathsome

Better Mediocre Wasteful Useful Poor Unusual
Best Awful Difficult Useless Rich Usual
Bad Fantastic Comfortable Important Lovely Pointless
Worse Pretty Uncomfortable Evil Disgusting Pertinent
Worst Ugly Valuable Angelic Amazing
Wonderful Clean Worthy Rare Surprising
• Personality/Emotion
Happy Scared Funny Grumpy Carefree
Sad Frightened Sad Cheerful Quick-Witted
Excited Outgoing Zany Jolly Blissful
Lonely Elated

• Sound
Loud Screaming Quiet Deafening Speechless
Soft Shouting Noisy Faint Whispered
Silent Thunderous Talkative Muffled Hushed
Vociferous Blaring Rowdy Mute

• Taste
Sweet Bitter Delicious Yummy Palatable Spicy
Sour Salty Savory Bland Luscious Watery
Acidic Tasty Delectable Tasteless Appetizing
 • Touch
Hard Velvety Grainy Scaly Lumpy Rough
Soft Bumpy Pitted Polished Wiry Glassy
Silky Smooth Irregular Glossy Scratchy

• Size, Weight
Heavy Short Scrawny Vast Dense Plump
Light Fat Skeletal Great Weighty Tubby
Big Thin Underweight Gigantic Slim Obese
Small Slender Lanky Monstrous Trim Portly
Little Willowy Wide Mountainous Hulking
Tiny Lean Enormous Jumbo Hefty
Tall Svelte Huge Wee Giant

• Smell

Perfumed Burnt Noxious Fragrant Sweet-

Acrid Smelly Pungent Scented Smelling
Putrid Reeking Aromatic Musty

• Speed
Quick Speeding Rapid Swift Brief
Fast Rushing Snappy Hasty
Slow Bustling Whirlwind Prompt

• Temperature

Hot Icy Wintry Nippy Scalding Fiery

Cold Frigid Frosty Chilly Burning Steaming
Freezing Sweltering Frozen Sizzling Feverish

• Age
Young Babyish Antique Elderly Infantile Modern
Old Teenage Old-Fashioned Mature Bygone
Baby Ancient Youthful Adolescent Recent

• Distance
Short Far Nearby Faraway Remote Neighboring
Long Distant Close Outlying Far-Flung Handy
 • Shape
Round Oval Rotund Straight Zigzag Serpentine
Circular Sleek Globular Cylindrical Squiggly Warped
Square Blobby Spherical Oblong Crooked Distorted
Triangular Flat Wavy Elliptical Winding

• Miscellaneous Qualities

Full Wet Open Ornate

Empty Dry Closed

• Brightness
Light Shadowy Shining Glowing Gleaming
Dark Drab Pale Shimmering
Bright Radiant Dull Luminous

• Color
Pink Yellowish Purple Gray Pastel Colorless
Red Dark-Green Black Brown Metallic Transparent
Orange Blue White Tanned Silver Translucent

• Time
Early Night Initial Overdue Delayed
Late Evening First Belated Punctual
Morning Everlasting Last Long-Term

• Origin/Location
Lunar Polar American Mexican English
Northern Equatorial Spanish French Australian
Oceanic Floridian Canadian Irish

• Material
Glass Concrete Plastic China Silicon
Wooden Fabric Leather Metal
Cloth Cotton Ceramic Steel

• Purpose

Folding Work Cooking Dance Walking

Swinging Racing Sleeping Rolling
 Example of the Sequence of Multiple Adjectives in Chart Form:
QUANTITY OPINION SIZE AGE SHAPE COLOR ORIGIN MATERIAL PURPOSE NOUN
five huge young black Canadian bears
battered old shapeless gray cotton work pants
many magnificent antique British reference books
one studious teenaged American boy
few shiny round blue Indian gems
many well-made tiny elongated brown wooden fishing boats
several cheap large purple polyester sleeping bags
Rule Adjective Comparative Superlative
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "e" wise wiser Wisest
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in "y" Dry Drier Driest
If a 1-syllable adjective ends in a consonant (with a single vowel preceding it) Big Bigger Biggest
If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "e" Gentle Gentler gentlest
If a 2-syllable adjective ends in "y" Happy Happier happiest
Some 2-syllable adjectives use the standard "-er" Narrow Narrower Narrowest
For most adjectives with two or more syllables More most

Irregular and confusing adjectives Comparative Form Superlative Form

bad worse worst
good better best
far (place) farther farthest
far (place or time) further furthest
late (time) later latest
late (order) latter last
little (size) littler littlest
little (amount) less least
many/much/some more most
old (people) elder eldest
old (people or things) older oldest
 CommonOpposites-Antonyms
VocabularyWordList
A
absent–present agree-disagree antonym-synonym
abundant-scarce alive-dead apart-together
accept-decline,refuse all-none,nothing appear-disappear,vanish
accurate-inaccurate ally-enemy approve-disapprove
admit-deny always-never arrive-depart
advantage-disadvantage ancient-modern artificial-natural
against-for answer-question ascend-descend
attic-cellar attractive-repulsive awake-asleep

B
backward-forward best-worst borrow-lend bound-unbound,free
bad-good better-worse,worst bottom-top boundless-limited
beautiful-ugly big-little,small boy-girl bright-dim,dull
before-after black-white brave-cowardly brighten-fade
begin-end blame-praise build-destroy broad-narrow
below-above bless-curse bold-meek,timid
bent-straight bitter-sweet borrow-lend

C
calm-windy,troubled clear-cloudy,opaque come-go create-destroy
can-cannot,can't clever-stupid comfort-discomfort crooked-straight
capable-incapable clockwise-counterclockwise common-rare cruel-kind
captive-free close-far,distant conceal-reveal compulsory-voluntary
careful-careless closed-ajar,open contract-expand courteous-
cheap-expensive clumsy-graceful cool-warm discourteous,rude
cheerful- cold-hot correct-incorrect,wrong
sad,discouraged,dreary combine-separate courage-cowardice

D
dangerous-safe decline-accept,increase despair-hope down-up
dark-light decrease-increase dim-bright dreary-cheerful
day-night deep-shallow disappear-appear dry-moist,wet
daytime-nighttime definite-indefinite discourage-encourage dull-bright,shiny
dead-alive demand-supply diseased-healthy dusk-dawn
E
early-late empty-full enter-exit export-import
east-west encourage-discourage even-odd exterior-interior
easy-hard,difficult end-begin,start expand-contract external-internal

F
fade-brighten fat-thin foolish-wise fresh-stale
fail-succeed feeble-strong,powerful fore-aft frequent-seldom
false-true few-many free-bound,captive friend-enemy
famous-unknown find-lose fold-unfold for-against
far-near first-last forget-remember fortunate-unfortunate
fast-slow float-sink found-lost full-empty

G
generous-stingy girl-boy go-stop grow-shrink
gentle-rough give-receive,take good-bad,evil guest-host
get-give glad-sad,sorry grant-refuse guilty-innocent
giant-tiny,small,dwarf gloomy-cheerful great-tiny,small,

H
happy-sad hate-love help-hinder hinder-help
hard-easy haves-have-nots here-there honest-dishonest
hard-soft healthy-diseased,ill,sick hero-coward horizontal-vertical
harmful-harmless heaven-hell high-low hot-cold
harsh-mild heavy-light hill-valley humble-proud

I
ill-healthy,well
immense-tiny,small
important-trivial
in-out
interesting-uninteresting
include-exclude
increase-decrease
inferior-superior
inhale-exhale
internal-external
inner-outer interior-exterior
inside-outside
intelligent-stupid,
interesting-boring
intentional-accidental

J
join-separate junior-senior just-unjust justice-injustice

K
knowledge-ignorance known-unknown
L
landlord-tenant left-right like-dislike,hate loss-win
large-small lend-borrow likely-unlikely loud-quiet
last-first lengthen-shorten limited-boundless love-hate
laugh-cry lenient-strict little-big low-high
lawful-unlawful,illegal left-right long-short loyal-disloyal
lazy-industrious less-more loose-tight
leader-follower light-dark,heavy lose-find

M
mad-happy,sane maximum-minimum minor-major misunderstand-
major-minor melt-freeze minority-majority understand
many-few merry-sad miser-spendthrift more-less
mature-immature messy-neat

N
nadir-zenith neat-messy,untidy night-day noisy-quiet
narrow-wide never-always nighttime-daytime none-some
near-far,distant new-old no-yes north-south

O
obedient-disobedient old-new opposite-same,similar outer-inner
odd-even on-off over-under
offer-refuse open-closed,shut optimist-pessimist
old-young out-in

P
past-present plural-singular powerful-weak pure-
patient-impatient poetry-prose pretty-ugly impure,contaminated
peace-war polite-rude,impolite private-public push-pull
permanent-temporary possible-impossible prudent-imprudent
plentiful-scarce poverty-wealth,riches

Q
qualified-unqualified question-answer quiet-loud,noisy

R
raise-lower regular-irregular right-left,wrong rude-courteous
rapid-slow real-fake right-side-up-upside-down
rare-common rich-poor rough-smooth
S
safe-unsafe shallow-deep sober-drunk stop-go
same-opposite shrink-grow soft-hard strict-lenient
satisfactory-unsatisfactory sick-healthy,ill some-none strong-weak
secure-insecure simple-complex,hard sorrow-joy success-failure
scatter-collect singular-plural sour-sweet sunny-cloudy
separate-join,together sink-float sow-reap synonym-antonym
serious-trivial slim-fat,thick straight-crooked sweet-sour
second-hand-new slow-fast start-finish

T
take-give thick-thin tough-easy,tender
tall-short tight-loose,slack transparent-opaque
tame-wild tiny-big,huge true-false
them-us together-apart truth-flasehood,lie,untruth
there-here top-bottom

U
under-over unqualified-qualified upside-down-right-side-up useful-useless
unfold-fold unsafe-safe upstairs-downstairs
unknown-known up-down us-them

V
vacant-occupied vast-tiny virtue-vice voluntary-compulsory
vanish-appear victory-defeat visible-invisible

W
war-peace wet-dry win-lose wrong-right
wax-wane white-black wisdom-folly,stupidity
weak-strong wide-narrow within-outside

Y
yes-no yin-yang young-old

Z
zip-unzip zenith-nadir
 Verbs
A
Accept Advice Allow Appeal Arrive Attend
Ache Adopt Allude Appear Articulate Attract
Acknowledge Affirm Amuse Applaud Ask Auction
Act Afford Analyze Appreciate Assert Avoid
Add Agree Announce Approve Assure Avow
Admire Ail Annoy Argue Attach Awake
Admit Alert Answer Arrange Attack
Admonish Allege Apologize Arrest Attempt

B
Babble Barter Begin Bleed Book Bring
Back Baste Behave Bless Bore Broadcast
Bake Bat Believe Blind Borrow Broil
Balance Bathe Bellow Blink Bounce Bruise
Balk Battle Belong Blot Bow Brush
Ban Bawl Bend Blow Box Bubble
Bang Be Berate Blurt Brag Build
Bandage Beam Besiege Blush Brake Bump
Bar Bear Bestow Boast Branch Burn
Bare Beat Bet Bob Brand Burnish
Bargain Become Bid Boil Break Bury
Bark Befriend Bite Bolt Breathe Buy
Barrage Beg Bleach Bomb Breed Buzz

C
Cajole Charge Clap Command Confide Cough
Calculate Chase Clean Comment Confirm Count
Call Cheat Clear Communicate Connect Counter
Camp Check Climb Compare Consent Cover
Care Cheer Clip Compete Consider Covet
Carry Chew Close Complain Consist Crack
Carve Chide Coach Complete Contain Crash
Cause Chip Coil Concede Contend Crave
Caution Choke Collect Concentrate Continue Crawl
Catch Chomp Color Concern Cook Crochet
Challenge Choose Comb Conclude Copy Cross
Change Chop Come Concur Correct Criticize
Chant Claim Comfort Confess Cost Croak
Cross-Examine Crush Cure Curse Cut
Crowd Cry Curl Curve Cycle

D
Dam Declare Deserve Disclose Double Drive
Damage Decorate Desire Dislike Doubt Drone
Dance Delay Deter Dive Drag Drop
Dare Delight Develop Divide Drain Drown
Deal Deliver Dial Divorce Draw Dry
Debate Demand Dictate Divulge Dream Dupe
Decay Deny Die Do Dress Dump
Deceive Depend Dig Dock Drip Dust
Decide Describe Digress Dole Drill Dye
Decipher Desert Direct Dote Drink

E
Earn Emigrate Encourage Envy Excite Expel
Eat Emit End Equivocate Exclaim Exhort
Echo Emphasize Enjoin Escape Excuse Explain
Edit Employ Enjoy Evacuate Exercise Explode
Educate Empty Enter Evaporate Exist Explore
Elope Enchant Entertain Exaggerate Expand Extend
Embarrass Encode Enunciate Examine Expect Extoll

F
Face Fear Film Flee Follow Frame
Fade Feed Find Float Fool Freeze
Fail Feel Fire Flood Force Fret
Fall Fence Fish Floss Foretell Frighten
Falter Fetch Fit Flow Forget Fry
Fasten Fight Fix Flower Forgive Fume
Favor File Flap Fly Form
Fax Fill Flash Fold Found

G
Garden Get Gnaw Greet Grow Guard
Gasp Gild Go Grill Growl Guess
Gather Give Grab Grin Grumble Guide
Gaze Glide Grate Grip Grunt Gurgle
Gel Glue Grease Groan Guarantee Gush
H
Hail Harass Head Hide Hit Hover
Hammer Harm Heal Highlight Hold Howl
Hand Harness Heap Hijack Hook Hug
Handle Hate Hear Hinder Hoot Hum
Hang Haunt Heat Hint Hop Hurry
Happen Have Help Hiss Hope Hurt

I
Ice Implore Inflate Inquire Interest Invest
Identify Impress Influence Insist Interfere Invite
Ignore Improve Inform Inspect Interject Irritate
Imagine Include Infuse Inspire Interrupt Iron
Immigrate Increase Inject Instruct Introduce Itch
Imply Infect Injure Intend Invent

J
Jab Jam Jog Jolt Jump
Jabber Jeer Join Judge
Jail Jest Joke Juggle

K
Keep Kill Kneel Knock Know
Kick Kiss Knit Knot

L
Label Lead Let Light Load Lose
Lament Lean Level Lighten Loan Love
Land Learn License Like Lock Lower
Last Leave Lick List Long
Laugh Lecture Lie Listen Look
Lay Lend Lift Live Loosen

M
Mail March Mean Mention Moan Mug
Maintain Mark Measure Merge Moor Multiply
Make Marry Meet Milk Mourn Mumble
Man Marvel Melt Mine Molt Murder
Manage Mate Memorize Miss Move Mutter
Mar Matter Mend Mix Mow
N
Nag Name Need Nod Notice
Nail Nap Nest Note Number

O
Obey Obtain Offer Omit Order Owe
Object Occur Ogle Open Overflow Own
Observe Offend Oil Operate Overrun

P
Pack Pedal Pine Ponder Present Propose
Pad Peel Place Pop Preserve Protect
Paddle Peep Plan Possess Press Protest
Paint Peer Plant Post Pretend Provide
Pant Peg Play Postulate Prevent Pry
Park Pelt Plead Pour Prick Pull
Part Perform Please Practice Print Pump
Pass Permit Pledge Pray Proceed Punch
Paste Pester Plow Preach Proclaim Puncture
Pat Pet Plug Precede Produce Punish
Pause Phone Point Predict Profess Push
Pay Pick Poke Prefer Program Put
Peck Pinch Polish Prepare Promise

Q
Question Quilt Quit Quiz Quote

R
Race Rebuff Reign Remove Retort Rob
Radiate Recall Reiterate Repair Return Rock
Rain Receive Reject Repeat Reveal Roll
Raise Recite Rejoice Replace Reverse Rot
Rant Recognize Relate Reply Rhyme Row
Rain Recommend Relax Report Ride Rub
Rate Record Release Reprimand Ring Ruin
Rave Reduce Rely Reproduce Rinse Rule
Reach Reflect Remain Request Rise Run
Realize Refuse Remember Rescue Risk Rush
Read Regret Remind Retire Roar
S
Sack Set Skate Snow Stand Stun
Sail Settle Skateboard Soak Star Stunt
Satisfy Sever Sketch Sob Stare Submerge
Save Sew Ski Soothe Start Succeed
Savor Shade Skip Sound Stash Suffer
Saw Shampoo Slap Sow State Suggest
Say Share Sleep Span Stay Suit
Scare Shave Slice Spare Steer Supply
Scatter Shelter Slide Spark Step Support
Scoff Shift Slip Sparkle Stipulate Suppose
Scold Shiver Slow Speak Stir Surmise
Scoot Shock Smash Speculate Stitch Surprise
Scorch Shoot Smell Spell Stop Surround
Scrape Shop Smile Spend Store Suspect
Scratch Shout Smoke Spill Strap Suspend
Scream Show Snap Spin Storm Sway
Screech Shriek Snarl Spoil Stow Swear
Screw Shrug Snatch Spot Strengthen Swim
Scribble Shut Sneak Spray Stress Swing
Seal Sigh Sneer Sprout Stretch Switch
Search Sign Sneeze Sputter Strip Swoop
See Signal Snicker Squash Stroke Sympathize
Sell Sin Sniff Squeeze Stuff
Send Sing Snore Stab Stutter
Sense Singe Snort Stain Stray
Separate Sip Snoop Stammer Strum
Serve Sit Snooze Stamp Strut

T
Talk Tell Throw Touch Travel Trounce
Take Tempt Thunder Tour Treat Try
Tame Terrify Tick Tow Tremble Tug
Tap Test Tickle Trace Trick Tumble
Taste Testify Tie Track Trickle Turn
Taunt Thank Time Trade Trim Twist
Teach Thaw Tip Train Trip Type
Tear Theorize Tire Translate Trot
Tease Think Toast Transport Trouble
Telephone Threaten Toss Trap Trust
U
Understand Unite Uphold Urge Usurp
Undress Unlock Upset Untie Utter
Unfasten Unpack Upstage Use

V
Vacuum Vanish Venture Voice Vote
Value Vanquish Visit Volunteer Vouch

W
Wail Warm Waver Whine Wipe Wreck
Wait Warn Wear Whip Wish Wrestle
Wake Wash Weave Whirl Wobble Wriggle
Walk Waste Wed Whisper Wonder Write
Wallow Watch Weigh Whistle Work Writhe
Wander Water Welcome Win Worry
Want Wave Whimper Wink Wrap

X
X-Ray

Y
Yawn Yell Yelp Yield Yodel

Z
Zip Zoom
 Irregular Verbs In English Vocabulary
Verb (Past Tense, Past Participle)

A
Arise (Arose, Arisen) Awake (Awoke, Awoken)

B
Be (Was/Were, Been) Bind (Bound, Bound) Bring (Brought, Brought)
Bear (Bore, Born/Borne) Bite (Bit, Bitten) Build (Built, Built)
Beat (Beat, Beaten) Bleed (Bled, Bled) Burn (Burned/Burnt, Burned/Burnt)
Become (Became, Become) Blow (Blew, Blown) Burst (Burst, Burst)
Begin (Began, Begun) Break (Broke, Broken) Buy (Bought, Bought)
Bend (Bent, Bent) Bet (Bet, Bet) Breed (Bred, Bred)

C
Cast (Cast, Cast) Cling (Clung, Clung) Creep (Crept, Crept)
Catch (Caught, Caught) Come (Came, Come) Cut (Cut, Cut)
Choose (Chose, Chosen) Cost (Cost, Cost)

D
Deal (Dealt, Dealt) Draw (Drew, Drawn) Drink (Drank, Drunk)
Dig (Dug, Dug) Dream (Dreamed/Dreamt)
Do (Did, Done) Drive (Drove, Driven)

E
Eat (Ate, Eaten)

F
Fall (Fell, Fallen) Flee (Fled, Fled) Foresee (Foresaw, Foreseen)
Feed (Fed, Fed) Fling (Flung, Flung) Foretell (Foretold, Foretold)
Feel (Felt, Felt) Fly (Flew, Flown) Forget (Forgot, Forgotten)
Fight (Fought, Fought) Forbid (Forbade, Forbidden) Forgive (Forgave, Forgiven)
Find (Found, Found) Forecast (Forecast, Forecast) Freeze (Froze, Frozen)

G
Get (Got, Gotten) Go (Went, Gone) Grow (Grew, Grown)
Give (Gave, Given) Grind (Ground, Ground)
H
Handwrite (Handwrote, Handwritten) Hear (Heard, Heard) Hurt (Hurt, Hurt)
Hang (Hung, Hung) Hide (Hid, Hidden)
Have (Had, Had) Hit (Hit, Hit) Hold (Held, Held)

I
Inbreed (Inbred, Inbred) Inlay (Inlaid, Inlaid) Interweave (Interwoven, Interwoven)

K
Keep (Kept, Kept) Kneel (Knelt/Kneeled) Know (Knew, Known)

L
Lay (Laid, Laid) Leave (Left, Left) Lie (Lay, Lain)
Lead (Led, Led) Lend (Lent, Lent) Lose (Lost, Lost)
Learn (Learned/Learnt) Let (Let, Let)

M
Make (Made, Made) Mislead (Misled, Misled) Misunderstand (Misunderstood,
Mean (Meant, Meant) Mistake (Mistook, Mistook) Misunderstood)
Meet (Met, Met)

O
Offset (Offset, Offset)
Outbid (Outbid, Outbid)
Outdo (Outdid, Outdone)
Outgrow (Outgrew, Outgrown)
Outrun (Outran, Outrun) Oversee (Oversaw, Overseen)
Overdo (Overdid, Overdone) Overspend (Overspent, Overspent)
Overeat (Overate, Overeaten) Overtake (Overtook, Overtaken)
Overhear (Overheard, Overheard) Overthrow (Overthrew, Overthrown)

P
Partake (Partook, Partaken) Prove (Proved, Proven/Proved)
Pay (Paid, Paid) Put (Put, Put)

Q
Quit (Quit, Quit)

R
Read (Read, Read) Ride (Rode, Ridden) Rise (Rose, Risen)
Rid (Rid, Rid) Ring (Rang, Rung) Run (Ran, Run)
S
Say (Said, Said) See (Saw, Seen) Seek (Sought, Sought)
Sell (Sold, Sold)
Send (Sent, Sent)
Set (Set, Set)
Sew (Sewed, Sewed/Sewn)
Shake (Shook, Shaken)
Shed (Shed, Shed)
Shoot (Shot, Shot)
Show (Showed, Showed/Shown)
Shrink (Shrank, Shrunk)
Shut (Shut, Shut)
T
Take (Took, Taken)
Teach (Taught, Taught)
Tear (Tore, Torn)
U
Understand (Understood,
Understood)
W
Wake (Woke, Woken)
Waylay (Waylaid, Waylaid)
Wear (Wore, Worn)
Weave (Wove/Weaved)
Woven/Weaved)
Sing (Sang, Sung)
Sit (Sat, Sat)
Sleep (Slept, Slept)
Slide (Slid, Slid)
Sling (Slung, Slung)
Slit (Slit, Slit)
Speak (Spoke, Spoken)
Spend (Spent, Spent)
Spin (Spun, Spun)
Spread (Spread, Spread)
Tell (Told, Told) Think (Thought,
Thought)
Throw (Threw, Thrown)
Undo (Undid, Undone)
Uphold (Upheld, Upheld)
Weep (Wept, Wept)
Wet (Wet, Wet)
Win (Won, Won)
Wind (Wound, Wound)
Withdraw (Withdrew, Withdrawn)
Spring (Sprang/Sprung, Sprung)
Stand (Stood, Stood)
Stick (Stuck, Stuck)
Sting (Stung, Stung)
Stride (Strode, Stridden)
String (Strung, Strung)
Swear (Swore, Sworn)
Sweep (Swept, Swept)
Swim (Swam, Swum)
Swing (Swung, Swung)
Thrust (Thrust, Thrust)
Tread (Trod, Trodden/Trod)
Upset (Upset, Upset)
Withhold (Withheld, Withheld)
Wring (Wrung, Wrung)
Write (Wrote, Written)
Prepositions Vocabulary Word List

A
aboard across along among as at
about after alongside amongst aside atop
above against amid around astride

B
Barring Behind Beneath Besides Beyond By
Before below Beside Between But

C
Circa Concerning Considering

D
Despite Down During

E
Except Excepting Excluding

F
Failing Following For From
I
In Including Inside Into

L
Like

M
Minus

N
Near Nearby Next Notwithstanding
O
Of Onto Over
Off Opposite
On Outside

P
Past Per Plus

R
Regarding Round

S
Save Since

T
Than Throughout Times Toward
Through Till To Towards

U
Under Until Upon
Underneath Unto
Unlike Up

V
Versus Via

W
With Within Without Worth
 Conjunctions (And Subordinating Conjunctions)

After As Well As If Nor Supposing That Where

Although Because In As Much As Now That Than Whereas
And Before In Case Once That Wherever
As But If Only Only If Though Whether
As Far As By The Time In Addition To Or Till While
As If Even If In Order That Provided That Unless Yet
As Long As Even Though Just As Since Until
As Soon As For Lest So When
As Though How No Matter How So That Whenever

Interjections

Aah Cheerio Gangway Hee La No Way

Ack Cheers G'day Here La-Di-Dah Nuts
Agreed Chin Up Gee Hey Lo Oh
Ah Come On Gee Whiz Hmm Look Oho
Aha Crikey Geez Ho Hum Look Here Oh-Oh
Ahem Curses Get Lost Hoo Long Time Oh No
Alas Dear Me Get Outta Here Hooray Lordy Okay
All Right Doggone Go On Hot Dog Man Okey-Dokey
Amen Drat Good How Meh Om
Argh Duh Good Golly Huh Mmm Oof
As If Easy Does It Good Job Hum Most Certainly Ooh
Aw Eek Gosh Humbug My Oopsey
Ay Egads Gracious Hurray My My Over
Aye Er Great Huzza My Word Oy
Bah Exactly Grr I Say Nah Oyez
Blast Fair Enough Gulp Ick Naw Peace
Boo Hoo Fiddle-Dee-Dee Ha Is It Never Pff
Bother Fiddlesticks Ha-Ha Jeez No Pew
Boy Fie Hah Just Kidding No Can Do Phew
Brr Foo Hallelujah Just A Sec Nooo Pish Posh
By Golly Fooey Harrumph Just Wondering Not Psst
Bye Gah Haw Kapish L No Thanks Ptui
Quite Shucks There Urgh Whoo Yippee
Rah Sigh There There Very Nice Whoopee Yo
Rats Sleep Tight Time Out Very Well Whoops Yoo-Hoo
Ready Snap Toodles Voila Whoopsey You Bet
Right Sorry Touche Vroom Whew You Don't Say
Right On Sssh Tsk Wah Why You Know
Roger Sup Tsk-Tsk Well Word Yow
Roger That Ta Tut Well Done Wow Yum
Rumble Ta-Da Tut-Tut Well, Well Wuzzup Yummy
Say Ta Ta Ugh What Ya Zap
See Ya Take That Uh Whatever Yea Zounds
Shame Tally Ho Uh-Oh Whee Yeah Zowie
Shh Tch Um When Yech Zzz
Shoo Thanks Ur Whoa Yikes
 Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words. "Slithering snake" is an alliteration because both
words start with the "s" sound. "Notable knight" is an alliteration because both words start with the "n" sound (even
though they start with different letters).

A
Awesome alliterations

B
back burner bear the brunt of big brother bottom of the barrel
back-biting beat around the bush big bucks bounce back
back breaker a bee in your bonnet bigger and better bread and butter
back to basics belle of the ball birthday boy bright-eyed and bushy-
bad blood best and brightest bite the bullet tailed
bare bones beast buddies blind as a bat building blocks
bated breath bet your bottom dollar blood brother busy as a bee
beach bum big bang theory boom to bust by the book

C
Cash cow class clown common cold country club
cash crop clear cut common courtesy cream of the crop
chit-chat close call cool as a cucumber crew cut
chump change the coast is clear cookie cutter crystal clear
chunk of change code of conduct course correction cut corners

D
Dare-devil dead as a doornail double dare dull as dishwater
dastardly deed dead duck down in the dumps dry as dust
daydream do or die drip dry

F
Fact finding Father figure fickle finger of fate forgive and forget
fancy footwork fear factor fight or flight French fries
fan the flames feast or famine fleet of foot frequent flier
fast and furious feeding frenzy flight of fancy from the frying pan to the
few and far between fond farewell fire
 G
Gas guzzler gift of gab go for the gold what's good for the goose
gentle giant give up the ghost go-getter is good for the gander
get your goat all that glitters is not gold as good as gold the grass is greener

H
Hale and hearty hard headed heaven and hell hit the hay
half-hearted have a heart heavy hitter home sweet home
happy Halloween fall head over heels hem and haw house and home
happy holidays heave ho high hopes

I
Add insult to injury

J
Jack and jill jump for joy
jibber-jabber jumping jacks
jumbo jet

K
King kong
knock-kneed

L
A labor of love law of the land like it or lump it love letter
the lap of luxury leaping lizards live and learn no love lost
larger than life new lease on life live the life
last laugh left in the lurch long-lost love
laundry list lily-livered look before you leap
M
Mad as a march hare man in the moon mickey mouse motor mouth
make a mountain out of a molehill mere mortals mind over matter move mountains
melt in your mouth method to the madness the more the merrier
 N
Naughty or nice
neck and neck
now or never
P
Part and parcel pen pal a pig in a poke pretty penny
party pooper penny wise and pound foolish pinch pennies prim and proper
pay the piper persistence pays ping pong primrose path
pay to play peter pan pitter patter publish or perish
peas in a pod pet peeve pleased as punch pull any punches
peer pressure picture perfect pots and pans
practice makes perfect

Q
Quality over quantity

R
Rabble rouser ride roughshod Rough Rider the road
rags to riches right as rain round robin Russian roulette
rant and rave road rage where the rubber meets
rave reviews rock 'n roll

S
Sad sack sing for your supper spoil sport surgical strike
safe and sound sing-song spoonful of sugar swan song
better safe than sorry sink or swim star struck sweat shop
secret sauce Slippery slope stars and stripes sweet sixteen
shell-shocked slowly but surely sticks and stones sweet smell of success
shape up or ship out smooth sailing stuck on stupid sweet spot
ship shape snow screen sugar and spice
simon says... sorry sight sunny side of the street
Silver screen spending spree sunny side up
 T
It takes two to tango thick as thieves tongue tied trick or treat
taste test think tank tongue twisters tried and true
tea time through thick and thin tools of the trade turn the tables
temper tantrum tip toe tough times
tempest in a teapot tip top treasure trove
the test of time time and tide trials and tribulations

V
Vice versa
vim and vigor
vis-a-vis

W
Walking wounded wend your way wild west word to the wise
waste not, want not wet your whistle will o' the wisp work wonders
a way with words where there's a will there's a wishy-washy worry wart
wear out your welcome way wit and wisdom
weasel words whistle while you work wonders of the world
weeping willow whole-hearted words of wisdom

Y
Yin and yang

Z
Zig-zag
 Phrasal Verbs
Meaning Example Sentences
Phrasal Verb
To ask the same question from I have not seen him here but I will ask around.
ask around
many people I am not sure if there are vacancies, but I will ask around the office.
She explained why the work was not ready, but her story does not add up.
add up to something To equal/corroborate a fact The clues we found at the house and the museum must add up to
something.
I want to ask her out but she is dating someone.
Ask someone out To invite someone on a date
I wish I could muster the courage to ask her out.
The girls in school always blow gossip up to huge proportions.
blow something up To exaggerate
My mother blows my achievements up in front of guests.
The captain will not back him up just because he is his son.
back someone up To support
You may be wrong but I will back you up because you are my brother.
The army is going to blow up that building with a bomb.
blow up To explode
Our calculations were wrong and the rocket blew up just after liftoff.
To stop functioning (usually for The old train is certain to break down if it is not maintained properly.
break down
vehicle, machine, etc.) He was driving recklessly and the old car broke down.
They broke the students down into groups of four.
break something down To divide and subdivide The detective said they were still breaking the information down to make
sense of it.
The newspaper reported a break-in at the bank.
break into something To enter forcibly/ interrupt
Last night, two thieves broke into the house next door.
A break up can lead to emotional trauma.
break up To end a relationship
After being together for five years they have decided to break up.
The Taliban helped 500 inmates escape of the Afghan jail.
break out To escape
Ten inmates broke out of prison in the southern town yesterday.
There was a world panic when SARS broke out in China in 2002.
break out To spread The news about the adulterous affair will break out in tomorrow’s
newspaper.
To upset someone or to make The boss manages to bring down my mood every day.
bring someone down
someone unhappy His pessimistic comments bring down the whole group.
I was brought up in a conservative Hindu family.
bring someone up raise a child After being abandoned by his parents in Ghana he was brought up by an
Italian couple.
To initiate a conversation on a My sister walks out of the room when I bring up the subject of sports.
bring up
subject I will bring up the issue of cleanliness in the meeting today.
call around To phone different places/people We called around but we could not find the spare part we needed.
 I have not seen him today but I will call around and inquire.
Please me back when you get this message.
call someone back To return a phone call
I could not answer your call earlier but I will call back shortly.
The referee has decided to call off the game due to bad weather.
call something off To abandon or cancel
They have decided to call off the wedding due to financial troubles.
The boss wants you to call up the client now.
call someone up To phone someone
She will call you up later to discuss the issue.
It is going to be okay, please calm down.
calm down relax after being angry
The crew asked us to calm down during turbulence.
To get to the same point as You will have to walk faster if you want to catch up with Maya.
catch up someone else/ or to work hard in
order to equal with someone You have studied a lot more and I need to catch up.
To reach and register at a hotel or When you arrive at the airport, you have to check in at the airline desk.
check in
airport At a hotel, check-in is normally required in order to obtain a room key.
You will have to return the room when you check out of the hotel.
check out To leave a hotel Please ensure that you are in possession of all your belongings before
checking-out of the hotel.
Used as an expression to ask She cheered up when she heard that the result was positive.
cheer up
someone to be happy Cheer up, it is your birthday!
If everybody chips in, we can get a bottle of the most expensive wine.
chip in To contribute/help I do not have enough money for a pizza so all of you need to chip in as
well.
They need to clean up the platform because it is really dirty.
clean something up To tidy a place
You must clean up the room before the president arrives.
I came across these books when I was tidying the cupboard.
come across something find unexpectedly While reading this book I came across new information regarding
dinosaurs.
To separate/ fall down/ break The flimsy decorations came apart halfway through the celebrations.
come apart
down The group of friends came apart once they went to different colleges.
come down with Her son came down with the flu last weekend.
To become sick
something My throat is sore; I think I am coming down with a cold.
The hospital is anxious for more donors to come forward.
come forward To support/ to take an initiative
Who will come forward and take the responsibility?
He resides in Brazil although he comes from Spain.
come from somewhere To originate in
Most of the stench comes from the open drain behind the house.
count on Can I count on you to complete this essay by tonight?
To rely on a person or thing
someone/something I could not complete the task so I am counting on you to do it.
Kindly cross out your old telephone number and write the new one.
cross something out To draw a line through something
That word is wrong and you need to cross it out as soon as possible.
To use or consume less of My financial advisor has asked me to cut back on unnecessary
cut back on something
something expenditure.

To interrupt in between
cut into
something or someone
To cut something with something
cut something off
sharp
To stop providing/to break all
cut something off
relations with someone
To remove pieces or part of
cut something out
something
do something over To do something again
do away with To dispose of or discard
something something
To be dressed in a fancier or
dress up
better way than normal
drop back To move back in a position
drop in/by/over To come without an appointment
To take someone/something
drop
somewhere and leave them/it
someone/something off
there
drop out To quit a class, school, etc.
We need to cut back on driving since the price of petrol is at an all-time
high.
He cut into the argument with a point of his own.
He asked if could cut in on the dance between Tim and me.
The butter is frozen. Cut off a small blob and let it rest outside so that it
melts faster.
He cut off a small piece from the large slab of cheese using a knife.
The cable company cut off our connection because we did not pay our
bill.
After he was convicted, his family decided to cut him off.
She looked over the article and cut the introduction out and rewrote it.
She cut a piece out of the chunk of cheese and placed it on the counter.
You sang the wrong words this time; we will have to do it over.
My homework assignment was unacceptable, so my teacher asked me to
do it over.
It is time to do away with all these old files.
My mother asked me to do away with all the unusable toys.
The party is at a fancy restaurant so we need to dress up appropriately.
I was asked to dress up for the mayor’s party.
He dropped back to fifth position because he fell off his motorcycle.
The coach asked the attacking players to drop back.
I thought I’d drop in and say hi.
I was surprised when she dropped in unannounced at midnight.
Can you drop me off at the bus stop?
I will drop him off at the train station before reaching the venue.
He dropped out of the chess club because it was too difficult for him.
She dropped out of college but managed to set up her own company.

I eat out almost five days a week.

To eat outside of home, usually in I do not feel like cooking today so let’s eat out?
eat out
a restaurant

To do/to eventually reach/to If you do not work, you will end up on the streets.
end up
decide He studied history at college but ended up working at a bank.
This wall will fall apart if we do not use cement.
fall apart To break into pieces
The house of cards stood for a minute but then fell apart.
To fall on the ground/ to fall off If he does not walk carefully on the ledge, he will fall down.
fall down
from somewhere to the ground He was walking carelessly and thus, fell down.
fall out To separate The veteran cricketer has fallen out of favor.
 The coach and the player had a fall out and the latter decided to quit.
She needs to figure out what the problem is.
figure something out To study/understand
We need to figure out the route before commencing the trek.
Fill in the blank spaces and submit the sheet.
fill something in To write information in a form, etc.
You must fill in the form in order to obtain a ticket.
To fill something completely or to I want you to fill up the tank with diesel.
fill something up
the top She wanted to fill up the entire glass with wine.
How do I find out where he lives?
find out To search/discover
I need you to find out whether he is lying or not.
get something He is a good orator and has no problem getting his message across.
To communicate
across/over He could not get across the message.
One must get along with their colleagues.
get along/on To like each other
It is about time you buried the hatchet and got along with each other
They are planning a romantic getaway for their anniversary.
get away To go on a vacation or a leave We have not travelled in a while so we are planning a getaway this
summer.
do something (usually something He will not get away with an abusive remark like that.
get away with
wrong) without being noticed or
something You cannot steal cars in broad daylight and expect to get away with it.
punished
She did not get back home until 5 o’clock.
get back To return The boss needs you to get back from the Bahamas and complete the
report.
My brother got back at me for eating his piece of cake.
get back at someone To retaliate/to take a revenge After being humiliated in public, she decided to get back at her with
ruthless intent.
The train was full so we could not get on.
get on something To step onto something
To reach the chandelier, you must get on the stool.
The stock market is slowly getting over the recession.
get over something To recover/overcome
You need to get over the fact that he stole your bicycle.
Do you want to get together this Saturday?
get together To meet
Let’s get together at the mall this weekend.
Please get up, this seat is reserved for ladies.
get up To stand/get out of bed You are not allowed to sit there, so, kindly get up.

To reveal/give something for The ice cream company is giving away free scoops tomorrow.
give something away
free/donate Before dying, he had pledged to give away half his money to charity.
You must give the bone back to the dog.
give something back To return
You have her mobile phone and need it give it back to her.
To unwillingly stop fighting or The dictator finally gave in to the mounting pro-democracy protests.
give in
arguing After arguing for over two hours, I decided to give in to her demands.
This exam is really difficult and I think I am going to give up.
give up To stop trying
Never give up, never surrender!
 The big dog is going to go after the cat.
go after someone To follow someone
The police decided to go after the criminal after he had robbed a bank.”
My father always encouraged me to go after my goals.
go after something To try to achieve something
She is really working hard going after the top prize.
go against someone or Does he really want to go against the policies of the company?
To oppose
something You cannot go against the coach and expect to remain with the team.
To proceed/start/initiate The General wants us to go ahead with the plan.
go ahead
something The center has asked the states to go ahead with FDI in the retail sector.
This place is very dangerous; I suggest you go back home.
go back To return to a place
He needs us to go back to the office and collect his belongings.”
To leave home to go out for an Let’s go out for dinner tonight to celebrate your promotion!
go out
occasion, etc. I will go out in the evening to watch the play.
Tim has wanted to go out with Mary for a long time now.
go out with someone To date someone
She is going out with two boys at the same time.
It’s great that Harry has moved next door; I can just go over to his place
To pay a visit to whenever I’m bored!
go over something
someone/something nearby
She is going over to his place later tonight.
Here are your insurance papers, please go over them carefully so that you
go over To check or review know all the details.
We need to go over this brochure and select a location for the meeting.
We used to be great friends, but after college we began to grow apart.
grow apart To end a friendship
We were good friends but grew apart after graduating from college.
It is always hard for parents when their children grow up.
grow up To become an adult The puppy was tiny when they found it but it grew up to be a huge dog.

To get too big for something,
grow out of something
usually a piece of clothing
grow into something To grow big enough to fit
To give something used to
hand something down
someone else
hand something out To distribute to a group of people
hand something over To give (usually unwillingly)
hang in To stay strong and positive
hang on To wait for a short time
I will buy a new pair of trousers if and when I grow out of this pair.
I have gained weight and grown out of the pants I purchased last summer.
Initially he had some trouble at the new office, but things went smoothly
after he grew into his role.
She has become taller and grown into the dress.
When I was a child, I was handed down my brother’s clothes.
Please hand down your old books to underprivileged children.
The party members were spreading their propaganda by handing out
fliers.
The boss is going to hand out a list of responsibilities to everybody today.
The thieves asked us to hand over all our belongings.
The landlord requested us to hand over the keys to the apartment.
When my friend was diagnosed with cancer, all I could say to him was,
“Don’t lose hope. Hang in there.”
Don’t lose heart, hang in there!
Hang on, let me get ready and then we can leave.
 Hang on, I’m coming too!
To spend time relaxing or chilling My friends and I generally hang out at malls.
hang out
out Let’s hang out at the bar after work tonight.
When I get angry with someone on the phone, I simply hang up.
hang up To end a phone call
I did not wish to talk to him anymore so I decided to hang up the phone.
hold If you have a complaint, don’t hold back; you cannot fix the problem if you
someone/something To prevent from doing/going do not voice it.
back You must hold him back from committing such a dangerous stunt.
He was a great athlete, but he was held back from succeeding by his
To hide an emotion/to be stopped parents, who wanted him to study instead.
hold something back
by something or someone
He held back his tears even though he was distraught.
She asked the taxi driver to hold on while she located her wallet.
hold on To wait for a short time
He has asked you to hold on to his book until he returns.
keep on doing He asked them to keep on working while he looked around.
continue doing
something The musicians kept on playing even though it was raining.
keep something from To not tell/not do/to keep a Why do you keep secrets from me?
someone secret You have a wonderful voice so you must not keep from singing.
The insects must be kept out at all costs.
keep The gate has been installed to keep out stray dogs.
To stop someone or something
someone/something
from entering at a place
out

Keep up the good work!

keep something up To continue at the same rate
Keep up this speed for the rest of the journey and we will reach on time.
You can rely on her; she will never let you down.
let someone down To disappoint someone
You have let me down with this disappointing performance.
Please lock the door and do not let anybody in.
let someone in To permit to enter
Yes, he is a guest so please let him in.
look after Nurses are supposed to look after patients.
To take care of
someone/something I need you to look after my dog while I’m away.
To belittle someone/ to consider She always looks down on her staff and treats them badly.
look down on someone
someone inferior to oneself A lot of people look down on them because they are poor.
look for Do you want to look for the pen we lost yesterday?
To try to find
someone/something Let us look for the ball in the garage.
look forward to To be excited about some future Are you looking forward to tonight’s football match?
something plan, etc. I am really looking forward to the weekend!
We are going to look into the price of cars today.
look into something To investigate
They need to look into the matter carefully in order to avoid a lawsuit.
Don’t forget to look out for mosquitoes in the swamp.
look out To be careful
Look out for speeding buses on the highway.
look out for The guide told them to look out for pickpockets in the marketplace.
To be extra careful or vigilant
someone/something Look out for hurricane alerts on the island at this time of the year.
 Give the document a look over for errors.
look something over To check/examine
The teacher wants the student to look over his answers once again.
I look up to my sister because she is a wonderful human being.
look up to someone To respect someone immensely
I look up to my coach because he was a great sportsman.
When asked why I hadn’t done my homework, I made up a story about
make something up To lie about something having done it but forgotten that that day was the day of submission.
You must stop making up stories because we know you are lying.
He returned my money very late, but tried to make up for it by treating
me to lunch.
make up To forgive each other
He is taking her out to dinner to make up for being at work on their
anniversary.
She was so nervous she almost went on stage without any make up.
make someone up To apply cosmetics
That actor uses a lot of make up before shooting a scene.
We got through most of the show without any mix ups, but right at the
end the lead actor forgot one of his lines.
The experienced striker pounced on a defensive mix-up to fire home into
mix something up To get confused an open goal.

I took two weeks off work because my grandfather passed away.

pass away To die
Our dog had been ill for a few months and passed away last night.
It was so hot in the examination hall that one of the students passed out
pass out To lose consciousness for a couple of minutes.
He walking in the sun and passed out due to the heat.
There should be no money issues between friends, so when I lend money
to my friends I tell them they can pay back whenever it is convenient for
pay someone back To return the owed money them.
You can borrow money now but you must pay back within a week.
To be punished for doing It is my policy to pay for everything when I am out on a date.
pay for something
something bad The police swore that the terrorist would pay for destroying the building.
I always let my mother pick out my clothes, because she has excellent
pick something out To choose taste.
The concierge at the hotel helped us pick out a nice restaurant.
Point I tried to give the tourists directions orally, but they couldn’t understand
To point or indicate using your me, so I pointed out the turning they were supposed to take.
someone/something
finger
out I have asked the professor to point out all the mistakes in my assignment.
I was very tired that day, so I put off the meeting till after the weekend.
put something off To postpone
The boss has asked us to put off our lunch plan to a later hour.
We had to put together the presentation in 2 days.
put something together To assemble The different parts have been provided in order to put together this
mountain bike.
 My roommate told me to move out, saying, “I can’t put up with your
put up with To bear or tolerate something or irresponsible ways anymore!”
someone/something someone The company is not going to put up with inappropriate behavior at the
workplace.
To wear a dress/accessories on I did not need to put on the t-shirt to know it was too big for me.
put something on
your body Pick out a dress, put it on, and decide whether you like it or not.
run into I ran into an old friend from college the other day.
To meet someone unexpectedly
someone/something It was a pleasant surprise when I ran into him at the mall the other day.
run over To drive a vehicle over a person or Your toy is broken because I ran over it with my car.
someone/something thing The truck accidently ran over a cat on the highway.
The bride had run away with someone else on the wedding day.
run away To leave unexpectedly/ to escape
The children made a plan to run away from home to join the circus.”
They ran out of sandwiches at the cafe.
run out To have nothing left of something
She couldn’t make tea as they had run out of milk.
I sent back the steak because it raw.
send something back To return
This product is not what we had ordered and we are going to send it back.
They want to set up a lemonade stall at the fair.
set something up To arrange/organize
The government needs to set up a commission for the riot victims.
The hunter set the lion up for the trap but it escaped.
To trick/trap someone or
set someone up The people at the bank were part of a set up by the police to catch the
something
criminal.
To act boastfully when people He wants to show off his house by illuminating it.
show off
watch Most people simply love to show off their wealth in front of their friends.
To stay somewhere out of home, Jack is planning a sleepover at his place on his birthday.
sleep over
for the night The first sleepover at a friend’s place can be a big deal for some children.
You may want the lawyers to sort the issue out.
sort something out To organize/ to resolve a situation
We need to sort out these cards and arrange them according to size.
You will not lose weight if you do not stick to the diet.
stick to something To continue doing something
Most people do not stick to the same job for a long period.
Could you switch the light off please?
switch something off To turn off
Please switch off the television before going to bed.
He turned the machine on again and it stopped making a noise.
switch something on To turn on
Grandmother wants you to switch on the radio for her.
I need to take my money back from him.
take something back To return something
He can keep my bag for now but I’m going to take it back tomorrow.”
I feel that the most thrilling part of any plane journey is when it takes off.
take off To start flying
The plane finally took off after taxiing for twenty minutes.
I was about to take off my clothes when I realized there was someone else
To remove something (usually in the room.
take something off
items of clothing)
I want you to take this off the list and include that instead.
take something out To remove from a place She took out some money from the safe.
 Please take out the garbage after dinner.
My girlfriend was very depressed because she had lost her job so I took
To take someone out with yourself her out for dinner.
take someone out
and also to pay for them
On the last day of college the professor took the students out for lunch.
My boss simply tears up the articles he doesn’t like.
tear something up To rip something into pieces
The cat tore up the newspaper.
Whenever I think back to my school days, tears of nostalgia come to my
think back To recall or remember eyes.
Think back to the time when we were at the beach.
You must think this job offer over before taking a decision.
think something over To consider
This is my proposal, think it over, and let me know.
To trash something or to dispose I like that bag, please do not throw it away.
throw something away
of These dirty clothes need to be thrown away.
I want to turn down the volume.
turn something down To decrease the volume
The old man has asked me to turn down the volume.
He asked her to marry him but she turned him down.
turn something down To refuse
He turned down the offer from ABC Corporation.
He turned off the lights before going to bed.
turn something off To switch off
Please turn off the fans when you leave.
She forgot to turn on the charger so her cell stayed off.
turn something on To switch on
He asked her to turn on the coffee machine.
Do you want to try out this new shampoo?
try something out To test
Most people refrain from trying out a new cuisine.
I get very tense when my friends come over because they use up all my
To use something entirely or to supplies.
use something up
finish all
I cannot print this page because all the ink in the printer has been used up.
I generally wake up at about 7 in the morning.
wake up To stop sleeping
You need to wake up early in the morning for karate practice.
It is a good idea to warm up before engaging in strenuous physical
warm up To prepare the body for exercise activity.
It is essential to warm up a little before swimming.
The difference between superior and inferior products is that the latter
To diminish in quality because of wear out much more quickly.
wear off
frequent use
The sole of this old shoe has worn out.
My lifestyle has gotten so sedentary since I joined the office that I have
work out To exercise signed up for daily work outs at the gym.
Only a few people take gym memberships to actually work out.
I really hope that things work out for you.
work out To be successful with something
This job will work out only if I can get my own office.
A
• About time: Nearly time, high time. ex. "It's about time you bought a new car!"
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder: Proverb that means that our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them.
• (To) act high and mighty: To act proudly and arrogantly. ex. "He has been acting all high and mighty ever since he chased away that burglar."
• Actions speak louder than words: Proverb meaning that's it's better to do something about a problem than to talk about it.
• (To) act one's age: To behave in a more mature way. Frequently said to a child or teen. ex. "Bill, stop throwing rocks! Act your age!"
• (To) add fuel to the fire: To make a bad problem even worse. ex. "He added fuel to the fire by bringing up old grudges while they were
arguing."
• (To) add insult to injury: To make a bad situation even worse.
• Against the clock: To attempt to do something "against the clock" is to attempt to do something as fast as possible, usually in order to make a
deadline. ex. "They were working against the clock to finish the project."
• All out (adj./adv.): Full-scale; complete. ex: "They said it was only a few skirmishes, but it was an all-out war."
• All set: Ready (to go). ex. "All set?"
• All thumbs: Awkward. Clumsy.
• A little bird told me: When someone says "a little bird told me", it means they don't want you to know who told them.
• All in a day's work: ex. "Talking to famous celebrities is all in a day's work for some Hollywood reporters."
• (From) all walks of life: ex. "People from all walks of life voted for him, but he still lost the presidential election."
• Apple of someone's eye: Someone's favorite person (and sometimes thing). ex. "Sarah was the apple of Tom's eye for quite a long time. He
was very much in love with her."
• Armed to the teeth: Heavily armed. ex. "The rebels were armed to the teeth."
• At all hours (of the night): Very late at night, throughout the night. ex. "Her boyfriend would call her at all hours of the night."
• At each other's throats: Fighting or arguing hard. ex. "They were at each other's throats. The arguments never stopped."
• At this stage: At this point. ex. "At this stage, it's difficult to say who will win the election."
B
• (a) ball-park figure: A rough estimate. ex: "Can you give me a ball-park figure of what this project will cost?"
• (To get/jump on the) bandwagon: To begin to like something/start doing something because it's popular, "hip", or everyone else is doing
it. ex. "Everyone's jumping on the tablet bandwagon."
• (To) bank on something: To count or rely on something.
• (To) bark up the wrong tree: To ask the wrong person; to make the wrong choice. ex. "The gangster told the cops they were barking up the
wrong tree in thinking he was responsible for the robbery."
• (A) basket-case: A very nervous person; someone at the verge of being neurotic. ex. "All the stress from the divorce turned John into a basket
case."
• (To) be a fan of someone/ something: To like, idolize, admire someone/ or something. ex. "I'm not a big fan of heavy metal music."
• (To) be in one's element: To be completely comfortable doing something; to do something that comes very naturally to someone. ex. "When
it comes to speaking in public, the Senator is in his element."
• (To) be up to no good: To be planning something bad, mischievous, etc. ex. "I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was up to no good."
• (To) beat around the bush: To avoid getting to the point. ex. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think."
 • (To) beg to differ: A polite way of saying "to disagree", most often heard in the phrase "I beg to differ!"
• Behind (someone): In the past. ex. "I used to smoke, drink, and take drugs, but all that is behind me now."
• Believe it or not: Used at the beginning sentence to state that something is true whether one chooses to believe it or not. ex. "Believe it or not, I
still care for her."
• Big fish in a little sea: A person who's famous/ well-known but only in an unimportant place (city or area).
• (To have a) big mouth: To not be able to keep a secret. ex. "Don't tell her anything. She's got a really big mouth."
• Big-shot (noun/adjective): An important person. ex. "All the big-shots at headquarters never listen to what we have to say."; "A big-shot
reporter."
• (A) Bimbo: A foolish/empty girl. The term "male bimbo" is also used. ex. "John only talks about his car and his clothes. He's a real male bimbo."
• (The) birds and the bees: Sex; human reproduction. ex. "It's about time I talked to my son about the birds and the bees."
• (A) Bite to eat: A snack, some food. ex. "Let's go grab a bite to eat before we go to the game."
• (To) bite the hand that feeds you: To do harm to someone who helps you.
• (To) bite one's tongue: To struggle not to say something that you want to say. ex. "I wanted to tell her everything, but I had to bite my tongue
because I had promised Bill I would not (tell her)."
• Black sheep (of the family): The worst, least accepted member of a family. ex. "Peter is the black sheep of his family."
• (A) Blast: A great time; a fun time. ex. "We had a blast at the party last night."
• (To) blow someone's cover: To reveal someone's secret, or true identity. ex. "The spy was very careful not to blow her cover."
• (To) break-even: To neither win nor lose. ex. "Michael thought he would lose $200, but he ended up breaking even."
• (To) break new ground: To do something that hasn't been done before; to innovate. ex. "Dr. Davis was breaking new ground in cancer
research."
• (To) break someone's heart: To cause someone (strong) emotional pain. ex. "Fiona broke James' heart when she refused to marry him."
• (To) break the news to someone/ to break "it" to someone: To tell someone some important news, usually bad news. ex. "I hate to be the
one to break it to you, but your wife has been cheating on you."
• (To) burst into tears: To start crying suddenly. ex. "She burst into tears when she heard the news."
C
• (To) call it a day: To end work and go home. ex. "Let's call it a day. It's getting late."
• (To) carry a tune: To be able to sing on key (accurately). ex. "She has an awful voice! She can't carry a tune."
• (To) cash in on something: To profit from something. ex. "The actor wanted to cash in on his popularity by opening a restaurant."
• (A) catch: When talking about wives, husbands, girlfriends, etc., people sometimes say "He's quite a catch" or "She's quite a catch", which
means that the person in question is a great partner, or that it's good to be in a relationship with him/her (usually because of his/her personality,
money, or looks).
• (To) catch someone's eye: To get someone's attention through eye contact.
• (A) Cheap drunk: Also knows as "a cheap date". A person who becomes drunk after only one or two drinks. ex. "Victor had one gin and tonic
and was already slurring - what a cheap drunk!"
• (A) Clean bill of health: A report from the doctor that one's health is good; good results from a doctor's medical examination. ex. "I went in for
my yearly physical and got a clean bill of health from Dr. Jones".
• (To) clear the table: To remove all dishes, cutlery, etc. from a table after a meal. ex. "You clear the table, and I'll do the dishes."
 • (A) close call: Something that is close to danger or an accident. ex. "That was a close call! The train almost hit the motorbike."
• Coast-to-coast (adj/adv): From the Atlantic to the Pacific coast in the United States. ex. "Our car made the coast-to-coast trip in 70 hours".
• (To) come away empty handed: To return without anything. To expect to receive something but to end up receiving nothing. ex. "The union
workers came away empty handed from the negotiations."
• (To) come to an end: To finish; to stop/ ex. "When the road came to an end, we turned left."
• (To) come out of the closet: To reveal that one is gay. ex. "The Republican senator shocked his constituents last June by coming out of the
closet."
• Come to think of it: I just remembered. ex. "Hey, come to think of it, I do have a sleeping bag you can borrow."
• (To) come up short: To not quite achieve one's goal. ex. "The students tried to raise $1,000 for the school play, but they came up short."
• Come what may: Whatever happens. No matter what happens.
• Copycat (noun or adjective): Someone who imitates/mimics another person *not really used in a positive sense*.
• (To) cover a lot of ground: To go through a lot of information. ex. "We've covered a lot of ground in my English class in the past two months."
• (To) cover for someone: To make excuses for someone or to conceal someone's errors. ex. "He asked me to cover to him while he ran out to
talk to his girlfriend."
• (At the) crack of dawn: Right at dawn (when the sun comes up). ex. "When the road came to an end, we turned left."
• (To) crash: To sleep. To go to bed. ex. "Do you think I can crash here tonight?"
• (To) cramp someone's style: To limit someone in some way. To limit someone from expressing themselves fully. ex. "Get lost. You're cramping
my style!"
• (To) cry one's eyes out: To cry hard. ex. "When her grandfather died, she cried her eyes out for three days straight."
• (To) cut class: To not go to class. To skip going to class. ex. "Jacob was a very bad student. He was always cutting class to go smoke with his
buddies."
• (To) cut loose: To act or speak freely, without holding back ( = without restraint). ex. "When the three of us are together we really cut loose."
• (A) cut above (something): Superior/ better (than something). ex. "The commercial claimed that this car company was a cut above the rest."
D
• (To) die of boredom: To be very bored. ex. "I often think I'm going to die of boredom in his class."
• (A) Dead ringer (noun): A look-alike. ex. "He's a dead ringer for Jude Law." ( = He looks exactly like Jude Law.)
• Dirt cheap: Very cheap (inexpensive). ex. "The hotel we stayed in was dirt cheap, but our room was very nice."
• (A) dog's age: A very long time. ex. "I haven't seen him in a dog's age."; *Not used too often. Stick to "in ages" instead.*
• Don't hold your breath: Don't wait for it to happen because it probably won't. ex. "You think David will break up with Tina? Don't hold your
breath!"
• Don't let it get you down: Don't let it upset you; don't allow it to make you feel bad.
• (To) do the dishes: To wash the dishes. ex. "Could you do the dishes tonight?"
• (A) downer: An event that causes one to be sad. ex. "Your girlfriend broke up with you? What a downer!"
• Down the drain: Wasted. Lost forever. ex. "I tried for five years to run this business and now I'm bankrupt. Five years down the drain."
• (A) Drag: Boring; a disappointment. ex. "The party was a real drag" or "My car broke down... What a drag!"
• (To) drive a hard bargain: To be firm when bargaining about something. ex. "You drive a hard bargain, but alright, I'll pay you $10 for the
lamp."
 • (To) drive someone crazy: To make someone very agitated, upset, or emotional (either in a good or bad way).ex. "That teacher is so awful! He
drives me crazy with his attitude."
• (To) drop it: To stop talking about something. ex. "I told you to drop it! I don't want to talk about it."
• (To) drown one's sorrows: To get/ become drunk. ex. "Drowning your sorrows won't solve anything."
• (To) drop the ball: To make a mistake. (WARNING: This idiom is overused in the business world). ex. "So it was John's fault? Yes, John really
dropped the ball on this one."
• (A) dream come true: A great thing; a dream or wish that has become reality. ex. "Living in California is like a dream come true."
• Down in the dumps: Sad. Depressed.
• (To) dump someone: (very informal) To end a relationship with someone; to break up with someone. To stop seeing someone
(romantically). ex. "She dumped me."
E
• (To give someone an) earful: a strong verbal scolding. ex. "Katie's father really gave her an earful when she came home at 4 AM."
• Easy! (Command): Not so fast! Calm down! ex. "Easy! Don't eat so fast!"
• (As) easy as pie: Very easy.
• Easy come, easy go: PROVERB. Said to explain the loss of something that was very easily obtained in the first place.
• Easy-going: Tolerant; laid-back; relaxed. ex. "Bill is one the most easy-going guys that I know. He never gets upset about anything."
• (To) eat one's heart out: To be envious or jealous (used mostly as a command). ex. "Eat your heart out Frank, I'm going to Paris!"
• (To) eat out of someone's hands: To do whatever someone else wants. ex. "James would do anything for Vicky. She had him eating out of her
hands."
• (To) eat one's words: To admit that what one said was wrong. ex. "You think I won't be able to find work in one week? I'm going to make you
eat your words."
• Elbow room: Enough space (room) to feel comfortable.
• Enough is enough: That is enough and there should be no more; usually said when one has had enough of a certain situation.
• (To) enter one's mind: To cross one's mind; to start thinking about something. ex. "You want me to become a doctor? The thought never even
entered my mind."
• Everything but the kitchen sink: Almost everything one can think of.
• Every so often: Once in a while; occasionally. ex. "I think about her every so often."
• Every other: Every second. Alternate. ex. "In Los Angeles, every other person is an actor."
• Expecting: Pregnant. ex. "She is expecting."
F
• (To) face the music: To accept the (unpleasant) consequences of what you have done. ex. "After years of bad decision making, the CEO finally
had to face the music."
• (To) fall flat (on one's face): To fail. To be unsuccessful. ex. "The initiative fell flat on its face."
• Fair-weather friend: A person who is only your friend when things are going well for you.
• (To) feel like a new person: To feel refreshed, rejuvenated.
• (To) fall into place: To become organized; to fit together. ex. "Once I started meditating, everything in my life began to fall into place."
• (To) fall short: To lack something. ex. "We tried to raise 50,000 dollars, but we fell short by about ten thousand."
 • (A) Falling out: A disagreement/break in a friendship. ex. "We had a falling out over what she said."
• (A) far cry: Very different (often in a worse way). ex. "This wine is nice, but it's a far cry from the wine we had yesterday."
• (To) feel like a new person: To feel refreshed, rejuvenated.
• (To) feel out of place: To feel like you don't belong. ex. "We went to Mary's party last night. There were many strange people there and I felt a
little out of place, so we left."
• (A) Fifth wheel: Useless, out of place, unnecessary. ex. "There were only couples there. I felt like a fifth wheel."
• (To) fill someone's shoes: To replace someone. To do something someone else used to do. ex. "Cathy has been working here for 20 years. It's
going to be hard to find someone to fill her shoes."
• (A) Fine line: Not much difference. ex. "Sometimes there's a fine line between love and infatuation."
• First and foremost: First and most importantly. ex. "First and foremost, you have to treat every customer with respect."
• First thing: Before anything else. ex. "Call me first thing tomorrow morning."
• (To) fish for a compliment: To try very hard to get a compliment from someone. ex. "Stop fishing for a compliment. It's really annoying."
• (To) fix someone (some food - like cocoa, oatmeal, etc.): To prepare (some food) for someone. ex. "I'll fix you a cup of cocoa."
• Flat broke: Very poor. Having absolutely no money. ex. "I'm flat broke, but I don't care."
• (To) follow one's heart: To act according to your feelings/ emotions. ex. "I couldn't decide what to do, so I just followed my heart."
• Food for thought: Something to think about.
• (A) Fork in the road: A point when a road splits in two directions. ex. "They came to a fork in the road, and had to decide whether to go left or
right."
• Free and easy: Casual. Not very serious. ex. "Sarah was looking for a free and easy relationship."
• (A) Fresh pair of eyes: A new reader, someone who hasn't seen something before. ex. "Hey can you come check out this report? We need a
fresh pair of eyes."
• (A) Full plate: A busy schedule. ex. "P1: Mark can you help me with this project? P2: Not really, I've got a full plate right now."
• Fun and games: Playing around. Time spent doing worthless things. ex. "OK, Neil, the fun and games are over. It's time to get down to work."
G
• (To) get a move on: To go or do something quickly, to get going, etc. ex. "Hey if we want to make the 8:00 PM show we should get a move
on."
• (To) get carried away: To exaggerate/ go too far/ to become emotional. ex. "I got carried away. I bought 10 shirts!"; "She got carried away
when she started talking about the war."
• (To) get caught up: To become involved, especially emotionally. ex. "I just got caught up in his plan and couldn't think straight."
• (To) get cold feet: To become timid or frightened. ex. "I usually get cold feet when I have to speak in public."
• (To) get down to business: To start working seriously. ex. "Enough playing around. Let's get down to business."
• (To) get that all the time: To hear something constantly. ex. "P1: Hey, you really look like Brad Pitt! P2: Yeah, I get that all the time."
• (To) get one's foot in the door: To get started in a process; to attain a favorable position which will help one work toward a goal. ex. "I'm
trying to find a better job, but I can't get my foot in the door."
• (To) get one's fill of something: To have enough of something. To have a lot of something. ex. "She's had her fill of his lying ways."
• (To) get on someone's nerves: To annoy someone; to bother or irritate someone. ex. "I know that he's harmless, but he still gets on my nerves
for some reason."
 • (To) get rid of (something/someone): To eliminate. To throw away. To hide. ex. "This detergent gets rid of dirt better than any other one that
I've used."; "Get rid of the cigarette, your mother's coming!"
• (To) get something off one's chest: To say something that has been on your mind; to say something that has been bothering you. ex. "Did
you tell her about Hawaii? Yes, and I felt much better once I got that off my chest."
• (To) get the blues: To become sad or depressed.
• (To) get something straight: To clarify something. To understand something clearly. ex. "Let me get this straight. Your mother's cousin stole
money from your father's cousin's daughter?"
• (To) give someone a call: To call someone (on the telephone). ex. "I'll give you call tomorrow morning."
• (To) give someone the benefit of the doubt: To believe in someone despite information that makes them seem guilty of something. ex.
"Hey, don't believe the rumors. Give him the benefit of the doubt."
• (To) give someone a piece of one's mind: To bawl someone out. To let someone know how one really feels. ex. "After that driver took my
parking spot, I really gave him a piece of my mind."
• (A) go-getter: *somewhat antiquated* An aggressive employee; a hard worker. ex. "Jim is a real go-getter."
• (To) go Dutch: To pay for oneself when going out in a group.
• (To) go overboard: To do too much; to exaggerate. ex. "They really went overboard with the party preparations."
• (To) go up in flames: To burn; to be consumed in flames. ex. "The house went up in flames, and the firefighters had a hard time putting out the
fire."
• (To) go over something with a fine toothed comb: To go over something very carefully, esp. checking for errors. ex. "Here's the report.
Make sure to go over it with a fine toothed comb."
• (To) go to someone's head: To make someone overly conceited or proud. ex. "That award that he won really went to his head."
• (To) a golden opportunity: A good chance to succeed, a good investment. ex. "I didn't have money to buy that restaurant. I missed a golden
opportunity."
H
• Half-baked (adj.): Foolish. ex. "He came up with a half-baked plan to win back his girlfriend."
• Hand-me-down (adj.): Usually said of clothing that has been passed on from one person to another. ex. "A hand-me-down dress"
• Hands down: Easily; by far. ex. "She is hands down the most beautiful girl in class."
• Hang on: To wait (for a short time); to hold on. ex. "Hang on. Let me just finish this email and I'll be right with you."
• (To) hang on someone's every word: To listen very carefully to someone. ex. "Grandpa was telling a story and the kids were hanging on his
every word."
• (To) hate someone's guts: To hate someone very much.
• (To) have a big mouth: To be a gossiper. To be a person who can't keep a secret. ex. "Grandpa was telling a story and the kids were hanging
on his every word."
• (To) have a lot going for (someone): To have a lot of good things in one's life; to have many things working to one's benefit. ex. "She has a
lot going for her: she's smart, she's attractive, she has a good job, etc."
• (To) have a sweet tooth: To love to eat candy or other sweets.
• (To) have an edge: To have an advantage. ex. "When it comes to speed, he has an edge over the other players."
 • (To) have mixed feelings (about something): To be unsure or uncertain about something. ex. "Some of the partners had mixed feelings
about the merger."
• (To) have one's hands full: To be busy, occupied with some kind of activity, work, etc. ex. "I have my hands full with my three children."
• (To) have one's heart set on something: To really want (and/or expect) something to happen. ex. "Julie has her heart set on going to
London this summer."
• (A) hit: A popular song or film. ex. "Every song they put out becomes a hit."
• (To) hit the spot: To satisfy a need exactly. To be exactly right (often said about food or drinks). ex. "That was a delicious meal. It hit the spot."
• (To) hit bottom: To reach the lowest point. ex. "Two years after he started to abuse alcohol, he hit bottom."
• (To) hit the road: To leave, start on a trip, etc. ex. "It's already 9:00 AM. We have to hit the road!"
• (To) hit a snag: To run into a problem. ex. "The project hit a snag when testing failed to produce favorable results."
• Hold on! Wait. ex. "Hold on, I'll be with you in just a moment."
• (To be) homesick To miss one's home, country, city, etc. ex. "Francesca is really homesick. She really wants to go back to Italy."
• How on earth...? How in the world...? When asking a question, "How on earth..." and "How in the world..." emphasize the fact that something
incredible or very hard to believe happened. ex. "How on earth did you get that job? (it was very hard to get)"; "How on earth did you fix that
car!? (it was impossible to fix)".
I
• If worst comes to worst: If things get really bad. ex. "If worst comes to worst, we can always fire him."
• Ill-at-ease (adj.): Uncomfortable. ex. "She seemed to be ill-at-ease talking to the doctor about her problems".
• In a bad way: Not well; in bad shape. ex. "He was in a bad way, partly because of all the alcohol that he drank daily."
• In bad taste: Rude. Vulgar. Obscene. ex. "John's jokes are always in bad taste."
• In broad daylight: Publicly visible in the daytime. ex. "This city is very dangerous. You can get robbed in broad daylight."
• In good shape/ condition: Physically and functionally sound and sturdy. "Shape" is generally used more for people. ex. "The car is in good
condition. Bill is in good shape."
• In mint condition: In perfect condition (not used for people). ex. "This baseball card is in mint condition."
• In no mood to do something: To not feel like doing something; to not want to do something. ex. "I'm in no mood to cook dinner tonight."
• In season: Currently available for selling (often said of fresh fruit and vegetables). ex. "Tomatoes are very cheap now because they're in season."
• In stock: Available for purchase, as in goods in a store. ex. "P1: Do you have any more of these books in stock? P2: No, I'm sorry we don't."
• In the air: Everywhere. All around. ex. "Love is in the air, everywhere you look around."
• In the long run: Over a long period of time; ultimately. ex. "He smokes a lot now, and I'm afraid that in the long run it will cost him his health."
• In the same boat: In the same situation (usually negative). ex. "I know exactly how you feel because I'm in the same boat."
• In and out: Coming in and going out often. ex. "She's been in and out all day."
• (To be) in with (someone): (To be) friends or friendly with (someone). ex. "At high school, he was in with the wrong crowd. That's why he
always got in trouble."
• In advance: Ahead of time. ex. "In the future, could you let me know about these things in advance?"
J
• Jam-packed: Very crowded. ex. "The stadium was jam-packed on Saturday."
• (To) jam on the brakes: To hit/ step on the brakes suddenly to stop the car. *This phrases is a little antiquated. It's best to use "to hit the
brakes" instead.*
• Jack-of-all-trades: A person who knows how to do a lot of different things.
• (To) jump all over someone/ jump down someone's throat: To criticize or blame someone. ex. "As soon as I told her I was going out with
my friends, she jumped all over me."
• (To) jump the gun: To get something started too soon; to start too soon.ex. "We have to do a lot more work before we launch this product. We
don't want to jump the gun."
• (To) jump at: To quickly accept. ex. "The journalist jumped at the chance to interview Ryan Gosling."
• Just about: Almost. ex. "I'm just about finished."
• Just now: Just a minute ago. ex. "He called me just now to tell me he was going to quit his job."
• Just what the doctor ordered: Exactly what is needed. ex. "This vacation is just what the doctor ordered."
K
• (To) keep a low profile: To lay low; to not attract attention to oneself by talking loudly, dressing in flashy clothes, causing trouble, etc. ex. "The
bank robbers knew that they had to keep a low profile until they crossed the border."
• (To) keep an eye on (someone/something): To watch/pay attention to (someone/something). ex. "I have to go to the store. Can you please
keep an eye on the baby for 10 minutes?"
• (To) keep a straight face: To force oneself not to laugh, even though one wants to. ex. "He was saying the stupidest things, and I was finding it
hard to keep a straight face."
• (To) keep one's cool: To remain calm. ex. "It's not easy to keep one's cool in stressful situations."
• (To) keep one's word: To uphold one's promise. ex. "He's a very honorable person who always keeps his word."
• (To) keep someone posted: To keep someone informed. ex. "I'm not sure what the plan is for this evening, but I'll keep you posted."
• (To) keep someone up: To not allow someone to sleep. ex. "The neighbors' party kept me up all night."
• (To) keep something to oneself: To not let others know about something; to not reveal something. ex. "Hey, don't tell anyone about your time
in prison. Keep it to yourself."
• (To) keep track of (something): To maintain a record of (something). ex. "I don't know where all my money goes. It's hard to keep track of my
expenses."
• (A) kept man/woman: Someone who is in a relationship where the other person pays for everything. ex. "Stephen's girlfriend always pays for
everything. He's such a kept man."
• (To) kick back: To relax. ex. "My brother and I are going to kick back and have a couple of beers."
• (To) kick oneself: To regret. ex. "I'm kicking myself for not having bought that car when I had the chance."
• (To) kill time: To waste time. ex. "I'm just killing time until my brother arrives."
• Knock it off!: Stop it!
• Knock on wood: A phrase said to cancel out (imaginary) bad luck. *Touch wood* is also used in some parts of the English-speaking world.
• (To) know something inside-out: To know something completely and thoroughly. ex. "Let me show you around. I know this neighborhood
inside-out."
 • (To) know the score: To know the facts; to know how things go. *slightly antiquated*
• Know-it-all (noun): A person who acts like they know everything. ex. "P1: Robert is so conceited! P2: Yeah, he's a real know-it-all."

L
• lady-killer: A handsome man; a man who charms women. ex. "He thinks of himself as quite the ladykiller. Unfortunately for him, women don't see
him that way."
• Last but not least: Last in order but not last in importance. ex. "Last but not least, I'd like to thank my parents."
• Last ditch (adj.): Final (*has a slight connotation of "desperate"*). ex. "They made a last-ditch effort to win the game, but came up short."
• (To) lay a finger on someone: To touch someone even very slightly. ex. "If you so much as lay a finger on him, you will be in trouble."
• (To) lay low: SEE "KEEP A LOW PROFILE"
• (To) leave a bad taste in someone's mouth: To leave a negative impression on someone. ex. "The experience left a bad taste in my mouth."
• (To) leave someone high and dry: *somewhat antiquated* To leave someone helpless.
• (To) leave someone alone: To stop bothering someone. ex. "Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to anyone."
• (To) let off steam: To release energy or anger. ex. "P1: Victor went drinking, and got into a fight. P2: That's OK, he's just letting off a little
steam."
• (To) let someone off the hook: To release someone from responsibility. ex. "Natalie said she didn't want to wash the dishes, but her mom
didn't let her off the hook."
• (To) let something slide: To neglect something. To ignore something. ex. "I'm going to let it slide this time, but next time be more careful!"
• (A) lift: A ride. ex. "She gave me a lift to the airport."
• Little by little: Slowly, gradually. ex. "Little by little she started to like living in New York City."
• (A) little off: Not quite even, normal. ex. "There was something a little off about the way she was behaving."
• (To) lock horns: To argue; to have a dispute; to disagree. ex. "Peter and his counterpart in France locked horns about how to implement the
new regulations."
• (To) look the other way: To ignore something on purpose. ex. "In some countries, customs officials can be paid to look the other way."
• (A) Long shot: Something that has a slim (small) chance of happening. ex. "They might win, but it's a long-shot."
• (To) lose (someone): This is often used when someone is chasing someone OR being chased by someone. If you're being chased by someone
and you manage to get away you can say - "I lost him!" - The person chasing you can say the same thing - "I lost him".
• (To) lose one's temper: To become angry. ex. "He has a short fuse, and loses his temper quite often."
• (To) lose one's train of thought: To forget what one was thinking/ talking about. ex. "What was I saying? I lost my train of thought."
• Lost in thought: Busy thinking.
• (To) lower one's voice: To talk more softly. ex. "Lower your voice, my parents are asleep."
• (A) lucky break: Good luck, good fortune. ex. "I was supposed to speak at the meeting today, but I found out it was cancelled. What a lucky
break!"
M
 • (To) make a beeline for (somewhere): To head directly to (somewhere). ex. "Whenever he comes into the cafeteria, he makes a beeline for
the grilled vegetables."
• (To) make a bundle: To make a lot of money (one time). ex. "I made a bundle when I sold my Microsoft stock last month."
• (To) make a long story short: To bring a story to an end; To sum things up.
• (To) make a pass (at someone): To make romantic advances; to hit on (someone). ex. "Karl was fired because he made a pass at his co-
worker Fiona."
• (To) make believe: To pretend. ex. "When your friends come, let's make believe ( = pretend) we don't know each other."
• (To) make ends meet: To have enough money to pay one's basic expenses; to barely get by. ex. "This city is so expensive that it's hard to
make ends meet sometimes."
• (To) make good money: To make a lot of money (regularly). ex. "Shawn doesn't like his job, but he makes good money."
• (To) make light of something: To treat something as if it were trivial or unimportant. ex. "Don't make light of the situation. It's more serious
than you think."
• (To) make life miserable for someone: To cause someone lots of problems. ex. "Patricia's boss is making life miserable for her."
• (To) make up one's mind: To make a decision. ex. "I've made up my mind. I'm moving to Costa Rica."
• (To) make oneself at home: To feel as comfortable as one would being at home. ex. "During your visit, just make yourself at home."
• (To) make someone's head spin: To make someone dizzy or disoriented. ex. "All that alcohol made my head spin."
• (To) make something from scratch: To make something by starting with the basic ingredients. ex. "P1: Did you bake that cake? P2: No, I made
it from scratch."
• (To) meet someone halfway: To compromise with someone. ex. "They settled the argument by deciding to meet each other halfway."
• (To) mention something in passing: To mention something casually. ex. "She mentioned something in passing about going to check out the
new Wes Anderson movie tonight."
• (The) middle of nowhere: A very isolated place. ex. "Our car broke down in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town was 100 miles away!"
• (To) mind one's own business: Not to interfere/ get involved in the business of others. ex. "Sometimes, it's best to mind your own business."
• Money talks: Having money helps one get things done.
• (There's) more than meets the eye: (Something is) more complicated/more interesting than it seems. ex. "There's more than meets the eye
when it comes to Maria. = Maria is more interesting (or complicated, depending on the context) than she appears."
• (To) move up in the world: To increase one's standing socially, etc.; to become successful. ex. "I'm not interested in moving up in the world at
the expense of other people."
• (A) must: A necessity. ex. "In Los Angeles, having a car is a must."
N
• Neck and neck: Very close (almost even), as in a race. ex. "The two candidates were running neck and neck a month before the election."
• Neck of the woods: *somewhat antiquated* Area. Part of a country. ex. "What's happening in your neck of the woods?"
• (To) need a hand: To need help. ex. "Do you need a hand? (Would you like some help?)"
• Neither here nor there: Not relevant. ex. "All of a sudden he started talking about his car, a topic which was neither here nor there."
• Nest egg: Saved money. ex. "He has saved up quite a nest egg. Pretty soon he'll be able to retire."
• Never mind: Don't worry about it. ex. "Did you pick up my photos? Never mind, I'll do it myself tomorrow."
• (To) nip something in the bud: To end something at an early stage.
 • No laughing matter: A very serious matter. ex. "Hey, why are you smiling? This is no laughing matter!"
• No picnic: Not easy. Very difficult and problematic. ex. "Let me tell you, driving in that snowstorm was no picnic."
• No rush: You don't have to hurry. ex. "P1: Do you want this done by this evening? No, there's no rush - you can finish it tomorrow."
• No skin off my nose: I don't care because it doesn't affect me.
• No sweat: No problem.
• No wonder: It's not surprising. ex. "He only slept for two hours last night? No wonder he's so tired."
• (To) not be born yesterday: To be experienced, knowledgeable. ex. "Of course I know that trick! I wasn't born yesterday."
• Not in the least?:Not at all. ex. "P1: Were you surprised that he failed the FCE? P2: Not in the least."
• Not likely: Probably will not happen. ex. "P1: You think George will learn a lesson from this? P2: Not likely."
• Not much of: Pretty bad. exex. "He has saved up quite a nest egg. Pretty soon he'll be able to retire."
• Now and then: Occasionally.
O
• Odd man out: An unusual or atypical person (or thing). ex. "In a high school where everyone was tough, I was the odd man out."
• Off-color: Rude; vulgar. ex. "I'm not a big fan of the off-color jokes he loves to tell."
• Off-duty: Not working at one's job. ex. "The policeman couldn't help me because he was off-duty."
• Off the air: No longer on TV (or the radio). ex. "They took that show off the air in November because nobody watched it."
• Off the hook: No longer having to do something, no longer blamed or under suspicion. ex. "Ok, you're off the hook. Your brother says he'll clean
the bathroom."
• Off the record: Unofficially. ex. "Off the record, they were very displeased with the way the CEO was conducting himself."
• Off the top of one's head: Spontaneously; without thinking too much. ex. "P1: How many cafes are there in this town? P2: Off the top of my
head, I can think of about 6."
• On one's mind: Occupying someone's thoughts; being thought about. ex. "You were always on my mind."
• (To do something) on one's own accord: Willingly, without anyone forcing one to do something. ex. "P1: Did you make him apologize? P2:
No, he did it on his own accord."
• On second thought: Having given something more thought. ex. "On second thought, maybe you should sell your house and move into an
apartment."
• On the go: Busy. Moving around busily. ex. "Jim is always on the go. He can never find time to talk to me."
• On the house: Something that is given away free by a merchant. ex. "P1: How much for the apple? P2: Nothing, it's on the house!"
• On the loose: (Most often used speaking about criminals) - free; not captured; ex. "The bank robbers are still on the loose."
• On the tip of one's tongue: Something that is almost said/remembered. ex. "I've got his name on the tip of my tongue."
• On the wagon: Not drinking alcohol. ex. "P2: Hey let's go out for a couple of beers tonight. P2: I can't, I'm on the wagon."
• Once in a while: Occasionally. ex. "Once in a while I'll pick up my old guitar and play a couple of tunes."
• Other side of the tracks *somewhat archaic* The poorer part of a town.
• Out cold: Unconscious. ex. "The boxer was out cold."
• Out of sorts: Not quite oneself; In a bad/strange mood. ex. "Tom has been out of sorts recently."
P
 • Pain in the butt: A problematic person/thing; a chronic complainer. ex. "I hate doing my taxes. It's such a pain in the butt."; "Stop being such a
pain in the butt. All you do is complain!"
• (To) pass the buck: To blame someone else. ex. "It's much easier to pass the buck than to take responsibility for something."
• (To) pass the time: To do something to keep busy. ex. "What do you do to pass the time around here?"
• (A) pat on the back: A sign of approval; "To give someone a pat on the back" means to show them that you approve of something that they
did.
• (To) pay an arm and a leg/ pay a fortune: To pay a lot of money. ex. "I hate to have to pay an arm and a leg for a pair of tennis shoes."
• (A) Peeping Tom: Someone who looks through people's windows. ex. "Larry was a peeping tom. The neighbors caught him looking into Sarah's
window one night."
• (A) piece of cake: Very easy. ex. "P1: Hey how did you do on the test? P2: I aced it. It was a piece of cake for me."
• (To give someone) a piece of one's mind: To scold, reprimand someone (for something they did). ex. "After I found out how badly Peter had
treated his girlfriend, I gave him a piece of my mind."
• (To) pitch in: To help with something (especially financially). ex. "Let's all pitch in and buy him a nice present."
• (To) pick up the tab: To pay a bill. ex. "John, you picked up the tab last time. Let me pay this time."
• (To) play second fiddle to someone: To be second in importance to someone. ex. "Sam didn't join the team because they already had a star
and Sam didn't wanted to play second fiddle to anyone."
• (To) play something by ear: To improvise. To see how things go and make a decision later. ex. "P1: What do you want to do tonight? P2: I
don't know, let's just play it by ear."
• (To) play it safe: To act or be safe. To do something safely. ex. "Sarah isn't much of a risk taker. She likes to play it safe."
• (To) play the field: *somewhat outdated* To date many different people instead of going steady. ex. "After Mary broke up with Jim, she started
playing the field."
• (A) poker face: A face with no expression. Also common is "to be poker-faced."
• Preachy (adj): An adjective that describes someone (or something) that tries to preach how one should live, etc. ex. "A preachy movie"
• Pressed for time: In a hurry. ex. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm a little pressed for time."
• (To) promise someone the moon: To promise someone lots of extravagant things (unrealistically). ex. "He promised her the moon, but
couldn't deliver on any of his promises."
• (To) puke: To vomit. To throw up.
• (To) pull someone's leg: To kid, play a joke on someone. ex. "When he told me he was joining the military, was he just pulling my leg?"
• (To) pull a fast one: To cheat or to deceive. ex. "Con men are experts at pulling a fast one on unsuspecting passers by."
• Pure gold: * somewhat outdated* If something is "pure gold" it is "the best", "fantastic", "amazing".
• (To) push one's luck: To expect continued good fortune. ex. "Don't push your luck. I was nice to you before, but if you keep making me angry,
you'll regret it."
• (To) put up a good fight: To try very hard. ex. "Well, although my team lost, they put up a good fight, so I'm not upset."
Q
• Quick study (noun): Someone who is able to memorize or learn something quickly and easily. ex. "I was worried she wouldn't be able to get up
to speed quickly enough, but she proved to be a quick study."
• Quite a few: Many. ex. "There were quite a few people at the concert yesterday."
 • Quite a bit: A lot. ex. "There is quite a bit to do still."
• (As) quiet as a mouse: Very quiet.
• Quick on the uptake: Quick to understand. ex. "Many of the people in town thought that Thomas wasn't too quick on the uptake, but he was
actually a very bright boy."
• Quick and dirty: Fast and simple; not very sophisticated. ex. "We just need a quick and dirty solution to this."
R
• (To) rack one's brain: To try very hard to think of something. ex. "I racked my brain, but I couldn't remember his name."
• (To) rain cats and dogs: *somewhat archaic* To rain very hard. ex. "It was raining cats and dogs last night." NB: Because of the antiquated
nature of this idiom, it's best to say "It was raining very heavily" instead.
• Rain or shine: No matter what the weather is like. ex. "The game will be played tomorrow, rain or shine."
• (To) raise (some) eyebrows: To shock. ex. "The art show raised some eyebrows due to its explicit content."
• (A) Redneck: Generally refers to someone who has either bigoted or narrow-minded opinions. Often used in the context of people who live in
small towns or in the country. ex. "Just because he's from Kentucky doesn't mean he's a redneck."
• (To) read between the lines: To try to understand what is meant by something that is not written/said clearly. ex. "I need to have things
spelled out for me. I'm terrible at reading between the lines."
• (A) regular guy: A normal, average man (said in a fairly positive way). ex. "John? I don't know, I guess he's just a regular guy."
• (To) rest one's case: When people say "I rest my case", it usually means that they feel that they just proved that they are correct.
• Right off the bat: Right away; immediately. ex. "I knew there was something wrong with him right off the bat."
• (To) ring in the new year: To celebrate the beginning of the New Year at midnight on December 31st. ex. "This year, we'll be ringing in the new
year in Paris."
• (To) ring a bell: To remind, vaguely recognize something. ex. "P1: Have you every listened to Alex Chilton? P2: I'm not sure; the name rings a
bell, though. ( = I think I've heard the name before)"; "I'm sorry, that doesn't ring a bell. = I'm sorry I don't recognize/know that."
• (A) rip-off or (To) rip-off: A rip-off is something that costs more than it should. ex. "The popcorn prices at the movie theater are a rip-off."; To
rip someone off means to steal from someone, or to cheat someone. ex. "The mechanic ripped me off."
• (To) risk one's neck (to do something): To risk (sometimes physical) harm to accomplish something. ex. "He's always been very mean to me.
I don't plan to risk my neck to save his job."
• (To) rob the cradle: To go out with (or marry) someone who is much younger than you are. ex. "Victor's new wife is 25 years younger than
him. Talk about robbing the cradle!"
• (To) rock the boat: To disturb an otherwise stable situation.
• Rotten (adj): Bad, nasty. ex. "I've done a lot of rotten things in the past."
• (To) rub someone the wrong way: To irritate someone. ex. "I'm not going out if your cousin is going. She really rubs me the wrong way."
• (To) rub elbows with someone: To associate with someone. ex. "When her singing career took off, Kathleen was able to rub elbows with the
rich and famous."
• (To) run a fever: To have a fever. ex. "Jamie has been running a fever all day."
• (To) run in the family: To happen/ occur often in the family (through generations). ex. "P1: Frank is always so angry. P2: Yeah, his bad temper
runs in the family."
S
 • Safe and sound: Safe. Unharmed. ex. "It was a rough trip but we got there safe and sound."
• (To) save money for a rainy day: To reserve something for some future need. ex. "I've saved a little money for a rainy day."
• (To) save the day: To produce good results when bad results are expected. ex. "Colin saved the day by remembering to bring the map."
• (A) Score to settle: To get even. To pay someone back for something negative that they did. ex. "Don't stop me. I have a score to settle with
him."
• (To) scratch the surface: To begin finding out about something. ex. "We've only begun to scratch the surface in this field."
• Second nature (to someone): Easy and natural. ex. "Scoring goals is second nature to him."
• (To) see eye to eye on something: To have a similar opinion on something. ex. "Despite their public differences, the two candidates actually
see eye to eye on most issues."
• (To) see fit: To deem/believe to be appropriate. ex. "You can do that any way you see fit."
• (To) see the writing on the wall: To see that something is going to happen.
• (To) serve someone right: To serve as appropriate punishment for someone. ex. "They put him in jail for 5 years? Serves him right!"
• (To) set foot somewhere: To go or enter somewhere. ex. "If I were you, I wouldn't set foot in that town."
• (To) set one's sights on something: To select something as one's goal. ex. "We would like to buy out one of our competitors. We've got our
sights set on Sony."
• (A) shot in the arm: A boost. ex. "The good financial news was a real shot in the arm for Steve's company."
• (To) sit on one's hands: To do nothing. ex. "Everyone expected the board to take action, but they just sat on their hands."
• (To) sit tight: To wait (patiently). ex. "Sit tight, your mother will be here soon."
• Skeleton(s) in the closet: A shocking/ disturbing secret.
• (To) sleep on something: To think about something overnight. ex. "I'm not sure if I want to buy this car. I think I should sleep on it."
• (To) stand up for something: To fight for, support. ex. "The elected official promised to stand up for the poor."
• (To) stir up trouble: To cause trouble. ex. "Sometimes I think she gets great pleasure from stirring up trouble."
• Sucker: A gullible person or someone who is easily impressed by something ( eg. "a sucker for gadgets" = someone who is easily impressed by
gadgets)
• Suit yourself: Have it your way; As you wish; ex. "I wouldn't walk around that neighborhood at night, but if you really want to, suit yourself."
• (To) swallow something hook, line, and sinker: To believe something (usually a lie) completely. ex. "Margaret told him a flat-out ( =
complete and utter) lie and he swallowed it hook line and sinker."
T
• (To) take it: To endure trouble, criticism, or abuse. ex. "Say whatever you want about me. I can take it."
• Take it easy! Relax! (Also used in "to take it easy" = to relax, to spend a day relaxing, etc.)
• Take it or leave it: To accept it the way it is or to forget it. ex. "That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."
• (To) take its toll: To cause damage (or loss). ex. "The long hours he puts in at work have begun to take their toll on his health."
• (To) take something/ someone for granted: To accept something/ someone (without gratitude) as a matter of course. ex. "We tend to take
a lot of things for granted."
• (To) take something lying down: To endure something unpleasant without fighting back. ex. "I'm not going to take this type of treatment
lying down!"
 • (To) take something with a grain of salt: Not to take something that someone says too seriously. ex. "If I were you, I'd take everything that
she tells you with a grain of salt."
• (To) take someone under one's wing: To protect (and teach) someone. ex. "Arthur took the new employee under his wing and taught him
everything he knew."
• (To) take the rap (for something): To accept responsibility, admit that one is guilty of something. ex. "I thought that Bill was responsible for
the mix-up, but his friend Tom took the rap."
• (To) think straight: To think clearly. ex. "I was so tired that I couldn't think straight."
• (To) throw someone for a loop: To confuse or shock someone. ex. "His last comment really threw me for a loop. I had no idea what he
meant!"
• (To) tie the knot: To get married. ex. "They tied the knot in Puerto Vallarta."
• (To) tighten one's belt: To spend less money. ex. "After Becky lost her job, we really had to tighten our belts for a while."
• To save his/her life: At all/ completely. ex. "She can't sing to save her life."
• Told you so!: Basically when someone says "told you so!", it's like saying "See, I was right!".
• Tongue in cheek: Joking. ex. "Quentin made a tongue-in-cheek remark to his dad."
• (To) touch on (something): To mention/talk about. ex. "During the meeting, we touched on the plans to rebuild the school."
• True to one's word: Keeping one's promise. ex. "I wasn't sure he would pay me, but he turned out to be true to his word."
• (To) try your luck: To attempt something; to try to see if you can do/win something. ex. "I'm going to try my luck at the slot machines."
• (To) try someone's patience: To do something annoying that may cause someone to lose patience. ex. "It's not a good idea to try the boss'
patience."
• (To) turn a blind eye to something: To ignore something and pretend you did not see it. ex. "The usher turned a blind eye to the boy who
snuck into the theater."
• (To) turn one's back on (something/someone): To forget or ignore (something/someone) ex. "You should never turn your back on your
friends."
• (To) two-time someone: To be in a relationship and to have another boyfriend/girlfriend without telling your first boyfriend/girlfriend. ex. "I
dumped him when I found out he was two-timing me with Mary."
U
• Under construction: Being built or repaired. ex. "This road has been under construction for six months."
• Under fire: Being attacked. ex. "The soldiers came under fire when they approached the city."
• Under the table: Illegally. ex. "Many illegal immigrants try to find work under the table."
• Under the weather: Sick. Ill. ex. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather today."
• Up and about: Recovered from an illness. ex. "Hey it's nice to see you up and about. You must be feeling a lot better."
• Up for grabs: Available for anyone to try to get. ex. "The Swedish telecom market is still up for grabs."
• Up in the air: Uncertain. ex. "His future at this company is up in the air."
• Uptight: Conservative, nervous, nit-picky. "Stop being so uptight, relax a bit!"
• (To be/feel) up to (doing something): Capable of, fit for. ex. "Do you feel up to playing a game of tennis?"
• Up to one's neck in something: Very much involved in something; to have a lot of something. ex. "Please don't give me any more socks as
presents. I'm up to my neck in socks."
 • Up to par: Meeting normal standards. ex. "The wine was nice, but it wasn't up to par with the excellent wine they normally have."
• (To) use every trick in the book: To use every method possible. ex. "He used every trick in the book to get her to go out on a date with him."
V
• (To) vanish into thin air: To disappear without leaving a trace. ex. "Whatever happened to that actor? He seemed to have vanished into thin
air."
• Variety is the spice of life: Proverb meaning life is made more interesting by doing new or different things.
• Very last: The last. ex. "We were able to buy the very last tickets to the concert."
• Very well: OK. Agreed.
• Vicious circle: Sequence of cause and effect with bad results. ex. "He had fallen into a vicious circle of drinking too much and then losing his job
and then drinking even more."
W
• Wait-and-see attitude: A skeptical attitude. An attitude where someone will just wait and see what happens. ex. "The best thing to do is to
adopt a wait-and-see attitude."
• (To) wait tables: To work as a waiter/ waitress in a restaurant. ex. "Becky waited tables while she was in college."
• (To) wait on someone hand and foot: To serve someone very well; to do anything someone asks you. ex. "I don't mind making you coffee,
but don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot!"
• (To) wash one's hands of someone/something: To end one's association with someone or something. ex. "I washed my hands of Tom. I
wanted nothing more to do with him."
• Washed-up: No longer important/ in good form. ex. "Why do you hang out with that washed-up actor?"
• (To) waste one's breath: To talk in vain. To waste one's time talking. ex. "Don't waste your breath. He never listens to what anyone tells him."
• Way to go!: Good job! Congratulations! (*sometimes used sarcastically*)
• Wear and tear: Damage as a result of normal use. ex. "They put a lot of wear and tear on their truck during their long road trip."
• (To) wear out one's welcome: To stay too long (at an event, at someone's house, etc.) ex. "Let's only stay with them for 2 days. I don't want
us to wear out our welcome."
• Well-off: Wealthy. ex. "Her parents are well-off."
• Wet blanket: A person who discourages others from having fun.
• What makes someone tick: What motivates someone. ex. "He's such a mysterious guy. I don't quite know what makes him tick."
• What's with (someone): What's wrong with (someone). ex. "What's with you? You've been acting strange all day!"
• (A) Whole lot: A lot, too many. ex. "There aren't a whole lot of good restaurants in this neighborhood. = There aren't too many good restaurants
in this neighborhood."
• (To be) wide awake: To be completely awake. ex. "P1: Were you sleeping? P2: No, I was wide awake."
• (A) wild goose chase: A futile/hopeless pursuit. ex. "We thought he had given us a good lead, but it ended up being a wild goose chase."
• (At one's) wits' end: If you're "at your wits' end" it means that you've tried everything to fix or solve a problem, or to come up with a solution,
and you're almost going crazy from being unable to do this.
• With no strings attached: Unconditionally. ex. "He said that he just wanted to help me with no strings attached."
• (To) work out for the best: To work out in the best possible way. ex. "It seems bad now, but things will work out for the best."
X
 • X marks the spot: This is the exact spot.
Y
• Year-round (adj./adv.) Operating all year. ex. "This facility is open year-round."
• Yes-man: A person who tries to be liked by agreeing with everything said, especially by a boss.
• You bet! Yes! Sure! I agree! No problem!
• You can say that again: That is true (stress on "that"). ex. "P1: It sure is hot today! P2: You can say that again!"
• You can't teach an old dog new tricks: A proverb meaning that old people can't learn anything new.
• You don't say: Used to show surprise at something that is being said. ex. "You don't say! He was really struck by lightning?"
• Your guess is as good as mine: I don't know any better/ more than you know. ex. "P1: How old is Robert? P2: Your guess is as good as mine. I
have no idea."
Z
• (To) zero in on something: To aim or focus directly on something. ex. "I would like to zero in on another important issue."
• (To) zonk out: To fall asleep.