UNIT 1

A new broom – a new person in charge that makes changes

A wet blanket – someone who doesn’t want to join in and spoils the fun for everybody else
A stuffed shirt – a pompous, self-opinionated person
A couch potato – Homer Simpson
An armchair critic – someone who expresses opinions about things they know very little about
A fair weather friend – someone who stands by you only when things are going well
A nosy parker – a gossip who wants to know everything that happens to other people
A rolling stone – someone who doesn’t like to stay in one place only
Come in for something – be exposed to sth unpleasant
Come down on somebody – criticize or punish harshly
Come out with something – say something surprising
Come up with something – produce an idea
Come to the point – avoid details and say what’s important
Come round – regain consciousness; wake up after a coma
Come round to something / an idea – change your opinion
Come down with something – get ill
Come to terms with something – accept a situation as it is
Take heart – feel more positive about something
Pick somebody up – recover from something difficult
Bring round = Bring around – 1 bring; 2 persuade or convince; 3 guide a conversation towards
what you want; 4 come round (recover consciousness)
Count in – include in a list
Put back – delay, postpone, put something where it was, restore
Sparkle – shine in someone’s eyes
Beam – Ray of light
Burrow down – dig
Hollow out – make something empty
Delve into – do some research about the past, hurgar
Dig up – the opposite of burry, bring information to light
Exhilaration – euphoria
Exhortation – persuade, encourage to do something
Depict – Describe or show by a pinture…
Swathe – envolver
Crumble – fall into pieces, desmenuzarse
UNIT 2
Lay something bare – Expose, dejar algo al descubierto
Quarry in sight – power; an imaginary monster
Bump – crash into
Whine – noise produced by a chair; high-pitched noise
Sheepskin mat – rug
Tweed jacket – material from which the reinforcement of the elbows’ zones are made of
Check shirt – shirt of cuadros
Dove – pigeon
Power Steering – Dirección asistida
A Sucker of – a person who likes something a lot; a naïve person
Vestigial – a slightly trace of something that existed
Mankind – humanity
Stumbling – walk like being drunk; tropezar, move unsteadily, stopping at speech
Baffled (also to baffle, and baffling) – extremely confused
Shabby – not carefully arranged or cared
In Layman’s terms – speaking like if you were a layman (clerigo)… meaning that it is easy to
understand
Grin – smile or a mocking smile
Grin and bear – smile and hold the smile
Reverse out – go backwards
Slump – depressed, collapsed, fell down, not incorporated, also in economic terms
Whirr off – make a sound, onomatopeya
Slouch – droop shoulders; don’t slouch (ponte recto)…
Utterly – Completely
Staggeringly – astoundingly – surprisingly
Evenly – equally
Now’s a fine time – this is a very inconvenient moment
A bit pressed for time – in a bit of a hurry
Buy time – delay things
For the time being – as a temporary measure
(be/come/leave) on time – punctually
At the best of times – in favourable circumstances
Time will tell – we will only know that in the future
Time and time again – repeatedly
Kill time – pass the time
Just in the nick of time – get somewhere with only seconds to spare
To throw the book at someone – punish severely
To turn over a new leaf – time to change
To do something by the book – follow all the correct procedures in everything
To be in someone’s good books – is because that person is very pleased with you
To speak volumes about someone – is very indicative of someone’s character
To take a leaf out of someone’s book – behave in the same way as someone
UNIT 3
Despair – desperation
Clean-shaven – without bear or mustard (shaven = shave)
Sinewy – “nervudo”, vigorous, strong, robust, forceful
Slurred – que arrastra las palabras
Hunch (over) – encorvarse – bend over
Gaze – look, glance, peek
Elation – generosity, joy, glee
Divert – Desviar
Deflect - Desviar
To do wonders for – is very very good for…
To do time – spend several years in prision
To do something up – do something about it… literal translation (hacer algo al respect)
To do someone a good turn / favour – help somebody
To do the donkey work – be responsible fot all the hard work
To do a lot of harm / good or no harm / good
To do something with your eyes closed – it’s a second nature for you
To do more harm than good – to be counter-productive
Glimpse – see briefly (often before it disappears)
Gaze – look at steadily in surprise or admiration
Stare – look at intently with eyes wide open
Glance – have a quick look (through)
Peep – take a quick look when you shouldn’t, e.g. through a keyhole!
Peer – look closely at (as if trying to see more clearly)
Blink – close eyelids rapidly
Make out – see with difficulty
Weep – cry
Wink – close one eyelid
Maze – labyrinth
Girder – Viga
Stroll – walk, ride, promenade, tour…
Ladder – stairs, scale…
Handrail – barandilla
Daunting – discouraging, deter, dampen…
Reckless – temerario, atolondrado…
Deck – cubierta
Spurred – estimulado, espoleado, animado a…
Lean out – asomarse
Lean – apoyarse
Pound – aporrear, machacar, palpitar…
Dishevelled – despeinado, desaliñado…
Slam – golpe
Clamber – trepar, climb…

UNIT 4
Breed – Criar
Trudge (through) – Caminar penosament
Swamp – Pantà (Marsh, Bog)
Pith helmet – barret explorador filipí
Bearer – Portador
Run off with – fugir amb…
Faintly – Lluegerament, a penas...
Look down on – menysprear, mirar per sobre l’espatlla
Sordid – sórdido, sucio, impuro, mezquino, indecente…
Cesspit – Pou, cloaca…
Squat – ajupir-se, cuclilles…
Scapegoat – Chivo expiatorio; cabeza de turco (fall guy, whipping boy)
Sultry – vergonyós (bochornoso)
See off – acomiada (dir adéu)
Beckon – Fer senyals
Beckoning – Atractiu, “apetecible”
Lushness (lush) – exuberància (exuberant)
Heap – un munt (montón) de… (a heap of bricks)
Muck – estiércol
Gable – aguilón, gablete, hastión...
Hereinafter – de ahora en adelante (from now on)
Undertake – assumir
Liability – responsabilidad
Blazing – very hot, burning
Log – tronco (log fire – fuego de leña). To sleep like a log
Dispel – disipar
Kettle – Tetera
Run a business – manage a company
Run out of – have no more left
Run short of – have an insufficient supply of
Run for it – flee from, huir de...
Catch somebody red-handed – apprehend somebody in the act of doing something
Catch someone’s eye – attract someone’s attention
Look on the bright side – be cheerful / optimistic
Look down your nose at – feel superior to
Look like a drowned rat – be completely soaked (empapado)
Look a gift horse in the mouth – be ungrateful for what you are given
Outstanding – 1. Extraordinary 2. Not yet paid or done, pendiente.
To be caught up in – to be involved in something involuntarily
Sultry – weather that is hot and humid
Scapegoat – somebody blamed for something bad although it may not be their fault, chivo
expiatorio, cabeza de turco.
Chainsmoker – un fumado como un carretero (verb. Chainsmoke)
To be better-off / better off – estar mejor ___ que ___.
Be none the worst for – no tan mal, no sufrir de… pag 57
Counsel – Consell o aconsellar
Prosecutor – Acusador
Stove – Calentador, cuina, estufa, fornet…
Gasp for sth – eager for sth
Be on sth’s/sb’s last gasp – estar en las últimas
Ordeal – terrible experience
Drowsy – Somnulent
Droop – Flaquejar, posar-se musti

UNIT 5
Vlvet – Criar
Nook and cranny – en cada rincón / recoveco
Glaring – deslumbrante, cegador
Blissfully – con gran felicidad
Slit – Rajar
Probing – sagaz, perspicaz
Piercing – perforante, penetrante, cortante
Pierce – agujerear, penetrar, perforar
Swell – grow in size, incharse
Plight – situació difícil
Grim – adusto (persona), nefasto o desalentador (situación), lúgubre o sombrio (landscape).
Grim reality – la dura realidad
Light at the end of the tunnel – a sign that a difficult period will finish
Keep someone in the dark – withhold information from someone
Make light of something – not take something seriously
Go out like a light – fall asleep immediately
A leap in the dark – a risk with unknown consequences
The bright lights – the excitement and entertainment of a big city
Come to light – be revealed
See the light – understand and realise you have been wrong
A dark horse – a mysterious person
Mellow – soft, rich and pleasant
Insulated – protected from heat, sound or electricity passing through
Ludicrous – ridiculous and unreasonable
Broadscale – wide ranging in its effects
Unravel – the act of woven threads becoming separated
Onslaught – a strong or violent attack
Jeopardy –
Strident –
Shrill –
Mellifluous –
Barring –
Put upon by –