HOMEWORK 39

Set off = leave

Bluff their own way = get yourself in deception, you pretend

Tip of the iceberg: a small part of a much bigger problem

From the cradle to the grave: from birth to death

Every Tom, Dick and / or Harry: people you do not know or you don’t think are important.

Out of your own pocket: pay for something yourself

Like a bear with a sore head: someone is in a bad mood

The good old days: remember the past nostalgically

Days are numbered: someone or something will not exist for much longer

To clip someone’s wings: limiting someone’s freedom

Spirit of adventure: enthusiasm for adventurous activities

Up-to-the-minute: new

A loss for words: not know what to say

Tying the knot: getting married

Be sick and tired: angry and bored

Make a mountain out of a molehill: make a small difficulty seem like a serious problem

Fringe benefits: something extra you get because of your job in addition to your pay

Be Blown away: amazes you because it’s so good

Be on the same wavelength: think the same way

Part and parcel: a necessary part of an event or experience which cannot be avoided

Burning a hole in the pocket: you want to spend it as soon as possible

See eye to eye: disagree with each other

Get their act together: organize themselves so that they do things efficiently

Sit on the fence: delay making a decision when they have to choose between two different
options in a dispute

Be back to square one: have to work on a plan from the beginning again because a previous
attempt failed and the progress made was wasted
Blow your mind = surprised

See red: I got very angry

Get a black mark: remember you have done something bad

See the point: see what you mean

See the joke: understand the hilarious situation

Working on the mine field: dangerous

To be at the crossroad: to be at a difficult situation / make some important decision.

Go nowhere: This situation goes nowhere. Has no solution

Have something up your sleeve: some secret plan

Bluff your way: you’re pretending to be better

Get the marching orders: You lose your job.

Take the flak: receive criticism

To be center-staged: To be at the center of every opinion

Open the door to: leave something new to start

Run its course: went as proposed, came to a natural end

Debt of honour: life debt, moral debt

To knock the economy into shape: taking action into something. Try to improve the condition

Go up in the world: making more money

Sink like a stone: fell dramatically or completely

Pick your ears up: listen carefully

Safe and sound: well

See eye to eye: disagree with someone

Be as quiet as a mouse: extremely quiet

Flash in the pan: happens only once

Take a shine: start liking someone

Put my foot on it: something not proper for the situation.

Prick your ears up: listen carefully

Lick your wounds: heal or get over a bad situation

Has been stirred with a stick: is very untidy

Is tuned to the moon: eccentric

Over the back: Typical of

Right off the bat: do it immediately

Throw someone a curveball: surprise them with something difficult or unpleasant to deal with

Batting a thousand: doing something extremely well, better than they hoped

Drops the ball: do something stupid or careless

Catch some z’s: sleep

Fresh out of tomatoes: has just finished or sold all its supply

Isn’t worth a dime: has little or no value

British English US English Meaning

The icing on the cake The frosting on the cake Something that makes a good thing
even better
Fight like cat and dog Fight like cats and dogs Argue violently all the time
Donkey work Grunt work Hard, boring work
Take the biscuit Take the cake Used informally to describe something
the speaker finds very annoying
Weep buckets Cry buckets Cry a lot (informal)
Hard cash Cold cash Money in the form of cash or notes, not
a cheque or credit card
Like the cat that got Like the cat that ate the Very pleased with oneself (informal,
the cream canary usually collocated with ‘look’, ‘grin’, or
‘smile’)

The first lady of: The expert, or the best

From hell: difficult people or unpopular things as being the … from hell

Fallen off the radar: been forgotten

Go the extra mile: make an extra big effort or do things that are more than is strictly necessary

Does exactly what is says on the tin: does exactly what it claims to do

Like nailing jelly to a wall: difficult to understand or describe because it is not clear or focused
enough

I’m cool with: I’m happy with a suggestion

It doesn’t float my boat: I don’t agree with what you like or are interested in. Whatever floats
your boat

Big time: extremely

End of (story) Do not want to discuss anything further

Too much information: someone is telling you about very personal things that you don’t want
to hear about

Don’t even go there: a friend starts talking about a subject you do not want to discuss

As thin as a rake: extremely thin

As smooth as silk: extremely smooth

As bright as a button: extremely clever

As thick as two short planks: extremely unintelligent

As fresh as a daisy: extremely fresh and full of energy

Ran like the wind: ran extremely fast

Drives like a maniac: Drives fast and badly

Fits like a globe: fits extremely well

As clear as crystal: very clearly.

As poor as a church mouse: very poor

As silent as the grave: totally silent

As dry as a bone: extremely dry / thirsty

As dry as dust: extremely boring

As red as a beetroot:

Were all over her like a rash:

As quick as a flash

As keen as mustard = very keen

Fighting like cat and dog

Working like a dog

With a face like thunder

As stubborn as a mule
Black and white: separate and clear

Neat and tidy: synonyms

Hit and miss: Opposite: sometimes good, sometimes bad

Neck and neck: equal

Wear and tear: damage through everyday use

Black and blue: very bruised

Bumper to bumper: very heavy

Little by little: gradually

Give or take: plus or minus

Here there and everywhere: everywhere

Heads or tails: head side of a British coin with the monarch’s head on it; tail the other side

At sixes and sevens: in a state of confusion

Out and about: active, doing her usual activities

Chalk and chees: totally different

Hustle and bustle: crowds and noise

I‘m all fingers and thumbs: am awkward with my hands, unable to do what I want to do

In dribs and drabs: small amounts at a time

Blood, sweat and tears: hard work

Time after time: many times

Waxed and waned: fluctuated

Through and through: completely typical

Every nook and cranny: every small place

When there’s a will there’s a way = if we really want to achieve something, we can

Nothing ventured, nothing gained = you need to take risks to achieve something

Every cloud has a silver lining = there is something good in every bad situation

Variety is the spice of life = change makes life interesting

Necessity is the mother of invention = if people really need to do something, they will find a
way to do it

All’s fair in love and war = All behaviour is acceptable in extreme situations, especially in
romantic situations and competitions.

It never rains but it pours = problems always happen together

It takes two to tango = two people are equally responsible.

Rome wasn’t built in a day = It takes a long time to do important things properly

Better safe than sorry = It is best not to take risks, even if it seems boring or hard work

No pain no gain = there must be some suffering in order to succeed.

First come, first served = the first to arrive will get something

Take the flag = being criticized

Up your sleeve = some secret hidden plan

Tie the knot = get married

Up to the minute = new

Puzzle and nuzzle = a lot of noise

Tip of the iceberg: a small part of a much bigger problem

From the cradle to the grave: from birth to death

Every Tom, Dick and / or Harry: people you do not know or you don’t think are important.

Out of your own pocket: pay for something yourself

Like a bear with a sore head: someone is in a bad mood

The good old days: remember the past nostalgically

Days are numbered: someone or something will not exist for much longer

To clip someone’s wings: limiting someone’s freedom

Spirit of adventure: enthusiasm for adventurous activities

Up-to-the-minute: new

A loss for words: not know what to say

Tying the knot: getting married

Be sick and tired: angry and bored

Make a mountain out of a molehill: make a small difficulty seem like a serious problem

Fringe benefits: something extra you get because of your job in addition to your pay

Be Blown away: amazes you because it’s so good

Be on the same wavelength: think the same way

Part and parcel: a necessary part of an event or experience which cannot be avoided

Burning a hole in the pocket: you want to spend it as soon as possible

See eye to eye: disagree with each other

Get their act together: organize themselves so that they do things efficiently

Sit on the fence: delay making a decision when they have to choose between two different
options in a dispute

Be back to square one: have to work on a plan from the beginning again because a previous
attempt failed and the progress made was wasted

See red: I got very angry

Get a black mark: remember you have done something bad

See the point: see what you mean

See the joke: understand the hilarious situation

Working on the mine field: dangerous

To be at the crossroad: to be at a difficult situation / make some important decision.

Go nowhere: This situation goes nowhere. Has no solution

Have something up your sleeve: some secret plan

Bluff your way: you’re pretending to be better

Get the marching orders: You lose your job.

Take the flak: receive criticism

To be center-staged: To be at the center of every opinion

Run like the wind = run very fast

Open the door to: leave something new to start

Run its course: went as proposed, came to a natural end

Debt of honour: life debt, moral debt

To knock the economy into shape: taking action into something. Try to improve the condition

Go up in the world: making more money

Sink like a stone: fell dramatically or completely

Pick your ears up: listen carefully

Safe and sound: well

See eye to eye: disagree with someone

Be as quiet as a mouse: extremely quiet

Flash in the pan: happens only once

Take a shine: start liking someone

Put my foot on it: something not proper for the situation.

Prick your ears up: listen carefully

Lick your wounds: heal or get over a bad situation

Has been stirred with a stick: is very untidy

Is tuned to the moon: eccentric

Over the back: Typical of

Right off the bat: do it immediately

Throw someone a curveball: surprise them with something difficult or unpleasant to deal with

Batting a thousand: doing something extremely well, better than they hoped

Drops the ball: do something stupid or careless

Catch some z’s: sleep

Fresh out of tomatoes: has just finished or sold all its supply

Isn’t worth a dime: has little or no value

British English US English Meaning
The icing on the cake The frosting on the cake Something that makes a good thing
even better
Fight like cat and dog Fight like cats and dogs Argue violently all the time
Donkey work Grunt work Hard, boring work
Take the biscuit Take the cake Used informally to describe something
the speaker finds very annoying
Weep buckets Cry buckets Cry a lot (informal)
Hard cash Cold cash Money in the form of cash or notes, not
a cheque or credit card
Like the cat that got Like the cat that ate the Very pleased with oneself (informal,
the cream canary usually collocated with ‘look’, ‘grin’, or
‘smile’)

The first lady of: The expert, or the best

From hell: difficult people or unpopular things as being the … from hell

Fallen off the radar: been forgotten

Go the extra mile: make an extra big effort or do things that are more than is strictly necessary

Does exactly what is says on the tin: does exactly what it claims to do

Like nailing jelly to a wall: difficult to understand or describe because it is not clear or focused
enough

I’m cool with: I’m happy with a suggestion

It doesn’t float my boat: I don’t agree with what you like or are interested in. Whatever floats
your boat

There are plenty more fish in the sea / pebbles on the beach = There are plenty more people
or possibilities.

Look on the bright side = try to see something good in a bad situation.

It’s easy to be wise after the event / Hindsight is a wonderful thing = When you know what
happens next, it’s easy to say what you or others should have done.

It’s not over until the fat lady sings = You cannot be sure what will happen until the very end of
something, often a sports event.

Enough is as good as a feast = You shouldn’t have more of something than you need

Ignorance is bliss = you may be happier sometimes when you do not know all the facts about a
situation

You can lead a horse to water (but you can’t make him drink) = you can give someone the
opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it.
Truth will out! = the truth will always become known

Get your skates on! = Hurry up!

I’ll believe it when I see it = I’m doubtful that it will happen.

Mum’s the word = I promise not to tell a secret

Good riddance! = I’m happy something or someone has gone

Take it easy! = Calm down! Relax!

Fair’s fair = Their behaviour is reasonable

So far, so good = Things are going well up to this point.

Give me a break! = Stop criticizing me!

Was on the rocks = on serious difficulty

Wide berth = avoiding

Cut and run = avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly

Battened down the hatches = got ready for a difficult situation by preparing in every way
possible

Run a tight ship = control a business or organization firmly and efficiently

Went by the board = were abandoned

Weather the storm = survive difficult times

Making good headway = making good progress

Be taken aback = likely to happen soon

Be taken aback = were very surprised

Leave high and dry = put in a difficult situation which they could not improve

Take the wind out of someone’s sails = made her feel less confident, by saying or doing
something unexpected

In the wake of sb / Sth or in sb’s / sth’s wake = following closely behind

All hands on deck = everyone must help

Any port in a storm = you must accept any help you’re offered when you’re in a difficult
situation.

High Fly = successful

Take a nose dive = submerge

Come to a standstill = come to calm

Latin

Ad hoc = not planned but arranged or done when needed

Ad infinitum = without end, forever

Compos mentis = in control of his actions, mentally healthy

De facto = existing but not officially agreed

Non sequitur = a statement which does not seem to be connected with what was said before

Status quo = the present situation

French

Au fait = fully knowledgeable about

Bête noire = what the speaker hates most

C’est la vie = when something happens that you do not like but which you have to accept

Crème de la crème = very best

With a fait accompli = a decision that has been made or a completed action that cannot be
changed

Laissez-faire = desire not to control

Plus ça change = times change, but some things stay the same.
Was on the rocks = on serious difficulty

Wide berth = avoiding

Cut and run = avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly

Battened down the hatches = got ready for a difficult situation by preparing in every way
possible

Run a tight ship = control a business or organization firmly and efficiently

Went by the board = were abandoned

Weather the storm = survive difficult times

Making good headway = making good progress

Be taken aback = likely to happen soon

Be taken aback = were very surprised

Leave high and dry = put in a difficult situation which they could not improve

Take the wind out of someone’s sails = made her feel less confident, by saying or doing
something unexpected

In the wake of sb / Sth or in sb’s / sth’s wake = following closely behind

All hands on deck = everyone must help

Any port in a storm = you must accept any help you’re offered when you’re in a difficult
situation.
Call to arms= challenge to young people

Drop a bombshell = the country is in a deep economic crisis

Beat a retreat = no immediate plans for an increase

Shell-shocked = unexpectedly high losses

On the warpath = angry and decided to take action immediately

Come out fighting = not accept and oppose the decision to the very end

Shot yourself in the foot = unintentionally did or said something foolish which made your
situation worse

Shot me down in flames = immediately criticized my idea and refused to accept it

Hang fire = delay making a decision

A fighting change = a small but real possibility

A flash in the pan = something that happened only once and was not repeated

A baptism of fire = very difficult first experience of something

Run the gauntlet = face a lot of people who were criticizing or attacking her

Battle of wills = conflict between two different, strong desires or intentions

Joined the ranks of = became

A march on = got an advantage by acting before their rivals did

1. ‘The best of both worlds’ – means you can enjoy two different opportunities
at the same time.
“By working part-time and looking after her kids two days a week she managed
to get the best of both worlds.”

2. ‘Speak of the devil’ – this means that the person you’re just talking about
actually appears at that moment.
“Hi Tom, speak of the devil, I was just telling Sara about your new car.”

3. ‘See eye to eye’ – this means agreeing with someone.

“They finally saw eye to eye on the business deal.”

4. ‘Once in a blue moon’ – an event that happens infrequently.

“I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon.”

5. ‘When pigs fly’ – something that will never happen.

“When pigs fly she’ll tidy up her room.”

6. ‘To cost an arm and a leg’– something is very expensive.

“Fuel these days costs and arm and a leg.”

7. ‘A piece of cake’– something is very easy.

“The English test was a piece of cake.”

8. ‘Let the cat out of the bag’ – to accidentally reveal a secret.

“I let the cat out of the bag about their wedding plans.”

9. ‘To feel under the weather’ – to not feel well.

“I’m really feeling under the weather today; I have a terrible cold.”

10. ‘To kill two birds with one stone’ – to solve two problems at once.
“By taking my dad on holiday, I killed two birds with one stone. I got to go away
but also spend time with him.”

11. ‘To cut corners’ – to do something badly or cheaply.

“They really cut corners when they built this bathroom; the shower is leaking.”

12. ‘To add insult to injury’ – to make a situation worse.

“To add insult to injury the car drove off without stopping after knocking me off
my bike.”

13. ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ – to not judge someone or
something based solely on appearance.
“I thought this no-brand bread would be horrible; turns out you can’t judge a
book by its cover.”
14. ‘Break a leg’ – means ‘good luck’ (often said to actors before they go on
stage).
“Break a leg Sam, I’m sure your performance will be great.”

15. ‘To hit the nail on the head’ – to describe exactly what is causing a
situation or problem.
“He hit the nail on the head when he said this company needs more HR
support.”

16. ‘A blessing in disguise’ – An misfortune that eventually results in

something good happening later on.

17. ‘Call it a day’ – Stop working on something

18. ‘Let someone off the hook’ – To allow someone, who have been caught,
to not be punished.

19. ‘No pain no gain’ – You have to work hard for something you want.

20. ‘Bite the bullet’ – Decide to do something unpleasant that you have
avoiding doing.

21. ‘Getting a taste of your own medicine’ – Being treated the same
unpleasant way you have treated others.

22. ‘Giving someone the cold shoulder’ – To ignore someone.

23. ‘The last straw’ – The final source of irritation for someone to finally lose
patience.

24. ‘The elephant in the room’

– A matter or problem that is obvious of great importance but that is not discuss
ed openly.

25. ‘Stealing someones thunder’ – Taking credit for someone else

achievements.

Are the cat’s whiskers = better than everyone else

Hasn’t got a cat in hell’s chance = no chance al tall

It’s a dog’s life= life is hard and unpleasant

A dog in the manger = you’re keeping it only so that I can’t have it, not because you really want
it yourself.

Flog a dead horse = wasting time trying to do something that won’t succeed.

(Straight) from the horse’s mouth = from the person concerned

Until the cows come home = for a very long time

Sort (out) the sheep from the goats = find the people or things of high quality from a group of
mixed quality

Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb = might as well do something more serious as you
are going to be punished anyway

Shedding crocodile tears = fiction tears

Sick as a parrot = very sick

A leopard can’t change its spots =someone cannot change

Cried wolf = cried deeply

A wolf in sheep’s clothing = someone bad under good manners

The elephant in the room= the main topic.

Full letter words = swear words

Spend a penny / powder my nose = go to the toilet

Fly by the seat of your pants = very difficult things no experience

Bury your head in the sand = refuse to think about unpleasant facts or problems because you
do not want to deal with them.

Head and shoulders above = a lot better than

It was one in the eye for = a disappointment for

A good head for = is good at something

Held / bit my tongue = stopped myself from saying something which I really wanted to say

Than meets the eye = it is more difficult to understand or involves more things than one
thought

Get my tongue round = pronounce

Put our heads together = plan something together

Teething troubles = problems in the early stages of doing something new

Has gone to his head = made him think he’s very important and made him a less pleasant
person

Getting my teeth into = becoming involved in something enthusiastically

To lose face = lose the respect of others

My face just didn’t fit =my appearance of personality was not suitable for the job

Face-saving = done so that other people will continue to respect them

Would give my right arm for = would very much like to have

Tread on your toes = do something that could upset someone by getting involved in something
that is their responsibility

Point the finger at = accuse of being responsible for

Made my toes curl = made you feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed for someone else

Keep your finger on the pulse = stay up-to-date

Monopoly money = money that has no value and is used only in games

The dice were loaded against = I would be unlikely to succeed

Dicing with death = take a great risk

Poker-faced = expressionless

Held all the cards = was in a strong position

Kept / played my cards close to my chest = didn’t reveal my plans

Played his ace / trump card = used in advantage, especially one others did not know about

Moving the goalposts = changing the rules in a situation in a way that is not fair

Knocked me for six = surprised and upset me

Got the red card = received official criticism for bad behaviour

It’s just not the cricket = not right or fair behaviour; usually used humorously

Is a whole new ball game = a completely different situation

Play hardball = be so determined to get what they want that they use unfair methods

Take a rain check tonight = something to say when you have to refuse someone’s invitation to
something that you would like to do at another time.

Not pull any punches = speak in an honest and direct way without trying to be tactful

Be / feel punch-drunk = was tired and confused

Below the belt = an unfair attack

Throw in the sponge / towel = in the past throwing the sponge or towel into the ring meant
admitting defeat

Not long for this world = die soon

Friendly fire = killed by his own friend

Play someone’s ace = use an advantage in situation

Achilles heel = was the only place on his body that the hero could be wounded or killed. It was
his one week point.

Pandora’s box = Pandora carried a box which held all the evils of the world. When se opened it,
evil escaped into the world.

King Midas touch = Everything Midas touched turned into gold.

Trojan horse = The Greeks sent a huge wooden horse into the city of Troy as a gift. Soldiers
were hiding inside, who then attacked the city.

The sword of Damocles = a sense of impending doom, the feeling that there is some
catastrophic threat looking over you

Fiddling while Rome burns = to enjoy yourself or continue working as normal and not give

any attention to something important and unpleasant that is happening that you should be
taking action to prevent.

Rest on our laurels = to be satisfied with your achievements and not to make an effort to do

anything else:

Leave no stone unturned = to do everything you can to achieve a

good result, especially when looking for something:

Saw the writing on the wall = said to mean that there are clear signs that something will fail or
no longer exist

Where the halcyon days = a very happy or successful period in the past:

Turn the other cheek = to not do anything to hurt someone who has hurt you:

Pyrrhic victory = a victory that is not worth winning because the winner has lost so much

in winning it

Fall on his sword = assume responsibility or blame on behalf of other people, especially by
resigning from a position.

Parting shot = a remark that you make when you are leaving, so that it has a stronger effect:

Epic proportions = a disaster (a calamitous event) as one that is of a size or scope (proportions)
that is great or extensive.

When there’s a wheel, there is a way = really want something to happen.

SHAKESPEARE

The green-eyed monster = jealousy

At one fell swoop = suddenly, at the same time

Eaten me out of house and home = eaten all the food there is in my house

Made my hair stand on end = frightened me very much

In the twinkling of an eye = in an instant

A wild-goose chase = a search that has no hope of success

Laid it on with a trowel = praised somebody or something excessively

Star-crossed lovers = people unlucky in love

Was hoist with his own petard = caused problems for himself

The course of true love never did run smooth = there are always difficulties to face in romantic
relationships.
LITERATURE

Aladdin’s cave = In the Arabian Nights, Aladdin is imprisoned in a cave full of treasure.

Big Brother = Big Brother is the dictator who watches everybody all the time in George Orwell’s
novel 1984.

Man Friday = Man Friday is the servant on a desert island in Daniel Defoe’s novel Robinson
Crusoe.

Jekyll and Hide = Jekyll and Hyde represent two opposite sides of Dr. Jekyll’s personality in R. L.
Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Prince Charming = Prince Charming is the handsome prince in many fairy tales. The expression
is often used humorously.

An albatross around your neck = A problem that is difficult to be free of

Like ships that pass in the night = People who come into your life and leave again after a short
time

Castles in the air = plans that have very little chance of happening

A catch-22 situation = An impossible situation where you are prevented from doing one thing
until you have done another thing, but you cannot do the other thing until you have done the
first thing.

Go the whole hog = Do something as completely as possible

An ivory tower = A situation where you are separated from the ordinary and unpleasant things
that happen in life

A storm in a teacup = A situation where people get very angry or worried about something that
is not important

To call a spade a spade= To tell the truth about something, even if it is not polite or pleasant
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

At the cutting edge = at the most recent stage of development in a particular type of work or
activity.

Hot off the press = has just been printed and contains the most recent information

The brainchild of = A clever and original idea, plan or invention

Pushes all the right buttons = does exactly what is necessary to get the result you want

Light years away from = it will be a very long time before

Is on the blink= not working properly

A spanner in the works = did something that prevented a plan from succeeding

It’s not rocket science = used to say that something is not very difficult to do or to understand
(humorous)

Reinventing the wheel = wasting time trying to create something that someone else has
already created

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it = said when you see that something works well, and there is no
reason to try to change it

Will go haywire = stop working normally and start working in a different and strange way
(informal)

A small cog in the machine here = one part of a large organisation

Has set the wheels in motion = dome something which will cause a series of actions to start

Gas guzzler = car that uses a lot of fuel

Has oiled the wheels= made it easier for something to happen

FILMS, PLAYS AND BOOKS

Rolling in the aisles = laughing a lot

Brought the house down = made the audience laugh or clap a lot; was extremely successful

Stole the show = got all the attention and praise at an event or performance

Keep you on the edge of your seat = keep you excited and interested in what happens next

Sent shivers down my spine = was very moving

Wade through = finish reading something, but with difficulty

Heavy going = difficult to read or understand

Page turner = a book that is so exciting that you have to read it quickly

Did a hatchet job on it = criticized strongly and cruelly

Pick holes in = find mistakes in; criticize

An armchair critic = criticize, but without any personal expertise in what is being criticized (You
can also say ‘armchair traveller’ and ‘armchair gardener’)

Having her name in lights = being famous

A leading light = an important member

Treading the boards = acting on stage (in the theatre)

Play to the gallery = behave in a way to make people admire or support her; often slightly
disapproving

Crowd-puller = something attracting a lot of attention and interest

Waiting in the wings = ready to become important (this idiom is often used in non-theatrical
contexts too, e.g. ‘Investors are waiting in the wings, ready to act if the business is sold’.)

Take centre stage = Become the most important person in the play (this idiom is often used in
non-theatrical contexts too, e.g. ‘Education took centre stage in the new political manifesto’.)

All right on the night = without problems on the day of the actual performance
RELATIONSHIPS – FRIENDS AND FAMILY

Twinkle in his father’s eye = was not even born (humorous)

Fly the nest = leave home to live independently

He’s the spitting image of = looks very much like

Chip off the old block = similar in personality to one of his parents or an older family member

Run in the family = a lot of people in the family have that characteristic your family (humorous)

Nearest and dearest = your family (humorous)

Your own flesh and blood = relatives

Lived in each other’s pockets = did everything together

Go back a long way = have known each other a long time

Give you the time of day = will refuse to speak to you because they think they’re better than
you or they don’t like you

Have the ear of = the person is ready to listen to your views and ideas

Have friends in high places = know important and influential people

Rub shoulders with = spend time with important or famous people

A fair-weather friend = someone who is your friend only when things are going well for you

Through thick and thin = through good and bad situations

A tower of strength = someone who supports you a lot in difficult situations (You can also say
‘pillar of strength’.)

Old flame = someone you had a romantic relationship in with in the past.

Footloose and fancy-free = free and without responsibilities to anyone

CHARACTER AND BEHAVIOUR

Is a mine of information = knows a lot about all sorts of things

A man of many parts = can do all sorts of different things or a woman of many parts

Whizz kid = clever and really successful

She’s got plenty of get-up and go = full of energy and enthusiasm

She has plenty of strings to her bow = knows to do a lot of things

A glutton for punishment = someone who likes working hard or doing things other people
would find unpleasant (humorous)

Highly strung = very nervous and easily upset

Act / play the fool = behave in a silly way, often to make people laugh

Look out for number one = puts himself firsts, as he things he is the most important person
(informal)

Eat sb for breakfast = speak angrily or critically to easily control or defeat someone

A love-rat = A man having a secret sexual relationship with someone not his wife or girlfriend
(informal, mainly used in popular journalism)

A wet blanket = someone who says or does something that stops others from enjoying
themselves (informal)

A loose cannon = someone who cannot be trusted because they act in an unpredictable way
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

Russ was on the fiddle = was getting money in an illegal or dishonest way

An inside job = a crime committed by someone from within the organization affected

He had his hand in the till (cashier, register) = was stealing the business’s money

He pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes = deceived everyone

He was taking us all for a ride = tricking us

He was lining his own pockets = was making money for himself in a dishonest way

Things under the counter = secretly; illegally

Russ has done a runner = run away to avoid a difficult situation

Is the long arm of the law = the police (suggesting it has far-reaching powerS)

To throw the book at = punish someone as severely as possible

Do a stretch = have a prison sentence (informal)

Doing time = spending time in prison (informal)

Be brought to book = be punished (usually used in the passive)

A short sharp shock = a brief but severe punishment

On the straight and narrow = behaving in an honest, moral way

The boys in blue = the police (informal)

A poacher turned gamekeeper = someone whose job involves working against the kind of
person they used to be

Under the counter = no necessary prescription

WORK

A cushy number= a very easy job

At the top of the ladder = in the highest position in an organization

Get a foot in the door = a job at a low level in an organization, which you take because you
want a better job in the same organization in the future

I slogged my guts out = worked very hard or used a lot of effort

A sleeping partner = a partner in a company who does not take an active part in its
management, but often provides some of the money; you can also say ‘silent partner’

Has a good track record = all the achievements or failures that someone or something has had
in the past

A golden handshake = A large payment made to someone when they leave their job, either
because their employer has asked them to leave, or as a reward for good service when they
retire

Golden hello = a large payment made to someone when they accept a new job

Doing a roaring trade = selling a lot of goods very quickly

Concerned the market = become so successful at selling a product that almost no one else sells
it

Going great guns = doing something very successfully

Go belly up = fail

Gone to the wall = been destroyed financially

Went bust = was forced to close because of financial problems

Shutting up shop = closing the business

The rat race = a way of life in which people compete with each other for power and money

A glass ceiling = A point after which you cannot progress in your career (The idiom is mainly
used to express the idea that women are unable to progress because the top jobs are only
given to men in some companies.)
BUSINESS NEWS

Cloud on the horizon = problem likely to happen in the future

Worshipping at the altar of = being totally dedicated to (you can also say ‘worship at the
shrine/temple of’)

Throws a lifeline = gives help to someone in a very difficult situation

Big fish in small pond = an important person in a not very important organization

Saddled with = given a problem which will cause them a lot of difficulty

The bottom drops / falls out of the market = people have stopped buying something

A ballpark figure = an estimated price

Shoot / soar sky-high = rose dramatically

Take a nosedive = fell suddenly and quickly

Receive a windfall = get some unexpected money

Rein in spending = spend less

Across the board = by people at every level

Heads will roll = people will be severely punished, often by losing their jobs

Gardening leave = told no to come into work during their notice period, although they will
receive payment for this period.

Takes to the next level = makes something even more special or dramatic.

Fall into line = start to follow the rules

Under no illusions = understands the truth

BUSINESS MEETINGS

Wordy = using more words than necessary

The moment in time= now

On a weekly basis = weekly

Have a window = some time available

Touch base = talk to each other

Bring to the table = raise for discussion

Between a rock and a hard place = whichever decision we make, there is a problem
The fact of the matter is = the truth is

He ticks all the boxes = has all the characteristics we want.

The gloves are off = they challenge each other in an unpleasant way (informal)

24/7 = all the hours we can

Dog-eat-dog = situation where people will do anything to be successful, even if it is harmful to

others

At the cutting edge = the most up-to-date and advanced

Blue-sky thinking = creative thinking

Think outside the box = think in an original and imaginative way

Push the envelope = innovating; going beyond normal boundaries

Joined-up thinking = making appropriate connections

Suck it and see = do something you have not done before to find out whether it is successful or
not (informal)
MONEY

We’ll be quids in = make a profit

We’ll be laughing all the way to the bank = making a lot of money easily.

Money for old rope = money that is easily earned

Living on a shoestring = living in very little money

Be rolling in it = to have lots of money

Be the Breadwinner = person who earns the money the family needs

Bring home the bacon = earn the money the family lives on

Strapped for cash = not have enough money

Took him to the cleaner’s = got as much money from him as she could

Would sell her own grandmother= would do anything to get money

Throw money down the drain = waste money

Going for a song = being sold very cheaply

Rags to riches= from poverty to wealth

Scrimping and saving = living very economically

Make ends meet = have just enough money to pay for the things you need

Paying over the odds = paying more than something is worth

Penny-pinching = spending as little money as possible

Cheap and cheerful = cheap but good and enjoyable

Won’t break the bank = don’t cost a lot

Money to burn = excess money

No-expense-spared = luxury; a lot of money is spent to make it good

SOCIETY

A self-made man = person who is rich and successful because they have worked hard, not
because they were born into a rich family.

The chattering classes = educated people who enjoy discussing social, political and cultural
issues

A second-class citizen = someone treated as if they are less important than others in society.

The grass roots = ordinary people in a political or sporting organization, not the leaders.

The silent majority = large number of people who do not express their opinions publicly

The (men in) grey suits = people in business or politics with a lot of influence or power;
although they are not well known to the public

Public enemy number one = something or someone that a lot of people dislike or disapprove
of

New kid on the block = someone who is new in a place or organization and has many things to
learn about it.

All the movers and shakers = the people with power and influence

Win by a landslide = win by a very large majority

Rig the election = arrange an election in a dishonest way

Is the power behind the throne = someone with no official position in government or an
organization but who secretly controls it

Being the public eye = being famous; written about in the media and seen on TV

Pulls the stings = is in control, often secretly

The grey vote = the vote of older people (You can also say ‘grey pound’, the spending power of
older people.)

Mr. Big = the most important person in a company or organization

The gravy train = used to refer to a way of making money quickly, easily, and often dishonestly,
usually through your position in society.
DAILY LIFE

Square meal = a big meal with all the types of food your body needs

Done to a turn = perfectly cooked

Eat like a pig = eats very greedily and unpleasantly (disapproving)

Eat like a horse = eat a lot

Eat like a bird = eat very little

Burn the midnight oil = work or study until very late at night

Sleep on it = postpone making a decision until after a night’s sleep

Go / be out like a light = fell asleep very quickly

Not lose sleep over sth = Not worry about

I don’t know whether I’m coming or going = am unable to think clearly or decide what to do
because there are so many things to deal with

They want to go out on the town = spend the evenings in bars, restaurants or clubs

I give it a miss = not take part (informal)

Outstayed their welcome = stayed longer than the host would like

Have a sandwich on the hoof = while doing other things

Pass the time of day = have a short, informal conversation or chat

Having a bad hair day = a day when you feel that you look unattractive, especially because of
your hair; often used humorously to describe a day when everything seems to go wrong
(informal)

Take each day as it comes = deal with things as they happen and not worry about the future;
often used to describe recovering from an illness

I like my creature comforts = physical comfortable bed, hot water, food and warmth

Have it on the house = given free by the business

POSITIVE FEELINGS

Hits the right not = is suitable and has the right effect (You can also say ‘strike the right note’.)

Went down a treat = everyone enjoyed it very much

Went with a swing = was successful and exciting

Entered into the spirit of = showed that they were happy to be there

Hit the jackpot = Been very successful (and probably made a lot of money)

Hit the spot = tasted good and made everyone satisfied

Got the stars in her eyes = is very excited about the future and thinks she’s going to be famous

Blew my mind = made me feel extremely excited or surprised (informal)

It’s a dream come true = it happened, although it was not likely that it would

He’s been on a high = been feeling very happy and excited (informal)

He’s as happy as Larry = very happy indeed (informal)

Full of the joys of spring = very happy indeed

That’s music to my ears = makes me feel happy

Happy-go-lucky = someone who is always happy and never worries

It’s on the house = the restaurant is paying

NEGATIVE FEELINGS

Waiters make my blood boil = make me very angry

Make me see red = get angry

Make me all hot and bothered = angry and worried (informal)

Get my goat = irritates me (informal)

Burst a blood vessel = got very angry (informal)

Rattles my teacher’s cage = makes them angry (This idiom is often used to describe someone
who has been made angry on purpose.)

Knock someone for six = shocked or upset him very much (informal)

Wild horses couldn’t make me = I would never

Have a sinking feeling = felt that something bad was about to happen

Down in the dumps = miserable (informal)

Not be your bag = Is not something I am interested in or like (informal)

Wouldn’t give something house room = don’t like or approve of

Kick yourself = am very cross with myself because I did something stupid

Reduce to tears = made her cry

Be a bundle of nerves = was extremely nervous

Run out of patience = am beginning to feel annoyed

PROBLEMS

Bump into = run into

It’s a nightmare = is terrible (informal)

I took my eye off the ball = lost concentration

Sweep it under the carpet = hide what happened

Making a pig’s ear of it = doing something very badly (informal)

Losing my touch = losing my previous skill

A slap in the face = hurtful; upsetting

In the cold light of day = later, when feeling calmer

lost the plot= Gone crazy

Put her nose out of John = upset or offend someone by getting something they wanted

In over my head = In a difficult situation that you can’t deal with

A tight corner = in a difficult position (You can also say ‘in a tight spot’.)

Can’t see the wood for the trees = be unable to understand a situation because you are too
involved in its

Pulled the rug from under our feet = do something that causes difficulties for someone, or
suddenly take away help or support from them

Settle a score = punish someone for something they did in the past and that you cannot forgive

A chapter of accidents = a series of unlucky events

JOURNALISM

Marathon talks = very long talks

Be given the go-ahead = get permission

Fighting for his political life = in danger of losing his position

Amid mounting calls = with more and more people asking

He has blood on his hands = is responsible for the death of someone or something

Eleventh hour = last-minute

Hammer out = reach (also collocates with other nouns, for example deal, treaty and
compromise)

If, and it’s a big if = used to emphasise that sth. Is not certain

War-torn country = country which has suffered a lot as a result of war

Plunged into chaos = put into an extremely difficult situation

Under cover of darkness = protected by the fact that it was dark

Bloody confrontations = violent acts of conflict

Engulfed in flames = set alright

The uneasy peace = peace that is not stable

Shrouded in mystery = not known

A last-ditch attempt = a final try (also collocates with other nouns, for example challenge and
effort)
39.1-

1-City major fighting for his political life

The major is going through a successful period. FALSE: In danger of losing his position

2-New road link given the go-ahead

The new road link will be built. TRUE: Get permission

3- Eleventh-hour agreement to save battleship

The agreement to save the battleship was made in plenty of time. FALSE: At the last minute

4- Court finds man has blood on his hand

The court found the man guilty. TRUE: guilty

5- Ministers determined to hammer out agreement

The ministers want to come to an agreement TRUE: reach

6- Marathon talks end in failure

The talks were brief. TRUE: brief

39.2-

1- Shrouded in mystery

2- Engulfed in flames

3- Under cover of darkness

4- Plunged into chaos

5- hammer out an agreement

39.3-

1- engulfed in flames

2- under cover of darkness

3- hammer out an agreement

4- shrouded in mystery

5- plunged the whole area into chaos

39.4-

1- big

2- mounting

3- bloody

4- uneasy

5- for

6- blood

7- last-ditch

8- war-torn

39.5-

1- engulfed= Engulfed in flames = set alright

2- plunged= Plunged into chaos = put into an extremely difficult situation

3- shrouded= Shrouded in mystery = not known

4- last-ditch = A last-ditch attempt = a final try (also collocates with other nouns, for example
challenge and effort)

5-eleventh-hour = Eleventh hour = last-minute

6- war-torn = War-torn country = country which has suffered a lot as a result of war
ADVERTISING

Beyond your wildest dreams = more than you could ever imagine or wish for

The world of good = make yourself feel much healthier or happier

Taken years off me = Made me look and feel much younger

Living life to the full = experiencing as many good things as possible in life

Is truly ahead of its time = has already got features other products will not have for a long time
yet

It packs an impressive punch = is impressively powerful

Stand out from the crowd = be different from and better than others so that everyone notices
you

Hands down = is superior to other cars of its class.

Hit the mark = were never successful

A world of difference = a very big difference (usually with between)

Come clean = tell the truth, usually about something bad that has been kept secret

A smart move = a wise or clever action

There’s no time like the present = said if you think it is a good idea to do something
immediately
TELLING STORIES

Say the least = expression used to indicate that something is more serious or important than
your words

From the word go = from the very start

At stake = to lose

To put it mildly = expression used to describe something as more extreme than your words
may suggest

The penny dropped = I suddenly understood

For good measure = in addition

I dropped such a danger= said something very embarrassing

More by luck than judgment = by chance rather than skill

To say nothing of = and in addition there is / was

I nearly fell of my chair = I was extremely surprised

Into the bargain = As well as other things mentioned

A lot to be said for = there’s a lot in favour of

For a split second = for a very brief moment

Between you and me = said when you are going to tell someone something confidential

A real bolt from the blue = An unexpected and very surprising event

At first glance = when you first look at it

When all’s said and done = Said when you are about to say the most important fact in a
situation

A real turn-up for the books = strange or surprising event

RESPONDING TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY

You may well ask! = when someone asks you about something which you think is strange,
funny or annoying (humorous)

Fat chance! = You think this will definitely not happen

Same difference = you admit you were wrong, but think the difference is unimportant

Nice work if you can get it = an easy job that you would like to have if you could

That’s all we need! = something even worse will be added to an already bad situation
Good riddance = You are pleased that someone or something you didn’t like has gone; you can
also say ‘good riddance to bad rubbish’ (impolite)

Give me a break! = you don’t believe what you have just heard

There’s no time like the present = it’s better to do something immediately rather than wait

The plot thickens = something has happened to make a strange situation even stranger

I thought as much = I thought so

What is the world coming to? Said when you are shocked by events

Don’t get me wrong = said before you criticize someone, to make the criticism less severe

He needs to get a life = stop doing boring things and start doing exciting things

It will all end in tears = it will end badly

You’ve got me there = said when you don’t know the answer to a question

Do me a favour! = said when you don’t believe what someone has said or you disagree very
much with it

I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him = I do not trust him at all

Fair enough = I accept your point of view

Time will tell = The truth will become clear after a period of time
40.1-

1- A world of difference in economy

2- Is truly ahead of its time

3- Beat a retreat

4- Beyond your wildest dreams

5- It packs an impressive punch

6- Hit the mark

40.2-

1- The world of difference between

2- The world of good

3- life to the full

4- an impressive punch

5- Stand out from the crowd

6- Taken years off her

40.3-

1- b) an electronic chess game

2- a) a watch

3- c) washing powder

40.4-

1- PRESENT PERFECT: A new gift shop

2- PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY: An exhibition of pictures of a village taken 100 years ago

3- QUALITY TIME: A new range of luxury watches

4- SLOWLY BUT SURELY: A cookery course to encourage people to stop eating fast food

5- FLAT OUT TO NEW YORK: An airline with beds in its first-class cabin
War in a Ukraine: is a peace deal possible? | The Economist

Peace in Ukraine feels a long way away. But negotiations between Russian and Ukraine are
ongoing. I want everyone to hear me, especially in Moscow, the time has come to meet, to
talk. The talks are continuing it’s a process that is not stopping but at the moment it has no
relationship to what’s going on the front line. So what would it take for both sides to lay down
their weapons? War in Ukraine: Is a peace deal possible? We’ve been discussing how much to
make of all this talk about peace talks you know are they serious? Is president Putin serious?
Do we have the contours of what a peace deal might look like. And I guess I’m going to start
with you Ed, um, because what do you make of all this chatter? Um, do you think the sort of
the outlines of a peace deal when the time is right are becoming clear or is it all really
premature? Well, I think sadly there are I think about what a peace deal involves I think there
are kind of three sets of things. The first thing is the status the peace status of Ukraine. The
second is the sequencing of the lifting of sanctions and the third and I think the trickiest is
what happens to the land that Russia has taken. There’s that whole um area of land in the
south of Ukraine by the CIA of Azov which joins Crimea to Russia across the land and that is
extraordinary valuable land for Russia, uh, but it’s also very important for Ukraine as access to
the sea and Ukraine exports large amounts of agricultural goods, um and so if you if you think
of those three things needed to get a peace deal. Actually if you take the totality we haven’t
got very far down that path one has to look at who’s doing the negotiating here, and I think
the Ukrainian side has got real authority to negotiate but the Russian side, well, you know,
Russia’s foreign minister, Lavrov only knew about the invasion the night before the invasion
happened. He really hasn’t and the people under him really haven’t got the authority to
negotiate there’ll be one person who decides, uh, when peace is to be done, and that’s
Vladimir Putin. So let’s just pick up on a couple of those so one in terms of the status of
Ukraine so if NATO membership is out of the question, Zelensky has accepted that too, what
are the models we should be thinking about for a security guarantee that would make a kind of
neutrality agreement work that’s what point one and point two. Um, What do you think is
likely given where the two sides are militarily in terms of Ukraine’s willingness to allow Russia
to keep any of that territory whether it’s give up claims on Crimea? Or Will the Russians
demand more than that? Zanny I I and I’ve been thinking about this. I can’t think of any post-
war modern example of a country which has freely accepted such onerous terms of the
thought the Kremlin is demanding that is not just neutrality but also demilitarization uh
stringent constraints on the size and the nature of the armed forces limitations on security
blocks. I think the most important question is going to be how sizable an armed force will
Ukraine retain and how much Western support in the form that it’s been getting the last
several weeks will it continue to have? That’s the Finnish model of armed neutrality making
itself indigestible and I think that’s probably one of the most important routes for Ukraine to
follow you asked a question also about Ukraine’s willingness to give up territory that it loses in
this campaign and I think you know in the last couple of days we’ve seen Ukrainian negotiators
say they will not accept any loss of pre-war territory and they won’t recognize any Russian
sovereignty over pre-1991 territory so in other words they won’t even recognize Russian
sovereignty over Crimea which was lost in 2014 when it was annexed and I think what’s
happened the last month or so since we have been having these webinars is the Ukrainians
feel they are winning. They feel suddenly that they can actually outlast Russia here and that I
think is going to make them very resistant to making any sort of territorial concessions unless
the course of the conflict on the ground changes fundamentally as well. So that means that
even those elements which we read about as being the sort of component elements of any any
cease-fire stroke peace agreement seem to be much much harder than than they appear at
first sight and then of course al-qaeda, there’s the the Russian perspective on this. And and
Vladimir Putin I think we all now agree can’t win in the sense that he thought he was going to
win very you know quickly going in very quickly and taking Ukraine. But he also surely can’t
afford to completely lose. He can’t afford to be humiliated domestically. So what will it take
before he is willing to countenance coming to some agreement? And what are the sort of what
has to be in that agreement for him to be able to claim victory domestically? That’s a very
good question Zany, uh, to answer it can we just make a step back and look at the objectives of
this special operation? Uh Russia of course was not threatened by Ukraine. It didn’t wasn’t
really concerned with security of Russia uh from a threat from Ukraine uh Russia’s nuclear
power. He was not really concerned about the threat military threat from the west, uh I think a
lot of the drivers of this was of this war uh were internal and domestic. They had to do with
Putin’s uh weakening legitimacy his need to stay in power, his delusion of grandeur and
historic statue, his legacy. That’s what led him into this war, into this blunder. In some ways,
ending this war for him would be very easy because uh one of the key objectives that he set
out dealing suffocation and demilitarization uh of Ukraine. Well demilitarization sort of has
been partly achieved, uh, purely through the damage that he is uh inflected on the Ukrainian
forces as for denuncification nothing is easier than to achieve that because nuts has never
existed in Ukraine so he could stop that absolutely any moment he is consolidating power he is
turning as we said Russian totalitarian society he is cutting it from the west he could actually
sell pretty much anything at home. Uh, the problem is that he got himself into a war uh where
he is not the only one who decides. We, we um, have often worked ourselves into this sort of
state of mind because of the uh pure violence this man is is ready to unleash that you know we
get sort of not now but in the past almost sort of paralyzed if he’s doing this he will succeed.
Let’s just remember that not everything he wants he gets uh not in everything he starts he
succeeds. Putin has never believed and that has been the biggest weakness, single biggest
weakness of his regime and the um terrible thing that he done in Russia is he doesn’t believe in
the will and agency of the people. He plans things in his mind, he thinks once he’s planned
then they will um go according to plan as he keeps repeating they’re gay according to plan. The
idea and but a war is not a parade, a war is not a rally that he can stage inside Moscow, uh
with uh with flag waving and the Ukrainians do show they have agencies in a way the fate of
Russia and and therefore the fate of Europe is actually being decided today by Ukrainians on
the battlefield. After last week’s webinar I asked you for some uh advice on books to read
about Putin and you said the absolute best possible book that you can read is Putin in his own
words. It’s called Putin’s own words, um, which I really really recommend to anybody who’s
watching this um. It’s a book that was written on the basis of hours and hours of interviews
with Putin when he in when he first came to power and in It there is the story of the rat, um,
which is a very telling story. I think of Putin and and how he sees the world he apparently
when he was a child in Leningrad as it was then called he one of the things he and his friends
would do would be to chase rats in the in the stair block of his uh communal apartment block and
one day he chased a very large rat into a corner and that cornered rat flew at his throat and chased him
and he said I learned one of the most important life lessons at that moment but Arkady, you know is is
Putin like the cornered rat. Now I don’t think he does yet feel as a as a cornered rat. There is another
very important uh bit in that book uh which directly relates to what we’ve been talking about and the
story which he tells us of uh his KGB file and why uh he was not promoted higher up within the ranks of
the KGB he actually was very low ranking serving officer uh in the GDR and the two things that were
entered on his file by people who interview examine these people you know psychologically assess them
are two traits that stop him rising is one was his recklessness and the second was the lack of empathy.
He believed uh, I’m pretty convinced of that that the nuclear threat the threat of him uh putting Russian
nuclear arsenal on high alert uh him threatening entertaining the thought of using tactical military
weapon will have the West back off and that will be his most important card that he could not lose at
any point because he can always say I’m going to do this I’m going to to use uh my nuclear card if we’re
right in thinking this is what he’s counted on that he will put out the card and the West will back off uh
how does that change dynamic on the battlefield? I don’t think he will use that uh easily, not least
because his own entourage uh might have signed up for kleptocracy might have signed up even you
know doesn’t have really much choice but to continue to back him but to do this to not just themselves
to go to the Hague but uh have their children and grandchildren potentially die. I don’t think they have
much appetite for that. Thank you for watching for all our coverage on the war in Ukraine please click on
the link and don’t forget to subscribe.

A crane = grua
War Vocabulary: General Terms

Military is an adjective or noun meaning related to a nation’s armed forces.

Civilian (also adj. or n.) means someone or something not in the military.

Enemies or opponents are nations or people fighting against a country.

Allies are nations on the same side, supporting each other.

Neutral countries are nations that are not involved on either side.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Types of conflict

War is a violent conflict between two or more groups (usually nations).

A battle is a violent encounter between opposing sides, often as part of a larger war.

Combat is periods of actual fighting. (Before antibiotics, more soldiers died of infected wounds than
during active combat.)

A revolution is a struggle between large groups that leads to a major change in government and society.
(Often those who have been powerless are trying to take power away from the current dominant class.)

Rebellions, revolts and uprisings all aim to change the government, too. But they don't overthrow class
relations and social arrangements as a revolution does.
Military Operations, Defensive and Offensive

Defense

To fortify something (a vb.) is to make it strong. Forts are buildings with strong walls. They
protect important places against attack. (Examples are river crossings, harbors, mountain
passes, or other key entry points.) Fortifications are any structures built for protection. They
include walls, trenches (ditches to hide in), forts, etc.

To guard (a verb: vb.) is to watch over and protect someone or something. A guard (n.) is the
person who does that. A sentry is a military guard keeping watch to prevent enemies from
entering a camp, fort, etc.

To retreat (n. or vb.) is to withdraw from (leave) an area in an orderly way. Soldiers often
retreat after losing a battle to prevent further losses

Offense

An attack is violent aggression against a person or country. (The verb is to attack.)

An invasion is when attackers enter the territory of their enemy to take control of it. (To invade
is the verb.)

An invading army can besiege (vb.) a fortified city by surrounding it and trying to cut off its
supplies. The intention of a siege (the noun) is to weaken the residents enough to overcome
their defenses and capture the city.

A naval blockade (n. or vb.) is similar: ships prevent necessary supplies from reaching a city or
country. It can be very effective in countries that depend on trade for food and other basic
needs, or for weapons and income to keep fighting. During the American Civil War, a blockade
of the South cut off needed supplies as well as income. The South had specialized in producing
cotton for export rather than diversifying its economy. So it did not produce the weapons,
equipment, and in some parts food needed to get by on its own.

To capture (usually vb.) people or cities is take control of them.

An ambush (n. or vb.) is a trap planned to capture or destroy enemy troops. The side planning
the ambush hides most of their troops so that their enemies expect an easy victory. When
their enemies attack, the hidden troops come out and overwhelm the enemy forces.
Results of a battle:

Victory is winning a battle (or a war.) Defeat is losing it, and a stalemate occurs when neither
side gains much.

Casualties are people killed or injured. Losses can include equipment and positions lost as well
as deaths and injuries

Prisoners of war are fighters captured by the opposing side. (They may be imprisoned- kept in
prisons. Sometimes the two sides arrange for an exchange of prisoners.)

An army is troops that fight on land: soldiers.

A navy is a nation’s ships and sailors. Navies fight on the seas. (The adjective is naval.)

The Marine Corps (pronounced core) troops are amphibious (able to fight on both land and
sea). They often lead the fighting in landings and special operations.

Air Force pilots fly a nation’s aircraft. The Air Force coordinates with the other military services.
It collects information on battlefields and enemy positions by aerial reconnaissance. Air Force
planes carry paratroopers who will parachute behind enemy lines. The planes also drop bombs
and try to shoot down enemy planes.
*********************************

Operaciones militares

Military operations.

Fortificar algo

Fortify something.

Los fuertes son edificios con fuertes muros.

Forts are buildings with strong walls.

Las fortificaciones son todas las estructuras construidas para la protección.

Fortifications are all the structures built for protection.

Vigilar

To guard.

Los soldados suelen retirarse después de perder una batalla para evitar más pérdidas

Soldiers usually retire after losing a battle to prevent further losses.

Agresión

Agression / Offense

Un atentado es una agresión violenta contra una persona o un país.

An attack is a violent offense against a person or a country.

Una invasión es cuando los atacantes entran en el territorio de su enemigo para tomar el
control del mismo.

Invasion is when attackers enter their enemy territory to take control of it.

La victoria es ganar una batalla. La derrota es perderla.

Victory is winning a battle. Defeat is losing it.

Los prisioneros de guerra son combatientes capturados por el bando contrario.

War prisoners are fighters captured by the opposite side.

Un ejército son las tropas que luchan en tierra: los soldados.

An army are troops that fight on land: soldiers.

1. Freak out = sorprender

2. Mess up = desorganizar

3. Cheat on = engañar

4. Check out = comprobar

5. Wind up = molestar

6. Lay off = despedir

7. Wear out = cansar

8. Be up for = estar listo o ser entusiasta

9. Knuckle down = concentrarse

10. Figure out = averiguar

 Be on

What are you on?

 Be up for

Are you up for going up later?

 Be up to

What are you up to?

 Blend in

He blends in perfectly

 Blurt out

He blurted out a joke

 Brush up on = refresh

I’m to brush up on my friends.

 Bump into = ran into

I bumped into my boyfriend

 Call off

We called off the meeting

 Calm down

Calm down, take it easy = take a chill pill

 Carry on = go on

We should carry on with the project

 Carry out

Carry out the project

 Catch up with

It’s great to catch up with old friends

 Check out

I have checked out the list.

 Cheer up

He made me cheer up.

 Come across

I came across with a friend.