DR FINGERS’ VOCABULARY CLINIC:

USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
DR FINGERS’ VOCABULARY CLINIC

Here are some more useful useful expressions for you to learn. Learning lots of collocations will
improve your level of English, and help you with exams such as First Certificate, Advanced and
Proficiency, which test your knowledge of these things. The images will help you associate the
expression with its meaning. The answers to the exercise are on page 40.

To top it all
Exercise
Complete each sentence with the correct expression. You
We use this expression at the end of a long list of bad
may have to change some of the forms, or parts of the words.
things to refer to the last and worst thing that happened.
Remember, after a preposition, the verb is in the gerund (verb,-
“He was late. Then, just to top it all, he was rude about
ing).
it too. “

1. While Mr and Mrs Smith were away on holiday, the cat

All-singing all-dancing:
With all the latest technology. _______________ of the house.
“This is an all-singing all-dancing computer. “
2. Jim said that he never wanted to see you again. Well, I don’t
know if they were his exact words, but it was something
_____________.
To be a blind alley
To be a way of thinking or acting that is not good or 3. A: Who do you prefer, Jim or John?
effective because it doesn’t produce any results. B: I’m going to ____________ on that.
“Don’t even think of doing that. It’s a blind alley.”
4. Rather than record another album with the band, I’ve decided
to ____________ and record a solo album.
Give somebody (a) free rein
To allow someone to do what they want, or to go where 5. The lawyer made millions as an _____________.
they want to.
“We gave the dog free rein of the house.” 6. Look at this computer: it’s got Wi-fi, a DVD player, a CD writer,
and a wireless keyboard. It’s an _________________
computer.
Go it alone
To do something by yourself and without help from other
7. I lost my job, my husband left me. Then, ____________ I
people.
crashed my car. What a day!
“She’s decided to leave the band and go it alone.”
8. There’s no point producing a magazine that focuses exclusively
on 17th-century furniture because no one is going to read it.
To be along the lines of something
To be similar to something It’s a ______________.
“It’s along the lines of what you were saying earlier.”

An ambulance chaser
A lawyer who finds work by persuading accident victims
to sue people or organisations.
“She’s an ambulance chaser.”

To take/plead the Fifth (Amendment)

To say that you are not going to answer a question.
“He took the fifth amendment.”

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