Lets learn English

Don’t waste these three: Time, Money and Energy

Lets learn English

Don’t waste these three: Time, Money and Energy

Car Accident

  • blab (verb): talk too much about unimportant things, some of which might be private matters
    - She blabbed to her friends all about the accident and how it was all my fault. How embarrassing.

  • jump to conclusions (idiom): form an opinion without all the facts and evidence
    - Hey, don't jump to conclusions. The accident might not have been her fault.

  • pull into (phrasal verb): move into a spot like a parking space or driveway
    - When you arrive, just pull your car into the garage.

  • ruin (verb): spoil or destroy something completely
    - You're going to ruin your car if you drive it like that.

  • be in a jam (idiom): be in a difficult situation
    - I'm in a real jam because I have a date tonight, but my car broke down this afternoon? What am I going to do  
  • tough (adjective): difficult or unfortunate
    - Not having a car right now must be really tough. How are you going to get to work without one

  • awesome (adjective): very good, impressive
    - That's awesome that your parents are letting you use their car for the weekend.

  • count on (phrasal verb): depend on
    - I can always count on my kids to drive safely. Otherwise, I wouldn't let them use my car.

  • wreck (verb): completely destroy or ruin
    - My father wrecked the family car last night, but fortunately, he wasn't hurt.

IDIOMS

"crash course" = a course in which you learn the material in a very short time period

"She took a driving crash course before she went on vacation."


"black ice" = a coating of ice on the road that is nearly invisible to drivers

"Be careful as you drive home tonight because there are sure to be patches of black ice on the highways"

phrasal verbs

Computers

Back up  - to make a copy of computer information so you do not lose it.

Log off - to finish using a computer system

Boot up - to start a computer so it is ready to use.

Hack into - to get into someone else’s computer system without permission

 

Crime

Beat up - to hurt someone badly by hitting or kicking them again and again

Bump off - to kill someone

Inform on - to give information about someone who has done something wrong to a person in authority

Get away with  - to succeed in not being criticized or punished for something wrong that you have done

Hold up - to steal money from a building, a person or a vehicle, by using violence or by threatening to use violence.

Break into - to get into a building or car by using force, usually to steal something

Let off - to not punish someone who has committed a crime or done something wrong, or to not punish severely

 

Emotions

Cheer up - to start feeling happier

Wind up - to annoy someone

Snap out of - to force yourself to stop feeling sad or upset

Calm down - to stop feeling upset, angry or excited, or to make someone stop feeling this way

Tear apart - to make someone feel very unhappy

 

Food

Whip up - to make food for a meal very quickly and easily

Pig out - to eat a lot of food

Pick at - to eat only a small amount of a meal because you are not hungry or because you are feeling ill

Knock back - to quickly drink a lot of alcohol

Eat up - to eat all of the food you have been given

Bolt down - to eat food very quickly

 

Health

Get over - to feel better after having an illness

Come round - to become conscious again

Keep down - to be able to eat or drink something without vomiting

Pass away - to die

Look after - to take care of someone

Pick up - to get an infectious disease from someone or something

Fight off - to try hard to get rid of an illness

 

Money

Dip into - to spend part of a supply of money that you have been keeping or saving

Cough up - to provide money for something, especially when you are not very willing to do this

Get by - to have just enough money to pay for the things that you need, but nothing more

Pay back - to give someone the money that you owe them

Tide over - to help someone, usually by giving them money for a period of time when they have no money

Splash out - to spend a lot of money on something, which is very pleasant but which you do not need

 

Travel

Take off - (aircraft) to move from the ground and begin to fly

Touch down - (aircraft) to land on the ground

Set off - to start a journey

Check in - to show your ticket at an airport so you can be told where you are sitting and so that your bags can be put on the aircraft

See off - to go to the place that someone is leaving from in order to say goodbye

 

Conversation

Butt in - to rudely add a remark to someone else’s conversation

Reel off - to say a long list of things quickly and without stopping (S)

Blurt out - to say something suddenly and without thinking, especially because you are nervous or excited (S)

Shut up - to stop talking or to make someone else do this

Go on - to talk in a very annoying way about something for a long time

Clam up - to become quiet or refuse to talk about something, usually because you are shy or afraid

A True Friend

No man or woman is worth your tearsThe only one who is, will never make you cry

If you love someone, put their name in a circle, instead of a heart

Hearts can break, but circles go on forever

Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you sayBest friends listen to what you don't

If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn't jump with them. I'd be at the bottom to catch them

Don't frown, because you never know who's falling in love with your smile

It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone and a day to love someone---but it takes a lifetime to forget someone

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."- Mother Teresa

restaurant

he person who serves you in a restaurant: waiter, waitress, server American English, waitperson American English 

the person who cooks your food: chef
 

the person who welcomes the guests

maitre d', host/hostess American English
 

a list of the food: menu also bill of fare formal 

a list of wines and alcoholic drinks: wine list also drink list American English
 

a piece of paper that shows the amount you have to pay for your meal: bill British English/check American English
 

extra money you leave for the waiter or waitress: tip/gratuity formal
 

money that the restaurant charges for service: service charge, cover charge, corkagerestaurant

head

turn your head  

 

shake your head =move it from side to side, especially to show disagreement

 

nod your head =move it up and down, especially to show agreement  

 

raise/lift your head =look up  

 

bow/bend/lower your head =look downwards  

 

hang your head =look downwards, especially because you are ashamed

 

 cock your head =hold your head at an angle 

 

scratch your head somebody's head aches  

 

somebody's head throbs =it aches badly  

 

from head to foot/toe =over your whole body

 

bald head =one with no hair on it  

 

the crown of your head =the top of the back of your head  

 

head injury

Idioms

"get back on one's feet" = recover physically, emotionally, or financially

"He lost everything in the accident, but he's slowly getting back on his feet."


"hit the ceiling" = get very angry

"My dad hit the ceiling when he found out I wrecked the car." 

 

 

 

Many a little makes a mickle 

Many small amounts accumulate to make a large amount 

 

An Englishman's home is his castle

Meaning

The English dictum that a man's home is his refuge  

 

 

Hedge your bets

Meaning

To avoid committing oneself; to leave a means of retreat open  

 

Expressions in conversations(2)

someone's favor or good opinion

 

Example :  She was always in the good graces of whoever happened to be in charge

 

 

Run over - Knock down, pass over

 

Example :  The car ran over our dog.

 

 

Out of line - behave in an unsuitable way

 

Example :  It was made quite clear to me that if I stepped out of line again I'd be out of a job 

 

 

Run yourself into the ground - to make yourself very tired by working too hard

 

Example :  We ran ourselves into the ground to meet the July deadline.

 
 
 

High gear - A state of maximum activity, energy, or force.

 

Example :  The political campaign is finally moving into high gear.

 

Fill in - to do someone else's work for them because they cannot or will not do it themselves

 

Example :  Volunteers would fill in for teachers in the event of a strike.

 

 
 

Expressions in conversations

 

Wake-up call - a sign or warning

 

Example :  The rise in unemployment has given a wake-up call to state governments

 

 

 

Eat someone alive - to criticize someone very angrily

 

Example :  If we get our facts wrong we'll be eaten alive by the press 

 

Exciting as watching paint dry - used to refer to an activity that you consider extremely boring

 

Example :  "So you don't want to watch the football"  

 

 To be honest I would rather watch paint dry 

 

 

 

Clock in - to record the time you arrive at work on a special machine

Clock out - to leave work, especially by recording the time you leave on a special machine

 

Rundown - a detailed report

 

Example :  Here's a run-down on/of the activities of our ten biggest competitors 

 

 

Heads-up - Information or notification, especially in advance

 

Example :  Gave me the heads-up on the new security measures.

 

No spring chicken - no longer younger

 

Example :  Sally's no spring chicken, but she plays a fine game of tennis.

  

 

 

Fat cat - someone who has a lot of money

 

Example :  The report criticized boardroom fat cats who award themselves huge pay increases.

  

 

In someone good graces - In someone's favor or good opinion

 

Example :  She was always in the good graces of whoever happened to be in charge.

hold

tight/firm hold on something 

tighten your hold on something  

loosen/release your hold on something 

 have/keep hold of something =be holding something 

get/take hold of something =start holding something catch/grab/seize hold of something =take hold of something quickly and firmly 

 lose your hold on something =accidentally let go of something

proud, arrogant, conceited, big-headed, vain

Proud is a fairly general word used to say that someone is pleased with themselves, pleased with what they have achieved, or pleased with something or someone connected with them such as their school or their family • His proud parents watched the presentation. • I'm very proud of my students. • She was proud to be in the team. 

 

Proud is usually neither approving nor disapproving, although you can say someone is too proud, meaning that they will not admit they are wrong or need help. 

 

Arrogant is a disapproving word meaning that someone thinks they are better than other people • He was so arrogant he thought he could not possibly lose. • the arrogant way she dismisses my opinions 

 

Conceited and big-headed are disapproving words meaning that someone thinks they or their achievements are better than they really are 

 

Conceited is fairly formal and big-headed is informal. 

 

Vain is a disapproving word meaning that someone thinks they are very special, especially because they are very proud of the way they look.