posh

posh  

a posh restaurant, hotel, car etc is expensive and looks as if it is used or owned by rich people
 

a posh private school 

aristocracy

aristocracy 

the people in the highest social class, who traditionally have a lot of land, money, and  

power  

the landed aristocracy =who own a lot of land 

the cream of something

the cream of something  

the best people or things from a group    

he students at this college are the cream of the crop =the best of alLl  

jam tomorrow

jam tomorrow  

good things someone promises you, which never happen 

There is an element of 'jam tomorrow' about some of the government's policies

teacher's day

When God created teachers 

He gave us special friends
To help us understand His world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see 
And become a better person
With each discovery

When God created teachers 

He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to grow 

So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What's right instead of wrong
To lead us so that we can lead
And learn how to be strong

Why God created teachers 

In His wisdom and His grace
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place

Choo-choo

Choo-choo=a train - used by children or when speaking to children
 

Goody-goody 

someone who tries hard to be very good and helpful in order to please their parents, teachers etc - used
especially by children to show disapproval 

No-no 

something that you must not do because it is considered to be unacceptable behaviour
Colouring your hair was a no-no at that time 

yadda yadda yadda= blah, blah, blah 

 said when you do not want to give a lot of detailed information, because it is boring or because the person you are talking to already knows it 

wee-wee 

to pass water from your body - used by or to children = urinate

Sugar Cubes

Sugar Cubes
 

draining board

draining board  

colander

colander  

a metal or plastic bowl with a lot of small holes in the bottom and sides, used to separate  

 liquid from food 

a heart of stone

a heart of stone 

 ===============

 very cruel character

 Sometimes I think he's got a heart of stone

 

heart of gold 

======= 

very kind character 

 

with a heavy heart 

============ 

great sadness 

heart-to-heart

heart-to-heart  

a conversation in which two people say honestly and sincerely what they really feel about something 

Why don't you have a heart-to-heart with him and sort out your problems 

heart

somebody's heart beats  

somebody's heart pounds/thuds/thumps =it beats very strongly  

somebody's heart races =it beats very fast

a weak heart =an unhealthy heart  

 heart trouble/problems  

a heart condition =something wrong with your heart  

 somebody's heart rate (=the number of times their heart beats per minute)

Restaurant Vocabulary Practice Conversation 

Server: Would you like tap or bottled water

Customer: Tap is fine

Server: Would you like to hear our specials for today

Customer: Just your entrée specials, please

Server: For a main course, we have stuffed flounder, filet mignon and roast duck

Customer: How much is the stuffed flounder

Server: It's $17.99 and comes with two side dishes

Customer: What are the side dishes

Server: You have a choice of sautéed spinach, lemon potatoes, mixed vegetables, or broccoli

Customer: I'd like the spinach and potatoes

Server: Will you be having any wine with dinner 

Customer: Yes, I'll have a glass of pinot grigio, please

Server: How is everything 

Customer: Delicious. May I see the dessert menu 

Server: Certainly

Customer: What do you recommend

Server: The chocolate mousse. It's the best in NYC

Customer: Okay, I'll have the mousse, please. Also, may I have the check

Server: Coming right up

dripping with gold

dripping with gold =wearing a lot of gold 

She came to the party dripping with gold  

need

Verb patterns 

 You can say that you need to do something 

 I need to clean (NOT I need clean) the house 

If someone else is going to do something for you, you can say that you need something done or need something doing  

 I need my car fixed urgently  

You need your head examining

 When you are talking about the object that is going to have something done to it,  

you can say that it needs something doing or needs something to be done  

My hair needs cutting

 That box needs to be moved =NOT needs moved

Negatives You can say that you don't need to do something or needn't do something  

 I don't need to leave ==NOT don't need leave 

You needn't apologize ==NOT needn't to apologize 

 need not means that it is not necessary to do something.  Do not use it to mean must not =are not allowed to 

You needn't take any money 

 You mustn't take any sharp objects on the plane 

needn't have means that it was not necessary for   

 someone to do something that they in fact did  

Do not use it to mean didn't need to or didn't have to = something was not necessary 

 We needn't have ordered so much food 

I didn't need OR didn't have to tell him who I was - he already knew

Noun patterns The most common noun patterns are a need for something and a need to do something  her need for friendship

a need to preserve the environment 

Say there is a need, not 'it is a need'. Say a need for, not 'a need of' 

There is a desperate need for cash 

You can also use the expression be in need of something  

We are in need of funds =NOT We have a need of funds

ready, steady, go

ready, steady, go ====get ready, get set, go 

used to tell people to start a race 

drown in

drown in 

to have a very strong feeling or a serious problem that is difficult to deal with 

The country is drowning in debt

drown out

drown out 

if a loud noise drowns out another sound, it prevents it from being heard 

A train blew its whistle and drowned his voice 

life buoy

life buoy  

a large ring made out of material that floats, which you throw to someone who has fallen in the water, to prevent them from drowning