fire

start a fire =deliberately make a fire start burning

set fire to something/set something on fire (=deliberately make something start burning)

be on fire =be burning

 put out a fire =stop a fire burning

fight a fire =try to make a fire stop burning

a fire breaks out =a fire starts suddenly

something catches fire =something starts burning

a fire burns

a fire goes out =a fire stops burning

a fire rages/blazes =a fire burns strongly for a long time over a large area

 a fire smoulders =a little smoke comes from a fire, when it has almost gone out

forest fire (=a very large fire in a forest

brush fire (=a very large fire in an area of grass) house fire

Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own houseGive love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door
neighbor ... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and
happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your
face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm
greeting.

Mother Teresa

fast

moving very quickly: at high speed, like lightning, at top speed, flat out

doing something quickly: quick, rapid, swift, prompt, speedy

happening quickly: rapid, speedy, meteoric, at an alarming rate, in no time

crime

commit crime combat/fight crime

turn to crime  =start committing crimes

 crime rate =the amount of crime that happens somewhere

 crime figures/statistics

crime prevention

 violent crime

serious crime

 petty crime =crime that is not very serious) car crime British English

street crime

victim of crime

juvenile/youth crime =by children and teenagers

tough on crime =always punishing crime severely

crimes

crimes that involve stealing things: robbery, burglary, theft, shoplifting, fraud, carjacking

crimes that involve attacking people : assault, mugging, murder, rape

someone who commits crimes: criminal, thief, crook, burglar, mugger, robber, pickpocket, rapist, offender, lawbreaker

money, cash, change, currency

Money is the most general word for the notes and coins that you use for buying things 

 Can I borrow some money

Put the money straight in your purse

Use cash when you want to emphasize that you mean notes and coins, and not

cheques, credit cards etc 

You have to pay in cash - they don't accept cheques

Do not say 'pay by cash'. Say pay in cash

Use change when you mean money in the form of coins, or the money you get back when you pay for something with more money than it cost 

 I need some change for the phone

He left the shop without waiting for his change

Use currency to refer to the money of a particular country •

You'll need about £500 worth of Japanese currency

Where is my backpack

	Where is my backpack
		I don't know.  Where did you leave it
		I just put it on the chair a while ago, but now it's gone
		Are you sure
		Of course, I'm sure!  I bet someone stole it.
		Well, you should've kept an eye on it.

Can you do me a favor

Tom: Can you do me a favor

 Jamie: Sure. What is it

Tom: Can you keep an eye on my

bag, please? Nature's calling.

Jamie: Sure. Will you be long 

Tom: No. I just want to use the bathroom.

Jamie: Go ahead. It'll be safe with me.

Idiom

	Idiom	Meaning
A	Above and beyond the call of duty	If a person does something which is above and beyond the   call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort   than is usually required or expected in their job.   "The fire-fighter received a medal for his action which went   above and beyond the call of duty
	Have an ace up your sleeve.	If you have an ace up your sleeve, it means that you have   something in reserve with which you can gain an advantage.
	Hold all the aces	A person who holds all the aces is in a very strong position   because they have more advantages than anyone else.   "Given the high unemployment figures in some countries,   employers hold all the aces."
	Acid test	To refer to something as the acid test means that it will prove   how effective or useful something is.   "The training course was very interesting but the acid test will come   when I start my new job."
	Get your act together!	If you tell someone to get their act together, you mean   that they need to organize their affairs more effectively   in order to be more successful.
	Add fuel to the flames	If you add fuel to the flames, you say something that makes a   difficult situation  worse.   "He forgot their wedding anniversary, and his apologies only   added fuel to the flames."
	Much ado about nothing.	If people make "much ado about nothing", they make   a lot of fuss about something which is not important.
	Afraid of one's own shadow	A person who is afraid of their own shadow is very nervous   or easily frightened.   "I've never seen anyone so easily scared - she's afraid of her   own shadow."
	All ears	To say that you are all ears means that you are listening very   attentively.   "Of course I want to know - I'm all ears!"
	All hell broke loose	To say that all hell broke loose means that there was a sudden   angry, noisy reaction to something.   "All hell broke loose when it was announced that the plant was going   to close down."
	All thumbs/all fingers and thumbs	If you are all fingers and thumbs, you are awkward and clumsy and   do things incorrectly.   "Would you mind wrapping this for me? I'm all fingers and thumbs!"
	Ambulance chaser	This terms refers to a lawyer who finds work by persuading people   injured in accidents to claim money from the person who caused   the accident.   "Peterson & Scott are well-known ambulance chasers - that's how   they make their money!"
	Ants in one's pants	People who have ants in their pants are very restless or excited about   something   "I wish he'd relax.  He's got ants in his pants about something today!"
	Any port in a storm	When you have no choice, any port in a storm refers to a solution   you accept, which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable.   "The hotel was substandard, but it was a case of any port in a storm;   all the others were full."
	The apple of your eye.	If somebody is the apple of your eye, this means that you like   them very much :   "My grandson is the apple of my eye".
	To upset the applecart	To upset (or to overturn) the applecart means to spoil a satisfactory   plan or situation   "I hope Julie doesn't attend the meeting; she could upset the applecart!"
	Apron strings	If one person is tied to another's apron strings, they remain dependent   at an age when they should be independent.   "All his decisions are influenced by his mother.  He's still tied to her   apron strings."
	Give your right arm	If you say "I'd give my right arm for that", you mean that you   want it a lot and would do almost anything to obtain it.   "I'd give my right arm to have a apartment on Central Park."
	Cost an arm and a leg	If something costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive!   "The house cost us an arm and a leg, but we have no regrets."
	To be up in arms	If you are up in arms about something, you are very angry.   "The population was up in arms over the demolition of the old theatre."
	Keep someone at arm's length	If you keep someone at arm's length, you do not allow yourself   to become too friendly with them.   "It's not easy to become friends with Sophie; she tends to keep   everyone at arm's length."
	Asking for trouble	Someone who is asking for trouble is behaving stupidly and is likely   to have problems.   "Driving fast on these roads is really asking for trouble!"
	Of no avail	Something which is of no avail is not at all helpful or useful.   "The coffee machine wouldn't work and the instruction leaflet was   of no avail."
	A rude awakening	If you get a rude awakening, you are forced to accept   the unpleasant truth.
	Have an axe to grind	If you have an axe to grind, you have personal reasons for   becoming involved in something or adopting a particular attitude.   "It was decided that the best candidates would be selected by   a recruitment agency who had no axe to grind within the company."

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

early

early morning/afternoon/evening

 early spring/summer etc early August/January etc

in the early days/months/years (=in the beginning)

 in your early twenties/forties/seventies etc (=aged 20-23, 40-43, 70-73 etc)

the early 1920s/1980s/90s etc (=1920-1923, 1980-1983, 1990-1993 etc)

 as early as =used for emphasizing an early time

the early stages/part of something

somebody's early life/childhood/adolescence etc somebody's early songs/books/work etc

 somebody's early memories =the things someone remembers from when they were very young

early signs/indications

People-person

The plural of person is usually people • Sixty four people (NOT persons) died in the fire.

Persons is also used, but only in public notices and other formal contexts • All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States.

People meaning 'more than one person' is already plural and cannot form a plural with 's' • A lot of British people (NOT peoples) are employed by foreign firms.

People meaning 'race' or 'nation' is countable and you can add 's' to form a plural in the normal way • African peoples

illness ،Disease

Iّّّّّّّllness and disease are often used in the same way and are equally common in spoken English

However, illness is more often used to refer to the length of time or state of being unwell • He died after a long illness. • if you are off school because of illness

Do not use illness to talk about less serious problems such as headaches or colds.

Disease is a particular kind of illness, especially one that spreads from one person to another or affects a particular part of your body • infectious diseases • heart disease

Disease can also be used to mean a lot of different diseases • Cigarette smoking causes death and disease.

vocabulary - disease

disease

have/suffer from a disease

 heart/liver/brain etc disease

a disease of the brain/stomach etc

catch a disease

contract a disease formal (=catch a disease

a disease spreads/the spread of a disease

 infectious/contagious disease =one that spreads quickly from one person to another 

a fatal/deadly disease =one that causes death

an incurable disease =one that cannot be cured

a degenerative disease =one that gradually gets worse and worse

a cure for a disease

 the symptoms of a disease =the things that show that someone has it)

disease

have/suffer from a disease

 heart/liver/brain etc disease

a disease of the brain/stomach etc

catch a disease

contract a disease formal (=catch a disease

a disease spreads/the spread of a disease

 infectious/contagious disease =one that spreads quickly from one person to another 

a fatal/deadly disease =one that causes death

an incurable disease =one that cannot be cured

a degenerative disease =one that gradually gets worse and worse

a cure for a disease

 the symptoms of a disease (=the things that show that someone has it)

vocabulary " friend"

a friend of mine/yours/Billy's etc

best friend (=the friend you like the most) 

good/close friend (=one of the friends you like the most)

old friend (=a friend you have known for a long time)

trusted friend

lifelong friend (=someone who is your friend for the whole of your life)

friend of a friend

 circle of friends (=all the friends someone has)

a mutual friend (=someone who is a friend of both you and someone else)

a childhood/boyhood/girlhood friend

COLLOCATION

what's the weather like? good/bad weather

the weather forecast (=a description of what 

the weather is expected to be like in the near future)

weather map weather conditions weather patterns (=what the weather is usually like in a particular area )

weather permitting (=if the weather is good enough)

weather centre British English /weather bureau American English (=a place where information about the weather is collected and where reports are produced)

weather station (=a place or building used for studying and recording weather conditions)

WORD FOCUS

good weather: sunny/fine used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of sunshine
nice/lovely/glorious very sunny and good
bright if the weather is bright, the sun shines strongly
there isn't a cloud in the sky the sky is completely clear
dry if the weather is dry, it does not rain
fair sunny and not windy or rainy - used especially in weather forecasts
rain: wet/rainy/damp used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of rain
unsettled if the weather is unsettled, it keeps changing and it often rains
drizzle light rain which consists of very small drops of water
shower a short period of rain
downpour a short period when it suddenly rains very heavily
it's pouring down British English/it's pouring rain American English it is raining very hard
it's drizzling it is raining a little, with very small drops of rain
snow: snowy used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of snow
sleet a mixture of snow and rain
slush a mixture of partly melted snow and ice
hail/hailstones frozen drops of rain, that fall as drops of ice
blizzard a storm with a lot of snow and strong wind
frost white powder that covers the ground when it is cold
wind: windy used to describe a day or weather when there is a lot of wind
blustery very windy
breeze a gentle pleasant wind
hurricane (in the Atlantic Ocean) /typhoon (in the Pacific Ocean) a violent storm with extremely strong winds
cloudy: cloudy used to describe weather or a day when there are a lot of clouds in the sky
grey/dull cloudy and not bright
overcast if the sky is overcast, it is very cloudy and dark, and it is likely to rain
hazy not clear, especially because there is a slight mist caused by heat or smoke ➔ fog, mist
hot: boiling/scorching/sizzling/blazing/burning/baking/broiling (hot) extremely hotsweltering very hot and humid
warm a little hot, in a way that is pleasant
balmy pleasantly warm, with a gentle wind blowing
heatwave a period of unusually hot weather
cold: freezing (cold) extremely cold
arctic extremely cold, usually with a lot of ice and snow
wintry cold and snowy or rainy, like the weather in winter
crisp if the air is crisp, it feels cold but pleasantly fresh and clear
chilly a little too cold, in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable
cool a little cold, in a way that is pleasant
cold snap/cold spell a period of unusually cold weather

vocabulary

Age vocabulary

• She sounds bright for her age
•  He's quite tall for his age
• She's very fit for her age
• She's really great for her age
• She's very grown up for her age
• She's quite remarkable for her age

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

 word-of-mouth

By word of mouth: in speech but not in writing:

All the orders were given by word of mouth so that no written evidence could be discovered later

Something that you heard from other people you know by word of mouth 

Example: "How did you hear about this party" 
Reply: "Word of mouth."

When you say that you heard something word of mouth, you are not being specific about whose mouth you heard it from; just that you heard it from another person. 

Example: "There has been talk at school about cancelling the concert." 
Reply: "Really? Who did you hear that from?" Answer: "Just word of mouth."

We do rely on what other people tell us, so word of mouth is one important way that we learn things. If something is "only" (or "just") word of mouth then you might not know where the "word" really started or how it changed as it went from "mouth" to "mouth".

Example: "Did you hear they finally arrested that guy?" 
Reply: "Yes, but that's only word of mouth." 

Example: "Where did you hear that?" 
Reply: "Just word of mouth."

 on the back burner

If something is on the back burner, it is temporarily not being dealt with or considered, especially because it is not urgent or important:

We've all had to put our plans on the back burner for a while.

A condition of low priority or temporary deferment (usually used in the phrase on the back burner): 

Put other issues on the back burner until after the election.

Reduced priority.

Dozens of cases were put on the back burner. 

 to add fuel to the fire

You add fuel to the fire when you do something that makes a bad situation worse.

Example: "When those two are fighting, I don't get involved. It only adds fuel to the fire."

A conflict between two people is like a fire, with both people adding "fuel" to the fire. You add fuel to the fire when you do something that makes the conflict worse.

Example: "I wanted to help, but I was afraid I would add fuel to the fire."

Adding "fuel" (such as wood or gas) to a burning "fire" makes the flames burn even higher and brighter. Sometimes you get involved because you want to help, but your involvement only makes the problem worse, adding fuel to the fire.

Example: "Please don't talk to him when he's in a bad mood. It just adds fuel to the fire."

 a taste of your own medicine

Someone gives you "a taste of your own medicine" when they act towards you the same way you act towards others in order to teach you a lesson about the way you are acting.

If a man acts rudely to others, for example, acting rudely back to him would be giving him "a taste of his own medicine."

Example: "Did you see those two people cutting in front of us in line just now? Let's cut in front of them and give them a taste of their own medicine!"

Most "medicine" does not taste good; "your own medicine" is the way you act towards other people; you get "a taste of your own medicine" when you "taste" what it feels like for others to have you act towards them the way you do.

Example (this is aggressive): "I saw you pushing my brother yesterday... maybe I should give you a taste of your own medicine!"

It is like medicine because you think it is good for the other person to learn that they are treating others unfairly, even if the lesson does not taste good.

Example: "He's always interrupting people when they are talking; what he deserves is a taste of his own medicine!"

Example: "It looks like she got a taste of her own medicine."

 THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK

The straw that broke the camel's back is the last thing you are willing to accept after which you will not put up with any more.

Example: "You broke a lot of rules and we tried to ignore it. But stealing money from us was the straw that broke the camel's back. We're sending you home to your parents."

You are at the last straw when you are just about to lose your patience. The straw that broke the camel's back is the last thing that that happened that finally made you upset. 

Example: "He came to work late every day that week. Then on Friday, he didn't show up at all." Reply: "That was the straw that broke the camel's back."
There is a limit to how much straw (long yellow grass) a camel can carry on its back. If you keep putting more straw on top, it will finally break the camel's back. When you are at the last straw you are finally angry and will not take any more. 

Example: "You have been rude to me all day. I've had it. That's the last straw!"

 PULLING SOMEONE'S LEG

When someone makes a joke by lying to you and pretending that the lie is true, they are "pulling your leg".  

Example: "Look; your shoes are untied... Ha! Just pulling your leg." 

When you trick a person into believing a lie as a way of making a joke, you are pulling their leg. 

Example: "Really? That store is closed on Sunday? Are you sure?" 
Answer: "Don't listen to him; he is just pulling your leg." 

When you are the person who is being tricked, your leg is being pulled. 

Example: "I want to ask you a question and I would like an honest answer; no pulling my leg."

 ALL BARK (AND NO BITE

People who are all bark and no bite threaten to do things that they are not really willing or able to do. 

Example: "That new manager threatened to fire me again, but I know he won't do it. He's all bark and no bite."

They are like dogs that bark to make you afraid, but they will not bite you. 

Example: "Yesterday that guy said he wanted to fight, but today he's all quiet and polite." Reply: "All bark and no bite."

Some people are not strong enough or brave enough to actually hurt you, but they still use words to try to make you afraid. All they can do is bark, but they have no teeth to bite. 

Example: "Don't listen to my brother when he gets angry; he's all bark and no bite."

 WITH YOUR BACK UP AGAINST THE WALL

When we are in a defensive position and have to make choices that we would not like to make, we say that we have our "back up against the wall".

The wall represents an external force that causes us to act in a way that we would not like. This force may also prevent us from acting when we would like to.

"I'm sorry I can't help you; I've got my back up against the wall."

To have very serious problems which limit the ways in which you can act:

"He owes money to everyone - he's really got his back to the wall now."

 OVER MY DEAD BODY

When you absolutely will not allow a person to do something you might say "over my dead body." The [literal] meaning is that you will stand in the way of that person and only if they kill you and walk over your dead body will they be able to do what they want.  

Example: "Children, you are not going out in the cold without your jackets! Not over my dead body!" 

Parents say "over my dead body" often because they are in a position of authority and they are much bigger than their children. 

Example: "All of my friends are going out to the lake tonight and I'm going too!" Answer: "Over my dead body you are!"

If you say something will happen over your dead body, you mean that you will do everything you can to prevent it:

Example: "Joe says he's going to buy a motorbike." Reply:"Over my dead body!"

 EASY DOES IT'E asy does it' is used to tell someone to do something slowly and carefully. Go carefully, don't hurry.

Example: That chest is heavy, so easy does it. 

It is something that you say in order to tell someone to do something carefully.

Example: 'Easy does it!' Bob shouted, as I steered the boat into the dock.

 TO KEEP YOUR HEAD

to stay calm, especially in difficult or dangerous situations.

Can you keep your head at times of pressure and stress?

TO LOSE YOUR HEAD
to suddenly become very angry or upset .
He usually stays quite calm in stressful situations but this time he really lost his head.

 To be worth its/your weight in gold

to be extremely useful or valuable.

A book that could tell me in simple language how to use this computer would be worth its weight in gold.
Really good experienced singers are worth their weight in gold to the choir.

 TO LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

When you look on the bright side you find good things in a bad situation.

Despite all his difficulties he always looks on the bright side of things.

Look on the bright side - no one was badly hurt.

 right, left and centre
(US right and left)

all the time or everywhere

He spends money right, left and centre

right and left

on every side; in all directions:

He was throwing his clothes right and left.

Members are resigning right and left.