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Tài liệu CAMBRIGDE INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS_ CHƯƠNG 3 : THEME PANELS pdf

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Tiêu đề Theme Panels
Trường học Cambridge International University
Chuyên ngành English Language and Idioms
Thể loại Educational document
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Số trang 32
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'Let me introduce you to some very important clients.' being angry hit the ceiling/roof informal Y to become very angry and~art shouting blow a fuse informal .?'\, to become very angry a

Trang 1

Theme Panels

Trang 2

'What's wrong?' asked Claire 'You've been like a bear with a sore head all

morning.' 'I've had it up to here,' I replied 'I've got three reports to write by five

o'clock, and if I don't fmish them on time, Bill's going to hit the roof I've already

put his back up by refusing to work late, and he's likely to blow a fuse if I don't

get this job done.' Just then, the phone rang It was the managing director asking

me if I would help show some clients around the office This was the second time

she'd asked me and, although it was a pain in the neck, I had to agree because she

was the one person I didn't want to rub up the wrong way Two hours later, I was

still busy As we reached my department, Claire came running up to me 'Where've

you been?' she whispered 'Bill's on the warpath because you haven't done those

reports yet.' At that moment, he appeared by the door, with a face like thunder

He was just about to let rip when he saw the managing director standing next to

me 'Hello, Bill,' she said 'Let me introduce you to some very important clients.'

being angry

hit the ceiling/roof informal Y

to become very angry and~art shouting

blow a fuse informal .?'\,

to become very angry and shout or

behave in a violent way

be on the warpath humorous X

to be looking for someone you are angry

with in order to speak angrily to them or

punish them

a face like thunder .y

a very angry expression

have/throw a fit informal

go spareinformal

to become very angry /

rub sb up the wrong way British &

rub sb the wrong wayAmerican r">.

to annoy someone without intending to

ruffle sb'sfeathers ~_

to make someone annoyed

"-be a pain in the neckinformal X

drive/send sb round the bend

to make someone very angry, especially

by continuing to do something annoying

talking angrily to someone

fly off the handle informal to suddenly express your emotions

to react in a very angry way to without control

"\/ give sb an earful informal 7~

have had It (up to here) informal '-,to tell someone how angry you are with

to be so angry about something that you them

do not want to continue with it or think

aboutitany more

being in a bad mood

to be angry because a bad situation has

continued for too long or a subject has

been discussed too much

making someone angry

be like a bear with a sore head

British &Australian X

to be in a bad mood which causes you totreat other people badly and complain alot

get out of bed on the wrong side

get/put sb's back upinformal < to be in a bad mood and be easily

to do or say something which annoys annoyed all day -s-:"

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Trang 3

Richard had always been determined to make it in business After leaving school,

he set up a stall in the market selling cheap COs and cassettes and was soon doing a

roaring trade Being a big fish in a small pond was not enough for him, however

He knew that if he wanted to be a big shot in the business world, he needed to stay

ahead of the pack Over the next few years, he opened eight shops in the area and

became known as a hard-nosed businessman who drove a hard bargain Even

when other companies were going to the wall, he kept going He's now one of the

most successful business people in the region, but unlike some fat cats, he supports

a lot of local charities and looks after his staff well He often says he'd like to retire

soon, but I can't see him hanging up his hat just yet - he loves his job too much

make it

to be successful, especially in a job

be ahead of the pack >:.

to be more successful than other people

who are trying to achieve the same

things as you

corner the market K

to become so successful at selling or

making a particular product that almost

no one else sells or makes it

successful people

a big shot informal 'Z

an important or powerful person in a

group or organization

a big fish in a small pond )(.

one of the most important people in a

small organization who would have

much less power and importance if they

were part of a larger organization

a fat catinformal x

an impolite way of referring to someone

who is very rich and powerful

a high-flier

Y-someone who is very successful at their

job and soon becomes powerful or rich

stopping work

hang upyour hat >-;

to leave your job for ever

a golden handshake K._

a large sum of money which is given to

someone when they leave a company,

especially if they are forced to

leave-y drive a hard bargain )<.

"- to demand a lot or refuse to give muchwhen making an agreement withsomeone

cut a dealAmerican >(

to make an agreement or anarrangement with someone, especially

in business or politics 0

run a tight ship

:""'-to control a business or otherorganization firmly and effectively

"'-to sell a lot of goods quickly

-make a killing informal :: 7

to earn a lot of money very easily

a money-spinner British & y

Australian

a business or product that makes a lot ofmoney for someone

behaving dishonestly

be on the make ~_

trying to get money or power in a waythat is not pleasant or honest

cook the booksinformal K

to record false information in theaccounts of an organization, especially

have your fingerslhand in the till

to steal money from the place where youwork

Trang 4

Have you seen that new drama on television? I must watch the next part tonight It's

about a lonely woman who meets this guy in a club They start to chat but you can

see immediately that he's a bit ofa fast talker and probably up to no good He tells

her he's a doctor and that his wife died some time ago Of course it all turns out to

be a pack of lies They begin a relationship but she gets suspicious about his past

and wants to know more He tries to pull the wool over her eyes by telling her that

he finds it too painful to talk about his dead wife He then tells her some

cock-and-bull story about needing to payoff a debt and asks her to lend him quite a large

amount of money At the end of last week's episode she'd just discovered that he'd

been lying through his teeth - his wife is alive all the time They try to steal her

passport and she catches them red-handed I can't wait to see what happens

tonight!

adishonest person

a fast talker American & ,.;:/

Australian, informal /

someone who can talk in a clever way in

order to persuade people to believe

something that is not true

X,

a snake in the grass '

someone who pretends to be your friend

while secretly doing things to harm you

pull the wool over sb's eyes / ",

to deceive someone in order to prevent

them from knowing what you are really

doing

take sb for a ride )~

to cheat or deceive someone

pull a fast one informal y

to successfully deceive someone

sell sb a bill of goods American' :::

to make someone believe something that

is not true

dishonest activities

play dirty informal x

to behave dishonestly, especially by

cheating in a game

do sth under false pretences

to do something when you have liedabout who you are or what you are doing

be up to no good informal x

if someone is up to no good, they aredoing something bad

'\7

smell fishy informal

/.,-if a situation or explanation smells fishy,

it causes you to think that someone is

funny business informal X

dishonest or unpleasant actions

telling lies lie through your teeth X

to tell someone something that youknow is completely false

a pack of lies

a tissue of liesformal

a story that someone has invented inorder to deceive people-7

a cock-and-bull story informal )<.

a story or explanation which is

Trang 5

Happiness and Sadness

It was Maria's 21st birthday, a day on which she should have felt on top of the

world Instead she was feeling down in the dumps because she had just started a

new job in a new town, away from her family and friends.As she got out of bed, she

heard the sound of the post being delivered Running downstairs, she jumped for

joy when she saw four envelopes on the doormat But when she looked closer, her

heart sank as she realized they were bills, not birthday cards All day at work, she

went around with a long face Even though she was very happy to be doing a job

she loved so much, she still couldn't help feeling out of sorts However, when she

got home and opened the front door, there was a sudden shout of 'Surprise!', and her

parents and friends appeared carrying presents and bottles of champagne Maria

was over the moon that everyone had made such an effort, and she spent the rest

of the evening on cloud nine.

being happy

feel on top of the world

be on cloud nine informal

be full of the joys of springBritish

be in seventh heaven humorous

to feel very happy ~

jump for joy 'x,

to be very happy about something good

that has happened

be thrilled to bits informal

be over the moon informal

be tickled pink old-fashioned

to be extremely pleased about something

be floating/walking on air

to be very happy and exclied because

something very pleasant has happened

to you

like the cat that got the cream

British &Australian

like the cat that ate the canary

American

annoying other people by looking very

pleased with yourself about something

good that you have done

making someone happy

to feel slightly ill or slightly unhappy

amisery guts informal

someone who complains all the time and

cut sb to the quickold-fashioned

to upset someone by criticizing them

kick sb in the teeth

to treat someone badly or unfairly, especially at a time when they need support

Trang 6

I'd been feeling a bit off-colour for a while I'd been more tired than usual and

getting lots of headaches, and was generally a bit below par It was worst in the

morning I'd get up feeling like death warmed up I looked ill too My mother

commented when she saw me that I was as white as a sheet She suggested that I

take a break and recharge my batteries A week away from the officedid me a

power of good I came back feeling as right as rain!

feeling ill

,"

be/feel under the weather /"

be off-colour British &Australian

to feel ill or less well than usual y

to be ill, unhappy or in a bad state

like death (warmed up)British &

Australian

like death (warmed over) j "

American

if you feel or look like death warmed up,

you feel or look very ill

the dreaded lurgy British & L

Australian, humorous

an illness which is not serious but

passes easily from person to person

be off your rocker informal eo/'

be off your trolley humorous "<,

be as nutty as a fruitcake British &

recharge your batteries

to rest in order to get back your strength

be up and about/around ~

to be well enough to get out of bed andmove around

a clean bill of health

a statement that someone is healthy

do sb a power of good informal

to make someone feel much better

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Trang 7

Helping

r-Jennifer has resigned She was fed up with continually having to be at Andrew's

beck and call I don't blame her, actually He expected her to wait on him hand

and foot - but she was his secretary, not a slave, and there are limits! When she first

started to work here she bent over backwards to do everything as Andrew wanted

I suppose she was grateful to him because he helped her get a foot in the door She

was such a pleasant person to have around the office, always lending a hand if

someone had a problem and taking the new girls under her wing But then

Andrew began to make her cover up for his mistakes, saying that he would give her

a leg up if she wanted promotion - I think it was a case of you scratch my back

and I'll scratch yours Well Jennifer doesn't like being taken for granted and

when the promotion never happened I guess she got tired of doing his dirty work

for him

helping someone more than

you should

be at sb'sbeck and call

to be always willing and able to do what

someone asks you to do

wait on sb hand and foot

to do everything for someone so that

they do not have to do anything for

to give help and support to someone who

is in trouble, often by talking to someoneelse for them

insb's hour of need

at a time when someone needs help verymuch

dosb's dirty work A friend in need (is a friend

to do something unpleasant or difficult indeed).

for someone else because they do not something that you say which means

want to do it themselves that someone who gives you help when

y you need it is a really good friend

givelhand sth to sb on a plate f

"'-to let someone get something very easily,

without having to work for it trying very hard to help

helping someone succeed in

their job

get a/your foot in the door )(

to start working at a low level in an

organization because you want a better

job in the same organization in the future

give sb a leg up

to help someone be more successful

when people need special

help

take sb under your wing

to help and protect someone, especially

go toltake great painsto do sth

to make a great effort to do something

bendJIean over backwards to do sth X

to try very hard to do something,especially to help or please someone else

fall overyourself to do sth

to be very eager to do something

helping someone when they

Trang 8

Intelligence and Stupidity

'Do you remember Sean Hughes? He was in your class at school.'

'Of course 1do!He used to go to sleep during lessons Everyone said he had nothing

between his ears I don't know why he was put in our class - he really was out of

his depth I remember once he was asked to demonstrate an experiment in

chemistry, and he didn't have the faintest idea what to do He was a rugby player

as well, wasn't he? All brawn and no brains, I suppose I wonder what's happened

to him now.'

'Well,you'll never guess, but it turns out that Sean's really quite a bright spark I

found out yesterday he's the brains behind the new computer software company

that everyone's talking about.'

'Sean Hughes - a brain box? I don't believe it!'

informal

to be stupid

be as bright as a button British & be all brawn and no brains

Australian to be physically strong but not very

to be intelligent and able to think quickly intelligent

a bright sparkBritish &Australian

an intelligent person

be the brains behind sth

to be the person who plans and

organizes something, especially

something successful

a smart aleclaleckinformal

someone who is always trying to seem

more clever than everyone else in a way

that is annoying

knowing about something

be as thick as two (short) planks

a mine of information

a person or a book with a lot of not have the faintest (idea)

X' information about something

be in the know informal

to know about something which most

people do not know about

know your onionsBritish &

Australian, humorous

to know a lot about a particular subject

or no

the blind leading the blind

a situation where someone is trying toshow someone else how to do somethingwhich they do not know how to dothemselves

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Trang 9

Interest and Boredom ?""

Every summer, my cousin Nick used to come to stay for a month I didn't look

forward to it much because he wasn't interested in anything I did and he always

complained he was bored stiff in the country I was big on horse-riding in those

days, but horses left him cold, and while I was out riding, he stayed at home,

kicking his heels I once asked him what sports hedidlike, but he said he didn't

go a bundle on sport and preferred playing computer games One morning at

breakfast, I was telling my Dad about a local rock band who were looking for a

guitarist, and I noticed that Nick was all ears That morning, he went into town

with his guitar and returned later to say he'd joined the band He was champing at

the bit with impatience and could hardly wait to start practising He's now been

playing with the band for a year and he loves it Their music's not everyone's cup

of tea, but they're really popular with the local kids, and they're even thinking of

making a record Who knows, Nick might even be famous one day!

be big onsth K

to be very interested in something and

think that it is important

being interested in something notgo a bundle onsth British,

informal

to not like something

be all earsinformal '<,

to be very eager to hear what someone is

going to say

have a thing about sth/sb informal

to like something or someone very much

or to be very interested in them

being eager to do something

be champing/chomping at the bit

to be very keen to start an activity or to

go somewhere

get-up-and-go

energy and enthusiasm

notbesb's cup of tea X

if someone or something is not your cup

of tea, you do not like them or you arenot interested in them

notgive a damn informal Xnotcare/give a tossBritish, informal

to not be interested in or worried aboutsomething or someone

sb's heart isn't insth

if someone's heart is not in somethingthat they are doing, they are not veryinterested in it

being bored

be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed be bored stiff

to be full ofenergy and eager to do things to be very bored

an eager beaver kickyour heelsBritish

someone who works very hard and is to be forced to wait for a period of time

very enthusiastic

not being interested in

something

leave sb cold

if something leaves you cold, it does not

cause you to feel any emotion

be at a loose endBritish &

Australian

to have nothing to do

Trang 10

Liking and not Liking X

I've got four sons and I love them all to bits, although I must admit I've got a bit

of a soft spot for the youngest, who's only three and very cute The older two get

on like a house on fire, but always seem to have it in for the third They get into

terrible arguments with each other, and it usually ends up with one of them saying

that he hates the other's guts and storming out of the house It really gets on my

husband's nerves Still, the oldest seems to have taken a shine to a girl in his

class, which gets him out of the house a bit She's very quiet and not especially

pretty; but I suppose there's no accounting for taste

liking people

the apple of sb's eye

the person who someone loves most and

is very proud of

love sb to bits informal Y,

to like or to love someone a lot

get on like a house on fire

informal

if two people get on like a house on fire,

they like each other very much and

become friends very quickly

a mutual admiration society

humorous

a situation in which two people express

a lot of admiration for each other

take a shine to sb informal

to like someone immediately

being annoyed by something

the bane ofyour life ~

someone or something that is alwayscausing problems for you and upsettingyou

get/grate onsb's nerves informal X

to annoy someone, especially by doingsomething again and again

sb's pet hate British &Australian

sb's pet peeve American

something that you do not like at all

have a soft spot for sb

to feel a lot ofaffection for one particular opinions on what people like

person, often without knowing why

besb's main squeezeAmerican,

informal

to be the person that someone has a

romantic or sexual relationship with

singsb/sth's praises

to praise someone or something very

much

not liking people

have a downer on sbBritish &

Australian, informal

to not like someone

hate sb's gutsinformal

to hate someone

have it in for sbinformal Y

to be determined to harm or criticize

each to his/her own X

something that you say which meansthat it is acceptable for people to like orbelieve in different things

One man's meat is another man's poison.

something that you say which meansthat something one person likes verymuch can be something that anotherperson does not like at all

There's no accounting for taste!

something that you say when you cannotunderstand why someone likessomething or someone

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Trang 11

You know the saying, 'A penny saved is a penny earned' Well, that's all right if

you're regularly earning money, but I'm not I've been living from hand to mouth

doing temporary work I've tightened my belt but I'm always in the red at the end

of the month My latest idea is to start my own business This requires hard cash

and I don't have it I want to start a taxi service to and from the airport I'll need a

good, reliable car and that will cost an arm and a leg Initially, I'd probably just

break even, but eventually I reckon I'd have a steady job and a steady income, even

if I didn't make a killing What I really need is some ready money or perhaps

someone who has a nest egg they would like to invest Maybe my best hope is to

win the lottery and strike it rich!

having a lot of money

an amount of money that you have saved

make a killing informal X

to earn a lot of money very easily

to not be too expensive

ready cash/money

money that is immediately available tospend

be out of pocket

to have less money than you should have hard cash

money in the form of coins or notesnot have two pennies to rub

together

to be very poor

be in the red

:t< to owe money :t< to a bank

having just enough money

live (from) hand to mouth

><-to have just enough money ><-to live on and

nothing extra

sayings about money

A penny saved is a penny earned.

it is wise to save money

be penny-wise and pound-foolish

to be extremely careful about smallamounts of money and not carefulenough about larger amounts

Money doesn't grow on trees.

tighten your belt be careful how much money you spend

to spend less than you did before because there is only a limited amount

because you have less money

Trang 12

Power and Authority

When Peter goes away on business, it's Ellen who calls the shots in the office.Just

because she has friends in high places, she thinks she can run the show! Rachel

and I are the only people who refuse to bow and scrape, but she seems to have the

rest of the office in the palm of her hand She's even got Sandy,the supervisor,

wrapped around her little finger. Rachel says she's far too big for her boots

and it's time Peter and the powers that be were told I'm sure Peter would be very

concerned if he knew He doesn't like people throwing their weight around and

he certainly wouldn't want Ellen setting the agenda

being in a position of power

run the show informal

to be in charge of an organization or an

activity

call the shotsltune>

to be the person who makes all the

important decisions and who has the

most power in a situation

set the agenda

to decide what subjects other people

should deal with in a way that shows you

have more authority than them

»:

have the upper hand / '.

to have a position of power and control

over someone else

showing your power

throw your weight around

to behave in a way which shows that you

are more important or powerful than

other people

flex your muscles :>;.

to take some action to show people how

powerful you are

people in powerful positions

controlling and influencing people

twist/wrap sb around your little finger

to be able to persuade someone to doanything you want, usually becausethey like you so much

have sb in the palm of your hand

to have so much control over someonethat they will do whatever you wantthem to do

have friends in high places

to know important people who can helpyou get what you want

thinking you are more important than you really are

be too big for your boots informal X

to behave as if you are more important

or clever than you really are

delusions of grandeur Y

the belief that you are more important

or powerful than you really are

pleasing people in authority the powers that be>(

the people who control things but who

to try too hard to please someone in aposition of authority

a big cheesehumorous

a big gun/noise informal

an important or powerful person in a

group or organization /'

the movers and shakers c/~<'"_

people who have a lot of power and

influence

dosb's bidding old-fashioned

to do what someonetells or asks you to do

licksb's bootsvery informal ~~

to try too hard to please someoneimportant

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Trang 13

Remembering & forgetting

I was sitting in the local cafe waiting for my friend Jenny We'darranged to meet at

half past twelve, but it was now one o'clock and there was still no sign of her I

wondered if it had slipped her mind She was always doing this - making

arrangements and then forgetting about them Honestly,she had a memory like a

sieve! I was just on the point ofleaving when a dark-hatred man came in and sat at

the table next to mine I knew I had seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't for

the life of me think where As I was racking my brains trying to remember, he

looked round and smiled 'Hi, Caroline,' he said 'I haven't seen you in ages Not

since college, in fact.' I cast my mind back Of course, it was Jenny's old

boyfriend from college!Now,what was his name? It was on the tip ofmytongue

Chris, that was it Just then, Jenny came in She'd obviously been running

because her face was red and she was out of breath 'Sorry I'm late,' she said

'That's alright,' I replied and smiled 'I've got a surprise for you Does the name

Chris ring a bell?'

you know it but cannot quite remember it

slip your mind

if something slips your mind, you forget remembering

not remember at all

I can't put a name to him/her

not remember someone's name

Out of sight, out of mind inlwithin living memory

if you do not see someone or something, things that can be remembered by

unable to remember

your mind goes blank

you cannot think of anything to say

trying to remember

rackyour brains

to think very hard

castyour mind back

to try to remember something

making yourself remember

commit sthto memory

to make yourself remember something

helping you remember

ring a bell

if a name or a phrase rings a bell, youthink you have heard it before

jog your memory

to cause you to remember something

Trang 14

Speaking and Conversation x:~

I'd been having lunch with my old friend Heather, and we'd been discussing our

plans for the summer and generally chewing the fat, when she suddenly

announced that she and Andrew were getting married -1was lost for words

They'd only known each other for three months, and they'd spent very little time

together because Andrew went away on business a lot 'Please don't breathe a

word of this to anyone,' Heather said 'We only decided two days ago, and we

haven't told Andrew's parents yet.' 'Don't worry,' 1 replied 'My lips are sealed.'

When 1got home that evening, 1was very quiet 'What's the matter?' asked Karen,

my sister 'Has the cat got your tongue?' 1was dying to tell her the news, but 1

had to bite my tongue 'Come on, out with it!' she said, and finally 1told her, but

1made her promise to keep her mouth shut 1 should have known that my

loud-mouthed sister would shoot her mouth off to all her friends Andrew's family

found out the next day;and now Heather isn't speaking to me

;·~~·~~~:~~~:~···X···:;~:;:lla~:O:::;:~~r~tumorous

saying rude or stupid things in a loud something that you say to tell someone

shoot your mouth off very informal have just told you

to talk too much, especially about Has the cat got your tongue?

something you should not talk about y something that you say to someone

talk the hind legs off a donkey ,-,when you are annoyed because they will

British, humorous not speak

.}_f'

to stop yourself from saying somethingeven if you would like to say it

keep your mouth shut informal

to keep something secret X

talking in a friendly way hold yourtongue

to stop talking

to have a long friendly conversation with to suddenly stop talking and refuse to

verbal diarrhoea humorous

if someone has verbal diarrhoea, they

talk too much

shoot the breeze American,

informal

to talk in a relaxed way about things that

are not important

making someone tell you something

good at talking Out with it!something that you say in order to tell

someone to say something that they arefrightened to say

the gift of the gab

an ability to speak easily and

confidently and to persuade people to do

not talking Shut your face/mouth!informal very

Button it! mainly American, informal

an impolite way of telling someone tostop talking

be lost for words X.

to be unable to speak because you are so

surprised

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Trang 15

Success and Failure

We'd managed to get tickets for the final of the European Cup and there was a great

atmosphere in the stadium Lazio were riding high after their 2-0victory over Real

Madrid, but Liverpool were also very strong contenders, having clawed their way

back from defeat in their match against Juventus Lazio got off to a flying start

with a goal in the first five minutes, and from then on they went from strength to

strength The Liverpool defence seemed to have gone down the pan, and the third

goal just before half-time was another nail in the coffin, But the game wasn't over

just yet During the second half, Lazio lost their edge and Liverpool suddenly

came into their own With only five minutes of the game left and the score at 3-3,

it was make or break for Liverpool Seconds before the final whistle blew, they

managed to score again and the crowd went wild Liverpool had won the cup!

succeeding

be riding high

to be very successful

get off to a flying start

to begin an activity very successfully

go from strength to strength ~

to become more and more successful

come into your/its own

to be very useful or successful in a

particular situation

make it big informal

to become very successful or famous

pass with flying colours

to complete a difficult activity

successfully

claw your way back from sth

to succeed in improving your situation

by making a very determined effort

win (sth) hands down \,.,

to win easily "

lead the field

to be more successful than anyone you

are competing against

failing

>' fall flat on your/its face

to fail or make a mistake in anembarrassing way

die a death British

die a natural death American &

a dead duck informal

something or someone that is notvery successful or useful

A miss is as good as a mile

something that you say which meansthat failing to do something when youalmost succeeded is no better thanfailing very badly

losing

be pipped at/to the post British &

Australian

to be beaten in a competition or race by

situations when you will a very small amount

either succeed or fail lose your edge

to lose the qualities or skills that made

make or break sth JI( you successful in the past

to make something a success or a failure go off the boil British &Australian

to become less successfulsink or swim

to fail or succeed

Trang 16

I hardly spoke a word of Russian when I first came to Moscow.I'd done a short

Russian course before I left, but I've never been very good at languages and most of

it went over my head The first few weeks after I arrived were the hardest because

I didn't have a clue what people were saying to me, and I kept getting lost because

I couldn't make head or tail of the street signs Things became a lot easier when

I got to grips with the alphabet, and after that I gradually got the hang of putting

sentences together I've been living here for three years now and I'm fairly fluent,

although I still make mistakes Last week, a Russian friend and I got our wires

crossed: I thought I was meeting him on Tuesday when he meant Thursday But

that sort of thing only happens occasionally Before I came here, I never thought

that languages were particularly important, but living abroad has certainly

brought home to me how useful they are

not understanding understanding

not have a clue informal/get the hang ofsth informal A

to have no knowledge of or no to succeed in learning how to do

information about something something after practising it

go over sb'shead come/get to grips with sth X

if a piece of information goes over to make an effort to understand and deal

someone's head, they do not understand with a problem or situation

bring sthhome to sb \

can't make head nor/or tail ofsth :Ato make someone understand something

to not be able to understand something much more clearly than they did before,

not know the first thing about sth

to not know anything about a particular

subject

be as clear as mudhumorous

to be impossible to understand

get your lines/wires crossed

if two people get their lines crossed, they

do not understand each other correctly

get your head around sth informal

to be able to understand something X

get the messageinformal

to understand what someone is trying totell you even though they are notexpressing themselves directly

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