Unit 4 Part 1

Bond between/with

a connection or relationship between two people or things

To fall victim to

to be deceived or affected by something unpleasant

Religious/political convictions

strong beliefs about religion or politics

To say sth with conviction

to express something confidently and with strong belief

To put in sufficient effort

to make enough effort to achieve something

To put in a lot of hard work

to work very hard and devote considerable effort to something

To make an emotional investment

to become emotionally involved in something or someone

To grapple with a problem

to struggle to understand or solve a difficult problem

To refocus our minds away from

to deliberately direct our attention away from something

To take the initiative

to be the first to take action or make a decision

To neglect established social protocols

to fail to follow accepted social rules or conventions

To honour commitments to sb

to do what you have promised someone you would do

To overstep the limits/boundaries/bounds of sth

to go beyond what is acceptable or permitted

Past its breaking point

beyond the point at which something can continue to function or cope

To give sb the benefit of the doubt

to believe someone is honest or innocent when you are uncertain

At a later date

at a time in the future

To fall by the wayside

to fail to continue or be forgotten while other things receive attention

To move into adulthood

to gradually become an adult

Try as we might

despite making every possible effort

Friendship circles shrink

the number of close friends a person has becomes smaller

To become engrossed in sth

to become completely absorbed or deeply interested in something

To relocate

to move to a different place to live or work

Short on energy

having less energy than is needed

Long on sth/short on sth else

having a lot of one quality but lacking another

Not by choice

unwillingly or because circumstances leave no alternative

An uphill battle

a difficult struggle that requires a great deal of effort

Everyday encounters

ordinary interactions or meetings with people in daily life

It fits with the way…

it is consistent with or matches how something happens or is understood

A one-off thing

something that happens only once and is not repeated

A cognitive bias

a systematic tendency to think or make judgements in a particular way

Bouts of anxiety

short periods during which someone experiences intense anxiety

A bout of depression/flu/sickness

a period during which someone suffers from depression or illness

All too often

happening much more frequently than is desirable

To resort to

to use something unpleasant or undesirable because other options have failed

Overt or covert avoidance strategies

obvious or hidden methods used to avoid something

To fall into this trap

to make a mistake by becoming involved in a harmful or unhelpful situation

To get the brush off

to be rejected or treated as though you are unimportant

To click with someone

to immediately have a good connection or understanding with someone

To pay/bring dividends

to produce useful or beneficial results

To get too caught up in our own heads

to become excessively focused on our own thoughts and worries

Clingy

excessively dependent on or emotionally attached to someone

To fast forward

to move quickly to a later point in time or development

To live up to one’s expectations

to be as good as someone expected

To be hung-up about/on sth

to be excessively worried or concerned about something

Sth gets in the way

something prevents progress or stops something from happening

Deep resentment at/against

a strong and lasting feeling of anger or bitterness towards someone or something

To ditch one-sided friendships

to end friendships in which only one person makes an effort

To harbour resentment

to continue to feel anger or bitterness towards someone

Sb’s take on sth

someone's opinion or interpretation of something

To muscle out

to force someone or something out by using strength or influence

In the long run

over a long period of time

To do all the talking

to speak continuously without allowing others to contribute

To stick through difficulties

to remain committed despite problems or challenges

To disregard sth

to ignore or fail to consider something

To have 15 years seniority

to have worked in a particular organisation for 15 years longer than someone else

Incivility

rude or impolite behaviour

To seek out the help of sb

to actively look for and obtain someone's assistance

To take sick leave

to officially stop working temporarily because of illness

To contend with stressful work environments

to have to deal with difficult or stressful working conditions

To advocate for

to publicly support or argue in favour of someone or something

To alter one’s mindset

to change one's way of thinking or attitude

Accountable for

responsible for something and expected to explain or justify it

The enactment of the agreement

the process of officially making an agreement legally effective

To enact a bill

to officially make a proposed law into law

In a nutshell

in a very brief and simple form

To resolve employment-related disputes

to settle disagreements connected with work or employment

Workplace mediation

a process in which a neutral person helps employees resolve a dispute

To facilitate

to make something easier or help something happen

People in conflict

people who disagree strongly or are involved in a dispute

A panacea for

a solution that is believed to solve all problems

With intent to do sth

with the purpose or intention of doing something

Social undermining

behaviour intended to damage someone's social relationships or status

On the low end of the spectrum

towards the lower extreme of a range

To mediate a conflict

to help people in disagreement reach a solution

Entrenched attitudes/beliefs/positions

attitudes or opinions that are firmly established and difficult to change

Entrenched in society

deeply established and difficult to remove from society

To talk sb through their experience

to help someone explain or understand their experience step by step

To wrap sb’s head around

to understand or accept something complicated or difficult

To settle differences

to resolve disagreements between people

To say one’s piece

to express one's opinion or feelings

To keep a close eye on sth

to monitor something carefully

On the day

on the particular day when an event takes place

To excel at/in

to be exceptionally good at something

To come in handy

to be useful in a particular situation

An innate quality/ability

a quality or ability that someone naturally possesses

On a personal note

speaking from one's own personal perspective

I’ve long thought

I have believed something for a long time

To sign up to do sth

to agree or register to participate in something

Morally/legally binding

creating a moral or legal obligation to do something

To disclose information

to reveal or make information known

To break into a round of applause

to suddenly start applauding

A grain of sense/truth

a very small amount of sense or truth

A stroke of luck

an unexpected and fortunate event

In a fit of anger

while experiencing a sudden and intense feeling of anger

A scrap of evidence/information

a very small amount of evidence or information

A breath of fresh air

someone or something new and refreshing

To endure the pangs of guilt

to suffer the painful feelings associated with guilt

A glimmer of hope

a small sign or feeling that something positive may happen

A school of thought

a particular way of thinking or intellectual tradition

Without the slightest hint of irony

completely seriously and without any suggestion of irony