Vocabulary from handbooks (C1)

paywall

a program that stops people who have not paid a subscription from using a website

mud

earth that has been mixed with water

burn off

To burn off something unwanted means to get rid of it by burning it.

to row

the activity of making a boat move through water using oars (= poles with flat ends)

revenue

the total income produced by a given source

adrift

without ties, guidance, or security

to plummet

to drop sharply and abruptly

soar

to rise or increase dramatically (as in position, value, or price)

to wreck

to reduce to a ruinous state by or as if by violence

to pick up

learn something quite easilyby being exposed to it

to brush up

improve your knowledge of something you’ve partly forgotten

to grasp

understand something, especially something difficult

rusty

less able because you are out of practice

get/come to grips with

begin to deal with or understand

attain

to reach as an end; gain, achieve; attain a goal; to come into possession of: obtain

keep at something

to continue doing or trying to do something

to breed

cause something to happen

to pop up

appear or happen, especially suddenly or unexpectedly

reference

if writing or information references someone or something, it relates to that person or thing

head start

an advantage that someone has over other people in something such as a competition or a race

averse

having an active feeling of repugnance, dislike, or distaste

a turn off

one that causes loss of interest or enthusiasm

to take hold

start to have an effect; to become strong; to be established

far-out

uncomventional or avant-garde

rad

[slang] very good, cool or exciting.

wicked

[slang] very good

in-joke

a private joke that can only be understood by a limited group of people who have a special knowledge of something that is referred to in the joke

to plague

cause worry, pain or difficulty to someone or something over a period of time

to get the hang of things

learn how to do something, especially if it is not obvious or simple

leave it out

stop doing or saying that

to touch base on sth

to talk to someone for a short time to find out what they think about something

stuff like that

used to refer to things of a similar type in an inexact way

whatsisname/whatsername

used when you can’t remember someone’s name exactly

give or take

used to give an inexact amount

words to that effect

used to report someone’s words in an exact way

thingy

a person or thing whose name one has forgotten, does not know, or does not want to mention

somewhere in the region of

used to refer to an approximate or general amount or area

something along those lines

similar in type

some bits and pieces

used to refer to things or objects of different kinds

to undermine

to make someone less confident, less poweful, or less likely to succeed, or to make something weaker, often gradually