BBC Learning English

Check-up

A routine visit to the doctor/dentist to see if everything is okay

Filling

Material used to repair a hole (cavity) in a tooth

Baby teeth/ Milk teeth

The first small teeth children have

Adult teeth

Permanent teeth that replace baby teeth

Braces

Metal or plastic devices to straighten teeth

Gums

The pink skin around your teeth

Whiten

To make something (teeth) whiter

Wisdom teeth

The last adult teeth that grow at the back of the mouth

Come through

To break through (e.g., teeth growing through gums)

Wobbly

Loose and moving from side to side (not firm)

Have a crush (on someone)

To like someone romantically (often not serious yet)

Butterflies in my stomach

A nervous or excited feeling in your stomach

Ask (someone) out

To invite someone on a date

Get on (with someone)

To have a good relationship with someone

Click (with someone)

To quickly feel comfortable and like someone

Fall in love (with someone)

To start loving someone deeply

Break/ Split up (with someone)

To end a romantic relationship

Be/ Get back together

To start a relationship again after breaking up

Platonic

A relationship with no romantic or sexual feelings

Head over heels (in love)

Completely and deeply in love

Fall out

To come out or drop out (e.g., hair, teeth)

Argument

A disagreement or fight between people

Bold

Having clear lines or shapes that stand out

Dweller

A person who lives in a particular place

Heat up

To make something hot or warm

Flask

A small container used to carry drinks

Working lunch

A meal where people eat while continuing to work or discuss business

Leftover

Food or things that remain after the rest has been used or eaten

Paste

A thick, soft mixture or substance

Rumble

To make a low, continuous sound (like when you are hungry)

Pickle

Vegetables (like cucumbers) kept in vinegar or salt for flavour

Starving

Very hungry

Mindfulness

Paying full attention to the present moment

Speak of the devil

Said when a person you were talking about suddenly appears

Be on speaking terms

To have a friendship relationship where you still talk to someone

Speak volumes

Show a lot of meaning without needing words

Speak too soon

To say something too early before knowing the final result

Keep up with

To stay at the same level or continue to know what is happening

Keep at

To continue doing something without stopping

Keep something back

To save something for later use

Keep something from someone

To not tell someone something; to keep it secret

Get up to (something)

To do (often something slightly naughty, secret, or unexpected)

Get on with (something)

To continue doing something, especially after stopping or being interrupted

Run into

To meet someone unexpectedly

Are you alright?

Used to ask if someone is okay or as a casual greeting

Be out like a light

To fall asleep very quickly

Sleep like a log/a baby

To sleep very deeply

Not sleep a wink

To not sleep at all

Toss and turn

To move around in bed and not sleep well

Light sleeper

A person who wakes up easily and does not sleep deeply

Heavy sleeper

A person who sleeps very deeply and is hard to wake up

Sleep in

To sleep later than usual in the morning

Drop off

To fall into a light sleep

Sleep through

To stay asleep and not wake up during something

Sleep on (something)

To wait until the next day before making a decision

Sleep over/have a sleepover

To stay at someone else’s home for the night

Lie in/have a lie-in

To stay in bed longer than usual in the morning

Oversleep

To sleep longer than planned, usually by mistake

Early bird

A person who wakes up or arrives early

Night owl

A person who stays up late at night

Hit the sack/hay

To go to bed to sleep

Beauty sleep

Sleep that helps you look fresh and healthy

Sleep tight

Used to wish someone a good, comfortable sleep

Get out of bed on the wrong side

To feel in a bad mood for no clear reason

Open book

A person who is easy to understand and has no secrets

Make ends meet

To have just enough money to live

Be in arrears

To be late in paying money that you owe

On the never-never

Buying something and paying for it later in small amounts (credit)

Heads-up

A warning or information given in advance

Have a shot at (something)

To try to do something

There’s no way

Used to say something is impossible or certainly not true

Cheers

Used to say “thank you” or “goodbye”

Mate

A friend; used to address someone casually

Fancy

To like or want something

Fancy

To like or want something

Pop/ pop out

To go somewhere quickly for a short time

Bloody hell

Used to express strong surprise, anger, or shock

On your bike/ jog on

Go away / leave (often used a bit rudely or jokingly)

Not be fussed / not be bothered

To not care much about something

Couldn’t be bothered (to do something)

Didn’t want to do something because you felt too lazy or not interested

Hang on a sec/ Just a sec

Wait for a short time

In a jiffy

Very soon; in a very short time

Mind you

Used to add a comment that changes, limits, or contrasts what you just said

Take the mickey (out of somebody)

To joke about someone or make fun of them (not seriously, often playful)

Fair enough

Used to show you accept or understand what someone said

Knackered

Very tired or exhausted