unit 5: confusing/related words

bridging i don't like the gap

the fact remains

it is still true:

I know you're sorry now, but the fact remains that you hit your sister.

at all costs

if something must be done or avoided at all costs or at any cost, it must be done or avoided whatever happens, even if it is very difficult or causes a lot of problems:

Security during the president's visit must be maintained at all costs.

retain

to keep or continue to have something:

She has lost her battle to retain control of the company.

If a substance retains something, such as heat or water, it continues to hold or contain it:

The sea retains the sun's warmth longer than the land.

restrain

to control the actions or behaviour of someone by force, especially in order to stop them from doing something, or to limit the growth or force of something:

When he started fighting, it took four police officers to restrain him.

refrain

to avoid doing or stop yourself from doing something:

We refrained from talking until we knew that it was safe.

at the cost of something/doing something

in exchange for something bad or for doing something that is harmful:

Victory in the war was achieved at the cost of great human suffering.

count the cost

to start to understand how badly something has affected you:

I didn't read the contract fully before I signed it but I'm counting the cost now.

learn sth to your cost

to learn or discover something because of an unpleasant or difficult experience:

It's not worth getting into an argument with Paula, as I learned to my cost.

at a price

for a lot of money:

She'll decorate your house however you want it – at a price.

pay the price

to experience the bad result of something you have done:

If you abuse your body now, you'll pay the price when you're older.

at someone’s expense

paid for by a particular person:

The road was paved three years ago, partly at residents' expense.

expense account

an arrangement in which your employer will pay for the things you need to buy while doing your job:

I can put this lunch on my expense account.

at the expense of sb

making another person look silly:

Would you stop making jokes at my expense?

take charge of sth

to accept responsibility for something and have control over it:

She took charge of the project and made sure it was finished on time.

charge something to sb’s account

to record an amount that a customer has spent for them to pay at a later time, according to an agreement between a business and the customer:

Charge the bill to my account, please.

it remains to be seen

it is not yet certain:

It remains to be seen who will win.

remains

pieces or parts of something that continue to exist when most of it has been used, destroyed, or taken away:

The remains of lunch were still on the table.

=> sb’s/human remains

someone's dead body or the remaining parts of it:

50 years after he died, his remains were returned to his homeland.

at cost

for only the amount of money needed to produce or obtain goods or services, without any extra money added for profit:

I was able to buy the damaged goods at cost.

until you are blue in the face

If you say or shout something until you are blue in the face, you are wasting your efforts because you will get no results:

You can tell her to clean her room until you are blue in the face, but she won't do it.

in black and white

in writing:

I had to believe it, because it was there in black and white.

whiter than white

never doing anything wrong:

I was never convinced by the image of the whiter than white princess depicted in the press.

go/turn (bright) red

If you go/turn red, your face becomes red because you are angry or embarrassed:

Look, you've embarrassed him - he's gone bright red!

in the red

spending more money than you earn:

The company has been in the red for the last three quarters.

in the pink

in very good health