Chapter 11

From CPE

in a tick

in a moment

as thick as a brick

stupid

lay the table

set a table with tableware

touch and go

uncertain situation

put two and two together

guess the truth about a situation from what you have seen/heard

through thick and thin

always support or stay with someone

red tape

official rules and processes that seem unnecessary

on second thoughts

when you want to change a decision you have made

play truant

be regularly absent from school without permission

out of turn

not following the agreed order

kill time

do something while you are waiting for something else

ahead of one’s time

having new ideas, opinions, or ways of living long before most other people do

paint the town red

go out and enjoy yourself by drinking alcohol, dancing, laughing with friends, etc.

in the nick of time

at the last possible moment

come to terms with something

gradually accept a sad situation

take your time

meaning you can spend as much time as you need in doing something

be tickled pink

very pleased

for the time being

for a limited period

trial and error

a way of achieving an aim or solving a problem by trying a number of different methods and learning from your mistakes

not be someone's cup of tea

not be the type of thing that you like

be prone to something

likely to show a particular characteristic, or to be affected by something bad

abundance

the situation in which there is more than enough of something

dawn on someone

understanding something after a period of not understanding it

get in

be elected to a political position

be swamped with something

being overwhelmed and burdened with something

earmark

keep or intend something for a particular purpose

be dwarfed by something

made to seem small or insignificant by comparison

be the butt of someone's jokes

be a person who is joked about or laughed at

take something in one's stride

deal with something difficult or unpleasant in a calm and accepting way

out of step with someone

not having the same ideas or beliefs as other people, or not being aware of other people's beliefs

have something on your plate

have something, usually a large amount of important work, to deal with

at your own pace

doing something at a speed that is comfortable

at a premium

at a high price or a higher price than might be expected

just in passing

briefly or casually mentioning something

say your piece

say what you are obviously wanting to say

play at

used to convey one's irritation at someone's actions or one's failure to understand their motives

pit your wits against someone

see if you can be cleverer than someone or something

not put it past someone

to not be surprised if someone does something bad

pile up

(of something bad) to increase

it's all going to pot

things are becoming much worse or deteriorating

pass something up

fail to take advantage of an opportunity

press on/ahead

start or continue doing something in a determined way

go to great pains to do something

make a lot of effort to do something

not be a patch on something

be much less good than something

bring someone down a peg or two

show someone that they are not as important as they thought

phase something in

introduce something gradually or in stages

feel the pinch

have problems with money because you are earning less than before

feel under par

feel unwell

take the plunge

make a decision to do something, especially after thinking about it for a long time

pluck up your courage

force yourself to be brave enough to do something

plumb new depths

become worse than ever

keep someone posted

make sure someone knows what is happening

better safe than sorry

said when you think it is best not to take risks

he who pays the piper calls the tune

said to emphasize that the person who is paying someone to do something can decide how it should be done

all that glitters is not gold

said about something that seems to be good on the surface, but might not be when you look at it more closely

a trouble shared is a trouble halved

used to say that if you tell someone about a problem, it is easier to deal with

blood is thicker than water

said to emphasize that you believe that family connections are always more important than other types of relationship

he who hesitates is lost

the person who waits too long loses the opportunity

a stich in time saves nine

it is better to act or deal with problems immediately, because if you wait and deal with them later, things will get worse

in for a penny, in for pound

since you have started something or are involved in it, you should complete the work

what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts

the positive and negative results of a situation or action balance each other

familiarity breeds contempt

if you know someone very well you stop respecting them because you have seen all of their bad qualities