Unit 11

be as thick as a brick

to be stupid

on second thoughts

having changed one's mind

lay the table

set the table for a meal

play truant

to stay away from classes without permission

red tape

complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies

touch and go

with an uncertain result

put two and two together

to draw an obvious conclusion

in a tick

soon

through thick and thin

in spite of all sorts of difficulties

out of turn

not in the correct order/time

by trial and error

learning from one's mistakes

not be one's cup of tea

not suit one's taste

be ahead of one's time

have progressive ideas

for the time being

temporarily

kill time

pass time while waiting for sb/sth

come to terms with

accept a difficult situation

be tickled pink

be really pleased

paint the town red

to have a great time

take one's time

not in a hurry

at one's own pace

at a speed which is comfortable for one

go to great pains

try hard to do sth because it is important

feel under/below par

feel tired

in passing

incidentally

not put it past sb

not be surprised if sb did sth they shouldn't

not a patch on

not nearly as good as; not comparable

phase in

to introduce gradually

bring sb down a peg or two

reduce sb to their true status

pile up

to accumulate

feel the pinch

be in a difficult financial situation

play at

do sth others don't understand

take the plunge

to take a risk

pluck up the courage

make an effort to be brave

plumb new depths

be worse than ever

go to pot

to deteriorate

keep sb posted

keep sb informed

pit your wits against sb

compete with sb in intelligence

at a premium

at a higher price than usual

press on/ahead

continue determinedly

he who pays the piper calls the tune

if you pay, you get to decide how it's done

All that glitters is not gold

Means that things may not be as they seem. Another way of saying, "Looks can be deceiving".

A trouble shared is a trouble halved

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

blood is thicker than water

The family bond is closer than anything else.

He who hesitates is lost

a person who doesn't act decisively is unlikely to succeed

A stitch in time saves nine

To deal with something befor its too late

In for a penny, in for a pound

Once you have started something, go for it!

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

This means that the more you know something or someone, the more you start to find faults and dislike things about it or them.

reliant

dependent

confer (up)on (someone or something)

to give an official title, honour, or advantage to someone

to be prone to (+-ing)

suffer from

abundance of

a great or plentiful amount.

dawn on

if something dawns on you, you realise it for the first time

be swamped with

to have more of sth than you can deal with

be dwarfed by

to be made to seem small or insignificant by comparison to something else that is much larger or more prominent

out of step with

not having the same ideas, beliefs

the butt of jokes

a person who other people make fun of, make jokes about

stride

a long step