Unit 2 - phrasal verbs and idioms

Before my trip to London, I had to brush up on my English. At first, I didn’t like the idea of studying more, but I slowly came around to it. I tried to come up with a good study plan, but I couldn’t figure out the best method until I suddenly hit upon using flashcards. Sometimes I couldn’t make out the teacher’s accent, so I would mull over the lessons later. Gradually, I managed to piece together the grammar rules and even puzzle out some tricky idioms. To prepare, I also read up on British culture and even swotted up on history for a quiz. It wasn’t easy to take in all the information, but I decided to think over my mistakes, think through the consequences, and even think up fun ways to remember new words. My teacher warned me not to let small progress go to my head, and told me to always have my wits about me when practicing with natives. Sometimes I was completely in the dark about slang, but my friend, who really knows what’s what, helped me. Without her, I would not have a leg to stand on in conversations. She also reminded me not to see the wood for the trees, so I focused on communication, not just details. When I saw two classmates practicing together, I put two and two together and realized they were study partners. I admit, I’m a bit slow on the uptake, while my friend is quick on the uptake. Some words ring a bell, but I can’t always remember them. Studying so much nearly drove me round the bend, and we sometimes split hairs over grammar rules. Still, after the course, we sat down to take stock of what we had learned — and I felt proud of the progress.

brush up on

(ôn lại, trau chuốt, cải thiện)
Ví dụ: "I need to brush up on my English before my trip to London."

come around to

(thay đổi ý kiến)
Ví dụ: "She didn't like the idea at first, but she's slowly coming around to it."

come up with

(nghĩ ra)
Ví dụ: "Can you come up with a better plan?"

figure out

(hiểu ra, tìm ra)
Ví dụ: "I can't figure out how to solve this puzzle."

hit upon

(tình cờ phát hiện, đột nhiên có sáng kiến)
Ví dụ: “She was scared he might hit upon the truth”

"We finally hit upon a solution to the problem."

make out

(hiểu ra, nhận ra)
Ví dụ: "I can't make out what he's saying."

mull over

(nghiền ngẫm)
Ví dụ: "I'll need some time to mull over your offer."

piece together

(ghép lại để tìm ra sự thật, lắp ráp lại)
Ví dụ: "The detective managed to piece together the events of the crime."

puzzle out

(giải đố, tìm ra lời giải)
Ví dụ: "It took me hours to puzzle out the riddle."

read up on/about

(đọc sâu về)
eg: "I need to read up on the history of Vietnam for my project."

swot up on

(học gạo)
Ví dụ: "She's swotting up on her history for the exam tomorrow."

take in

(tiếp thu được kiến thức, lừa dối, chấp nhận)
Ví dụ: "It's hard to take in all this new information."

think over

(cân nhắc kĩ)
Ví dụ: "I'll think over your suggestion and let you know."

think through

(xem xét)
Ví dụ: "It's important to think through the consequences before making a decision."

think up

(bịa ra lí do, lời bào chữa; nghĩ ra ý tưởng)
Ví dụ: "He always thinks up the most elaborate excuses."

go to your head

(tự cao tự đại)
Ví dụ: "Don't let success go to your head."

have your wits about you

(sáng suốt)
Ví dụ: "You need to have your wits about you when driving in heavy traffic."

in the dark about

(chả biết gì một vấn đề)
Ví dụ: "I'm completely in the dark about their plans."

know what's what

(biết rõ ngọn ngành, rành)
Ví dụ: "She's been in the business for years, so she knows what's what."

not have a leg to stand on

(không có chứng cứ để chứng minh)
Ví dụ: "Without proof, you don't have a leg to stand on."

not see the wood for the trees

(không nhìn nhận sự việc một cách rõ ràng)
Ví dụ: "He's so focused on the details that he can't see the wood for the trees."

put two and two together

(đoán được chuyện gì sẽ xảy ra)
Ví dụ: "When I saw them together, I put two and two together and realized they were a couple."

quick/slow on the uptake

(hiểu nhanh/chậm)
Ví dụ: "He's a bit slow on the uptake, so you might have to explain it twice."

ring a bell

(nghe quen quen)
Ví dụ: "His name rings a bell, but I can't place him."

round the bend

(điên)
Ví dụ: "Working 80 hours a week is enough to drive anyone round the bend."

split hairs

(cãi nhau vì những thứ vụn vặt)
Ví dụ: "Let's not split hairs over minor details; the main point is clear."

take stock of

(nghĩ rất kĩ trước khi quyết định điều gì)
Ví dụ: "After the project failed, we needed to take stock of the situation and learn from our mistakes."