S1 C1-C2 CONFESSIONS OF A GRINCH

to inch onto the menus

to gradually and subtly appear on the menus

to lean into Christmas

to embrace Christmas and participate in it

to offer a reprieve

to provide a respite from sth

to pull consumers into the holiday season

to draw shoppers mentally and emotionally into the Christmas period

to tug at sb’s heartstrings

to stir strong emotions in sb

primed to make purchasing decisions

mentally prepared to start buying

to evoke holiday spirit

to deliberately create feelings of christmas cheer

a sense of scarcity

a perception that a product is limited in availability

to drive sb to do sth

to strongly motivate or compel sb to take action

to leverage sth

to strategically use sth to its maximum advantage

elaborate displays

carefully designed arrangements of products

to waft through the air

to drift subtly through the air (about smells)

in the lead-up to Christmas

during the period of preceding Christmas day

to set the pace

to establish the speed or at which events develop

to orchestrate sth

to arrange sth carefully, so as to achieve a wanted result

retail-driven

primarily motivated or controlled by companies

christmas fatigue

a feeling of weariness or irritation from prolonged exposure to christmas marketing

consumer desensitization

the fact of shoppers becoming less responsive to marketing stimuli

to tap into festive escapism

to use the consumers’ desire to use Christmas celebrations as a mental escape from reality

early onset of Christmas

the early beginning of Christmas season

commercial overreach

excessive and intrusive marketing that goes beyond what’s considered acceptable

to edge sth out

to gradually replace sth and become more successful

to dread sth

to anticipate sth with intense fear or apprehension

deluge

an overwhelming and sudden flood or quantity of sth

addled

confused and unable to think clearly

to succumb to the Christmas spirit

to finally yield to the feelings of cheer and goodwill associated with the season

derivative

lacking originality, derived from sth else and not innovative

pomp

showy, formal ceremony, especially on public occasions

mawkish

excessively sentimental in a weak or insincere way

disdain for sth

a feeling of strong contempt or scorn for sb or sth

to subject sb to sth

to force sb to experience sth unpleasant

to bleed into sth

to gradually spread and mix into another domain

to wind up (inf)

to find yourself in a particular situation or state

to feign fondness for sb

to pretend to have affectionate feelings for sb

to grow stale

to become uninteresting or dull from overuse or repetition

disillusioned

disappointed after discovering sth is not as good as one believed

to feel sth more keenly

to experience an emotion with greater intensity

merry

cheerful and lively (in a festive context)

to evade sth

to cleverly avoid or escape sth

in front of the hearth

before a fireplace

influx of sth

the sudden arrival of a large quantity of people or things

to exacerbate sth

to made more severe or worse

plagued by the holiday

distressed by aspects of the festive period

dejected

sad and depressed from disappointment

wistful

having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing

loathing

a feeling of intense dislike or disgust

grim verity

the harsh and unpleasant truth of a situation

cloying

excessively sweet or sentimental to the point of being unpleasant

picturesque image

an idealized image that is charming and beautiful

to bond with sb

to form a close emotional connection with sb

to draw close

for an event to approach in time

to mount

to gradually increase in quantity or intensity

to fuel sth

to provide the energy or stimulus for sth to grow or continue

social inequity

unfairness and lack of justice within a society's structure

to end the year on a cheerful note

to conclude the year with a happy feeling

detrimental to mental health

harmful to psychological and emotional wellbeing

to set sb us up for a serious letdown

to create conditions that lead to major disappointment

backhanded

a compliment or action that appears positive but is actually critical or insulting

to detract from one’s happiness

to reduce sb’s sense of joy

to pile up

for tasks or problems to accumulate over time

to nourish one’s soul

to provide what is needed for one’s emotional well-being

to fill one’s cup

to do things that restore one's energy and emotional reserves

wary

feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems

to berate sb for sth

to scold or criticize sb angrily and at length for sth

to safeguard one’s internal wellbeing

to protect your mental and emotional health from harm

arbitrary

based on random choice or personal whim rather than any reason or system

to savor sth

to fully enjoy and appreciate sth

to adjust one’s expectations

to change what you hope or expect to happen to be more realistic

to take on a different hue

to acquire a new character or perspective

rampant waste

excessive consumption and disposal of resources

epitome of capitalism

the perfect example of capitalism

to co-opt sth

to take over or use sth for one's own gain

holiday revelry

loud and energetic celebration

spurred on by sth

strongly encouraged by a particular factor

to drum up hype

to create excitement or demand for sth through vigorous promotion

to observe Christmas

to celebrate Christmas in a particular way

to eschew christian imagery

to deliberately avoid Christian symbols

to toil away

to work hard and continuously for a long time

to brandish one’s discontent

to display one's dissatisfaction openly and aggressively

instrumental in sth

playing a key role in causing sth to happen

to latch onto traditions

to cling to or adopt customs, often uncritically

copious amount of presents

an excessively large quantity of gifts

to wield sth

to use sth skillfully as a means to achieve a specific end

lucrative

producing a great deal of profit

decked out with Christmas trappings

elaborately decorated with typical Christmas ornaments and symbols

to induce sth

to stimulate or create a particular feeling

to flock to stores

for crowds of people to go to shops in large numbers

to accumulate wealth

to gradually gather a large amount of money

to have a vested interest in sth

to have a personal stake in a situation

to smother sb with advertising

to overwhelm sb with excessive ads

to lessen the toll of sth

to reduce the negative impact of sth

to alleviate pressure

to reduce the burden of stress or demands

to secularize sth

to remove the religious aspects from sth

to upend the status quo

to overthrow the existing state of affairs