olympic 2016

take sb by surprise = take sb aback

to surprise sb

take sth apart

purposely break into pieces / to dismantle sth

pick up one's brains

subsidy

A government payment that supports a business or market

be utterly devastated

very shocked and upset

derelict

(n.) someone or something that is abandoned or neglected; (adj.) left abandoned; neglectful of duty

come across

to find or meet (something or someone) by chance

iron out

to solve a problem

stick up for someone

to defend/support someone

look on

to observe

-> If you don't want to take part in the game you can look on for now

run-of-the-mill

ordinary and not special or exciting in any way

to be at one's disposal

to be available and to be used by someone

be cut out to

not suitable

--> I am not cut out to be a singer

to be adverse to

a meager salary

low salary

to be lenient

not strict; generous

be in a quandary

be confused; undecided

polish off sth

to finish something quickly and easily

make light of sth

treat sth as unimportant

ifs and buts

objections or excuses

tighten the the screws on

to use force or threats to make someone do what you want

to be sworn in

sb in a position makes an official promise to do their duty well

fall through

to fail to happen or be completed (plans, arrangements, schemes, etc.).

RUN DOWN SB BEHIND SB'S BACK

to criticize someone or something, often unfairly (nói xấu sau lưng)

pull through

to survive (a serious illness, etc)

to pin one's hopes on sth

to have expectations that are ties to the success

wriggle out of sth

avoid doing sth that you should do

• Wriggle out of responsibility: Trốn tránh trách nhiệm

be shrouded in mystery

to be very secret or mysterious

flop down

to drop down heavily

count for nothing

be unimportant

-> Money counts for nothing on a desert island

hear sth through the grapevine that

to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone else

be swamped (up) with

be very busy with

have a good command of

to have a good knowledge of something

be unheard of

be surprising or shocking because not known about or previously experienced

have a flair for

to have a natural ability to do something

get sb into deep water

in a difficutl situation

get one' head round

get over a nasty about

get to grips with sth

to make an effort to understand and deal with a problem or situation

make no bones about

to talk about or do something in a very open way without feeling ashamed or embarrassed

take one's breath away

to surprise

have a distrust of sth

feeling of not trusting sth

on the spur of the moment

suddenly, without planning in advance

be common knowledge

be sth that everyone knows

to have an irresistible urge to do sth

k do dự mà làm gì

make heavy weather of sth

To exaggerate the difficulty of something to be done

get sth across

be understood - especially get an idea across

to see red

to be very angry

to set sth apart

to show sth to be different from and usually better than other things of the same type

with the exception of

apart from

make a song and dance about

to complain too much about sth

to down tools

to refuse to continue working, especially because you are not satisfied with your pay or working conditions

bring/take sb down a peg (or two)

làm ai nhận ra rặng họ không quan trọng như họ tưởng

feel the pinch

to suffer because of lack of money

let sleeping dogs lie (idiom)

leave a person or situation alone if they might cause you trouble

catch off balance

to startle (lm giựt mik) someone e.g.

->That essay question on the exam caught me completely off balance.

tie oneself (up) in knots

to get confused

bring the curtain down

to end something

go downhill

gradually become worse

be at a liberty to do sth

to be allowed to do something

be out of bonds to

fall short of sth

to not reach the expected standard

do justice to sb/sth

to treat sb or sth in a way that is fair and shows their or its true qualities

the course of history

the way things happened or will happen

be a dime a dozen

to be very common and not valuable

have a bee in one's bonnet

keep talking about sth again and again because you think it is very important

provided that

if, only if

It's a safe bet

It's very probable (be sth that you are certain will happen)

a bolt from the blue

If something happens unexpectedly and suddenly, it is a bolt from the blue.

let sth take its course

let sth happen naturally

risk life and limb

to risk one's life

not in the least

not at all

capsize

to overturn; to take and flip over

be in the pink

to be in good health

be down in the dumps

feeling unhappy or without hope

what's … in aid of

ask why sth is happening

exuberant + plants

strong and healthy; growing quickly and well

be none the worse

to not be harmed or damaged by something

throw in at the deep end

given a difficult job to do without preparation

by virtue of

because of

to the best of my ability

as well as I can

bend one's ear

talk too much

to be bowled over by something

to be extremely surprised, pleased, or excited

be at liberty to do

be allowed to do

be caught short

not to have enough something when needed

brown study

condition of being deeply absorbed in one's own thoughts, especially somber thoughts

a blazing row

a very angry argument

like a bull in a china shop

behaving in a very clumsy, insensitive way

have a nodding acquaintance with sth/sb

hiểu biết chút ít về ai /cái gì

con sb out of

be shrouded in mystery

to be very secret or mysterious

keep one's chin up

stay positive