CPE 8B

keep at

→ If you keep at your French studies, you’ll improve.

 continue working at [kontunuować, pilnie pracować]

keep up with

→ I need to keep up with the latest developments in the stock market.

be informed about [być na bieżąco]

keep to

→ If we keep to the plan exactly, we’re certain to succeed.

 follow [trzymać się czegoś (np. drogi, umowy, obietnicy)]

keep up with

→ As I couldn’t keep up with my classmates, I transferred to a lower class.

progress at the same rate  [nadążać, dotrzymywać kroku]

keep on at

→ Don’t keep on at me about the door; I’ll fix it.

continue talking in an irritating way  [zawracać komuś głowę]

keep up (with)

→ Keep up (with) your work and you’ll eventually succeed.

stay at an equal level with [utrzymywać ten sam poziom]

keep down

→ The authorities managed to keep down rebellious factions with the use of force.

repress  [hamować rozwój, tłamsić]

keep in with

→ Keep in with the boss and you’ll soon get a promotion.

continue to be friendly [pozostawać z kimś w dobrych stosunkach]

keep back

→ It’s time we found out what he’s keeping back from us.

hide [ukrywać, zataić]

keep in

→ The student was kept in for an hour for cheating in the exam.

detain after normal hours as a punishment [zatrzymać kogoś w szkolnej kozie xd]

keep on

→ Keep on the diet and you’ll soon begin to lose weight.

continue doing something [kontynuować]

lay aside

→ For the last twenty years, he has been laying aside 15% of his salary for his old age.

put to one side  [odkładać np. pieniądze]

lay into

→ Her father laid into her when she came home two hours late from a party.

attack (with blows or words)  [atakować, rzucać się na kogoś, krytykować]

lay off

→ I wish you’d lay off telling me what to do all the time.

stop doing something irritating [odstawić coś, dać sobie z czymś spokój]

lay out

→ He laid out all his savings on that venture, which fortunately succeeded.

spend [wydawać np. pieniądze]

let down

→ He let his parents down by failing his exams.

disappoint, lower sth [zawieźć kogoś, spuścić np. powietrze]

let oneself in for

→ I let myself in for a lot of trouble when I agreed to help her.

involve in trouble [postawić siebie w trudnej sytuacji]

let in on

→ We’ll let you in on our plans, but don’t tell anybody else.

allow someone to share a plan, secret, etc. [wtajemniczyć kogoś w coś]

let sb off

→ He was let off with a warning instead of being given a fine.

 not punish severely [darować komuś karę, puścić płazem]

let on

→ Don’t let on that they’re planning to get married. Their parents don’t know.

reveal a secret [wygadać się, nie utrzymać w tajemnicy]

let out

→ This blouse is too tight for me. I’d better let it out.

→ The student let out a cry of horror when she saw her poor exam results.

make (a garment) loose or larger OR utter a cry   [poszerzyć ubranie, wydawać dźwięk]

take in

→ Your skirt needs taking in; it’s too large.

make a garment tighter [zwęzić ubranie]

let sb through

allow to pass an exam or a test [przepuścić kogoś]

let up

→ If the rain lets up, we’ll be able to play tennis.

become less in degree [osłabnąć, ustąpić]

let up on

→ You should really let up on the children. They can’t be perfect all the time

treat someone less severely [odpuścić komuś, ułatwić komuś życie]

golden opportunity

→ This new job is a golden opportunity and far too good to turn down.

the best chance to gain something [złota szansa, świetna okazja]

short and sweet

→ Let’s keep this short and sweet – just tell me what you want and then leave. I’m busy.

brief but pleasant (usually ironic) [krótki i zwięzły, szybko i sprawnie]

once and for all

→ Once and for all, sit down and be quiet or I’ll send you out!

for the last time [raz na zawsze, ostatecznie, na dobre]

in public

→ I always find it embarrassing when people argue in public.

 in the presence of other people  [publicznie]

against all odds

→ Against all odds, he won the national song contest and became quite well-known.

despite difficulties [pomimo wszystkich przeciwności]

out-and-out

→ What he promised was impossible – he was a(n) out-and-out liar.

complete, total [całkowity, absolutny]

take (things) to pieces

→ Being a car mechanic, William loves engines and takes things to pieces.

dismantle things  [rozebrać na części]

in the offing

→ I’m afraid a recession is in the offing.

 likely to happen [bliski, spodziewany, oczekiwany]

out in the open

→ Now that the scandal is out in the open, the Minister will have to resign.

(of secrets) revealed, known [jawnie, bez tajemnic]

grease sb’s palm

→ When the traffic warden gave me a parking ticket, I tried to grease his palm, which only got me into more trouble.

bribe someone [dawać łapówkę]

throw a party

→ It’s traditional to throw a party when you move house.

 have/hold a party [urządzać przyjęcie]

get the sack

→ John got the sack because he was always arriving late to work.

be dismissed from one’s job [zostać zwolnionym z pracy]

pop the question

→ My husband popped the question on Valentine’s Day in 1974.

make a proposal of marriage [oświadczyć się]

out of print

→ The book was published in the 1940s and is now out of print.

(of books) not available anymore  [wyczerpany (nakład)]

out of the frying pan into the fire

→ Moving from that house to this one was a case of out of the frying pan into the fire. It’s much worse here.

from a bad situation to a worse/similar one  [z deszczu pod rynnę]

out of practice

→ I’d love a game of tennis even though I’m out of practice.

lacking practice [stracić formę, wprawę]

a bitter pill to swallow

→ Failing the exam after so much hard work was a bitter pill to swallow.

a difficult fact to accept [coś trudnego do zaakceptowania]

fall into place

→ Everything fell into place at the end of the film.

 become clear  [układać się (w logiczną całość)]

off the point

→ Since we were discussing unemployment, his comment about football was totally off the point.

 irrelevant [nie na temat, nieistotny]

come to the point

→ I wish he’d come to the point.

reach the main point in a discussion [przejść do sedna]

past one’s prime

→ You’re no longer considered past your prime until you’re well into your 60s.

 growing old/not at your best  [mieć za sobą lata świetności, najlepsze lata]

be part and parcel of

→ Doing the washing-up is part and parcel of being a housewife.

basic part of [być nieodłączną częścią czegoś]

to vent sth

→ Digging in the garden allows me to vent my frustrations.

give an outlet for [dawać upust czemuś]

extensive

→ There has been extensive coverage of the tennis tournament.

 a whole of [obszerny, szczegółowy]

to claim

→ They claimed she was the richest singer in Peru.

allegedly [twierdzić, utrzymywać]

to attribute

→ She attributed her success purely to luck.

to claim [przypisywać]

onset

→The onset of the disease is signaled/marked by blurred vision.

the first sign [nadejście, początek (np. zimy)]

get the wrong end of the stick

→ Pam got the wrong end of the stick and made a terrible mistake.

don’t understand the situation [źle coś zrozumieć]

to expose

→ The politician was exposed as a spy by the newspaper.

be the first to reveal sth [ujawnić, odkryć]

grow out of sth

→ Sheila has grown out of this pullover.

 become too big to wear sth [wyrosnąć z czegoś]

the level of unemployment

→ The level of unemployment is high in this town.

many people out of work [stopień bezrobocia]

allow for sth

→ We didn’t allow for the cost of accommodation in our holiday budget.

 include, take into consideration [wziąć coś pod uwagę, uwzględnić]

depend on our finding

→ The company’s survival depends on our finding a new market.

need to find [zależeć od czegoś]

be in debt to sb

→ He’s said to be in debt to a lot of people

owe sb a lot of money [mieć dług]

unless further information is forthcoming

→ Unless further information is forthcoming, we can’t process your claim.

unless we can obtain more information

be the cause of

→ The judge concluded that reckless driving was the cause of the accident.

the result [przyczyna, powód]

the backing of sth

→ The redevelopment programme needs the backing of the local council.

be supported [poparcie, aprobata]

be full of praise / have nothing but praise

→ Rick’s boss is full of praise for him / has nothing but praise for Rick.

approve  [nie szczędzić pochwał]

be in force

→ A new dress code will be in force on the first of the month

 introduce [obowiązywać]

there is no explanation for

→ There was no explanation for her sudden disappearance from the area.

 it can’t be explained [nie ma żadnego wytłumaczenia]

lay sb low

→ Barbara was laid low by a nasty bout of gastroenteritis.

make someone ill or weak, confine them to bed  [zniszczyć, powalić kogoś (np. o chorobie)]

bring into line with
→ The new taxation law brings into line with the rest of Europe.

 make someone or something comply with a standard or behavior [dostosowywać coś do czegoś]

follow/obey to the letter

→ I read through the recipe and followed it to the letter for a successful outcome

follow exactly without question [przestrzegać co do joty]

improve by/in leaps and bounds

→ Martha’s piano playing is improving by leaps and bounds these days.

 improve or increase very rapidly [rozwijać się bardzo szybko, gwałtownie]

be lost on sb

→ The irony of the situation was lost on Ted.

 have no effect on someone / not be understood [nie zostać zrozumianym lub zauważonym przez kogoś]

not for love nor money

→ Not for love nor money would I go bungee jumping.

by no means / for no reason  [za żadne skarby świata, za nic na świecie]

draw the line

→ I will reluctantly work on Saturdays, but I draw the line on Sundays.

refuse to do or tolerate something  [nie akceptować czegoś, wyznaczyć granicę]

make light of sth

→ Sean always attempts to make light of the fact that he has a serious illness. He never complains.

treat something as though it is not serious when in fact it is [lekceważyć coś, umniejszać znaczenie czegoś]

do sth at length

→ The chairman spoke at length at the board meeting about the proposal of the company.

 take a long time to do / do something in great detail  [przez długi czas, szczegółowo]

like it or lump it

→ The optician says you have to wear glasses, like it or lump it.

whether you like it or not  [czy to się podoba czy nie]

put sth on the line

→ You will be putting your life on the line if you take up skydiving.

 risk, endanger [ryzykować coś]

leave sb in the lurch

→ His friends and family left him in the lurch when he went bankrupt.

abandon or let someone down [zostawić kogoś na lodzie]

by and large

→ There are more people employed, by and large, in the service sector than in manufacturing nowadays.

to a great extent / generally [ogólnie rzecz biorąc, w sumie]

lay it on thick

→ Tara was really laying it on thick about her accident at work.

exaggerate [koloryzować, wyolbrzymiać, przesadzać]

on the level

→ Were you on the level when you said you had resigned from work?

sincere, truthful [uczciwie, prosto z mostu]

larger than life

→ Stars of the Hollywood silver screen tended to be larger than life.

exaggerated, dramatic personality  [niezwykły, przyciągający uwagę LUB przerysowany, nadmierny]

on its last legs

→ Judging from the noise it is making, the washing machine is on its last legs.

 in weak or poor condition / needing replacement [ledwo się trzymać, mieć swoje lata]

as plain as the nose on your face

→ What do you mean, you can’t see she’s unhappy? It’s as plain as the nose on your face.

very obvious [jasne jak słońce]

as keen as mustard

→ John was as keen as mustard to get on with the project. In fact, he could hardly wait.

 very eager [tryskający entuzjazmem]

as fit as a fiddle

→ Joan was as fit as a fiddle.

in very good health [zdrów jak ryba]

as gentle as a lamb

→ The dog looked vicious, but in reality, it was as gentle as a lamb

 very gentle [potulny jak baranek]

as pleased as Punch

→ Mary was as pleased as Punch when she learned she’d won the lottery.

very pleased [zachwycony]

as good as gold

→ The babysitter said that the children had been as good as gold and that she hoped to have children just like them.

very well-behaved [złoty człowiek, grzeczny, dobrze wychowany]

as miserable as sin

→ She was as miserable as sin when she learned she’d failed the exam.

very unhappy [bardzo nieszczęśliwy]

as old as the hills

→ That magic trick is as old as the hills; I’ve seen it a hundred times.

 very old [stary jak świat]

as light as a feather

→ She weighs less than a kilo; she’s as light as a feather.

very light [lekki jak piórko]

as dull as ditchwater

→ The lecture was as dull as ditchwater.

very boring [nudny jak flaki z olejem]

make little progress

→ Marcus has made little progress with his dissertation.

don’t get very far with sth [zrobić niewiekie postępy]

to pelt

→ The boys pelted their next-door neighbour with snowballs.

to hurl [obrzucać, bombardować]

adornment

→ The wearing of jewellery for adornment may appear self-indulgent.

[ozdoba, zdobienie, upiększanie]

self-indulgent

→ The wearing of jewellery for adornment may appear self-indulgent.

 [lubiący sobie dogadzać]

If so,…

→ If so, it is a self-indulgence common to all ages and all places.

supposing that [w takim wypadku, jeśli tak]

crude

→ From/Since prehistoric times crude necklaces and bracelets were being fashioned from leather or reeds

 primitive, simple [prymitywne, surowe, ropa naftowa]

reeds

→ From/Since prehistoric times crude necklaces and bracelets were being fashioned from leather or reeds.

cane, plant [trzcina]

clasps

→ Sharp bones were used as clasps.

fastener, clip, clutch [zatrzask, zameczek, zapięcie, uścisk]