Unit 1+Unit 2

on a razor edge

in a difficult or worrying situation for which the result is very uncertain:

• Life for them has always been _ of survival.

• Approval of the peace accord is _ in the 120-member parliament.

→ Ngàn cân treo sợi tóc.

home stretch

the last part of something that is being done:

• It's taken three months, but we're on the _ now.

• We're now heading into the _ of this divisive presidential campaign.

→ phần cuối cùng của cái gì.

shelf life

the length of time that a product, especially food, can be kept in a shop before it becomes too old to be sold or used:

• Fresh fruit has a very short _.

• These days many marriages have a fairly short _ (= don't last very long).

→ thời gian lưu trữ, hay thời gian còn thịnh vượng và hạnh phúc.

road hog

a driver who is dangerous because they do not think about other drivers

That _ nearly hit my bike!

→ tài xế ẩu, người lái xe chiếm hết phần đường, không quan tâm người khác.

the jet set

rich, fashionable people who travel around the world enjoying themselves

She’s part of _, always flying from Paris to New York.

→ giới thượng lưu, người thường hay du lịch vòng quanh thế giới.

hush money

money that is given to someone to make them keep something secret:

She claimed that the politician had offered her _ to keep their child a secret.

→ tiền bịt miệng.

head start

an advantage that someone has over other people, for example in something such as a competition or race:

• I'll race you to the far side of the field — I'll give you a five second _.

• Give your plants a _ by growing them from seed indoors, then planting out when the weather is warmer.

→ khởi đầu thuận lợi.

nest egg

an amount of money that has been saved or kept for a special purpose:

Regular investment of small amounts of money is an excellent way of building a _.

→ quỹ đen.

elbow grease

a lot of physical effort:

The polish needs a certain amount of _ to apply.
→ lao động tay chân.

nightcap

a drink, sometimes an alcoholic drink, that someone has just before going to bed

He poured himself a small _ before turning in.
→ đồ uống được uống ngay trước khi đi ngủ (có thể là đồ có cồn)

be in a cleft stick

to be in a situation where it is very difficult to decide what to do, usually because both of your two choices of action would cause problems:

UN troops are _: something has to be done for the civilian population, yet to retaliate would surely be the spark to ignite all-out war.

= in a dilemma

→ một tình huống khó xử giữa hai luồng ý kiến.

cupboard love

love shown by someone, typically a child, in order to get something that they want, such as food

He showed her some _, hoping she’d lend him money.

→ Tình cảm giả tạo hoặc vụ lợi, chỉ được thể hiện khi muốn nhận lại thứ gì đó (như thức ăn, quà, tiền...).

be all fingers and thumbs

to move your hands in an awkward way:

I'm _ today. That's the second plate I've dropped this morning.

→ tay chân hậu đậu.

be like chalk and cheese

If two people are~, they are completely different from each other:

My brother and I are _.

→ hoàn toàn khác biệt, không có điểm tương đồng.

life-and-death

very important and serious:

a _ matter

→ rất quan trọng

fight tooth and nail

to try very hard to get something you want:

We _ to get the route of the new road changed.

→ nỗ lực hết sức để đạt được cái gì.

= swing for the fences, keep your nose to the grindstone.

rack and ruin

a state of decay:

The whole farm was going to _.

Over the years, they let the house go to _.

→ đang dần trở nên sa sút và đổ nát.

touch-and-go

If a situation is ~, it is uncertain:

The doctor says that it's _ whether Mary will be okay.

→ không chắc chắn.

bits and bobs

small things or jobs of different types:

There's a handy compartment for keys and gloves and _.

We've done a few _. around the house since we've been here.

→ những thứ lặt vặt, linh tinh, không quan trọng hoặc không thuộc nhóm cụ thể nào.

kith and kin

people you are connected with, especially by family relationships

I know these people. They're my _. We come from the same place.

→ những người thân.

= flesh and blood

in dribs and drabs

in small amounts, a few at a time

The football fans were coming in _ to watch the final game. An hour before the kickoff the stadium was packed full.

→ từng chút từng chút.

vim and vigour

năng lượng dồi dào, sức sống, tinh thần hăng hái
(thường dùng để mô tả ai đó tràn đầy sức lực và nhiệt huyết).

My granny is almost ninety, but she's still full of _.

your best bib and tucker

your best clothes that you wear on special occasions

She was all dressed up in her _ for the wedding.

→ đồ đẹp nhất (mặc trong những lễ đặc biệt).