Unit 1C | Things we love

once in a lifetime experience/opportunity

something very special because you will probably only have it once:

A tour of Australia is a _____ _____ ______ _____ experience.

To see the pope in person is a _____ _____ _____ _____ event for many Roman Catholics.

can't get enough of (something)

to enjoy something so much that you never become tired of it; to want more of it:

I just _____ _____ ______ _____ this new album. I've listened to it all day.

He is remarkably gentle around animals, and _____ _____ ______ _____ dogs or horses.

to lose yourself in (something)

to be so focused and absorbed in an activity that you forget about everything else around you:

For many of us, libraries have long been a place to _____ ______ _____ words and stories.

According to Gandhi, the best way to find yourself is to _____ ______ _____ service to others.

to have the time of your life

to enjoy yourself immensely; to have an extremely fun and happy experience:

We had _____ _____ _____ _____ _____s at the party.

It's _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ to have the crowd cheering for you and your team cheering for you.

get an adrenaline rush

suddenly feel a lot of excitement and energy:

The _____ _____ of buying a new house soon gave way to the reality of paying for it.

Without stress and the accompanying _____ _____, no athlete, musician, or actor would perform well.

lose track of time

to be unaware of how much time has passed because you are so absorbed in an activity:

It's just that I get sucked in to what I'm reading and _____ _____ _____ _____.

We were talking for so long that I completely _____ _____ _____ _____.

completely blown away

to be extremely impressed or amazed:

I was however _____ _____ _____ by the amazing care I received.

When I finally decided to watch it, I was _____ _____ _____.

get stuck in

to start doing something enthusiastically:

We've got a lot of boxes to move before the truck arrives. Let's _____ _____ _____ and get it done!

You really _____ _____ into your food (= ate your food quickly) - you must have been hungry.

be married to one's job

to be so devoted to one's work that it takes precedence over all other aspects of life, such as family, friends, and hobbies, as if in a committed relationship with the job:

Sorry I missed your call last night. I was at the office until 10 PM again. I swear, I'm _____ _____ _____ _____ these days.

juggle work and life

to balance the competing demands and responsibilities of one's career and one's personal life:

Between getting the kids to school, meeting project deadlines, and trying to get to the gym, it's really hard to _____ _____ _____ _____.

We decided we wanted to talk about the complex ways women are living now and one of the biggest challenges many women face is trying to _____ _____ _____ family _____.

squeeze anything into my schedule

to find any free time to add another appointment or activity:

You want to get lunch on Thursday? Let me check... nope, I have back-to-back meetings from 9 to 5. It's impossible to _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ .

my schedule is filled to the brim

to be completely full or occupied, with no spare capacity:

I can't take on any new clients this month. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ with my current projects.

put hobbies on hold for a while

to temporarily stop doing activities one enjoys in their free time, usually due to a lack of time or more pressing obligations:

With these final exams coming up, I've had to _____ my guitar lessons _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

pressed for time most times

to frequently be in a hurry or feel that one does not have enough time to do everything that needs to be done:

I eat lunch at my desk every day because I'm always _____ _____ _____. There's just too much to do.

be fond of someone/something

to like someone or something very much:

"I'm very _____ _____ you, you know," he said.

I've always been _____ _____ flowers, so I'm delighted that the new house has a little garden.

be keen on

liking, interested in, or wanting (to do) something very much:

She's _____ _____ playing tennis.

He doesn't seem all that _____ _____ being here, honestly.

have a penchant for

have a strong or habitual liking for something; a tendency to do something:

I _____ _____ _____ _____ really dark chocolate, the kind that's almost bitter.

He's a great guy, but he _____ _____ _____ _____ telling bad jokes at the worst possible time.

have a soft spot for

to feel that you like someone/something very much:

She'd always _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ her younger nephew.

appeal

to interest or attract someone:

I think what _____s to me about his painting is his use of colour.

I haven't been skiing - it's never really _____ed.

obsessed

unable to stop thinking about something; too interested in or worried about something:

Why are people so _____ with money?

Mankind has always been _____ by power.

big fan of

like or admire something or someone very much:

I'm not _____ _____ _____ _____ horror movies; they give me nightmares.

She's _____ _____ _____ _____ the new manager because he's always so supportive of the team.

adore

to love someone very much, especially in a way that shows a lot of admiration or respect, or to like something very much:

I absolutely _____ chocolate.

Don't you just _____ lying in a hot bath?

be into something

be interested in or enthusiastic about something:

Right now, I'm really _____ baking sourdough bread. My kitchen is a mess!

What kind of music are you _____? I'm always looking for new recommendations.

be taken to (something) / be taken with (something)

be impressed by or fond of something from the first moment you see or experience it:

I was immediately _____ _____ the little café on the corner; it has so much charm.

She wasn't sure about adopting a cat, but she was instantly _____ _____ the playful kitten at the shelter.

fancy

to want to have or do something:

Do you _____ a drink this evening?

I didn't _____ swimming in that water.

(something) grew on someone

gradually begin to like something that you did not like at first:

I hated this painting when we first bought it, but it's really _____ _____ _____ over the years.

I thought the show was slow at first, but after a few episodes, it _____ _____ _____.

thrive on (something)

enjoy or be energized by something, especially something that others may find difficult or stressful:

Some people hate pressure, but she seems to _____ _____ it. Her best work happens right before a deadline.

Good teachers _____ _____ seeing their students finally understand a difficult concept.

nothing beats (something)

something is the best or most enjoyable thing of its kind:

_____ _____ a Jet2 holiday and right now you can save £50 per person. That’s £200 off for a family of 4.

For a quick and easy meal, _____ _____ a simple pasta with garlic and oil.

detest

to hate someone or something very much:

I _____ any kind of cruelty.

I _____ having to get up when it's dark outside.

despise

to feel a strong dislike for someone or something because you think that that person or thing is bad or has no value:

The two groups _____ each other.

She _____ed him for the way he treated her sister.

deplore

to say or think that something is very bad:

He said that he _____ed all violence.

The attitude of the Minister is to be _____ed (= very bad).

loathe

to hate someone or something:

From an early age the brothers have _____ed each other.

I _____ doing housework.

not be someone's cup of tea

If something is not _____ _____ _____ _____, it is not the type of thing that you like:

Thanks for inviting me, but ballet isn't really _____ _____ _____ _____.

Camping? Oh, that's _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ at all. I'd much rather stay in a nice hotel.

put somebody off

to make someone dislike something or someone, or to discourage someone from doing something:

His attitude _____ me right _____ him.

Personally, I didn't enjoy the film, but don't let that _____ you _____ going.

have no taste for (something)

have a strong dislike for something; to find something unpleasant or unappealing:

He's a very direct person and _____ _____ _____ _____ office gossip or politics.

While some people love black coffee, I _____ _____ _____ _____ it. I need a lot of milk and sugar.

give something a go

to attempt something:

Only a few people are successful as professional athletes, but it's worth _____ing it _____ _____.

I always tell my kids, you have to be willing to _____ things _____ _____.

take something up

to start doing a particular job or activity:

He's _____ _____ the position of supervisor.

Have you ever thought of _____ing _____ acting?

try out

to use something to discover if it works or if you like it:

Don't forget to _____ _____ the equipment before setting up the experiment.

Lanny is _____ing _____ her new bicycle.

give your right arm

If you say that you would give your right arm to do or have something, you mean you would like it very much:

I would _____ _____ _____ _____ to meet the president.

jump at something

to accept something eagerly:

She _____ed _____ the chance of a trip to Paris.

When he was offered a job there, he _____ed _____ the opportunity.

be up to someone

to be the responsibility of someone:

It's _____ _____ the manager to make the final decision.

If it were _____ _____ me, I’d do it.

let off steam

to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy:

She jogs after work to _____ _____ _____.

You can teach kids constructive ways to _____ _____ _____, starting from infancy.

establish yourself

to be in a successful position over a long period of time:

He has _____ed himself as the leading candidate in the election.

When you have _____ed yourself and made some money, you will be in a position to marry.

spread your wings

to use your abilities for the first time in your life to do new and exciting things:

She'd been working for the same company for 15 years and it was time to leave and _____ her _____.

It is an incredible cultural environment that has allowed her to _____ her _____.

drop something for something

stop doing, using, or being involved with one thing in order to start doing, using, or being involved with another thing:

He decided to _____ his gym membership _____ a home workout app to save time on commuting.

She _____ her law degree _____ a career in graphic design, and she's never been happier.

go for

decide to try or choose something new, often something that is a departure from one's usual habits or that involves some courage:

I usually wear neutral colours, but I think I'll _____ _____ that bright red jacket today.

The job is a big step up and a bit intimidating, but you should definitely _____ _____ it.

fill the inner void

try to satisfy a deep feeling of emptiness, loneliness, or lack of purpose, often through external means like work, relationships, or material possessions:

After retiring, he tried to _____ _____ _____ _____ by buying expensive gadgets, but what he really needed was a new hobby and social connection.

She took on three jobs just to stay busy, using work to _____ _____ _____ _____.

live life to its fullest

make the most of every experience and opportunity; to enjoy life in a vigorous, exciting, and rewarding way, with no major regrets:

She moved to Spain to learn flamenco dancing, determined to _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ while she was still young and healthy.

Sims told his son to continue with his football career and _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

change activity

stop one task and begin a different one:

The kids were getting restless doing their homework, so I told them to _____ _____ and go play outside for a while.

The meeting was getting unproductive, so the manager suggested they _____ _____ and do a quick brainstorming session.

keep your mind out of sth

consciously avoid thinking about something, especially a problem or worry that is causing stress:

The project is on hold until Monday, so try to _____ your _____ _____ _____ work this weekend and just relax.

For the most part she was able to _____ her _____ _____ _____ the office.

lighten up your life

make your life more cheerful, less serious, or less burdensome:

She decided to _____ _____ her _____ by decluttering her flat and planning a fun weekend trip with friends.

Getting a playful puppy really helped _____ _____ our _____s and brought more laughter into the house.

get some purpose in life

find a central aim or ambition that gives meaning and direction to one's existence:

After years of just working to pay the bills, he volunteered at an animal shelter and finally felt he had _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

Many people find that they _____ a real _____ _____ _____ after they have children.

enrich your experience

improve the quality of something by adding something more meaningful, educational, or enjoyable to it:

To _____ your _____ at the museum, I highly recommend renting the audio guide - it tells fascinating stories about the paintings.

The archive is meant to _____ the reading _____, not bog it down. 

for a change of scenery

for the purpose of experiencing a different environment, often to break routine, gain a new perspective, or feel refreshed:

I've been working from my home office for months. This week, I'm working from a café _____ _____ _____ _____ _____.

Let's eat lunch in the park _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ instead of at our desks.