CPE 13B

take off

→ She took the cover of the sofa and had it cleaned

remove (clothing) [zdjąć]

take off 1

→ Their plane was due to take off at 10 pm but it was delayed because of fog.

leave the ground (of aeroplanes etc) [wystartować]

take off 2

→ Mark was sent home from school because he was seen taking off the headmaster.

imitate sb in a comic way [naśladować kogoś w żartobliwy sposób]

take off 3

→ After a slow start, their new line of cosmetics has begun to take off.

begin to succeed (of plans, ideas, etc.) [zacząć odnosić sukcesy] 

take on 1

→ They've decided to take on at least twenty new sales people this year.

employ staff [zatrudnić kogoś]

take on 2

→ The amateur boxer was apprehensive about taking on such an experienced fighter.

accept sb as an opponent [zmierzyć się z kimś, przyjąć wyzwanie]

take out 1

→ You'd better take this paragraph out as it weakens your argument.

extract, remove [usunąć, wyjąć]

take out 2

→ He promised to take me out for dinner on Friday evening.

accompany sb to a theatre, etc. [zabrać kogoś np. do kina]

take over

→ Mr Johnson's son is going to take over as chairman of the board.

take control of sth, especially in place of sb else [przejąć kontrolę]

take to 1

→ He's such an aggressive person that nobody really takes to him.

find agreeable / like [polubić coś lub kogoś]

take to 2

→ He has taken to drinking cocoa at night to help him sleep.

begin a habit [nabrać nowego zwyczaju]

take to 3

→ The rebels took to the mountains after their leader had been captured.

escape to / hide in [uciec do, schronić się w]

take up with

→ Their daughter has taken up with a group of friends who have no intention of ever finding work.

become involved with (usually negative) [związać się z kimś, wpaść w złe towarzystwo]

have/keep one's wits about one

→ She kept her wits about her when she saw the fire in the kitchen; instead of panicking, she went out and phoned the fire brigade.

be alert and able to deal with difficulties [zachować zimną krew, trzeźwo myśleć]

go back on one's word

 → She is forever making promises and then going back on her word.

not fulfil a promise (opp. keep one's word) [złamać dane słowo, nie dotrzymać obietnicy] 

be in deep water

 → Unless you can explain where you got the money, I'm afraid you'll find yourself in deep water.

be in trouble/difficulty [mieć poważne kłopoty]

not have it both ways

 → You can't have it both ways – either take the well-paid job or keep the job you enjoy doing.

refuse to choose between two pleasant things (usually in expression "You can't have it both ways!") [nie można mieć wszystkiego naraz]

be born yesterday

 → I don't believe you're a millionaire. I wasn't born yesterday, you know.

be easily deceived/naive [być naiwnym i łatwowiernym]

an old wives' tale

→ I think the idea that you can cure colds by eating onions is just an old wives' tale.

false belief (usually about health) [zabobon]

have words with sb

→ My mother had words with the cleaner today as she is always breaking the crockery.

have an argument [pokłócić się]

make one's day

→ She made his day when she accepted his proposal; it was the happiest day of his life.

make sb very happy [sprawić komuś radość]

since the year dot

→ It looks as if this house hasn't been decorated since the year dot. It will have to be done up completely before we move in.

a long time ago [od niepamiętnych czasów]

be green with envy

→ She was green with envy when she saw Jim's new sportscar.

be very jealous [pękać z zazdrości]

be in the red

 → When he opened his bank statement, he saw he was in the red to the tune of £5,000.

owe money to a bank (opp: in the black) [mieć debet w banku]

red herring

 → The plot of the novel contained so many red herrings that I couldn't guess how the story would end.

something that distracts from the main issue [fałszywy trop]

the black sheep of the family

 → Being the black sheep of the family, he was cut out of his uncle's will.

a disgraced family member [czarna owca w rodzinie]

pitch black

→ It was pitch black as I walked home under a moonless sky.

very dark [ciemno jak w dupie]

until one is blue in the face

 → You can ask until you're blue in the face but I still won't let you borrow the car.

as hard/long as one possibly can (usually without success) [do upadłego] 

green belt

 → Residents want to protect the green belt of the town from being developed.

area on the outskirts of town adjoining the countryside [zielony teren przy mieście]

green (issue/matter)

 → Rachel wanted to help protect the environment so she insisted on buying green household cleaning products.

concerned with ecology [kwestia ekologiczna]

black tie

 → Brian wore his dinner jacket to the reception as it was a black tie occasion.

formal clothing [strój wieczorowy lub galowy]

the pot calling the kettle black

 → It was a case of the pot calling the kettle black when Jack said I was lazy.

accusing someone of a fault one also has [przyganiał kocioł garnkowi]

have a yellow streak

 → The boys accused him of having a yellow streak because he wouldn't enter the derelict house.

be a coward [tchórz]

have green fingers

 → Tom must have green fingers as his tomatoes always win first prize in the agricultural show.

be good at gardening [mieć rękę do roślin]

see red

→ Stephanie saw red when her manager falsely accused her of being unpunctual.

suddenly become angry [wściec się bardzo szybko]

see/look at something through rose-coloured spectacles

 → Optimists have a tendency to see things through rose-coloured spectacles rather than being realistic.

see something from an unrealistically positive point of view [patrzeć na coś przez różowe okulary]

lose one’s job

 → He lost his job because of his inefficiency.

be dismissed [stracić pracę]

look down on sb

 → Jerry feels his colleagues look down on him for not having a degree.

despise sb [patrzeć na kogoś z góry]

sole survivor

 → Martha was the sole survivor of the crash.

the only person who stayed alive [jedyny ocalały]

stand up to sb

 → If you do not stand up to them, you’ll be sorry.

not give in to sb [postawić się komuś]

have a flair for sth

 → Jack's teacher says that he has a flair for languages.

be particularly good at sth [mieć talent do czegoś]

it is common for sb to do sth

 → It is common for people to make that mistake in the beginning.

people often do sth [to normalne…]

comprise

 → Local people comprise the majority of their clientele.

be made up of [składać się z, obejmować]

drum up (support/business)

 → The politician tried to drum up support for his campaign to help the homeless.

look for people who will back sth [zdobywać poparcie, zabiegać o klientów]

have no bearing on sty

 → The matter in hand has no bearing on Karen's bad mood.

be unconnected with sth [nie mieć związku z czymś]

lead to

→ The loss of the map led to further confusion.

cause sth [spowodować]

have roots in

→ The roots of the custom date back to mediaeval times.

originate from [wywodzić się z]

better sb

 → It’s difficult to imagine anyone bettering him at his work.

do something better than sb [przewyższać, być lepszym od kogoś] 

be unsurpassed

 → To this day, his achievements are unsurpassed in the field of technology.

not be equalled [nie mieć sobie równych]

be (still) streets ahead (of sb/sth)

 → They are (still) streets ahead of their rivals.

be still a long way behind [być zdecydowanie lepszym od kogoś]

get on the wrong side of sb

 → You don’t want to get on the wrong side of Roy as he makes a formidable opponent.

make sb annoyed or hostile towards you [nadepnąć komuś na odcisk]

spick and span

 → After my spring clean, the house was spick and span, which made all my hard work worthwhile.

very clean and tidy [czyściutki, jak spod igły]

take sth by storm

 → The new musical had taken the town by storm, and people were flocking to see it.

become suddenly and extremely popular or successful  [robić furorę]

out of sync

→ The problem with the printer is that it is out of sync with the rest of the system.

badly matched, not simultaneous as it should [niezsynchronizowany]

in the spotlight

 → Some celebrities have such a thirst to be continually in the spotlight that they seek out every opportunity for publicity.

receiving a great deal of public attention [w centrum uwagi]

if push comes to shove

→ If push comes to shove and money is really tight, Lloyd will think about getting a second job.

if the situation becomes really bad/difficult [jeśli zajdzie taka konieczność]

enter into the spirit of sth

 → Both teachers and pupils entered into the spirit of things, so the year concert was a great success.

participate enthusiastically [udzielić się (o nastroju czegoś)]

be in store (for sb)

 → Little did she know what was in store for her when she accepted the job.

about to happen in near future [czekać na kogoś (o wydarzeniu)]

be in stitches

→ The audience were in stitches as they watched the latest Aykebourne comedy.

unable to stop laughing [zrywać boki ze śmiechu]

a sore point (with sb)

→ Don't mention work to Ray, as it's a sore point with him at the moment.

sth that makes someone angry or embarrassed [drażliwy temat]

get into the swing of sth

→ It's hard to get back into the swing of things after a long holiday.

get involved or get into the rhythm [wkręcić się]

talk shop

→ The trouble with socialising with colleagues is that they usually end up talking shop.

talk about work or business [rozmawiać o sprawach zawodowych]

to be on the safe side

→ Take your mobile phone with you just to be on the safe side.

do something to prevent the possibility of something bad happening [bez cienia wątpliwości]

without a shadow of doubt

→ The opposition will be elected into government at the next election, without a shadow of doubt. 

without any doubt [bez cienia wątpliwości]

not one’s scene

→ Noisy parties are really not my scene.

not like/enjoy sth [coś co nie jest czyjąś bajką]

settle a score

→ He waited years to settle the score with the man who betrayed him.

take revenge [wyrównać rachunki]

be/get in a state

→ She was in such a state before the exam that she couldn’t even eat breakfast.

be very nervous/upset about sth [być roztrzęsionym, wyprowadzonym z równowagi]

in sync

→ The dancers were perfectly in sync during the performance, moving as one.

well matched/work simultaneously as it should [zgadzać się, pokrywać się]

be grateful

→ I would be grateful if you would send me your response as soon as possible.

express thanks or appreciation [być wdzięcznym]

caused (someone) to resign

→ We still do not know what caused him to resign.

the reason why someone resigned [spowodować że ktoś zrezygnuje]

marginally better

→ This essay is marginally better than the last.

slightly improved [nieco lepszy]

in floods of tears

→ Susie was in floods of tears when her pet rabbit died.

crying a lot [w potoku łez]

placed emphasis on

 → He placed emphasis on the need for absolute honesty.

stressed the importance of something [kłaść nacisk na coś]

driving at

 → I couldn’t work out what he was driving at, could you?

trying to say or imply something [zmierzać/pić do czegoś]

saw through (someone’s story)

 → She immediately saw through his story.

realised it was false or not true [przejrzeć kogoś/coś na wylot]

wide array

 → This brochure has a wide array of choices.

large variety [szeroki wachlarz, zakres]