Vocabulary and Phrases Revision Notes

Fixed Phrases

a fistful of / a handful of: Meaning a quantity that can be held in one's hand.
to make oneself heard: To speak loudly enough to be heard by others.
to take measures = take action: To do something to solve a problem.
to incur debt: To become liable for debt.
an unknown quantity: Something or someone whose nature or effect is not yet known.
ethic pigeonholes: Rigid categories or labels based on ethics.
to be lost in thought: Deeply absorbed in one's own thoughts.
to be in low spirit: Feeling sad or depressed.
to pluck up the courage: To find the courage to do something.
to thread one's way forward: To move carefully and slowly, avoiding obstacles.
early hours = small hours: The period shortly after midnight.
to hold down hope: To maintain hope, often in difficult circumstances.
to make the most of sth: To use something to its best advantage.
to gaze in earnest at sth: To look at something intently and seriously.
gut feeling: An intuitive feeling or reaction.
make do with: To manage with something that is not ideal.
to be fraught with: Full of problems or difficulties.
to provide a springboard to: To provide an opportunity for advancement.
to stand comparison with: To be comparable to something else.
to be above the law: Immune to legal consequences.
to confirm enemies: To solidify or reinforce animosity with others.
to pay sb compliments on sth: To give someone praise for something.
to come in handy: To be useful.
on the horns of dilemma: Faced with two equally unpleasant choices.
a pile of rubber: A collection of unwanted or discarded tires.
to have a ring of truth: To seem true or genuine.
to give place to doubt: To be replaced by doubt.
an economic basket case: A country with severe economic problems.
to get out of hand: To become unmanageable.
in the abstract: As a general idea, not based on specific examples.

Phrasal Verbs/Prepositional Phrases

persist in: To continue doing something despite difficulty.
to storm out of: To leave a place angrily.
to go round: To visit.
to be prone to: Likely to experience something negative.
to be reliant on: Dependent on someone or something.
to cordon off: To prevent access to an area by surrounding it.
to puzzle out: To solve a complicated problem.
to tear off: To remove forcefully.
to one's taste: According to one's preferences.
cone sb into/out of sth: To deceive someone into doing something or out of something.
carry through: To complete something.
check up on: To investigate someone or something.
to pry into: To inquire too closely into someone's private affairs.
to churn out: To produce large quantities of something quickly.
to die down: To decrease in intensity.
to be beneath sb: Unworthy of someone.
to centre around: To have as a main focus.
to bite into: To eat something with force.
to boil away: To evaporate completely.
to pay sb back for sth: To retaliate against someone for something.
to bring out a magazine: To publish a magazine.
to pop in: To visit briefly.
to drown out: To prevent a sound from being heard by overpowering it with another sound.
to be up and about again: To have recovered from an illness and be active.
lead on aggregate: The total amount.
to knuckle down: To apply oneself seriously to a task.
for good measure: As an extra amount.
to push sb around: To bully or dominate someone.
to keep sb up: To prevent someone from sleeping.
in the light of: Considering.
in the teeth of: In spite of.
subscribe to = in agreement with: To support or approve of an idea.
to run down sb: To criticize someone.
to part with: To give something away.
out of use: No longer being used.
out of tune: Not in the correct musical pitch.
out of practice: Not skilled due to lack of practice.
out of sorts: Slightly unwell or unhappy.
on the mend: Recovering after an illness.
under the fever: Experiencing a fever.
on the level: Honest and truthful.
all at sea: Confused.
behind the scenes: Without public knowledge.
in the know: Having access to information not generally known.
under way: In progress.
in the face of sth: Despite something.
to pull through: To recover from a serious illness.
to do up: To fasten.
to bring in: To introduce.
do sth by choice: To do something voluntarily.

Idioms

to be packed like sardines: To be crowded together tightly.
a narrow escape = a close call = a close shave: An instance of narrowly avoiding danger.
a labour of love: A task done for pleasure, not for reward.
to overstep the mark: To offend someone.
to give sb a new lease of life: To make someone feel healthier or happier.
to be out of the woods: To be free from danger.
to be the last straw: The final problem in a series of problems.
to pare to the bone: To reduce something to the bare minimum.
sour grapes: Disparaging something because one cannot have it.
to look at the world through rosed-coloured spectacles: To be very optimistic.
to look for needle in a haystack: To look for something that is very difficult to find.
salt of the earth: A very good or reliable person.
drop in the ocean: A very small amount.
takes a hard line in the fight against sth: To be very strict in opposing something.
full of beans: Lively and energetic.
to keep your wits about you: To stay alert and aware of what is happening around you.
to have one's head in the cloud: To be unaware or unrealistic.
to bury one's head in the sand: To ignore a problem.
to rest on laurels: To be satisfied with one's past achievements.
to count blessings: To be grateful for the good things in one's life.
a warm glow of fire: A pleasant feeling of warmth.
to get a chip on one's shoulder: To be resentful.
trick of trade: A clever method used in a particular job.
golden rule: A basic principle that should always be followed.
rule of thumb: A rough and approximate method.
sick and tired: Annoyed.
blood and guts: Violence.
to give sb the creeps: To cause someone to feel uneasy.
to call the shots: To make the decisions.
to be in the same boat: To be in the same difficult situation.
to take sb for a ride: To swindle someone.
to foot the bills: To pay the expenses.
to be on par with: To be equal to something.
to do sth in one go: To do something all at once.
to get off on the wrong foot: To start a relationship badly.
to be down at heel: Shabby.
to let sb slip through one's fingers: To lose someone.
to throw sb at the deep end: To give someone a difficult task to do.
to make one's hair stand on end: To frighten someone.
to be green with envy: To be very jealous.
to put one's feet up: To relax.
to get the hang of sth: To learn how to do something.
by the skin of one's teeth: Barely.
to pay through the nose: To pay a high price.
to put one's life on the line: To risk one's life.
to hit it off: To get along well with someone.
to feel about laughing: To feel like laughing.
down in the dumps: Sad.