UNIT 9

Cook the books: falsify accounts
Turn the tables: reverse advantage
Sleep on: delay decision; don’t underestimate
Knocked down: hit/reduce/demolish
Knuckle down: work hard
Go out of one’s way: make special effort
Take in stride: handle calmly
Bat out of hell: leave very fast
Shot: leave very fast
Shot in the arm: sudden boost
Bump on a log: inactive
Reach unanimous: all agree
Owing to: because of
Play up: emphasize/exaggerate; misbehave
Came off worst: most disadvantaged
Took a beating: suffered loss
U-turn: reverse course
Without respite: no break
In conjunction: working together
Held forth: talk at length
Lay wide open: make vulnerable
Lay claim: assert rights
Laid bare: reveal
Faux pas: social mistake
Held out: extend/resist/endure/await
Sitting duck: easy target
Hold the fort: manage in absence
Cards on table: be honest
Hold tongue: stay silent
Iron out: fix problems
Lay down the law: set rules firmly
In the running: still competing
Lose bearings: get confused
Have a stab: try
Pull out all stops: use all effort
Bend over backwards: try hard to help
Take the trouble: make effort
Hold fast to: stick to beliefs