rewarding	gives you a lot of positive experiences
fruitful	produces good results
lucrative	makes a lot of money
therapeutic	makes you healthy in body and mind
relaxing/calming	reduces stress, gives a peaceful feeling
time-consuming	takes a long time to do
be a culture vulture	be a big fan of anything cultural
couch potato	physically very inactive person
dabbler	person who never keeps doing one activity for long
doer	person who believes in acting and doing things not just thinking
shopaholic	person addicted to shopping
be heavily into	takes a great interest in/ is very involed in
went off	stopped liking/lost interest in
locks herself away	isolates herself from the word
hooked on	is addicted to
get up to	inf. do
full diary	a lot of commitments/activities
scruff	dirty and untidy person
pastel	in pale colours
power outfits	formal clothes to make you seem powerful
frumpy	old-fashioned and boring
outfit	set of clothes for a particular occasions
dress codes	accepted way of dressing in a particular social group
dress down	wear less formal clothes
smart-casual	informal tidy and clean clothes
dressy	suitable for formal occasion
skimpy	close-fitting, using little material
baggy	loose, e.g. of sweater
snazzy	modern, stylish
to be dressed to kill	sexually, to wear clothes intended to attract people's attention
designer (label) clothes	markowe, drogie ubranka
off the peg/rack	made in standard sizes and available from merchandise in stock
on the high street	na targu ulicznym
all the rage	very fashionable
the height of fashion	an extremely fashionable way
up-to-the-minute	dealing with the most recent trends
has set a new trend	started a new fashion
ahead of your time	have new ideas or opinions before they are fashionable
catches on	becomes popular
slave of/to fashion	people strongly influenced by fashion
off the cuff	without having prepared anything
to be hand in glove with someone	to have a close working relationship with someone
cloak-and-dagger	involving secrecy and mystery
have/take the shirt off someone's back	someone's last possession
without frils	simple and plain
to put someone in a straitjacket	restrict someone's freedom
to wear the trousers	to be the dominant partner in a marraige
squat	an empty building where people start living without the owner's permission
hovel	very poor dirty house or flat in a bad condition
pied a terre	small flat or house in a city owned or rented by people in addition to their main home and used some
penthouse	luxury flat at the top of a builidng
council housing	provided by the state for people who cannot afford to buy their own home
high-rise flats	flats in tall, modern building with a lot of floors
granny flat	set of rooms for an elderly person connected to a relative's house
the rat race	unpleasant way in which people struggle competitively for wealth or power
minimalism	a style which involves using the smallest possible range of materials colours
post-modernism	a style of architecture the arts which includes features from several different periods
subsistence farming	where people live by growing just enough food for their own family
a husehold name/word	something everyone knows
a drink on the house	a free drink
home truths	information that is true but not pleasant or welcome
nothing to write home about	nothing special
hit home	become fully understood
that's the story of my life	that's what always happens to me (used humorously)
get a new lease of life	become more energetic and active than before
a dog's life	a very unhappy and difficult life
a housewarming party	a party to celebrate moving to a new house
a launch party	a party to celebrate the publication of a new book or product
a fancy dress party	a party where everyone dresses up in costume as other
a stag party	a party before a wedding for the future husband and his friends
a girls' night out / a hen party	an evening just for female friends / a hen=night before wedding
a reception	a formal party after a wedding or to meet an important visitor
a black tie / white tie event	a formal party at which men have to wear black/white bow ties
networking	making contacts that will be useful to one's business or career
the old school tie / old boy network	contacts made by the children of the traditional rulling class while at expensive private schools
pro-active	taking action yourself
to put themselves about	make thems. visible in the hope of being noticed and help thems. to climb the career ladder
exchange business card	wymiana wizytówkami
to do lunch	spotkac sie na lunchu
to hobnob	to be friendly with someone who is important or famous
to rub shoulders with	to mix socially with people who are famous
hangs out with / knocks around with	spends social time with
a bash/do/get-together/booze-up	a party
outstying my welcome	staying too long
party animal	someone who loves going to parties
party pooper	someone who spoils parties by being miserable
on the town	enjoy the entertainments in a town
chummy/pally	friendly
cliquey	group of people who spend time together and dont allow other to join them
an item	having a romantic relationship
stood me up	failed to turn up for a date
drop him	end our relationship
gone on a pub crawl	gone to spend an evening going to several different parties
overrated	not as good as people say
hackneyed	done so often it is boring
impenetrable	complex and impossible to understand
disjointed	unconnected and not in a clear order
far-fetched	impossible to believe
risque	slightly immoral and likely to shock some people
gripping	exciting and keeping your attention the whole time
harrowing	extremely upsetting
moving	making you feel strong emotion, especially pity or sadness
memorable	you remember it long after
understated	done or expressed in a simple but attracive way
panned	very negatively critised
lauded	highly praised
bombed	was a failure
up-and-coming	likely to become very famous or succesful
a masterpiece	very great work of art
be miscast	be the wrong perosn for the role
typecast	always associated with that type of role
an encore	call from the audience to repeat it
a standing ovation	the audience stood up and applauded
rendition	performance on a specific occasion
portrayal	the picture she created
pulling the wool over the public eyes	deceiving
philistinism	inability to appreciate art or culture
detractors	critics
wised up	become more sophisticated
dumbed down	become less intelectual
the Renaissance	renesans
a fad	a short enthusiasm for something
to vote with their feet	stop comming
visually literate	educated with regard to art
immune to / inured to	not affected by
highbrow	intended for educated, inteligent people (op. lowbrow)
impenetrable	impenetrable
sophisticated	showing advanced skills and understanding (primitive)
challenging	demanidng considerable effort to be understood (undemanding)
dazzling	inspiring great admiration because it is brilliant in some way (pederastrian)
evocative	calling up images and memories(uninspiring)
exquisite	having rare beauty or delicacy (clumsy)
intriguing	interesting because it is strange or mysterious (dreary)
peerless	better than any other (run-of-the-mill)
tongue-in-cheek	not intended to be taken seriously despite
depicted	przedstaaiony (w postaci np rysunku)
moulded	umodelowany
motifs	motywy
a blurb	short text usually printed on the back cover of a book
poignant chronicle	a moving and sad description of a sequence of events
compelling tale	powerful story that keeps you interested
lugubrious setting	rather dark and gloomy setting/situation
page-turner	very interesting and engaging story
enigmatic tale	mysterious story
macabre	often cruel or disgusting concerned with death
chilling	causing great fear
a breathtaking achievement	amazing achievement
wry humour	humour in the face of a bad situation
evocative scenes	scenes which arouse memories or images
journal	a written record of what you have done each day / an academic publication containing articles
memoirs	written record of a person's own life
anthology	collection of poems or short stories by different authors
compendium	detailed, concise information about a particular subject
manual	technical book with instructions, f.ex. a computer manual
logbook	book that records events and times etc., all the journeys made by a lorry or ship
compulsive reading	difficult to stop once you've started (or 'just can't put down')
lightweight	not complex, slightly negative connotation
bedtime reading	nice to read in bed
heavy going	difficult to read
get into	become involved
synthetic	made from artificial substances
wholesome	good for you, physically or morally
wholemeal	containing all the natural substances in the grain with nothing removed
fair trade	polityka ucziwego targu
free-range	relating to farm animals that are not kept in cages
loopholes	ways of getting round regulations
derivatives	things produced from
recipe for	situation sure to lead to
all the ingredients of	all the necessary characteristics
dilute	make less dominant
stew	suffer especially about something you think is his fault
grilled	asked a lot of questions
half-baked	unrealistic
spice up	make more lively
unsavoury	unpleasant, morally offensive
turned sour	went wrong
juicy	exciting and interesting
split the bill	each person will pay for him/herself
is on me	informal: I am paying for you
join us	come with us
to be someone guest	formal: we will pay
get this	informal: pay the bill this time
wined and dined	invited out to restaurants
impeccable	perfect
sluggish	rather slow
courteous	polite
to be overbearing	too confident
to be sullen	bad-tempered
brusque	quick and rude
off-putting	makes you feel you don't want to go there again
go out of their way	do everything possible
have a sweet tooth	love sweets
count the calories / be calorie-conscious	be careful how many calories i eat
savoury	salty in flavour or with herbs
fussy eater	person who has very particular demands when eating
teetotal	never drink alcohol
dietary requirements	special needs or things someone cannot eat
overdo it	eat or drink too much
take pot luck	eat what we're eating, nothing special
dinner party	rather formal dinner with guests
informal get-together	inrformal group of people meeting for a meal, drinks etc
seconds	a second helping/serving of a dish
nibbles	things like nuts, crisps, before a meal
grab a bite to eat	have a quick meal
takeaway	ready cooked meal bought to take home
give way	ustąpić pierwszeństwa przejazdu
have the right of way	be allowed to go before others
sounding/hooting/tooting your horn	trąbić
jumping a red light	not stopping at red light
reckless driving	very dangerous driving, without any care for others
drink-driving	jazda po pijaku
breathalyser	instrument you breathe into to measure alcohol level
hit-and-run	running over or into someone and not stopping
ban	removal of ones licence
penalty points	negative points on your licence which are added up over time
on-the-spot fines	fines given at the scene of the offence
exhaust emissions	waste gases produced by the vehicle
roadworthy	in a condition that it can be driven safely
tyre tread	the depth of the grooves in the tyre rubber
tailback	line of slow or stopped traffic
pile-up	crash between several or many cars
diverted	directedaway from our road
towaway zone	area where your car may be taken if you park illegally
clamped	fitted with a metal device on the wheel
road rage	anger between drivers because of difficult driving conditions
skidded	lost control of the steering
head-on collision	two vehicles hitting each other directly in the front
scheduled flight	normal flight
charter flight	special flight taking a group of people usually to the same holiday destination
apex fares	have to be booked a fixed number of days in advance
budget fares	fares cheaper but with lot of restrictions
non-refundable	when you cant get your money back if you cancel
cancellation fee	kara za rezygnacje z zaklepanego miejsca
stopover	you may stay somewhere overnight before continuing to your destination
all-in packages	include accomodation and transfers
a crossing	sea journey on a ferry
go on a cruise	having a holiday on a sea
the holiday of a lifetime	one you will always remember
shared cabine	a bed in a cabin with other people
upper deck	the higher part of the ship which is often bigger and more comfortable
getting around	travelling to different places
unlimited mileage	you can travel as many miles as you like for the same price
to go as you please	go where you want when you want
self-catering	where you do your own cooking
chalet	small cottage built for hoiday-makers
guest houses	privete homes offering high standard accomodation
B and B	bed and breakfast
half board	breakfast one one other meal
full board	all meals
to escape the crowd	go where there are not many people
wander off the beaten track	go to places tourists don't normally go
get back to nature	live a natural, rural style of life
promising choice	a choice which could be a very good one
boast	use for listing the good qualities of a place (formal)
hordes	crowds, in a negative sense
tourism sector	tourist industry (formal)
seeking something out of the ordinary	looking for something different
the wealth of	large amount of (formal)
tracts	areas of lans, collocates with large, vast, huge
virgin	original and natural
eco-tourism	holidays that respect the environment
unwind	relax, reduce your general level of stress
recharge	get back your energy (like r...ing a battery)
the bush	a term for the wild, tree- or grass-covered areas of africa
waterfront	on the edge of the sea or of a river
discerning	who knows what she/he wants in terms of good quality
stunning	extremely beautiful
unbeatable	no other company can offer cheaper ones for the same service
awe-inspiring	it fills you with a sense of the power and beauty of what you are looking at
a ramble	long pleasant walk, not too demanding
a hike	more demanding walk, suggesting more dificult terrain
a trek	usually of several days over wild country (walk)
unrivalled	no other holiday programme can match this
savour	a word typically used in advertisments meaning enjoy
heartland	the inland areas furthes away from the sea or from borders with other countries
arid	dry
be prone to	tending to have a particular negative characteristic
drought	period without rain
vegetation	plant life
coniferous	trees that are evergreen and produce cones, unlike deciduous trees
prairies	flat grasslands in Canada and Northern Usa
paddy fields	fields planted with rice growing in water
cereals	type of grass cultivated to produce a grain i.e. a food plant like rice
tend	take care of animlas (hodować)
manufacturing	producing goods in large numbers
at the forefront	in an important position
to generate	produce
be descended from	are related to
ancestor	relatives from earlier timesl we are our a...' descendants
migrant	people who move to live in another country
settled	made their homes
chilli / nippy	freezing
boiling / sweltering / roasting	hot
blowy / breezy	windy
sultry/stifling/heavy/close	oppressive (przytłaczająca)
downpour/deluge/chucking it down	pouring (ulewa)
humid/clammy/muggy	duszny, parny
a climate of distrust	atmosfera nieufności
sunny disposition	pogonde usposobienie
snowed under with work	i will never get through it all in time
under a cloud of suspicion	w obłoku podejrzeń
something cloud your judgement	coś zamgliło twój osąd
a hail of bullets	grad pocisków
a hail/storm of abuse	burza/grad wyzwisk
in a haze	być zamlgonym
a hazy idea	mgliste pojęcie
in the mists of	w pomrokach (np dziejów)
misty-eyed	zamglone (np oczy z miłości)
a whirlwind of	burza powietrzna np spekulacji o artykule
whirlwind romance	burzliwy romans
thundered	o np koniach że zbiegły głośno ze wzgórza
thunderous applause	a loud noise, burza oklaskow
the winds of change/discontent/democracy	wiatr zmian
brick wall	means a barrier (came up against...)
ceiling	can be used to suggest a limit to something
the roof fell in on my world	po naszemu: świat mi się zawalił
hit the roof	can be used about prices or means lose one's temper
go through the roof	increase in a rapid, uncontrolled fashion, or she or he loses their temper
ivory tower	he or she does not know about the unpleasant and ordinary things that happen in life
a tower of strength	extremely stron person,in an emotional way
towers above	outstandingly tall or outstanding in some other positive way
be a gateway to	provide access (jest bramą do..)
to close the door on	zamknąć drzwi np przeszłości
do something through/by the back door	suggests doing it unofficially
provide/hold the key to	(for. ex. develop) trzymać klucz do rozwoju
the key to success	klucz do sukcesu
the seeds of success	ziarno sukcesu
the seeds of discontent	ziarno niezadowolenia
the seeds of revolution	ziarno rewolucjio
go back to your roots	wrócić do korzeni
the root of a problem	przyczyna problemu
the roots of tradition	korzenie tradycji
put down roots	settling down
firmly/deeply rooted	głęboko zakorzenione
stem	is used as a verb to signify that something originates in something else
branches of a shop	filia jakiegoś dużego sklepu czy firmy
nipped in the bud	stopped before it develops into something
budding	mean also showing promise of future development
weed out	get rid of
prune back	cut/limit
reap the reward of	get results from
have dug up	have discovered
was germinating	was beginning to develop
sprout all over	appeared quickly in large numbers
flourishing	is doing very well
sheds	loses
fade	becoming smaller
shrivel	becoming less
wilt	lose energy
wither	glance/look/remark can make the recipent feel scored
mammal	animal that gives birth to live babies, not eggs, and feeds them on its own milk
rodent	e.g mouse, rat
reptile	e.g. snake, lizard
carnivore	animal that eats meat (e.g. lion)
herbivore	animal that eats grass/vegetation (e.g. deer, cow)
predator	animal that hunts/eats other animals
docile	behaves very gently
tame	not afraid of humans
domesticated	lives with or is used by humans
savage	extremely violent or wild
fierce	behaves aggressively
natural habitat	preferred natural place for living and breeding
game reserves	areas of land where animals are protected from hunting
bird sanctuary	protected area where birds can live and breed
animal shelter	place where cats, dogs, horses etc which have no home are given food and a place to live
blood sport	sports whose purpose is to kill or injure animals
the fur trade	the hunting and selling of animals furs for coats, jackets
poarcher	people who hunt animals illegaly
the ivory trade	the buying and selling of ivory from elephant's tusks
shrinking habitats	places where animals live and breed which are decreasing in size
endangered species	types of animals/plants which are in danger of no longer existing
global warning	steady rise in average world temperatures
climatic changes	changes in the climate
carbon dioxide emissions	carbon dioxide gas from factories
fossil fuel	coal, oil etc
greenhouse effect	warming of the earth's surface caused by pollution
exerts severe pressure on	formal: put preasure on
finite resources	limited resources
ecological balance	balance of natural relationships in the environment
deforestation	destruction of forests
demographic projections	forecasts about the population
the worst case scenario	the worst possibities for the future
pristine environments	perfectly clean, untouched, unspoilt areas
green credentials	reputation for positive support of the environment
prophets of doom and gloom	people who always make the most depressing or pessimistic forecasts for the future
sustainable development	development of industry which does not threaten the evironment or social and economic stability
picemeal conservation	carrying out conservation one bit at a time, with no overall plan
prompt	quick, without delay (about replay)
query	question or enquiry about service
responsive to complaints	they listen, take seriously and act
accommodating	willing to understand and help
got back to me	called me with an answer to my query
impeccable	100% perfect
obliging	willing and happy to do things for you
incompetent	falling through insufficient skill, knowledge or training
impersonal	lacking a personal element
shoddy	poor quality
substandard	below the standard expected
uncooperative	not suppotive unwilling to work together
backlog	number which are waiting to be dealt with
sense of urgency	feeling that your request is important or urgent
helpline	telephone number where you can get help if you have problems
put you on hold	make you wait
under guarantee	having a written promise by a company to repair or replace a faulty problem
secure site	web adress where no outside person can read your details
browse	look at the list of goods/services offered before buying
immediate dispatch	goods will be sent at once
nationwide	covering the whole country
landing card	form with your personal details and date of arrival
customs declaration form	form showing how much money and what goods you are carrying
vaccination certificate	paper proving you have had the necessary health injections
entry restrctions	rules about who can enter a country and for how long
spot checks / random checks	checks done without warning
sniffer dogs	specially trained dogs who can smell drugs and bombs
clear customs	take your bags through customs
the port of entry	the port or airport where you first enter a country
political asylum	permission to stay in another country to avoid political persecution back home
economic migrants	people who try to enter from poorer countries just to get work
offences	formal: illegal action
fixed penalty	fixed sum payable for a particular offence
on-the-spot fine	fine payable at the time and place that you commit the offence
parking tickets	paper placed on driver's windscreens fining them for illegal parking
breathalyser	an instrument which you blow into that shows if you have consumed alcohol recently
to make a statement	say what happened and sign a copy of it
stop-and-search	power to stop people and search them in the street
surveillance cameras	cameras that record everything that happens
search warrant	official permission from a judge or magistrate to search your house
security forces	often a name for the army and police together enforcing the law
plain clothes/undercover police	police who do not wear uniform
paramilitary police	police who are more like soldiers than civilian police officers
drug squad	police specially trained to fight the illegal drug trade
anti-corruption squad	police specially trained to discovr and fight bribery/corruption