cccc	cccc
BLUNT	(-/+) they say what they really think, even if it will hurt or offend someone
BRASH	(-) they are annoyingly loud, overconfident and aggressive
CALCULATING	(-) they get what they want by careful and clever planning, without caring about anyone else
CALLOUS	(-) they are cruel and heartless
CANTANKEROUS	(-) they are bad-tempered and tend to argue with people about insignificant things
CHEERFUL	(+) they are happy and in a good mood
CURT	(-) they are very abrupt (and rude, as a result) when they talk to another person
FICKLE	(-) they are not faithful or loyal to their friends
INQUISITIVE (-)	(-) they are always trying to find out about other people's lives, often by asking a lot of question
INQUISITIVE (+)	(+) interested in many different things and always wanting to know more about them (often used ab
METICULOUS	(+/-) hey are very careful about what they do, paying attention to small details
PERSISTENT	(+/-) they refuse to give up, despite difficulties or opposition
RECKLESS	(-) they do dangerous things without thinking about the consequences of their actions
RUTHLESS	(-) cruel and cold and have no mercy or feelings for others [Note: also used to describe actions]
SQUEAMISH (+/-)	they do not like the sight of, and are usually upset by, unpleasant things such as blood or needles
SULLEN	(-) they are bad-tempered and do not speak much
UNSCRUPULOUS	(-) they are prepared to act in an immoral and dishonest way to get what they want
VOLATILE	(-) they lose their temper very quickly and very easily
WITHDRAWN	(-/+) they are very quiet and do not like talking to others
accesible / INaccesible	That can be easily reached/used/entered
accurate / INaccurate	Precise, correct
apologetic	To say or show you are sorry for doing sth
arguable	Debatable, may be questioned
argumentative	QUARRELSOME, always ready to disageee
coherent / INcoherent	well-planed, clear and sensible
decisive / INdecisive	able to make quick decisions in a difficult situation
discreet / INdiscreet	careful in order to avoid embarrassing or offending sb
excessive	more or higher than is necessary or reasonable
knowledgeable	well-informed
legible / ILlegible	clear enough to read
logical / ILlogical	reasonable/sensible
loyal / DISloyal	faithful
normal /ABnormal	usual, ordinary
obedient / DISobedient	sb who does what they are told to do
official / UNofficial	approved by sb in authority
orthodox / UNorthodox	accepted or used by most people
plausible / IMplausible	likely to be true, valid
polite / IMpolite	with good manners, COURTEOUS
practical / IMpractical	DOWN-TO-EARTH; effective, likely to be successful
precise / IMprecision (n)	exact
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT	(to be) treated better than other people
replaceable / IRreplaceable	disposable
responsible / IRresponsible	behaving sensibly and properly
ripe / UNripe	fully grown, ready to eat (fruit, grain)
scrupulous / UNscrupulous	sb who takes great care to do what is fair, honest or morally right
avid	very enthusiastic (for people)
blatant	very obvious, done without shame or embarrassment (used to describe bad things)
breathtaking	very beautiful, surprising or impressive
gripping	very exciting; for films and books
harrowing	shocking, making you feel very upset (not used to describe people)
lax	not strict or not careful enough (for safety measures, security, morals, discipline, laws, etc.)
lenient	not strict; used to describe people in a position to punish (parents, teachers, etc.)
meteoric	very sudden and quick (generally used with the noun rise)
misleading	giving the wrong idea or impression
piercing	loud and high-pitched (for noises)
prolific	producing a large number of works (for artists, composers and writers)
sporadic	happening at irregular intervals
staunch	very loyal
sweeping	too general and therefore not valid (for statements and generalisations); large and affecting everyo
waterTight	impossible to prove wrong or argue against
dreary	boring and depressing
dull	boring, without life, excitement or colour
mundane	ordinary, boring, giving little satisfaction, often used to describe jobs
tedious	boring, and often frustrating
atrocious	extremely bad
dreadful	very bad
lousy	(informal) very bad
flawless	perfect, with faults
impeccable	perfect, faultless
unblemished	sth that has not been spoilt or harmed
arduous	tiring and involving a lot of effort
gruelling	tiring and lasting a long time
strenuous	needing a lot of physical effort
bedraggled	untidy, dirty and wet (for people)
dishevelled	untidy
scruffy	untidy (for people/places); old and worn out (for clothes)
astute	clever at understanding people and situations
crafty	clever and good at using deception to achieve success
shrewd	clever and showing good judgement of other people and situations
wily	clever, experienced at deceiving people and not easily deceived (for people-behaviour)
conventional	ordinary, normal
mainstream	ordinary, conventional, neither strange nor extreme
middle-of-the-road	ordinary, not extreme
run-of-the-mill	ordinary, nothing special
to arrive/leave IN DRIBS AND DRABS	to arrive/leave in small numbers/quantities and at irregular intervals
BRIGHT AND EARLY	(to wake up/get up/leave) very early in the morning (+)
BY AND LARGE	generally
to BE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN	not to be very common/to be very difficult to find
to GRIN AND BEAR IT	to accept an unpleasant situation without complaining (probably because there is no choice)
INS AND OUTS	the details of a complicated situation/problem/system/proposal
to make a SONG AND DANCE ABOUT	to complain too much about sth, in a way that seems unnecessary
ODDS AND ENDS	small unimportant objects
ONCE AND FOR ALL	definitely and finally so that you end all doubt and uncertainity
one's OWN FLESH AND BLOOD	a relative
an OUT-AND-OUT lie	a complete lie (used to reply to sb who has accused you of sth)
to be PART AND PARCEL OF	a basic and fundamental part of (life/job/problem)
PEACE AND QUIET	calm and tranquillity
PRIDE AND JOY	sth/sb that a person is very proud of and which/who is very important to them
PRIM AND PROPER	very conservative and easily offended (used to describe people)
PUSHING AND SHOVING	publishing (used with reference to crowded places)
SAFE AND SOUND	safe and unharmed (used when sb has not been harmed despite being in a dangerous situation)
SPICK AND SPAN	very clean
TOUCH AND GO	doubtful (used with reference to important or life-threatening situations)
UP-AND-COMING	sb who shows a lot of promise and will probably be very successful in the future
to have UPS AND DOWNS	to have good times and bad times
WEAR AND TEAR	damage caused to furniture/clothes/equipment, by daily use
WELL AND TRULY	completely (often used with 'lost' and 'beaten')
to WIN FAIR AND SQUARE	to win fairly (often used when you have been accused of cheating)
a BLAZING ROW	an argument in which people are very angry and emotional
to BLOW YOUR TOP / to HIT THE ROOF	to lose your temper and become very angry (2)
to BE CROSS	to be a little angry (often used when speaking to children)
to BE CROTCHETY	bad-tempered and easily made angry
to DRIVE sb UP THE WALL	to annoy sb (sb!)
FURIOUS	very angry
GALLING	sth that is annoying, because it seems unfair or wrong
to GET ON sb's NERVES	to annoy sb (sb!)
a HEATED ARGUMENT	a bad argument in which people are very angry
to BE INDIGNANT	to be very angry because you think sth is wrong or unfair
INFURIATE	make angry
IRATE	very angry = furious
to IRRITATE	to annoy
to be LIVID	to be very angry
to BE IN NO MOOD TO	to be angry and not want to
an OUTBURST	a sudden explosion of anger
a QUICK TEMPER	to lose your temper very quickly and very easily
to BE SICK AND TIRED OF sb/sth	to be annoyed and fed up with sb/sth
to THROW A TANTRUM	to start kicking, shouting and crying (children)
to BE TOUCHY	to be bad-tempered and easily made angry
to BE UP IN ARMS ABOUT sth	to be very angry and ready to protest (used to describe group reaction)
the BLACK SHEEP of the family	sb considered to be a failure/an embarrassment by relatives
to be AS BLIND AS A BAT	(informal) to have poor eyesight
you can... TILL THE COWS COME HOME, but I won't...	you can do sth for a very long time, but I won't change anything
a DARK HORSE	sb who people know very little about
to be DOGGED BY sth	sth bad keeps causing you trouble and it will not go away
FOR DONKEY'S YEARS	(informal) for a very long time
to DUCK	to avoid sth which is going to hit you by lowering your head
it is like WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK FOR sb	sth does not affect you because you are accustomed to it
FISHY	suspicious
to HOUND SB	to persistently follow sb (used in connection with the press)
the LION'S SHARE	the biggest part
to RABBIT ON (about sth)	to talk for a long time in a boring way
RATTY	bad-tempered/easily made angry
to have a WHALE OF A TIME	(informal) to really enjoy yourself
a WILD GOOSE CHASE	a search for sth that one is unlikely to find
to WORM YOUR WAY OUT OF sth	to avoid doing sth you do not want to do
to CROUCH	to sit with legs bent under you so that you are close to the ground and leaning forward slightly
to CURL UP	to move into a position where your body makes a rounded shape
to DUCK	to quickly lower your head in order to avoid being hit by sth, or so as not to be seen
to FIDGET	to be constantly moving your hands or your feet
to FLINCH	to make a sudden small movement because sth has hurt you or has made you jump
to FROWN	lower your eyebrows because you are angry or you do not understand
to KNEEL	to bend your legs so that your knees are touching the ground
to NOD	to move your head up and down (in most countries, you nod when you say yes)
to NUDGE	to gently push sb with your elbow to attract their attention
to SHIVER	your body is shaking because you are cold
to SHUDDER	your body shakes for a short time because you have seen, heard or tasted sth unpleasant
to TREMBLE	your body or part of your body is shaking because you are frightened or very nervous
BLOODCURDLING (scream)	very frightening
EYE-CATCHING	so attractive or unusual that you can´t help noticing it
FIRST-HAND	you have experienced it personally
HAIR-RAISING	very frightening; used to describe experiences and journeys
HEAD-ON	used to describe collision between two moving vehicles where the front part of one vehickle hits ...
LIGHT-HEARTED	funny and not very serious
MOUTH-WATERING	food that looks and/or smells very good
NAIL-BITING	very exciting and dramatic, because you do not know what is going to happen
NARROW-MINDED	not accepting and positively disliking anything new, different or radical
BROAD-MINDED	opp: narrow-minded
WELL-THUMBED	a book or magazine that has been read so much that the edges and corners of the pages are dirty
NOT TO BAT AN EYELID	not to show any visible signs of surprise
TO CLEAR YOUR THROAT	to cough in order to speak more clearly
TO CROSS YOUR LEGS	while sitting, to put one leg on the top of the other
TO CROSS YOUR LEGS	while sitting, to put one leg on the top of the other
TO CROSS YOUR LEGS	while sitting, to put one leg on the top of the other
TO FLEX YOUR MUSCLES	to strike a pose and show your muscles
TO FOLD YOUR ARMS	to bring your arms together and link them
TO GRIT YOUR TEETH	to press your teeth tightly together, often because you are angry or distressed
TO PLUCK YOUR EYEBROWS	to pull out some of the hairs of your eyebrows, using tweezers
SB´S HEART IS POUNDING	sb´s heart is beating very hard
TO RUMBLE (OF STOMACH)	to make a noise because it is empty and you are hungry
TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD	to move your head from side to side (no)
TO SHRUG YOUR SHOULDERS	to move your shoulders up and down
TO SPRAIN (YOUR ANKLE/WRIST)	to twist and hurt
TO STUB YOUR TOE	to hit your toe against sth
A PAIN IN THE NECK	a very annoying person, thing or task
AT THE FOOT OF	at the bottom of (a hill, mountain, your bed, etc.)
TO COST AN ARM AND A LEG	to be very expensive
TO CRY YOUR EYES OUT	to cry a lot
TO FACE A TEAM	to play against another team
TO FALL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE (with sb)	to fall madly and completely in love (with sb)
TO FOOT THE BILL	to pay the bill at a restaurant or hotel
TO GET COLD FEET	to suddenly feel that you are not brave enough to do sth important
TO GET STH OFF YOUR CHEST	to tell sb sth that has been worrying you
TO GET UP SB'S NOSE	to annoy sb
TO GIVE SB A HAND	to help sb do sth
TO BE GLAD TO SEE THE BACK OF SB/STH	to be happy when sb leaves or when sth is finished
TO HAVE STH ON THE BRAIN	to be obsessed by sth and think about it all the time
TO HAVE YOUR EYE ON STH	to have seen sth (in a shop, for example) that you want to buy/have
TO HAVE/GIVE SB A HEAD START	to have/give sb an advantage over a competitor (in business)/other people (in life)
TO HEAD HOME	to leave somewhere in order to go home
TO HEAD HOME	to leave somewhere in order to go home
I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON	to know that sth is wrong or different, but be unable to say exactly what it is
I COULDN'T KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE	I couldn't stop laughing
I DON'T KNOW OFF-HAND	(inf.) I can't tell/answer, until I have checked first
I'D GIVE MY RIGHT ARM TO	I would really like to
IN THE EYES OF THE LAW	legally, according to the laws of the land
TO KEEP AN EYE ON STH/SB	to look after sth/sb
TO KNOW SOMEWHERE LIKE THE BACK OF YOUR HAND	to know a particular place very well
TO LEARN TO STAND ON ONE'S OWN TWO FEET	to learn not to depend on others
TO MAKE/LOSE MONEY HAND OVER FIST	to rapidly make or lose large sums of money
OFF THE TOP OF ONE'S HEAD	information given immediately without full knowledge of the facts
STH IS ON ITS LAST LEGS	sth is in very bad condition and will very soon stop working
TO PULL SB'S LEG	to play a joke on sb and make them believe sth that is not true
TO PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN	to become strict and tell sb that they must/can't do sth
TO SET EYES ON SB	to see sb, often for the first time
TO SET YOUR HEART ON STH	to really want sth
STH HAPPENS RIGHT UNDER SB'S NOSE	sb is very close to sth when it happens and yet they do not notice it
TO STICK YOUR NOSE INTO OTHER PEOPLE'S BUSINESS/AFFAIRS	to interfere in a situation which doesn't concern you, with the result that you cause other ppl prob
TO THINK ON YOUR FEET	to be able to give good answers to unexpected questions
WITH AN EYE TO	in order to
WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE	to show by the expression on your face how you really feel
YOU HAVE TO HAND IT TO SB	you have to admire and respect sb
to be bound to happen	to be certain to happen (because it always happens)
to be certain to happen	sth will very probably happen (1)
to be in with a chance of +ing form	there is a good possibility that
to be unlikely to/it is unlikely that	one/sth probably won't
to blow your chances	to ruin your chances (of getting/achieving sth)
to grab an opportunity/chance (with both hands)	to quickly accept a good opportunity, especially because you think you will not get that opportunity
(sth will), in all probability, (happen)	sth will very probably happen (2)
it is doubtful whether/that sth will happen	sth probably won't happen
it was purely by chance that...	it was complete chance that sth happened
to jump at the chance/opportunity	to quickly accept a good opportunity
(to do sth) on the off-chance	do sth hoping it will succeed although you think it is unlikely
to pass up a chance/opportunity	to say no to a good opportunity (a good job offer, etc)
(not) to stand a chance	to have no possibility (of achieving/getting sth)[note:to stand no/little/a(very)good chance of+ing
the chances are that sth will happen	sth will probably happen
the chances of sth happening are very remote	there is very little possibility that sth will happen
the odds are against sth happening	sth probably won't happen
there's a slim/remote/little chance that sth will/ could happen	there is not much possibility of sth happening
there's every indication (to suggest) that sth will happen	all the signs show that sth will very probably happen
there's every likelihood of sth happening/that sth will happen	sth will very probably happen (3)
to be in a quandary	not to be able to decide what to do because you find yourself in a difficult situation
to be in two minds about sth/whether to do sth	can't decide whether or not to do sth
to be shortlisted	to be chosen from a large number of applicants for a job to join a much smaller group,all of whom...
to be spoilt for choice	to have a lot of (similar) things to choose from
to be torn between sth and sth else	to find two things attractive and as a result not to be able to decide between them
hand-picked	especially chosen to do a particular job
to have a change of heart	to change the way you feel about sth/sb
to have no alternative but to...	the only choice sb has it to; often used in formal threats
to opt for/to do sth	(formal) to choose (to do) sth
to reach/come to/arrive at a decision	to decide after careful consideration (generally used for juries, committees, boards of directors
to single (sth/sb) out	to choose and pay special attention to sth/sb from a group of similar things/people, (..)
to sit on the fence	not to commit oneself in an argument; to neither agree nor disagree
baggy	very loose
creased/crumpled	unironed, full of lines and wrinkles
faded	having lost its original colour or brightness
fancy	special and unusual, with a lot of decoration
fetching	attractive; can be used to describe a person (generally a woman) or an article of clothing
flared	wide at the bottom
flat	with very low or no heels
garish	very colourful, in a way that is not in good taste
grubby	dirty
loud	very colourful, in a way that some might find unpleasant
moth-eaten	full of holes
patched	with pieces of material sewn on to cover holes
platform	platform shoes have thick high heels and an elevated sole
shabby	looking old and in bad condition
sturdy	strong
synthetic	made from artificial substances/material
tailored	designed to fit close to the body
worn-out	old and ready to be thrown away
and, to cap it all	and finally
at the drop of a hat	immediately and without thinking
to be out of pocket	to have less money that you should have
below the belt	unfair and cruel
to fit like a glove	to fit perfectly
to get the boot	be dismissed from your job (inf.)
to get hot UNDER the collar ABOUT sth	to get angry about sth
to GET / HAVE sth under your belt	to have already achieved or done sth
to have sth UP YOUR sleeve	to have a secret plan or idea
if I were in YOUR/HIS/etc shoes	if I were you/him/etc
to pull your socks up	to work harder and start trying to improve your work/behaviour/performance
SB wears the trousers (in that house)	to be the dominant partner of the two people involved (inf.)
to be black and blue all over	to be bruised everywhere
to give sb a black look	to look angrily at sb
in black and white	written or printed
the black market	the illegal buying or selling of goods or the illegal changing of money
once in A blue moon	not very often
out of THE blue	suddenly and unexpectedely
you can ... untill you are blue in the face, but ...	you can ... as much as you like but I won't change my mind
THE green belt	an area of countryside that surrounds a city
to give sb THE green light	to give sb permission to do sth
red tape	complicated official rules and regulations/bureaucracy
to have green fingers	to be very good at growing and looking after plants
to be in the red	to have spent more money than is in your account - so that you owe the bank money
to catch sb red-handed	to catch or discover sb while they are in the middle of doing sth
A white-collar job	an office job
to go as white as A sheet	to lose all the colour in your face because you are very shocked or sick
the Yellow Pages	the telephone directory that contains the telephone numbers of local business and services
A double yellow line	two yellow lines along the side of a road which mean no parking
to be yellow	to be a coward
not to be a patch on	To be much inferior to
To be at odds with	To be different; not to agree with one another about sth or not to share the same opinions
To be by far (and away) + superlative	By far (and away) is used to emphasize superlatives
To be every bit/just as + adjective + as	To be equally + adjective (used when sb has made a comparison you don't agree with
To be identical to	To be exactly the same as
To be in a league of one's own	To be much better than the other people who share the same activity
To be in a league of one's own	To be much better than the other people who share the same activity
To be much the same as	There is not much difference between
Not to be nearly as + adjective + as	To be much inferior to
To be nothing like as + adjective + as	To be much inferior to
To be nowhere near as + adjective + as	To be much inferior to
To be one a different wavelenght	To have very different ideas and attitudes
To be streets ahead of/to be head and shoulders above	To be much better than
To be (totally, quite) unlike	To be different from
To bear a (striking) resemblance to	To be very similar in appearance or character
To have nothing in common (with sb)	Not to share the same ideas, background, qualities etc
To pale in comparison (to sth)	To seem small or unimportant when compared to sth else (used for problems)
To tell apart	To recognise differences between
There is a world of difference between	There is a very big difference between
To think/say/do otherwise	To say/think/do sth different from what has already been mentioned
To vary (in)	To be different from each other
to bake	to cook e.g. cakes and bread in the oven
to BASTE	to pour oil or liquid fat over meat while it is cooking
to beat EGGS	to mix the white and the yolk together in a bowl with a fork
to BRING sth TO THE BOIL	to boil sth
to CARVE	to cut a piece of meat, usually into slices
to chop	to cut sth (usually vegetables) into small pieces
cuisine	a particular style of cooking
to defrost	to allow or cause sth to become unfrozen
a dish	1. a SHALLOW container with a wide uncovered top used to eat/serve food; 2.a particular kind of food
to dress	to put a mixture of oil, vinegar, salt, etc. on a salad
foil	metal paper used in cooking
to GRATE	to RUB sth (cheese/carrots) into small pieces using a grater
a GREATER	a kitchen tool which has a rough surface (used for cutting food into small pieces)
to GRIND	to crush pepper corns of coffe beans into powder
to ice	to put icing on the outside of cake
kettle	a covered container used for boiling water
to KNEAD	to press and stretch DOUGH
to marinade	to leave food in a specially prepared liquid so as to make it more tender/to give it a special taste
pan	a round, metal container used for cooking things in
to peel	to remove the skin from fruit or vegetables
plate	a round flat dish used for holding food
to PLUCK	to pull out the FEATHERS from a chicken, turkey, etc. to prepare it for cooking
to POACH	to cook eggs (without their shells) in a special pan in which the eggs are cooked above the water
pot	DEEP round container used for cooking SOUPS, STEWS, etc
a recipe	cooking instructions
to RINSE	to QUICKLY WASH sth, generally using running water
to roast	to cook meat or vegetables in the oven
to RUSTLE UP	to quickly cook sth (often when you were not expecting cook)
to SCRUB	to wash sth VIGOROUSLY
to season	to add salt, pepper or spices to food
to SHELL	to remove the hard outside covering of nuts (prawns, crabs, etc.)
SIEVE	a tool used for separating solids from liquids
to SIZZLE	describes the NOISE sth makes while it's being fried
to soak	to leave food in water so that it becomes soft or so that it absorbs the water
to sprinkle	to DROP SMALL PIECES of salt, cheese, sugar, etc on sth using a spoon of your fingers
to STUFF	to fill inside of sth (chicken/turkey) with a bread or rice mixture, etc
to THICKEN	to make a sauce thicker
to TOSS a salad	to mix a salad
to whip	to STIR very quickly so that it becomes stiff
-----	-----
to go bananas	to become v.angry/v.excited (She'll go bananas when she finds out that...)
a BREADWINNER	a person who supports a family with the money she or he earns
to BUTTER SB UP	to be v.pleasant to sb because you want sth from them (Don't try to butter me up!)
as different as chalk and cheese	very different from each other
sth is not my cup of tea	(inf) I don't particulary like sth
to grill SB	to ask sb a lor of questions to make them confess sth (The police grilled him for 4 hrs)
it's like oven in here	this room is very hot
peanuts	(said of a sum of money) very small (My job pays peanuts)
a piece of cake	very easy to do (The exam will be a piece of cake)
to SIMMER DOWN (OF FEELINGS)	to calm down, having been very angry (I'd wait for him to simmer down before talking to him)
to take sth with a pinch of salt	not to believe that sth is completely acurate or true
--------------------------------------------------------------	------------------------------–––----------------------------
to act on a tip-off [Acting on a tip-off, the police raided a house in London...]	the police, they use information they have been given to prevent a crime
to break out of prison/jail [Only one prisoner has ever broken out of this jail.]	to escape from prison
to be convicted OF a crime [He was convicted of a crime which he hadn't committed...]	to be found guilty in a court of a crime
to CORDON (an area/building) OFF [The area around a bank was cordoned off...]	to place a barrier around to prevent ppl leaving/entering
to be FINED FOR (commiting) a crime [I was fined $300 for driving without a seatbelt on]	to have to pay money as a punishment
to be FOUND (not) guilty OF	to be in a court; judge decides that sb commited a crime or not
to GET AWAY WITH sth [You can ~ with blackmailing the president]	to do sth wrong or illegal and not be punished for it
to HOLD (sb/sth) UP [The bandits held up the stage coach at gunpoint.]	to rob a person or a place, using a weapon
an INQUIRY INTO [An inquiry into alleged government will be held next week.]	an official investigation
to LET sb OFF (with a fine/caution, etc.) [You should be happy he let you off with a fine.]	to be given a lighter punishment than you deserve
to MAKE OFF WITH sth [A group of armed men made off with $2,000 from...]	to steal and escape with sth
to be on the loose	to have escaped from prison and not been captured (...one of them is still on the loose)
to be on the run [He decided to give up after being on the run for 2 yrs]	to be trying to escape/hide from the police
to be ON TRIAL FOR (committing) A CRIME [He's on trial for forgery]	judge and/or jury are deciding whether you are guilty
to PLEAD (not) GUILTY (to the charges) [He pleaded guilty to all the charges that had been...]	to say in the court that you are (not) guilty of the crime
to be RELEASED FROM prison	to be set free form prison
to RULE OUT (the possibility of) sth [We can't rule out the possibility that this was a political cr	to say that sth is not possible
to be sentenced to	if a judge sentences sb, he/she states in court what their punishment is going to be
to STAND UP (in court) [They know it won't stand up in court.]	to be accepted as true when it's carefully examined in court
to testify against sb	to provide the court with information that shows that sb is guiltyof the crime
to TIP (sb) OFF	to tell the police where and when the crime will be commited
to TRACK (sb/sth) DOWN [The police tracked them down because they tried to flee the country]	to look for and find
an alibi	a person or story which proves that sb was not in a place when a crime was commited
an appeal	a request to a court asking for a previous decision to be changed
blackmail	threatening to reveal a secret about sb unless they do sth the other person wants
a brush with the law	dealings with the police for a very minor crime
a cache of	a hidden number of, used for explosives, weapons, etc
a criminal record	a list of crimes which sb has been found guilty of, which is kept by the police
to drop the charges against sb	(police) to decide that sb did not commit the crime that they are charged with
to fit a description	to look exactly like sb (a criminal) that has been described
to be found (not) guilty of	a judge decides that sb did (not) commit the crime that they have been charged with
to hand down a sentence	(a judge) to announce in a court of law what sentence a criminal will receive
to handle sb's defence	(a lawyer) to defend sb in a court of law
a hardened criminal	an experienced criminal who is unlikely to ever abide by the law
a law-abiding citizen	a person who does not break the law
not a shred of evidence	not a single piece of evidence
to pass sentence	(a judge) to tell a court what punishment a convicted person will receive
to place sb under arrest	(formal, police language) to arrest sb
a plain-clothes policeman	a policeman who does not wear a uniform
to plead guilty	to say(in a court of law) that you are guilty of a crime that you have been charged with
to be in/taken into police custody	arrested and kept in prison while waiting to go to court
to press charges against sb	to make an official accusation agains sb, which has to be decided in a court of law
a previous conviction for..	to have previously been found guilty of a crime in a court of law
protection money	money paid to sb who threatens to hurt or blackmail the other person
to be quashed	to be rejected; for an appeal/a decision
to raid	police arrives without warning and searches it because they believe that a criminal or sth illegal
to reach a verdict	to decide in a court of law whether sb is guilty or not guilty of a crime
to be released on bail	sb who is waiting to go on trial does not have to wait in prison because sb paid large sum of money
a spate of..	(robberies, break-ins, attacks etc) is a series of these things that follow each other
to stand trial	to go to a court of law and be judged
to trace the whereabouts of sb	(police language) to look for sb
blocked	(for sinks or toilets) sth is stopping the water from leaving ot
blunt	not sharp
to break/cut in half	to break/cut sth into two pieces
bruised	(for a piece of fruit) with brown marks on it
to burst	to explode, letting water or air escape
chipped	with a small piece broked off
to come off	to fall from/become separated from
cracked	slightly damaged, with lines appearing on the surface
to be crumbling off	(for plaster) small pieces of plaster are falling off because it is very old and dry
to crush	to press or squeeze sth hard so as to change its shape or completely destroy it
dented	with a hollow in the surface caused by hitted or pressing (for metals)
(sth is) falling to pieces	sth is very old and in very bad condition
filthy	very dirty
flat	(od a fizzy drink) having lost its bubbles and tasting unpleasant; (of a tire) without enough air
frayed/fraying	with loose threads at the edges
grimy	very dirty
grubby	dirty
sth has seen better days	sth is now old and and not in very good condition
moth-eaten	old, in poor condition and with holes (for material)
mouldy	with mould on it
sth is on its last legs	sth is in very bad condition and very soon it will stop working
to be peeling off	(for wallpaper) to be falling of a surface
rickety	(for furniture) old, weak and unstable
to rip	to tear sth badly/to get badly torn
to rip sth to shreds	to tear paper or material into little pieces
rusty	with rust on it
to scrape	to scratch
to shatter (into a thousand/milion pieces)	to break into many tiny pieces
to smash to smithereens/into tiny pieces	to break into very small pieces
to snap sth in two	to break sth (made of hard material) in two pieces
to split	to separate (not necessarily completely)
sth is still in one piece	if you drop sth and it is still in one piece, it has not broken
stained	with a mark that is difficult to remove
stale	not fresh
threadbare	the material sth is made of has become very old, weak and thin
But rest assured	But do not worry
To go to any lenghts to do sth	To do anything to get or achieve sth
To have (absolutely) no intention (whatsoever) of doing sth	Will definitely not do sth/act in a certain way
To be hell-bent on doing sth	To be absolutely determined to do sth (often sth dangerous or potentially harmful)
If sb thinks he/she is going to/can ..., then they have got another think coming	(Spoken phrase) if sb thinks they can do sth bad and that nothing will happen, then they are wrong
I'm not prepared to	I refuse to
One way or another I'm going to...	It doesn't matter how I do it or how it happens; the important thing is I'll do it/ it will happen
There's no way	I absolutely refuse to (used to show that you will not change your mind)
Sb will stop at nothing to ...	Sb will do anything - no matter how illegal or cruel it is - to get sth
To appeal	They find it attractive and interesting
To be besotted/madly in love with	To be absolutely in love with sb
To detest sth	Really hate
To be devoted to sb	To love sb a lot and be very loyal towards them; often used for husband-wife or parent-child relatio
To go off sth/sb	To stop liking sth/sb that you used to like in the past
To hate the sight of	To really hate
To have a soft spot for sb	(Informal) to have a special liking for sb
To have no time for sb	To dislike and have no respect for sb because of their attitude or the way they behave
Not to be overly keen on sth	To dislike, but not so intensely
To loathe	To really hate sb/sth
To object to sth	To dislike sth and feel angry about it because you think it is wrong or unfair
To be partial to sth	To like; especially used for food and drink
To take an instant dislike to sb	To dislike sb the moment you meet them
To take a shine to sb	(Informal) to begin to like sb, having only known them for a short time
To take to sb/sth	To like sb/sth
Not to think much of sth/sb	Not to think sth/sb is very good
To think the world of sb	To like, respect and admire sb
A blind corner	A corner around which you cannot see
A collision	A crash in which two moving vehicles hit each other
The crash barrier	Strong low fence built along the side of a road or between two halves of a motorway to prevent accid
To dent a car	To damage the metal (the door, the bumper, the bonnet, etc) of a car
To do ... kph	To drive at ... kph
To draw up	To stop in a vehicle
(To be on) full beam	Lights are raised so that you can see more
To get out (of a car)	To leave a car, taxi, van, lorry
A hairpin bend	Sharp bend in road, where road turns back in opposite direction
Heavy traffic	Lots of traffic
To hit/slam on the brakes	To brake quickly and suddenly
To jump a red light	To pass through a traffic light that is red
A lane	Large, wide roads are divided into lanes (most motorways have 3 or more lanes)
The lights changed	The traffic lights turned red or green
To mount the pavement	To go up on the pavement while driving
To overtake	To pass a car which is in front of you
To pull away	To start driving, having previously stopped (e.g. at traffic lights) or having previously been parke
To pull into somewhere	To leave the road in order to stop somewhere
To pull out	To join the traffic, having previously stopped
To pull (sb) over	To stop at the side of the road
To pull up	To stop in a vehicle
To pull a car into reverse	To change into reverse gear so that you can move backwards
To skid	To slide on the road
To speed	To go faster that the speed limit
To stall	The engine of the car stops suddenly
To swerve to avoid sth	To suddenly move one's car sideways so as to avoid sth in the road
To tow	One vehicle pulls another vehicle behind it, often by means of a rope or a chain
To tow (sth) away	To remove a vehicle that has been illegally parked or that has been involved in an accident
A windscreen	The front window of a car
To write (a car) off	To damage a car so badly that repairing it would cost more than buying a new one
The lights changed	The traffic lights turned red or green
appetite	desire to eat
A big eater	a person who eats a lot and has big meals
to bolt (sth) down	to eat very quickly, generally because you are in a hurry
canned/tinned goods	food put into a metal container and sealed to remail fresh
I could eat a horse	I'm very hungry; often preceded by "I'm starving"
crockery	collective noun for plates, cups, mugs, bowls, dishes, etc.
cutlery	the collective noun for knives, forks and spoons
Dig in!	(inf) start eating
to eat sb out of house and home	if sb visits or stays with sb and eats all the food in the house
to be famished/starving/ravenous	to be very hungry
a gadget	a small, useful and clever machine or tool
to grab a bite to eat	to quickly have sth to eat; gen. in a fast food restaurant
THE larder	the cupboard in the kitchen where food is kept
to be/feel peckish	to be a little hungry
to pick at your food	to eat your food very slowly and without enthusiasm
to spoil your appetite	to eat sth before a meal, so that you are no longer hungry when it is mealtime
to wolf sth down	to eat sth very quickly, often because you are very hungry or in a hurry
to work up an appetite	to do sth (gen. physical exercise) which makes you hungry
fizzy drinks	carbonated soft drinks
to be gasping for a drink	to be extremely thirsty
mineral water	bottled water
on the house	if you go to a café or a restaurant and you are given sth that you don't have to pay for it
to be parched	to be very thirsty
to quench your thirst	to satisfy your thirst so that you are no longer thirsty
soft drinks	cold (often fizzy) drinks that do not contain alcohol
borderline candidate	a person who has equal chances of passing or failing an exam
a certificate	official document sb receives on completing course of study or training
to cheat in an exam	to use dishonest methods in order to pass an exam
to come top of your class	to be the best in your class
a course	a series of lessons in a particular subject
a degree	the qualification you recieve when you have finished studying a course at university
diploma	qualification awarded to student by college, or by high school in USA
to drop out of univeristy	to leave university before finishing your degree
EDUTAINMENT	sth designed to be both educational and entertaining
to excel at	to be very good at
to be expelled from school	to be dismissed from school permanently because you have done sth very bad
a gifted student	a student with natural ability to do sth well
a grade	a mark received by students in examination or for written work, usually in form of a letter
a graduate	a person who has received a degree from a university
to graduate from university	to leave university, having finished your degree course and having got your qualifications
to learn sth by heart	to learn sth so well that you do not need to read it
to lecture in	to teach a particular subject at university
a lenient teacher	a teacher who is not strict and does not punish students who deserve to be punished
a mark	point given for correct answer or for doing well in examination
a MOCK exam	a practice exam usually taken a short time before a real and important exam
to pass an exam with flying colours	to do very well in exam and get very good marks
to play truant	to miss school without permission
to be popular	when everybody likes you
a post-graduate	sb who is studying for an advanced degree (a master's degree or a doctorate) at university
to research/to do research into	to do advanced studies in a particular subject
to revise	to study for an exam
to sail through an exam	to pass an exam very easily and with a good mark
to sit (for) an exam	to take an exam
an undergraduate	sb who is studying for their first degree at university
to win a scholarship	to be given money to help pay for the education you receive
delicious	very tasty indeed
dreadful	very bad indeed
drenched/soaked	very wet
distraught	very upset indeed, probably because sth very bad has happened
famished	very hungry indeed
filthy	very dirty indeed
flabbergasted	very surprised indeed
hilarious	very funny indeed
livid	very angry indeed
packed	very crowded indeed, full of
parched	extremely thirsty
priceless	extremely valuable
riveting	very interesting
superb	very good indeed
brand-new	completely new
to sit/stand bolt upright	to sit/stand with a very straight back
crystal clear	(for water) very transparent and clear, (for an explanation) very clear and easy to understand
bone idle	informal - very lazy
dirt cheap	(informal) very cheap
freezing (cold)	very cold
paper thin	very thin
pitch-black/dark	completely dark
razor-sharp	very sharp
red-hot	very hot
sound/fast asleep	completely asleep
stone cold	completely cold
stone deaf	totally deaf
stuck fast	stuck very firmly and unable to move
wide awake	completely awake
wide open	completely open
an act	plays are normally divided into..
backstage	behind the stage in a theatre where the dressing room, toilets etc. are
a blockbuster	a very successful film which makes a lot of money
the box office	the place in a theatre or cinema where you buy tickets (a box office success: a successful film)
the cast	the actors and actresses who perform in a film or play
the credits	appear in written form at the very end or the very beginning of a film and tell u who was in film
to be dubbed (into a language)	to have the original language of a film replaced by another language
a flop	a film or play that is not successful
the plot	the story in a play or film
a (rave) review	a (very good) written or spoken opinion of a film or a play by a critic
a remake	a new version of an older film
a scene	in a play, an act is divided into..
the script	the written form of a film or play
the soundtrack	the music in a film
a stunt	dangerous and spectacular actions in a film
subtitles	written translations for a foreign film which appear at the bottom of the screen
a trailer	an advertisement often shown before you watch a film in the cinema
a twist	a surprise in the plot of a film or play
appalling	very bad
contemptible	without anything to recommend it so that you have absolutely no respect for it
deep	serious, full of meaning
dreary	boring, without life
electrifying	VERY EXCITING
first-rate	excellent (third-rate: very poor quality)
flawless	perfect, without mistakes or imperfections
gratuitous	unnecessary; most commonly used in the combination: gratuitous violence
gripping	exciting
incoherent	impossible to understand
lacklustre	without life or energy
lousy	(informal) bad
mediocre	no more than average in quality
mindless	stupid, senseless
outstanding	very good
praiseworthy	deserving to be admired and respected because it is very good
predictable	when what is going to happen is obvious
shallow	superficial, not deep
slick	attractive, cleverly made and well produced
sparkling	full of life and energy
tedious	boring, and rather frustrating
wooden	without life, energy or passion
unconvincing acting	acting you do not believe in
to blink	to quickly open and close your eyes
to blush	to go red when you are embarassed
to frown	to draw one's eyebrows together because one is either annoyed or concentrating
to grin	smile broadly because you are very pleased
to grit your teeth	to put your teeth tightly together, esp. because sth is hurting you
to lick	move your tongue across the surface of sth
to scowl	to have an angry hostile expression when you disapprove of sth
to sneer	do sth to show your contemp/lack of respect
to wince	to grimace when sth is hurting you or when you are remembering sth embarassing
to wink	to look towards sb and close one eye briefly, usually as a signal that sth is a joke or a secret
to yawn	you do that when you are tired or bored
to keep your ear to the ground	to be attentive of what is happening or is about to happen
to lie through your teeth	to tell an outright lie
to lose face	to lose the respect of other people
to play it by ear	to decide what to do according to how a situation develops
to do sth by the skin of your teeth	to only just manage to do sth
to see eye to eye on sth	to agree about sth
to turn a blind eye to sth	to deliberately ignore sth
to turn your nose up at sth	to think sth is not good enough for you
not to be able to get one's tongue round	to find a word or phrase very dificult to pronounce
sth catches your eye	you notice sth because it is particularly attractive, unusual or interesting
I'm all ears	I can't wait to hear
my lips are sealed	I will not tell anyone what you have just told me
I'll never be able to show my face in there/here again	I feel too embarrassed to go to a particular place because I have previously done sth embarrassing
It's on the tip of my tongue	I know it but (annoyingly) i just can't recall it
to billow	to move slowly upwards or across the sky (for smoke or clouds)
a blaze	a large and dangerous fire
to catch fire	to start to burn
to be engulfed in flames	when every part of a car, a building, etc. is in fire
to gut	a fire ... a building: it completely destroys everything inside the building
to light a fire	to start a small fire (to cook on it or to provide heat for a room)
to rage	to burn intensely and be out of control
to scorch	when the surface of sth burns - without catching fire - so that a black mark is left behind
to set a fire to sth	to deliberately start a fire in order to damage or destroy sth
to smoulder	to be burning but with no flames
to be ablaze with light	a lot of light is coming from it
in broad daylight	in the middle of the day
to be dazzled	to be unable to see because a bright light is shining
to dim	to make a light less bright
to give off light	to produce light
the glare of	the very bright and unpleasant light of
to gleam	to shine brightly, especially in the sun
to glimmer	to produce a weak, unsteady light
to glisten	sth shines usually because it is wet
the gloom	the darkness
to glow	to shine with a very soft, warm red light
to be plunged into darkness	to suddenly become very dark
to burn yourself out	to work so hard over a period of time that you become to ill or to tired to work any more
to come to light	to become known
that’s daylight robbery	that’s ridiculously expensive
to be dazzled	to be very impressed
to have a fiery temper	to get angry very quickly
to flare out	(for violence) to suddenly start
flashy	expensive and showy
to get on like a house on fire	to really like each other
a glowing report	that is full of price
a glimmer of hope	a little bit of hope
sb’s face lights up	sb’s face suddenly shows that they are very happy or excited
a shot in the dark	a complete guess based on absolutely no information at all
to spark off	to cause sth to happen
a bunch of grapes	a group of grapes
a clove of garlic	single segment of garlic
core	the central part of certain fruit (apples, pears)
a dash of milk	a drop of milk
diced carrots	carrots that have been cut into small cubes
a dollop of jam	a large spoonful of jam
a drumstick	a cooked leg of chicken
fresh milk	today´s milk
skimmed milk	milk with a low fat content
grated cheese	cheese that has been rubbed over a grater
gristle	hard and chewy bits of tissue in meat which are difficult and unpleasant to eat
kipper	a herring (a kind of fish) that is smoked
lean	meat that has very little fat on it
a loaf of bread	bread which has been shaped and baked in one large piece
a lump of sugar	a small cube of sugar
mature	if cheese is …, it has a strong flavour
mild	opposite: mature
minced beef	beef that has been cut into small pieces in a mincer
a pat of butter	a small lump of butter
peel	the skin of certain fruit and of potatoes
pickled onions	small onions which have been left in vinegar for a long time
a pinch of salt	a little bit of salt
pips	small seeds inside certain fruit
plain chocolate	chocolate that is very dark because it does not contain much milk
plain yoghurt	yoghurt without any flavouring
rancid butter	butter that is not fresh and that tastes and smells very unpleasant
rind	the skin that covers some cheeses or the peel of an orange or a lemon
roast potatoes	potatoes cooked in an oven
a round of sandwiches	a number of sandwiches
seedless grapes	grapes that do not have pips
scrambled eggs	eggs cooked in a pan with milk
smoked salmon	cold salmon which is an orange/pink colour
sour	milk that has gone off and is no longer fresh
sparkling water	water with gas, carbonated water
a stick of celery	an individual piece of celery
still	opposite: fizzy
stone	large hard seed in the middle of fruit such as peaches, plums or cherries
tender	meat or other food which is soft and easy to cut
tough	meat or other food which is hard and difficult to cut
unripe	fruit that is not ready to eat
veal	the meat from a CALF
a wedge of cheese	a thick piece of cheese in a triangular shape
a white coffee	a cup of coffee with milk
whipped cream	cream that has been stirred very quickly so that it has become stiff
a bed of	a layer of sth that other things are put on top
chewy	sth you have to chew a lot in order to eat
to chop	to cut sth (generally vegetables into small pieces
a course	a stage of a meal
crusty	(bread or rolls) that have a hard, crisp crust
french fries/chips	fried potatoes
to be garnished with	to be decorated with
to grind	to crush pepper corns or coffee beans into powder or very small pieces
lashings of	lots of particular kind of food (esp. cream and sauces)
a mixed salad	a salad containing two or three salad vegetables
mouth-watering	food that looks and/or smells very good
parsley sauce	sauce made with a plant called parsley
piping hot	very hot, used to describe food
plaice	kind of fish
seasoned with	with salt and/or pepper and/or spices added to improve the taste
in season	vegetebles and fruit; when it is the time of the year when they are ready to eat
smothered in/with	to be covered thickly in
STODGY	solid, heavy and difficult to digest
STRINGY	the meat that has an unpleasant texture cause it is full of long thin pieces
succulent	juicy and tasty (for meat and vegetables)
topped with	when the latter is put on top of sth (generally used for desserts)
to fiddle with sth	to play with sth small (a pencil, a box of matches) in your fingers, especially when you are bored
to fumble	to hold sth or try to reach for sth with your hands or fingers, but in an awkward and clumsy way
to pat	to repeatedly touch sb lightly with the hand held flat
to rub	to move your hand or fingers over sth, applying pressure
to slap sb	to hit sb (generally on the face) with an open hand, often because sb has said or done sth to offend
to smack sb	to hit a child with an open hand in order to punish him or her
to stroke	to gently move an open hand back and forth over sth (generally for animals)
to tamper with sb	to touch or move sth without permission and in doing so change it or damage it
to tickle sb	to make sb laugh by touching them with your fingers
to toy with sth	to play with sth in your hands or fingers, often while you are deep in thought
to cling	to hold on to sth very tightly because you are frightened that you will fall or you will lose it
clingy	for clothes - very tight ans showing the shape of your body; for people-too attached and dependent
to clutch	to hold tightly because you are in pain
to drag	to pull sth that is heavy
to embrace	to put your arms around sb
to grab	to quickly take sth; to manage to get some food/drink/sleep
to grasp	to take sth and hold it very tightly
to have an excellent grasp of	to have an excellent understanding of
to grip	to hold sth very tightly
to be in the grip of	to be experiencing sth that cannot be controlled (an economic crisis, a famine etc)
to let go of sth	to stop holding sth so that it is no longer in your hand
to manhandle	to push sb roughly
to pull your weight	to do your fair share of the work
to seize	to take sth illegal
to shove	to push sb roughly
to snatch	to quickly take sth (especially sth that does not belong to you) from sb
to tow	to pull a vehicle, often by means of a rope or a chain
to tug	to pull sth with short but forceful pulls
to wrench	to pull sth forcefully and quickly, in order to open it/remove it from where it is
to yank	to pull sth with one quick, forcefull pull
to alleviate (the) pain/symptoms	to reduce the amount of pain/symptoms
to contract a disease/illness	to catch/fall ill with a disease/illness: not used wih minor illnesses in spoken english
to give blood	to voluntarily have blood taken from you so that it can be stored and used for sb else
to make a recovery	to recover, to get better
to nurse sb back to health	to help sb get better
to perform an operation	formal, to operate on sb
to reduce the swelling	do sth (put ice on the swelling) or take some medicine which will return the swollen part
to regain consciousness	to wake up having previously fainted/been unconscious
to respond to treatment	to get better as a result of taking a particular medicine
to take effect	to start to work
to treat an illness	to try and cure an illness
to undergo surgery	formal, to have a surgeon operate on you
to be admitted to hospital	to be taken to hospital
to be allergic to sth	your body reacts to sth in a negative way - perhaps you start sneezing
to be on antibiotics	to be taking antibiotic medicine
a cure for a disease	a medicine that will get rid of an illness or a disease
to die of sth	particular illness/disease kills them
to be discharged from hospital	to be allowed to leave hospital
to be in intensive care	to be in a hospital ward where people who are very ill are treated and looked after
to be on he mend	to be getting better
to operate on sb	to treat sb by cutting open part of their body and removing or repairing sth
to get medicine on prescription	you must have a prescription to obtain it
to be rushed to/into hospital	to be taken to hospital very quickly
buy medicine over the counter	you do not need a prescription to buy it
to be in good shape	to be fit and healthy
to be under a lot of stress	to be unable to relax because you are worrying a lot
to suffer from sth	to have a particular illness or disease
to be susceptible to sth	to be the kind of person who easily catches a disease or illness
to hang by a thread	they are very ill and likely to die
to take its toll/a heavy toll on	to have a bad effect on
To clear up	If a rash or a cold (..), it goes away
To come out in a rash/spots	A rash or spots start covering part of your body
To come out of a coma	To wake up from a coma
To come round/come to	To regain consciousness after you have fainted
To go down with sth	To become ill with sth
To pass out	To faint, to lose consciousness
To pull through	To survive and recover from a serious illness
To put sb on sth	Doctor prescribes that medicine for you to take
To put your back out	To hurt your back, often because you have tried to lift sth very heavy
To shake (sth) off	To het rid of sth
To take a tooth out	To remove a tooth
To wear off	To stop having an effect
A blinding/splitting/thumping headache	A very bad headache
A bug	An illness which is easily caught bit which is not serious and probably lasts for two days
To feel as right as rain	To feel 100% well, after having previously felt ill
A highly infectious disease	A disease that is very easily passed from one person to another
To have/suffer a nervous breakdown	To become extremely depressed and unable to cope
To have (got) poor eyesight	Not to be able to see very well and probably needing to wear glasses or contact lenses
To be hard of hearing	Not to be able to hear very well and probably needing to use a hearing aid
A stomach/tummy bug	A bug which affects the stomach
A runny nose	You have a cold and your nose is producing a lot of liquid
To be seriously-ill	To be very ill and probably in hospital as a result
Shooting pains	Sudden, sharp pains which do not last for a long time but which do repeat themselves
A sore throat	Your throat hurts that you find it difficult to swallow and sometimes even to speak
A stinking cold	A very bad cold
To have a touch of flu	To have some of the symptoms of flu (a runny nose etc) but not be so ill that you need to go to bed
To feel (a bit) under the weather/off-colour	To feel slightly ill
To have an upset stomach/to have a stomach upset	Not to be able to keep anything in your stomach because you have probably eaten or drunk sth bad
To enable sb do sth	To make it possible for sb to do sth
To encourage sb (to do sth/in sth)	To say or do things that give sb the courage or confidence to do sth
Engrossed in sth	Paying all your attention to sth (a book, film, your own thoughts etc)
To enlist (in the army/navy/airforce)	To join (the army/navy/airforce) voluntarily
To enlist the help of sb	To get sb to help
To ensure	To make sure
To entail	(Formal) to make it necessary
To entitle sb to sth	To give sb the right to have sth
To envisage	To expect
Immaterial	Not important or relevant; comes after a noun and generally follows the verb to be
Immune to sth	You cannot catch a particular illness or disease (because you have a natural resisstance to it
Immune from prosecution	Cannot be arrested or charged with a crime
Impeccable	Perfect and without faults
Impertinent	Rude and disrespectful
Impervious to sth	Not bothered or affected by sth
Implausible	Not very convincing and probably not true
Impressive	Great in size or degree or done with great skill (only used for positive things)
Imposing	Big and impressive
Imposing person	Important, with a strong character
Impromptu	Without advanced preparation or practice
Impulsive	Doing things suddenly without thinking about them carefully first
to beat it	to go away
to bug	to annoy
to bung	throw/give/put
to chuck	to throw or give
to flog	to sell
to hammer sb	to beat sb/another team very easily and very convincingly
to knock	criticise
to nip to	to go somewhere for a short time
to pop	to quickly put
to scoff	to eat quickly and greedily
to scrounge	to borrow, especially money
to stink	to have a bad smell
airy-fairy	not practical or realistic
chock-a-block	very crowded with people or cars
clapped-out	old and in bad condition (for cars and machines)
daft	silly, not sensible
dodgy	risky and dangerous/dishonest and untrustworthy/weak (body)
gross	disgusting to look at, taste or think about
hush-hush	secret
lousy	bad
mucky	dirty
nippy	cold
posh	expensive and upper class
tacky	poor quality, cheap and showing a lack of good taste
tatty	old and in bad condition
weird	strange
to chicken out	not to do sth because you are afraid
to chuck (sth)	to get rid of sth
to conk out	to break down (for machines and cars)
to cough up	to pay sb money
to hit it off	to really like one another (two people)
to rip sb off	to cheat sb out of money
to set sb back	to cost
to slag sb off	to criticise sb
to wind (sb) up	to tease sb in order to annoy or provoke them
to have sb doing sth	to make sb do sth that they probably do not want to do
to be pointless	to have no sense or purpose
to resent sth happening/sb doing sth	to feel angry and bitter about sth
to be (well) worth doing	it would be a good idea to do
you would be better off doing sth	used to introduce advice
to be the first/second/last person to	sb is the first/second/last person that
can’t be bothered to do sth	don’t feel like making the effort to do sth
sth/sb is bound to	sth/sb is certain to happen/do sth because it has happened/they have done it before
to be certain to	to be sure sth will happen or sb will do sth
to fall to/neglect to do sth	not to do what you should have done
to know better than to do sth	to be old or experienced enough to know sth is the wrong thing to do
not to know how best to do sth	not to know the best way to do sth
to manage to do sth	to succeed in doing sth difficult
to wish to do sth	(formal) would like to do sth
to come close to doing sth	to almost do sth
to be committed to sth	to believe strongly in sth
not to feel up to doing sth	not to feel well enough to do sth
to object to doing sth/sb doing sth	to dislike and feel angry about sth because you think it is wrong or unfair
to resort to doing sth	to do sth you disapprove of because you feel that it is the only way you can succeed
to dread	+to: I dread TO think (what) | +ing: to dislike and be frightened of sth you have to do
to go on	+to: to proceed, after doing sth else | +ing: to continue
to mean	+to: to intend | +ing: to involve, entail
to regret	+to: to be sorry to | +ing: to be sorry about sth that has/hasn’t happen
as far as I know	I dont know for sure, but I think
but all the same	but nevertheless, but despite this
as far as I know	I dont know for sure, but I think
but all the same	but nevertheless, but despite this
but I'll say this for	but you can't criticise sb/sth for(used to balance criticism)
but rest assured	but I promise
by the sound of it	based on what sb has told me/what I have read/heard
from what I can gather/I gather that	based on the informationI have, I think I am right when I say
you'll have a job doing sth	it will be difficult for you to do sth
how come	an informal way of asking why
I don't know how about you, but I	used when you are telling sb what you would like to do
I know for a fact that	I know for sure that
it's all very well	it's okay for you but not for me because my circumstances are different
I was led to believe that	sb told me that sth was true/possible
I wish to goodness	I really wish
let's face it	we must accept that
(you) mark my words	remeber what I am about to say because I am sure it will happen
no wonder../ small wonder	it's not surprising
to be perfectly honest	to be completely truthful
sb struck me as	it seemed to me that sb was (first impressions)
surely you are not (doing sth)	I think that sth would be a mistake
whatever possessed you to..?	why did you..?
where/what/who/etc on earth..?	it's used after question words to emphasise surprise or anger in a question
with all due respect	(formal) polite way to indroduce criticism, contradiction etc
... and to cap it all	used to indroduce the last and worst thing in a list of bad things
to get it over (and done) with	to do sth unpleasant so that you no longer have to think or worry about it
I can't bear/hate/love, etc it when	used to emphasise how you feel abouth sth
I'll see to it	I will make sure that sth happens/is done
I/we would appreciate it if you could	(formal) please could you
I would prefer it if you + past tense	a polite way of saying please do sth/please don't do sth
legent has it that	there is a legend that says
to put it bluntly	used to introduce sth which is very direct and which might offend or surprise
to put your foot in it	accidentally do or say sth that embarrasses or upsets sb
to take it for granted that	to believe or assume that sth is a fact without thinking about it
to take it in turns to do sth/to take turns doing sth	if two people.., one of them does it first, then the other and so on
sth take(s) it out of you	sth makes you very tired
to BE CROTCHETY	bad-tempered and easily made angry
the LION'S SHARE	the biggest part
TO CRY YOUR EYES OUT	to cry a lot
TO CRY YOUR EYES OUT	to cry a lot
TO FALL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE (with sb)	to fall madly and completely in love (with sb)
TO GIVE SB A HAND	to help sb do sth
and, to cap it all	and finally
to burst	to explode, letting water or air escape
A hairpin bend	Sharp bend in road, where road turns back in opposite direction
a twist	a surprise in the plot of a film or play
to glow	to shine with a very soft, warm red light
a course	a stage of a meal
to contract a disease/illness	to catch/fall ill with a disease/illness: not used wih minor illnesses in spoken english
to be under a lot of stress	to be unable to relax because you are worrying a lot
all told	in total and including everyone or everything; used for time, money and when you are counting
to be all for sth / to be all in favour of sth	to totally agree with / support
(when) all of a sudden	(when) suddenly
to count yourself lucky	to consider yourself lucky
sth doesn’t count	sth is not valid
to count for	to be regarded as important or valuable
at the end of the day	(inf.) the most important thing is / what you must remember is
let’s call it a day	let’s stop working (used after you have done a lot of work)
to have a field day	to have the opportunity to criticise and write a lot about sth
to be due back	to be expected to return
in due course	at some time in the future, when the time is right
It’s just as well	it is a good thing (or a lucky thing) that
only just	very nearly did not happen | only recently
to be just about to do sth	will do sth in the next few seconds
to put you in mind of sth	to remind you of sth
sth crosses your mind	to have a particular thought
no one in their right mind would	only a crazy person would...
first thing	before you do anything else
to have a real thing about	to have an obsession about
to make a big thing out of sth	(inf.) to exaggerate the importance of sth
to treat an illness	to try and cure an illness
to treat sb like dirt	to treat sb very badly
to treat sb to sth	to buy or pay for sth special for sb because you know that they will really enjoy it
way too	used to emphasise ‘too’
to go out of your way to do sth	to make a special effort to do sth for sb, even if it is inconvenient for you
the wrong way round	opposite to how it should be
to board	to live and sleep at a school during term time (used for students)
a board meeting	a meeting of the directors of a company
to go by the board	to be abandoned because it is no longer practicable
to be hard to come by	to be difficult to get or find
to feel hard done by	to feel that you have been unfairly treated
(to come) hard on the heels of sth	to happen soon after sth happens
in a matter of seconds	very quickly
(it) is no easy matter (to do sth)	it is difficult to do sth
there’s sth the matter with	there’s sth wrong with
to come to one’s office	(formal) to find out about sth
to hand in your notice	to resign from your job
at such short notice	with little advance warning so that you are probably unprepared for it
to be plain sailing	to be easy and uncomplicated to do
to make it plain that	to make it very obvious/clear that
plain English	English that is clear and easy to understand
It’s got to the point where	it has reached a stage where
to be on the point of doing sth	to be going to do sth in the next few minutes/hours
what’s the point of doing sth	used when you think that sth is not worth doing
right away	immediately
it is only right that	it is only fair and correct that
it serves sb right	sb deserves the bad thing that has happened to them
to follow suit	to do the same or to act in the same way
suit yourself	do sth just because you are determined to, even though I find it wrong
to suit sb down to the ground	to be perfect for sb
a tip	a place that is very untidy and messy
to leave a tip	to leave money for a waiter in a restaurant after you have paid the bill
to tip sb to do / be sth	to predict that sb will do or be sth
stiff competition	difficult / severe competition
to be scared stiff	to be very scared
to have (got) a stiff neck	when the muscles in your neck hurt when you try to move
don’t get me wrong	don’t misunderstand me
to get on the wrong side of sb	to annoy sb so that they dislike you
to BE TOUCHY	to be bad-tempered and easily made angry
you can ... untill you are blue in the face, but ...	you can ... as much as you like but I won't change my mind
to CORDON (an area/building) OFF [The area around a bank was cordoned off...]	to place a barrier around to prevent ppl leaving/entering
to rip	to tear sth badly/to get badly torn
dreadful	very bad indeed
to be dubbed (into a language)	to have the original language of a film replaced by another language
not to be able to get one's tongue round	to find a word or phrase very dificult to pronounce
Impertinent	Rude and disrespectful