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53 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
1- about to |
ready to; on the verge of
without you. |
Phrasal verb EXAMPLE 1: It's a good thing Bob left the furniture store when he did. Peter was so angry, he was ~ throw a dining room chair at him. EXAMPLE 2: I'm glad you're finally home. I was just ~ have dinner |
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1- after all |
despite everything; when everything has been considered; the fact is
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Transition EXAMPLE 1: You'd better invite Ed to your party. ~, he's a good friend. EXAMPLE 2: It doesn't matter what your boss thinks of you. ~, you're going to quit your job anyway. |
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1- at least |
anyway; the good thing is that... |
EXAMPLE 1: We've run out of coffee, but ~ we still have tea. EXAMPLE 2: Tracy can't afford to buy a car, but ~ she has a good bicycle. |
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1- (to) break the news |
to make something known |
EXAMPLE 1: Samantha and Michael are getting married, but they haven't yet broken the news to their parents. EXAMPLE 2: You'd better break the news to your father carefully. After all, you don't want him to have a heart attack! |
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1- (to) cost an arm and a leg |
to be very expensive |
EXAMPLE 1: A college education in America costs an arm and a leg. EXAMPLE 2: All of the furniture at Honest Abe's costs an arm and a leg! |
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1- dead-end job |
a job that won't lead to anything else |
EXAMPLE 1: Diane realized that working as a cashier was a dead-end job. EXAMPLE 2: Jim worked many dead-end jobs before finally deciding to start his own business. |
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1- (let's) face it |
accept a difficult reality |
EXAMPLE 1: Let's face it, if Ted spent more time studying, he wouldn't be failing so many of his classes! EXAMPLE 2: Let's face it, if you don't have a college degree, it can be difficult to find a high-paying job. |
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1- (to) give one the creeps |
to create a feeling of disgust or horror |
EXAMPLE 1: Ted's friend Matt has seven earrings in each ear and an "I Love Mom" tattoo on his arm. He really gives Nicole the creeps. EXAMPLE 2: There was a strange man following me around the grocery store. He was giving me the creeps! |
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1- (to) go back to the drawing board - |
to start a task over because the last try failed; to start again from the beginning |
EXAMPLE 1: Frank's new business failed, so he had to go back to the drawing board. EXAMPLE 2: The president didn't agree with our new ideas for the company, so we had to go back to the drawing board. |
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1- (to) go belly-up |
to go bankrupt |
EXAMPLE 1: Many people lost their jobs when Enron went belly-up. EXAMPLE 2: My company lost $3 million last year. We might go belly-up. |
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1- (to) give someone the ax |
to fire someone |
EXAMPLE 1: Mary used to talk to her friends on the phone all day at work, until one day her boss finally gave her the ax. EXAMPLE 2: Poor Paul! He was given the ax two days before Christmas. |
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1- (to) lose one's temper |
to become very angry |
EXAMPLE 1: Bob always loses his temper when his kids start talking on the telephone during dinner. EXAMPLE 2: When Ted handed in his essay two weeks late, his teacher really lost her temper. |
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1- (to) make up one's mind |
to reach a decision; to decide |
EXAMPLE 1: Stephanie couldn't make up her mind whether to attend Harvard or Stanford. Finally, she chose Stanford. EXAMPLE 2: Do you want an omelette or fried eggs? You'll need to make up your mind quickly because the waitress is coming. |
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1- no point in |
no reason to; it's not worth (doing something) |
EXAMPLE 1: There's no point in worrying about things you can't change. EXAMPLE 2: There's no point in going on a picnic if it's going to rain. |
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1- (to) put up with |
to endure without complaint |
EXAMPLE 1: For many years, Barbara put up with her husband's annoying behavior. Finally, she decided to leave him. EXAMPLE 2: I don't know how Len puts up with his mean boss every day. |
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1- real flop or flop (v) |
a failure |
EXAMPLE 1: The Broadway play closed after just 4 days - it was a real flop! EXAMPLE 2: The company was in trouble after its new product flopped. |
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1- (to) save the day |
to prevent a disaster or misfortune |
EXAMPLE 1: The Christmas tree was on fire, but Ted threw water on it and saved the day. EXAMPLE 2: We forgot to buy champagne for our New Year's party, but Sonia brought some and really saved the day! |
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1- (as) sharp as a tack |
very intelligent |
EXAMPLE 1: Jay scored 100% on his science test. He's as sharp as a tack. EXAMPLE 2: Anna got a scholarship to Yale. She's as sharp as a tack. |
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1- (to) talk over |
to discuss |
EXAMPLE 1: Dave and I spent hours talking over the details of the plan. EXAMPLE 2: Before you make any big decisions, give me a call and we'll talk things over. |
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1- top dollar |
the highest end of a price range; a lot of money |
EXAMPLE 1: Nicole paid top dollar for a shirt at Banana Republic. EXAMPLE 2: Wait until those jeans go on sale. Why pay top dollar? |
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2- (to) change one's mind |
to change one's opinion or decision |
EXAMPLE 1: Brandon wasn't going to take a vacation this year, but then he changed his mind and went to Bora Bora for two weeks. EXAMPLE 2: Why aren't you applying to medical school this year? Did you change your mind about becoming a doctor? |
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2- easier said than done |
more difficult than you think |
EXAMPLE 1: You want to climb Mount Everest? Easier said than done! EXAMPLE 2: Moving into a new home is easier said than done. |
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2- (to) get canned |
[slang] - to lose one's job; to get fired SYNONYMS: to get sacked; to be given the ax |
EXAMPLE 1: After Chris got canned, it took him a year to find a new job. EXAMPLE 2: Lisa is a lousy secretary. She deserves to get canned! |
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2- (to) hang in there |
to persevere; to not give up |
EXAMPLE 1: I know you're four games behind, but you can still win the tennis match. Just hang in there! EXAMPLE 2: Hang in there, Don! Your invention will soon be a success. |
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2- if worse comes to worst |
in the worst case; if absolutely necessary |
EXAMPLE 1: Ted's car isn't running well. If worse comes to worst, he can take the bus to school. EXAMPLE 2: I know you're running out of money. If worse comes to worst, you can always sell some of your jewelry. |
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2- (to) keep one's chin up |
to stay positive |
EXAMPLE 1: Even when he was unemployed and homeless, Bill managed to keep his chin up. EXAMPLE 2: Keep your chin up! You'll find your lost dog soon. |
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2- last resort |
if there are no other alternatives left; the last solution for getting out of a difficulty |
EXAMPLE 1: David was locked out of his house. He knew that as a last resort, he could always break a window. EXAMPLE 2: I don't like taking medicine. I'll only take it as a last resort. |
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2- (to) live from hand to mouth |
to barely have enough money to survive |
EXAMPLE 1: Jenny was earning $5 an hour working at the store. She was really living from hand to mouth. EXAMPLE 2: George is really poor. He lives from hand to mouth. |
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2- (to) look on the bright side |
to be optimistic; to think about the positive part or aspect of a situation |
EXAMPLE 1: Leo was upset that his soccer game was canceled. His mother said, "Look on the bright side, now you can stay home and watch TV." EXAMPLE 2: You lost your job? Look on the bright side, now you'll have more free time! |
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2- (to) make ends meet |
to manage one's money so as to have enough to live on; to be okay financially |
EXAMPLE 1: Kimberly wasn't able to make ends meet so she had to ask her parents to pay her rent. EXAMPLE 2: If you can't make ends meet, you'll need to start spending less. |
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2- out of work |
unemployed; not working |
EXAMPLE 1: Gary was out of work for a year before finding a new job. EXAMPLE 2: Bob is out of work. Do you know anybody who might want to hire him? |
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2- right-hand man |
the most helpful assistant or employee |
EXAMPLE 1: Juan's right-hand man helps him make all of his decisions. EXAMPLE 2: When Jack Thompson retired as president of his company, his right-hand man took over. |
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2- (to) set eyes on |
to look at; to see for the first time |
EXAMPLE 1: Ted was in love from the moment he set eyes on Amber. EXAMPLE 2: Susan knew from the moment she set eyes on Ted's friend Lucas that he would be trouble. |
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2- (to) stab someone in the back |
to betray someone |
EXAMPLE 1: Jill and Heather were friends, until Heather stabbed Jill in the back by stealing her boyfriend. EXAMPLE 2: You're firing me after all I've done for this company? You're really stabbing me in the back! |
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2- (to be) stressed out |
under severe strain; very anxious |
EXAMPLE 1: Al is so stressed out about his job that he can't sleep at night. EXAMPLE 2: You've been so stressed out lately. You really need to take a long vacation! |
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2- (to) tell off |
to scold; to tell someone in strong words what one really thinks |
EXAMPLE 1: When Ted showed up for chemistry class a half an hour late, his teacher really told him off. EXAMPLE 2: Patty is going to tell off the plumber because the pipes he said he fixed are still leaking. |
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2- thank goodness |
I'm grateful; I'm relieved |
EXAMPLE 1: When Ted came home at 4 a.m. last Sunday, his mother said, "Thank goodness you're home! I was so worried about you." EXAMPLE 2: Thank goodness you didn't go to California on Monday. It rained there every day this week. |
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2- (to) think big |
to set high goals |
EXAMPLE 1: Why run for Governor of New York? Think big: run for President of the United States! EXAMPLE 2: Ken and Sandra hope to sell their house for $3 million dollars. They always think big. |
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2- What's the matter? |
What's the problem? |
EXAMPLE 1: What's the matter, Bob? You don't look very happy. EXAMPLE 2: Oscar looks very pale. What's the matter with him? |
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2- When pigs fly! |
[slang] - never |
EXAMPLE 1: Will Ted teach Nicole how to play the guitar? When pigs fly! EXAMPLE 2: Sure, I'll give you my new laptop. When pigs fly! SYNONYMS: when hell freezes over; never in a million years |
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3- beside the point |
not relevant; not important |
EXAMPLE 1: Whether or not I asked the waiter to bring us water is beside the point. Waiters should always bring water to the table. EXAMPLE 2: The reason you're late is beside the point. The fact is, your dinner is now cold. |
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3- (to) blow something - EXAMPLE 1: Brenda blew the interview and didn't get the job offer. |
to spoil or botch something |
EXAMPLE 2: Randy managed to get a date with the most popular girl in his class. Now I hope he doesn't blow it! |
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3- (to) buckle down |
to start working seriously |
EXAMPLE 1: If Don buckles down now, he might be able to graduate from high school this year. EXAMPLE 2: Team, if we want to win this tournament, we're going to need to buckle down! |
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3- can't stand |
to hate |
EXAMPLE 1: Bob can't stand bureaucrats, so he'd never do well working at a large corporation. EXAMPLE 2: Nicole can't stand broccoli. She simply refuses to eat it. |
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3- (to) cut class |
to miss class without an excuse |
EXAMPLE 1: Ted often cuts class to spend more time with his girlfriend. EXAMPLE 2: If you keep cutting French class, you're going to fail it. |
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3- Get real! |
be serious or realistic about what's going on |
EXAMPLE 1: You think you won't get a speeding ticket when you drive 85 miles per hour? Get real! EXAMPLE 2: You think you're going to win $1 million in the lottery? Get real! |
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3- (to) have one's heart set on |
to really want something |
EXAMPLE 1: Nicole has her heart set on going to New York this weekend. EXAMPLE 2: Did you really have your heart set on going to Harvard? |
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3- (to) hit the books |
to start studying |
EXAMPLE 1: Ted parried all weekend. Finally, on Sunday night, he decided it was time to hit the books. EXAMPLE 2: Hit the books! I know you have a test tomorrow. |
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3- lost cause |
something hopeless a person or thing that can no longer hope to succeed or be changed for the better. |
EXAMPLE 1: Cindy spent five years studying Russian. Finally, she realized it was a lost cause. She would never learn it. EXAMPLE 2: Jack needs to stop drinking so much coffee, but he's so addicted to caffeine that it's a lost cause. |
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3- (to) not give a hoot |
to not care about SYNONYMS: to not give a damn; to not give a darn |
EXAMPLE 1: Tom likes to walk around town in his pajamas — he doesn't give a hoot what people think. EXAMPLE 2: Stephanie doesn't give a hoot if she's the only one wearing a green dress to the high school prom. |
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3- over one's head |
beyond one's understanding |
EXAMPLE 1: The professor was speaking over our heads. None of us could understand him. EXAMPLE 2: The article on cloning was written for scientists. It was over my head. |
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3- (to) slack off |
to waste time |
EXAMPLE 1: Amanda doesn't get much done at the office. She's too busy slacking off. EXAMPLE 2: I'd better stop slacking off. My essay is due in two hours. NOTE: People who slack off all the time are called "slackers." |
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3- (to) stand a chance |
to have the possibility of success |
EXAMPLE 1: Although the American figure skaters were good, they didn't stand a chance of winning a gold medal at the Olympics. EXAMPLE 2: Wilton High School has the best soccer team in the state. I'm afraid we don't stand a chance against them! |