Useful Phrases

Front 1

to tell a narrative about someone or something to someone: "You are going to have to ___________ yourself to your parole officer."

Back 1

(give) an account of

Hint 1

(____) __ account __

Front 2

to pay attention to s/o or sth

Back 2

take account of

Hint 2

account

Front 3

according to what one has heard or read: "__ ___ _______ he is a pretty nice guy"

Back 3

by/from all accounts

Hint 3

all accounts

Front 4

for a specified person's benefit:"don't bother __ __ _______"

Back 4

on sb's account

Hint 4

on __ _______

Front 5

breaking an agreement

Back 5

act in good/bad faith

Hint 5

act __ ____/___ _____

Front 6

the benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time.

Back 6

the best of both/all possible worlds

Hint 6

the best of ____/___ ________ _______

Front 7

a bad or corrupt person in a group, typically one whose behavior is likely to have a detrimental influence on his or her associates.

Back 7

a bad/rotten apple

Hint 7

a _____/_____ apple

Front 8

choose a moderate course or compromise: "she's decided to _____ _ ______ between fashionable and accessible"

Back 8

strike a balance

Hint 8

_____ a balance

Front 9

to tell the truth about something, especially something bad or illegal that you have done, so that you do not have to feel guilty any more.

Back 9

make a clean breast of

Hint 9

make _ _____ ______ of

Front 10

to spend (more) money (than) one can afford

Back 10

live beyond/within your means

Hint 10

live _____ _____ ________ ________

Front 11

in every part of a large area

Back 11

run the length (and breadth) of

Hint 11

run the _____ ______ (_____ ____) __

Front 12

to ask someone who knows a lot about a subject for information or their opinion

Back 12

pick sb's brain

Hint 12

____ ___ brain

Front 13

to think very hard

Back 13

rack your brain(s)

Hint 13

rack __ _____

Front 14

an idea or invention considered to be a particular person's creation:"the statue is the ________ __ a local landscape artist"

Back 14

brainchild (of)

Hint 14

____child (__)

Front 15

a sudden clever idea

Back 15

brainwave

Hint 15

brain_____

Front 16

to do sth different from what is usually done

Back 16

break with tradition

Hint 16

break _____ _______

Front 17

to have a one-track mind

Back 17

to think entirely or almost entirely about one subject

Front 18

under the misapprehension that

Back 18

he acted on / under the misapprehension that they would change their minds

Front 19

be two minds about

Back 19

to be unable to decide about something

Front 20

suffice (it) to say

Back 20

it is enough to say

Front 21

( but )only just

Back 21

emphasize something is true, but by such a small degree that it is almost not true at all

Front 22

scrape the barrel ( or the bottom of the barrel )

Back 22

be reduced to using things or people of the poorest quality because there is nothing else available

Front 23

would sooner / would just as soon

Back 23

when we say that we prefer one thing to another thing:

- I don't want any cookies. I'd sooner have biscuits

- Thanks for the invitation, but we'd just as soon stay at home and watch TV.

Front 24

bode ill/well

Back 24

to be a bad or good sign for the future

Front 25

Put forward

Back 25

To offer an idea or opinion, or suggest a plan or person, for other people to consider

Hint 25

I put forward an idea of delivering books to people's doors.

Front 26

Part with

Back 26

To give away or get rid of something

Hint 26

I part with my pen the moment it breaks down.