SHIT I NEED TO KNOW FOR CAE

IDIOMS, EXPRESSIONS, PHRASAL VERBS AND STUFF

claw my way back - improve situation with big effort

keep plugging away - work persistently

put things into perspective - compare with sth to give a clearer, accurate idea

side-tracked - to be distracted

to tackle something - deal with something

insurmountable - too great to be overcome

second nature - habit that has become characteristic

permutations - variations, ways in which a set or number of things can be ordered

nerve-racking - causing stress or anxiety

on the off-chance - just in case

on a whim - done without thinking seriously about consequences

on principle - according to a moral rule or personal belief

on target - as predicted

on duty - at work

to get carried away - lose control, lose oneself

to carry someone/sth off - to steal

to carry through - to complete something that was planned despite difficulties

to carry over - extend beyond the original area of application

to carry out - doing a particular work, research

to carry down - to take something from a higher to a lower place

to wear on - pass (time) slowly

to wear through - to grind or rub something

to wear off - lose effectiveness

to wear out - tire, exhaust

to wear down - gradually lose energy

to wear away - become thin and disappear after repeated use or rubbing

have the world at one's feet - extremely successful

be in seventh heaven - very happy

be a feather in one's cap - an achievement to be proud of

have one's head in the clouds - to be unaware of the surroundings

keep up with the Joneses - to always want to own expensive things and do things as your friends

to rub someone up the wrong way - to annoy without intent

steal the show - attract most praise

work one's fingers to the bone - work very hard

work one's way up to the top - to make progress

keep on top - stay well-informed about the status of sth

to beam (someone beaming at you) - good-natured look, smile

incivility - rude behaviour

affluent - wealthy

prosaic - commonplace, unromantic

to take up - start sth

block out - to obscure a clear view of sth

to run through - examine

dismay - concern and distress caused by sth unexpected

gratifying - give pleasure

bring the house down - to excite the audience

face the music - be confronted with the unpleasant consequences of one's actions

let one's hair down - behave uninhibitedly, freely

off the beaten track - in or into an isolated place

on a shoestring budget - very tight budget

on the house - free

on the edge of one's seat - very excited and giving full attention

paint the town red - go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly

read between the lines - look for or discover meaning that is implied rather than stated

desolate - uninhabited, bleak emptiness

windswept - exposed to strong winds

startling - very surprising

bare - simple, basic

blistering - intense

quarrelsome - given to or characterized by quarrelling

compliant - disposed to agree with others

conciliatory - intended or likely to placate or pacify

unfeeling - unsympathetic

obstinate - stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion despite attempts of persuasion

perplexing - baffling, puzzling

conscientious - careful, vigilant

heart of gold - very kind

slip of the tongue - minor mistake in speech

grain of truth - smallest amount of truth

change of heart - move to a different opinion

glimmer of hope - slight chance of sth positive happening

glow of satisfaction - good feeling of some kind

be/have/need a shoulder to cry on - someone who is willing to listen to you and give sympathy

be on cloud nine - extremely happy

look on the bright side - positive aspects of a negative situation

have a whale of a time - fun time

sweep someone off their feet - make them fall in love with you

be a wet blanket - dull or depressing person

be full of beans - a lot of energy and enthusiasm

be down in the dumps - unhappy

cry one's heart out - weep bitterly and at length

hit rock bottom - reach lowest possible level, worst possible situation

embezzlement - withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets (theft)

jaywalking - cross or walk in the street or road unlawfully

slander - making a false, negative spoken statement about someone

libel - making a false written statement about someone

loitering with intent - waiting around for no unspecified purpose

foot the bill - to pay for something

on the fringes of society - homeless men, drug dealers, not acceptable to general society

take the law into one's hands - punish someone for an offence according to one's ideas of justice

bridge the generation gap - difference of opinions between one generation and the other

the law of the jungle - survival of the fittest, those who are strong and apply ruthless self-interest will be successful

rob peter to pay paul - to use resources that belong to a party to pay another party

charity begins at home - a person's first responsibility is for the needs of their own family and friends

throw oneself on the mercy of the court - to seek mercy from a court of law

break the mould - to do sth differently after it has been done the same for a long time

blind someone with science - confuse someone with technical language

move with the times - keep abreast of current thinking or developments

once in a blue moon - very rarely

turn the clock back - to try to return to the past

come down to earth - become realistic

reinvent the wheel - waste a great deal of time or effort in creating something that already exists

it doesn't take a rocket scientist - it's obvious

stand the test of time - last or remain popular for a long time

transfixed - cause someone to become motionless with horror

blunders - stupid or careless mistake

arduous - involving strenuous effort

mind-numbing - so extreme or intense as to prevent normal thought

strenuous - requiring great deal of effort

beaver away at sth - to work hard for a long time

keep one's mind on the job - to concentrate

get sth off the ground - start or cause to start happening successfully

be someone's right hand man - somebody you can rely on, helps you

call the shots - take the initiative

keep one's nose to the grindstone - work hard and constantly

adamant - refusing to be persuaded

stifle - restrain or stop oneself acting on

efficacious - successful in producing a desired or intended result

be over the hill - too old to do things well

be given a clean bill of health - news that you are healthy

be black and blue - covered in livid bruises

fit as a fiddle - in very good health

kick up one's heels - have a lively, enjoyable time

be of sound mind and body - healthy psychologically and physically

have nerves of steel - very steady nerves, great patience and courage

keep a stiff upper lip - act as though you are not upset

diligent - having or showing care and conscientiousness in one's work

mystified - bewildered

feel for - understanding of

broad - general

key - crucial

debate - discussion

flick through - search quickly

discarding - rejecting

iconoclastic - sth new that shatters old beliefs

to skim - to look/read quickly to find main ideas

to compile - to put together in one

seminary - seminar teologic

excerpt - extract

easel - sevalet

test tube - eprubeta

glass slide - lama de microscop

musical score - portativ

to cram - to study hastily

archaic - old

bigoted - intolerant of other's opinions

be the teacher's pet - be favourized by the teacher

mind one's p's and q's - mind your own business

fall by the wayside - to come to nothing

by the way - incidentally

by chance - coincidentally

by word of mouth - through conversations

by the book - do exactly as instructed

by and by - eventually

by and large - generally speaking

by law - legally

to drag down - to ruin, lessen sb

to keep to - to adhere

to keep up with - to stay level with

to drag out of - to manage to elicit

to drag in - to inappropriately mention

to drag on - to continue unnecessarily

to keep on - to continue to employ

oxymoron - 2 contradictory terms together

to secret - to hide

to coerce - to persuade

traditionalist - people who refuse change

paramount - most important

voracious - very keen

exuberant - lively and excitable

to affect - to pretend

to lug - to carry smth heavy

perverse - unconventional and unreasonable

assuaged - relieved

unabashedly - not ashamed

a stone's throw - close

to put your heart and soul into sth - to give your all

to pull out all the stops - to make every effort to achieve sth

to pick your brain - to probe for an answer

to put all your eggs in one basket - to make everything based on only 1 thing

imperative - vital importance, crucial

wayward - difficult to control

fortuitously - by chance

assertive - self-assured, confidently aggresive

unassuming - not pretentious or arrogant, modest

impish - mischievous

coarse - rude

stuffy - not repective to new ideas

down-and-out - poor

down in the mouth - unhappy

ups and downs - mixture of both good and bad experiences

down the drain - wasted

down-to-earth - practical and realistic

hand-me-downs - used clothes

down payment - deposit

down-at-heel - shabby

go over - consider, examine

go at - attack

go under - become bankrupt

go up - increase

pick on - to bully

pick at - to pluck or pull at, especially with fingers

pick out - to choose, select

pick over - to sort out or examine item by item

ethereal - extremely delicate and light in a way that seems not to be of this world

irrefutable - impossible to deny or disprove

demise - death

communal - used or share in common by everyone in a group

cost an arm and a leg - very expensive

tighten one's belt - to manage to spend less money

save for a rainy day - to reserve sth for future need

make ends meet - to earn and spend equal amounts of money

keep one's head above water - manage to survive financially, keep up with one's work

be one's meal ticket - person depended on as a source of financial support

have a nest egg - a sum of money saved for the future

go from rags to riches - start life very poor and later become very rich

earn one's bread and butter - someone's basic income

gratification - pleasurable emotional reaction of happiness after fulfillment of a desire or goal

witty - showing or characterized by quick and inventive verbal humour