English Tongue

ENGLISH TONGUE

(1) hit - to arrive at a place or position.
eg : If we turn left at the next junction, we should hit the main road after five miles or so.
(ii) Follow this footpath and you’ll eventually hit the road.
(iii) The President hits town tomorrow.
hit - to reach a particular level.
eg : Temperatures hit 40° yesterday.
(ii) The euro hit a record low in trading today.
(2) reach - to communicate with sb, especially by telephone.
eg : Do you know where I can reach him?
(ii) The only way to reach them in the place where they're staying is by mail.
(iii) I've been trying to reach you on the phone all day.
(3) bump against / into sb/sth - to hit sb/sth by accident.
eg : In the dark I bumped into a chair.
bump sth (against / on sth) - to hit sth, especially a part of your body, against or on sth
eg : Be careful not to bump your head on the beam when you stand up.
(ii) I bumped my head on the shelf as I stood up.
(4) snippet - a small piece of information or news.
eg : Have you got any interesting snippet for me?
(5) hitch - to get a free ride in a person’s car.
eg : Want to hitch a ride with me ?
(6) stalk - to walk in an angry or proud way.
eg : He stalked off without a word.
(7) hover - to stay close to sth, or to stay in an uncertain state .
eg : Temperatures hovered around freezing.
(ii) He hovered on the edge of consciousness.
(iii) A smile hovered on her lips.
(8) make - to manage to reach or go to a place or position:
eg : Do you think we’ll make Dover by 12?
(9) Let me have a go ! - Let me have a turn or try!
She gave me a smile/strange look.
(10) I must go – I have a bus to catch.
(11) Go on ! Have a guess!
(12) You can get me on 9846344346.
(13) I can’t get the lid off.
(14)We can’t ge channel 5 in our area.
get – to receive broadcasts from a particular television or radio station.
(15)Don’t get your dress dirty!
I got some dog dirt on my shoes.
(16)I couldn’t get the car to start this morning.
(17)He got down from the ladder.
(18)I’m getting off (leaving the train)at the next station.
(19)We couldn’t get the piano through the door.
(20) Let me give you a hand with those bags (=help you to carry them)
a hand – help in doing sth
(21)She didn’t get the joke.
get – understand sb/sth
(22)Hear me out before you say anything.
out – to the end; completely.
(23)These shoes won’t do for the party.
(ii)This room will do me nicely,thank you(=it has everything I need)
do –to be suitable or be enough for sb/sth.
(26)That’s precisely what I meant.
(27) I’d prefer you not to make a habit of it.
(ii) I don't mind being woken up once or twice in the middle of the night by my flatmate so long as she doesn't make a habit of it (= do it frequently).
(28)literally - in a literal way
SYN : exactly
eg : The word ‘planet’ literally means ‘wandering body’.
(29) Try to get some rest —you have a busy day tomorrow.
(30) through - travelling through a place without stopping or without people having to get off one train and onto another.
eg : ‘Did you stop in Oxford on the way?’ ‘No, we drove straight through.’
(ii) This train goes straight through to York.
- past a barrier, stage or test.
eg : The lights were red but he drove straight through.
(ii) Our team is through to (= has reached) the semi-finals.
through - from one end or side of sth to the other:.
eg : Put the coffee in the filter and let the water run through.
(ii) The tyre’s flat—the nail has gone right through.
through (with sth/sb) - used to show that you have finished using sth or have ended a relationship with sb.
eg : Are you through with that newspaper?
(ii) Todd and I are through.

(31) seethe (with sth) | seethe (at sth) - to be extremely angry about sth but try not to show other people how angry you are.
SYN : fume
eg : He marched off, seething with frustration.
(ii) Katie stalked away, hoping she appeared cool and calm in spite of the fact that she was seething inside.
(32) snoop - snoop (around / round sth) | snoop (on sb) - to find out private things about sb, especially by looking secretly around a place.
eg : Someone’s been snooping around my apartment.
(ii) journalists snooping on politicians.
(33)Jimmy’s father nailed him smoking cigarattes.
nailed – to find or catch someone doing sth wrong.
(34) glimpse (at sb/sth) / glimpse (of sb/sth) - a look at sb/sth for a very short time, when you do not see the person or thing completely.
eg : He caught a glimpse of her in the crowd.
(35) You should have heard the fuss my mom kicked up!
fuss – anger or complaints about sth,especially sth that is not important.
(36) Be careful not to scratch yourself on the roses.
The car’s paintwork is badly scratched.
(37) gravity - extreme importance and a cause for worry
SYN : seriousness
eg : I don’t think you realise the gravity of the situation.
(38) Bye for now! I’ll catch you later (= speak to you again later).
(39) crack - to make a joke or clever remark.
eg :He's always cracking jokes.
(40) One way to say you are leaving is to say you are 'off'.
eg : I'm off now. See you tomorrow.
(41) behave (yourself) - to do things in a way that people think is correct or polite.
eg : Will you kids just behave!
(ii) I want you to behave yourselves while I’m away.
(42)fit - to be the right shape and size for sb/sth.
eg: I tried the dress on but it didn’t fit.
(ii) That jacket fits well.
(iii) I can’t find clothes to fit me.
(iv) The key doesn’t fit the lock.
(43) She sleeps with the window open.
(44) Check that the plug has not come loose.
(45) after - behind sb when they have left; following sb.
eg : Shut the door after you.
(ii) He ran after her with the book.
(46) before - in the presence of sb who is listening, watching, etc.
eg : He was brought before the judge.
(47) very - used to emphasize that you are talking about a particular thing or person and not about another .
SYN : actual
eg : Those were her very words.
(ii) He might be phoning her at this very moment.
(iii) That’s the very thing I need.
(48) Just give it your best shot (= try as hard as you can) and you’ll be fine.
(49) absorb - to understand facts or ideas completely and remember them.
SYN : take in
eg : It's hard to absorb so much information.
(ii) It’s a lot of information to absorb all at once.
(50)rest - the remaining people or things; the others.
eg: Don’t blame Alex. He’s human, like the rest of us.
(ii) The first question was difficult, but the rest were pretty easy.
(51) resist - to stop yourself from having sth you like or doing sth you very much want to do.
eg : I finished the cake. I couldn’t resist it.
(ii) I found the temptation to miss the class too hard to resist.
(iii) He couldn’t resist showing off his new car.
(52)word - a promise
eg : I said I'd visit him and I shall keep my word.
(ii) You have my word - I won't tell a soul.
word - a promise or guarantee that you will do sth or that sth will happen or is true.
eg: I give you my word that this won’t happen again.
(53) Don’t laugh! I mean it (= I am serious).
(54) OK, you’ve made your point!
(55)reckon - to think sth or have an opinion about sth.
eg: I reckon (that) I’m going to get that job.
(58) They walked back together, talking all the while (= all the time).
(59) square (with sb) - if two teams are square, they have the same number of points.
eg: The teams were all square at half-time.
(ii) They're all square at thirty points each.
(60) Never in all my life have I seen such a horrible thing.
(61) His hair comes right down to his shoulders.
(62) the money which is returned to someone who has paid for something which costs less than the amount that they gave.
eg: I think you've given me the wrong change.
(66) All you need to do is complete this form.
(67) The curtains don't quite meet.
Turn left where the lane meets the main road.
(68) It's really kind of you to help us.
It was very nice of her to drive you home.
It was sweet of you to help me.
(69) undo - to unfasten something that is fastened or tied.
Can someone help me to undo my seat belt?
Why didn't you tell me my zip was undone!
do sth up - to fasten something or become fastened.
Can you help me to do up my dress?
Do your shoes/laces up before you trip over.
These trousers must have shrunk - I can't do the zip up.
Can you do my shoelaces up for me?
(70) pour - to come or go somewhere continuously in large numbers.
eg: Letters of complaint continue to pour in.
(ii) Refugees have been pouring into neighbouring countries to escape the civil war.
SYN :flood
(71) put on weight - to become heavier, especially by the amount mentioned
SYN : gain
eg : She looks like she’s put on weight.
She is trying to lose weight (= become less heavy and less fat)
(72) try sth on - to put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits and how it looks
eg : Try the shoes on before you buy them.
(73) crazy about sth - very enthusiastic or excited about sth.
eg : Rick is crazy about football.
(ii) I’m not crazy about Chinese food (= I don’t like it very much).
(74) the last minute / moment - the latest possible time before an important event.
eg: They changed the plans at the last minute.
(ii) Don’t leave your decision to the last moment.
(75) There are no prizes for guessing (= it is very easy to guess) who she was with.
(76) shoot questions at sb - to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly, one after the other
eg: He shot questions at me so quickly that I didn't even have time to answer.
(77)set - to get something ready so that it comes into operation or can be used.
eg: The heating is set to come on at 5.00 p.m.
(ii)Have you set up the video recorder?
(iii)I usually set my watch by the time signal on the radio.
(iv)He set the alarm for 7.00 a.m.
(78) get round (somewhere) - If news or information gets round, a lot of people hear about it.
eg: News of her pregnancy soon got round (the office).
(79) get round / around to sth - to find the time to do sth.
eg: I meant to do the ironing but I didn’t get round to it.
(ii) I hope to get around to answering your letter next week.
(iii) I still haven't got round to fixing that tap.
(80) show sb out - lead a visitor who is leaving to the door of a room or building.
eg : Let me show you out - it’s quite hard to find the exit from here.
(81) curl up - to sit or lie in a position with your arms and legs close to your body.
eg: She curled up on the sofa to watch TV.
(82) never live sth down - to be unable to stop feeling embarrassed about something you have done.
eg: I wish I'd never opened my mouth in the meeting - I'm never going to live it down!
(83) stuff sb / yourself (with sth) | stuff your face - to eat a lot of food or too much food; to give sb a lot or too much to eat.
eg: He sat at the table stuffing himself.
(ii) Don’t stuff the kids with chocolate before their dinner.
(84) I hear that you’re a writer—is that so (= is that true)?
(85)play around - to behave in a silly way.
eg: Stop playing around and get on with your homework!
(86) The sex scenes had been cut out of the English version of the film.
cut - to remove something from something else.
(87) hold still - used to tell someone to stop moving
eg: Hold still, this won't hurt.
(89) momentum - the ability to keep increasing or developing:
The fight for his release gathers momentum each day.
They began to lose momentum in the second half of the game.
(90) for the moment / present - for now; for a short time.
eg: This house is big enough for the moment, but we’ll have to move if we have children.
(91) down under - (in or to) Australia or New Zealand.
eg: She was born in Scotland, but she's been living down under for 22 years.
(92) not bad - very good.
eg: He was best in his age group - not bad, eh?
(93) breathe (new) life into - to bring new ideas and energy to
eg: We need some new people to breathe life into this project.
(94) bring sth to life - to make something more real or exciting, or to become more real or exciting.
eg: It's always been an interesting period in history and this film really brought it to life.
(95) walk of life - When people talk about walk(s) of life they are referring to different types of jobs and different levels of society.
eg: We've got lawyers in this club, and builders and hairdressers - people from all (different) walks of life.
(96) I'm sorry to say - used to show that something which must be said causes sadness or disappointment.
eg: I'm sorry to say that the project's funding has been cancelled.
(ii)Most people who start the course do, I'm sorry to say, give up within the first two weeks.
(97) have sb on - to persuade someone that something is true when it is not, usually as a joke
eg: That's your new car? You're having me on!
(98) behind the wheel - driving a motor vehicle.
eg: I'm a different person when I'm behind the wheel.
(99) towards - for the purpose of buying or achieving something.
eg: I'm saving up to buy a car, and Dad has given me some money towards it.
Would you like to make a contribution (= give some money) towards a present for Linda?
The work that students do during the term counts towards their final grade.
(100) cope - to deal successfully with a difficult situation.
eg: It must be difficult to cope with three small children and a job.
Will she be able to cope with the work?
The hostages had been confined for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.
The teacher said that he found it difficult to cope with a class of disaffected teenagers.
The emergency services are working at full stretch today to cope with the accident.