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Unit One
About - getting started
1. a) I'm looking for a college teaching job. How do I go about finding one ?
b) How do you go about buying a new car ?
go about - proceed; to begin working at sth; tackle; also. set about
2. a) I don't know if I'm going to fly yet. I know to see about the weather.
b) "The school trip's really cheap and Dad says I can go." "We'll have to see about that."
We'll have to see about that - spokn. used to say that you do not know if sth will be possible
3. a) I would like to think about your offer before I make a down payment on the house.
b) Salary is important all right, but the health benefits are something else to think about.
think about - consider
4. a) Too often it comes about that one tells a white lie to avoid unpleasantness, only to learn that honesty is the best policy.
b) Did you plan to share an apartment with an American student, or did it come about by accident ?
come about - to happen, esp in a way that seems impossible to control
5. a) Until that day, I liked my roommate, Now I can't stand him. Let me tell you what brought about my change in attitude.
b) What brought about your decision to come to the States ?
bring about - cause; to make sth happen
6. a) Word has been getting about that you've taken another job. Are you really leaving, or is it just a rumor ?
get about - if news or information gets about, it is told to a lot of people; circulate
b) Without a car, how do you manage to get about ?
get about - to be able to go or travel to different places
Unit Two
Across - movement, change, transfer & progress
1. a) When I lost the bet, she told me to come across with the money.
b) My roommate had owed me $10 for a week, and still hasn't come across with it, Creditors have better memories than debtors.
come across with - to provide money or information when it is needed; deliver (=to perform successfully, esp after promising)
2. a) I came across my great-grandfather's picture as I rummaged through an old trunk in the attic.
b) While cleaning my room, I come across a letter I've never answered.
c) He had never come across a person quite like Sheila.
come across - to meet, find or discover smn of sth by accident or by chance; bump into
3. a) The classroom demonstration got across the major principle of the lecture. A picture is worth a thousand words.
b) The professor knows his subject but has trouble getting his idea across to his students.
get across - convey; to succeed in communicating ideas, information etc to smn else; get sth across to sb
4. a) See those two fellows standing in the corner and whispering to each other ? Are they trying to put something across ?
b) Once someone puts something across on you, you may become suspicious that the other people are trying to cheat you too.
put across - deceive
5. a) At the library yesterday, I ran across an old friend.
b) At the supermarket, I usually buy items that are not on my shopping list - things I just happen to run across.
run across - to meet or find smn or sth by chance; bump into
Unit Four
Lesson.1 Around - encircling, engaging, involving, circulation or meddling
1. a) Many college graduates bum around for a year or two before they settle down.
b) When I'm just bumming around a shopping center, and I don't want salespeople to bother me, I say "I'm just looking today."
bum around - wander; to spend time dozily doing nothing
2. a) At first, she refused to cooperate, but after some coaxing, she did come around.
b) I thought the boss would never give me a rise, but after an hour of quarreling, he finally came around.
come around - acquiesce; AmE. to change your opinion so that you now agree with smn
3. a) He came around after we threw cold water on his face.
b) The accident victim was in a coma for six hours, and then he came around.
come around - regain consciousness; AmE. to become conscious again
4. a) Children must be taught not to fool around with matches.
b) You can watch TV, but don't fool around with the controls.
fool around [+with] - play with; to behave in a careless and irresponsible way
5. a) Before the exam, the questions got around to some of the and that wasn't fair.
get around - if news or information gets around or gets round, a lot of people come to hear about it ; circulate
b) In this town, you need a car to get around.
get around - to be able to go or travel to different places
6. a) I don't know when we'll get around to doing any more decorating.
b) I'll get around to washing the windows after I take a nap.
get around to doing - to finally do sth that you have been intending to do for sometime; finally manage to do
7. a) Are your friends foreign students, or do you go around with Americans ?
b) They haven't announced their engagement, but they've been going around together for six months now.
go around - socialize
8. a) Put another cup of water in the soup or there might not be enough to go around.
b) The instructor handed out a reading list, but there were not enough copies to go around.
go around - accommodate everybody; to be enough for everyone to have sth
9. a) Have you seen the petition that's been going around ?
b) You can't believe every rumor that goes around.
go around - circulate; if an illness, some news etc is going around it is being passed from one person to another
10.a) A neighborhood bar is not just a place that sells drinks. It's a place where people go to hang around.
b) Not everyone on campus is a student; some are just hanging around.
hang around - wait idly; inform. to wait or stay somewhere with no real purpose
11. Stop horsing around, you'll break something !
horse around/ about - inform. to play roughly
Lesson.2
1. a) I quit that job when I saw that some workers were treated decently but others were kicked around.
b) To their readers, newspapers are the watchdogs of government. To politicians, newspapers amuse their readers by kicking politicians around.
kick around/ about - treat unkindly; to treat smn badly and unfairly
2. a) That's an interesting theory; let's kick it around for a while.
b) We kicked around the idea of going into business together.
kick around/about - discuss casually; to discuss an idea with a group of people in order to decide whether if is good or not
3. a) My wife and I have been playing around with the idea of buying a farm.
b) It may not be a practical idea, but it's a pleasant thought to play around with.
play around with - discuss casually
4. a) Don't play around with that dog; it bites.
b) It's dangerous to play around with electricity; you have to know what you're doing.
play around with - handle irresponsibly
5. a) Vacation days became empty and boring. I began to hope for September to roll around, and for school to begin.
b) Don't let the moths get into our woolen clothes. We'll need them when winter rolls around.
roll around - arrive; if sth that happens regularly rolls around, it happens again
6. a) I'm a full-time student and hold a part-time job; I just don't have time to run around.
b) He runs around with people who like to attend rock concerts.
run around - socialize actively
7. a) Prices just keep going up, and it seems as if the trend will never turn around.
b) I used to be opposed to capital punishment, but my thinking is beginning to turn around.
turn around - reverse
Unit Five
Aside - reserved, discarded, or saved for later
1. a) I raised several questions about buying a car, but all my objections were brushed aside.
b) The landlady said "Let's talk about that another time." but I would not let her brush my complaints aside.
brush aside - to refuse to listen to or consider sth; dismiss/ disregard
2. a) I can't spend everything I earn. I must put my money aside for my trip home.
b) I wish I could put aside a certain amount of time for study every day.
put aside - reserve; to save money regularly, usu for a particular purpose
3. a) I can't pay for this now, but if you set it aside till next Sunday. I'll come back and buy it.
b) The Pilgrims set aside a day for thanksgiving.
set aside [+for] - reserve; to keep sth, esp money or time, for a special purpose and only use it for that purpose
Unit Six
At - motion toward a person, place, or thing
1. a) What do you suppose she was driving at when she said she didn't like to cook ?
b) He asked her if she's like to listen to his new stereo, and she wondered what he was driving at.
what sb is driving at - the thing smn is really trying to say
2. a) The professor offered to make me her lab assistant, and I jumped at the opportunity.
b) When I was asked to take the job of office manager, I jumped at it.
jump at sth - to eagerly accept the chance to do sth; seize
3. a) Did your parents have to keep at you to do your homework ?
b) To learn a new language, it's not enough to practice once in a while; You've got to keep at it.
keep at - continue persistently; to continue working hard at sth
4. a) When I first told my friends I wanted to study at an American university, they laughed at me.
b) Dress warmly; no one will laugh at your big hat in this freezing weather.
laugh at - ridicule
5. a) I'm sorry you were laid off, but look at it this way; You were beginning to outgrow the job anyway.
b) Was it right or wrong to punish the children ? That depends on how you look at it.
look at - to think about sth in a particular way
6. a) She come to look at the coats that were on sale.
b) An auditor is looking at our bookkeeping department.
look at - inspect; to study and consider sth, esp in order to decide what to do
7. a) Was the repairman really trying to finish the job, or was he playing at it ?
b) Some instructors really take their job seriously, and others seem to play at it.
play at - if you play at doing sth, you do not do it properly or seriously; pretend to do sth
8. a) If you continue to come to work late, I won't be able to wink at it.
b) Alice was supposed to be home at midnight, but if she was just fifteen minutes late, her parents were willing to wink at it.
wink at - ignore; to pretend not to notice sth bad or illegal, in a way that suggests you approve of it
Unit Seven
Lesson.1 Away - separation (from happy or unhappy things, evoking unhappy memories)
1. a) Television has a hypnotic effect on him. Once he starts watching TV, he find it hard to break away from it.
b) Going away to college means breaking away from home and neighborhood.
break away [+from] - detach oneself; to leave a group or political party to form another group, usu because of a disagreement
2. a) The concert audience was carried away by the singer's performance.
b) Since they returned from their trip, all my friends talk about is Hawaii. They were really carried away by its beauty.
be/ get carried away - to be so excited, angry, interested etc that you are no longer really in control of what you do or say, or you forget everything else
3. a) Before the new furniture could be brought into the house, the old sofa had to be carried away.
b) We save old newspapers, cans, and bottles, and once a week the recycling truck carreis it all away.
carry away - remove
4. a) In high school we are close friends. Then he took a job, I went off to college, and our friendship gradually died away.
b) Fads come and go. Suddenly, everyone must learn a certain dance, and then interest in it dies away.
die away - decline; if sound, wind, or light dies away, ti becomes gradually weaker and finally stops
5. a) A robber sometimes tries to do away with his victim so that he won't be identified.
b) That movie was too violent - both sides were trying to do away with each other.
do away with - inform. to kill smn
6. a) An objective of committee is to do away with unfair discrimination against women.
b) Government should help the poor, but can it also do away with poverty ?
do away with - eliminate; to get rid of sth so that it does not exist any longer
7. a) Because he was a good student, he could get away with hanging in his paper a day late.
b) My nephew does things I could never get away with when I was a child.
get away with - escape punishment of; to not be caught or punished for sth you have done wrong
8. a) During the prison riots, four prisoners succeeded in getting away.
b) What makes a vacation exciting is where you're going and what you're getting away from.
get away - escape; to succeed in leaving a place, esp when this is not easy
Lesson.2
1. a) Today I'm sorting through my clothes. I'll give away what I'm no longer wearing.
b) After our garage sale, we gave away what was left over.
give away - donate; to give sth to another person because you do not want it any longer or because they need it more than you
2. a) Don't ask a magician to give away the tricks of the trade.
b) In his autobiography, he claims to give away the secret of his financial success.
give away - to tell smn sth that you should keep secret; reveal
3. a) The doctor assured me that if I followed her advice, the discomfort would go away in a few days.
b) There's a spot on my tie. Can you make it go away without leaving a ring ?
go away - disappear; if a problem, unpleasant feeling etc goes away, it disappears
4. a) I waited for the stranger to go away.
b) I wish I could make those pigeons go away from the window sill.
go away - depart; to leave a place or a person
5. a) The professor hammers away at his favorite topic.
b) The prosecutor hammered away at the inconsistencies in the defendant's testimony.
hammer away at - to repeat sth continuously until you are sure that people understand or accept what you're saying
7. a) If you put a $5 deposit on the coat, we'll lay it away for you for one week.
b) I'd rather lay away a purchase than buy it on credit.
lay away - reserve
cf) layaway. AmE. a method of buying goods in which the goods are kept by the seller for a small amount of money until the full price is paid
Lesson.3
1. a) He thinks that if he travels with shabby luggage, no one will try to make away with it.
b) Two robbers held up the clerk and made away with the payroll.
make away with - to steal sth
2. It was a sad day when Grandfather passed away. May he rest in peace.
pass away - an expression meaning to die, used because you want to avoid upsetting smn by saying this directly
4. a) After the dishes have dried, put them away in the cupboard.
b) Vacation time had come and I was happy to put away my books.
put away - to put sth in the place where it is usually kept
5. a) At the zoo, we watched a lion put away a meat.
b) He puts away, load of pancakes like a lumberjack.
put away - to eat or drink a lot; devour
cf) lumberjack. smn whose job is cutting down trees or selling wood
6. a) The convicted criminal was put away for ten years.
b) The judge pondered over whether to put the man away or place him on parole.
put away - to put smn in a prison or in a mental hospital
7. a) Daydreams about running away from home sometimes occupy the mind of a child.
b) The landlord asked for a security deposit to make sure his tenant wouldn't run away without paying his rent.
run away - to leave a place, esp secretly, in order to escape from smn or sth
Lesson.4
2. a) There's a solicitor at the door. Would you please send him away ?
b) Before he could explain why he had rung their doorbell, they sent him away.
send away - to send smn to another place; ask to leave
4. a) To keep out of trouble, stay away form bad company.
b) I try to stay away from crowds during the flu season.
stay away from - avoid
cf) We've always tried to keep out of local politics.
keep out of sth - to try not to become involved in sth
6. a) The sailors discovered that a boy had stowed away in one of lifeboats.
b) The ship's officers checked all the passengers to prevent anyone from stowing away.
stow away - to hide on a ship or plane in order to travel secretly or without paying
cf) stowaway. smn who stows away
8. a) That old pair of shoes - do you want to do have them repaired, or shall I throw them away ?
b) Keeping library books overdue is like throwing away money.
throw away - to get rid of sth that you do not want or need
9. a) The tailor returned a few pieces of material and told me to tuck them away in case I ever needed a patch.
b) My husband doesn't know that I tuck a few dollars away every week in addition to our regular savings.
tuck away - inform. to store sth, esp money, in a safe place
Unit Eight
Lesson.1 Back - a loss of position a retreat, a worsening of one's circumstance
1. a) Inflation has forced the college to cut back the number of courses offered in summer school this year.
b) We are trying to cut back our expenses and save for a car.
cut back - to reduce the numbers of sth, or the time or money that is spent on sth, esp because you do not have enough money
4. a) "Unless we can keep our best faculty members." the dean explained, "We will fall back in our standing among American Colleges."
b) The week I had a bad cold, I fell back in most of my subjects.
fall back - move to an inferior position; if soldiers fall back, they move back because they are being attacked
5. a) I'd gladly walk you home but I don't like to get back after dark.
b) It's a three-day trip ; If we start out on Tuesday, we'll get back home on Friday.
get back - to return to a place
6. a) If he promised to lend you the book, he will. He doesn't go back on his word.
b) The boss told me I would get a raise this month. Today he pleaded that the business is bad and went back on his promise.
go back on word/ promise - to break or not succeed in keeping to an agreement or promise; renege (=fail to keep a promise)
7. a) The sight of our professor with mismatched shoes was so funny that we could hardly hold back our laughter.
b) She got carried away by the sentimental movie, and found it impossible to hold back her tears.
hold back - to stop yourself from feeling or showing a particular emotion; suppress
8. a) When the presidential party arrived, a line of police hold back the crowd.
b) My dog would have lunged at the strangers, if I hadn't held him back with the leash.
hold back - to make smn or sth to stop moving forward; restrain
Lesson.2
1. a) We'll have to roll back our expenses, or we'll never pay back our debts.
b) In our economy, it is easier to increase wages than roll back prices.
roll back - AmE. to reduce the price of sth
2. a) The new car must have set him back thousands of dollars.
b) That traffic ticket set back my bank account by $50.
set back - inform. to cost smn a lot of money
3. a) I have to watch my fool habits because an illness could set back my schooling by a whole year. Health is wealth.
b) War has sometimes advanced technological progress, but set back social progress.
set back - to delay the development of sth, or delay smn from finishing sth; retard
4. a) After hearing about the landlady's generosity toward tenant who lost her job, I take back everything I ever said about her.
b) He took back his nasty words about her family, and she accepted his apology.
take back - to admit that you were wrong to say sth; retract
6. a) The child pushed at his playmate to get back at him for kicking him.
b) He felt deceived and was waiting for a chance to get back at the person who had tricked him.
get back at - to do sth to hurt or harm smn who has hurt or harmed you; retaliate
cf) I'm a bit busy at the moment - can I get back to you ?
get back to - esp. spokn. used to say that you will try to talk to smn again later, esp on the telephone
7. a) I don't mind lend you $10 until Saturday if you'll give it back.
b) She read the letter, signed it, and gave it back to Rae.
give back - to return sth to the person who owned it before; return sth
8. a) Before I go home, I want to pay back all my debts.
b) Pay back what you owe ; then we can talk about taking a vacation.
pay back - to give smn the money that you owe them; repay; return money
9. a) Today I must tolerate his rudeness, but some day I'll pay him back.
b) The character in the book was obsessed with paying back all those who had injured him.
pay back - to make smn suffer for doing sth wrong or unpleasant; avenge oneself
11.a) He suspected he got a poor grade because he had once talked back to the teacher.
b) I can't stand children who talk back.
talk back - to answer smn rudely after they have criticized you or told you to do sth
12.a) If you're not satisfied with your purchase, take it back.
b) While I'm hear, I'll take back the roasting pan I lent you last week.
take back - to take sth you have bought back to a shop because it is not suitable
Unit Nine
By - making connections & establishing links
1. a) How did you come by this apartment ?
b) My uncle come by his fortune in a most unexpected way.
come by - to obtain sth that is rare or difficult to find
3. a) Unless I take a part-time job, I don't know how I'll manage to get by.
b) While you're a student, you don't expect to get rich; you just want to get by.
get by - to have enough money to buy the things you need, but no more
4. a) Next year, I'd like to make the honors list, but this year I'll be satisfied to get by.
b) I know it isn't an outstanding piece of writing, but do you think it will get by ?
get by - barely pass
5. a) When I was offered the job, I had the feeling that this was an opportunity I couldn't let go by.
b) We sat on the park bench and watched the people go by.
go by - to pass
6. a) When you're a newcomer, you must go by the advice of more experienced people whose judgement you trust.
b) It's interesting to hear the weather reports, but you can't always go by them completely.
go by - to use the information or advice you get from a person, a book, a set of rules; be guided by
8. a) "Don't worry about the quality of the merchandise." the salesperson assured us. "We stand by what we sell."
b) Can I have that promise in writing ?" she asked the realestate salesperson. "Yes." he answered, "We stand by every promise we make."
stand by - to keep a promise, agreement etc, or to declare that sth is still true; take responsibility for
9. a) I don't get a regular allowance from home, but my family is always standing by in case of emergency.
b) The English proverb "A friend in need is a friend indeed" means you're really a person's friend if you stand by someone when he or she is in trouble.
stand by - to stay loyal to smn and support them, esp in a difficult situation; offer support
10.a) An experienced player can improvise, but a beginner must stick by the rules.
b) Never mind what the gas station attendant said, let's stick by the road map.
stick by - to do what you said you would do or what you think should do; follow
Unit Ten
Lesson.2 Down - hostility, oppression & defeat (expressing the conflictual side of life)
1. Why are you so down on him ?
be down on sb / sth - prejudiced against; dislike; angry at ; inform. to have a low opinion of smn or sth
2. a) Giving frequent quizzes is the professor's way of bearing down on his students to study regularly.
b) Some kids you need to bear down on, and others can't stand the pressure.
bear down on - to move quickly toward smn in a threatening way; exert pressure
5. a) If she gets home past midnight, her parents come down on her pretty hard.
b) Just like a bully, he's always coming down on the smallest kid around.
come down on - to punish smn or criticize them severely
6. a) The instructor used to be quite lax about taking attendance, but last week she began to crack down.
b) The traffic police are cracking down on parking violators.
crack down [+on] - to become more strict in dealing with a problem and punishing the people involved; enforce compliance
cf) crackdown. severe action that is taken in order to deal with problem
7. a) If a supervisor has to dress down an employee, it's a good policy to do that in private.
dress down - to speak angrily or severely to smn about sth they have done wrong; reprimand
b) For failing to turn in his grades on time, the department head gave the instructor a merciless dressing down.
give sb a dressing down - to talk smn angrily because they have done sth wrong
9. Mr Garcia looks down on anyone who hasn't had a college education.
look down on - to think that you are better than smn else, for example because you are more successful, or of a higher social class than they are; belittle
10.a) Her paper was marked down because it was handed in a week late.
b) He thought it was unfair to mark down his homework because of sloppiness.
mark down - to give smn a lower result in a test or exam because of sth they have done wrong
11. I hate the way Dave puts me down the whole time.
put down - to keep criticizing smn in front of other people
12.a) Paula's jealous of you - that's why she keeps running you down.
b) Don't run yourself down.
run down - inform. to say things that are rude, unpleasant, or unfair about smn or sth
Lesson.3 Down - relief from the tensions of life
1. It'll be difficult to break down their prejudices about lesbians.
break down - to change the fixed ideas or feeling that smn or a group of people have so that they agree with yours; overcome
6. Everybody settle down so we can hear the story.
settle down - to stop talking or behaving in an excited way, or to make smn do this; relax
7. a) Right now, he's too agitated. Let him simmer down and then we'll talk to him.
b) Simmer down, Holly - it won't help to lose your temper.
simmer down - spokn. used to tell smn to be less excited, angry etc
Lesson.4 Down - describing work & accomplishment
1. a) The reporter had to boil down the story to half its original length.
b) The whole question boils down to "Whom do you believe ?"
boil down - to make information shorter by not including anything that is not necessary; summarize
2. a) Problems of teenagers today can be broken down into several categories.
b) We cannot discuss such a broad question without breaking it down into some specific questions.
break down - to separate sth such as a job or report into parts, esp so that it is easier to do or understand; analyze
4. a) Our vacation is over; let's buckle down to our everyday responsibilities.
b) You's better buckle down to some revision now.
buckle down [+to] - to start working seriously.
5. a) What it all came down to in the end was a dispute over who gets the money.
b) After listening to him for five minutes, I could see what all his talk was coming down to.
come down to - if a complicated situation or problem comes down to sth, it is the single most important point or choice
6. a) It's time to stop talking and get down to business.
b) Let's not be distracted by side issues. Let's get down to the major problem.
get down to - to finally start doing sth that needs a lot of time or energy
Lesson.5 Down - describing the transfer of ideas & what's happening
3. The test which has come down to us is only a fragment of the original.
come down to - if a document, object, idea etc comes down to smn, it has survived from a long time ago until the present; be passed on
4. a) He stood at the corner and tried to flag down a taxi.
b) The policeman waved his flashlight to flag down a car.
flag down - to make the driver of a vehicle stop by waving at them; signal
5. a) It's a court reporter's job to get down everything that's said during a trial.
b) a group of reporters trying to get down every word he said
get down - to write sth, esp sth that smn is saying
6. a) After two hours of deliberation, the jury handed down a verdict of guilty as charged.
b) The judge handed down a stiff penalty.
hand down a decision/ ruling/ sentence etc - to officially announce a decision, a punishment etc
7. a) Let me jot down your number and I'll call you tomorrow.
b) Keep a pencil near the phone to jot down messages.
jot down - to write sth quickly
Lesson.6 Down - a physical descent, a reduction, or disintegration
1. a) When demand is down, stores stop ordering.
b) Why is the class average down this year ?
be down - be lower
2. a) The midsummer day, the sun beat down on the dusty road.
b) Back home, people wear wide-brimmed hats so the sun doesn't beat down on their heads.
beat down - if the sun beats down, it shines very brightly and the weather is hot; shine intensely
3. a) A smart shopper knows at which stores prices are firm, and where it is possible to beat down the price.
b) He wanted £4500 for the car but I beat him down to £3850.
beat down - to persuade smn to reduce a price
4. To see our dog bolt down his food, you'd think he hadn't eaten in days.
bolt down - to eat very quickly; swallow without chewing
5. Every time our washer breaks down we have to call the repairer.
break down - fail
6. The accountant broke our budget down into assets and liabilities.
break down - analyze
8. a) I'll have to find a new repair shop, since my auto mechanic retired and closed down his business.
b) "You mean we put all our savings in that bank ? How do we know it won't close down operations ?"
close down - if a company, shop etc closes down or is closed down, it stops operating permanently
Lesson.7
2. a) Wait to buy a house until interest rates come down.
b) Ever since I started to work, my school grades have been coming down.
come down - if a price, level etc comes down, it becomes lower
3. a) I'm think I'm coming down with a cold.
b) Dress warmly and stay away from crowds. I don't want you coming down with anything.
come down with - inform. to be ill with sth infectious, esp sth that is not very serious; succumb to
4. We are always asking "Should we try to earn more money, or cut down our expense ?"
cut down - to reduce the amount of sth that you eat, buy, use etc
5. The essay's too long - it needs cutting down a little.
cut down - to reduce the length of sth such as a piece of writing
6. a) My doctor's told me to cut down on Carbohydrates.
b) The doctor advised him to cut down on smoking or to give up cigarettes entirely.
cut down on - (similar to #4)
7. a) Don't worry, the gossip will soon die down.
b) Everyone wanted to read that book last year, but interest in it has begun to die down.
die down - if sth dies down, it becomes less strong, active, or violent; diminish
9. a) A long streak of bad luck began to get him down.
b) "All this waiting and delay is really getting her down.
get sb down - to gradually make smn feel unhappy and tired; discourage
10.a) The child put the pill on his tongue, but didn't know how to get it down.
b) The first time I tasted whiskey, I had trouble getting it down.
get down - to succeed in swallowing sth
Lesson.8
1. a) Chang went down to Sampras in the third set.
b) The Democratic Party wins in most congressional elections, but goes down in most presidential elections.
go down - to lose match or competition; suffer defeat
2. a) Abrham Lincoln has gone down in history as the president who freed the slaves.
b) The year 1991 went down in history as the end of the Soviet Union.
go down in history - be remembered for many years
cf) The talks went down as a landmark in the peace process.
go down [+as/ in] - to be recorded or remembered in a particular way
3. a) It is next to impossible for a student to hold down a full-time job.
b) He's never held down a job for longer than a few weeks.
hold down a job - to succeed in keeping a job for a period of time
4. a) We shall hold down prices until the new year.
b) Inflation has forced us to hold down our spending.
hold down - to prevent sth such as prices from rising; control
c) Throughout history, rulers have used brutal methods to hold down the people.
hold down - to keep people under control or limit their freedom; restrict
7. a) Biologists are always studying ways to keep down the mosquito population.
b) Keeping down the weeds is the part of gardening I don't enjoy.
keep down - to control sth and prevent it from increasing
Lesson.9
1. a) The new stove we bought was knocked down from $800 to $550.
b) "What's your best price for this ?" "Lady, I can't knock down that price by one penny."
knock down - inform. to reduce the price of sth by a large amount
cf) knockdown. adj. a knockdown price is very cheap
2. a) In bowling, you have to knock down ten pins with one throw to get a strike.
b) Did you see that ? The cat knocked dwon the vase and spilled the flowers.
knock down - cause to fall
3. a) If you let down the hem of that dress, it will look more stylish.
b) I'm going to let down this old dress for my daughter.
let down - to make a piece of clothing longer
cf) take in - to make a piece of clothing narrower so that it fits you
let out - to make a piece of clothing wider or looser, esp becaue the person it belongs to has become fatter
4. a) That's a promise, and I won't let you down.
b) When his friend called to cancel their date, he felt let down.
let down - to make smn feel disappointed because you have not behaved well or not done what you said you would do
5. a) Winter coats have been marked down from $80 to $50.
b) This table I like has a nicked corner, I wonder if the store will mark it down.
mark down - to reduce the price of items that are being sold.
Lesson.10
1. a) Go to the library and see if you can nail down these three references.
b) Two days isn't enough time to nail down the details of an agreement.
nail down - AmE. to reach a final and definite decision about sth; finalize
2. a) There were six colleges I wanted to attend. I narrowed down the list to three and applied to each of them.
b) The police have narrowed down their list of suspects.
c) New tax laws will narrow down the gap between rich and poor.
narrow down - to become less or make sth less in rage, difference; reduce
3. a) Pipe down ! I'm trying to listen to the news.
b) I wish he would pipe down and let someone else talk.
pipe down - spokn. to stop talking or making a noise, and become calmer and less excited
6. a) Trainers rub down an athletes after a hard workout.
b) After a steam bath, an attendant rubs down your back.
rub down - to massage smn, esp after hard exercise
cf) workout. a period of physical exercise, esp as training for a sport
7. a) I was so run-down from overwork and lack of sleep that it was no wonder I caught a cold.
b) You look a bit run-down - maybe you need a rest.
run-down - smn who is run-down is tired and not healthy
Lesson.11
1. a) The students were hoping the present would step down and let a more dynamic person represent the class.
b) Even though he could have been reelected, he stepped down to give another person a chance.
step down/ aside - to leave your job or official position; resign
2. a) The convention was over and it was time to take down our display.
b) How long do you let your Christmas tree stand before you take it down ?
take down - to separate a large structure or machine into pieces; dismantle
3. a) Did you get the impression that the professor was talking down to us ?
b) Even those whose English is not very good know when they are being talked down to.
talk down to - to talk to smn as if they were stupid when in fact they were not; patronize
cf) patronize 1. to talk to smn as if they are stupid when in fact they are not: Don't patronize me - I'm not a fool. 2. form. to use or visit a shop, restaurant etc: tourists who patronize the shopping and recreational facilities. 3. to support or give money to an organization or activity
4. a) Before his campus could be built, it was necessary to tear down an old neighborhood.
b) The fire was so bad that what was left of the building had to be torn down.
tear down - to knock down a large building or part of a building
5. a) We would like to take a long summer vacation, but a houseful of pets ties us down.
b) What would marriage do to her sense of personal freedom ? Would she feel tied down ?
tie down - to stop smn from being free to do the things they want to do; restrict/ burden
6. a) Your letter is a little too forceful. I'd suggest you tone it down.
b) Tone down your remarks, or you'll offend a lot of people.
tone down - to reduce the effect of a speech of piece or writing, so that people will not be offended; moderate
7. Can you please turn the TV down ? I can't hear myself think.
turn down - to make a machine such as an oven, radio etc produce less heat, sound etc
8. I was disappointed when I was turned down for the job.
turn down - to refuse an offer, request, or invitation
9. a) At first her parents opposed her wish to study in America, but repeated pleading finally wore them down.
b) The first time he asked for a date, she refused; he finally wore her down.
wear sb down - to make smn physically weaker or less determined; exhaust
10.a) The survivors of the earthquake were weighed down by shock and horror.
b) A feeling of responsibility toward his family continued to weigh him down.
weigh down - to make smn or sth bend or feel heavy under a load; burden
Unit Eleven
For
Lesson.1
1. a) That young man's got an awful lot to answer for.
b) The Secret Service has to answer for the safety of the president and his family.
have a lot to answer for - inform. to be responsible for causing a lot of trouble
3. a) Learning to play the piano calls for both diligence and talent.
b) Reading War and Peace calls for more time and patience than I have.
call for - to need a particular action, behavior, quality etc; require
4. a) A house that went for $30 thousand 1960 might go for $180 thousand today.
b) How much did that Alpha Romeo go for ?
go for - to be sold for a particular price
5. a) What I just said about our president goes for his predecessor too.
b) I told him to work harder, and that goes for you too. (=you have to work harder, too)
go for - spokn. to also be true about smn or sth else
6. a) Fire ! This is for real ! Run for your life.
b) Hundreds ran for their lives from the burning building.
run for your life (=in order to avoid being killed)
Lesson.2 For - Meaning to facilitate, to expedite, to favor
1. a) A budget must allow for both regular and unforeseen expenses.
b) Allowing for inflation, the cost of the project is $2 million.
allow for - to consider all the possible facts, problems, costs etc involved in a plan or situation and make sure that you can deal successfully with them
2. a) Building a house costs far more than they gad bargained for.
b) We hadn't bargained for such heavy rain, and got really wet.
bargain for - to expect that sth will happen and make it part of your plans
6. a) I'd like to own a dog, but I don't care for big dogs.
b) Would care for another cup of tea ?
care for - [usu in negative and questions] form. to like or want sth or smn; feel affection for
9. a) She'll never fall for that one !
b) Falling for his hard-luck story just proves how gullible you are.
fall for - to be tricked into believing sth that is not true; be gulled by
10.a) I can't understand how you can fall for someone you only met once.
b) The way he spoke about his new girlfriend you could tell he was really falling for her.
fall for - to start to love smn
11.a) I feel for the student who works hard and then gets a poor grade.
b) I really feel for the parents of that little boy who was killed.
feel for - to feel sympathy for smn
Lesson.3
1. a) I guessed that my brother and my girlfriend would go for each other.
b) Annie tends to go for older man.
go for - inform. to like sth or find sth or smn attractive; feel attracted to
2. a) I'm hungry ! I could really go for a pizza.
b) Jackson is goings for his second gold medal here.
go for - to try to get or win sth
4. a) I'd like to have a dog, but that would violate my lease and I'd only be looking for trouble.
b) You're looking for trouble if you say things like that to me !
be looking for trouble - inform. to be behaving in a way that make it likely that problems will happen; provoke
5. a) A bouquet of flowers makes for a pleasant atmosphere.
b) Such statements don't exactly make for racial harmony.
make for - to be likely to have a particular result or make sth possible
6. a) Without work, how can I provide for my children ?
b) Pension plans relieve one from concern about providing for one's old age.
provide for - to give smn the things they need, such as money, food etc
7. a) The Bill of Rights provides for certain specific freedom.
b) Before you can be found guilty, the law provides for your day in court.
provide for - if a law or rule provides for sth, it makes doing that thing possible
Lesson.4 For - meaning to hunt or capture
6. a) He walked through the crowd of guests, looking for a familiar face.
b) I'm sorry, we're really looking for someone with no family commitments.
be looking for - to be trying to find a particular kind of thing or person that you need or want; seek
7. a) A watchdog made for the trespasser.
b) The police had spotted the fugitive and were making for him.
make for - rush toward
8. a) The class ended at noon and I made for the cafeteria.
b) We made for St. Louis as fast as possible.
make for - inform. to move toward sth, or move in a particular direction.
9. a) The dean pressed for an explanation.
b) I gave the landlady all I could spare, but she pressed for more money.
press for - to keep asking for sth or to try hard to achieve sth
10.a) If you don't go away, I'll have to send for the police.
b) I can't fix this leak. Better send for a plumber.
send for - to ask or order smn to come to you by sending them message; summon
11.a) Mail-order companies urge their customers to send for Christmas merchandise early.
b) I'm sending away for this company's catalog.
send for - to ask or order that sth be brought or sent to you; order
Unit Twelve
Lesson.3 In- inclusion, arrival, entrenchment
1. a) What a surprise to find you in town ! When did you blow in ?
b) Jim blew in about an hour ago - did you see him ?
blow in - inform. esp. AmE. to arrive unexpectedly
2. a) Dad would occasionally break in with a suggestion.
b) Sorry to break in on you, but you wife is on the line.
break in [+with/ on] - to join a conversation by interrupting smn or saying sth suddenly
cf) on the line. possible to lose a job
5. a) Drop by whenever you're in the area.
b) I think I'll drop in on Jill on my way home.
drop in/ by [+on sb] - to visit smn informally without arranging a particular time
6. a) When does the plane from Istanbul get in ?
b) Is it possible that you didn't get in till three o'clock this morning ?
get in - arrive
7. We are planning to give a Christmas party. Would you like to get in on it ?
get in on - inform. to become involved in sth that other people are doing or planning; participate
cf)1. Her friends were planning a new business venture, and said they would let her get in on the ground floor.
be/ get in on the ground floor - to become involved in a plan, business activities etc from the beginning
2. New the Republicans are hoping to get in on the act.
get in on the act (=get involved in sth exciting, interesting, important etc)
8. a) On the new job he got in with the right people - those who knew what was going on.
b) He spends all his time, trying to get in with the boss.
get in with - inform. to become friendly with smn, esp smn who could be helpful to you in some way; join
Lesson.4
2. a) We decided to buy our friend a going-away gift and expected about ten people to kick in.
b) If everyone kicks in a dollar apiece, we can get something really nice.
kick in - AmE. to join with others in giving money or help; contribute (= chip in)
3. a) Future financial support is uncertain, and this tempts departments to lay in extra laboratory supplies.
b) The printer expects the price of paper to go up, so she's laying in all the paper her storage space can hold.
lay in - to obtain and store a large supply of sth to use in the future; hoard
4. a) The rock concert packed people in whenever they played.
b) "Pulp Fiction" is really packing them in.
pack in - inform. to attract people in a large numbers
6. a) We can clean the house in one morning if we divide the job up and everyone pitches in.
b) If we all pitch in, we'll have it finished in no time.
pitch in - to start to work eagerly as a member of a group
cf) divide up - to separate sth into two or more part and share them between two or more people
13.a) I just stopped in to say hello.
b) Let's stop in at Vera's on our way.
stop in [+at] - to make a short visit to a place or person, esp when your are on your way to somewhere
14.a) The salesperson offered to throw in twenty-five pounds of detergent if we bought the washer.
b) We paid $2000 for the boat, with the trailer and spares thrown in.
throw in - to add sth to what you are selling, without increasing the price; include
Lesson.5 In - stress & strain
2. a) The alarm system was supposed to discourage anyone from breaking in.
b) Someone broke in and took several computers.
break in - to enter a building by using force, in order to steal sth; burglarize
cf) break-in. Since the break-in we've had all our locks changed
3. A telephone operator cut in, saying, "Fifty cents more, please."
cut in - to interrupt smn who is speaking by saying sth
4. a) After the soccer game, I felt completely done in.
b) I must be getting old; an hour of hiking never used to do me in.
do in - to make smn feel extremely tired
6. a) Two bullets missed him, but the third did him in.
b) The thieves brokes through a ceiling and did in a night watchman.
do in - inform. to kill smn
7. a) We pleaded with the instructor to postpone the exam, and he finally gave in.
b) "It's no use begging." he said "I'm not giving in"
give in - to unwillingly agree to smn's demand after they have spent a lot of time arguing with you, trying to persuade you etc
9. a) She had the bad habit of horning in while someone else was talking.
b) He horned in on my date.
horn in - AmE. to interrupt or try to take part in sth when you are not wanted
10.a) I know I still make mistakes in pronunciation, but you don't have to rub it in.
b) I tried to forget what a poor game I had played, but my friend kept rubbing it in.
rub it in - inform. to remind smn about sth they want to forget, esp because they are embarrassed about it
11.a) I saw the student cheating, and I thought it was unfair, but I wouldn't dare turn him in.
b) Margrove's wife finally turned him in after months of silence.
turn in - to tell the police who or where a criminal is
Lesson.6 In - collecting information
1. a) I wasn't here yesterday. Can you fill me in on what we did ?
b) I was filling her in on the details of her new job.
fill sb in on sth - to tell smn about things which have happened recently esp because you have not been seen them for a long time; explain
3. a) If you can keep a secret, I'll let you in on our plans to throw a surprise party for Jim and Enda.
b) He spoke in a whisper, as if he were letting us in on a big secret.
let sb in on sth - to tell smn about a secret plan, idea etc and trust them not to tell other people; tell in confidence
4. When words that used to sound strange begin to sound familiar, I know that something's sinking in.
sink in - if information, facts etc sink in, you gradually understand them or realize their full meaning
5. a) The child quietly took in everything that was happening.
b) I told Grandpa we were going away, but I don't think he took it in.
take in - to understand and remember new facts and information
6. 60 million people tuned in to watch the Royal Wedding.
tune in - to watch or listen to a broadcast on radio or television
7. a) Were you tuned in to what she was really trying to say ?
b) She doesn't seem very tuned in to these new developments.
tune in - able to realize or understand what is happening or what other people are thinking
Lesson.7
1. a) He used to put in two hours a week watering his lawn.
b) You have to put in a lot of effort to learn a new language.
put in - to spend time or use energy working or practicing sth
2. a) I hear that Professor Jones has put in for a sabbatical next year.
b) Do you put in for a teaching assistantship or wait to be asked ?
put in for - to make a formal request for sth; apply
3. a) Winter seems to be setting in early this year.
b) A period of further economic decline set in during the 1930s.
set in - if sth sets in, esp sth unpleasant, it begins and seems likely to continue for a long time
4. Saturday I work, Sunday is my only chance to sleep in.
sleep in - to sleep later than usual in the morning
cf) I had overslept that morning, and was late for work.
oversleep - to sleep for longer than you intended
5. a) North America takes in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
b) This price takes in the cost of all the accommodation and food.
take in - include
6. a) The statement made by the witness ties in with evidence that police already had.
b) Marsden's conclusions tie in with our theory perfectly.
tie in with - if one idea or statements ties in with another one, it helps to prove the same thing
7. He traded his old car in for a new model.
trade in - to give sth such as a car to the person you're buying a new one from, so that you pay less
8. Well, I think I'll turn in. I've got to get up early.
turn in - to go to bed; retire for the night
10.a) Will the new boss pick up where the old boss left off, or does this usher in a new style of management ?
b) The Stockholm Conference ushered in a new era of international co-operation.
usher in - to be the start of sth new
11.a) The lecturer managed to work in a few anecdotes to brighten his talk.
b) Do you think you can work in a reference to our project ?
work in - to introduce sth you want to say or do while you are doing or saying sth else; insert
13.a) After a few discursive comments, the speaker zeroed in on her topic.
b) Before we end this discussion, let me zero in on one important point.
zero in on - to direct all your attention toward a particular person or thing; concentrate
discursive. adj. changing from one subject to another without any clear plan
Unit Thirteen
Lesson.1 Into - seeming more forceful & intensive
1. British Airways is trying to break into the American Market.
break into - to become involved in a new activity, esp a business activity
2. a) Someone broke into the apartment next door and took the TV set.
b) Thieves broke into the bank vault by digging a tunnel.
break into - to enter a building by using force, in order to steal sth
6. After a promising start, the company ran into trouble.
run into difficulties/ problems etc - to start to experience difficulties
7. Guess who I ran into in town today !
run into - inform. to meet smn by chance
(#6&7. accidental rather than deliberate encounters)
Lesson.2 Into - describing attack & disruption
1. Sorry to break into your lunch hour, but I must speak to you urgently.
break into - to interrupt an activity by saying or doing sth
3. All I said was that she could maybe try harder and she really tore into me.
tear into - to criticize smn very strongly, esp unfairly
4. Boxes are tearing into each other.
tear into - to attack smn by hitting them very hard
Lesson.3
2. a) This study goes into the events that led up to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
b) I don't want to go into the matter now.
go into - to explain or describe sth in details; discuss
3. The history of Chicago is the story of a trading post that grew into a great metropolis.
grow into - to develop over a period of time and become a particular kind of person or thing
4. Police are looking into the disappearance of two children.
look into - to try to find out the truth about a problem, crime etc in order to solve it ; investigate
5. a) The old town hall was made into a historical museum.
b) We can make your room into a study.
make into - to change sth so that it has a different form or purpose
6. Our annual budget runs into $5000.
run into - to reach an amount of; total
7. a) In fairy tales you find stories of frogs turning into princes.
b) The sofa turns into a bed.
turn into - to become sth different, or make smn or sth do this; transform into
Unit Fourteen
Of
2&3. It's unheard of for anyone to pass the exam so young.
unheard of - sth that is unheard of is so unusual that it has not happened or been known before
4. a) I'd like to know what has become of my luggage.
b) If I don't get my degree, what will become of me ?
what has become of …?/ whatever will become of …? - used to ask what has happened to smn, esp when you have not seen them for a long time, or what will happen to smn that you are worried about
5. a) If you've heard of Sigmund Freud, you must know of psychoanalysis.
b) Professor who ? I've never heard of him.
have heard of - to know that smn or sth exists because you have been told about them
6. a) Dr. Watson often asked Sherlock Holmes, "What do you make of it ?"
b) He read the letter, but didn't know what to make of it.
make of - to understand sth in a particular way, or have a particular opinion about sth
9. a) It's a remarkable student who can think of all the correct answers on a test.
b) I know his name but I can't think of it right now.
think of - to remember a name or fact
10.a) We asked him to be our doctor because he is very well thought of by all our friends.
b) He never thinks of others, only of himself.
think of - to behave in a way that shows that you want to treat other people well
11. a) Can you think of anything better than a vacation on a beach ?
b) Think of what we would do if we won the lottery !
think of - to produce a new idea, name, suggestion etc by thinking
Unit Fifteen
Lesson.1 Off - intensity & thoroughness
5. a) Is is possible to rub off those strains without damaging the wallpaper ?
b) Be careful not to rub off the point.
rub off - to remove sth from a surface by rubbing it, or to come off a surface because of being rubbed
7. a) "You're too young to wear makeup. Go right to the bathroom and wash it off."
b) Will this paint wash off ?
wash off - if a substance washes off, you can remove it from the surface of sth by washing
Lesson.2 Off - getting results
1. a) He tried several times to break the high-jump record, ad finally brought it off.
b) The mediator brought off an agreement between an employer and a union who seemed hopelessly deadlocked.
bring off - to succeed in doing sth very difficult
2. a) If a traffic police officer stops you, don't try to buy the officer off.
b) In some parts of the world, it is customary to bring government officials gifts. In the U.S. it suggests that you are trying to buy someone off.
buy off - to pay smn money to stop them causing trouble or threatening you; bribe
3. a) They wanted to start a new band, but they weren't able to carry it off.
b) Dreaming up an idea is one thing, and actually carrying it off is something else.
carry off - to do sth difficult successfully
4. Financial fraudsters often get off because the details of the case are too complex to be understood by juries.
get off - if a criminal gets off, they get little or no official punishment for their crime
5. The bomb went off at 6:30 this morning.
go off - to explode
6. a) At five o'clock, nothing seemed to be ready, but at eight the party went off without any trouble.
b) We thought the speaker would never arrive, but now the banquet is going off beautifully.
go off well/ badly etc - to happen in a particular way
7. Knocking them off is the drug dealers' way of coping with competitors.
knock off- to murder smn
8. a) I cautioned him against taking the course, but he laughed off my warning.
b) I tried to tell him he was drinking too much but he just laughed it off.
laugh off - to pretend that sth is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it; disregard; ignore
9. a) Peddlers sometimes palming off cheap merchandise as stolen goods offered at a small fraction of their real worth.
b) He enjoyed palming himself off as the son of a diplomat.
palm off - to persuade smn to accept or buy sth, esp by deceiving them; masquerade
Lesson.3 Off - getting things done
1. a) Color copying has become so good that it's sometimes possible to pass off a copy as the original.
b) There is rarely any attempt to pass these copies off as original.
pass sb/sth off as sth - to try to make people think that sth or smn is sth that it is not, esp sth valuable; deliberately misrepresent
2. To sell the county voting machines, the manufacturer paid off the politician.
pay off - to pay smn to keep quiet about sth illegal or dishonest; bribe
3. a) He spent the whole afternoon studying at the library, but his efforts did not pay off.
b) They took a hell of a risk but it paid off.
pay off -if a plan or sth that you try to do pays off, it is successful
4. How long do you think it will take you to pay off all your debts ?
pay off - to give smn all the money you owe them; repay
6. Please go to the copying room and run off two hundred copies for me.
run off - to quickly print several copies of sth
7. a) Be careful how you set off those firecrackers !
b) With this detector, either smoke or fire will set off a loud noise.
set off - to make sth start happening esp when you do not intend to do so; activate
8. a) The oil painting was set off by a glided frame.
b) See how a pedestal sets the carving off.
set off - if a piece of clothing, color, decoration etc sets sth off, it makes it attractive
9. Pay no attention to Susan - She's just showing off.
show off - to try to impress people and make them admire you abilities, achievements, or possessions
10.a) A good picture frame shows off the best features of the picture.
b) Her black hair showed off her beautiful complexion.
show off - if one thing shows off sth else, it makes the other thing look esp attractive
Lesson.4 Off - dealing with separation
1. The control room was full of excitement when the spacecraft blasted off.
blast off - if a spacecraft blasts off, it leaves the ground
cf) blast-off. the moment when a spacecraft leaves the ground : 10 seconds to blast-off
2. Is it true that Jim and Enda have broken off their engagement ?
break off relations/ an engagement - to stop a relationship
4&5.a) One of his fingers was cut off in the accident.
b) She cut off a big piece of meat.
cut off - to separate sth by cutting it from the main part; amputate
6. a) Operator, I was cut off. Please help me reach my part again.
b) I don't know what happened - we just got cut off.
cut off - to suddenly not be able to hear smn that you were speaking to on the telephone
7. a) The town was completely cut off by snow.
b) The village is so cut off from civilization that it receives almost no visitors.
be cut off - if a place is cut off, it is difficult to get to and is a long way form any other place
8. a) The utility companies cut off the service of anyone who does not pay his or her bill.
b) The U.S. has cut off aid to Cambodia.
cut off - to stop the supply of sth such as electricity, gas, water etc
9. These animals are dying off so fast, they belong on the endangered species list.
die off - if a group of people, animals etc die off, they die one by one until there are no more of them
12. Harry was laid off for six months during the recession.
lay off - to stop employing a worker, esp for a period in which there is not much work to do
Lesson.5
1. a) Either I've lost it, or somebody made off with my pen.
b) Two young men attacked him and made off with his wallet.
make off with - inform. to take sth that does not belong to you; steal
2. a) Of the three prisoners who made off yesterday, two have been caught.
b) An soon as his mother turned her head, her little boy made off for the sandbox.
make off- to leave quickly, esp in order to escape
5. a) We pushed off at 6:30AM, to beat the morning rush hour.
b) It's getting late, I think we should be pushing along.
push off/ along - to leave a place; depart
6. a) After the farewell party, we saw him off.
b) I think they've gone to the airport to see their daughter off.
see off - to go to an airport, train station etc to say goodbye to smn; accompany to one's departure
8. a) Restaurants that use frozen fish and charge for "fresh caught fish flown in from the Coast" are ripping people off.
b) They really ripped us off at the hotel !
rip off - spokn. to charge smn too much money for sth
9. a) Mary and her music teacher ran off together.
b) We could avoid the cost of a big wedding, and just run off.
run off - to leave a place or person in a way that people disapprove of; elope
10.a) In 1928, Admiral Byrd set off on his expedition to the South Pole.
b) All that luggage for a two-week vacation ? It looks like you're setting off on a trip around the world.
set off - to start to go somewhere; depart/ leave
11.a) Once I catch the flu, it's hard to shake it off.
b) Most diseases can eventually be shaken off, but AIDS is different.
shake off - to get rid of an illness, problem etc; recover one's health from
12. When Helen gets me on the telephone, it's never easy to shake her off.
shake off - to escape from smn who is chasing you; separate oneself from
14.a) Life would be easier, she thought, if only her husband would swear off gambling.
b) "Swearing off smoking would be the smart thing to do." the doctor advised.
swear off - to promise to stop doing sth that is bad for you; renounce
Lesson.6
1. "No need to take off all your clothes."said the nurse. "Just strip to the waist."
take off - to remove sth, esp a piece of clothing
5. As the plane was taking off, I remembered I hadn't turned the iron off.
take off - to rise into the air at the beginning of a flight
6. a) In the fifth week of the term, our reading assignments began to taper off.
b) Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off.
taper off - to decrease gradually; diminish
7. Ben tore off his coat and dived in to rescue the child.
tear off - to remove your clothes as quickly as you can
11.a) It looks like somebody walked off with my test book.
b) Lottery winners can walk off with a cool £18 million.
walk off with - to take or steal sth, esp in a relaxed or confident way
14.a) Toward evening, my headache wore off and I felt normal again.
b) The effects of the anaesthetic were starting to wear off.
wear off - if pain or the effect of sth wears off, it gradually stops
15.a) In business, the profit margin must be high enough that the dealer can write off a few bad debts without going broke.
b) For me, it was the wrong course, taken at the wrong time. I had to write it off as a complete failure. Chalk it up to experience.
write off - to decide that smn or sth is useless, unimportant, or a failure; regard as a loss
Unit Sixteen
On
Lesson.1
2. a) Whenever we come into the city, we call on my grandmother.
b) Before calling on an acquaintance, it's customary to telephone first.
call on - to visit smn for a short time
3. a) The professor's low speaking voice made it hard to catch on what he was saying.
b) At first, I didn't understand the joke, but later I caught on.
catch on [+to] - to begin to understand or realize sth
5. a) The candidate got on in politics because she had good backing form her supporters.
b) He's new here, but he seems to be getting on fine.
get on - to make progress in sth you are doing; get along
6. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get on with his mother-in-law.
get on with - if two or more people get on, they have a friendly relationship with each other; get along with
7. His music is difficult to listen to, but after a while it grows on you.
grow on - if smn or sth grows on you, you like them more and more
8. At first, business wasn't good, but she hung on and was able to make a profit.
hang on - to continue doing sth in spite of difficulties; hold on
9. a) I'm selling all my furniture, but I want to hang on to my books.
b) Many contemporary religions have hung on to ancient practices.
hang on to - to keep sth; hold on to
10.a) I don't want to be the only man there to have a tie on.
b) She had on lime-green slacks and a purple nylon shirt.
have on - to be wearing a piece of clothing or type of clothing
Lesson.2
6. They haven't settled yet on a name for the baby.
settle on - to decide or agree on sth
7. a) "I thought your contract was done." "It is, but I'm staying on."
b) It's not unusual for a foreign student to come to this country to study and then decide to stay on.
stay on - to continue to do a job or to study after the usual or expected time for leaving
8. a) The essay touches on the author's childhood.
b) There is one factor we have not touched on, so far, in talking about personality.
touch on - to mention or deal with a particular subject briefly when talking or writing
10. She tried the shoes on but they were too small.
try on - to put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits you or if it suits you.
Lesson.3 On - dealing with verbal interactions
3. a) A good conversationalist doesn't dwell on his or her own concerns, but talks about the interests he or she shares with others.
b) Don't dwell on the past - try and be more positive.
dwell on - to think or talk for too long about sth, esp sth unpleasant
4. a) The noise seemed to go on and on.
go on and on - continue for a long time
b) They went on and on about the importance of safety belts.
go on (and on) - inform. to talk too much
5. a) The landlady jumped on me for leaving a light on when I left this evening.
b) Our boss is such a tyrant; he jumps on anyone who doesn't agree with him.
jump on [+for] - inform. to criticize or punish smn, esp unfairly
6. a) He told me the whole story, and I didn't let on that I had already heard it.
b) Nobody let on about the surprise party.
let on - inform. to tell smn sth that was meant to be secret
7. a) Why does the boss always pick on me ?
b) You big bully - pick on someone your own size !
pick on - spokn. to choose smn to do an unpleasant job or blame smn for sth, esp unfairly
8. a) Because he was the tallest boy in the class, the teacher was always picking on him to recite.
b) First, pick on some daily task that you all share.
pick on - to decide to choose smn or sth
9. "They offered me a raise at work" "You're putting me on ! How much ?"
You're putting me on - spokn. esp. AmE. used to tell smn that you think they are joking
10. He was always ready for a fight and willing to take on almost anyone.
take on - to start an argument or fight with smn; challenge
12.a) Prison guards must be prepared in case one of the prisoners turns on him.
b) Peter turned on Rae with eyes blazing and screamed, "Get out of my sight !"
turn on - to suddenly attack smn or treat them badly, using physical violence or unpleasant words
13.a) Grandmother is 85 but still strong enough to look after herself. She doesn't want to be waited on.
b) In some shops it's customary to take a number in order to be waited on in turn.
wait on - to serve food to smn at their table, esp in a restaurant; attent to serve
Lesson.4 On - commanding & urging
2. a) As soon as the teacher left the room, the children began to carry on.
b) Stop carrying on, you two !
carry on - spokn. to behave in a silly, excited, or anxious way
3. a) Failing to study regularly brought on all my problems in school.
b) New technology in communications constantly brings on many charges in how people do business.
bring on - to make sth bad or unpleasant happen; cause
4. a) He studied medicine to carry on a family tradition.
b) When she left I carried on her research.
carry on - to continue sth that has been started by smn else
5. If you don't hurry up, we'll miss the bus. Come on !
come on ! - spokn. used to tell smn to hurry up
6. Come on, guys, you can do it !
come on ! - spokn. used to encourage smn to try harder; Do it !
7. a) When a gambler wins, it oftens eggs him on to keep on gambling until he loses.
b) Joe didn't want to jump but his friend kept egging him on.
egg on - to encourage smn to do sth, esp sth that they should not do; urge
8. a) Let's stop the chit-chat and get on with the agenda.
b) They finally settled down and got on with the real issues.
get on with - to continue with sth you were doing before
cf) chit-chat. inform. conversation about things that are not very important
9. a) Go on ! You don't expect us to believe that.
b) You failed the first exam and still got an A in the course ? Go on !
go on ! - spokn. used to tell smn that you do not believe them
10. Even though the chairperson was not present, the meeting went on.
go on - to continue without stopping or changing
Lesson.5
1. a) Please don't keep harping on my mistakes !
b) The opposition candidate harps on the incumbent's weakness.
harp on - to talk about sth continuously, esp in a way that is annoying or boring
2. a) You have hit on a good idea.
b) Everyone who plays the lottery hopes to hit on the winning combination of numbers.
hit on - to discover sth by a lucky chance
3. Hold on ! I haven't finished my story.
hold on ! - spokn. used to tell smn to wait for a short time
4. Keep on asking questions. That's the way you'll learn.
keep on - to continue doing sth
6. Grandmother died ten years ago, but her devotion to the family, her good humor, and her common sense live on in our minds and hearts.
live on - to continue to exist
7. We always feel sad when a loved one passes on, and it is especially hard when someone goes before his or her time.
pass on - pass away
8. I'm worried about Doug, he's taking on too much work. He looks awful.
take on - to agree to do some work or be responsible for sth
10.a) Professor Jones is the one who really turned me on to astrophysics.
b) Mark's that friend of mine who turned me on to classical music.
turn sb on to sth - to make smn become interested in a product, idea etc
11.a) Shelly could listen to rap music all day long. It really turns her on .
b) A lot of guys are turned on by the idea of women in uniform.
turn on - to make smn feel sexually excited; excite
Lesson.6
1. a) How do child-rearing practices bear on adult personality ?
b) The juror wondered how that testimony bore on the case.
bear on - form. to have a connection with sth; affect
2. a) Poor diet can bring on all sorts of illness.
b) Everyone wondered what brought on their sudden separation.
bring on - to make sth bad or unpleasant happen
3. a) No matter how carefully I watch my expenses, I always have some I didn't count on.
b) We didn't count on so many people being on vacation.
count on - to plan or expect to do sth
4. If I got into trouble I could always count on Rusty.
count on - to depend on or be certain of smn or sth; rely on
5. a) When the shortest runner in the marathon race began gaining on the lead runner, everybody applauded.
b) Even though business is good, I'm told that our competition is gaining on us.
gain on - to gradually get closer to a person, car etc that you are chasing; approach advance
6. A sign that Grandpa was getting on in years was that he was becoming hard of hearing.
get on in years - no longer young
7. a) My dog is going on eight. That's middle-age by canine standards.
b) Jenny's one of those wise teenagers who's 16 going to 70.
be going on - to be nearly a time, age, number etc; approach
9. Only one man tried to help us, the rest just looked on in silence.
look on - to watch sth happening, without being involved in it or trying to stop it
10.a) He was fired for passing on company secrets.
b) She said she'd pass the message on to the other students.
pass on - to tell smn a piece of information that smn else has told you; transmit
11.a) There had no job opening right now, but promised that when business improved they would take him on.
b) We're taking on 50 new staff this year.
take on - to start to employ smn
Unit Seventeen
Lesson.1 Out - separation & relocation
2. a) I've already signed a lease for my apartment, but I wish I could back out of it.
b) They backed out of the contract at the last minute.
back out of - to decide not to do sth that you had promised to do
3. a) A favorite way of prisoners to break out is to dig a tunnel that extends beyond the prison walls.
b) The lion broke out of his cage and terrorized the onlookers.
break out [+of] - to escape from a prison or similar place
5. I didn't have time to rewrite the essay, so I crossed out the misspelled words and rewrote them between the lines.
cross out - to draw a line or lines through sth you have written or drawn, esp because it is wrong; delete
6. a) Were you forced to drop out of school, or did you leave voluntarily ?
b) Dwyer had to drop out of the race because of injury.
drop out of - to leave an activity, course etc before it has finished
7. Many town people got out before the army got in.
get out - to escape from somewhere; depart
8. a) Sherlock Holmes always managed to get the truth out of Moriarty, his archenemy.
b) One of the hardest jobs a teacher has is getting the right answers out of his students.
get sth out of sb - to force or persuade smn to tell you sth or give you sth; elicit
9. a) He wished there were a way to get out of the final exam.
b) In order to get out of jury duty, you must provide a valid reason why you cannot serve.
get out of - to avoid doing sth you have promised to do or are supposed to do
11&12.a) Leaving out the ZIP code on your mail will result in a delay in delivery.
b) I think the paragraph will be better if you leave out that last sentence.
leave out - to not include smn or sth in a group, list, activity etc
Lesson.2
1. a) The schoolchildren couldn't wait for recess, when they would be let out to play.
b) He was in a high-security jail and would probably never be let out.
let out - to allow smn to leave a room, building etc; be liberated
2. The used-car salesperson urged me to buy right away. If not, someone else might buy the car, and I would lose out.
lose out - to not get sth such as a job, business contract, or profit because smn else gets it instead
3. a) If you don't attend the party tonight, you'll miss out on a rare experience.
b) The newspaper reporter missed out on a good story because he couldn't reach the scene in time.
miss out [+on] - to not have the chance to do sth that you enjoy; fail to experience
4. a) I'll have to get my next paycheck before I can pay out any more money.
b) Why is it always me who has to pay out ?
pay out - to pay a lot of money for sth; disburse
5. a) A good business person senses when to jump into a deal and when to pull out.
b) Most of troops have been pulled out.
pull out - to get out of a bad situation or dangerous place, or order smn else to do so; withdraw
6. a) I was ruling out job offers that did not show good chances for advancement.
b) The police have ruled out suicide.
rule out - to decide that sth is not possible or suitable; exclude
7. a) Most hostesses overprepare to make sure that they will not run out of food.
b) The truck's run out of gas again.
run out [+of sth] - to use all of sth and not have any of it left
cf) We're running low on fuel again.
be running low (on sth) - to have very little left of sth that you normally kept a supply of
8. a) He shut out my thought of watching TV until he had finished his homework.
b) After the move, she could not shut out thoughts of her former neighborhood.
shut out - to stop yourself from thinking about or noticing sth, so that you are not affected by it
9. He was not a baseball fan and felt shut out from most of the lunchtime conversation.
shut out - to deliberately not let smn join you in an activity or share your thoughts and feelings
11. It was moving day, and everything in my apartment had to be either packed up or thrown out.
throw out - to get rid of sth that you do not want or need, esp when you are tidying; discard
12.a) It's unusual for an employee to walk out on his job without notice.
walk out on - to stop doing sth you have agreed to do or that you are responsible for
b) When she was three months pregnant, Pete walked out on her.
walk out on - to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly; abandon
Lesson.3 Out - physical activity
1. A food employee carries out his or her responsibilities.
carry out - to do sth that needs to be organized and planned; complete/ accomplish
3. a) I answered all the questions on the exam, but don't think I made out too well.
b) About that job interview you had yesterday, how do you think you made out ?
make out - esp. AmE. to succeed or progress in a particular way
4. The pharmacist measured out on ounce of carbolic acid.
measure out - to take a certain amount of liquid, powder etc from a larger amount; measure carefully
5. a) I left the project before if was completed, so I'm not sure how it panned out.
b) The strategy looked good on paper, but it didn't pan out.
pan out - to happen or develop in a particular way; succeed
6. Would you come shopping with me to help me pick out a coat ?
pick out - to choose smn or sth carefully; select
7. When Columbus put out to sea with his three ships, little did he realize how momentous that voyage would be.
put out - if a ship puts out, it starts to sail; embark
8. a) They say if you can ride out the first year of college, the rest comes easily.
b) I'm not thinking about the future; I'm just riding out this crisis I'm in.
ride out - if you ride out a difficult situation, you are not badly harmed by it; endure/ manage
9. Denise decided to round out her education with a year in Paris.
round out - to make an experience more thorough or complete
13. We followed the recipe exactly, and hope the cake would turn out right
turn out - to happen in a particular way, or to have a particular result, esp one that you did not expect; come to be
14. The factory turns out 300 units a day.
turn out - to produce or make sth
15.a) It's a good plan, and with a little luck it will work out.
b) They both wanted to get married, and were sure it would work out.
work out - if a situation works out in a particular way, it happens in the way; succeed
cf) workout. a period of physical exercise, esp as training for a sport
Lesson.4 Out - loss
1. With one strong puff, she blew out all twenty-one candles on her birthday cake.
blow out - if you blow a flame or a fire out, or if it blows out, it stops burning; extinguish
4. The baseball player hit the wall, and he was out for about two minutes.
be out - used to say that smn is no longer conscious; be unconscious
5. If you cut out the drink, you'd feel much healthier.
cut out - to stop doing or eating sth, esp because it is harmful to you
6. No sooner had the boxer come around, he passed out again, and a doctor had to be called in.
pass out - to faint; become unconscious
9. Please put out the lights when you leave the room.
put out - to make a light stop working by pressing or turning a button; extinguish
12.a) Constantly asking for favors can wear out a good friendship.
b) Two nights without sleep have worn me out.
wear out - to make smn feel extremely tired; exhaust
13. This has always been my favorite coat. I'm sorry it's beginning to wear out.
wear out - to cause a lot of damage to sth by using it a lot or for a long time so that it can no longer be used; show signs of wear
14. The fire wiped out everything he owned.
wipe out - to destroy, remove, or get rid of sth completely
Lesson.5 Out - disappearance & emergence
1. a) The daily newspaper is always out on time, no matter what the weather is like.
b) When's Archer's new book out ?
be out - used to say that a product is available to be bought
4. a) Makeup should bring out a woman's best features.
b) MSG is supposed to bring out a food's natural flavor.
bring out - to make sth easier to see, taste, notice etc; accentuate
cf) MonoSodium Glutamate
5. a) As soon as the President's report came out, the stock market went up.
b) What a great band ! When is their new recording coming out ?
come out - if a book, record etc comes out, it becomes publicly available
6. I love it when the snowdrops start to come out.
come out - if a flower comes out, it opens; blossom
9. a) On most nights I stay home and study. On Saturday nights I like to go out.
b) He went out to celebrate even though the weather report predicted snow.
go out - to leave your house, esp in order to enjoy yourself; go somewhere for entertainment
10. a) Our hearts go out to the starving children of the world. A contribution to UNICEF helps in a small way.
b) Our hearts go out to the victim's family.
heart/ thoughts go out to sb - to have a lot of sympathy for smn
cf) United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
Lesson.6
1. Could you start handing thses books out ?
hand out - to give sth to each member of a group of people; distribute
3. I had to lay out a lot of money to get my car fixed.
lay out - inform. to spend money, esp a lot of money
4. a) We laid out our wedding gifts for the guests to see.
b) After spending an hour ironing her prom dress, she laid it out on the bed and admire it.
lay out - to spread sth out; display
6. a) We plan to put out a club bulletin every month.
b) The alumni association puts out a beautiful brochure on trips abroad.
put out information/ a statements etc - to produce information etc for people to read or listen to
7. a) The shop was full of interesting items beautifully set out.
b) Aunti Lou set out the dinner on the table.
set out - to put a group of things down and arrange them in order; display
8. a) In every student's college experience, a few professor stand out.
b) What stands out in your mind as the best movie of the year ?
stand out - to be clearly better or the best; figure prominently
10. How many people turned out for the concert ?
turn out - if people turn out for an event, they gather together to see it happen; come
Lesson.7 Out - mental activity
1&2.a) Can you help me figure out this algebra problem ?
b) If she can figure out how the engine works, she'll be able to fix it.
figure out [+how/ about] - to think about a problem or situation until you find the answer or understand what has happened; understand
3. a) He wrote to find out how to apply for admission to the university.
b) He hurried off to find out what the problem was.
find out [+who/ what/ how etc] - to learn information, after trying to discover it or by chance; discover
4. After years of defrauding the company, he was finally found out.
find out - to discover that smn has been doing sth dishonest or illegal
5. a) She was taught to look out for cars even when crossing with a stoplight.
b) He's looking out for a nice apartment downtown.
look out for - to pay attention to what is happening around you, so that you will notice a particular person or thing if you see them; be careful to avoid danger
7. a) At first the puzzle didn't make sense. Then suddenly I could make out the answer.
b) His handwriting was so poor, I couldn't quite make it out.
make out - to be only just able to hear, see, or understand sth; decipher
8. Flying over the city, I could actually pick out my own neighborhood.
pick out - to recognize smn or sth in a group of people or thing; identify
9. They walked into the car park and Cook pointed out his new car.
point out - to show sth to smn by pointing at it
10. Football players must think out the strategies they are going to use and the various consequences that might develop.
think out - to think about sth carefully, considering all the possible problems, results etc; contrive
12. Watch out ! There's a car coming.
watch out ! - spokn. used to tell smn to be careful; be watchful
13.a) Young children cannot be expected to watch out for the ordinary hazards of life.
b) Sore throat, cough, fever, and fatigue - these are signs of the flu to watch out for.
watch out for - to be careful of sth; be alert for
Lesson.8 Out - actions & passions
1. The first time my father asked my mother out, they went ice-skating.
ask sb out - ask smn, esp smn of the opposite sex, to go to the theater, a restaurant etc with you
2. a) The sergeant bawled out the recruit for not polishing his shoes.
b) Mom bawled me out for the mess in my room.
bawl out - inform. esp. AmE. to speak angrily to smn because they have done sth wrong
3. Talcum powder makes me break out in a rash.
break out in spots/ a rash etc - if you break out in spots etc, a lot of red spots appear on your skin
4. a) Whenever he had to speak before a group, he broke our in a sweat.
break out in a sweat - to start sweating
b) Measles breaks out periodically, and sometimes reaches epidemic proportions.
break out - if sth unpleasant such as a fire, war, or disease breaks out, it starts to happen
5. Maria cried out sharply, "Don't touch it."
cry out - to shout sth loudly
6. a) The debate dragged out for two hours.
b) The preacher's wife advised, "Your best sermon is a short sermon. Don't drag it out."
drag out - to make a meeting, an argument etc last longer than is necessary; continue tediously
7. He lashed out at his roommate for not cleaning up the room after the party.
lash out [+at] - to suddenly speak angrily to smn; attack verbally
8. a) He knocked himself out trying to satisfy the professor's exacting demands.
b) The Nelsons really knocked themselves out to give Amy a nice wedding.
knock oneself out - inform. to work very hard in order to do sth well
12. If you have any objection to what was just said, now is the time to speak out.
speak out - to publicly speak in protest about sth, esp when protesting could be dangerous; express oneself verbally
13.a) He was down to his last $5 and sweating it out till next payday.
b) You can't leave the course now. Just sweat it out until the summer.
sweat it out - to continue doing sth until it is finished, even though it is difficult
Lesson.9 Out - thoroughness
1. After the riots, whole sections of the city were burned out.
be burned out - if sth is burned out, the inside of it is destroyed by fire
2. At the end of the school year, every student is expected to clean out his or her locker.
clean out - to make the inside of a room, house etc clean or tidy
4. a) No matter how serious the situation, you can always depend on her to come out with a funny story.
b) Tanya came out with a really stupid remark.
come out with - inform. to say sth, esp suddenly or in a way that is not expected
5. The teller counted out ten $50 bills.
count out - to lay things down one by one as you count them; enumerate
7. a) After retiring, many people choose to live out the rest of their days in their old home town.
b) He live out his life in solitude.
live out your life in/ on/ along etc - to continue to live in a particular way or place until you die
9. I want to get to the bookstore early before they sell out the book I need.
sell out - if a product, tickets, places at a concert etc sell out, they are all sold and there are none left
10.a) Before the game, the coach spelled out to the players what he expected each of them to do.
b) Will the Minister spell out exactly how he intends to finance these tax cuts ?
spell out how/ what etc - to explain sth clearly and in detail
12. Washing walls all day had tired us out.
tire out - to make smn very tired
13. Don't worry about that grease stain. I'm sure it will wash out.
wash out - if a substance washes out, you can remove it from a material by washing it
Unit Eighteen
Lesson.1 Over - movement
2. a) We asked the landlady if it would be all right to do over the living room.
b) When our tenants move, we'll do over the apartment and get more rent for it.
do over - to decorate a room, wall etc; renovate
3. a) If I don't find that paper I wrote, I'll just have to do it over.
b) After I read the letter I had written, I decided to tear it up and do it over.
do over - AmE. to do sth again because you did it wrong the first time; rewrite
4. a) He went over my essay line for line, looking for mechanical flaws.
go over - to search sth very carefully; scrutinize/ examine
b) Professional singers go over their parts many times so that they can give a polished performance.
go over - to repeat sth in order to learn it or understand it
6. Bankruptcy law requires that you hand over virtually all your property.
hand over - to give smn or sth to smn else to take care of or to control
7. It is best to look over any document before you sign it.
look over - to examine sth quickly, without paying much attention to detail
8. In looking at a newspaper, most people pass over more items than they read.
pass over - if you pass over a remark or a subject in a conversation, you do not spend any time discussing it
9. Who will take over now that Ewing has resigned ?
take over - to take control of sth
11.a) He was taking odd jobs to tide himself over until he found something permanent.
b) I can give you enough money to tide you over until next month.
tide over - to help smn through a difficult period
14. We were turning over $1500 a week when business was good.
turn over - if a business turns over a particular amount of money, it makes that amount in a particular period of time
16.a) We thought it was going to be a friendly game, but the other team really worked us over.
b) Look at the bully - working over a kid half his size.
work over - inform. to hit smn hard and repeatedly all over their body; pummel
Lesson.2
Over - making more sense, conveying more information, & suggesting what is actually going on
2. a) Would you like to come over for brunch next Sunday ?
b) Be sure to come over the next time you're in town.
come over - to visit smn's house or the place where they are
5. a) Engine trouble forced our plane to lay over in San Francisco for two hours.
b) The fog was so heavy that we had to lay over and wait for it to dissipate.
lay over - AmE. to stay somewhere for a short time before continuing your journey
7. a) On my way to San Francisco, I stopped over in Denver to visit a friend.
b) The plane ticket allowed us to stop over in Boston, New York and Washington.
stop over - to make a short way somewhere before continuing a long journey
Lesson.3
1. a) I was tempted to take an incomplete, but I hated to have an unfinished job hanging over me during the vacation period.
b) The prospect of famine hangs over the whole area.
hang over - if sth unpleasant hangs over you, you are worried because it is likely to happen soon; oppress
2. a) Some people are pathologically suspicious and always assume, others are trying to put something over on them.
b) They think they've found a way to put something over on the welfare office.
put something over on - inform. to deceive smn into believe sth untrue or accepting sth that is useless; perpetrate a ruse
3. a) She was always worried that her dog would dart across the street and get run over.
b) He was run over by a bus and killed.
run over - to hit smn or sth with a car or other vehicle, and drive over them
4. It's amazing how a mother animal watches over her young.
watch over - to guard or take care of smn or sth; observe closely
Lesson.4 Over - overabundance (describing excess, good & bad)
1. a) At the surprise party, the guest of honor bubbled over with gratitude.
b) She bubbled over with joy when she heard about her pay raise.
bubble over with - to be excited; overflow
3. The soup ran over and make a mess of the stove top.
run over - if a container runs over, there is so much liquid inside that some flows out; overflow
4. a) You can't turn in this paper until you cut it down. It runs over the allowed maximum of 200 words.
b) The time keeper waved his hand because the speaker was running over his alloted 20 minutes.
run over - to continue past the arranged sth; exceed
Lesson.5
1. a) Don't bother Dad while he's so upset. Wait until his had mood blows over.
b) The scandal will soon blow over and everything ill return to normal.
blow over - if an argument or unpleasant situation blows over, it is no longer seems important or is forgotten; subside
2. a) She's still trying to get over that bout of flu she had.
get over - to get well again after an illness; overcome
b) Some people never really get over the early death of a parent.
get over - to begin to feel better after an upsetting emotional experience; overcome
3. We couldn't get over how well she looked when she returned from vacation.
can't/ couldn't get over - spokn. used to say that you are very surprised, shocked, or amused by sth
usu) They suddenly fired all the company directors, I just can't get over it.
4. a) There's something I'd like to talk over with you when you're not too busy.
b) My trouble at home worried me, so I decided to talk it over with a counselor.
talk over [+with] - to discuss a problem or situation with smn before you decide what to do
5. I'd like to think over your offer before I make a decision.
think over - to think about sth carefully; ponder
Unit Nineteen "Shorties" Old & New
aerial (aerial antenna). Our TV picture is much better since we got an outdoor aerial.
air (automobile air-conditioning). It's hot in this car. Why don't you turn on the air ?
bike (bicycle). I used to ride a bike to work.
brandy (brandy wine). I can't stand beer, but I don't mind a little glass of brandy once in a while.
bus (omnibus). Rosa parks refused to stand while there were empty seats in the front of the bus.
cable (cable television). If we had cable, we'd be watching TV all day and all night.
cameo (cameo appearance). a short appearance in a film or play by a well-known actor. In the movie, a new actress played the lead, and an old star had a cameo.
chap (chapman). inform. a man, esp a man you know and like. Who's that chap I saw you talking to at the library ?
chum (chamber mate; i.e., roommate). Making a fool of me in front of everybody; a fine chum you are !
compact (compact car). Our family's too big for a compact.
con artist, con game (confidence artist, confidence game). inform. smn who tricks or deceives people in order to get money from them. Con artists often victimize people who are elderly, lonely, and credulous.
coed (coeducated woman). Many formerly all-women colleges, like Oberlin, are now coed.
coif (coiffure). For ten dollars it's a haircut; for thirty dollars it's a coif.
co-op (co-operative book store; now applied to other co-operative ventures). Let's check the co-op and see if our psych test is in.
condo (condominium apartment). We'd like to own a house some day, but our next place will probably be a condo.
convertible (convertible car). Everybody has a dream and mine is to own a convertible.
contacts (contact lenses). I wish I could stand wearing contacts.
cop (copper buttons, once the mark of a police officer's uniform). "Hey, Cop !" is not insulting, but "Officer !" is more respectful.
curio (curiosity). I'm looking for a curio cabinet to hod my netsuke collection.
daily (daily newspaper). Many cities have only one daily.
decaf (decaffeinated coffee). Isn't it ironic that we pay more for decaf, which gives us less than regular coffee ?
econ (economics). It was a lot of nerve to say to an econ prof: "If you know so much about how the economic system works. why aren't you rich ?"
facial (facial treatment). I made an appointment for a manicure and a facial.
fan (fanatic). I've been a baseball fan for as far back as I can remember.
frat (fraternity). We're frat brothers.
fridge (refrigerator). Our new fridge is big enough for once-a-week shopping.
grad (graduate). Bill is a grad student in psych.
guy (Guy Fawkes). I recognize the big guy but who's the little guy ?
hose (hosiery). Why do these hose run so easily ?
legit (legitimate). It sounds like you can't lose, but is it legit ?
major medical (major medical insurance plan). I don't care about a raise if our union can get us major medical.
malted (malted-milk drink). He was addicted to malteds.
medic (medical doctor). Thanks for your advice, but this time I think I'll consult a medic.
mike (microphone). This tape recorder has a built-in mike.
mob (mobile vulgus). Suddenly the crowd turned into a mob.
nylons (nylon hosiery). She was at an age when some of her friends were already wearing nylons and some were not.
pen (penitentiary). AmE. slang. a prison. For a crime like that, it's at least ten years in the pen.
perk (perquisite). A big home on campus is the traditional perk of a college president.
perm (permanent wave). Is your hair naturally wavy or have you had a perm ?
phone (telephone). Pick up the phone and call her.
photo (photograph). Is this a recent photo ?
physical (physical examination). I'm due for my annual physical.
polio (poliomyelitis). The Salk vaccine has virtually eradicated polio.
preemie (AmE. inform. premature baby). Would you believe that hulk started life as a preemie ?
prof (professor). Is it OK to call a teaching assistant Prof ?
prom (promenade). I don't know who to invite to the Spring Prom.
psych (pshchology). Oedipus comples ? I took psych but I never took it very seriously.
pun (punctilio). Coming to the party without shoes, you displayed the most unexpected feat, if you'll excuse the pun.
quack (quacksalver). Is he a real doctor or a quack ?
quad (quadrangle). Many college campuses have a central grassy area known as the quad.
quarterly (quarterly publication). Maybe I ought to subscribe to the engineering quarterly.
shorts (short pants). I like to wear shorts around the house.
semi (semitrailer). Traffic was tied up for an hour because a semi overturned on the expressway.
soap (soap opera). Watching soaps is my guilty pleasure.
soph (sophomore). You're a soph now and it's time you picked a major.
spare (spare tire). Before we take that trip, let's make sure that our spare is good.
spot (spot announcement). To get the news, you have to tolerate all kinds of spots
stat (photostat). Before the development of office copiers, documents were copied by stat.
steno (stenographer). The office manager started out as just another steno.
stick (stick-shift car). I've never learned to drive a stick.
sub (substitute teacher). She's hoping to get a permanent teaching job but meanwhile she's working as a sub.
sub (submarine). The ship's radar spotted an enemy sub.
tam (tam o' shanter). If I bought it in France, it would have been a beret, but I bought in in Scotland, so it's a tam.
tarp (tarpaulin). We protected the furniture by covering it with a tarp.
temp (temporary employee). I'd rather work as a temp than be tied down to a permanent job.
tug (tugboat). I liked to hag around the harbor and watch he tugs.
van (caravan). Let's rent a van and do the moving ourselves.
veggies (vegetables). We're ordering pizza with extra veggies.
tux (tuxedo). The day he got married was the first time he had ever worn a tux.
typo (typographical error). She proofread her paper carefully, determined to correct every last typo.
video (videocassette). Let's rent a video, and stay home tonight.
weeklies (weekly publications). Today there's nothing like the popular weeklies of a couple of generations ago: The Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, and Liberty.
western (western story). Remember when John Wayne was the king of the westerns ?
wig (periwig). Not too long ago, very few people would consider wearing a wig.
Unit Twenty
Lesson.1 Through - going from the beginning to the end
1. a) Marking plans is easy. Carrying them through is sometimes difficult.
b) Carrying through the boss' plans is what my job is all about.
carry through - to complete or finish sth successfully, in spite of difficulties.
2. a) He's always coming up with good ideas, but not so good at following through.
b) The success of any health program depend on how it is followed through.
follow through - to do what needs to be done after the main part of sth is finished, in order to make sure it is complete or successful
4. a) Little did I know what one has to go through to get a college degree.
b) How does she keep smiling after all she's went through ?
go through - to suffer or experience sth bad; endure
5. a) Going through the morning paper is what I usually do when I ride the train to work.
b) Could you just go through this file and mark anything that's relevant ?
go through - to read a document etc from beginning to end; read
6. Austria was so expensive - we went through all our money in one week.
go through - to sue sth and have none left; use up
7. a) We went through the family album from beginning to end, reminiscing over the good old days.
b) Dave went through his pockets looking for the keys.
go through - to look at or for sth carefully ; examine
8. Adolescence is a stage we have all lived through - its moments of pain and pleasure alike.
live through - to experience difficult or dangerous conditions
Lesson.2
1. a) I tried to put through a telephone call to him, but his line was always busy.
put through - to connect smn to smn else on the telephone
b) Save the receipt, fill out a petty cash voucher, and I'll put it through right away.
put through - process
cf) voucher. a kind of ticket that can be used instead of money for a particular purpose
2. a) He must be in love, to put himself through that kind of agony for her.
b) We put all new recruits through a rigorous week-long training program.
put through - to make smn do sth unpleasant and difficult; subject
3. a) I haven't read the article in detail but I've run through it.
b) The lawyer ran through the contract with me.
run through - to read, look at, or explain sth quickly; scan
4. a) "Perfect ! " said the piano teacher. "Now I want you to run through it again."
b) Let's run through the first scene again.
run through - to repeat sth so that you remember it or get better at it; practice
6. a) He thought he was fooling me, but I could see through his scheme.
b) Seeing through your story does not take a mind reader.
see through - to recognize the truth about sth that is intended to deceive you; comprehend
cf) mind reader. often. humor. smn who knows what smn else is thinking without being told
Lesson.3
1. a) "One more mistake like that," the boss threatened, "and you're through !"
b) He couldn't believe he was through. He was sure the boss would give him another chance.
be through - be fired
2. This real estate salesperson is reliable; if she makes a promise, she comes through.
come through - if an official document comes through, it arrives; fulfill a promise
3. a) When I needed money to come to the States, my uncle came through.
b) I had applied for a student visa and was waiting for the Immigration Service to come through.
come through - if a piece of news, a result etc comes through, it becomes known or heard; respond
4. a) When my car broke down, and I needed all the money I had to replace it, I realized that my vacation plans had fallen through.
b) The deal fell through at the last minute.
fall through - if an arrangement, plan etc falls through, it is not completed successfully; fail
5. a) A secretary can make it very difficult for a visitor to get through to her boss.
b) The operator was trying to help me, but I wasn't getting through.
get though [+to] - to succeed in reaching smn by telephone; reach
6. a) I tried to explain the situation, but form the blank look in his eyes, I could see I wasn't getting through to him.
b) For a few weeks I just couldn't understand the professor, but I think she's finally getting through to me.
get through to sb - to succeed in making smn understand sth, esp when this is difficult
7. a) If we keep working, we should get through by 6.
b) "The sooner we get started, the sooner we get through."
get through - to come to the end of a difficult or unpleasant experience or period of time
8. a) I can submit your request, but frankly I don't think it will go through.
b) Everything depended on whether our mortgage application went through.
go through - if a deal or agreement goes through, it is officially accepted; be granted
9. a) He's a very sick boy, but I'm sure he'll pull through.
b) Thanks to quick emergency treatment, the heart attack victim pulled through.
pull through - to stay alive after you have been very ill or badly injured, or help smn do this; survive
10.a) Those were difficult times, and only my determination saw me through.
b) I've given him a sedative; that should see him through the night.
see sb through sth - to give help and support to smn during a difficult time; help survive
Unit Twenty-One
To
1. a) Our town doctor was once the wildest kid in town. Nobody thought he'd ever amount to something.
b) The court's decision amounts to a not-guilty verdict.
amount to - if an attitude, remark, situation etc amounts to sth, it has the same effect; achieve
3. The boxer was knocked out and didn't come to for five worrisome minutes.
come to - to become conscious again
4. a) My monthly living costs come to $800.
b) As the checkout clerk added up his bill, he silently estimated how much it would come to.
come to $800 - to be a total amount of $800; total/ add up to
Unit Twenty-Two
Together
1. a) You like that bookcase ? It's just something I knocked together one Sunday.
b) I haven't quite decided whether to buy a computer ready to plug in, or get the components and knock them together myself.
knock together - inform. to make sth quickly, using whatever you have available; assemble
2. a) I make this bouillabaisse by throwing together some fish scraps and vegetables.
b) There's lots of food in the fridge - I'm sure I can throw something together.
throw together - to make sth such as a meal quickly and not very carefully
3. a) My college roommate and I were just thrown together, but we have been good friends for many years.
b) Some married couples were carefully matched by friends or family, and others were just thrown together by chance.
throw together - if a question throws people together, it makes them meet and know each other
Unit Twenty-Three
Under - unhappy moments in life
1. He resisted, but group pressure finally made him buckle under.
buckle under - yield; acquiesce
2. a) His business lasted three months and then went under.
b) The difference between speculation and investment is a matter of probability that the venture will either succeed or go under.
go under - if a business goes under, it has serious problems and fails
3. The Titanic finally went under, watched by those survivors who had found a place in the life boats.
go under - if a ship or sth that is floating goes under, it sinks beneath the surface
4. The nurse was doing everything she could to keep the patient from going under.
go under - lose consciousness
Unit Twenty-Four
Lesson.1 Up - rising or coming into view
1. a) He wears boots that come up to his knees.
b) This doesn't come up to the standard of your usual work.
come up to - to be as good as sth else or as an expected standard; reach
2. a) A lot of new questions came up at the meeting.
b) Your name came up in our conversation once or twice.
come up - to be mentioned or suggested as sth to be considered or given attention; arise
5. a) A car drew up right next to mine, and I recognized the driver as a friend of mine.
b) When we saw a police car drawing up, we wondered what the trouble was.
draw up - to arrive somewhere and stop
6. When the president enters the room, all the reporters get up.
get up - to stand up
7. If prices keep going up, I don't know how I'll be able to make ends meet.
go up - spokn. to increase in number or amount
cf) make (both) ends meet. to have just enough money to buy what you need
9. Before you can change a tire, you have to jack up the car.
jack up - to lift sth heavy off the ground using a jack
10. According to the newspapers, the electric company is jacking up prices again.
jack up - inform. to increase prices, sales etc by a large amount
11.a) He showed up on campus a week before classes began.
b) Showing up on time is a very important part of holding a job.
show up - inform. to arrive, esp at the place where smn is waiting for you; appear
12.a) Use this sponge to take up that puddle of water.
b) The Sun takes up the morning dew.
take up - absorb
13.a) No, we haven't seen your lab manual here, but we'll hold it for you if it turns up.
b) I couldn't find my watch for ages, but then one day it turned up in a coat pocket.
turn up - to suddenly appear after having been lost or searched for
cf) ages. a long time
Lesson2. Up - adding intensity
1. I added up all my expenses, to see how much I could save for a summer vacation.
add up - to calculate the total of several numbers; total
2. a) Blowing up a photograph sometimes brings out detail you didn't know in the negative.
b) How much would it cost to have this photo blown up ?
blow up - if you blow up a photograph, you make it larger; enlarge
3. a) My complaint was blown up when my supervisor passed it on to the personnel director.
b) Every time he repeated the story, he blew it up a little more.
blow up - exaggerate; also. to fill sth with air or gas
4. Every gas heater must have a safety valve, to prevent the house from blowing up.
blow up - to destroy sth, to be destroyed, by an explosion
5. a) She broke up crusts of bread and used them to feed the pigeons.
b) Before our backyard could become a garden, the soil had to be broken up, loosened, and fertilized.
break up - to break or make sth break into many small pieces; pulverize
6. After meeting, the crowd broke up and melted away.
break up - if a crowd or meeting breaks up, people start to leave; disperse
7. a) After a year of marriage, the couple broke up.
b) If a parent dies, the family may break up.
break up - if a marriage, group of people, or organization breaks up, the people in it separate and do not live or work together any more
8. I'm building up this account to make a down payment on a house.
build up - if a substance, force or activity build up somewhere or you build it up, it gradually becomes bigger and stronger; augment
9. She put a cloth over the floor to cover up the mess.
cover up - to put sth over the top of sth in order to hide it or protect it
cf)1. They covered up for Kirk by refusing to answer any of the questions.
cover up for sb - to protect smn by hiding unpleasant facts about them
2. Who's going to cover for you when your're on holiday ?
cover for sb - to do the work that smn else usually does because they are ill or not present
Lesson.3
2. a) When we kept on exclaiming how beautiful the house was, the owners lapped it up.
b) She seems to be lapping up all the attention she's getting.
lap up - to get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment from sth, without worrying about whether it is good, true etc; believe (credulously)
3. a) I spent last summer reading up on the Civil War.
b) I'll have to read up on the tax laws before the meeting tomorrow.
read up on - inform. to read a lot about sth because you will need to know about it; read intensively
5. a) A labor union, he argued, helps you stand up for your rights.
b) Didn't anyone stand up for James and say it wasn't his fault ?
stand up for - to support or defend a person or idea when they are being attacked; champion
6. I stayed up late to watch the film.
stay up - not go to bed; remain awake
8. a) I may be out very late tonight. Please don't wait up for me.
b) We wait up to find out the results of the election.
wait up [+for] - to wait for smn to return before you go to bed; remain awake
9. a) Industrial nations have been polluting the earth for generations, but only a few years ago woke up to the harm they were doing.
b) It's time you woke up to the fact that it's a tough world out there.
wake up to - to start to realize and understand a danger, an idea etc; become aware of
Lesson.4 Up - betterment, improvement, & acceleration
1. I had missed two weeks of school, and now I had to work hard to catch up.
catch up - to improve so much that you reach the same standard as other people in your class, group etc; regain one's position
2. We cleaned up our apartment for Saturday night's party.
clean up - to make sth completely clean and tidy
3. a) Investors who bought Xerox stock in 1950 really cleaned up.
b) He intended to go into the real estate business and clean up.
clean up - inform. to win a lot of money or make a lot of money in a business deal
4. a) He had a talent for cleaning up dirty jokes without ruining them.
b) It's high time British soccer cleaned up its image.
clean up - to improve moral standard in a place or organization; expurgate
6. This soup is too salty. How can I doctor it up ?
doctor up - correct quickly
7. a) Let's dress up for the party tonight.
b) I can't understand why it takes you so long to dress up.
dress up - to wear clothes that are more formal than you would usually wear
8. a) Fixing up the apartment took up most of the summer.
b) The real estate agent advised us to fix up the house before we put it on the market.
fix up - to improve sth or make it suitable; repair
9. In the army there's a saying, "Hurry up and Wait."
hurry up - to make smn do sth more quickly or to make sth happen more quickly
Lesson.5
1. Yes, the people next door got a power mower, I'm just not interested in keeping up with our neighbors.
keep up with the Joneses - to try to have all the possessions that your friends have because you want people to think that you are as good as them
2. Let's light up the room with candles tonight.
light up - to give the light to a place or to shine light on sth; illuminate
3. a) A beautiful day like this almost makes up for all the bad weather we've had this month.
b) He watches TV every night - making up for the years he spent doing nothing but studying.
make up for - to make a bad or unpleasant situation seem better, by providing sth pleasant; compensate
4. a) His kindly manner invited people to open up and discuss details of their private life.
b) Once she knew she could trust me, Melissa started to open up.
open up - to stop being shy and say what you really think
5. a) We'd better patch up the roof - we can't afford a new one.
b) This weekend, let's get some concrete mix and patch up that broken front step.
patch up - to repair sth by adding a new piece of material to it
6. a) If we're going to finish the textbook this term, we'll have to step up our reading.
b) We will be stepping up production to meet the increased demand.
step up - to increase the amount of an activity or the speed of a process in order to improve a situation
7. a) Shall we touch up all the nicks and scratches, or just call it an antique ?
b) The speech he finally gave had been touched up by his staff.
touch up - to improve sth by changing it or adding to it slightly; make small improvements
8. a) We're looking for someone who's willing to start at the bottom and work his way up.
b) Jack took notes which he would work up into a report later.
work up - to develop and improve a skill or a piece of writing; advance oneself
Lesson.6 Up - the brighter side of life (comfort & courage)
1. a) I'd never complain to the boss unless I was sure my colleagues would back me up.
b) The videotape evidence backed up the manager's story.
back up - to say that what smn is saying is true; support
2. a) In addition to the textbook, required reading beefs up our weekly assignments.
b) We need to beef the campaign up a bit.
beef up - inform. to improve sth, or make it more interesting, more important etc; augment
3. I'm brushing up on my Spanish for our Mexican vacation.
brush up on - to quickly practice and improve your skills or knowledge
4&5.a) During his first months in a strong land, he was buoyed up by letters from home.
b) Getting A's on your exams buoys up your self-confidence and your reputation among your classmates.
buoy up - to make smn feel happier or more confident
6. When my family's away, I need my dog to cheer me up.
cheer up - to become less sad, or to make smn feel less sad; improve one's mood
8. a) A mutual friends helped us patch up our differences.
b) Alice wants a divorce, but Ed still hopes they can patch things up
patch up - to end argument because you want to stay friendly with smn; resolve
9. a) If you owe the university money, you have to settle up before you graduate.
b) Before I can leave town, I have to settle up a few small debts.
settle up - to pay what you owe on an account or bill; repay
Lesson.7 Up - expressing enterprise
1. a) I'd like to believe you but your story just doesn't add up.
b) He had been arrested for murder, but the evidence just didn't add up.
not add up - if a set of facts does not add up, it does not provide a reasonable explanation for sth
2. a) Your ideas of right and wrong depend on how you were brought up.
b) I always dreamt of bringing up a family on a farm.
bring up - to educate and care for a child until it is grown up; raise
3. Calling me up as soon as you hear the news.
call up - inform. esp. AmE. to telephone smn
4. a) Our soccer team chalked up three victories in a row.
b) It looks like we're chalking up a selling record for the month of January.
chalk up - to succeed in getting sth, esp points in a game; win
cf) three/ four etc times in a row. happening a number of times in exactly the same way or with the same result
5. a) The bank will check up on you carefully before they grant a loan.
b) Are you trying to check up on me, or what ?
check up on - to try and make sure that smn is doing what they said they would do or what you want them to do, esp secretly; investigate
6. a) We've asked the advertising director to come up with a theme for our April sale.
b) Is that the best excuse you can come up with ?
come up with - to think of an idea, plan, reply etc; invent
8. a) We're drawing up a plan for expanding our business.
b) They drew up a list of candidates.
draw up - to prepare a written document
9. a) I've put in a hard day's work and ended up with almost nothing.
b) In most things in life, there is a difference between the plans you begin with and the reality you end up with.
end up with - to come to be in a particular situation or state, esp when you did not plan it; finish
10.a) He was accused of bribery because he made a gift and followed it up with a request for a favor.
b) Following up our last conversation, I'd like to make this offer.
follow up [+with] - to do sth in addition to what you have already done in order to make sure of success; continue
11. You've worked for three years at the same pay, and I think it's time you got up the courage to ask for a raise. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
get up - to bring together the courage, energy, support etc that you need and prepare them for action; mobilize
12.a) This year we're planning to get up a new procedure for filing phone orders.
b) She's getting a collection up for Sue's birthday.
get up - to organize sth; prepare
Lesson.8
1. a) In a workshop on how to find a job, this was held up as a model resume.
b) The school is being held up as a model for other inner-city secondary schools.
hold sb/sth up as - to use smn or sth as an example; single out
2. a) A buyer has to keep up with changes in consumer demand.
b) It's hard to keep up with the changes in computer technology.
c) The new office work is still a little slow and has trouble keeping up with her fellow workers.
keep up with - to continue to read and learn about a particular subject; keep/ stay abreast of
3. It's time to start laying up merchandise for the Christmas season.
lay up - old fash. to collect and store sth to use in the future
4. a) By April, he had already lined up a summer job for himself.
b) Lining up a good sales staff will not be an easy job.
line up - to make arrangements so that sth will happen or that smn will be available for an event
5. a) Please look up her phone number and get her on the line for me.
b) I'll just look up the train times.
look up - if you look up information in a book, on a computer etc, you try to find a particular bit of information there; search for
6. a) When you're in New York, I'd like you to look up an old friend of mine.
b) Don't forget to look me up when you come to Atlanta.
look up - to visit smn you know, esp when you are in the place where they live for a different reason
cf) Now the summer's here things are looking up.
look up - if a situation is looking up, it's improving
7. We rehearsed all day Saturday, to make up for lost time.
make up for - to work more quickly, or at times when you do not usually work, because sth has prevented you from working before.
8. a) Because of spoilage, grocers mark up fresh fruits and vegetables more than canned goods.
b) Compact disks may be marked up as much as 80%.
mark up - to increase the price of sth, so that you sell it for more than you paid for it
Lesson.9
1. a) Can you put me up for the night ?
b) Over the Christmas weekend, we're putting up a family of three.
put up - to let smn stay in your house and give them meals
2. a) They're putting up an office building on this corner.
b) This is where we're planning to put up a garage.
put up - to build a wall, fence, or tall building
3. a) My job at the library was to put up books.
b) Putting up signs and price tags was part of his job.
put up - place in position
cf) The exam results will be put up on Friday afternoon.
put up - to put a picture, notice etc on a wall so that people can see it
5&6.a) Let's round up the staff and hold a short meeting.
b) Everyday he rounded up misplaced merchandise and put it where it belonged.
round up - to find and gather together a group of people or things
7. a) Last month we made a profit. This month we may run up a deficit.
b) Part of the credit manager's job is to keep customers form running up too high a bill.
run up bill/ expenses/ debts - to use a lot of sth or borrow a lot of money, so that you will have to pay a lot of money; incur
8. a) Our accountants set up our bookkeeping system, and our office workers maintain it.
b) We're getting rid of our old inventory system, and setting up a new one.
set up - to make the necessary arrangements so that sth can happen, such as a meeting, an event, or a system for doing sth; arrange/ organize
9. a) This morning we're unpacking lamps and setting them up.
set up - to prepare the equipment that will be needed for an activity so that it is ready to be used
b) Here we will set up a toy department.
set up - to start a company, organization, committee etc; establish
Lesson.10
1. a) He spent the weekend shaping up a dissertation proposal.
b) The new recruits are shaping up nicely.
shape up - inform. to make progress and impove in the way you want; formulate/ prepare
2. a) His behavior shows up his years of experience as a manager.
b) Many students hesitate to ask questions for fear of showing up their ignorance.
show up - to make it possible to see or notice sth that was not clear before; reveal
3. I'm thinking of signing up for the philosophy course this term.
sign up for - to arrange to take part in a course of study
4. a) The dance committee had to size up the number of workers needed.
b) It only took a few seconds for her to size up the situation.
size up - to look at or consider a person or situation and make a judgement about them; evaluate
6. a) We're going to split up the shoe department into three separate places - for men, for women, and for children.
b) The article is easier to read if you split it up into sections.
split up - to divide or separate sth into different parts
7. a) What can we do to stir up interest in our new software department ?
b) Students often stir up resentment among the townfolk.
stir up - to deliberately try to cause arguments or problems between people
9. a) The television show worked up my interest in the Civil War.
b) She was working up the courage to talk to the professor.
c) The introduction tried to work up the reader's curiosity about what was in the book.
work up enthusiasm/ interest/ courage etc - to become enthusiastic or interested etc; arouse
Lesson.11 Up - describing ways of thinking
1. a) You don't want to talk about it ? Pardon me for bring it up.
b) I shall bring up this question at the next meeting.
bring up - to mention a subject or start to talk about it; introduce
2. a) Today's lecture cleared up a lot of questions I had.
b) There are a couple of points we need to clear up before the meeting begins.
clear up - to make sure that everyone involved in sth understands all the facts and agrees, so that there will be no problem; explain
3. a) When our little boy sits in his chair so quietly, I wonder what kind of mischief he's dreaming up.
b) Who on earth dreams up the plots for these soap operas ?
dream up - to think of a plan or idea, esp an unusual one
4. a) Sometimes when I tell the children a story I just make it up as I go along.
b) I think they're making the whole thing up.
make up - to invest a story, explanation etc in order to deceive smn
5. a) When the neighbor asked who had broken the window, nobody owned up.
b) Unless the guilty person owns up, the whole class will be punished.
own up - to admit that you have done sth wrong, esp sth that is not serious; confess
6. a) I was asking about the transmission noises, and the salesperson was playing up the car's low mileage.
b) She knew the newspapers would try to play it up.
play up - if you play sth up, you make it seem more important than it really is; emphasize
7. a) When you have a few minutes to spare, I'd like to take something up with you.
b) Suppose we take up the question of how we spend our next vacation ?
take up - to do sth about an idea or suggestion that you have been considering; discuss
Lesson.12 Up - describing moments of agitation
1. a) I lose patience with children when they began to act up.
b) Our dog acts up every time the doorbell rings.
act up - inform. if children act up, they behave badly
cf) The photocopier has started acting up again.
act up - if a machine or part of your body acts up, it does not work properly
2. a) The boss is in an impossible mood today. What's she burnt up about ?
b) The way he treats her really burns me up.
burn up - inform. esp. AmE. to make smn angry
3. She and Mark broke up last week, and she's pretty choked up about it.
be choked up - to be very upset about sth
4. a) Who messed up the Kitchen ?
mess up - inform. to make sth dirty or untidy
b) He blames bad friends for messing up his life.
mess up - inform. to spoil or ruin sth, esp sth important or sth that has been carefully planned
5. a) He was under such enormous emotional stress, we were afraid he would crack up.
b) I must be cracking up - I've lost those papers again.
crack up - inform. to become unable to think or behave sensibly because you have too many problems, too much work etc; suffer an anxiety attack
6. a) I crack up every time I see a Charlie Chaplin movie, even though I've seen it many times before.
b) She's so funny. She cracks me up.
crack up - inform. to laugh a lot at sth, or to make smn laugh a lot
7. a) I don't mind if you cut up at the party, but please don't overdo it.
b) Let's be serious. You can cut up later.
cut up - to behave frivolously; to frolic; horse around; be boisterous
8&9.a) The pain was so severe that I lay down and doubled up.
b) It was awful to see him doubled up in agony.
c) The play was so funny, we doubled up in our seats.
d) The comedian's monologue made the audience double up with laughter.
double up/ over - to suddenly bend at the waist because you are laughing too much or are in pain and cannot stand up
cf) laughter. the act of laughing or sound of people laughing
10.a) They circulated announcements all over campus to drum up interest in the rally.
b) We managed to drum up support for the idea.
drum up - to obtain sth by asking a lot of people for help, information etc; arouse
11.a) A certain amount of stage fright is normal, but it's too bad if you're too keyed up to do your best.
b) Don't get all keyed up about the exam.
keyed up [+about] - worried or excited; get excited; feel agitated
12.a) His face lit up when he recognized an old friend in the crowd of strangers.
b) Did you see her face light up when they announced she had won the prize ?
light up - if smn's face or eyes lights up, they show pleasure, excitement etc; suddenly become happy
13. a) When he learned that his old girl friend was already married, he became worked up and felt like crying.
b) He got worked up when they blamed him for losing the game.
work up - to make smn very angry, excited, or upset about sth; feel agitated
Lesson.13 Up - expressing endurance & defense
1. a) If you can bear up through the first year of college, your next year should be more enjoyable.
b) I'd quit. How can you bear up under that kind of oppression ?
bear up - to show courage or determination during a difficult or unpleasant time; endure/ survive
3. a) How can anyone put up with him ?
b) I don't know how you put up with their constant quarreling.
put up with - to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining; tolerate
4. a) Here I was, sitting up with a sick child.
b) Sometimes we just sit up and watch videos all night.
sit up - to stay up very late
5. a) A person is expected to speak up for his or her legitimate interests.
b) It's about time someone spoke up for single mothers.
speak up for - to speak in support of smn; champion
6. She was always standing up for the underdog.
stand up for - to support to defend a person or idea when they are being attacked; champion
cf) underdog. the person or team in a competition that is expected to lose
7. a) I admire him for standing up under that kind of hardship.
b) The tree stood up pretty well to the frosts this winter.
stand up - to stay healthy in a difficult environment or in good condition after a lot of hard use; endure
8. a) It takes courage for a politician to stick up for an un popular cause.
b) At least my friends stuck up for me.
stick up for - inform. to defend smn who is being criticized, esp when no one else will depend them; champion
9. a) Voter's rights are all she talks about since she took up the cause.
b) Did you know him before he took up transcendental meditation ?
c) Artist Berenice Abbott studied sculpture in New York City and Paris before taking up photography in the mid-1920's.
take up - to become interested in a particular activity or subject and spend time doing it; adopt
Lesson.14 Up - fighting words (attack & destruction)
1. a) Our football team really beat up its opponent - the final score was forty to seven.
b) The neighborhood bully was always beating up children younger than himself.
beat up - to hurt smn badly by hitting them; assault physically
4. a) She threw a letter into the fireplace to burn it up.
b) After the fire, he salved a few things that were damaged by fire, smoke, or water, but were not burnt up.
burn up - if sth burns up or is burnt up, it is completely destroyed by fire or great heat; consume by fire
6. a) I don't trust a person who flatters people to their faces but cuts them up behind their backs.
b) He's a gossip, and cutting people up is a hobby of his.
cut up - to speak ill of; analyze maliciously; malign
7. a) It isn't fair for an entire group to gang up on one person.
b) I hate school ! They all gang up on me.
gang up on - to join together into a group to attack smn or oppose them
8. a) A friend once advised, "When you go for a walk always carry a $20 bill with you in case you're held up. Robbers get upset when you have nothing to give them."
b) His brother tried to hold up the drugstore and was set to jail.
hold up - to rob or try to rob a place by using violence
9. a) When the professor tried to double the reading assignment, the class kicked up a fuss.
b) He was kicking up an awful fuss about his cold meal.
kick up a fuss/ row - to loudly complain and show you are annoyed about sth
10.a) His paper was returned marked up with all sorts of notes and corrections.
b) Someone had already marked up the alto part.
mark up - to write notes or instructions on a piece of writing, music etc
11.a) Did you hide the peanut butter, or have we used it all up ?
b) Don't use up all the hot water.
use up - to use all of sth
Lesson.15 Up - nothing lasts forever (something coming to an end)
1. a) I was laid up for two days with an ankle I sprained playing basketball.
b) No class today. Our teacher's laid up with a bad cold.
be laid up [+with] - to have to stay in bed because you are ill or injured
2. a) There used to be a little grocery store on this corner but it folded up three months ago.
fold [+up] - if an organization folds up, it closes because it does not have enough money to continue; end
3. Giving up smoking was more difficult than she imagined.
give up - to stop doing sth or having sth, esp sth that you do regularly; quit
4. After three attempts to write with my left hand, I reluctantly gave up.
give up - to stop attempting to do sth, esp sth difficult, without completing it; surrender
5. a) Once he gets on the phone, he just can't hang up.
b) I think we've got a bad connection. Hang up and I'll call you back.
hang up - to finish a phone conversation by putting the telephone down; disconnect the telephone
6. a) The office manager's absence is holding up everything.
b) Sorry we're late - we were held up at work.
hold up - to delay smn or sth
7. a) She spent the weekend holed up in the library.
b) How long are you going to be hole up in your laboratory ?
hole up - inform. to hide somewhere for a period of time
8. a) As soon as the rain lets up, I'm going for a walk.
let up - if sth, such as bad weather or an unpleasant situation, lets up, it stops or becomes less serious; subside
b) Doesn't that dog ever get tired of barking ? Won't it ever let up ?
not/ never let up - if smn or sth without letting up, they do it continuously, esp in an annoying way
10.a) We can't solve the drug problem just by locking up drug dealers.
b) The jury found him guilty, and the judge locked him up for ten years.
lock up - to put smn in prison; imprison
11. Be sure you lock up the apartment when you leave.
lock up - to make a building safe by locking the doors, esp at night
12.a) She was picked up on prostitution charge.
b) The coast guard picked film up at Dover.
pick up - if the police or another organized group of people pick smn up, they find them and take them somewhere, to answer questions or to be locked up; arrest
Lesson.16
1. a) One more rent increase and I'll have to double up with a friend.
b) There weren't enough lockers, so we'll have to double up.
double up - to share sth, esp a bed room; share (living quarters)
2. a) We must face up to the fact that in a week our vacation will be over.
b) Facing up to unpleasant truths is a mark of maturity.
face up to - to accept and deal with an unpleasant fact or problem; acknowledge
3. a) I'm afraid Tim just isn't up to the job.
b) Gemma isn't really up to long walks at the moment.
up to - clever, good, or well enough for a particular purpose or in order to do sth
4. a) I heard you made up with an old enemy of yours.
b) Enda and Bill had a nasty quarrel, but a few days later they made up.
make up [+with] - inform. to become friendly with smn again after you have had an argument
5. a) I'll have to pass up your offer. Thanks anyway.
b) Why did you pass up the opportunity to go to university ?
pass up a chance/ opportunity/ offer - to not make use of a chance to do sth; forgo (=form. to decide to not do or have sth, esp sth enjoyable)
6. a) Did you think the professor's joke was really funny or did you laugh just to play up to him ?
b) He warned the new worker: "Playing up to the boss does not make you popular around here."
play up to - to behave in a very polite or kind way to smn because you want sth from them; ingratiate oneself
8. I'd like to make one more statement and then I'll shut up.
shut up - to make smn stop talking or be quiet
9. a) That summer my friends were on vacation and I was shut up in an office all week long.
b) I've had a terrible cold and been shut up in my room for a week.
shut up - to keep smn in a place away from other people, and prevent them from leaving; confine
10. His doctor advised him to slow up.
slow up - to become slower or make sth slower; decelerate
11. Steve's parents split up when he was four.
split up - to end a marriage or relationship; divorce/ separate
12.a) I had a date for lunch with her, but she stood me up.
b) There's an unwritten law against standing up a friend.
stand up - inform. to not meet smn after you have promised to do sth with them
13.a) Run downstairs and tell the janitor the sink is stopped up.
b) The worst of my cold is gone, but my nose still feels stopped up.
stop [+up] - to block sth such as a pipe so that water, smoke etc cannot go through it; clog
Lesson.17
1. a) I'll take you up on that bet, and I hope you don't mind losing.
b) When they said I could have the job, I decided to take them up on their offer.
take sb up on sth - to accept an offer or an invitation that smn has made
2. We charged our mind about buying the house, but we had signed a purchase agreement, and the seller was unwilling to tear it up.
tear up an agreement/ contract etc - to suddenly to decide to stop being restricted by a contract etc
3. Morning sickness describes the tendency of pregnant women to throw up
throw up - to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill or drunk etc; vomit
4. a) I can't see you tomorrow - I'm going to be tied up all day.
be tied up - to be so busy that you cannot do anything else
b) Car telephone are a godsend when you're tied up in a traffic jam.
be tied up - esp. AmE. if traffic is tied up, it is blocked and cannot move freely
6. I must have a good alarm clock because waking up on time is a necessity.
wake up - to stop sleeping, or to make smn stop sleeping
8. a) As soon as I can wind up my affairs, I'm taking a long vacation.
b) The professor was winding up the course by reviewing some major principles.
wind up - to bring an activity, meeting etc to an end; conclude
Unit Twenty-Five
Upon - emphasizing movement cf) On- emphasizing a position of rest
1. a) At the supermarket, I chanced upon an old school friend.
b) Henry chanced upon some valuable coins in the attic.
chance upon - to find sth or meet smn when you are not expecting to; encounter by accident
2. a) The professor is looked upon as an authority in her field.
b) I'm told that college should be an adventure of the mind, but I admit I sometimes look upon my studies as a mental burden.
look upon [+as] - to consider sth in a particular, or as a particular thing; regard
4. a) He avoided walking in the woods at night for fear he might be set upon by swarms of mosquitoes.
b) A watchdog can set upon an intruder without really injuring the person.
set upon - to make people or animals attack smn
Unit Twenty-Six
With & Without
1. a) I'm sure be glad when this term is over with.
b) We don't have to mention the court case again ! It's all over and done with now.
be over (and done) with - if an unpleasant situation or experience is over with, it has finished
2. Ganguin broke with his life as a family man and bank clerk to become a painter on the island of Tahiti.
break with tradition/ the past - to stop following old customs and do sth in a completely different way
3. a) Some American foods disagree with me.
b) He hesitated to disagree with a professor.
disagree with - if sth such as food or weather disagrees with you, it has a bad effect on you or makes you ill; upset
4. a) I'd go to the party if I had someone to go with.
b) I was afraid the car wouldn't go with so much luggage piled on the roof.
go with - accompany
5. a) I live with the memory of a life very different from the one I enjoy today.
b) Unfair grades are sometimes that a student must learn to live with.
live with - to accept a difficult situation that is likely to continue for a long time; tolerate
6. a) He met with his thesis committee for the first time last week.
meet with - to have a meeting with smn; encounter
b) In her attempts to get into show business, she met with nothing but disappointment.
meet with - to get a particular reaction or result; encounter
7. a) There is very little one can do without money.
b) An ascetic enjoys doing without.
do without - to manage to live without sth or smn; abstain