Objective Proficiency p 71. Living in the City Idioms. Extra Cloze

Is your life going nowhere, always the same old boring routine? Then you’re stuck in a 1___________ and you need a change. Are you tired of living in a very isolated area, far away from the nearest town or village? No wonder! Nobody likes being stuck in the middle of 2_____________ or in the back of 3____________ or off the 4___________ track. Maybe you know you should move elsewhere, but are unable to decide whether or not to do so, in which case you’re in two 5__________ about moving.
Perhaps all you need to feel better is to meet 6_________ with friends, head into the city and enjoy yourself clubbing; that is, paint the town 7__________. If you’re feeling incredibly hungry and could eat a 8___________, find a nice restaurant. If you don't know any, take pot 9___________ in choosing a local one. But don't eat like a 10_________ because you may feel bloated. Don't eat like a 11_________ either because you may get peckish in a couple of hours. Don’t get too drunk either; if you get wasted, bladdered, plastered, tanked or any of the other dozens of synonyms for inebriated, you’ll only end up with a nasty 12___________, in which case you might have to resort to a hair of the 13________ to feel better.

KEY
1. rut
rut: a boring way of life that does not change. E.g.  I gave up my job because I felt I was stuck in a rut. If you don't go out and meet new people, it's easy to get into a rut.



2. nowhere
in the middle of  nowhere



3. beyond

the back of beyond: (informal) a place that is a long way from other houses, towns, etc. E.g. We stayed in some farmhouse in the back of beyond.  

 

 

 

4. beaten

off the beaten track far away from other people, houses, etc. E.g. They live miles off the beaten track. 

 

 

 

5. minds

in two minds 

 

 

 

6. up

meet up with 

 

 

 

7. red
paint the town red (informal) to go to a lot of different bars, clubs, etc. and enjoy yourself. E.g. you want to have a good time and paint the town red this weekend. 

 

 

 

8. horse

could eat a horse something that you say when you are very hungry. E.g. I've had nothing but a sandwich all day - I could eat a horse.

 

 

 

9. luck

pot luck when you take pot luck, you choose something or go somewhere without knowing very much about it, but hope that it will be good, pleasant, etc. E.g. It's pot luck whether you get good advice or not. You're welcome to stay to supper, but you'll have to take pot luck (= eat whatever is available). I took pot luck at the airport and just got on the first available flight. We hadn't booked a hotel so we had to take pot luck.

10. horse

eat like a horse (informal) to eat a lot. E.g. She may be thin, but she eats like a horse. 

bloated: full of food and feeling uncomfortable. E.g. I felt bloated after the huge meal they'd served.

 

 

 

11. bird

eat like a bird: eat very little. E.g. Dad had been eating like a bird before we came here. 

peckish: slightly hungry. E.g. Is there anything to eat? I’m feeling a bit peckish. Starting to get peckish.

 

bladdered: /ˈblædəd/ drunk. E.g. He was totally bladdered. They just want to go out and get bladdered.

 

plastered: /ˈplɑːstəd/ drunk to be/get plastered.

 

be/get tanked up: become drunk. E.g. they get tanked up before the game

 

inebriated /ɪˈniːbrieɪtɪd/ drunk. E.g. In her inebriated ​state, she was ​ready to ​agree to anything.

 

 

 

12. hangover 

 

 

 

13. dog

the hair of the dog (that bit you) (informal) alcohol that you drink in order to make you feel better when you have drunk too much alcohol the night before.