GOLD
The girl was __________________ all weekend.
2. Whatever criticism I made was ignored.
LIKE
Whatever criticism I ___________________________________ back.
3. The café is spick and span, and the food's excellent.
WHISTLE
The café is __________________________, and the food's excellent.
4. Grandad is stone deaf. He relies entirely on sight.
POST
Grandad is ________________________. He relies entirely on sight.
5. My brother and I are completely different. We will never get on like a house on fire.
CHEESE
My brother ____________________________. We will never get on like a house on fire.
6. The court was told he was driving at full throttle when the fatal collision occurred.
BAT
The court was told he was driving _________________________ when the fatal collision occurred.
7. My hands aren't cold at all in these gloves.
TOAST
My hands are _____________________ in these gloves.
8. She went deathly pale when she read the letter.
SHEET
She went __________________ when she read the letter.
9. She's very bad at remembering things. I've never known anyone so forgetful.
SIEVE
She's _________________________. I've never known anyone so forgetful.
10. The child had to take on responsibility for looking after her family when her mother died.
SHOULDER
The child ______________________________ looking after her family when her mother died.
11. You paid for dinner last time. Let me pay for lunch today.
FOOT
You paid for dinner last time. Let me _______________________ lunch today.
12. Students often try to hitchhike in order to save money
THUMB
Students often try to ________________________ in order to save money.
13. If the woman hadn't pushed and shoved her way into the store, she wouldn't have grabbed the first bargains in the sale.
ELBOWED
Had_____________________________________ the store, she wouldn't have grabbed the first bargains in the sale.
14. An opposition MP had proposed changes to the voting system in parliament.
TABLED
An opposition MP __________________________________ the voting system in parliament.
15. They reported that the police had cornered the thieves in a shanty town.
BAY
The thieves ___________________________________________ in a shanty town by the police.
16. We entered the room when we got home walking using only the front parts of our feet so as not to wake anyone up.
TIPTOED
We _____________________________________________ so as not to wake anyone up.
17. They supplied a large American aircraft carrier with over 5,000 sailors as it set out from Palma.
MANNED
A large American aircraft carrier __________________________________ as it set out from Palma.
18. I loved the cake the student brought to class. He thickly covered it with a layer of chocolate and it was very moist.
COATED
I loved the cake the student brought to class. It _________________________________ chocolate and it was very moist.
19. It seems that the makers of the film capitalised on the idea of everyone having skeletons in their cupboards.
CASHED
It seems that the makers of the film __________________________ everyone having skeletons in their cupboards.
20. As soon as we had put the order in they sent the goods.
ORDERED
No sooner _________________________________________ shipped.
21. The government has promised to accommodate and help asylum seekers.
HOUSING
The government is committed _________________________________ asylum seeker.
22. They sent Knight back to the US to accept responsibility for his part in a robbery more than 20 years ago.
RETURNED
Knight __________________________________ music for his part in a robbery more than 20 years ago.
23. Even though he is pretty thick-skinned, he could not put up with so much ridicule.
STOMACH
Despite _____________________________________________________ so much ridicule.
24. He might not like the rules but he'll accept and obey them just to avoid trouble.
SPITE
In order to avoid trouble he'll toe ______________________________ the rules
KEY
1. The girl was as good as gold all weekend.
be as good as gold if a child is as good as gold, they behave very well. E.g. The children were as good as gold today.
2. Whatever criticism I made was like water off a duck's back.
Like water off a duck's back: (informal) used to say that something, especially criticism, has no effect on somebody/something. Sp. Como quien oye llover. E.g. I can't tell my son what to do; it's water off a duck's back with him.
3. The café is as clean as a whistle, and the food's excellent
As clean as a whistle: (informal) very clean. Sp. Limpio como una patena. When he finished washing his car, it was as clean as a whistle.
spick and span (also spic and span) [not usually before noun] neat and clean. E.g. Their house is always spick and span.
4. Grandad is as deaf as a post. He relies entirely on sight.
As deaf as a post: (informal) very deaf. Sp. Más sordo que una tapia. E.g. My uncle can't hear a thing. He's as deaf as a post.
Stone deaf: completely deaf. E.g. he’s stone deaf.
5. My brother and I are like chalk and cheese. We will never get on like a house on fire.
Like chalk and cheese: (British English) if two people or things are like chalk and cheese or as different as chalk and cheese, they are completely different from each other. E.g. Frank and I will never get along. We're chalk and cheese.
get on like a house on fire: if two people get on like a house on fire, they like each other very much and become friends very quickly. E.g. I was worried that they wouldn't like each other, but in fact they're getting on like a house on fire.
click: to become friends with somebody at once; to become popular with somebody. E.g. We met at a party and clicked immediately. click with somebody He's never really clicked with his students.
hit it off (with somebody)
take a shine to somebody/something
rapport: /ræˈpɔː(r)/
rapport (with somebody) | rapport (between A and B) a friendly relationship in which people understand each other very well. E.g. She understood the importance of establishing a close rapport with clients. Honesty is essential if there is to be good rapport between patient and therapist. There was little rapport between the two women. She felt an instant rapport between them.
6. The court was told he was driving like a bat out of hell when the fatal collision occurred.
Like a bat out of hell: (informal) very fast. E.g. He ran out of the building like a bat out of hell.
Throttle: a device that controls the amount of fuel that goes into the engine of a vehicle, for example the accelerator in a car. Sp. acelerador. E.g. He drove along at full throttle (= as fast as possible).
(at) full pelt/tilt as fast as possible. E.g. He ran full pelt to the bus stop. He was going full pelt down the motorway but he still didn't make it to the airport in time. I ran downstairs at full pelt. He came running down the hill at full tilt.
7. My hands are as warm as toast in these gloves.
As warm as toast: very warm and cosy. E.g. The baby will be as warm as toast in that blanket. We were as warm as toast by the side of the fire.
be (as) cold as ice to be extremely cold. E.g. Feel my toes - they're as cold as ice. Her hand was as cold as ice.
It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey: Very cold weather conditions. Also known by the derivative phrase - brass monkey weather (extremely cold weather).
8. She went as white as a sheet when she read the letter.
As white as a sheet: To be very pale, usually because you are frightened or ill. E.g. She was trembling all over and as white as a sheet.
drawn: (of a person or their face) looking pale and thin because the person is ill/sick, tired or worried. E.g. She looked very pale and drawn. Jo looked drawn and strained after her long night’s work.
haggard: looking exhausted and unwell, especially from fatigue, worry, or suffering. E.g. she was pale and haggard. He'd been drinking the night before and was looking a bit haggard.
9. She's got a memory/mind like a sieve. I've never known anyone so forgetful.
Have a memory/mind like a sieve: (informal) to have a very bad memory; to forget things easily. Sp. Tener la cabeza como un colador. E.g. I've never known anyone so forgetful - she's got a memory like a sieve.
Other expressions:
Forgetful
Absent-minded
To have the memory of a goldfish
I'd lose my head if it weren't screwed on
bad/good at
excel at/in /ɪkˈsel/ E.g. She has always excelled in foreign languages. As a child he excelled at music and art. excel (at doing something) The team excels at turning defence into attack.
adept (at/in something) | adept (at/in doing something) /əˈdept/ (adj) good at doing something that is quite difficult. E.g. He became adept at getting even the shyest students to talk.
adept (at/in something/doing something) /ˈædept/ (N) a person who is good at doing something that is quite difficult. E.g. He was an adept at concealing the truth.
dab hand: a person who is very good at doing something or using something. E.g. He's a dab hand at cooking spaghetti. She's a dab hand with a paintbrush.
10. The child had to shoulder (the) responsibility for/of looking after her family when her mother died.
To shoulder something: /ˈʃəʊldə(r)/ to accept the responsibility for something. Sp. Cargar con. E.g. Bringing home a puppy or dog means that you have to shoulder the responsibility of having to train him. Women who shoulder the double burden of childcare and full-time work.
11. You paid for dinner last time. Let me foot the bill for lunch today.
To foot the bill: to be responsible for paying the cost of something. Sp. Asumir la cuenta. E.g. Once again it will be the taxpayer who has to foot the bill. Who will be footing the bill for the party?
put your foot down
1. to be very strict in opposing what somebody wishes to do. E.g. You've got to put your foot down and make him stop seeing her.
2. (British English) to drive faster. E.g. She put her foot down and roared past them.
go Dutch (with somebody)
A Dutch uncle is an informal term for a person who issues frank, harsh, or severe comments and criticism to educate, encourage, or admonish someone. Thus, a "Dutch uncle" is the reverse of what is normally thought of as avuncular or uncle-like (indulgent and permissive).
avuncular: /əˈvʌŋkjələ(r)/ behaving in a kind and friendly way towards young people, similar to the way a kind uncle treats his nieces or nephews.
indulgent: tending to allow somebody to have or do whatever they want. E.g. indulgent parents. an indulgent smile. Mothers tend to be less indulgent towards daughters.
12. Students often try to thumb (a lift/ a ride) in order to save money.
To thumb (a lift/ a ride): /θʌm/ to make a signal with your thumb to passing drivers to ask them to stop and take you somewhere. E.g. We managed to thumb a lift with a lorry driver. He had thumbed all across Europe.
13. Had the woman not elbowed her way into the store, she wouldn't have grabbed the first bargains in the sale.
Elbow: to push somebody with your elbow, usually in order to get past them. E.g. She elbowed me out of the way to get to the front of the line. He elbowed his way through the crowd. He elbowed his way in.
push: to use force to move past somebody/something using your hands, arms, etc. E.g.
Try and push your way through the crowd.
shove: /ʃʌv/ to push somebody/something in a rough way. E.g. I pushed and shoved my way to the front of the crowd. People were pushing and shoving to get to the front. The crowd was pushing and shoving to get a better view.
nudge (V)
1. nudge somebody/something to push somebody gently, especially with your elbow, in order to get their attention. E.g. He nudged me and whispered, ‘Look who's just come in.’
2. nudge somebody/something + adv./prep. to push somebody/something gently or gradually in a particular direction. E.g. He nudged the ball past the goalie and into the net. She nudged me out of the way. (figurative) He nudged the conversation towards the subject of money. (figurative) She tried to nudge him into changing his mind (= persuade him to do it).
nudge: (N) a slight push, usually with the elbow She gave me a gentle nudge in the ribs to tell me to shut up. (figurative) He can work hard but he needs a nudge now and then.
jostle (somebody) /ˈdʒɒsl/ to push roughly against somebody in a crowd. E.g. The visiting president was jostled by angry demonstrators. People were jostling, arguing and complaining.
jostle for something
to compete strongly and with force with other people for something. E.g. People in the crowd were jostling for the best positions.
Note: the construction involving the inversion does not allow for the use of the contracted not.
Had she not = If she hadn't.
14. An opposition MP had tabled a proposal for changes to the voting system in parliament.
To table: to present something formally for discussion. Sp. Presentar. E.g. To table a question/ motion in Parliament.
15. The thieves were reported to have been brought to bay in a shanty town by the police.
To corner: to get a person or an animal into a place or situation from which they cannot escape. Sp. Acorralar. E.g. The man was finally cornered by police in a garage. To corner a thief.
Bring to bay: to force into a position from which retreat is impossible. E.g. The police unleashed a couple of dogs who speedily brought the thieves to bay.
shanty town: /ˈʃænti/ an area where very poor people live in shanties (a small house, built of pieces of wood, metal and cardboard, where very poor people live, especially on the edge of a big city).
hold/keep somebody/something at bay
out of harm’s way
keep somebody at arm’s length
16. We tiptoed into the room when we got home so as not to wake anyone up.
To tiptoe: to walk using the front parts of your feet only, so that other people cannot hear you. Sp. Andar de puntillas. E.g. I tiptoed over to the window. To tiptoe into a room.
17. A large American aircraft carrier was manned by over 5,000 sailors as it set out from Palma.
Man: To supply with men, as for defense or service. Sp. tripular. E.g. man a ship.
18. I loved the cake the student brought to class. It was thickly coated with a layer of chocolate and it was very moist.
To coat: to cover something with a layer of a substance. E.g. Cookies thickly coated with chocolate. A film of dust coated the table. To coat with paint.
19. It seems that the makers of the film cashed in on the idea of everyone having skeletons in their cupboards.
To cash in on: to gain an advantage for yourself from a situation, especially in a way that other people think is wrong or immoral. Sp. Aprovecharse de. E.g. The film studio is being accused of cashing in on the singer's death. To cash in on an idea.
capitalize on/upon something: to gain a further advantage for yourself from a situation. Take advantage of. E.g. The team failed to capitalize on their early lead.
a skeleton in the cupboard (British English) (also a skeleton in the closet North American English, British English) (informal) something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret.
20. No sooner had we ordered the goods than they were shipped.
to ship: to send or transport somebody/something by ship or by another means of transport. E.g. The company ships its goods all over the world.
21. The government is committed to housing and helping asylum seekers.
asylum seekers: /əˈsaɪləm/ people who have left their country because they were in danger and ask for protection from another country Sp. persona que solicita asilo político.
22. Knight was returned to the US to face the music for his part in a robbery more than 20 years ago.
face the music: (informal) to accept and deal with criticism, responsibility or punishment for something you have done. E.g. The others all ran off, leaving me to face the music. Mary broke a dining-room window and had to face the music when her father got home. After failing a maths test, Tom had to go home and face the music.
23. Despite being pretty thick-skinned, he could not stomach so much ridicule.
thick-skinned: not easily upset by criticism or unkind comments. E.g. You have to be pretty thick-skinned to do this job.
stomach something: /ˈstʌmək/ to approve of something and be able to enjoy it; to enjoy being with a person. E.g. I can't stomach violent films. I find him very hard to stomach. She couldn't stomach the sight of him. Losing to their rivals was difficult to stomach. I majored in film, yet I can't stomach the idea of working in Hollywood.
24. In order to avoid trouble he'll toe the line in spite of not liking the rules.
toe the line: to say or do what somebody in authority tells you to say or do, even if you do not share the same opinions, etc. E.g. One or two of them refused to toe the line. To toe the party line.
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