Interesting Vocabulary for C2

venerate: /ˈvenəreɪt/ to have and show a lot of respect for somebody/something, especially somebody/something that is considered to be holy or very important. Revere. E.g.

• be venerated (as something) The monk was subsequently venerated as a saint.
• be venerated by somebody a leader venerated by generations of revolutionaries
• What teacher did you venerate? Did he make a huge difference in your life?
  

go/run like clockwork

to happen according to plan; to happen without difficulties or problems. E.g. The operation went like clockwork.

loquat:  /ˈləʊkwɒt/ Sp. níspero.

mumble: Say something indistinctly and quietly, making it difficult for others to hear. E.g. with object ‘he mumbled something she didn't catch’. with direct speech ‘‘Sorry,’ she mumbled’

realm: /relm/ A field or domain of activity or interest. E.g. ‘the realm of applied chemistry’‘an overall Labour majority is not beyond the realms of possibility.  in the realm of literature.  At the end of the speech he seemed to be moving into the realms of fantasy. beyond/within the realms of possibility: impossible/possible: E.g. It's not beyond the realm of possibility that some schools may have to cut sport altogether."Do you think he could step down?" "I think it's within the realms of possibility, yes."

rain on somebody’s parade

(North American English, informal) to spoil something for somebody
rain on (one's) parade: To ruin one's plans or temper one's excitement. E.g. I hate to rain on your parade, but I think your A in chemistry was actually a clerical error. Mom really rained on our parade by chaperoning our school dance
I hate to rain on your parade, but your plans are all wrong. She really rained on our plans.

aloofness: /əˈluːfnəs/ (U) unfriendly behaviour that shows a lack of interest in other people. E.g. Her cool aloofness was seen as arrogance by some people. Being basically a shy person, I think some players mistook my shyness for aloofness.

aloof: /əˈluːf/
1. not friendly or willing to take part in things. E.g. She seemed rather aloof when in fact she was just shy.
2. not interested or involved, usually because you do not approve of what is happening. E.g. Whatever is happening in the office, she always remains aloof. She kept herself aloof from her husband's business.

apex: /ˈeɪpeks/ [usually singular] (pl. apexes)  the top or highest part of something. E.g. the apex of the roof/triangle (figurative) At 37, she'd reached the apex of her career. At the apex of his power. 

in (somebody’s/something’s) thrall, in thrall to somebody/something

(literary) controlled or strongly influenced by somebody/something. If you are in thrall to someone or something, or in the thrall of someone or something, he, she, or it has a lot of power to control you. E.g. His gaze held her in thrall. She was in thrall to her emotions. Her love for him was like a madness, and she was completely in its thrall.

at somebody’s beck and call

always ready to obey somebody’s orders. E.g. She is constantly at the beck and call of her invalid father. Don't expect to have me at your beck and call.

Chop-chop: hurry up! E.g. Chop-chop! We haven't got all day!

off the books Off the official payroll; paid in cash, without any official employment paperwork. E.g. I worked off the books in my uncle's restaurant for a few months during the summer. It's no secret that many migrant workers are kept off the books at major agricultural and construction operations around the country.

on/off the/somebody’s ˈbooks (business) included/not included in the official financial records of a company. E.g. The company falsified its accounts and kept billions of dollars in debt off the books.

Burn a hole in your pocket:

A phrase usually applied to money, suggesting that the person with the money feels the need to spend it quickly. E.g. My allowance is burning a hole in my pocket! I can't wait until school is over, so I can go buy some baseball cards! Don't let that bonus burn a hole in your pocket—save it up for something you really want.

If something unexpected costs a lot of money, you can also say 'it's burnt a hole in your pocket'. Let's hear an example.
ExampleA: My daughter is getting married next year.
B: Oh that's fantastic news.
A: Yes, it is. But I think the cost of the wedding will burn a hole in my pocket.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/thai/features/the-english-we-speak/ep-160426

statement: E.g. The police asked me to make a statement (= a written account of facts concerning a crime, used in court if legal action follows).

on the contrary

used to introduce a statement that says the opposite of the last one. E.g. ‘It must have been terrible.’ ‘On the contrary, I enjoyed every minute.’

weedy: /ˈwiːdi/

1. (informal, disapproving) having a thin weak body.Sp. debilucho E.g. a weedy little man ‘You weedy little coward!’

2. full of or covered with weeds

offhand (disapproving) not showing much interest in somebody/something. E.g. an offhand manner. He was very offhand with me.

couch something (in something)  /kaʊtʃ/ (formal) to say or write words in a particular style or manner. E.g. The letter was deliberately couched in very vague terms. I couched my proposal in flattering terms. Sp. Formulé mi propuesta en términos halagüeños.

cluck:

1. when a chicken clucks, it makes a series of short low sounds

2. to make a short low sound with your tongue to show that you feel sorry for somebody or that you disapprove of something. E.g. The teacher clucked sympathetically at the child's story. The janitor clucked his tongue at the trail of wet footprints students were leaving on the carpet.

papery: like paper; thin and dry. E.g. papery skin. a papery complexion. 

 

Vie: /vaɪ/ to compete strongly with somebody in order to obtain or achieve something. Compete. E.g.  vie (with somebody) (for something) She was surrounded by men all vying for her attention. The boys would vie with each other to impress her. They are all vying for a place in the team. a row of restaurants vying with each other for business. vie (to do something) Screaming fans vied to get closer to their idol.

stand somebody up

(informal) to deliberately not meet somebody you have arranged to meet, especially somebody you are having a romantic relationship with. E.g. I've been stood up!

 

salesperson: a person whose job is to sell goods, for example, in a shop/store

sales representative: (also informal sales rep, rep)  an employee of a company who travels around a particular area selling the company’s goods to shops/stores, etc.

 

till death us do part

A common phrase used in wedding ceremonies indicating that the marriage bond shall be intended to last until death. Taken from the marriage liturgy in the Anglican Communion's Book of Common Prayer, the phrase refers to the fact that marriage is seen in the Christian faith as insoluble except by the death of one of the partners. (Also worded as "till death do us part," especially in the United States.) E.g.  It was only as I said "Till death us do part" that I realized the solemnity and magnitude of our marriage to one another.

God willing.

If God wants it to happen. (An expression indicating that there is a high certainty that something will happen, so high that only God could prevent it.) E.g. John: Please try to be on time. Alice: I'll be there on time, God willing. Bob: Will I see you after your vacation? Mary: Of course, God willing.

 

out of sorts

(especially British English) ill/sick or upset. E.g. She was tired and out of sorts by the time she arrived home. Are you feeling all right? You look a bit out of sorts. He's been out of sorts since Christmas.

shenanigans: /ʃɪˈnænɪɡənz/ secret or dishonest activities that people find interesting or amusing, usually of a complicated and humorous or interesting type. E.g. More business/political shenanigans were exposed in the newspapers today. the chairman was accused of financial shenanigans.

flower bed: a piece of ground in a garden/yard or park where flowers are grown. E.g. a garden with beautifully kept flower beds.

godsend: (sg) godsend (for somebody/something) | godsend (to somebody/something) something good that happens unexpectedly and helps somebody/something when they need help. E.g. This new benefit has come as a godsend for low-income families. The proposed tax breaks will come as a godsend to low-income families.

fiddle while Rome burns ​to enjoy yourself or continue working as normal and not give any attention to something important and unpleasant that is happening that you should be taking action to prevent. E.g. Environmentalists claimed governments were fiddling while Rome burned.

snare: /sneə(r)/

1. a device used for catching small animals and birds, especially one that holds their leg so that they cannot escape. Trap. E.g.  The rabbit’s foot was caught in a snare.

2. (formal) a situation which seems attractive but is unpleasant and difficult to escape from. E.g. City life can be full of snares for young people.  

 

slick: smooth and difficult to hold or move on. Slippery. E.g. The roads were slick with rain.

nip: to give somebody/something a quick painful bite or pinch. E.g. nip something He winced as the dog nipped his ankle. nip (at something) She nipped at my arm. 

wince (at something) to suddenly make an expression with your face that shows that you are feeling pain or embarrassment. E.g. He winced as a sharp pain shot through his left leg. I still wince when I think about that stupid thing I said. He winced inwardly at her harsh tone. She switched on the light, wincing at the sudden brightness.

copious:  /ˈkəʊpiəs/ large in quantity or number; abundant; plentiful. E.g. copious (= large) amounts of water I took copious notes. She supports her theory with copious evidence. copious rainfall. a copious harvest. copious amounts of food. in his copious account books, he kept track of every cent he ever spent. After cleaning up the copious amount of blood on my body in a bathroom... The dinner was copious—we had foie gras, fresh bread, and oranges.

copiously:  /ˈkəʊpiəsli/ in large amounts. abundantly. E.g. bleeding copiously.

throng: (V)  to go somewhere or be present somewhere in large numbers. E.g. + adv./prep. The children thronged into the hall. throng to do something People are thronging to see his new play. throng something Crowds thronged the stores

throng with somebody/something/ be thronged with somebody/something

to be full of people, cars, etc. E.g. The cafes were thronging with students. The streets were thronged with people.

throng (N) a crowd of people. E.g. We pushed our way through the throng. He was met by a throng of journalists and photographers.

offset: /ˈɒfset/ to use one cost, payment or situation in order to cancel or reduce the effect of another. Counterbalance. offset something Prices have risen in order to offset the increased cost of materials. offset something against something (British English) What expenses can you offset against tax?     The gains offset the losses.

flicker:  to move with small quick movements. E.g. Her eyelids flickered as she slept. John flickered an eyelid at the sudden noise. Sp. John movió un párpado con el repentino ruido.

benchmark: something that can be measured and used as a standard that other things can be compared with. E.g. Tests at the age of seven provide a benchmark against which the child's progress at school can be measured.     By the end of the school year, all third-grade students will need to meet this benchmark. Sp.Para finales de curso, todos los alumnos de tercero tendrán que haber alcanzado este punto de referencia.

parenting: /ˈpeərəntɪŋ/ the process of caring for your child or children. E.g. good/poor parenting. parenting skills 

 

circa: /ˈsɜːkə/ (abbreviation c) (used with dates) about. approximately. E.g. born circa 150 BC. He was born circa 1600. the church was built circa 1860

 

different:
from Human beings are different from other animals. | to Their customs are very different to ours.

in parallel (with something/somebody)

with and at the same time as something/somebody else. E.g. The new degree and the existing certificate courses would run in parallel. Ann wanted to pursue her own career in parallel with her husband’s.

annihilation: /əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃn/ 
1. the complete destruction of somebody/something. E.g. the annihilation of the whole human race
2. the complete defeat of somebody/something. E.g. The Brazilian needed just 82 minutes to complete the annihilation of his opponent.

paradigm: /ˈpærədaɪm/ a typical example or pattern of something.  a model of something, or a very clear and typical example of something.  Sp. paradigma E.g. a paradigm for students to copy. The war was a paradigm of the destructive side of human nature. Some of these educators are hoping to produce a change in the current cultural paradigm. 

 

ravishing: /ˈrævɪʃɪŋ/ extremely beautiful. gorgeous. E.g. a ravishing blonde. She looked absolutely ravishing in a pale blue suit.

flare-up: /ˈfleər ʌp/ [usually singular]

1. a sudden expression of angry or violent feeling.  outburst. E.g. a flare-up of tension between the two sides.

2. (of an illness) a sudden painful attack, especially after a period without any problems or pain.

3. the fact of a fire suddenly starting to burn again more strongly than before. E.g. a flare-up of the bushfires

 

dampener (on something) /ˈdæmpnə(r)/ a thing that makes something less enjoyable, successful, etc. E.g. Lily isn't letting motherhood put a dampener on her social life. The only dampener on the show was the rain at the closing ceremony. I hate to put a dampener on things but.

 

nip + adv./prep. (British English, informal) to go somewhere quickly and/or for only a short time. pop. E.g. He's just nipped out to the bank. A car nipped in (= got in quickly) ahead of me.

 

saunter: /ˈsɔːntə(r)/ (V)  + adv./prep. to walk in a slow relaxed way . Stroll. E.g. He sauntered by, looking as if he had all the time in the world. He sauntered by, looking very pleased with himself.  Adam sauntered into the room’.

saunter: /ˈsɔːntə(r)/  (N) [singular] a slow relaxed walk . Stroll. E.g. This part of the route should be an easy saunter. A quiet saunter down the road. 

think to

1. To have an inner monologue; to make a statement to oneself in one's mind, without saying it out loud. E.g. I had a moment where I thought to myself, "Why am I even working here?" I'm sure they don't think to themselves, "What if we're the bad guys?" They just don't care.

2. To have the idea to do something. E.g. I'm sorry, I didn't think to run the dishwasher before we left.

 

tail away/off

(especially British English) to become smaller or weaker. E.g. The number of tourists tails off in October. ‘But why…?’ Her voice tailed away. The letters then tailed off.

 

punch above your weight

to be or try to be more successful than others in doing something that normally requires more skill, experience, money, etc. than you have. E.g. This player seems to be able to constantly punch above his weight. He punched above his weight as the party’s foreign affairs spokesman. 

swanky: /ˈswæŋki/ fashionable and expensive in a way that is intended to impress people. E.g. a swanky new hotel.

bugbear: /ˈbʌɡbeə(r)/ a thing that annoys people and that they worry about. E.g.  Inflation is the government's main bugbear. Smoking is a particular bugbear of his. As an insomniac, my bugbear is that people always give me advice on getting to sleep.