Advanced everyday english: Advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions - Collins Steven 2011

Lesson two. To go about
Chapter One

i. (To approach/deal with a problem or situation in a particular way—often used with “how”)

Examples:

✵ Even though I’ve been running my own business for quite a long while now, I still haven’t got a clue as to how to go about giving someone the sack.

✵ It seems to be a sensible way of going about it; mind you, it baffles me as to why it has taken this long to get things under way.

ii. (To circulate—often used with “rumour” or a non-life-threatening virus)

Examples:

✵ There’s a rumour going about - strictly off the record of course - that more redundancies are in the pipeline.

✵ A: I think I’m coming down with something.

 B: You’ve probably picked up the flu bug that’s going about at the moment.

Loophole (A gap or mistake in a particular law/rule which allows people to avoid having to obey it)

Examples:

✵ Our solicitor is bound to find a loophole enabling us to get round the law.

✵ Interviewer to politician:

You’re on record as saying that people have got away with murder for far too long and that the obvious loopholes in the law must be tightened up.

To keep someone posted (To keep someone up-to-date with the news/ what is going on)

Examples:

✵ All the amendments are clearly laid out in this document, but we’ll keep you posted on anything else which crops up.

✵ If you had kept me posted instead of dithering around, we wouldn’t have had all this mess to sort out.

To break even (Not to make a profit or a loss)

Examples:

✵ We reckoned that we’d just about break even in the first year, but, as it turned out, business really took off.

✵ I know it’s a cliche, but during a slump you should count yourself lucky if you can break even.

Backlog (A large amount of work which has been building up over a period of time, a lot of people waiting to be dealt with or seen)

Examples:

✵ I’ve got a backlog of paperwork to get through before I can turn my mind to these other issues.

✵ There’s a backlog of people to see, but, off the record, if you turn up before nine, we should be able to fit you in.

To rub someone up the wrong way (To irritate/annoy someone)

Examples:

✵ Perhaps I’m being too touchy, but there’s something about that man that rubs me up the wrong way.

✵ He really knows how to rub her up the wrong way.

Why does she stand for it?

To come through

i. (To pull through/survive a difficult period of time, to progress through a training period)

Examples:

✵ We had to put up with a lot of hardships during our time in the army but we all came through it in the end.

✵ Football coach:

Our star players have not been up to scratch this season; mind you, we’ve got quite a number of youngsters coming through.

ii. (To be evident/apparent)

Examples:

✵ What came through most of all was his reluctance to come to terms with the truth.

✵ His nasty streak only comes through when he’s being rubbed up the wrong way.

iii. (to arrive after having been processed—usually documents)

Examples:

✵ We can’t put out these brochures until the new lease comes through.

✵ The Home Office have told me that because of a backlog of applications, my visa is unlikely to come through until the new year.

“Our star players have not been up to scratch this season; mind you, we’ve got quite a number of youngsters coming through.”

(see page 6)

To give someone (a lot of) stick, to get/take (a lot of) stick (To tease, make fun of, criticise continually, to be teased, criticised continually—note also “to come in for stick”, which can be used in the same way as “to take stick”) Colloquial

Examples:

✵ We give him a lot of stick at work over his appalling choice of ties, but he is too thick-skinned to let it bother him.

✵ I got relentless stick last time I went in for the marathon, so I am not putting my name down for it this year.

✵ Film critic appearing on television:

I’ve taken quite a bit of stick this week from viewers for slagging off Dustin Hoffman’s latest film, so I’m going to steer clear of the matter on tonight’s programme.

✵ The Board of Directors came in for a lot of stick over the way they handled such a touchy issue.

To be up in the air (To be uncertain/unsettled)

Examples:

✵ A: How’s your new office coming along?

 B: Everything’s up in the air at the moment;

 I haven’t got a clue what’s going on.

✵ We’ve sorted out the costings, but the layout is all up in the air.

Dogsbody (A person who is employed to do menial jobs only)

Examples:

✵ I’m sorry, but I won’t let you get away with treating me like your dogsbody any more.

✵ Initially, he was taken on just as a general dogsbody, which is why no-one can get over his promotion to Regional Manager.