Advanced everyday english: Advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions - Collins Steven 2011
Lesson One. To take someone through something
Chapter Six
Examples:
✵ Policeman:
Take me through exactly what was going on in your mind when you inadvertently passed a red light... madam.
✵ Commentator to footballer:
Can you take us through your second goal? The goalkeeper looked absolutely gobsmacked.
To shift
i. (To move/budge, to change one’s direction—note the noun “shift", which means a change of position or belief, see 4th example below—also note the adjective “shifty", which is used to describe a person who looks like he should not be trusted.)
Examples:
✵ The date of the meeting has shifted to Tuesday. It’s down to you to tell the others.
✵ Trying to find a way of shifting this sofa is doing my head in.
✵ The new Government are playing down the fact that their objectives have shifted since taking office. The voters were wrong to build up their hopes that things were going to change.
✵ Take my word for it: there has definitely been a shift in attitudes since he became managing director.
✵ I was lulled into a false sense of security until I noticed his shifty eyes.
ii. (To remove a stain, to get rid of a minor illness)
Examples:
✵ This detergent will stand you in good stead for the future. It shifts stains without a fuss.
✵ Patient to Doctor: This cold doesn’t seem to be shifting. Can you prescribe something else to help me shrug it off ?
Skirmish (A small fight/minor battle)
Examples:
✵ The rebels refused to back down over their demands for the Russian army to release some of its prisoners. This resulted in countless skirmishes all over the capital.
✵ It was a foregone conclusion that there would be a few skirmishes between the parties during the run-up to the election.
To unnerve/unnerving (To scare, to make one feel nervous, frightening/ worrying)
Examples:
✵ He tried to unnerve me by building his brother up to be a real tough guy. But I knew all along that he was just a wimp.
✵ I must say, I find the upsurge in yobbish behaviour in modern society to be rather unnerving. The Government’s recent attempts to improve behaviour in schools are only skimming the surface.
Hype (Intensive promotion)
Examples:
✵ The hype surrounding her latest CD was a bit over the top; it’s really nothing to write home about.
✵ All the hype going around about his new book put me off buying it. I’m very choosy about what I read these days.
To string someone along (To mislead or deceive someone by making them believe one thinks the same way, or has the same desires—note the phrase “to string a sentence together”, which means to be able to express oneself clearly. It is generally used in a negative sense to indicate that someone isn’t very intelligent)
Examples:
✵ She felt jaded by the whole affair and didn’t cotton on to the fact that he was just stringing her along until the end.
✵ Don’t take her word for it; I reckon she’s simply stringing you along. You do need to get to the bottom of this.
✵ Some of these yobs can’t even string a sentence together.
’Thick’ is an understatement to describe these people.
Pushover Colloquial
i. (Someone with whom it is easy to get one’s own way—see Practical Everyday English, page 165, easy to convince)
Examples:
✵ She may be down to earth, but by no stretch of the imagination is she a pushover. You’ll have to come up with something much more convincing.
✵ He’s sulking because he thought his mum would be a pushover when it came to lending him her car. He turned out to be very mistaken.
ii. (Easy to get/pass/beat)
Examples:
✵ A: I’m going to stick my neck out and say I bet the exam is going to be a real pushover this year.
B: But you still won’t get through it.
✵ You should weigh up the other team very carefully before writing them off as pushovers
To be endowed with (To be born/blessed with, to possess—note the noun “endowment”, which is a formal donation of money made to an organisation or charity)
Examples:
✵ Even though he can be quite boisterous at times, he has been endowed with a wonderfully good nature.
✵ She is quite adept at bluffing her way through a seminar, but that’s because she is endowed with her mother’s brains.
✵ I wouldn’t put it past him to try and stop the generous endowment his wife has made to the college.
Uproar (Angry protest or criticism)
Examples:
✵ There was uproar from jazz fans when, despite all the hype, Jazz FM started to play bland, hotel lounge music.
✵ By and large, the public didn’t create much uproar when the electoral system was changed. Few people these days bother to take any interest in anything which requires them to think.
To undermine (To ridicule someone/something,to make someone in a position of authority feel worthless/weak)
Examples:
✵ Confidence in our sporting ability in this country has been undermined by the fact that in recent years we have become the laughing stock of the world.
✵ They didn’t want to come over as if they were undermining his authority, although it’s quite apparent to anyone following this story that power has shifted away from him.
✵ I’m under no illusions: you’ve been undermining me all these years and a grovelling apology won’t make any difference now.
Policeman: “Take me through exactly what was going on in your mind when you inadvertently passed a red light... madam.”
(see page 78)