Advanced everyday english: Advanced vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms and expressions - Collins Steven 2011
Lesson One. Paralytic
Chapter Seven
Examples:
✵ When I was young, I didn’t go around getting paralytic every Friday night. I don’t want to pester you, but deep down, there must be something going on.
✵ I think she’s keeping a low profile after she got paralytic at the summer office party. You would cringe if you saw the wimp she tried to kiss.
To curb (To control/restrain)
Examples:
✵ When the excitement of Christmas dies down, people usually curb their spending...apart from my wife!
✵ One thing has emerged from my visit to the doctor: I will have to curb my appetite. He was quite blatant with me.
To beggar belief/description (To be too extraordinary to be believed or described)
Examples:
✵ A: How could your father, of all people, take the mickey out of me for being prudish?
В: I know. It does beggar belief, doesn’t it?
✵ The sight of him grovelling to the boss beggars description.
You should have been there. Most enlightening!
To sap (To weaken/take away one’s strength, energy or confidence—often used with “of”)
Examples:
✵ As the years go by, I find my job sapping more and more of my strength. I’m not sure for how long I can put up with it.
✵ You should bear in mind that after a weekend of hill walking, you will feel jaded and sapped of energy.
✵ An hour of listening to my boss have a go at me for everything I’d done wrong last week sapped me of my confidence. I feel like handing in my notice.
To head off
i. (To leave/get off—see Practical Everyday English, page 121, meaning iv)
Examples:
✵ I must be heading off; I’ve got to go round to Peter’s this evening. I hope he’s not paralytic by the time I get there.
✵ We headed off around 6am. The journey up the mountain road was a bit unnerving.
ii. (To prevent an attack or other disturbance)
Examples:
✵ The police were a bit slapdash in trying to head off unrest amongst the protesters. They needlessly alienated everyone.
✵ Due to the Government’s complacency, the Prime Minister, who had also been lulled into a false sense of security, ended up trying to head off a revolt by members of his own party.
To give someone a taste of their own medicine (To do to someone what they often do to others—a negative expression, but not always very serious)
Examples:
✵ She usually gets a kick out of being nasty to people. This time, I’ve given her a taste of her own medicine.
✵ He knows I’m squeamish because I nearly passed out when he showed me that horrible picture. It’s time to give him a taste of his own medicine. He doesn’t know what he has let himself in for.
Sceptical (Non-believing/Non-trusting)
Examples:
✵ I don’t wish to dwell on the matter but I’m still very sceptical about whether he’s the right person to get to the bottom of the problem.
✵ Why are you so sceptical? Can’t you see that we are already beginning to reap the rewards?
To make a beeline for something/someone (To head for somewhere quickly because one really wants to go there, to hurry directly towards someone)
Examples:
✵ Even though it was his uncle’s funeral, immediately afterwards they made a beeline for the pub. It’s not really on, is it?
✵ A: I suppose it was a bit blatant, but I made a beeline for her as soon as she entered the club.
B: She must be off her head if she fancies you.
Turmoil (Chaos, disorder or confusion)
Examples:
✵ The National Health Service, the newspapers keep telling us, is in perpetual turmoil. Journalists often just jump on the bandwagon and go way over the top in their criticism of this marvellous institution.
✵ It’s quite apparent that his life is in turmoil. This scandal will not just blow over.
“When I was young, I didn’t go around getting paralytic every Friday night I don’t want to pester you, but deep down, there must be something going on.”
(see page 92)
To envisage (To foresee/imagine something is likely to happen)
Examples:
✵ He doesn’t even have a basic grounding in economics. I don’t envisage his position as Chancellor of the Exchequer being a permanent one.
✵ Nobody envisaged him making such a comeback at his age. Many of his rivals are gobsmacked by his success.