Lesson Three. To flaunt - Chapter Eight

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

Lesson Three. To flaunt
Chapter Eight

Examples:

/ was totally overwhelmed when I first went to his massive house. It’s quite apparent that his philosophy towards life is: If you’ve got it, flaunt it!

✵ She doesn’t find mingling with her male guests to be a problem; she just flaunts her legs at them...and their concentration tends to go astray.

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“I was totally overwhelmed when I first went to his massive house. It’s quite apparent that his philosophy towards life is: If you’ve got it, flaunt it!”

To leave a lot to be desired (To be not good enough, to be unsatisfactory)

Examples:

✵ The trumpet piece in this symphony has grown on me, but the percussion leaves a lot to be desired.

✵ I wouldn’t hold out too much hope for him in his exams; his maths especially leaves a lot to be desired.

On paper (In theory, according to records—often used with “seems” or “looks”)

Examples:

✵ On paper, the project looks viable, but in practice we’re bound to have some teething problems.

✵ He seemed to be a good buy on paper, but after the first two matches, everyone could see that he was way out of his depth.

To know/find out what makes someone tick (To understand how someone’s mind works, why they do certain things)

Examples:

✵ Even though there is quite definitely a bond between us and I’m looking forward to sharing a flat with her, I still don’t know what makes her tick.

✵ He declined to go into much detail and just touched on the subject. I don’t want to keep harassing him for more information, but I would dearly love to find out what makes him tick.

Broody

i. (Wanting to have a baby)

Examples:

✵ Seeing them flaunt their baby in front of everyone has made me feel broody.

✵ In hindsight, if my wife hadn’t been so broody, we would never have had our second child, Tommy. Now we are both feeling very jaded, as he is so boisterous.

ii. (Unhappy because of too much thinking and deliberation—note “to brood over”something means to become unhappy as a result of thinking about something too deeply-see “To dwell on”page 56)

Examples:

✵ I don’t know why he’s being so broody about it; he should have put the whole episode behind him by now.

✵ There’s no point in brooding over it. What on earth has brought this on?

To be well up on/with something (To be well informed—note also the expression “to well up” which means to be about to cry or become more intense emotionally)

Examples:

✵ I’m not really well up on how the company computer system works. So, I’m going to ask Sharon to show you the ropes. Sharon will be most enlightening...won’t you, Sharon?

✵ Sorry, Peter, if this comes over as being tactless, but everyone at the meeting was well up with what was going on... apart from you.

✵ When she told me about how prudish her dad was, it reminded me of my dear grandfather. I suddenly started to well up.

Skint/Strapped for cash (Short of money, broke-note “skint” is slang)

Examples:

✵ I wouldn’t bother trying to sponge off him; he’s as skint as you are!

✵ On paper he’s quite well-off, but, if truth be known, he’s a bit strapped for cash and has trouble keeping his creditors at bay. He’ll have to bluff his way through some difficult meetings next month.

✵ If I wasn’t so strapped for cash, I would happily splash out with you at some posh restaurant in the City.

Plausible (Believable, possible)

Examples:

✵ The story about the sexual harassment he had supposedly suffered at work from some of his female colleagues was not very plausible; we still haven’t got to the bottom of this.

✵ It is quite plausible that he didn’t want to flaunt his house in front of the media because, in reality, he was rather strapped for cash.

To be chuffed (To be pleased, delighted) Colloquial

Examples:

✵ We were so chuffed when we heard that Susan was pregnant; we knew how broody she was after the birth of her niece.

✵ “Chuffed’’ is an understatement as to how I felt; more like “overwhelmed” with excitement. Success like this only happens to me once in a blue moon.

To be gutted (To be very disappointed, devastated—often used by sportsmen or their supporters to indicate how miserable they are feeling after losing) Colloquial

Examples:

✵ Interviewer:

You must feel gutted after losing in the final for the second year in a row?

Tennis player:

Well actually, it hasn’t sunk in yet, but Гт not exactly chuffed about it, no.

✵ I don’t want to whinge about the referee, but how could he have deprived us of that goal? Gutted!