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ABERUNCATORS: Long tool for pruning tall branches. ABLUTOMANIA: Mania for washing oneself. ACROPHOBIA: Fear of heights. EBRIOUS tending towards excessive drinking ELLIPSIS: Three dots used to indicate a break, pause, or unfinished thought (…) EROTOMANIA: Abnormally powerful sex drive. ICEBLINK: Glare in the sky caused by light reflected off ice. ICONOGRAPHY: Study of drawing symbols. IMBROGLIO: Confusing or disturbing situation. 3
A group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own: To “have bitten off more than you can chew� is an idiom that means you have tried to do something which is too difficult for you.
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“crack the books” = start studying “The reason why he isn’t doing very well is that he rarely cracks the books.”
“cut class” = miss school “Although some of my daughter’s friends cut class a lot, she is at school every day. 5
OBNUBILATE: To obscure. OCCIPITAL: Of, like or pertaining to the back of the head. ORCHIDACEOUS: exceptionally beautiful; gaudy; ostentatious. UNDERBREATH: Subdued voice; rumour. UNDERCOVER (of a person or their activities) involved in or involving secret work within a community or organization. URANOPLASTY: Plastic surgery on the hard palate. 6
“no spring chicken” = no longer young “I don’t think he’ll be able to hike to the summit because he’s no spring chicken.”
“play it safe” = be careful and not take chances “My knee still hurts, so I’m going to play it safe and not go jogging today.”
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MAGNILOQUENT: Lofty in style or bombastic language. MATRIARCHY: Social organization in which a female is the family head. MISANTHROPE: Someone who dislikes people in general. REFURBISH: Make brighter and prettier. REMINISCENCE: a story told about a past event remembered by the narrator. RUTHLESS: Without mercy or pity. 8
“read someone like a book” = understand someone very well “My teacher can read students like a book. He knows which students studies, and which students don’t.”
“go by the book” = follow rules exactly “If you always go by the book in your work, your company will trust you more.” 9
VAINGLORIOUS: Feeling self-importance. VENTURESOME: Disposed to take risks. VINTAGE: The oldness of wines. VORACIOUS: devouring or craving food in great quantities NECROMANCY: The belief in magical spells that harness occult forces. NEWCOMER: A recent arrival. NONCHALANT: Marked by blithe unconcern. NOTORIOUS: Known widely and usually unfavorably. 10
“nose around” = look for something private or hidden “The kids sometimes nose around the house for Christmas gifts.”
“umpteen (also, umpteenth)” = a great number of “I have umpteen presents to buy before Christmas Eve.” 11
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“feel at home” = feel comfortable or relaxed “The more you learn about the culture here, the more you will feel at home.”
“move in” = start living somewhere “Some of my adult children have moved back in because they want to save money.” 13
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“a balancing act” = a difficult situation where you try to several different things at the same time “Working and studying at the same time is a real balancing act.”
“high-and-mighty” = self-important and proud “Sarah always acts high-and-mighty, and she thinks she is better than everyone else because she is a well-known movie star.” 15
“on the spur of the moment” = without planning or preparation “I decided to go to the party on the spur of the moment, so I threw on some clothes and left.”
“be decked out” = be dressed in formal clothes for nice occasions “She was decked out in a beautiful dress, and everyone was surprised.” 16
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