take up
Meaning: to fill an area of space or a period of time
run away
Meaning: If children or teenagers run away, they leave home without telling their parents or guardians.
knock off
Meaning: to stop work for the day
let out
Meaning: to make a particular sound or noise
take down
Meaning: to remove something that's fixed to a wall, like a picture or a poster
pass on
Meaning: If you pass something on, you give it to another person after receiving it yourself.
allude to
Meaning: to mention or refer to something or someone in an indirect way
think up
Meaning: to use one's imagination to come up with something like an excuse, a name, a plan, or a story
print out
Meaning: to make a printed copy of a document
rough up
Meaning: to physically attack someone, usually to intimidate or make them afraid rather than to seriously hurt them
revert to
Meaning: to go back to a previous way of behaving, or an old way of doing things
get off
Meaning: to leave a means of transport such as a bus or a train
hang around
Meaning: to spend time somewhere without doing anything useful
urge on
Meaning: If you urge somebody on, you encourage them to continue trying to do something.
make up
Meaning: If you make up with someone, you become friends again after having an argument or a disagreement with them.
hang on
Meaning: If someone tells you to hang on, they want you to wait for a moment.
hook up
Meaning: If you hook up things like computers and their peripherals, or the components of a home theatre, you connect them with cables.
knock off
Meaning: to steal something
see off
Meaning: If you see somebody off, you go to the place from where they're beginning a journey, like an airport or a railway station, and wish them well as they leave.
knock down
Meaning: If something like a building or a wall is knocked down, it is destroyed on purpose.
let out
Meaning: to allow somebody or something to leave a place
pull up
Meaning: If a vehicle such as a car or a taxi pulls up, it stops.
speak up
Meaning: to speak louder
hold on
Meaning: to wait for a short time
eat up
Meaning: to eat all or most of something
jack up
Meaning: to increase the price or the cost of something by a large amount
go together
Meaning: If two things go together, they look good together or they harmonize.
bring out
Meaning: to release a new product
take back
Meaning: If a store takes back something they've sold, they allow the buyer to return it for a refund, or exchange it.
cheer on
Meaning: to shout loudly to encourage someone, especially someone who's playing sport or competing in a race
fall apart
Meaning: If something falls apart, it breaks into pieces or parts start falling off.
let in
Meaning: If you let someone in, you allow them to enter a room or a building.
note down
Meaning: If you note down something, you write it on a piece of paper or in a notebook.
expose to
Meaning: If you expose someone to something, you introduce them to something they might not otherwise see or experience.
sit through
Meaning: If you sit through something like a long speech or a boring show, you wait until it's over before leaving, even though you're not enjoying it.
join with
Meaning: If you join with someone or something to do something, you do it together.
hand over
Meaning: If you hand something over, you give it to someone who has demanded it.
stop over
Meaning: to stop at a place and stay there for one or two days while on your way to somewhere else
ENGLISH SLANGS
wicked
Meaning: very good, excellent, outstanding
virus
Meaning: a harmful computer program that can spread from one machine to another
posh
Meaning: high-class, stylish
crush
Meaning: a strong feeling of love or infatuation for someone
dork
Meaning: a socially awkward person
janky
Meaning: poorly made, of low quality
busted
Meaning: to be charged with a criminal offence
hip
Meaning: trendy, stylish, fashionable among young people
ENGLISH IDIOMS
warts and all
Meaning: If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.
up a gum tree
Meaning: If you're up a gum tree, you're in trouble or have a serious problem.
Mind your own business!
Meaning: If you say "Mind your own business!" to someone, you're telling them to stop interfering in things that don't concern them, or to stop asking personal
a red-letter day
Meaning: A red-letter day is a day that is very important for some reason.
get away from it all
Meaning: If you get away from it all, you go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine.
tighten your belt
Meaning: If you tighten your belt, you try to spend less money.
a pat on the back
Meaning: You've given someone a pat on the back if you've told them they've done something well, or done a good job.
chickens come home to roost
Meaning: If chickens are coming home to roost, someone is suffering the unpleasant consequences of their bad actions in the past.
music to your ears
Meaning: If something is music to your ears, it's just what you want to hear.
carte blanche
Meaning: If you give someone carte blanche, you give them freedom to do whatever they want in a situation.
made of money
Meaning: If you are made of money, you have lots of money.
the jury is still out
Meaning: We can say the jury is still out when a decision still hasn't been made about something.
enough is enough
Meaning: You can say "enough is enough" if you think someone shouldn't do something because they've done it too many times already, or because they've been doing it for too long.
rock the boat
Meaning: If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people by changing a situation that they don't want changed.
above board
Meaning: If something is above board, it's been done in a legal and honest way.
I owe you one!
Meaning: You can say "I owe you one!" when someone has done something for you and you'd be happy to return the favour one day.
draw a blank
Meaning: If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something.
long for
Meaning: to want something you miss very much
pass up
Meaning: If you pass up an opportunity or an invitation, you choose not to take the opportunity or accept the invitation.
wean off
Meaning: to gradually break a bad habit by doing it less and less
open up
Meaning: If you open up a new business, you set it up and start trading.
come off
Meaning: If something comes off, it becomes separated from the thing it's usually attached to.
bring up
Meaning: to raise a new topic for discussion, or to mention a particular subject or issue in a conversation
put on
Meaning: to start wearing an item of clothing, a pair of shoes, a piece of jewellery, a pair of glasses, etc.
lay off
Meaning: If you lay someone off, you stop employing them and tell them they no longer have a job
tell off
Meaning: to strongly criticize someone for doing something wrong
pick out
Meaning: If you pick out something, you choose or select it.
associate with
Meaning: If you associate with someone, you regularly spend time with them.
head off
Meaning: to stop something bad from happening
settle down
Meaning: to start living a conventional life with a steady job and a stable partner, especially after getting married
kick against
Meaning: to show anger or opposition to something, especially if you're powerless to change it
hear of
Meaning: If you've heard of someone, you know who they are and what they do.
talk over
Meaning: to discuss a situation with someone, usually before making a decision
look up
Meaning: If a situation is looking up, it seems to be getting better.
go for
Meaning: to try to get something or achieve something
tighten your belt
Meaning: If you tighten your belt, you try to spend less money.
face to face
Meaning: If people meet face to face, they meet in person in the real world.
jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: If someone jumps on the bandwagon, they join a movement or follow a fashion that has recently become popular.
go over your head
Meaning: If someone goes over your head, they go to someone with more authority than you in order to get something that you would normally grant, possibly because they think you won't give it to them.
upset the applecart
Meaning: If you upset the applecart, you do something that causes trouble or upsets someone's plans.
just the ticket
Meaning: You can say something is just the ticket if it's the perfect thing or if it's exactly what's needed.
another string to your bow
Meaning: If you have another string to your bow, you have another way of making a living.
the tip of the iceberg
Meaning: You can say something is the tip of the iceberg when it's just a small part of something much bigger.
cover your tracks
Meaning: If you cover your tracks, you make sure no-one can find evidence of what you've done.
have a heart-to-heart
Meaning: If you have a heart-to-heart with someone, you have an honest talk and share your feelings with each other.
vote with your feet
Meaning: If you vote with your feet, you show your opinion of something by acting in a certain way, such as by buying something if you like it, or by not buying it if you don't like it.
vim and vigor
Meaning: If you have vim and vigor, you have lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.
You are what you eat.
Meaning: You can say "you are what you eat" when you want to point out the connection between food and health.
make a killing
Meaning: If you make a killing, you make a lot of money from a sale or a deal of some sort.
up to your neck | up to your eyeballs
Meaning: If you're up to your neck in something, or up to your eyeballs in something, you've got too much of it and it's become a problem.
dirt cheap
Meaning: You can say something is dirt cheap if it costs very little money.
rub it in
Meaning: If you rub it in, you keep talking about something that embarrasses or upsets someone.
a fair-weather friend
Meaning: A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for you.
esprit de corps
Meaning: A feeling of pride and comradeship shared by members of a group such as a military unit or a sports team
make hay while the sun shines
Meaning: If you make hay while the sun shines, you make good use of the chance to do something while it lasts.
a night owl
Meaning: You're a night owl if you like to stay up and do things late at night.
feather your own nest
Meaning: If you feather your own nest, you use your position or your job illegally for personal gain.
lose face
Meaning: If you lose face, your status falls and you aren't respected as much as you were.
the upper crust
Meaning: If you are one of the upper crust, you are a member of society's highest class.
vanish into thin air
Meaning: If something vanishes into thin air, it disappears completely.
poof | poofter
Meaning: an offensive, derogatory word meaning a gay man
hooky | hookey
Meaning: (in phrase play hooky) to stay away from school or work without permission
zonk
Meaning: to hit or punch someone
Yo!
Meaning: a greeting, like "Hey!"
janky
Meaning: poorly made, of low quality
Mickey Finn | Mickey | mickey
Meaning: a drink to which a drug has been added to make the drinker sleepy or unconscious
scarper
Meaning: to run away
knockoff | knock-off
Meaning: a cheap copy of a brand-name product
dis | diss
Meaning: to show disrespect to someone by saying or doing something insulting
axe | ax
Meaning 1: a musical instrument, esp. a jazz musician's guitar, trumpet or saxophone
Meaning 2: to dismiss someone from a job (v.) | dismissal from a job (n.)
twit
Meaning: a silly, stupid person
knackered
Meaning 1: very tired, exhausted
Meaning 2: severely damaged
bimbo
Meaning: a pretty, but empty-headed, young lady
deadbeat
Meaning: a dull, lazy, unreliable person
jerk
Meaning: a stupid person
glitch
Meaning: a fault or defect, esp. in computer software
suck | it sucks
Meaning: be very bad
nerd
Meaning: a studious person with few social skills