Abundantly productive. Example- Ernest Hemingway was considered quite a prolific writer in his time.
to beg to differ
to disagree politely
to break the mould
change a situation by doing something that is very different from what most people usually do or have done in the past
to relegate
assign to a lower position. Example: Audio cassette players were relegated to the sidelines once MP3 players appeared on the scene.
to be at (your) wits' end
to be so worried, confused, or annoyed that you do not know what to do next
endeavour
try hard to do or achieve something
up to scratch
reaching an acceptable standard. NB- this is an informal idiom. Use it judiciously in your speaking tasks.
to censor
To remove offensive material from (films/adverts/clips)
resolute
bold, determined; firm
disinterested
unbiased
allegedly
supposedly; believed to be so but not yet proved
to be a laughing stock
be laughed at/mocked by everyone
to be the brains behind sth
mastermind
to be as tough as nails
to be strong and determined
to take a leaf out of sb's book
to copy something good that someone else does
speak volumes about sth
to express something very clearly and completely
off the top of (your) head (id- iom)
immediately and without thinking very much
resilient
able to return to an original shape or form; able to recover quickly
to deem
To consider; to believe
to come to the crunch
when a situation becomes serious or an important decision has to be made Example- When it comes to the crunch, one can always rely on John to do the right thi
read sb like a book
Understand someone's thoughts and motives easily.
to tap into sth
to manage to use something in a way that brings good results
when you try as hard as you can to think of/ remember something
bemoan (verb)
express discontent or sorrow over; complain
to give sb a piece of your mind
tell sb what you really think, usually in a disapproving way
to ensue
(v.) to follow in order, come immediately after and as a result
rich pickings (for) sb
a large amount of valuable resources/materials available to sb
word-of-mouth
people influencing each other in personal conversations
across the board
happening or having an effect on people at every level and in every area; in all ways
imminent
about to happen (negative context)
lingua franca
A language that is adopted as a common language be- tween speakers
to keep your wits about you
try to keep calm in a difficult situation
painstakingly
with extreme care and in great detail; meticulously
think tank
a body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or economic problems.
to budge an inch
utterly refuse to change opinion
steadfast
loyal, faithful
discerning
perceptive; exhibiting keen insight and good judgement
to have a good mind to do sth
to think that you might do something, often because something has annoyed you
demise
death; a ceasing to exist
akin to
of similar character
heady
intoxicating; exhilarating
fervent
(adj.) very earnest, emotional, passionate; extremely hot. Example- fervent imagination
a whole raft of something
a large number of sth
at sb's disposal
available to use; accessible
to censure
to criticize sharply
to deploy
to arrange strategically. Example: Peace-keeping troops were deployed to maintain law and order in the city.
ubiquitous
present or existing everywhere
to give sth more of a hearing
to be listened to seriously. Example: I wish poorer nations and their issues were given more of a hearing than constantly concentrating on first-world problems.
a foregone conclusion
a result that is obvious to everyone even before it happens Example- Going by the way my students are working, it is a foregone conclusion that all of them will
shrouded in mystery
not understood or known about; to be kept in secret
jump on the bandwagon
to become part of the newest activity because many other people are NB This is a crucial phrase for the CPE. An absolute must have.
to beguile
To deceive; to charm; to enchant
cliffhanger
a sudden ending to a chapter, which makes the reader want to read on.
the long and short of sth
all that can be or is necessary to be said
multi-faceted
having many aspects, uses, or abilities
perennial
lasting for a long time, persistent. Example: a perennial problem, a perennial theme
discrepancy
a lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts
gamut
an entire range or series
to be in sb's good books
to be regarded favourably by another person
to be left to (your) own devices NB- PAY ATTENTION TO 'TO'
to be left alone and allowed to do whatever you want
industrious
hard working; diligent
keep (sb) on tenterhooks
to keep someone in suspense
over the top
more than what is considered normal or suitable
a whole different ball game (a whole new ball game)
a completely different situation (esp. one that you had no idea before) Example- I had taken the CAE, however the CPE is a whole different ball game.
to insinuate
to suggest or hint indirectly
to entail
to include as a necessary step
to dumb down
reduce the intellectual level of something in search of popularity/ oversimplified
to set a prece- dent
set an example that may serve as a basis for imitation or later action
inception
(n.) the beginning, start, earliest stage of some process, institution, etc.
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