['em] Middle English: originally a form of hem, dative and accusative third person plural pronoun in Middle English; now regarded as an abbreviation of ↑them.

'nother
'nother 'nother 7 ['nother] BrE [ˈnʌðə(r)] NAmE [ˈnʌðər] adjective (non-standard)

= ↑another

• Now that's a whole 'nother question.

'til
until 'til until BrE [ənˈtɪl] NAmE [ənˈtɪl] conjunction, preposition (also informal till, til, 'til)

up to the point in time or the event mentioned

• Let's wait until the rain stops.

• Until she spoke I hadn't realized she wasn't English.

• You're not going out until you've finished this.

• Until now I have always lived alone.

• They moved here in 2009. Until then they'd always been in the London area.

• He continued working up until his death.

• The street is full of traffic from morning till night.

• You can stay on the bus until London (= until you reach London).

See also: ↑til ▪ ↑till

Word Origin:

[until] Middle English: from Old Norse und ‘as far as’ + ↑till ‘until’ (the sense thus duplicated).

'tis
'tis 'tis ['tis] BrE [tɪz] NAmE [tɪz] short form (old use)

it is

'twas
'twas 'twas 7 ['twas] BrE [twɒz] NAmE [twʌz] abbreviation (literary)

it was

'twere
'twere 'twere 7 ['twere] BrE [twɜː(r)] NAmE [twɜːr] abbreviation (old use)

it were

'twill
'twill 'twill 7 ['twill] BrE [twɪl] NAmE [twɪl] abbreviation (old use)

it will

'twixt
'twixt 'twixt f11 ['twixt] BrE [twɪkst] NAmE [twɪkst] preposition (old use)

between

see there's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip at ↑slip _n.

'twould
'twould 'twould 7 ['twould] BrE [twʊd] NAmE [twʊd] abbreviation (old use)

it would

'un
'un 'un ['un] BrE [ən] NAmE [ən] pronoun (BrE, informal)

a way of saying or writing ‘one’

• That was a good 'un.

• The little 'uns (= the small children) couldn't keep up.

'zine
'zine zine 'zine 7 ['zine] (also zine)BrE [ziːn] NAmE [ziːn] noun (informal)

a magazine, especially a ↑fanzine

-'s
-'s -'s [-'s] suffix, short form BrE [s] NAmE [s] BrE [z] NAmE [z] suffix (added to nouns)

1. belonging to

• the woman's hat

• Peter's desk

• children's clothes

2. used to refer to sb's home or, in British English, a particular shop

• Shall we go to David's (= David's house) tonight?

• (BrE) I'll call in at the chemist's on my way home

short form (informal)

1. used after he, she or it and where, what, who or how to mean ‘is’ or ‘has’

• She's still in the bath.

• What's he doing now?

• It's time to go now.

• Who's taken my pen?

• Where's he gone?

• It's gone wrong again.

2. (used after let when making a suggestion that includes yourself and others) us

• Let's go out for lunch.

-ability
-ability ▪ I. -ability [-ability] BrE ; NAmE -ibility

» ↑-able

▪ II. -ability, -ibility (in nouns)

• capability

• responsibility

Main entry: ↑-able_derived

-able
-able -able -ible suffix

(in adjectives)

1. that can or must be

• calculable

• taxable

2. having the quality of

• fashionable

• comfortable

• changeable

Derived Words: ↑-ability ▪ ↑-ably ▪ ↑-ibility ▪ ↑-ibly

Word Origin:

[-ability -able -ably -ibility -ibly] from French -able or Latin -abilis; originally found in words only from these forms but later used to form adjectives directly from English verbs ending in -ate, e.g. educable from educate; later used to form adjectives from verbs of all types (influenced by the unrelated word ↑able), e.g. bearable, saleable.

-ably
-ably -ibly -ably, -ibly (in adverbs)

• noticeably

• incredibly

Main entry: ↑-able_derived

-acy
-acy -acy [-acy] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-cy

-age
-age -age BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. the action or result of

• breakage

2. a state or condition of

• bondage

3. a set or group of

• baggage

4. an amount of

• mileage

5. the cost of

• postage

6. a place where

• anchorage

Word Origin:

[-age] from Old French, based on Latin -aticum, neuter form of the adjectival ending -aticus.

-aholic
-aholic -aholic 7 BrE [əˈhɒlɪk] NAmE [əˈhɔːlɪk] NAmE [əˈhɑːlɪk] suffix

(in nouns) liking sth very much and unable to stop doing or using it

• a shopaholic

• a chocaholic

Word Origin:

[-aholic] on the pattern of (alc)oholic.

-al
-al -al [-al] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives) connected with

• magical

• verbal

see also ↑-ally

2. (in nouns) a process or state of

• survival

-alia
-alia -alia 7 BrE [‑eɪliə] NAmE [‑eɪliə] suffix

(in plural nouns) items connected with the particular area of activity or interest mentioned

• kitchenalia

Word Origin:

[-alia] from Latin, neuter plural ending of adjectives ending in -alis.

-ally
-ally -ally [-ally] BrE NAmE suffix

(makes adverbs from adjectives that end in -al)

• magically

• sensationally

-an
-an -an [-an] -ana

» ↑-ian, » ↑-iana

-ance
-ance -ance [-ance] BrE NAmE -ence suffix

(in nouns) the action or state of

• assistance

• confidence

-ancy
-ancy -ancy [-ancy] BrE NAmE -ency suffix

(in nouns) the state or quality of

• expectancy

• complacency

-ant
-ant -ant BrE NAmE -ent suffix

1. (in adjectives) that is or does sth

• significant

• different

2. (in nouns) a person or thing that

• inhabitant

• deterrent

Word Origin:

[-ant] from French or Latin present participial verb stems.

-arian
-arian -arian [-arian] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns and adjectives) believing in; practising

• humanitarian

• disciplinarian

-ary
-ary -ary [-ary] BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives and nouns) connected with

• planetary

• budgetary

-ate
-ate -ate [-ate] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives) full of or having the quality of

• passionate

• Italianate

2. (in verbs) to give the thing or quality mentioned to

• hyphenate

• activate

3. (in nouns) the status or function of

• a doctorate

4. (in nouns) a group with the status or function of

• the electorate

5. (chemistry) (in nouns) a salt formed by the action of a particular acid

• sulphate

-athon
-athon -athon 7 BrE [əθən] NAmE [əθɑːn] suffix

(in nouns) an event in which a particular activity is done for a very long time, especially one organized to raise money for charity

• a swimathon

Word Origin:

[-athon] on the pattern of (mar)athon.

-ation
-ation -ation [-ation] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ion

-ative
-ative -ative [-ative -atively] BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives) doing or tending to do sth

• illustrative

• talkative

Derived Word: ↑-atively

-atively
-atively -atively BrE ; NAmE suffix (in adverbs)

• creatively

Main entry: ↑-ative_derived

-ator
-ator -ator [-ator] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) a person or thing that does sth

• creator

• percolator

-bellied
-bellied -bellied [-bellied] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑belly

-centric
-centric -centric 7 BrE [ˈsentrɪk] NAmE [ˈsentrɪk] suffix

1. having a particular centre

• geocentric

2. (often disapproving) based on a particular way of thinking

• Eurocentric

• ethnocentric

Word Origin:

[-centric] from Greek kentrikos, on the pattern of words such as (con)centric.

-cidal
-cidal -cidal BrE ; NAmE (in adjectives)

• homicidal

Main entry: ↑-cide_derived

-cide
-cide -cide BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns)

1. the act of killing

• suicide

• genocide

2. a person or thing that kills

• insecticide

Derived Word: ↑-cidal

Word Origin:

[-cidal -cide] via French; sense 1 from Latin -cidium; sense 2 from Latin -cida, both from caedere ‘kill’.

-cracy
-cracy -cracy BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) the government or rule of

• democracy

• bureaucracy

Word Origin:

[-cracy] from French -cratie, via medieval Latin from Greek -kratia ‘power, rule’.

-crat
-crat -crat BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) a member or supporter of a particular type of government or system

• democrat

• bureaucrat

Derived Word: ↑-cratic

Word Origin:

[-crat -cratic] from French -crate, from adjectives ending in -cratique, from -cratie, via medieval Latin from Greek -kratia ‘power, rule’.

-cratic
-cratic -cratic BrE ; NAmE (in adjectives)

• aristocratic

Main entry: ↑-crat_derived

-cy
-cy -cy BrE NAmE -acy suffix

(in nouns)

1. the state or quality of

• infancy

• accuracy

2. the status or position of

• chaplaincy

Word Origin:

[-cy] from Latin -cia, -tia and Greek -k(e)ia, -t(e)ia.

-d
-d -d [-d] BrE NAmE suffix

» ↑-ed

-dimensional
-dimensional -dimensional 7 AW [-dimensional] BrE [daɪˈmenʃənl] NAmE [daɪˈmenʃənl] BrE [dɪˈmenʃənl] NAmE [dɪˈmenʃənl] combining form

(in adjectives) having the number of ↑dimensions mentioned

• a multidimensional model

see also ↑multidimensional, ↑three-dimensional, ↑two-dimensional

-dom
-dom -dom BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. the condition or state of

• freedom

• martyrdom

2. the rank of; an area ruled by

• kingdom

3. the group of

• officialdom

Word Origin:

[-dom] Old English -dōm, originally meaning ‘decree, judgement’.

-ectomy
-ectomy -ec·tomy BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) a medical operation in which part of the body is removed

• appendectomy (= removal of the ↑appendix )

Word Origin:

[-ectomy] from Greek ektomē ‘excision’, from ek ‘out’ + temnein ‘to cut’.

-ed
-ed -ed [-ed] BrE NAmE -d suffix

1. (in adjectives) having; having the characteristics of

• talented

• bearded

• diseased

2. (makes the past tense and past participle of regular verbs)

• hated

• walked

• loved

-ee
-ee -ee BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. a person affected by an action

• employee

compare ↑-er, ↑-or

2. a person described as or concerned with

• absentee

• refugee

Word Origin:

[-ee] from Anglo-Norman French -é, from Latin -atus (past participial ending). Some forms are anglicized modern French nouns (e.g. refugee from réfugié).

-eer
-eer -eer BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in nouns) a person concerned with

• auctioneer

• mountaineer

2. (in verbs) (often disapproving) to be concerned with

• profiteer

• commandeer

Word Origin:

[-eer] from French -ier, from Latin -arius; verbs are often back-formations (e.g. electioneer from electioneering).

-en
-en -en BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in verbs) to make or become

• blacken

• sadden

2. (in adjectives) made of; looking like

• wooden

• golden

Word Origin:

[-en] Old English -nian, of Germanic origin.

-enabled
-enabled -enabled 7 [-enabled] BrE [ɪˈneɪbld] NAmE [ɪˈneɪbld] adjective

(in compound adjectives) (computing) that can be used with a particular system or technology, especially the Internet

• web-enabled phones

• web-enabled PC terminals

• Your browser is not Java-enabled.

-ence
-ence -ence [-ence] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ance

-ency
-ency -ency [-ency] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ancy

-ent
-ent -ent [-ent] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ant

-er
-er -er [-er] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in nouns) a person or thing that

• lover

• computer

compare ↑-ee, ↑-or

2. (in nouns) a person or thing that has the thing or quality mentioned

• three-wheeler

• foreigner

3. (in nouns) a person concerned with

• astronomer

• philosopher

4. (in nouns) a person belonging to

• New Yorker

5. (makes comparative adjectives and adverbs)

• wider

• bigger

• happier

• sooner

compare ↑-est

-ery
-ery -ery BrE NAmE -ry suffix

(in nouns)

1. the group or class of

• greenery

• gadgetry

2. the state or character of

• bravery

• rivalry

3. the art or practice of

• cookery

• archery

4. a place where sth is made, grows, lives, etc

• bakery

• orangery

Word Origin:

[-ery] from French -erie, based on Latin -arius and -ator.

-ese
-ese -ese BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives and nouns) of a country or city; a person who lives in a country or city; the language spoken there

• Chinese

• Viennese

2. (in nouns) (often disapproving) the style or language of

• journalese

• officialese

Word Origin:

[-ese] from Old French -eis, based on Latin -ensis.

-esque
-esque -esque BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives) in the style of

• statuesque

• Kafkaesque

Word Origin:

[-esque] from French, via Italian -esco from medieval Latin -iscus.

-ess
-ess -ess BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) female

• lioness

• actress

Word Origin:

[-ess] from French -esse, via late Latin from Greek -issa.

More About:

gender

Ways of talking about men and women

When you are writing or speaking English it is important to use language that includes both men and women equally. Some people may be very offended if you do not.The human race

Man and mankind have traditionally been used to mean ‘all men and women’. Many people now prefer to use humanity, the human race, human beings or people.Jobs

The suffix -ess in names of occupations such as actress, hostess and waitress shows that the person doing the job is a woman. Many people now avoid these. Instead you can use actor or host, (although actress and hostess are still very common) or a neutral word, such as server for waiter and waitress.

Neutral words like assistant, worker, person or officer are now often used instead of -man or -woman in the names of jobs. For example, you can use police officer instead of policeman or policewoman, and spokesperson instead of spokesman or spokeswoman. Neutral words are very common in newspapers, on television and radio and in official writing, in both BrE and NAmE.

When talking about jobs that are traditionally done by the other sex, some people say: a male secretary/nurse/model (NOT man) or a woman/female doctor/barrister/driver. However this is now not usually used unless you need to emphasize which sex the person is, or it is still unusual for the job to be done by a man/woman: ▪ My daughter prefers to see a woman doctor. ◇ ▪ They have a male nanny for their kids. ◇ ▪ a female racing driver Pronouns

He used to be considered to cover both men and women: ▪ Everyone needs to feel he is loved. This is not now acceptable. Instead, after everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone, somebody, someone, etc. one of the plural pronouns they, them, and their is often used: ▪ Does everybody know what they want? ◇ ▪ Somebody’s left their coat here. ◇ ▪ I hope nobody’s forgotten to bring their passport with them.

Some people prefer to use he or she, his or her, or him or her in speech and writing: ▪ Everyone knows what’s best for him or herself. He/she or (s)he can also be used in writing: ▪ If in doubt, ask your doctor. He/she can give you more information. (You may find that some writers just use ‘she’.) These uses can seem awkward when they are used a lot. It is better to try to change the sentence, using a plural noun. Instead of saying: ▪ A baby cries when he or she is tired you can say ▪ Babies cry when they are tired.

-est
-est -est BrE NAmE suffix

(makes superlative adjectives and adverbs)

• widest

• biggest

• happiest

• soonest

compare ↑-er

Word Origin:

[-est] Old English -ost-, -ust-, -ast-.

-ette
-ette -ette BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. small

• kitchenette

2. female

• usherette

Word Origin:

[-ette] from Old French -ette, feminine of -et.

-exempt
-exempt -exempt BrE [ɪɡˈzempt] ; NAmE [ɪɡˈzempt] (in compounds, forming adjectives)

• tax-exempt donations to charity

Main entry: ↑exempt_derived

-ey
-ey -ey [-ey] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-y

-fest
-fest -fest BrE [fest] NAmE [fest] combining form

(in nouns) a festival or large meeting involving a particular activity or with a particular atmosphere

• a jazzfest

• a talkfest (= a session involving long discussions)

• (usually disapproving) a lovefest (= an event in which people show too much affection for each other that may not be genuine)

Word Origin:

[-fest] from German Fest ‘festival’.

-fold
-fold -fold BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives and adverbs) multiplied by; having the number of parts mentioned

• to increase tenfold

Word Origin:

[-fold] Old English -fald, -feald; related to ↑fold ‘to bend something on itself’.

-ful
-ful -ful BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives) full of; having the qualities of; tending to

• sorrowful

• masterful

• forgetful

2. (in nouns) an amount that fills sth

• handful

• spoonful

Word Origin:

[-ful] from ↑full.

-fy
-fy -fy [-fy] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ify

-graphy
-graphy -graphy BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns)

1. a type of art or science

• choreography

• geography

2. a method of producing images

• radiography

3. a form of writing or drawing

• calligraphy

• biography

Word Origin:

[-graphy] from or suggested by Greek -graphia ‘writing’.

-head
-head -head 8 [-head] BrE [hed] NAmE [hed] suffix (informal)

(in nouns) a person who is very enthusiastic about a particular thing or is addicted to a particular drug

• The cybercafe was a nethead's dream.

• a gearhead

• a crackhead

• a smackhead

• a pothead

-her
what-d'you-call-him -her -it -them what's-his -its -their-name ˈwhat-d'you-call-him/-her/-it/-them | ˈwhat's-his/-her/-its/-their-name idiom used instead of a name that you cannot remember

• She's just gone out with old what-d'you-call-him.

Main entry: ↑what_idiom

-honored
time-honoured -honored ˈtime-honoured [time-honoured] BrE NAmE (especially US -honored) adjective

respected because it has been used or done for a long time

• They showed their approval in the time-honoured way (= by clapping, for example).

-hood
-hood -hood BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. the state or quality of

• childhood

• falsehood

2. a group of people of the type mentioned

• the priesthood

Word Origin:

[-hood] Old English -hād, originally an independent noun meaning ‘person, condition, quality’.

-ial
-ial -ial BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives) typical of

• dictatorial

Derived Word: ↑-ially

Word Origin:

[-ial -ially] from French -iel or Latin -ialis.

-ially
-ially -ially BrE ; NAmE (in adverbs)

• officially

Main entry: ↑-ial_derived

-ian
-ian -ian -an suffix

1. (in nouns and adjectives) from; typical of

• Bostonian

• Brazilian

• Shakespearian

• Libran

2. (in nouns) a specialist in

• mathematician

Word Origin:

[-ian] from French -ien or Latin -ianus.

-iana
-iana -iana [-iana] -ana suffix

(in nouns) a collection of objects, facts, stories, etc. connected with the person, place, period, etc. mentioned

• Mozartiana

• Americana

• Victoriana

-ibility
-ibility ▪ I. -ibility [-ibility] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-able

▪ II. -ability, -ibility (in nouns)

• capability

• responsibility

Main entry: ↑-able_derived

-ible
-ible -ible [-ible] BrE ; NAmE -ibly

» ↑-able, » ↑-ably

-ibly
-ably -ibly -ably, -ibly (in adverbs)

• noticeably

• incredibly

Main entry: ↑-able_derived

-ic
-ic -ic BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives and nouns) connected with

• scenic

• economic

• Arabic

2. (in adjectives) that performs the action mentioned

• horrific

• specific

Derived Words: ↑-ical ▪ ↑-ically

Word Origin:

[-ic -ical -ically] from French -ique, Latin -icus, or Greek -ikos.

-ical
-ical -ical BrE ; NAmE (in adjectives)

• comical

Main entry: ↑-ic_derived

-ically
-ically -ically BrE ; NAmE (in adverbs)

• physically

Main entry: ↑-ic_derived

-ics
-ics -ics BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) the science, art or activity of

• physics

• dramatics

• athletics

Word Origin:

[-ics] from French -iques, Latin -ica, or Greek -ika, plural forms.

-ide
-ide -ide BrE NAmE suffix (chemistry)

(in nouns) a ↑compound of

• chloride

Word Origin:

[-ide] originally used in oxide.

-ie
-ie -ie [-ie] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-y

-ify
-ify -ify [-ify] BrE NAmE -fy suffix

(in verbs) to make or become

• purify

• solidify

-in
-in -in [-in] BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) an activity in which many people take part

• a sit-in

• a teach-in

-ing
-ing -ing [-ing] BrE NAmE suffix

used to make the present participle of regular verbs

• hating

• walking

• loving

-ion
-ion -ion BrE NAmE (also -ation, -ition, -sion, -tion, -xion) suffix

(in nouns) the action or state of

• hesitation

• competition

• confession

See also: ↑-ation ▪ ↑-ition ▪ ↑-sion ▪ ↑-tion ▪ ↑-xion

Word Origin:

[-ion] via French from Latin -ion-.

-isable
recognizable recognisable -isable rec·og·niz·able (BrE also -is·able) BrE [ˈrekəɡnaɪzəbl] NAmE [ˈrekəɡnaɪzəbl] BrE [ˌrekəɡˈnaɪzəbl] NAmE [ˌrekəɡˈnaɪzəbl] adjective ~ (as sth/sb)

easy to know or identify

• The building was easily recognizable as a prison.

• After so many years she was still instantly recognizable.

Opp: ↑unrecognizable

Derived Word: ↑recognizably

Thesaurus:

recognizable [recognizable recognizably] (BrE also -isable) adj.

• Even after thirty years she was still immediately recognizable.

identifiable • • distinguishable •

Opp: unrecognizable

recognizable/identifiable/distinguishable as sb/sth

recognizable/identifiable/distinguishable by sth

recognizable/identifiable to sb

Recognizable or identifiable? People, places and things are recognizable from experience, because you have seen or heard them before; places and things are identifiable either from experience or because you have studied them or been told about them.

Example Bank:

• The brand has a universally recognizable logo.

• The project's benefits were recognizable to all interest groups.

• a building that was immediately recognizable as a prison

• a language barely recognizable as English

• recognizable by their distinctive uniforms

• the mannerisms that make him instantly recognizable

• After so many years she was still immediately recognizable.

• Her face is instantly recognizable to countless millions all over the world.

-isation
-isation ▪ I. cre·ol·iza·tion BrE ; NAmE -isa·tion BrE [ˌkriːəlaɪˈzeɪʃn] ; [ˈkrɪəlaɪzeɪʃn] ; NAmE [ˌkriːəlaɪˈzeɪʃn] noun uncountable, countable

Main entry: ↑creolize_derived

▪ II. deci·mal·iza·tion BrE ; NAmE -isa·tion BrE [ˌdesɪməlaɪˈzeɪʃn] ; NAmE [ˌdesɪmələˈzeɪʃn] noun uncountable

Main entry: ↑decimalize_derived

-ise
-ise -ise [-ise] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ize

-ised
disorganized disorganised -ised dis·or·gan·ized (BrE also -ised [disorganization disorganized]) BrE [dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd] NAmE [dɪsˈɔːrɡənaɪzd] (also less frequent un·or·gan·ized, -ised) adjective

badly planned; not able to plan or organize well

• It was a hectic disorganized weekend.

• She's so disorganized.

• Don't expect him to get there on time— he's completely disorganized.

compare ↑organized

Derived Word: ↑disorganization

See also: ↑unorganized

Example Bank:

• She never gets anywhere on time. She's hopelessly disorganized.

• It was a dismal, disorganized weekend.

• They are lazy and disorganized.

-iser
immobilizer -iser im·mo·bil·izer f13 [immobilizer immobilizers] (also -iser)BrE [ɪˈməʊbəlaɪzə(r)] NAmE [ɪˈmoʊbəlaɪzər] noun

a device that is fitted to a car to stop it moving if sb tries to steal it

-ish
-ish -ish [-ish -ishly] BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives)

1. from the country mentioned

• Turkish

• Irish

2. (sometimes disapproving) having the nature of; like

• childish

3. fairly; approximately

• reddish

• thirtyish

Derived Word: ↑-ishly

-ishly
-ishly -ishly BrE ; NAmE (in adverbs)

• foolishly

Main entry: ↑-ish_derived

-ising
patronizing patronising -ising pat·ron·iz·ing (BrE also -is·ing) BrE [ˈpætrənaɪzɪŋ] NAmE [ˈpeɪtrənaɪzɪŋ] adjective (disapproving)

showing that you feel better, or more intelligent than sb else

Syn: ↑superior

• a patronizing smile

• I was only trying to explain; I didn't want to sound patronizing.

Derived Word: ↑patronizingly

Thesaurus:

patronizing [patronizing patronizingly] (BrE also -ising) adj. (disapproving)

• I didn't mean to sound patronizing.

superior • • snobbish • |informal snooty • |especially written condescending • • haughty •

patronizing/superior/snobbish/snooty about sth

patronizing/condescending to/towards sb

a patronizing/superior/condescending/haughty attitude/tone/smile/manner

Patronizing, superior or condescending? People who are patronizing or condescending talk in a way that they think is kind, but which shows that they do not consider the other person to be their equal; sb whose manner is superior shows their feeling of superiority by keeping apart from other people and not being too friendly.

Example Bank:

• I found his tone rather patronizing.

• He adopted a rather patronizing attitude towards his younger colleagues.

• He was always rather patronizing towards Anne.

• Her tone was concerned but not patronizing.

• I didn't mean to sound patronizing.

-ism
-ism -ism BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. the action or result of

• criticism

2. the state or quality of

• heroism

3. the teaching, system or movement of

• Buddhism

4. unfair treatment or hatred for the reason mentioned

• racism

5. a feature of language of the type mentioned

• an Americanism

• a colloquialism

6. a medical condition or disease

• alcoholism

Word Origin:

[-ism] from French -isme, via Latin from Greek -ismos, -isma.

-ist
-ist -ist BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns and some related adjectives)

1. a person who believes or practises sth

• atheist

2. a member of a profession or business activity

• dentist

3. a person who uses a thing

• violinist

4. a person who does sth

• plagiarist

Word Origin:

[-ist] from Old French -iste, Latin -ista, from Greek -istēs.

-ista
-ista -ista 7 BrE [ˈɪstə] NAmE [ˈɪstə] suffix

(in nouns) a person who is very enthusiastic about sth

• fashionistas who are slaves to the latest trends

Word Origin:

[-ista] from the Spanish ending -ista, as in Sandinista.

-it
what-d'you-call-him -her -it -them what's-his -its -their-name ˈwhat-d'you-call-him/-her/-it/-them | ˈwhat's-his/-her/-its/-their-name idiom used instead of a name that you cannot remember

• She's just gone out with old what-d'you-call-him.

Main entry: ↑what_idiom

-ite
-ite -ite [-ite] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) (often disapproving) a person who follows or supports sb/sth

• Blairite

• Trotskyite

-ition
-ition -ition [-ition] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ion

-itis
-itis -itis [-itis] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. (medical) a disease of

• tonsillitis

2. (informal, especially humorous) too much of; too much interest in

• World Cup-itis

-its
what-d'you-call-him -her -it -them what's-his -its -their-name ˈwhat-d'you-call-him/-her/-it/-them | ˈwhat's-his/-her/-its/-their-name idiom used instead of a name that you cannot remember

• She's just gone out with old what-d'you-call-him.

Main entry: ↑what_idiom

-ity
-ity -ity [-ity] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) the quality or state of

• purity

• oddity

-ive
-ive -ive [-ive] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns and adjectives) tending to; having the nature of

• explosive

• descriptive

-ization
-ization -ization, -isation BrE ; NAmE (in nouns)

• immunization

Main entry: ↑-ize_derived

-izationally
-izationally -izationally, -isationally BrE ; NAmE (in adverbs)

• organizationally

Main entry: ↑-ize_derived

-ize
-ize -ize [-ization -izationally -ize] BrE NAmE -ise suffix

(in verbs)

1. to become, make or make like

• privatize

• fossilize

• Americanize

2. to speak, think, act, treat, etc. in the way mentioned

• criticize

• theorize

• deputize

• pasteurize

3. to place in

• hospitalize

Derived Words: ↑-ization ▪ ↑-izationally

-leaved
-leaved -leaved [-leaved] BrE [‑liːvd] ; NAmE [‑liːvd]

» ↑leaf

-less
-less -less BrE [‑ləs] NAmE [‑ləs] suffix

(in adjectives)

1. without

• treeless

• meaningless

2. not doing; not affected by

• tireless

• selfless

Derived Words: ↑-lessly ▪ ↑-lessness

Word Origin:

[-less -lessly -lessness] Old English -lēas, from lēas ‘devoid of’.

-lessly
-lessly -less·ly BrE [‑ləsli] ; NAmE [‑ləsli] (in adverbs)

• hopelessly

Main entry: ↑-less_derived

-lessness
-lessness -less·ness BrE [‑ləsnəs] ; NAmE [‑ləsnəs] (in nouns)

• helplessness

Main entry: ↑-less_derived

-let
-let -let BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) small; not very important

• booklet

• piglet

• starlet

Word Origin:

[-let] originally corresponding to French -ette added to nouns ending in -el.

-like
-like -like [-like] BrE NAmE combining form

(in adjectives) similar to; typical of

• childlike

• shell-like

-ling
-ling -ling [-ling] BrE [lɪŋ] NAmE [lɪŋ] suffix

(in nouns) (sometimes disapproving) small; not important

• duckling

• princeling

-log
-log -log [-log] BrE ; NAmE (NAmE)

= ↑-logue

-logic
-ologic -logic -ological -ological BrE ; NAmE -logical BrE ; NAmE (also -ologic, -logic) (in adjectives)

• pathological

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-logical
-logical ▪ I. -logical [-logical] BrE ; NAmE -logic

» ↑-ology

▪ II. -ological BrE ; NAmE -logical BrE ; NAmE (also -ologic, -logic) (in adjectives)

• pathological

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-logist
-logist ▪ I. -logist [-logist] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ology

▪ II. -ologist BrE ; NAmE -logist BrE ; NAmE (in nouns)

• biologist

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-logue
-logue -logue BrE NAmE (NAmE also -log) combining form

(in nouns) talk or speech

• a monologue

See also: ↑-log

Word Origin:

[-logue] from French -logue, from Greek -logos, -logon.

-logy
-logy -logy [-logy] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ology

-ly
-ly -ly [-ly] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adverbs) in the way mentioned

• happily

• stupidly

2. (in adjectives) having the qualities of

• cowardly

• scholarly

3. (in adjectives and adverbs) at intervals of

• hourly

• daily

-mania
-mania -mania BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) mental illness of a particular type

• kleptomania

Derived Word: ↑-maniac

Word Origin:

[-mania -maniac] from ↑mania.

-maniac
-maniac -maniac BrE ; NAmE (in nouns)

• a pyromaniac

Main entry: ↑-mania_derived

-meister
-meister -meister 7 BrE [ˈmaɪstə(r)] NAmE [ˈmaɪstər] combining form

(in nouns) (informal) a person thought of as skilled at a particular activity or important in a particular field

• a horror-meister

Word Origin:

[-meister] from German Meister ‘master’.

-ment
-ment -ment BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) the action or result of

• bombardment

• development

Derived Word: ↑-mental

Word Origin:

[-ment -mental] from French, or from Latin -mentum.

-mental
-mental -mental BrE ; NAmE (in adjectives)

• governmental

• judgemental

Main entry: ↑-ment_derived

-most
-most -most BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives) the furthest

• inmost (= the furthest in)

• southernmost

• topmost (= the furthest up/nearest to the top)

Word Origin:

[-most] Old English -mest, assimilated to ↑most.

-ness
-ness -ness BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) the quality, state or character of

• dryness

• blindness

• silliness

Word Origin:

[-ness] Old English -nes, -ness, of Germanic origin.

-oid
-oid -oid BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives and nouns) similar to

• humanoid

• rhomboid

Word Origin:

[-oid] from modern Latin -oides, from Greek -oeidēs; related to eidos ‘form’.

-ologic
-ologic -logic -ological -ological BrE ; NAmE -logical BrE ; NAmE (also -ologic, -logic) (in adjectives)

• pathological

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-ological
-ologic -logic -ological -ological BrE ; NAmE -logical BrE ; NAmE (also -ologic, -logic) (in adjectives)

• pathological

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-ologist
-ologist -ologist BrE ; NAmE -logist BrE ; NAmE (in nouns)

• biologist

Main entry: ↑-ology_derived

-ology
-ology -ology [-logical -logist -ological -ologist -ology] BrE NAmE -logy combining form

(in nouns)

1. a subject of study

• sociology

• genealogy

2. a characteristic of speech or writing

• phraseology

• trilogy

Derived Words: ↑-logical ▪ ↑-logist ▪ ↑-ological ▪ ↑-ologist

See also: ↑-logic ▪ ↑-ologic

-or
-or -or [-or] BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) a person or thing that

• actor

compare ↑-ee, ↑-er

-ory
-ory -ory [-ory] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives) that does…; involving the action concerned

• explanatory

2. (in nouns) a place for

• observatory

-ous
-ous -ous BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives) having the nature or quality of

• poisonous

• mountainous

Derived Words: ↑-ously ▪ ↑-ousness

Word Origin:

[-ous -ously -ousness] from Anglo-Norman French, or Old French -eus, from Latin -osus.

-ously
-ously -ously BrE ; NAmE (in adverbs)

• gloriously

Main entry: ↑-ous_derived

-ousness
-ousness -ousness BrE ; NAmE (in nouns)

• spaciousness

Main entry: ↑-ous_derived

-paedia
encyclopedia -paedia en·cyc·lo·pe·dia [encyclopedia encyclopedias] (BrE also -pae·dia)BrE [ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə] NAmE [ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdiə] noun

a book or set of books giving information about all areas of knowledge or about different areas of one particular subject, usually arranged in alphabetical order; a similar collection of information on a website or ↑CD-ROM

• a children's encyclopedia

• an encyclopedia of music

• an online encyclopedia

Word Origin:

mid 16th cent.: modern Latin, from pseudo-Greek enkuklopaideia for enkuklios paideia ‘all-round education’.

Example Bank:

• I looked the Civil War up in my encyclopedia.

• There are over 20 000 entries in the encyclopedia.

-paedic
encyclopedic -paedic en·cyclo·pe·dic [encyclopedic] (BrE also -paedic)BrE [ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdɪk] NAmE [ɪnˌsaɪkləˈpiːdɪk] adjective

1. connected with ↑encyclopedias or the type of information found in them

• encyclopedic information

• an encyclopedic dictionary

2. having a lot of information about a wide variety of subjects; containing complete information about a particular subject

• She has an encyclopedic knowledge of natural history.

• Penny's contact book was encyclopedic.

-phile
-phile -phile BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns and adjectives) liking a particular thing; a person who likes a particular thing

• Anglophile

• bibliophile

compare ↑-phobe

Word Origin:

[-phile] from Greek philos ‘loving’.

-philia
-philia -philia [-philia] BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) love of sth, especially connected with a sexual attraction that is not considered normal

• paedophilia

compare -phobia

-phobe
-phobe -phobe BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) a person who dislikes a particular thing or particular people

• Anglophobe

• xenophobe

compare ↑-phile

Word Origin:

[-phobe] from French, via Latin -phobus from Greek -phobos ‘fearing’, from phobos ‘fear’.

-ry
-ry -ry [-ry] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ery

-s'
-s' -s' [-s'] BrE NAmE suffix

(forming the end of plural nouns) belonging to

• the cats' tails

• their wives' jobs

-scape
-scape -scape BrE NAmE combining form

(in nouns) a view or scene of

• landscape

• seascape

• moonscape

Word Origin:

[-scape] on the pattern of landscape.

-share
-share -share 8 [-share] combining form

1. (in nouns) an arrangement to divide sth between two or more people, groups, etc

• a job-share (= a job that is done by two people who each work for part of the week)

• (BrE) a nanny share (= an arrangement for sb to work for two families)

see also ↑timeshare

2. (in verbs) using an arrangement to divide sth between two or more people, groups, etc: (especially BrE) We encourage people to carshare to reduce congestion on the roads.

• (NAmE) to rideshare

-ship
-ship -ship BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns)

1. the state or quality of

• ownership

• friendship

2. the status or office of

• citizenship

• professorship

3. skill or ability as

• musicianship

4. the group of

• membership

Word Origin:

[-ship] Old English -scipe, scype, of Germanic origin.

-sion
-sion -sion [-sion] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ion

-some
-some -some [-some] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in adjectives) producing; likely to

• fearsome

• quarrelsome

2. (in nouns) a group of the number mentioned

• a foursome

-speak
-speak -speak 8 [-speak] BrE [spiːk] NAmE [spiːk] combining form

(in nouns) (informal, often disapproving) the language used by a particular group of people, especially when it is difficult for other people to understand or they find it annoying

• management-speak

• Visitors to websites don't want to read marketing-speak.

• His email was a nonsensical paragraph of management-speak.

• Unlike his colleagues, he avoids White House speak.

• The ‘finished goods inventory’— that's Wall Street speak for unsold goods.

-ster
-ster -ster BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) a person who is connected with or has the quality of

• gangster

• youngster

Word Origin:

[-ster] Old English -estre, -istre, etc., of Germanic origin.

-storied
storey -storied storey [storey storeys] (especially BrE) (especially US story)BrE [ˈstɔːri] NAmE [ˈstɔːri] noun (pl. stor·eys, NAmE stor·ies)

1. a level of a building; a floor

• the upper/lower storey of the house

• a single-storey/two-storey building

see also ↑multi-storey

2. -storeyed (BrE) (NAmE -storied) (in adjectives) (of a building) having the number of levels mentioned

• a four-storeyed building

See also: ↑story

Word Origin:

late Middle English: shortening of Latin historia ‘history, story’, a special use in Anglo-Latin, perhaps originally denoting a tier of painted windows or sculptures on the front of a building (representing a historical subject).

Which Word?:

storey / floor

You use storey (BrE)/story (NAmE) mainly when you are talking about the number of levels a building has: ▪ a five-storey house ◇ ▪ The office building is five storeys high.

Floor is used mainly to talk about which particular level in the building someone lives on, goes to, etc: ▪ His office is on the fifth floor.

note at ↑floor

Example Bank:

• He jumped out of the second-storey/second-story window.

• I live on the top storey.

• The building is four storeys/stories high.

• The building is four storeys high.

• The house has three storeys.

• The kitchen occupies the lower storey.

• They plan to add an extra storey.

• a five-storey house

• a single-storey/two-storey/three-storey building

-tastic
-tastic -tastic 8 [-tastic] BrE [ˈtæstɪk] NAmE [ˈtæstɪk] suffix

(in adjectives) (BrE, informal) used to emphasize that sb/sth of a particular type is extremely good

• We have a toptastic line-up of stars for you tonight.

• Try this new choctastic recipe!

see also ↑poptastic

-ter
amphitheatre -ter amphi·theatre [amphitheatre amphitheatres] (especially US -ter)BrE [ˈæmfɪθɪətə(r)] NAmE [ˈæmfɪθiːətər] noun

1. a round building without a roof and with rows of seats that rise in steps around an open space. Amphitheatres were used especially in ancient Greece and Rome for public entertainments.

2. a room, hall or theatre with rows of seats that rise in steps

3. (technical) an open space that is surrounded by high sloping land

• The path emerges from the gorge into an open amphitheatre with slopes all around.

Word Origin:

late Middle English: via Latin from Greek amphitheatron, from amphi ‘on both sides’ + theatron, from theasthai ‘behold’.

Example Bank:

• The Roman amphitheatre stands just outside the fortress walls.

-th
-th -th [-th] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (in ordinal numbers)

• sixth

• fifteenth

• hundredth

2. (in nouns) the action or process of

• growth

-their-name
what-d'you-call-him -her -it -them what's-his -its -their-name ˈwhat-d'you-call-him/-her/-it/-them | ˈwhat's-his/-her/-its/-their-name idiom used instead of a name that you cannot remember

• She's just gone out with old what-d'you-call-him.

Main entry: ↑what_idiom

-them
what-d'you-call-him -her -it -them what's-his -its -their-name ˈwhat-d'you-call-him/-her/-it/-them | ˈwhat's-his/-her/-its/-their-name idiom used instead of a name that you cannot remember

• She's just gone out with old what-d'you-call-him.

Main entry: ↑what_idiom

-ticed
practised -ticed prac·tised [practised] (especially US -ticed)BrE [ˈpræktɪst] NAmE [ˈpræktɪst] adjective

good at doing sth because you have been doing it regularly

• She's only 18 but she's already a practised composer.

• It took a practised eye to spot the difference.

• ~ in sth He has good ideas but he isn't practised in the art of marketing.

Example Bank:

• He has good ideas but he isn't practised in the art of marketing.

• It takes a practised eye to spot the difference.

• She's only 18 but she's already a practised composer.

-ticing
practising -ticing prac·tis·ing [practising] (especially US -ticing)BrE [ˈpræktɪsɪŋ] NAmE [ˈpræktɪsɪŋ] adjective only before noun

taking an active part in a particular religion, profession, etc

• a practising Christian/teacher

-tion
-tion -tion [-tion] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ion

-to-be
-to-be -to-be idiom

(in compounds) future

• his bride-to-be

• mothers-to-be (= pregnant women)

Main entry: ↑be_idiom

-ure
-ure -ure BrE NAmE suffix

(in nouns) the action, process or result of

• closure

• failure

Word Origin:

[-ure] from Old French -ure, from Latin -ura.

-ward
-ward -ward BrE NAmE (also less frequent -wards) suffix

(in adjectives) in the direction of

• backward

• eastward

• homeward

Derived Word: ↑-wards

See also: ↑-wards

Word Origin:

[-ward -wards] Old English -weard, from a Germanic base meaning ‘turn’.

-wards
-wards ▪ I. -wards [-wards] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ward

▪ II. -wards BrE ; NAmE (also -ward especially in NAmE) (in adverbs)

• onwards

• forwards

Main entry: ↑-ward_derived

-ways
-ways -ways [-ways] BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives and adverbs) in the direction of

• lengthways

• sideways

-wise
-wise -wise [-wise] BrE NAmE suffix

(in adjectives and adverbs)

1. in the manner or direction of

• likewise

• clockwise

2. (informal) concerning

• Things aren't too good businesswise.

-xion
-xion -xion [-xion] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑-ion

-y
-y -y [-y] BrE NAmE suffix

1. (also -ey) (in adjectives) full of; having the quality of

• dusty

• clayey

2. (in adjectives) tending to

• runny

• sticky

3. (in nouns) the action or process of

• inquiry

4. (also -ie) (in nouns, showing affection)

• doggy

• daddy

See also: ↑-ey ▪ ↑-ie

-yze
psychoanalyse -yze psy·cho·ana·lyse [psychoanalyse psychoanalyses psychoanalysed psychoanalysing] (BrE) (NAmE -yze)BrE [ˌsaɪkəʊˈænəlaɪz] NAmE [ˌsaɪkoʊˈænəlaɪz] (also ana·lyse, ana·lyze) verb ~ sb

to treat or study sb using ↑psychoanalysis

See also: ↑analyse ▪ ↑analyze

Verb forms:

007
007 007 [007] BrE NAmE the British Secret Service ↑code name of James Bond in the novels by Ian Fleming and in the films based on them. According to the stories, numbers beginning ‚00’ are given to Secret Service ↑agents who are ‘licensed to kill’.

1 000 Guineas
the 1 000 Guineas the 1 000 Guineas [the 1000 Guineas]

» ↑Thousand Guineas

10 000-foot view
10 000-foot view 10 000-foot view 8 [10000-foot view] BrE NAmE noun (business)

a broad general view or description of a problem

Syn: ↑helicopter view, Syn: ↑overview

• Let me give you the 10 000-foot view.

• The article seems to be a 10 000-foot view of the subject.

• It's not absolutely reliable but it's an excellent way of getting a 10 000-foot view of a topic.

1040 form
1040 form 1040 form [1040 form] BrE NAmE noun (in the US) the main official income tax document that people must complete and send to the ↑IRS each year by 15 April. It contains questions to show whether a person owes tax or has paid too much. There are shorter versions of the document for people whose income is below a certain amount.

1066
1066 1066 [1066] BrE NAmE the year when the Battle of ↑Hastings took place, and the ↑Normans gained control of England. It is one of the few dates that most British people remember, because it was the last time that Britain was successfully invaded by the forces of another country.

1066 And All That
1066 And All That 1066 And All That [1066 And All That] BrE NAmE a humorous book published in 1930 about the history of Britain which also makes fun of the way in which history was taught in schools. The two authors, Walter Sellar and Robert Yeatman, were teachers.

10p
ten pence ten pence piece 10p ˌten ˈpence [ten pence] (also ˌten pence ˈpiece, 10p BrE [ˌten ˈpiː] ; NAmE [ˌten ˈpiː] ) noun

a British coin worth ten pence

• Have you got a ten pence piece?

See also: ↑ten pence piece

1922 Committee
the 1922 Committee Conservative and Unionist Members' Committee the 1922 Committee [the 1922 Committee] BrE NAmE (also the Conservative and Unionist Members’ Committee) (in Britain) the group of Conservative Members of Parliament that includes all the party’s ↑backbenchers. Its name comes from a meeting of Conservative MPs in the ↑Carlton Club, London, in October 1922, when the need for an organization through which backbenchers could have more influence was discussed. Members of the Committee now meet regularly and its opinions are passed on to the party leader.

2 000 Guineas
the Two Thousand Guineas 2 000 Guineas the Two Thousand Guineas [the Two Thousand Guineas] (also the 2 000 Guineas)BrE NAmE a well-known British horse race run every year at ↑Newmarket in late April or early May. It was first held in 1809.

20 vision
twenty-twenty vision 20 vision ˌtwenty-ˌtwenty ˈvision [twenty-twenty vision] BrE NAmE (also 20/20 vision) noun uncountable

the ability to see perfectly

• You need twenty-twenty vision for this job.

2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey 2001: A Space Odyssey [2001: A Space Odyssey] BrE NAmE a film (1968) about future travel in space, written by Arthur C Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, who also directed it. The story is about a long trip taken in a spacecraft by two ↑astronauts with an intelligent computer called HAL. It raised interesting questions about the influence of computers and the possibility of life on other planets. The film won an ↑Oscar for its special visual effects. Clarke later wrote the novel 2010: Odyssey Two (1982) which was also made into a film (1984).

20p
twenty pence twenty pence piece 20p ˌtwenty ˈpence [twenty pence] (also ˌtwenty pence ˈpiece, 20p BrE [ˌtwenti ˈpiː] ; NAmE [ˌtwenti ˈpiː] ) noun

a British coin worth 20 pence

• You need two 20ps for the machine.

See also: ↑twenty pence piece

20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox 20th Century Fox [20th Century Fox] BrE NAmE a major ↑Hollywood film company. It was established in 1935, with Darryl F Zanuck as head of production until 1956. Its many successful films have included ↑Grapes of Wrath, ↑Cleopatra, ↑Sound of Music, ↑Star Wars, ↑Home Alone and Independence Day. The company was bought by Rupert Murdoch in 1985.

24/7
twenty-four seven 24/7 ˌtwenty-ˌfour ˈseven 7 [twenty-four seven] BrE NAmE (also 24/7) adverb (informal)

twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (used to mean ‘all the time’)

• He's on duty twenty-four seven.

2p
two pence two pence piece 2p ˌtwo ˈpence [two pence] (also ˌtwo pence ˈpiece, 2p BrE [ˌtuː ˈpiː] ; NAmE [ˌtuː ˈpiː] ) noun

a British coin worth two pence

See also: ↑two pence piece

3-D
3-D 3-D [3-D] (also three-D)BrE NAmE noun [U] (in films) the quality of appearing to have three ↑dimensions, i.e. depth as well as length and width. Audiences for 3-D films have to wear special glasses to get the proper effect. The process for making such films was invented in 1936 but not used by ↑Hollywood until the 1950s. Popular 3-D films included House of Wax (1953) and Hondo (1953). Since the middle of the 1990s, many 3-D films have been produced for showing in IMAX cinemas (= a type of cinema that shows films on a very large screen).

See also: ↑three-D

360-degree appraisal
360-degree feedback 360-degree appraisal 360-degree feedback 8 [360-degree feedback] BrE [ˈθriː hʌndrəd ənd sɪksti dɪˈɡriː ˈfiːdbæk] NAmE [ˈθriː hʌndrəd ənd sɪksti dɪˈɡriː ˈfiːdbæk] (also ˌ360-degree apˈpraisal BrE ; NAmE ) noun uncountable (business)

information provided by all the people that an employee deals with, used as a way of deciding how well the employee does their job

• 360-degree feedback assessments

• 360-degree feedback surveys assess your strengths and weaknesses.

• 360-degree feedback can be invaluable for improving managerial performance.

360-degree feedback
360-degree feedback 360-degree appraisal 360-degree feedback 8 [360-degree feedback] BrE [ˈθriː hʌndrəd ənd sɪksti dɪˈɡriː ˈfiːdbæk] NAmE [ˈθriː hʌndrəd ənd sɪksti dɪˈɡriː ˈfiːdbæk] (also ˌ360-degree apˈpraisal BrE ; NAmE ) noun uncountable (business)

information provided by all the people that an employee deals with, used as a way of deciding how well the employee does their job

• 360-degree feedback assessments

• 360-degree feedback surveys assess your strengths and weaknesses.

• 360-degree feedback can be invaluable for improving managerial performance.

38th parallel
the 38th parallel the 38th parallel [the 38th parallel] BrE NAmE the line on the map that marks the border between North Korea and South Korea, established in 1945 after ↑World War II. When US troops crossed it during the ↑Korean War in 1950 this caused the Chinese to enter the war. It was again used as the border when peace was signed in 1953.

3G
3G 3G 8 [3G] BrE [ˌθriː ˈdʒiː] NAmE [ˌθriː ˈdʒiː] abbreviation

third generation (used to describe a level of performance for ↑mobile phones that makes it possible to move data to and from the Internet)

• 3G technology

• 3G wireless networking solutions

• We are leaders in 3G mobile phones in this country.

3M
3M 3M [3M] BrE NAmE (in full Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company) a large US company best known for its ↑Scotch tape, Scotchgard Fabric Protection and Post-it Notes. It actually produces about 50 000 products, including household items, electrical equipment and chemicals. The company was established in 1902.

411
411 411 8 [411] BrE [ˌfɔː wʌn ˈwʌn] NAmE [ˌfɔːr wʌn ˈwʌn] noun

1. uncountable the telephone number of the service that you use in the US to find out a person's telephone number

• Call 411.

2. the 411 singular (NAmE, informal) the true facts about a situation or the information you need

• He'll give us the 411 on what to expect.

• Do you have the 411?

• Anyone got the 411 on when the next shipment will be?

42nd Street
42nd Street 42nd Street [42nd Street] BrE NAmE a ↑Hollywood musical film (1933) directed by Lloyd Bacon, with dances designed by Busby ↑Berkeley. A stage version opened on ↑Broadway in 1980. The film is about a Broadway ↑producer whose musical star breaks an ankle. He has to use an unknown actor, but she is a great success. The title refers to a street in ↑Manhattan, New York City, in the heart of the city’s theatre district.

4x4
four-by-four 4x4 ˌfour-by-ˈfour [four-by-four] BrE NAmE (also 4x4) noun

a vehicle with ↑four-wheel drive (= a system in which power is given to all four wheels)

50p
fifty pence fifty pence piece 50p ˌfifty ˈpence [fifty pence] (also ˌfifty pence ˈpiece, 50p BrE [ˌfɪftiˈpiː] ; NAmE [ˌfɪfti ˈpiː] ) noun

a British coin worth 50 pence

• Put a fifty pence in the machine.

• Have you got a 50p?

See also: ↑fifty pence piece

5p
five pence five pence piece 5p ˌfive ˈpence [five pence] BrE NAmE (also ˌfive pence ˈpiece, 5p) noun

a British coin worth five pence

• Have you got a five pence?

See also: ↑five pence piece

60 Minutes
60 Minutes 60 Minutes [60 Minutes] BrE NAmE a US television news programme which has been broadcast each week since 1968 on ↑CBS. By 2003, it had won 73 ↑Emmy awards, more than any other news programme, and had been voted one of the ten most popular programmes on US television every year for 22 years.

7
new in 7th. Edition

7-Eleven
7-Eleven 7-Eleven [7-Eleven] BrE NAmE any of a large number of shops in the US and other countries that sell food, hot drinks, household goods, petrol, etc. and are open from seven o’clock in the morning until eleven at night. The first 7-Eleven opened in ↑California in 1964.

7/7
7/7 7/7 8 [7/7] BrE [ˌsevn ˈsevn] NAmE [ˌsevn ˈsevn] noun (BrE)

the abbreviation for the date 7 July 2005 when several bomb attacks took place in London

• a survivor of the 7/7 bombings

700 Club
the 700 Club The 700 Club [The 700 Club] BrE NAmE a US ↑Christian television news and talk show presented by Pat Robertson which presents news stories from a ↑Christian point of view and has interviews with famous people about their ↑Christian beliefs.

737
737 Boeing 737 737 [737] BrE BrE NAmE NAmE (also Boeing 737)BrE NAmE noun [C] a very widely used passenger aircraft, first made by the US ↑Boeing Company in 1967.

747
747 Boeing 747 747 [747] BrE BrE NAmE NAmE (also Boeing 747)BrE NAmE noun [C] a very large passenger aircraft, also called informally the ‘jumbo jet’. It was first made by the US ↑Boeing Company in 1969. Each plane can carry more than 400 passengers. The 747–400 model is the longest, at more than 231 feet/70 metres. The safety of 747s was investigated after one exploded and crashed in 1996 off ↑Long Island, New York, killing all 230 passengers and crew.

7UP™
7UP™ 7UP™ [7UP] BrE NAmE noun [C, U] a sweet, clear, ↑fizzy drink (= one containing many bubbles) without alcohol, similar to ↑lemonade and sold in cans or bottles. It was first produced in the US in 1929 and for many years was advertised as ‘the Uncola’.

8
new in 8th. Edition

800 number
800 number 888 number 800 number [800 number] BrE NAmE (also 888 number BrE ; NAmE )noun (in the US) a telephone number beginning with 800 or 888, which can be called free of charge. They are provided by companies so that customers can telephone them to order their products, etc. In Britain such free numbers begin with 0800.

Compare ↑Freefone

888 number
800 number 888 number 800 number [800 number] BrE NAmE (also 888 number BrE ; NAmE )noun (in the US) a telephone number beginning with 800 or 888, which can be called free of charge. They are provided by companies so that customers can telephone them to order their products, etc. In Britain such free numbers begin with 0800.

Compare ↑Freefone

9/11
9/11 9/11 8 [9/11] BrE [ˌnaɪn ɪˈlevn] NAmE [ˌnaɪn ɪˈlevn] noun

the abbreviation for the date September 11, 2001, when ↑terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Pennsylvania, killing thousands of people

Culture:

People in the US write dates in the form of the month followed by the day, whereas in Britain the month follows the day. However, the US form is used in both countries to refer to the day of these attacks. The abbreviation often appears in phrases describing people or things connected with them, for example 9/11 families (= families affected by the attacks), the 9/11 Commission, the post-9/11 world.

900 number
900 number 900 number [900 number] BrE NAmE noun (in the US) a telephone number that begins with 900. A call to it is more expensive than those to ordinary numbers. 900 numbers are used by companies who have ‘chat lines’, operate competitions, etc, and they usually allow people who call to record messages or answers and their phone numbers and addresses.

999
999 999 [999] BrE NAmE the telephone number used in Britain for calling the police, fire or ↑ambulance services in an emergency

• Quick! Dial 999!

A & E
A & E A & E [A E] BrE [ˌeɪ ənd ˈiː] NAmE [ˌeɪ ənd ˈiː] abbreviation

↑accident and emergency

A & R
A & R A & R 7 [A R] BrE [ˌeɪ ənd ˈɑː(r)] NAmE [ˌeɪ ənd ˈɑːr] abbreviation

artists and repertoire (the department in a record company that is responsible for finding new singers and bands and getting them to sign a contract with the company)

A A Milne
A A Milne A A Milne [A A Milne] BrE NAmE (Alan Alexander Milne 1882–1956) an English writer of children’s books, known mainly as the person who created ↑Winnie-the-Pooh. The books in which Pooh appears, Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928), came from stories Milne invented for his son Christopher Robin. He also wrote collections of poetry for children, including When We Were Very Young (1924) and Now We Are Six (1927). All of these are still very popular with children today. Milne also wrote plays, including ↑Toad of Toad Hall (1929), adapted from ↑Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.

A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line A Chorus Line [A Chorus Line] BrE NAmE a very successful US musical play (1975) and film (1985) about dancers trying to get a part in a ↑Broadway show. The play won a ↑Pulitzer Prize and a ↑Tony Award. The music was written by Marvin Hamlisch and the words by Edward Kleban. The show ran for 6 137 performances on Broadway between 1975 and 1990, at that time more than any other show in history. A film with the same name was made in 1985.

A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol [A Christmas Carol] BrE NAmE a short novel (1843) by Charles Dickens. It is about Ebenezer ↑Scrooge, a mean old man, who on the night before Christmas sees ghosts of Christmasses past, present and future. He realizes that he has been very unpleasant to people and that no one likes him. He immediately changes and sends gifts to his poor employee, Bob Cratchit, and to Cratchit’s family, including his little ↑lame son, ↑Tiny Tim.

A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange A Clockwork Orange [A Clockwork Orange] BrE NAmE a novel (1962) by Anthony Burgess which was made into a film by Stanley Kubrick in 1971. The story is set in the future and is about a young man, Alex, who loves violence and the music of Beethoven. The characters all speak a future version of English invented by the author.

A Dance to the Music of Time
A Dance to the Music of Time A Dance to the Music of Time [A Dance to the Music of Time] BrE NAmE a sequence of twelve novels by the English author Anthony Powell (1905–2000), published between 1951 and 1975. The novels present a broad picture of the British upper and middle classes during those years and are known for their very large range of characters, including the very ambitious Kenneth Widmerpool. A television version of the series was broadcast in 1997.

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage A Dictionary of Modern English Usage [A Dictionary of Modern English Usage] BrE NAmE a guide to the rules of good written British English, written by Henry Fowler (1858–1933). It was first published in 1926 and became one of the standard ↑reference books on the English language. It is often referred to as Modern English Usage, or simply ‘Fowler’

• Look it up in Fowler.

A E Housman
A E Housman A E Housman [A E Housman] BrE NAmE (Alfred Edward Housman 1859–1936) an English writer of poetry who taught Latin at ↑London and ↑Cambridge universities. His best-known work is ↑A Shropshire Lad, a collection of short poems which have been set to music by at least fifty composers, including George Butterworth, Lennox ↑Berkeley, Samuel Barber and John Ireland.

A J Ayer
A J Ayer A J Ayer [A J Ayer] BrE NAmE (Alfred Jules Ayer 1910–89) a British ↑philosopher. His best-known work, Language, Truth and Logic (1936), develops the philosophy of ‘logical positivism’, the idea that a statement only has meaning if it can be proved to be true or false. He was made a ↑knight in 1970.

A J Balfour
A J Balfour A J Balfour [A J Balfour] BrE NAmE (Arthur James Balfour 1848–1930) a British Conservative politician, the ↑nephew of Lord ↑Salisbury. He was Prime Minister from 1902 to 1905 and Foreign Secretary from 1916 to 1919, during World War I. He was made an ↑earl in 1922.

A J P Taylor
A J P Taylor A J P Taylor [A J P Taylor] BrE NAmE (Alan John Percivale Taylor 1906–90) a leading English ↑historian. He wrote many books and newspaper articles about the history of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries, and became famous in Britain when he appeared on television to explain events such as the Russian Revolution.

A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream A Midsummer Night’s Dream [A Midsummer Nights Dream] BrE NAmE a comedy play by William Shakespeare which takes place in a wood near Athens. The story involves three groups of characters in a mixture of magic and reality. ↑Oberon, the king of the fairies, is angry with his wife ↑Titania, and tells his servant Puck to play a trick on her, so that she falls in love with Bottom, one of a group of workers who are practising a play they are going to perform for the Athenian court. Bottom’s head is changed into that of an ↑ass. Puck also plays magic tricks on a group of young lovers with comic results, until everything is put right and the play ends with wedding celebrations and the performance of the workers’ play.

A P Herbert
A P Herbert A P Herbert [A P Herbert] BrE NAmE (Alan Patrick Herbert 1890–1971) an English writer. He was best known for his articles in the magazine ↑Punch, many of which made fun of the legal profession. He was made a ↑knight in 1945.

A Passage to India
A Passage to India A Passage to India [A Passage to India] BrE NAmE a novel (1924) by E M Forster which examines the cultural differences between the British and the Indians in India when it was under British rule. A film version (1984) was directed by David Lean.

A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion A Prairie Home Companion [A Prairie Home Companion] BrE NAmE a live radio show in the US, with an audience of around 4 million who listen each week. It is recorded at the Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul, ↑Minnesota and presented by Garrison Keillor. The show includes music and ↑comedy, and stories by Garrison Keillor about the people of the imaginary small town of Lake Wobegon.

A Question of Sport
A Question of Sport A Question of Sport [A Question of Sport] BrE NAmE a popular ↑BBC television quiz show about sport, first shown in 1970, with teams of famous sportspeople.

A Rake's Progress
A Rake's Progress A Rake’s Progress [A Rakes Progress] BrE NAmE a series of eight paintings (1733–5) by William Hogarth telling the story of a ↑rake (= a fashionable young man who leads a wild and immoral life) who finally dies in Bedlam (= a hospital in London for the mentally ill). Hogarth later made the paintings into a popular series of ↑engravings (= cheap printed copies). The phrase ‘rake’s progress’ is still used about somebody ruining their life by wild and immoral behaviour.

A S Hornby
A S Hornby A S Hornby [A S Hornby] BrE NAmE (Albert Sidney Hornby 1898–1978) an English teacher and writer of books for foreign learners of English. He is best known for the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, which was first published in Britain by ↑Oxford University Press in 1948 and is still bought in large numbers by students around the world. New ↑editions of the dictionary are published regularly. He gave money for the Hornby scholarships which pay for teachers from foreign countries to study in Britain.

A Shropshire Lad
A Shropshire Lad A Shropshire Lad [A Shropshire Lad] BrE NAmE a collection of poems (1896) by A E Housman. The poems are short and easy to read. They express love for the people and countryside of Housman’s home in ↑Shropshire, and sadness to be away from that home and for lost youth. They became especially popular during ↑World War I, and are still widely read. Several English composers have set the poems to music. Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. A Shropshire Lad

A Star is Born
A Star is Born A Star is Born [A Star is Born] BrE NAmE the title of three US films about an old actor who helps a young woman with her career, marries her and then kills himself. The best-known version (1954) was a ↑musical with Judy Garland and James ↑Mason. It was made again in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, and its song Evergreen won an ↑Oscar. The first version of the film was made in 1937.

A Streetcar Named Desire
A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire [A Streetcar Named Desire] BrE NAmE a powerful play (1947) by the US writer Tennessee ↑Williams which won the ↑Pulitzer Prize. The main characters are a rough and aggressive man called Stanley Kowalski and his wife’s delicate sister Blanche DuBois who is driven mad by Kowalski when she visits them in ↑New Orleans. A film version (1951) directed by Elia Kazan, with Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, won four ↑Oscars.

A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities A Tale of Two Cities [A Tale of Two Cities] BrE NAmE a novel (1859) by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris at the time of the French Revolution. Charles Darnay is a young French ↑aristocrat who disagrees with the cruel way his family has been treating poor people. He moves to London and falls in love with Lucie, the daughter of an old doctor who had been put in prison by Darnay’s family. Darnay marries Lucie before going back to France to rescue an old servant, but he is arrested there and condemned to death. He is saved by an Englishman, Sidney Carton, who is also in love with Lucie. The two men look very similar, and Sidney takes Charles’s place on the ↑scaffold (= the structure on which people are killed in public). The book ends with his thoughts as he walks to his death, which form one of the most famous sentences in English literature: It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.

A and P
A and P A and P [A and P] BrE NAmE (in full the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company) a popular US ↑supermarket with branches in all the states. It began in 1859 in New York City and became successful as one of the first companies to buy large numbers of items at a cheap rate and offer them for sale at low prices.

A is one thing, B is another
A is one thing, B is another it's one thing to do A, it's another thing to do B A is ˈone thing, B is aˈnother | it's ˈone thing to do A, it's aˈnother thing to do B idiom B is very different from A, for example it is more difficult, serious or important

• Romance is one thing, marriage is quite another.

• It's one thing to tease your sister, but it's another to hit her.

Main entry: ↑thing_idiom

A level
A level A level [A level A levels] BrE [ˈeɪ levl] NAmE [ˈeɪ levl] (also adˈvanced level) noun countable, uncountable

a British exam taken in a particular subject, usually in the final year of school at the age of 18

• You need three A levels to get onto this university course.

• What A levels are you doing?

• I'm doing maths A level.

• two A level passes/two passes at A level

compare ↑A2, ↑AS, ↑GCE, ↑GCSE, ↑NVQ

See also: ↑advanced level

Culture:

exams

Greater emphasis is placed on examination results in Britain than in many other countries. Most universities and employers still rely mainly on exam results for evidence of a person’s academic ability.

Children in England complete National Curriculum Tests, (still often called by their former name, standard assessment tasks or SATs) at ages 7 and 11 as part of the National Curriculum. These tests are set nationally and results can be compared across the country. In a very few areas children take an ↑eleven-plus exam to decide where they will go for their secondary education.

In secondary schools exams are usually held at the end of each school year to assess students’ progress. The most important exams are the national ↑GCSE exams that children take at 16. Schools are free to choose which of several examination boards they use to set and mark GCSE exams. Exams are marked on a seven-point scale, A to G, with an additional grade, A*, being awarded to those who reach the highest standard and U for ‘unclassified’. Final grades may also be based on continuous assessment, i.e. marks gained for essays and project work during the course, as well as on a student’s performance in the exam. Many students take GCSE exams in seven or eight subjects, sometimes more. Diploma exams offer an alternative to GCSE and A level exams and are based on more practical work as preparation for particular jobs.

Students who do well in their GCSEs usually go on to take ↑A level exams two years later. Exams are marked on a five-point scale, A to E, with an additional grade, A*, and U for ‘unclassified’, as at GCSE. Most study four or five subjects at AS level in the first year and then three at A2 level in the second year. They must achieve reasonably high grades in order to be offered a place at university.

In Scotland students sit Scottish Qualification Certificate exams which, at Standard Grade, are the equivalent of GCSEs. The highest grade is A. A year later students take the higher grade, Highers. After a further year some students take Advanced Highers.

Students from other countries who wish to study at university in Britain must show a knowledge of English and the most common test for this purpose is an ↑IELTS test.

At university students work towards a degree, and most courses end in a series of exams called finals. Many take an honours degree which is awarded in one of several classes. The highest class is a first. The second class is often split between upper second and lower second (a 2:1 and a 2:2), and below that is the third class. If a student does not meet the standard for an honours degree, he or she may be awarded a pass degree.

In the US there are no national exams like those in Britain. Students at school and university usually take one or more exams as part of their grade assessment (= a mark from A to E or F showing how well they have done) for each class. At colleges and universities these exams are often called midterms or finals, and during the year students have exams in all or most of their classes.

People who wish to study at a US university usually have to take one of several standardized tests. Students going to university for the first time may take the ↑SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) or the ↑ACT (American College Test). People who want to do a higher degree may take the ↑GRE (Graduate Record Examination), ↑LSAT (Law School Admission Test) or ↑MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), depending on what they want to study. Students from other countries must usually show a knowledge of English and the most common test for this purpose is the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Standardized tests often do not test how much people know about a subject, but how strong their skills are in areas like reading and solving problems. People do not pass or fail but instead each college or university decides on the lowest score it will accept. Test scores are never the only factor to be considered in deciding whether to offer a place to a student.

Some professions require people to pass special exams before they are qualified to practise. Lawyers in the US, for example, must pass the bar exam in the state in which they wish to work, to show that they know the laws of that state.

Example Bank:

• He's got A levels in maths and history.

• I did all right in my mock A levels and then failed the real exams.

• She has four A levels.

• She's doing her A levels this year.

• What grades did you get in your A levels?

A student
A student ˈA student 7 [A student] BrE NAmE noun (especially NAmE)

a student who gets or is likely to get the highest marks/grades in his/her work or exams

A to Z
A to Z A to Z 7 [A to Z] BrE [ˌeɪ tə ˈzed] NAmE [ˌeɪ tə ˈziː] noun singular

1. (BrE) a book containing street maps of all the areas of a large city

2. a book containing all the information you need about a subject or place

• an A to Z of needlework

A-OK
A-OK ▪ I. A-OK 7 BrE [ˌeɪ əʊ ˈkeɪ] NAmE [ˌeɪ oʊ ˈkeɪ] adjective not before noun (NAmE, informal)

in good condition; in an acceptable manner

• Everything's A-OK now.

Word Origin:

[A-OK] 1960s (originally an astronauts' term): from a ll systems OK.

▪ II. A-OK adverb

• The party went off A-OK.

Main entry: ↑A-OK_derived

A-bomb
A-bomb ˈA-bomb 7 [A-bomb A-bombs] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑atom bomb

A-frame
A-frame A-frame house ˈA-frame f12 [A-frame A-frames] BrE NAmE (also ˌA-frame ˈhouse) noun (especially NAmE)

a house with very steep sides that meet at the top in the shape of the letter A

A-frame house
A-frame A-frame house ˈA-frame f12 [A-frame A-frames] BrE NAmE (also ˌA-frame ˈhouse) noun (especially NAmE)

a house with very steep sides that meet at the top in the shape of the letter A

A-frame tent
A-frame tent ˈA-frame tent 7 [A-frame tent] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑ridge tent

A-line
A-line ˈA-line 7 [A-line] BrE NAmE adjective

(of a skirt or dress) wider at the bottom than at the top

A-list
A-list ˈA-list 7 [A-list] BrE NAmE adjective usually before noun

used to describe the group of people who are considered to be the most famous, successful or important

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties.

compare ↑B-list

A-road
A-road ˈA-road [A-road] BrE NAmE noun

(in Britain) a road that is less important than a ↑motorway, but wider and straighter than a ↑B-road

A-side
A-side ˈA-side 7 [A-side A-sides] BrE NAmE noun

the side of a pop record that was considered more likely to be successful

compare ↑B-side

A-team
A-team ˈA-team 7 [A-team A-teams] BrE NAmE noun usually singular

1. the best sports team in a school, club, etc.

2. a group of the best workers, soldiers, etc.

Word Origin:

1970s: from sports terminology in which an organization's A-team is its best team.

A. N. Other
A. N. Other A. N. Other 7 [A. N. Other] BrE [ˌeɪ en ˈʌðə(r)] NAmE [ˌeɪ en ˈʌðər] noun singular

a person whose name is not known or not yet decided, for example in a list of players in a team

A.D.
AD A.D. AD (BrE) (NAmE A.D.)BrE [ˌeɪ ˈdiː] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈdiː] abbreviation

used in the Christian ↑calendar to show a particular number of years since the year when Christ was believed to have been born (from Latin ‘ Anno Domini ’)

• in (the year) AD 55

• in 55 AD

• in the fifth century AD

compare ↑AH, ↑BC, ↑BCE, ↑CE

Culture:

the calendar [AD the calendar]

Britain and the US follow the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Roman Julian calendar in 1752. The year is divided into 12 months, with 30 or 31 days in each month, except February, which has 28 days. An extra day is added to February every fourth year, called a leap year, to keep the calendar in time with the moon. A well-known verse helps people remember how many days there are in each month: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which hath twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.

The calendar year starts on 1 January, ↑New Year's Day. The number of each year (2003, 2004, et c. ) represents the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The year 2000 marked the end of the second millennium (= a period of 1 000 years) since Christ was born. The years before Christ are described as BC (= before Christ), e.g. 55 BC, or BCE (= before the Common Era). The abbreviations AD (Latin Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’) or CE (= Common Era) are put before or after the date for the years after Christ’s birth, e.g. AD 44 or 44 AD, but they are not used with years after about 200 AD. Some cultural and religious groups use different calendars: the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar began during the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, 1420 in the Islamic calendar and 1921 in the Hindu calendar.

The academic year used by schools and colleges in Britain runs from September to July, with short holidays at ↑Christmas and in the spring and a long summer vacation. In the US the academic year runs from August or September to May or June. Many business companies have a financial year (= a period of accounting) that runs from April to the following March. The tax year in the US is the same as the calendar year but the tax year in Britain begins on 5 April. The reason is that in ↑medieval times the calendar year began on 25 March, not 1 January. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, an adjustment was needed and 11 days were removed from September 1752. To avoid being accused of collecting a full year’s taxes in a short year, the government extended the end of the tax year 1752–3 to 4 April.

Many festivals are celebrated during the year. Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals. Jews remember Passover and Yom Kippur. Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Eid ul-Fitr are celebrated by Muslims. Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, takes place in October or November, and the Chinese celebrate their new year in January or February. Special occasions such as ↑Bonfire Night in Britain and Thanksgiving in the US are enjoyed by almost everyone.

A.H.
AH A.H. AH 7 (BrE) (US A.H.)BrE [ˌeɪ ˈeɪtʃ] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈeɪtʃ] abbreviation

used in the Muslim ↑calendar to show a particular number of years since the year when Muhammad left Mecca in AD 622 (from Latin ‘Anno Hegirae ’)

• a Koran dated 556 AH

compare ↑AD, ↑BC, ↑BCE, ↑CE

Word Origin:

[AH] from Latin anno Hegirae.

A.M.
a.m. A.M. a.m. (NAmE also A.M.)BrE [ˌeɪ ˈem] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈem] abbreviation

between midnight and midday (from Latin ‘ante meridiem ’)

• It starts at 10 a.m.

compare ↑p.m.

Word Origin:

[a.m.] from Latin ante meridiem.

A1
A1 A1 7 [A1] BrE [ˌeɪ ˈwʌn] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈwʌn] adjective (informal)

very good

• The car was in A1 condition.

A1 Steak Sauce™
A1 Steak Sauce™ A1 Steak Sauce™ [A1 Steak Sauce] BrE NAmE (abbr A1) a US popular brand of sauce which contains a mixture of spices and flavourings, is sold in tall bottles and is eaten especially with meat. The sauce was first made in 1824.

A2
A2 level A2 (level) 7 [A2 (level)] BrE [ˌeɪ ˈtuː levl] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈtuː levl] noun countable, uncountable

a British exam usually taken in Year 13 of school or college (= the final year) when students are aged 18. Students must first have studied a subject at AS level before they can take an A2 exam. Together AS and A2 level exams form the A-level qualification, which is needed for entrance to universities

• A2 exams

• Students will normally take three A2 subjects.

• He's doing an A2 (level) in History.

• More than 20 subjects are on offer at A2 level at our college.

A2 level
A2 level A2 (level) 7 [A2 (level)] BrE [ˌeɪ ˈtuː levl] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈtuː levl] noun countable, uncountable

a British exam usually taken in Year 13 of school or college (= the final year) when students are aged 18. Students must first have studied a subject at AS level before they can take an A2 exam. Together AS and A2 level exams form the A-level qualification, which is needed for entrance to universities

• A2 exams

• Students will normally take three A2 subjects.

• He's doing an A2 (level) in History.

• More than 20 subjects are on offer at A2 level at our college.

B & B
B and B B & B b and b b & b B and B [B and B] (also B & B, b and b, b & b)BrE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] abbreviation (informal, especially BrE)

↑bed and breakfast

See also: ↑B & B ▪ ↑b and b

B F Skinner
B F Skinner B F Skinner [B F Skinner] BrE NAmE (Burrhus Frederic Skinner 1904–90) a US ↑psychologist who believed that the learning processes in humans and animals were very similar, and that behaviour could be predicted and controlled. He taught at ↑Harvard University and created the Skinner Box to measure how much animals could learn if given rewards. His books included Science and Human Behavior (1953) and About Behaviorism (1974).

B and B
B and B B & B b and b b & b B and B [B and B] (also B & B, b and b, b & b)BrE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] abbreviation (informal, especially BrE)

↑bed and breakfast

See also: ↑B & B ▪ ↑b and b

B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith B’nai B’rith [Bnai Brith] BrE NAmE noun the oldest and largest Jewish organization in the world with associations in many countries. It began in 1843 in New York and has its main office in Washington, DC. It is a cultural, social and educational organization that also supports hospitals and gives help after disasters. In 1913 it created the Anti-Defamation League to fight unfair treatment of Jews and others. B’nai B’rith means ‘Sons of the Covenant’.

B-list
B-list ˈB-list 7 [B-list] BrE NAmE adjective usually before noun

used to describe the group of people who are considered to be fairly famous, successful or important, but not as much as the ↑A-list people

• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities

B-movie
B-movie ˈB-movie 7 [B-movie B-movies] BrE NAmE (also ˈB-picture) noun

a film/movie which is made cheaply and is not very good

• a B-movie actress

See also: ↑B-picture

B-picture
B-picture ˈB-picture 8 [B-picture B-pictures] BrE ; NAmE

= b-movie

B-road
B-road ˈB-road [B-road] BrE NAmE noun

(in Britain) a road that is less important than an ↑A-road and usually joins small towns and villages

B-side
B-side ˈB-side 7 [B-side B-sides] BrE NAmE noun

the side of a pop record that was considered less likely to be successful

compare ↑A-side

B.A.
BA B.A. BA [BA] (BrE) (NAmE B.A.)BrE [ˌbiː ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈeɪ] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Bachelor of Arts’ (a first university degree in an ↑arts subject)

• to be/have/do a BA

• (BrE) Darren Green BA

B.C.
BC B.C. BC (BrE) (US B.C.)BrE [ˌbiː ˈsiː] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈsiː] abbreviation

before Christ (used in the Christian ↑calendar to show a particular number of years before the year when Christ is believed to have been born)

• in (the year) 2000 BC

• the third century BC

compare ↑AD, ↑AH, ↑BCE, ↑CE

Culture:

the calendar [BC the calendar]

Britain and the US follow the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Roman Julian calendar in 1752. The year is divided into 12 months, with 30 or 31 days in each month, except February, which has 28 days. An extra day is added to February every fourth year, called a leap year, to keep the calendar in time with the moon. A well-known verse helps people remember how many days there are in each month: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which hath twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.

The calendar year starts on 1 January, ↑New Year's Day. The number of each year (2003, 2004, et c. ) represents the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The year 2000 marked the end of the second millennium (= a period of 1 000 years) since Christ was born. The years before Christ are described as BC (= before Christ), e.g. 55 BC, or BCE (= before the Common Era). The abbreviations AD (Latin Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’) or CE (= Common Era) are put before or after the date for the years after Christ’s birth, e.g. AD 44 or 44 AD, but they are not used with years after about 200 AD. Some cultural and religious groups use different calendars: the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar began during the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, 1420 in the Islamic calendar and 1921 in the Hindu calendar.

The academic year used by schools and colleges in Britain runs from September to July, with short holidays at ↑Christmas and in the spring and a long summer vacation. In the US the academic year runs from August or September to May or June. Many business companies have a financial year (= a period of accounting) that runs from April to the following March. The tax year in the US is the same as the calendar year but the tax year in Britain begins on 5 April. The reason is that in ↑medieval times the calendar year began on 25 March, not 1 January. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, an adjustment was needed and 11 days were removed from September 1752. To avoid being accused of collecting a full year’s taxes in a short year, the government extended the end of the tax year 1752–3 to 4 April.

Many festivals are celebrated during the year. Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals. Jews remember Passover and Yom Kippur. Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Eid ul-Fitr are celebrated by Muslims. Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, takes place in October or November, and the Chinese celebrate their new year in January or February. Special occasions such as ↑Bonfire Night in Britain and Thanksgiving in the US are enjoyed by almost everyone.

B.C.E.
BCE B.C.E. BCE f20 BrE [ˌbiː siː ˈiː] NAmE [ˌbiː siː ˈiː] (also B.C.E. especially in NAmE) abbreviation

before the Common Era (before the birth of Christ, when the Christian ↑calendar starts counting years. BCE can be used to give dates in the same way as ↑BC )

• in (the year) 2 000 BCE

• the third century BCE

compare ↑AD, ↑BC, ↑CE

Culture:

the calendar [BCE the calendar]

Britain and the US follow the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Roman Julian calendar in 1752. The year is divided into 12 months, with 30 or 31 days in each month, except February, which has 28 days. An extra day is added to February every fourth year, called a leap year, to keep the calendar in time with the moon. A well-known verse helps people remember how many days there are in each month: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which hath twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.

The calendar year starts on 1 January, ↑New Year's Day. The number of each year (2003, 2004, et c. ) represents the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The year 2000 marked the end of the second millennium (= a period of 1 000 years) since Christ was born. The years before Christ are described as BC (= before Christ), e.g. 55 BC, or BCE (= before the Common Era). The abbreviations AD (Latin Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’) or CE (= Common Era) are put before or after the date for the years after Christ’s birth, e.g. AD 44 or 44 AD, but they are not used with years after about 200 AD. Some cultural and religious groups use different calendars: the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar began during the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, 1420 in the Islamic calendar and 1921 in the Hindu calendar.

The academic year used by schools and colleges in Britain runs from September to July, with short holidays at ↑Christmas and in the spring and a long summer vacation. In the US the academic year runs from August or September to May or June. Many business companies have a financial year (= a period of accounting) that runs from April to the following March. The tax year in the US is the same as the calendar year but the tax year in Britain begins on 5 April. The reason is that in ↑medieval times the calendar year began on 25 March, not 1 January. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, an adjustment was needed and 11 days were removed from September 1752. To avoid being accused of collecting a full year’s taxes in a short year, the government extended the end of the tax year 1752–3 to 4 April.

Many festivals are celebrated during the year. Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals. Jews remember Passover and Yom Kippur. Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Eid ul-Fitr are celebrated by Muslims. Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, takes place in October or November, and the Chinese celebrate their new year in January or February. Special occasions such as ↑Bonfire Night in Britain and Thanksgiving in the US are enjoyed by almost everyone.

B.Ed.
BEd B.Ed. BEd [BEd] (also B.Ed. especially in NAmE)BrE [ˌbiː ˈed] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈed] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Bachelor of Education’ (a first university degree in education): (BrE) Sarah Wells BEd

B.Litt
BLitt B.Litt BLitt 8 [BLitt] (NAmE B.Litt)BrE [ˌbiː ˈlɪt] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈlɪt] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Bachelor of Letters’ or ‘Bachelor of Literature’ (a university degree in an ↑arts subject that may be a first or second degree)

B.Mus
BMus B.Mus BMus 8 [BMus] (NAmE B.Mus)BrE [ˌbiː ˈmʌz] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈmʌz] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Bachelor of Music’ (a university degree in music that is usually a first degree)

• the BMus programme

• Timothy Brown BMus

B.Phil
BPhil B.Phil BPhil 8 [BPhil] (NAmE B.Phil)BrE [ˌbiː ˈfɪl] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈfɪl] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Bachelor of Philosophy’(a university degree in philosophy that is usually a second degree)

• She's doing a BPhil.

• Janet Walker BA, BPhil.

B.S.
BS B.S. BS [BS] (NAmE also B.S.)BrE [ˌbiː ˈes] NAmE [ˌbiː ˈes] abbreviation

1. (NAmE) = ↑BSc

2. (BrE) Bachelor of Surgery (a university degree in medicine)

3. British Standard (used on labels, etc. showing a number given by the British Standards Institution which controls the quality of products)

• produced to BS4353

4. (US, taboo, slang) ↑bullshit

• That guy's full of BS.

B2B
B2B B2B 7 [B2B] BrE [ˌbiː tə ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌbiː tə ˈbiː] abbreviation

↑business-to-business

C & W
C & W C & W [C W] BrE NAmE abbreviation

↑country and western

C B Fry
C B Fry C B Fry [C B Fry] BrE NAmE (Charles Burgess Fry 1872–1956) one of the greatest English sportsmen of all time. He represented England in international ↑cricket, ↑football and ↑athletics. He held the world ↑record for the ↑long jump for 21 years, and was the first person in the history of cricket to score 100 runs (= points) six times in a row.

C P Snow
C P Snow C P Snow [C P Snow] BrE NAmE (Charles Percy Snow 1905–80) an English writer of novels and scientist. He worked as a scientist for the British government during ↑World War II, and at ↑Cambridge University. He used these experiences to write his best-known work, Strangers and Brothers, a series of novels (1940–70) describing British life in that period, particularly in scientific, academic and government fields. He was also well known for speaking and writing about the lack of communication between the ‘two cultures’ of scientific and artistic life. He was made a ↑knight in 1957 and a ↑life peer in 1964.

C S Forester
C S Forester C S Forester [C S Forester] BrE NAmE (Cecil Scott Forester 1899–1966) an English writer, best known for his historical novels about life in the ↑Royal Navy. He created the famous character Horatio Hornblower, and wrote 12 novels about his adventures at sea during the ↑Napoleonic Wars.

C S Lewis
C S Lewis C S Lewis [C S Lewis] BrE NAmE (Clive Staples Lewis 1898–1963) a British author, born in Northern Ireland. He is best remembered for his children’s books about ↑Narnia, but he also wrote serious historical works and ↑science fiction novels. His books on Christian themes are also well known, particularly The Screwtape Letters, a humorous collection of letters from a senior to a junior devil. Lewis’s life was the subject of the film Shadowlands (1993).

C of E
C of E C of E [C of E] BrE [ˌsiː əv ˈiː] NAmE [ˌsiː əv ˈiː] abbreviation

Church of England

see also ↑CE

C-section
C-section ˈC-section [C-section] BrE NAmE noun (NAmE)

= ↑Caesarean

C-word
C-word ˈC-word 8 [C-word] BrE NAmE noun (informal, sometimes offensive)

used to replace a word beginning with C that you do not want to say, for example the offensive swear word ‘cunt’, or ‘cancer’

• An employee who uses the C-word to a colleague will be suspended.

• I hate it when people refer to cancer as the C-word.

• For these men commitment is the dreaded C-word.

compare ↑F-word

C.
C © C. C [C] noun, abbreviation, symbol BrE [siː] NAmE [siː] noun (also c) countable, uncountable (pl. Cs, C's, c's BrE [siːz] ; NAmE [siːz] )

1. the third letter of the English alphabet

• ‘Cat’ begins with (a) C/‘C’.

2. C (music) the first note in the ↑scale of C ↑major

see also ↑middle C

3. C the third highest mark/grade that a student can get for a piece of work

• She got (a) C/‘C’ in/for Physics.

abbreviation

1. C. Cape

• C. Horn (= for example, on a map)

2. ↑Celsius Centigrade

• Water freezes at 0° C.

3. (also ©) (NAmE also C.) ↑copyright

• © Oxford University Press 2010

see also C. of E., C. & W.

symbol

1. (also c) the number 100 in ↑Roman numerals

2. the symbol for the chemical element ↑carbon

See also: ↑©

C.-in-C.
C.-in-C. C.-in-C. [C.-in-C.] BrE [ˌsiː ɪn ˈsiː] NAmE [ˌsiː ɪn ˈsiː] abbreviation

Commander-in-Chief

C.E.
CE C.E. CE BrE [ˌsiː ˈiː] NAmE [ˌsiː ˈiː] abbreviation

1. (in Britain) Church of England

2. (also C.E. especially in NAmE) Common Era (the period since the birth of Christ when the Christian ↑calendar starts counting years). CE can be used to give dates in the same way as ↑AD.

compare ↑AD, ↑BC, ↑BCE

Culture:

the calendar [CE the calendar]

Britain and the US follow the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Roman Julian calendar in 1752. The year is divided into 12 months, with 30 or 31 days in each month, except February, which has 28 days. An extra day is added to February every fourth year, called a leap year, to keep the calendar in time with the moon. A well-known verse helps people remember how many days there are in each month: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which hath twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.

The calendar year starts on 1 January, ↑New Year's Day. The number of each year (2003, 2004, et c. ) represents the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The year 2000 marked the end of the second millennium (= a period of 1 000 years) since Christ was born. The years before Christ are described as BC (= before Christ), e.g. 55 BC, or BCE (= before the Common Era). The abbreviations AD (Latin Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’) or CE (= Common Era) are put before or after the date for the years after Christ’s birth, e.g. AD 44 or 44 AD, but they are not used with years after about 200 AD. Some cultural and religious groups use different calendars: the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar began during the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, 1420 in the Islamic calendar and 1921 in the Hindu calendar.

The academic year used by schools and colleges in Britain runs from September to July, with short holidays at ↑Christmas and in the spring and a long summer vacation. In the US the academic year runs from August or September to May or June. Many business companies have a financial year (= a period of accounting) that runs from April to the following March. The tax year in the US is the same as the calendar year but the tax year in Britain begins on 5 April. The reason is that in ↑medieval times the calendar year began on 25 March, not 1 January. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, an adjustment was needed and 11 days were removed from September 1752. To avoid being accused of collecting a full year’s taxes in a short year, the government extended the end of the tax year 1752–3 to 4 April.

Many festivals are celebrated during the year. Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals. Jews remember Passover and Yom Kippur. Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Eid ul-Fitr are celebrated by Muslims. Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, takes place in October or November, and the Chinese celebrate their new year in January or February. Special occasions such as ↑Bonfire Night in Britain and Thanksgiving in the US are enjoyed by almost everyone.

D H Lawrence
D H Lawrence D H Lawrence [D H Lawrence] BrE NAmE (David Herbert Lawrence 1885–1930) an English writer of novels, short stories and poetry. His father was a miner and this background is sometimes described in his stories. His novels include ↑Sons and Lovers (1913), The Rainbow (1915) and Women in Love (1920). A common theme in his writing is the importance of free emotional and sexual expression, and many of his books were originally considered to be ↑obscene (= offensive or disgusting). His most famous novel, ↑Lady Chatterley's Lover, was not published in full in Britain until 1960. Lawrence was also an important modern poet, and his collected poems were published in 1928.

D W Griffith
D W Griffith D W Griffith [D W Griffith] BrE NAmE (David Wark Griffith 1875–1948) the leading US ↑director of silent films. He is remembered especially for making films on a large scale, using grand scenery and many actors. These included ↑Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) and Broken Blossoms (1919). In 1919 Griffith, together with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks ¹ and Charlie Chaplin, established the independent film production company ↑United Artists. He later made two sound films, and received a special ↑Oscar in 1936.

D and C
D and C ˌD and ˈC 7 [D and C] BrE NAmE abbreviation

↑dilatation and curettage

D notice
D notice ˈD notice 7 BrE NAmE noun (BrE)

a government notice sent to newspapers telling them that they must not publish particular information about sth, for reasons of national security

Word Origin:

[D notice] Second World War: D for defence.

D'ye Ken John Peel?
D'ye Ken John Peel? D’ye Ken John Peel? [Dye Ken John Peel?] BrE NAmE a popular British song written in about 1829 by John Graves, a friend of a farmer called John Peel who for fifty years had a ↑pack of hunting dogs in ↑Cumberland. It is sung to an old ↑folk tune, Bonnie Annie.

D-Day
D-Day ˈD-Day f102 [D-Day] BrE NAmE noun uncountable

a date on which sth important is expected to happen From the name given to 6 June 1944, the day on which the British, US and other armies landed on the beaches of northern France in the Second World War.

Culture:

The Allies were led by General Eisenhower, and defeated the German forces defending the beaches. The secret name of the landings was ‘Overlord’. They are often also called the ↑Normandy landings. The ‚D’ is short for ‚day’. In the First World War H-hour was used for the time of a planned attack.

See also ↑Mulberry harbours

.

D-lock
D-lock ˈD-lock 7 [D-lock] BrE NAmE noun

a metal device for locking a bicycle or motorcycle, shaped like a U with a bar across it

D-structure
D-structure ˈD-structure 7 [D-structure] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑deep structure

D.
D D. D [D] noun, abbreviation, symbol BrE [diː] NAmE [diː] noun (also d) countable, uncountable (pl. Ds, D's, d's BrE [diːz] ; NAmE [diːz] )

1. the fourth letter of the English alphabet

• ‘Dog’ begins with (a) D/‘D’.

2. D (music) the second note in the ↑scale of C ↑major

3. D the fourth highest mark/grade that a student can get for a piece of work, showing that it is not very good

• He got (a) D/‘D’ in/for Geography.

see also ↑D-Day

abbreviation (also D. especially in NAmE) (in politics in the US)

Democrat; Democratic

symbol

the number 500 in ↑Roman numerals

D.A.
DA D.A. DA [DA] (BrE) (US D.A.)BrE [ˌdiː ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌdiː ˈeɪ] abbreviation

District Attorney

D.Litt
DLitt D.Litt DLitt 8 [DLitt] (NAmE D.Litt)BrE [ˌdiː ˈlɪt] NAmE [ˌdiː ˈlɪt] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Doctor of Letters’ (a university degree at the highest level, awarded for a long record of academic research, or as an ↑honorary degree to recognize sb's contribution to society)

D.O.B.
D.O.B. D.O.B. 7 [D.O.B.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

date of birth

D.T.'s
DTs D.T.'s DTs (BrE) (US D.T.'s)BrE [ˌdiː ˈtiːz] NAmE [ˌdiː ˈtiːz] noun plural

the abbreviation for ‘delirium tremens ’ (a physical condition in which people who drink too much alcohol feel their body shaking and imagine that they are seeing things that are not really there)

Word Origin:

[DTs] mid 19th cent.: abbreviation, originally in the singular form DT (now rare).

E B White
E B White E B White [E B White] BrE NAmE (Elwyn Brooks White 1899–1985) a US author known for his humorous pieces about American society in ↑New Yorker magazine. He received a special ↑Pulitzer Prize in 1978. His books included Is Sex Necessary? (1929), written with James Thurber, and the children’s book Charlotte’s Web (1952). His introduction to the art of writing, The Elements of Style, first published in 1959, is a standard book in US schools.

E E Cummings
E E Cummings E E Cummings [E E Cummings] BrE NAmE (Edward Estlin Cummings 1894–1962) a US writer of poetry and novels. His poems contain highly original language and were often printed in an unusual style, e.g. using only small letters. He often wrote about himself as ‚i’ and signed his name ‚e.e.cummings’. His poetry collections include Tulips and Chimneys (1923). His best-known novel is The Enormous Room (1922).

E H Gombrich
E H Gombrich E H Gombrich [E H Gombrich] BrE NAmE (Ernst Hans Gombrich 1909–2001) a British art ↑historian, born in Austria. He wrote several important books about art, including Art and Illusion (1960) and The Story of Art (1950), which has sold more than four million copies. He was made a ↑knight in 1972.

E H Shepard
E H Shepard E H Shepard [E H Shepard] BrE NAmE (Ernest Howard Shepard 1879–1976) an English artist, best remembered for his illustrations for ↑Winnie-the-Pooh and other books and poems by A A Milne, and for ↑Wind in the Willows. He also drew many ↑cartoons (= amusing drawings) for ↑Punch magazine.

E M Forster
E M Forster E M Forster [E M Forster] BrE NAmE (Edward Morgan Forster 1879–1970) an English writer of novels, short stories and essays. He is best known for his novels, which examine themes of understanding and friendship among the English ↑upper middle classes and satirize the behaviour of the English when travelling abroad. His best-known works include A Room with a View (1908), ↑Howards End (1910) and ↑A Passage to India (1924).

E Nesbit
E Nesbit E Nesbit [E Nesbit] BrE NAmE (Edith Nesbit 1858–1924) an English writer of children’s stories. She wrote several books about the children of the imaginary Bastable family that are still popular with British children today. Her best-known book, The Railway Children (1906), was made into a film in 1970 and again, for television, in 2000.

E-fit™
E-fit™ E-fit™ [E-fit] BrE [ˈiːfɪt] NAmE [ˈiːfɪt] noun (BrE)

a picture of a person who is wanted by the police, made using a computer program that puts together and makes changes to pictures of different features of faces, based on information that is given by sb who has seen the person

compare Identikit, ↑photofit

E-number
E-number ˈE-number [E-number E-numbers] BrE NAmE noun (BrE)

a number beginning with the letter E that is printed on packs and containers to show what artificial flavours and colours have been added to food and drink; an artificial flavour, colour, etc. added to food and drink

• This sauce is full of E-numbers.

E-ticket™
e-ticket E-ticket™ ˈe-ticket [e-ticket] (US ˈE-ticket™) BrE ; NAmE noun a ticket, for example a plane ticket, that you buy over the Internet and receive by email. Your purchase details are stored on computer so you do not need a paper ticket.

E-type™
E-type™ E-type™ [E-type] BrE NAmE noun a make of ↑sports car produced in Britain by Jaguar between 1961 and 1975. People who drove an E-type were considered to be very modern and successful.

E. coli
E. coli E. coli 7 BrE [ˌiː ˈkəʊlaɪ] NAmE [ˌiː ˈkoʊlaɪ] noun uncountable

a type of bacteria that lives inside humans and some animals, some forms of which can cause ↑food poisoning

Word Origin:

[E. coli] late 20th cent.: abbreviation of the Latin binomial.

F A O Schwarz
F A O Schwarz F A O Schwarz [F A O Schwarz] BrE NAmE NAmE a famous toy shop/store in Manhattan, New York City. It is one of the largest in the world.

F R Leavis
F R Leavis F R Leavis [F R Leavis] BrE NAmE (Frank Raymond Leavis 1895–1978) an English ↑literary ↑critic. He taught at ↑Cambridge University from 1936 to 1962 and started the magazine Scrutiny (1932–53). In his books New Bearings on English Poetry (1932) and The Great Tradition (1948) he helped to establish modern ideas on the work of such writers as Gerard Manley Hopkins, T S Eliot, Henry James and D H Lawrence.

F Scott Fitzgerald
F Scott Fitzgerald F Scott Fitzgerald [F Scott Fitzgerald] BrE NAmE (Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald 1896–1940) a US writer of novels and short stories about the ↑Jazz Age, a name he invented. The life of fun and immoral behaviour led by many rich people in those years are described in his best-known novel, ↑Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda (1901–48) lived a wild life themselves. She developed a mental illness, and he drank too much alcohol, experiences he used in ↑Tender is the Night (1934). In 1936 Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood to write films. His last novel, The Last Tycoon, was not finished when he died. Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. Yes, they have more money. remark made by Scott Fitzgerald to Hemingway and Hemingway’s reply

F W Woolworth
F W Woolworth F W Woolworth [F W Woolworth] BrE NAmE (Frank Winfield Woolworth 1852–1919) a US ↑businessman, the son of a poor farmer, who began the group of ↑five-and-ten shops/ ↑stores named after him. The first was opened in 1879 in Lancaster, ↑Pennsylvania, and when he died, there were more than 1 000.

See also ↑Woolworth Building

F angles
F angles ˈF angles 7 [F angles] BrE NAmE noun plural

= ↑corresponding angles

F-1 visa
F-1 visa F-1 visa 7 [F-1 visa] BrE [ˌef wʌn ˈviːzə] NAmE [ˌef wʌn ˈviːzə] noun

a document that allows sb from another country to enter the US as a student

F-word
F-word ˈF-word [F-word F-words] BrE NAmE noun singular (informal)

used to replace a word beginning with F that you do not want to say, especially the offensive swear word ‘fuck’

• He was shocked at how often she used the F-word.

compare ↑C-word

F/T
FT F/T FT [FT] (also F/T)BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) ↑full-time

• The course is 1 year FT, 2 years PT.

compare ↑PT

G K Chesterton
G K Chesterton G K Chesterton [G K Chesterton] BrE NAmE (Gilbert Keith Chesterton 1874–1936) an English writer of essays, novels and poetry. He is best remembered for his short stories about ↑Father Brown, a ↑Roman Catholic priest who solves ↑detective mysteries.

G M Trevelyan
G M Trevelyan G M Trevelyan [G M Trevelyan] BrE NAmE (George Macaulay Trevelyan 1876–1962) an English ↑historian best known for his History of England (1926) and English Social History (1942). His uncle was the ↑historian Thomas Macaulay. Trevelyan was made a member of the ↑Order of Merit in 1930.

G and T
G and T G and T [G and T] BrE [ˌdʒiː ən ˈtiː] NAmE [ˌdʒiː ən ˈtiː] noun

a drink consisting of ↑gin mixed with ↑tonic water

G spot
G spot ˈG spot 7 BrE NAmE noun

a sensitive area inside a woman's ↑vagina that is thought to give great sexual pleasure when touched

Word Origin:

[G spot] 1944: G from Gräfenberg, because first described by Ernst Gräfenberg (1881–1957) and R. L. Dickinson in the Western Journal of Surgery.

G-man
G-man G-man [G-man] BrE NAmE noun (pl G-men BrE ; NAmE )(AmE old-fash infml) a man working for the ↑FBI. The word is an abbreviation of ‘government man’.

G-string
G-string ˈG-string [G-string G-strings] BrE NAmE noun

a narrow piece of cloth that covers the sexual organs and is held up by a string around the waist

G8
the G8 the G8 [the G8] BrE NAmE (in full the Group of Eight) eight of the richest industrial countries in the world: Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US. Politicians from these countries have regular meetings, usually to discuss economic problems and policies. Before Russia joined the group in 1998 it was know as the G7 (‘Group of Seven’.)

• The Prime Minister is urging the heads of the other G8 countries to come to an agreement.

H E Bates
H E Bates H E Bates [H E Bates] BrE NAmE (Herbert Ernest Bates 1905–74) an English writer of novels and short stories, many of which are about life in the English countryside. His best-known novel is The Darling Buds of May (1958).

H G Wells
H G Wells H G Wells [H G Wells] BrE NAmE (Herbert George Wells 1866–1946) an English author known especially as a writer of early ↑science fiction novels. These include The Time Machine (1895), The Invisible Man (1897) and The War of the Worlds (1898). He also wrote successful comic novels about life in Britain, including Kipps (1905) and The History of Mr Polly (1910). Wells believed strongly in the importance of science and the need for social change and world peace.

H M Bateman
H M Bateman H M Bateman [H M Bateman] BrE NAmE (Henry Mayo Bateman 1887–1970) a British ↑cartoonist, born in Australia. His ↑cartoons often show an embarrassed person who has just shocked everyone by accidentally breaking a rule of social behaviour.

H-block
H-block H-block [H-block] BrE NAmE noun each of the buildings, built in the shape of an H, in which prisoners were kept (1976–2000) in the ↑Maze prison near ↑Belfast in Northern Ireland.

H-bomb
H-bomb ˈH-bomb [H-bomb H-bombs] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑hydrogen bomb

Word Origin:

1950s: from ↑H (denoting hydrogen) + ↑bomb.

H.E.
HE H.E. HE [HE] BrE NAmE (BrE) (also H.E. US, BrE) abbreviation

1. Her/His ↑Excellency

• HE the Australian Ambassador

2. ↑higher education

H.M.
HM H.M. HM [HM] BrE NAmE (BrE) (also H.M. US, BrE) abbreviation

Her/His Majesty('s)

• HM the Queen

• HM Customs

I promise you
I can promise you I (can) ˈpromise you idiom

(informal) used as a way of encouraging or warning sb about sth

• I can promise you, you'll have a wonderful time.

• If you don't take my advice, you'll regret it, I promise you.

Main entry: ↑promise_idiom

I A Richards
I A Richards I A Richards [I A Richards] BrE NAmE (Ivor Armstrong Richards 1893–1979) an English writer and ↑critic of literature. He taught at ↑Cambridge and Harvard universities, and with C K Ogden (1889–1957) developed the idea of basic English. His best-known book is Principles of Literary Criticism (1924). He also published several collections of poetry.

I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy I Love Lucy [I Love Lucy] BrE NAmE a very popular US television comedy series (1951–60) on ↑CBS with Lucille Ball as the star. She played Lucy Ricardo and her husband, Desi Arnez, played Lucy’s husband Ricky. The shows are still shown regularly around the world.

I ask you
I ask you I ˈask you idiom

(informal) if you say I ask you, you are expressing disapproval, shock or anger about sth/sb

• He told me I had to work late on Friday night. I ask you!

Main entry: ↑ask_idiom

I beg to differ
I beg to differ I beg to differ idiom

used to say politely that you do not agree with sth that has just been said

• ‘At least she is good at her job.’ ‘Oh, I beg to differ.’

Main entry: ↑beg_idiom

I beg your pardon
I beg your pardon I beg your pardon idiom

1. (formal) used to tell sb that you are sorry for sth you have said or done

• I beg your pardon, I thought that was my coat.

2. used to ask sb to repeat what they have just said because you did not hear

• ‘It's on Duke Street.’ ‘I beg your pardon.’ ‘Duke Street.’

3. (especially BrE) used to tell sb that you are offended by what they have just said or by the way that they have said it

• ‘Just go away.’ ‘I beg your pardon!’

Main entry: ↑beg_idiom

I bet!
I bet! I'll bet! I/I'll bet! idiom

(informal)

1. used to show that you can understand what sb is feeling, describing, etc.

• ‘I nearly died when he told me.’ ‘I bet!’

2. used to tell sb that you do not believe what they have just said

• ‘I'm going to tell her what I think of her.’ ‘Yeah, I bet!’

Main entry: ↑bet_idiom

I can promise you
I can promise you I (can) ˈpromise you idiom

(informal) used as a way of encouraging or warning sb about sth

• I can promise you, you'll have a wonderful time.

• If you don't take my advice, you'll regret it, I promise you.

Main entry: ↑promise_idiom

I can tell you
I tell you I can tell you I'm telling you I ˈtell you | I can ˈtell you | I'm ˈtelling you idiom

(informal) used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when it is surprising or difficult to believe

• It isn't cheap, I can tell you!

• I'm telling you, that's exactly what she said.

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I can't be fagged
I can't be fagged to do something I can't be ˈfagged (to do sth) idiom

used to say that you are too tired or bored to do sth

Main entry: ↑fagged_idiom

I can't be fagged to do something
I can't be fagged to do something I can't be ˈfagged (to do sth) idiom

used to say that you are too tired or bored to do sth

Main entry: ↑fagged_idiom

I can't can hardly wait
I can't wait hardly wait they can't wait hardly wait I can't can hardly wait they can't can hardly wait I, they, etc. can't ˈwait/can hardly ˈwait idiom used when you are emphasizing that sb is very excited about sth or keen to do it

• The children can't wait for Christmas to come.

• I can hardly wait to see him again.

Main entry: ↑wait_idiom

I can't take somebody anywhere
I can't take somebody anywhere you can't take somebody anywhere I, you, etc. can't take sb ˈanywhere idiom

(informal, often humorous) used to say that you cannot trust sb to behave well in public

• You haven't spilled your coffee again! I can't take you anywhere!

Main entry: ↑take_idiom

I can't wait hardly wait
I can't wait hardly wait they can't wait hardly wait I can't can hardly wait they can't can hardly wait I, they, etc. can't ˈwait/can hardly ˈwait idiom used when you are emphasizing that sb is very excited about sth or keen to do it

• The children can't wait for Christmas to come.

• I can hardly wait to see him again.

Main entry: ↑wait_idiom

I could eat a horse
I could eat a horse I could eat a ˈhorse idiom

(informal) used to say that you are very hungry

Main entry: ↑eat_idiom

I could murder a …
I could murder a … I could murder a… idiom

(informal, especially BrE) used to say that you very much want to eat or drink sth

• I could murder a beer.

Main entry: ↑murder_idiom

I could use something
I could use something you could use something I, you, etc. could use sth idiom

(informal) used to say that you would like to have sth very much

• I think we could all use a drink after that!

Main entry: ↑use_idiom

I couldn't give a monkey's
I don't give a monkey's I couldn't give a monkey's I don't/couldn't give a ˈmonkey's f15 idiom

(BrE, slang) used to say, in a way that is not very polite, that you do not care about sth, or are not at all interested in it

• I don't give a monkey's whether you want to come or not.

Main entry: ↑monkey_idiom

I dare say
I dare say I daresay I dare say idiom

(also I daresay especially in BrE) used when you are saying that sth is probable

• I dare say you know about it already.

Main entry: ↑dare_idiom

I daresay
I dare say I daresay I dare say idiom

(also I daresay especially in BrE) used when you are saying that sth is probable

• I dare say you know about it already.

Main entry: ↑dare_idiom

I defy anyone to do something
I defy you to do something I defy anyone to do something I defy you/anyone to do sth idiom

used to say that sb should try to do sth, as a way of emphasizing that you think it is impossible to do it

• I defy anyone not to cry at the end of the film.

• I defy you to leave without buying something.

Main entry: ↑defy_idiom

I defy you to do something
I defy you to do something I defy anyone to do something I defy you/anyone to do sth idiom

used to say that sb should try to do sth, as a way of emphasizing that you think it is impossible to do it

• I defy anyone not to cry at the end of the film.

• I defy you to leave without buying something.

Main entry: ↑defy_idiom

I don't believe it!
I don't believe it! I don't beˈlieve it! idiom

(informal) used to say that you are surprised or annoyed about sth

• I don't believe it! What are you doing here?

Main entry: ↑believe_idiom

I don't blame her
I don't blame you for doing something I don't blame her for doing something I don't ˈblame you/her, etc. (for doing sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think that what sb did was reasonable and the right thing to do

• ‘I just slammed the phone down when he said that.’ ‘I don't blame you!’

Main entry: ↑blame_idiom

I don't blame her for doing something
I don't blame you for doing something I don't blame her for doing something I don't ˈblame you/her, etc. (for doing sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think that what sb did was reasonable and the right thing to do

• ‘I just slammed the phone down when he said that.’ ‘I don't blame you!’

Main entry: ↑blame_idiom

I don't blame you
I don't blame you for doing something I don't blame her for doing something I don't ˈblame you/her, etc. (for doing sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think that what sb did was reasonable and the right thing to do

• ‘I just slammed the phone down when he said that.’ ‘I don't blame you!’

Main entry: ↑blame_idiom

I don't blame you for doing something
I don't blame you for doing something I don't blame her for doing something I don't ˈblame you/her, etc. (for doing sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think that what sb did was reasonable and the right thing to do

• ‘I just slammed the phone down when he said that.’ ‘I don't blame you!’

Main entry: ↑blame_idiom

I don't give a monkey's
I don't give a monkey's I couldn't give a monkey's I don't/couldn't give a ˈmonkey's f15 idiom

(BrE, slang) used to say, in a way that is not very polite, that you do not care about sth, or are not at all interested in it

• I don't give a monkey's whether you want to come or not.

Main entry: ↑monkey_idiom

I don't know how, why, etc …
I don't know how, why, etc … I don't know how, why, etc… idiom

(informal) used to criticize sb's behaviour

• I don't know how you can say things like that.

Main entry: ↑know_idiom

I don't mind admitting you …
I don't mind admitting you … I don't mind telling you … I don't mind adˈmitting, ˈtelling you…, etc. idiom

used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when you are talking about sth that may be embarrassing for you

• I was scared, I don't mind telling you!

Main entry: ↑mind_idiom

I don't mind if I do
I don't mind if I do I don't mind if I ˈdo idiom

(informal) used to say politely that you would like sth you have been offered

• ‘Cup of tea, Brian?’ ‘I don't mind if I do.’

Main entry: ↑mind_idiom

I don't mind telling you …
I don't mind admitting you … I don't mind telling you … I don't mind adˈmitting, ˈtelling you…, etc. idiom

used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when you are talking about sth that may be embarrassing for you

• I was scared, I don't mind telling you!

Main entry: ↑mind_idiom

I don't think so
I don't think so I ˌdon't ˈthink so idiom

(informal) used to say very strongly that you do not agree with sth, or that sth is not possible

• Me? Fail? I don't think so.

Main entry: ↑think_idiom

I give you that
I give you that I'll give you that I/I'll give you ˈthat idiom

(informal) used when you are admitting that sth is true

Main entry: ↑give_idiom

I give you …
I give you … I give you… idiom

used to ask people to drink a ↑toast to sb

• Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Geoff Ogilby!

Main entry: ↑give_idiom

I know
I know I know idiom

(informal)

1. used to agree with sb or to show sympathy

• ‘What a ridiculous situation!’ ‘I know.’

2. used to introduce a new idea or suggestion

• I know, let's see what's on at the theatre.

Main entry: ↑know_idiom

I like that!
I like that! I like ˈthat! idiom

(old-fashioned, informal) used to protest that sth that has been said is not true or fair

• ‘She called you a cheat.’ ‘Well, I like that!’

Main entry: ↑like_idiom

I like to think
I like to think I'd like to think I/I'd like to think idiom

used to say that you hope or believe that sth is true

• I like to think I'm broad-minded.

• I'd like to think that you were helping me because you wanted to, not because you felt you had to.

Main entry: ↑like_idiom

I mean
I mean I mean idiom

(informal) used to explain or correct what you have just said

• It was so boring— I mean, nothing happened for the first hour!

• She's English— Scottish, I mean.

Main entry: ↑mean_idiom

I must say
I must say I ˈmust say idiom

(informal) used to emphasize an opinion

• Well, I must say, that's the funniest thing I've heard all week.

Main entry: ↑say_idiom

I say
I say ˌI ˈsay idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE, informal)

1. used to express surprise, shock, etc.

• I say! What a huge cake!

2. used to attract sb's attention or introduce a new subject of conversation

• I say, can you lend me five pounds?

Main entry: ↑say_idiom

I should hope not
I should hope so I should hope not so I should hope I should hope so/not | so I should hope idiom

(informal) used to say that you feel very strongly that sth should/should not happen

• ‘Nobody blames you.’ ‘I should hope not!’

Main entry: ↑hope_idiom

I should hope so
I should hope so I should hope not so I should hope I should hope so/not | so I should hope idiom

(informal) used to say that you feel very strongly that sth should/should not happen

• ‘Nobody blames you.’ ‘I should hope not!’

Main entry: ↑hope_idiom

I take my hat off to somebody
I take my hat off to somebody hats off to somebody I tip my hat to somebody I take my ˈhat off to sb | hats off to sb idiom

(both especially BrE) (NAmE usually I tip my ˈhat to sb) (informal) used to say that you admire sb very much for sth they have done

Main entry: ↑hat_idiom

I tell a lie
I tell a lie I tell a ˈlie idiom

(BrE, informal) used to say that sth you have just said is not true or correct

• We first met in 2006, no, I tell a lie, it was 2007.

Main entry: ↑lie_idiom

I tell you
I tell you I can tell you I'm telling you I ˈtell you | I can ˈtell you | I'm ˈtelling you idiom

(informal) used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when it is surprising or difficult to believe

• It isn't cheap, I can tell you!

• I'm telling you, that's exactly what she said.

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I tell you what
I tell you what I'll tell you what I/I'll ˌtell you ˈwhat idiom

(informal) used to introduce a suggestion

• I'll tell you what— let's stay in instead.

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I thought as much
I thought as much I ˈthought as much idiom

that is what I expected or suspected

• ‘He said he'd forgotten.’ ‘I thought as much.’

Main entry: ↑think_idiom

I tip my hat to somebody
I take my hat off to somebody hats off to somebody I tip my hat to somebody I take my ˈhat off to sb | hats off to sb idiom

(both especially BrE) (NAmE usually I tip my ˈhat to sb) (informal) used to say that you admire sb very much for sth they have done

Main entry: ↑hat_idiom

I told you
I told you so I ˈtold you (so) idiom

(informal) used when sth bad has happened, to remind sb that you warned them about it and they did not listen to you

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I told you so
I told you so I ˈtold you (so) idiom

(informal) used when sth bad has happened, to remind sb that you warned them about it and they did not listen to you

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I warrant
I warrant you I'll warrant you I/I'll warrant (you) idiom

(old-fashioned) used to tell sb that you are sure of sth and that they can be sure of it too

Main entry: ↑warrant_idiom

I warrant you
I warrant you I'll warrant you I/I'll warrant (you) idiom

(old-fashioned) used to tell sb that you are sure of sth and that they can be sure of it too

Main entry: ↑warrant_idiom

I wish!
I wish! I ˈwish! idiom

(informal) used to say that sth is impossible or very unlikely, although you wish it were possible

Syn: ↑if only

• ‘You'll have finished by tomorrow.’ ‘I wish!’

Main entry: ↑wish_idiom

I would just as soon do something
I would just as soon do something I, etc. would just as soon do sth idiom

used to say that you would equally well like to do sth as do sth else that has been suggested

• I'd just as soon stay at home as go out tonight.

Main entry: ↑just_idiom

I would sooner do something
I would sooner do something than something else I, etc. would sooner do sth (than sth else) idiom

to prefer to do sth (than do sth else)

• She'd sooner share a house with other students than live at home with her parents.

Main entry: ↑soon_idiom

I would sooner do something than something else
I would sooner do something than something else I, etc. would sooner do sth (than sth else) idiom

to prefer to do sth (than do sth else)

• She'd sooner share a house with other students than live at home with her parents.

Main entry: ↑soon_idiom

I wouldn't bet on it
I wouldn't bet on it don't bet on it I wouldn't ˈbet on it | don't ˈbet on it idiom

(informal) used to say that you do not think that sth is very likely

• ‘She'll soon get used to the idea.’ ‘I wouldn't bet on it.’

Main entry: ↑bet_idiom

I wouldn't mind doing something
I wouldn't mind something something I wouldn't mind doing something I wouldn't mind sth/doing sth idiom used to say politely that you would very much like sth/to do sth

• I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, if it's no trouble.

• I wouldn't mind having his money!

Main entry: ↑mind_idiom

I wouldn't mind something something
I wouldn't mind something something I wouldn't mind doing something I wouldn't mind sth/doing sth idiom used to say politely that you would very much like sth/to do sth

• I wouldn't mind a cup of coffee, if it's no trouble.

• I wouldn't mind having his money!

Main entry: ↑mind_idiom

I wouldn't put it past somebody
I wouldn't put it past somebody to do something I wouldn't put it ˈpast sb (to do sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think sb is capable of doing sth wrong, illegal, etc.

Main entry: ↑put_idiom

I wouldn't put it past somebody to do something
I wouldn't put it past somebody to do something I wouldn't put it ˈpast sb (to do sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you think sb is capable of doing sth wrong, illegal, etc.

Main entry: ↑put_idiom

I wouldn't say no
I wouldn't say no to something I ˌwouldn't say ˈno (to sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you would like sth or to accept sth that is offered

• I wouldn't say no to a pizza.

• ‘Tea, Brian?’ ‘I wouldn't say no.’

Main entry: ↑say_idiom

I wouldn't say no to something
I wouldn't say no to something I ˌwouldn't say ˈno (to sth) idiom

(informal) used to say that you would like sth or to accept sth that is offered

• I wouldn't say no to a pizza.

• ‘Tea, Brian?’ ‘I wouldn't say no.’

Main entry: ↑say_idiom

I'd
I'd I'd [I'd] BrE [aɪd] NAmE [aɪd] short form

1. I had

2. I would

I'd like to think
I like to think I'd like to think I/I'd like to think idiom

used to say that you hope or believe that sth is true

• I like to think I'm broad-minded.

• I'd like to think that you were helping me because you wanted to, not because you felt you had to.

Main entry: ↑like_idiom

I'll
I'll I'll [I'll] BrE [aɪl] NAmE [aɪl] short form

1. I shall

2. I will

I'll be bound
I'll be bound ˈI'll be bound idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE, informal) I feel sure

• They're up to some mischief, I'll be bound!

Main entry: ↑bound_idiom

I'll be buggered
I'll be buggered I'll be buggered idiom

(BrE, taboo, slang) used to express great surprise

• Well, I'll be buggered! Look who's here.

Main entry: ↑buggered_idiom

I'll be damned!
I'll be damned! I'll be damned! idiom

(old-fashioned, informal) used to show that you are very surprised about sth

Main entry: ↑damn_idiom

I'll be darned!
I'll be darned! I'll be ˈdarned! idiom

(informal, especially NAmE) used to show that you are surprised about sth

• Well, I'll be darned! They knew about it all the time!

Main entry: ↑darn_idiom

I'll be jiggered!
I'll be jiggered! I'll be jiggered! idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE, informal) used to show surprise

Main entry: ↑jiggered_idiom

I'll be seeing you
see you around I'll be seeing you see you later ˈsee you (aˈround) | (I'll) be ˈseeing you | ˌsee you ˈlater idiom

(informal) goodbye

• I'd better be going now. See you!

Main entry: ↑see_idiom

I'll bet!
I bet! I'll bet! I/I'll bet! idiom

(informal)

1. used to show that you can understand what sb is feeling, describing, etc.

• ‘I nearly died when he told me.’ ‘I bet!’

2. used to tell sb that you do not believe what they have just said

• ‘I'm going to tell her what I think of her.’ ‘Yeah, I bet!’

Main entry: ↑bet_idiom

I'll eat my hat
I'll eat my hat I'll eat my ˈhat idiom

(informal) used to say that you think sth is very unlikely to happen

• If she's here on time, I'll eat my hat!

Main entry: ↑eat_idiom

I'll give you that
I give you that I'll give you that I/I'll give you ˈthat idiom

(informal) used when you are admitting that sth is true

Main entry: ↑give_idiom

I'll knock your block off!
I'll knock your block off! I'll knock your head off! I'll knock your ˈblock/ˈhead off! idiom

(BrE, informal) used to threaten sb that you will hit them

Main entry: ↑knock_idiom

I'll knock your head off!
I'll knock your block off! I'll knock your head off! I'll knock your ˈblock/ˈhead off! idiom

(BrE, informal) used to threaten sb that you will hit them

Main entry: ↑knock_idiom

I'll say!
I'll say! ˈI'll say! idiom

(old-fashioned, informal) used for emphasis to say ‘yes’

• ‘Does she see him often?’ ‘I'll say! Nearly every day.’

Main entry: ↑say_idiom

I'll tell you what
I tell you what I'll tell you what I/I'll ˌtell you ˈwhat idiom

(informal) used to introduce a suggestion

• I'll tell you what— let's stay in instead.

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I'll thank you for something do something
I'll thank you for something do something I'll thank you for to do something I'll thank you for sth/to do sth idiom

(formal) used to tell sb that you are annoyed and do not want them to do sth

• I'll thank you to mind your own business.

Main entry: ↑thank_idiom

I'll thank you for to do something
I'll thank you for something do something I'll thank you for to do something I'll thank you for sth/to do sth idiom

(formal) used to tell sb that you are annoyed and do not want them to do sth

• I'll thank you to mind your own business.

Main entry: ↑thank_idiom

I'll warrant
I warrant you I'll warrant you I/I'll warrant (you) idiom

(old-fashioned) used to tell sb that you are sure of sth and that they can be sure of it too

Main entry: ↑warrant_idiom

I'll warrant you
I warrant you I'll warrant you I/I'll warrant (you) idiom

(old-fashioned) used to tell sb that you are sure of sth and that they can be sure of it too

Main entry: ↑warrant_idiom

I'm
I'm I'm [I'm] BrE [aɪm] NAmE [aɪm] short form

I am

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! [Im A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!] a British reality television series in which a group of well-known people go to live together in difficult conditions in the ↑jungle and have to take part in a number of tests. Members of the public vote for who will leave until only one person is left.

I'm afraid
I'm afraid I'm afraid idiom used as a polite way of telling sb sth that is unpleasant or disappointing, or that you are sorry about

• I can't help you, I'm afraid.

• I'm afraid we can't come.

• I'm afraid that it's not finished yet.

• He's no better, I'm afraid to say.

• ‘Is there any left?’ ‘ I'm afraid not.’

• ‘Will it hurt?’ ‘ I'm afraid so.’

Main entry: ↑afraid_idiom

I'm all right, Jack
I'm all right, Jack I'm all ˈright, Jack f7 idiom

(BrE, informal) used by or about sb who is happy with their own life and does not care about other people's problems

Main entry: ↑all right_idiom

I'm buggered if …
I'm buggered if … I'm ˈbuggered if… idiom

(BrE, taboo, slang) used to say that you do not know sth or to refuse to do sth

• ‘What's this meeting all about?’ ‘I'm buggered if I know.’

• Well I'm buggered if I'm going to help her after what she said to me.

Main entry: ↑buggered_idiom

I'm damned if …
I'm damned if … I'm damned if… idiom

(informal) used to show that you refuse to do sth or do not know sth

• I'm damned if I'll apologize!

• I'm damned if I know who he is.

Main entry: ↑damn_idiom

I'm easy
I'm easy I'm ˈeasy idiom

(BrE, informal) used to say that you do not have a strong opinion when sb has offered you a choice

• ‘Do you want to watch this or the news?’ ‘Oh, I'm easy. It's up to you.’

Main entry: ↑easy_idiom

I'm glad to say
I'm glad to say that … I'm glad to say (that…) idiom

(informal) used when you are commenting on a situation and saying that you are happy about it

• Most teachers, I'm glad to say, take their jobs very seriously.

Main entry: ↑glad_idiom

I'm glad to say that …
I'm glad to say that … I'm glad to say (that…) idiom

(informal) used when you are commenting on a situation and saying that you are happy about it

• Most teachers, I'm glad to say, take their jobs very seriously.

Main entry: ↑glad_idiom

I'm sorry
I'm sorry I'm sorry idiom

1. used when you are apologizing for sth

• I'm sorry, I forgot.

• Oh, I'm sorry. Have I taken the one you wanted?

• I'm sorry. I can't make it tomorrow.

2. used for disagreeing with sb or politely saying ‘no’

• I'm sorry, I don't agree.

• I'm sorry, I'd rather you didn't go.

3. used for introducing bad news

• I'm sorry to have to tell you you've failed.

Main entry: ↑sorry_idiom

I'm sorry to say
I'm sorry to say I'm ˈsorry to say idiom

used for saying that sth is disappointing

• He didn't accept the job, I'm sorry to say.

Main entry: ↑sorry_idiom

I'm telling you
I tell you I can tell you I'm telling you I ˈtell you | I can ˈtell you | I'm ˈtelling you idiom

(informal) used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when it is surprising or difficult to believe

• It isn't cheap, I can tell you!

• I'm telling you, that's exactly what she said.

Main entry: ↑tell_idiom

I've
I've I've [I've] BrE [aɪv] NAmE [aɪv] short form

I have

I've heard it all before
I've heard it all before I've heard it all beˈfore idiom

(informal) used to say that you do not really believe sb's promises or excuses because they are the same ones you have heard before

Main entry: ↑hear_idiom

I've only got one pair of hands
I've only got one pair of hands I've only got one pair of ˈhands idiom

(informal) used to say that you are too busy to do anything else

Main entry: ↑pair_idiom

I-9 form
I-9 form I-9 form 7 [I-9 form] BrE [ˌaɪ ˈnaɪn fɔːm] NAmE [ˌaɪ ˈnaɪn fɔːrm] noun (US)

an official document that an employer must have which shows that an employee has the right to work in the US

I-spy
I-spy I-spy 7 [I-spy] BrE [ˌaɪ ˈspaɪ] NAmE [ˌaɪ ˈspaɪ] noun uncountable

a children's game in which one player gives the first letter of a thing that they can see and the others have to guess what it is

I.
I I. I noun, pronoun, symbol, abbreviation BrE [aɪ] NAmE [aɪ] noun (also i) countable, uncountable (pl. Is, I's, i's BrE [aɪz] ; NAmE [aɪz] )

the 9th letter of the English alphabet

• ‘Island’ begins with (an) I/‘I’.

see dot your i's and cross your t's at ↑dot _v.

Word Origin:

pron. Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ik and German ich, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ego and Greek egō.

pronoun used as the subject of a verb when the speaker or writer is referring to himself/herself

• I think I'd better go now.

• He and I are old friends.

• When they asked me if I wanted the job, I said yes.

• I'm not going to fall, am I?

• I'm taller than her, aren't I?

see also ↑me

Word Origin:

pron. Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ik and German ich, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ego and Greek egō.

symbol (also i)

the number 1 in ↑Roman numerals

Word Origin:

pron. Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ik and German ich, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ego and Greek egō.

abbreviation (also I.)

(especially on maps) Island(s); Isle(s)

Word Origin:

[I] pron. Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch ik and German ich, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin ego and Greek egō.

J Arthur Rank
J Arthur Rank J Arthur Rank [J Arthur Rank] BrE NAmE (1882–1972) an English ↑businessman who established two highly successful companies, the ↑Rank Group and ↑Rank Hovis McDougall. He was a ↑Methodist and became involved in films in 1933 as a way of spreading religious ideas. In 1935 Rank helped to establish ↑Pinewood Studios and in 1941 he gained control of Gaumont and the ↑Odeon Theatre group, which all became part of the Rank Organization. He was made a ↑life peer in 1957.

J B Priestley
J B Priestley J B Priestley [J B Priestley] BrE NAmE (John Boynton Priestley 1894–1984) an English writer. His best-known works are probably the novel The Good Companions (1929), about a small theatre company, and his play An Inspector Calls (1947), but he wrote many other popular novels and plays, often comedies about English life and society. He was also known for his critical writings on English literature and his radio broadcasts during ↑World War II.

J C Penney
J C Penney J C Penney [J C Penney] BrE NAmE any of a large group of US ↑department stores known for their low prices. The shops/ ↑stores were begun in 1902 by James Cash Penney (1875–1971), who called them ‘chain stores’.

J Crew™
J Crew™ J Crew™ [J Crew] BrE NAmE any of a group of fashionable US clothes shops. The company began in 1983 by selling clothes through its ↑catalogues (= books sent to people’s homes that show items they can buy by post). J Crew is best known for its range of informal sports clothes.

J Edgar Hoover
J Edgar Hoover J Edgar Hoover [J Edgar Hoover] BrE NAmE (John Edgar Hoover 1895–1972) the head of the ↑FBI (1924–1972), who made it into a successful and scientific national police organization. He had great power and public support, and no president tried to replace him. He was suspected of keeping illegal personal files on many people and his role during the McCarthy era has been criticized.

J J Thomson
J J Thomson J J Thomson [J J Thomson] BrE NAmE (Joseph John Thomson 1856–1940) an English ↑physicist who won the ↑Nobel Prize for ↑physics in 1906 for discovering the ↑electron. He was also responsible for running the ↑Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, England, which became the world’s leading centre for research into atomic physics. His son George Thomson (1892–1975) and seven of his assistants all won Nobel Prizes. He was made a ↑knight in 1908.

J M Barrie
J M Barrie J M Barrie [J M Barrie] BrE NAmE (James Matthew Barrie 1860–1937) a Scottish writer of plays and novels. His best-known works are the plays The Admirable Crichton (1902) and ↑Peter Pan (1904).

J M Synge
J M Synge J M Synge [J M Synge] BrE NAmE (John Millington Synge 1871–1909) an Irish writer of plays. W B Yeats persuaded him to write about the life of Irish ↑peasants (= poor farmers). His plays use the language of ordinary country people in a dramatic way. His best-known work, The Playboy of the Western World (1907), is the story of a man who arrives in a small community and pretends that he has killed his father. Many Irish people were angry at the idea that Irish ↑peasants would welcome a ↑murderer and treat him with respect. There were protests when the play was first performed at the Abbey Theatre in ↑Dublin, but it is now considered one of the greatest plays in Irish literature.

J M W Turner
J M W Turner J M W Turner [J M W Turner] BrE NAmE (Joseph Mallord William Turner 1775–1851) a major English artist, famous for his ↑landscape and ↑seascape paintings (= scenes of the countryside and of the sea). A characteristic feature of his work is his original treatment of light and weather conditions. His style had a great influence on later artistic movements, especially Impressionism and ↑abstract expressionism. Turner spent much of his life travelling widely in Britain and Europe, doing drawings for his paintings. His best-known paintings include ↑Fighting Téméraire (1838) and Rain, Steam and Speed (1844), both of which are in the ↑National Gallery in London. Many of his paintings became the property of the British nation after his death and are in ↑Tate Britain in London. In 1987 the Clore Gallery was added to the Tate especially to display Turner’s works.

J Paul Getty
J Paul Getty J Paul Getty [J Paul Getty] BrE NAmE (Jean Paul Getty 1892–1976) a US ↑businessman who was one of the richest men in the world. He became President of the Getty Oil Company in 1947 and was estimated to be worth more than $1 billion by 1968. He collected art and in 1954 established the J Paul Getty Museum which is now in Los Angeles, ↑California. He settled in Britain in the early 1950s.

J Pierpoint Morgan
J Pierpoint Morgan J Pierpoint Morgan [J Pierpoint Morgan] BrE NAmE (John Pierpoint Morgan 1837–1913) a powerful US industrial leader and ↑financier who established the United States Steel Corporation and had interests in many other areas of business, including railways and shipping. Morgan had become a partner in his father’s bank in 1871 and in 1895 he named it J P Morgan and Company. He gave his large art collection to New York’s ↑Museum of Modern Art.

J R R Tolkien
J R R Tolkien J R R Tolkien [J R R Tolkien] BrE NAmE (John Ronald Reuel Tolkien 1882–1973) an English writer, best known as the author of The Hobbit (1937) and ↑Lord of the Rings (1954–5). Tolkien was also a ↑professor at ↑Oxford University.

J Robert Oppenheimer
J Robert Oppenheimer J Robert Oppenheimer [J Robert Oppenheimer] BrE NAmE (Julius Robert Oppenheimer 1904–67) the scientist in charge of the US ↑Manhattan Project (1942–5) which built the first atom bomb. After ↑World War II, Oppenheimer directed the ↑Institute for Advanced Study. In the 1950s he opposed the creation of the ↑hydrogen bomb, and because he was thought to hold ↑left-wing opinions he was not allowed to work on government research projects for a time.

J Strom Thurmond
J Strom Thurmond J Strom Thurmond [J Strom Thurmond] BrE NAmE (James Strom Thurmond 1902–2003) a US Senator who served longer than any other in the history of the ↑Senate. He represented ↑South Carolina from 1954 until he retired at the age of 100. He was also a candidate for President in 1948 for the States’ Rights Party and was Governor of South Carolina (1947–51). Thurmond began as a Democrat but later changed to the ↑Republican Party.

J-cloth
J-cloth ˈJ-cloth 7 [J-cloth J-cloths] BrE NAmE ™ noun

a type of light cloth used for cleaning

Word Origin:

1970s: J from J ohnson and Johnson, the original makers.

K rations
K rations K rations [K rations] BrE NAmE noun [pl](AmE) special meals given to US soldiers during World War II. They were named after Dr Ancel Keys, the leader of the group that created them. The food was supplied in three boxes, one each for breakfast, ↑lunch and dinner, and each contained a healthy number of ↑calories (= units of energy) and ↑vitamins, as well as four cigarettes.

K-12
K-12 K-12 7 [K-12] BrE [ˌkeɪ ˈtwelv] NAmE [ˌkeɪ ˈtwelv] adjective

(in the US) relating to education from ↑kindergarten (= the class that prepares children for school) to 12th ↑grade

L L Bean
L L Bean L L Bean [L L Bean] BrE NAmE any of a group of US shops selling a large range of equipment for outdoor activities, including boots, jackets, hats, tents, tools and fishing equipment. The company is known for its ↑catalogues (= books sent to people’s homes showing items they can order by post). It was established in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean in Freeport, ↑Maine.

L Ron Hubbard
L Ron Hubbard L Ron Hubbard [L Ron Hubbard] BrE NAmE (Lafayette Ronald Hubbard 1911–86) a US writer of science fiction who established the Church of Scientology in 1954. His novels included Slaves of Sleep (1939) and a series of ten books with the general title of Mission Earth (1985–7).

L S Lowry
L S Lowry L S Lowry [L S Lowry] BrE NAmE (Laurence Stephen Lowry 1887–1976) an English painter who is famous for his paintings of the industrial north of England, where he lived. They show buildings and factories with simple colours and forms, and crowds of ‘matchstick’ people represented in a few thin lines.

L-driver
L-driver L-driver [L-driver] BrE NAmE (also learner driver)noun (in Britain) a person who is learning to drive and has not yet passed the driving test. L-drivers may not drive without having a qualified driver with them and must display L-plates, square signs with a large red letter L on a white background, on the front and rear of the vehicle they are driving. Plates with the letter L or P in green are also available, to show that a driver has recently passed the driving test.

See also: ↑learner driver

L-plate
L-plate ˈL-plate [L-plate L-plates] BrE NAmE noun

(in Britain and some other countries) a white sign with a large red letter L on it, that you put on a car when you are learning to drive

L.A.
LA L.A. LA [LA] (also L.A.)BrE [ˌel ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌel ˈeɪ] abbreviation

the city of Los Angeles

Culture:

Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US and the largest in ↑California, with about 9 million people. Its area covers 34 000 square miles (more than 88 000 square kilometres) in the southern part of the state on the Pacific coast, and is connected by the world’s largest road system. The city is famous for ↑Hollywood and ↑Beverly Hills and its tourist attractions include ↑Sunset Boulevard, the ↑Hollywood Bowl, ↑Universal Pictures and ↑Rodeo Drive. Los Angeles is one of the busiest US ports and is an important industrial centre.

The US captured the town from the Mexicans in 1846, and oil was discovered there at the end of the 19th century. Americans think of Los Angeles as an exciting city with many opportunities. But it is also seen as a dangerous place because of its earthquakes, pollution, traffic problems and race riots (= violent conflicts between people of different races). See also ↑King, See also ↑UCLA.

M'lud
M'lud M'lud 7 [M'lud] BrE [məˈlʌd] NAmE [məˈlʌd] noun (BrE)

used when speaking to the judge in court

• My client pleads guilty, M'lud.

M-1 visa
M-1 visa M-1 visa [M-1 visa] BrE NAmE a US official government document that gives permission to enter the US to foreign students who want to study on a course which is practical rather than academic, such as one which teaches the skills for a particular job.

» ↑F-1 visa.

M.A.
MA M.A. MA [MA] (BrE) (NAmE M.A.)BrE [ˌem ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌem ˈeɪ] noun

the abbreviation for ‘Master of Arts’ (a second university degree in an ↑arts subject, or, in Scotland, a first university degree in an arts subject)

• to be/have/do an MA

• (BrE) Julie Bell MA

M.O.
MO M.O. MO [MO] (BrE) (also M.O. US, BrE)BrE [ˌem ˈəʊ] NAmE [ˈoʊ] abbreviation

1. ↑medical officer

2. ↑modus operandi

M.S.
MS M.S. MS [MS] (NAmE also M.S.)BrE [ˌem ˈes] NAmE [ˌem ˈes] abbreviation

1. ↑multiple sclerosis

2. ↑manuscript

3. = ↑MSc

M25
the M25 the M25 [the M25] BrE NAmE a British motorway that runs in a circle around London. It was completed in 1986, but since then has become quite crowded, and traffic on it often moves very slowly. People often complain or make jokes about the difficulties of driving on the M25.

N.B.
NB N.B. NB [NB] (BrE) (also N.B. US, BrE)BrE [ˌen ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌen ˈbiː] abbreviation

used in writing to make sb take notice of a particular piece of information that is important (from Latin ‘ nota bene ’)

• NB The office will be closed from 1 July.

N.Z.
NZ N.Z. NZ [NZ] BrE NAmE (BrE) (also N.Z. NAmE, BrE) abbreviation

New Zealand

O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Come, All Ye Faithful O Come, All Ye Faithful [O Come, All Ye Faithful] BrE NAmE

» ↑Adeste Fideles

O Henry
O Henry O Henry [O Henry] BrE NAmE (1862–1910) a popular US writer of short stories who was born William Sydney Porter. He began to write in prison after being sent there for stealing money from the bank where he worked. O Henry’s stories were simple and often humorous, and they usually ended with a surprise. More than 300 of them were collected in Cabbages and Kings (1904), The Voice of the City (1908) and other volumes:

• It’s a story with an O’Henry ending.

O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Little Town of Bethlehem O Little Town of Bethlehem [O Little Town of Bethlehem] BrE NAmE the title and first line of a popular Christmas ↑carol.

O grade
O grade ˈO grade f15 [O grade] BrE NAmE (also ˈordinary grade) noun countable, uncountable

(in Scotland in the past) an exam in a particular subject, at a lower level than ↑Highers, usually taken at the age of 16. In 1988 it was replaced by the ↑Standard Grade.

See also: ↑ordinary grade

O level
O level ˈO level [O level O levels] BrE NAmE (also ˈordinary level) noun countable, uncountable

(in England and Wales in the past) an exam in a particular subject, at a lower level than ↑A level, usually taken at the age of 16. In 1988 it was replaced by the ↑GCSE

• O level French

• She took six subjects at O level.

• He's got an O level in Russian.

compare ↑GCE

See also: ↑ordinary level

O'Hare
O'Hare O'Hare International Airport O’Hare [OHare] BrE NAmE (also O’Hare International Airport) the airport for the US city of ↑Chicago. About 70 million passengers use it each year.

O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare O'Hare International Airport O’Hare [OHare] BrE NAmE (also O’Hare International Airport) the airport for the US city of ↑Chicago. About 70 million passengers use it each year.

O-Bon
O-Bon O-Bon 7 [O-Bon] BrE [əʊ ˈbɒn] NAmE [oʊ ˈbɔːn] noun uncountable

= ↑Bon

P G Wodehouse
P G Wodehouse P G Wodehouse [P G Wodehouse] BrE NAmE (Pelham Grenville Wodehouse 1881–1975) an English writer of humorous novels and short stories. He is best known for his books about ↑Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, but he wrote many other stories of life among the English ↑aristocracy. He also wrote the words for several successful American musical comedies. He became a US citizen in 1955, and was made a ↑knight in 1975.

P T Barnum
P T Barnum P T Barnum [P T Barnum] BrE NAmE (Phineas Taylor Barnum 1810–91) a US ↑showman who was famous for his exaggerated claims. He owned a travelling ↑circus, called the Greatest Show on Earth, and later joined his great rival J A Bailey to form Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. His circus acts included ↑Tom Thumb and the elephant Jumbo.

P.E.
PE P.E. PE [PE] (BrE) (US P.E.)BrE [ˌpiː ˈiː] NAmE [ˌpiː ˈiː] noun uncountable

the abbreviation for ‘physical education’ (sport and exercise that is taught in schools)

• a PE class

Example Bank:

• a PE lesson/class/teacher

P.M.
p.m. P.M. p.m. (NAmE also P.M.)BrE [ˌpiː ˈem] NAmE [ˌpiː ˈem] abbreviation

after 12 o'clock ↑noon (from Latin ‘post meridiem ’)

• The appointment is at 3 p.m.

compare ↑a.m.

Word Origin:

[p.m.] from Latin post meridiem.

P/T
PT P/T PT [PT] BrE [ˌpiː ˈtiː] NAmE [ˌpiː ˈtiː] abbreviation

1. (BrE) physical training (sport and physical exercise that is taught in schools, in the army, etc.)

2. (also P/T) (in writing) ↑part-time

• The course is 1 year FT, 2 years PT.

P45
P45 P45 [P45] BrE NAmE (in Britain) an official form you are given when you leave a job, which shows how much tax you have paid. You give it to your ↑employer when you start a new job.

Q-tip™
Q-tip™ ˈQ-tip™ [Q-tip] BrE NAmE noun (NAmE)

= ↑cotton bud

Q.E.D.
QED Q.E.D. QED [QED] (BrE) (also Q.E.D. US, BrE)BrE [ˌkjuː iː ˈdiː] NAmE [ˌkjuː iː ˈdiː] abbreviation

that is what I wanted to prove and I have proved it (from Latin ‘quod erat demonstrandum ’)

R & B
R & B R & B [R B] BrE [ˌɑːr ən ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌɑːr ən ˈbiː] abbreviation

↑rhythm and blues

R & D
R & D R & D [R D] BrE [ˌɑːr ən ˈdiː] NAmE [ˌɑːr ən ˈdiː] abbreviation

↑research and development

R & R
R & R R & R 7 [R R] BrE [ˌɑːr ən ˈɑː(r)] NAmE [ˌɑːr ən ˈɑːr] abbreviation

1. rest and recreation (doing things for enjoyment rather than working)

2. (medical) rescue and resuscitation

R A Butler
R A 'Rab' Butler R A (‘Rab’) Butler [R A (Rab) Butler] BrE NAmE NAmE (Richard Austen Butler 1902–82) an English Conservative politician who held every important position in government except that of ↑prime minister. He is sometimes described as ‘the best prime minister we never had’. He was ↑Chancellor of the Exchequer (1951–5), ↑Home Secretary (1957–62), and ↑Foreign Secretary (1963–4). Most people expected him to follow Macmillan as Prime Minister, but Macmillan preferred Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Butler was made a ↑life peer in 1965.

R A 'Rab' Butler
R A 'Rab' Butler R A (‘Rab’) Butler [R A (Rab) Butler] BrE NAmE NAmE (Richard Austen Butler 1902–82) an English Conservative politician who held every important position in government except that of ↑prime minister. He is sometimes described as ‘the best prime minister we never had’. He was ↑Chancellor of the Exchequer (1951–5), ↑Home Secretary (1957–62), and ↑Foreign Secretary (1963–4). Most people expected him to follow Macmillan as Prime Minister, but Macmillan preferred Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Butler was made a ↑life peer in 1965.

R Buckminster Fuller
R Buckminster Fuller R Buckminster Fuller [R Buckminster Fuller] BrE NAmE (Richard Buckminster Fuller 1895–1983) a US engineer and ↑inventor of devices and buildings that made the most efficient use of materials. His best-known inventions include the ↑geodesic dome and the Dymaxion House. Fuller also created the idea of ‘Spaceship Earth’ which imagines all people on earth as travellers together through space. He was awarded the ↑Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.

R and B
R and B R and B [R and B] BrE NAmE a style of music which originally developed from African American music such as ↑blues, ↑jazz and ↑gospel. It became known as ↑rhythm and blues in the 1950s and 1960s. Modern R and B includes a wide range of black pop music with influences from ↑hip hop, ↑funk and ↑soul.

R and R
R and R R and R [R and R] BrE NAmE 1. 1 an abbreviation for ‘rest and recreation’ (or ‘rest and relaxation’ or ‘rest and recuperation’). It is now generally used to mean any holiday/vacation, but was originally a US military expression for a time when soldiers were allowed to relax during a war or after very hard work. 2. 2 an abbreviation for ↑rock and roll.

R.
R R. R [R] noun, abbreviation BrE [ɑː(r)] NAmE [ɑːr] noun (also r) countable, uncountable (pl. Rs, R's, r's BrE [ɑːz] ; NAmE [ɑːrz] )

the 18th letter of the English alphabet

• ‘Rose’ begins with (an) R/‘R’.

see the three Rs at ↑three

abbreviation

1. (BrE) Queen; King (from Latin ‘Regina’; ‘Rex’)

• Elizabeth R.

2. R. (especially on maps) River

• R. Trent

3. (also R. especially in NAmE) (in politics in the US) Republican

4. (BrE) Royal

• the RAC (= Royal Automobile Club)

5. (NAmE) the abbreviation for ‘restricted ’ (a label for a film/movie that is not suitable for people under the age of 17 to see without an adult present)

6. ↑roentgen

see also ↑R & B, ↑R & D

R.I.P.
RIP R.I.P. RIP [RIP]

1. (BrE) (also R.I.P. US, BrE) BrE [ˌɑːr aɪ ˈpiː] ; NAmE [ˌɑːr aɪ ˈpiː] abbreviation rest in peace (often written on graves)

2. noun (computing) = ↑raster image processor

R.S.V.P.
RSVP R.S.V.P. RSVP (BrE) (also R.S.V.P. US, BrE)BrE [ˌɑːr es viː ˈpiː] NAmE [ˌɑːr es viː ˈpiː] abbreviation

(written on invitations) please reply (from French ‘répondez s'il vous plaît ’)

Word Origin:

[RSVP] French.

S & L
S & L S & L 7 [S L] BrE [ˌes ənd ˈel] NAmE [ˌes ənd ˈel] abbreviation

↑savings and loan association

S-bend
S-bend ˈS-bend [S-bend S-bends] BrE NAmE noun

a bend in a road or pipe that is shaped like an S

S2P
S2P S2P [S2P] BrE NAmE (in full State Second Pension) (in Britain) an extra state pension which people receive in addition to the basic state pension. It is based on their average earnings while they were working. Many people are contracted out of the S2P scheme because they have a private or company pension.

S4C
S4C S4C [S4C] BrE NAmE (in full Sianel Pedwar Cymru) the Welsh language television channel. It broadcasts a mixture of programmes in Welsh and ↑Channel Four programmes seen in the rest of Britain.

T E Lawrence
T E Lawrence T E Lawrence [T E Lawrence] BrE NAmE (Thomas Edward Lawrence 1888–1935) an English soldier and writer. He began his career as an ↑archaeologist, but in 1916 went to Saudi Arabia to plan and lead a successful military campaign against Turkish rule in the Middle East, as a result of which he became known as Lawrence of Arabia. He described the campaign in his book ↑Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926). This brought him fame and a romantic reputation, but he disliked publicity and tried to escape it by twice changing his name. He died in a motorcycle accident in ↑Dorset, England. A film, Lawrence of Arabia, about his life appeared in 1962.

T S Eliot
T S Eliot T S Eliot [T S Eliot] BrE NAmE (Thomas Stearns Eliot 1888–1965) a British ↑poet, writer of plays, and literary critic, born in the US. Ezra Pound encouraged him to live in England, where from 1914 he made his home. Eliot’s poems have had a great influence on other poets, particularly ↑Waste Land and ↑Four Quartets. One of his most important new ideas was to use the natural rhythms of speech in his poetry. His best-known plays are Murder in the Cathedral (1935) and The Cocktail Party (1951). In 1948 he was given the ↑Nobel Prize for literature.

T and G
T and G T and G [T and G] BrE NAmE a short name for the ↑TGWU.

T-Bird
T-Bird T-Bird [T-Bird] BrE ; NAmE noun

» ↑Thunderbird

T-bar
T-bar T-bar lift ˈT-bar 7 [T-bar T-bars] BrE NAmE noun

1. (also ˈT-bar lift) a machine which pulls two people up a mountain on ↑skis together

2. a T-shaped strip of leather, etc. on a shoe

T-bar lift
T-bar T-bar lift ˈT-bar 7 [T-bar T-bars] BrE NAmE noun

1. (also ˈT-bar lift) a machine which pulls two people up a mountain on ↑skis together

2. a T-shaped strip of leather, etc. on a shoe

T-bill
T-bill ˈT-bill 7 [T-bill] BrE NAmE abbreviation (NAmE, informal)

= ↑treasury bill

T-bone steak
T-bone steak ˈT-bone steak f16 [T-bone steak] BrE NAmE noun

a thick slice of beef containing a bone in the shape of a T

T-intersection
T-intersection ˌT-interˈsec·tion 7 [T-intersection] BrE NAmE (NAmE) (BrE ˈT-junction) noun

a place where one road joins another but does not cross it, so that the roads form the shape of the letter T

See also: ↑T-junction

T-junction
T-junction ˈT-junction [T-junction T-junctions] BrE NAmE (BrE) (NAmE ˌT-interˈsection) noun

a place where one road joins another but does not cross it, so that the roads form the shape of the letter T

See also: ↑T-intersection

T-shirt
T-shirt ˈT-shirt [T-shirt T-shirts] BrE NAmE (also ˈtee shirt) noun

an informal shirt with short sleeves and no ↑collar or buttons, or just a few buttons at the top

See also: ↑tee shirt

Example Bank:

• He was wearing a faded pair of blue jeans and a ratty old T-shirt.

T-square
T-square ˈT-square [T-square T-squares] BrE NAmE noun

a plastic or metal instrument in the shape of a T for drawing or measuring ↑right angles (= of 90°)

T.M.
TM T.M. TM [TM] BrE [ˌtiː ˈem] NAmE [ˌtiː ˈem] abbreviation

1. ↑trademark

2. (US T.M.) ↑transcendental meditation

U-2 incident
the U-2 incident the U-2 incident [the U-2 incident] BrE NAmE an incident in May 1960 when a US U-2 spy plane (= aircraft that takes secret photographs of enemy places) was shot down over the USSR. The pilot Gary Powers survived. The Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev ended a meeting in Paris with US President Eisenhower 11 days later when Eisenhower refused to say he was sorry. Powers was exchanged for the Soviet ↑spy Rudolf Abel in 1962.

U-bend
U-bend ˈU-bend 7 [U-bend] BrE NAmE noun

a section of pipe shaped like a U, especially one that carries away used water

U-boat
U-boat ˈU-boat [U-boat U-boats] BrE NAmE noun

a German ↑submarine (= a ship that can travel underwater)

Word Origin:

from German U-boot, abbreviation of Unterseeboot ‘undersea boat’.

U-ey
U-ey U-ey 7 [U-ey] BrE [ˈjuːi] NAmE [ˈjuːi] noun (informal, especially AustralE)

a turn of 180° that a vehicle makes so that it can move forwards in the opposite direction

Syn: ↑U-turn

U-turn
U-turn ˈU-turn [U-turn U-turns] BrE NAmE noun

1. a turn of 180° that a vehicle makes so that it can move forwards in the opposite direction

• to do/make a U-turn

2. (informal) a complete change in policy or behaviour, usually one that is embarrassing

Example Bank:

• The government has made a spectacular U-turn on taxes.

• a U-turn on education policy

• a government U-turn over plans to cut social security payments

• The government may be forced into an embarrassing U-turn on education policy.

U.K.
UK U.K. UK [UK] (also U.K. especially in US)BrE [ˌjuː ˈkeɪ] NAmE [ˌjuː ˈkeɪ] abbreviation

↑United Kingdom

U.N.
UN U.N. UN [UN] (also U.N. especially in US)BrE [ˌjuː ˈen] NAmE [ˌjuː ˈen] abbreviation

United Nations (an association of many countries that aims to help economic and social conditions improve and to solve political problems in the world in a peaceful way)

• the UN Security Council

• a UN peacekeeping plan

U.S.
US U.S. US [US] (also U.S. especially in US)BrE [ˌjuː ˈes] NAmE [ˌjuː ˈes] abbreviation

↑United States

• She became a US citizen.

• the US dollar

U.S. English
U.S. English U.S. English [U.S. English] BrE NAmE a ↑right-wing group in the US started in 1983 which ↑campaigns for English to be the only official language in the US which it sees as a way of forcing ↑immigrants to become more ↑integrated into society. It opposes the use of other languages, such as Spanish, in education, etc.

U.S.A.
USA U.S.A. USA [USA] (also U.S.A. especially in US)BrE [ˌjuː es ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌjuː es ˈeɪ] abbreviation

↑United States of America

• Do you need a visa for the USA?

U2
U2 U2 [U2] BrE NAmE an Irish pop group formed in Dublin in 1977. Their successful ↑albums include Boy (1980), The Joshua Tree (1987), Achtung Baby (1991), Pop (1997), All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004). The group’s main singer is Bono (real name Paul Hewson).

U3A
U3A U3A [U3A] BrE NAmE

» ↑University of the Third Age.

V S Pritchett
V S Pritchett V S Pritchett [V S Pritchett] BrE NAmE (Victor Sawdon Pritchett 1900–97) an English author. He is best remembered for his short stories, which are full of humorous criticism of British life, and for his writings about literature, e.g. The Living Novel (1946). He also wrote the life stories of several authors, including Chekhov, Turgenev and Balzac. He was made a ↑knight in 1975.

V and A
the V and A the V and A [the V and A] BrE ; NAmE

» ↑Victoria and Albert Museum

V-E Day
V-E Day V-E Day [V-E Day] BrE NAmE Victory in Europe Day, 8 May 1945. The day marked the end of fighting in Europe during ↑World War II, and there were public celebrations in London and many other places.

V-J Day
V-J Day V-J Day [V-J Day] BrE NAmE Victory in Japan Day, 15 August 1945, when fighting with Japan ended in ↑World War II.

V-chip
V-chip ˈV-chip 7 f18 [V-chip] BrE NAmE noun

a computer chip in a television ↑receiver that can be programmed to block material that contains sex and violence

V-neck
V-neck ˈV-neck [V-neck V-necks] BrE NAmE noun

an opening for the neck in a piece of clothing shaped like the letter V; a piece of clothing with a V-neck

• a V-neck sweater

• a navy V-neck

Derived Word: ↑V-necked

V-necked
V-necked ˈV-necked BrE ; NAmE adjective

• a V-necked sweater

Main entry: ↑V-neck_derived

V-sign
V-sign ˈV-sign [V-sign V-signs] BrE NAmE noun

a sign that you make by holding up your hand and making a V-shape with your first and second fingers. When the ↑palm (= inside part) of your hand is facing away from you, the sign means ‘victory’; when the ↑palm is facing towards you the sign is used as a way of being rude to other people.

compare ↑two fingers

V8™
V8™ V8™ [V8] BrE NAmE noun [U, C] a juice made from eight different vegetables. It has been produced by the Campbell Soup Company since 1948, and its advertisements often used the phrase, ‘Wow! I could’ve had a V8!’.

W B Yeats
W B Yeats W B Yeats [W B Yeats] BrE NAmE (William Butler Yeats 1865–1939) a leading Irish writer of poetry, plays and stories. His best-known works of poetry include The Wild Swans at Coole (1917), The Winding Stair (1933) and Collected Poems (1933). His plays include The Land of Heart’s Desire (1894) and The Green Helmet (1910), and several were written to be performed at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which he helped to establish. His book of stories, The Celtic Twilight, created a lot of interest in traditional Irish stories. Yeats was also much involved in politics as a ↑nationalist and became a Senator in the Irish parliament (1922–8). He received the ↑Nobel Prize for literature in 1923.

W C Fields
W C Fields W C Fields [W C Fields] BrE NAmE (William Claude Fields 1879–1946) a US comic actor well known for his humorous remarks. He had a large nose and the characters he played often drank a lot of alcohol and hated children and dogs. He was in the Ziegfeld Follies on ↑Broadway (1915–21) and often on radio. His films, some of which he wrote, include My Little Chickadee (1940) with Mae West, The Bank Dick (1940) and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941). If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it. W C Fields

W C Handy
W C Handy W C Handy [W C Handy] BrE NAmE (William Christopher Handy 1873–58) a US musician who is often called ‘the father of the blues’. He wrote St Louis Blues (1914) but failed to sell it, so he began to collect and publish traditional ↑blues music. His other songs included Memphis Blues (1912) and Beale Street Blues (1917). He also led a band (1903–21).

W E B Du Bois
W E B Du Bois W E B Du Bois [W E B Du Bois] BrE NAmE (William Edward Burghardt Du Bois 1868–1963) a US writer who helped to establish the ↑NAACP. His books include The Souls of Black Folk (1903), and he was the ↑editor of the NAACP magazine Crisis (1910–34). He was the first African American to receive a PhD degree from ↑Harvard University and taught ↑economics and history at Atlanta University (1897–1910 and 1932–44). In 1961 Du Bois became a Communist and moved to Ghana, where he died.

W G Grace
W G Grace W G Grace [W G Grace] BrE NAmE (William Gilbert Grace 1848–1915) an English ↑cricketer, equally successful as a ↑batsman and as a ↑bowler, who played for ↑Gloucestershire and England from the 1860s to the beginning of the 20th century. He was one of the greatest cricket players of all time.

W H Auden
W H Auden W H Auden [W H Auden] BrE NAmE (Wystan Hugh Auden 1907–73) an English ↑poet who wrote poems of many different types, often using traditional forms of verse but with modern language. He also wrote the words for operas and a famous publicity film for the ↑Post Office. In the 1930s, when he wrote some of his best poems, he was a leading member of a group of ↑left-wing writers. Many of his most famous poems are in the collection Another Time (1940). In 1946 he became a US citizen and his later poetry became more religious. His work has had a strong influence on later 20th–century poetry.

W H Smith
W H Smith W H Smith [W H Smith] BrE NAmE (also infml Smith’s) a large group of British shops selling newspapers, magazines, books, cards, etc. Most British ↑high streets and many train stations and airports have a branch of Smith’s.

See also: ↑Smith's

W S Gilbert
W S Gilbert W S Gilbert [W S Gilbert] BrE NAmE (William Schwenk Gilbert 1836–1911) an English writer of comedy plays and the words for comic operas. He is best known for the comic operas he wrote with Arthur Sullivan, which show his skill at writing humorous songs and making fun of British life and politics. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote 14 popular comic operas (sometimes called the ↑Savoy Operas), including ↑Mikado and ↑Pirates of Penzance. They are still performed regularly in Britain and are a popular choice by amateur groups. See also Leigh.

W-2 form
W-2 form W-2 form 7 [W-2 form] BrE [ˌdʌbljuː ˈtuː fɔːm] NAmE [fɔːrm] noun

(in the US) an official document that an employer gives to an employee that shows the amount of pay and tax for the year

X certificate
X certificate X certificate [X certificate] BrE NAmE a label formerly given to certain cinema films in Britain by the British Board of Film Censors (now called the ↑British Board of Film Classification). Films were given an X certificate if they were considered to be not suitable for people under 18, usually because they contained violence, sex or bad language. In 1982, the label ‘X certificate’ was changed to ‘18’, but people still sometimes use the old name informally.

X chromosome
X chromosome ˈX chromosome [X chromosome X chromosomes] BrE NAmE noun (biology)

a ↑sex chromosome. Two X chromosomes exist in the cells of human females. In human males each cell has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.

X factor
X factor X factor 8 [X factor] BrE [ˈeks fæktə(r)] NAmE [ˈeks fæktər] noun singular

a special quality, especially one that is essential for success and is difficult to describe

• She certainly has the X factor that all great singers have.

• The effect of the weather on production costs is always something of an X factor, or unknown variable.

X-Acto™
X-Acto™ X-Acto™ [X-Acto] BrE NAmE noun (pl -os) a US make of knife with thin steel blades which can be changed. It is used for delicate work, e.g. by artists to cut paper accurately and by people building model aircraft.

X-Files
the X-Files The X-Files [The X-Files] BrE NAmE a popular US television series that began in 1993 and is widely shown in other countries. It is about two members of the FBI, Agent Mulder (David Duchovny) and Agent Scully (Gillian Anderson), who investigate mysterious events suggesting other forms of life in space. There has also been a film, The X-Files (1998).

X-rated
X-rated ˈX-rated [X-rated] BrE NAmE adjective

(especially of a film/movie) that people under 18 are not allowed to see because it contains sex and/or violence

X-ray
X-ray X-ray [X-ray X-rays X-rayed X-raying] noun, verb BrE [ˈeks reɪ] NAmE [ˈeks reɪ] noun

1. usually plural a type of ↑radiation that can pass through objects that are not transparent and make it possible to see inside them

• an X-ray machine (= one that produces ↑X-rays )

2. a photograph made by X-rays, especially one showing bones or organs in the body

• a chest X-ray

• The doctor studied the X-rays of her lungs.

• to take an X-ray

3. a medical examination using X-rays

• I had to go for an X-ray.

Word Origin:

translation of German X-Strahlen (plural), from X- (because, when discovered in 1895, the nature of the rays was unknown) + Strahl ‘ray’.

Example Bank:

• The X-ray showed a crack in one rib.

• The dentist took an X-ray of my jaw.

• The result of the X-ray gave no cause for concern.

verb ~ sth

to photograph and examine bones and organs inside the body, using ↑X-rays

• He had to have his chest X-rayed.

Verb forms:

Word Origin:

translation of German X-Strahlen (plural), from X- (because, when discovered in 1895, the nature of the rays was unknown) + Strahl ‘ray’.

Y chromosome
Y chromosome ˈY chromosome [Y chromosome Y chromosomes] BrE NAmE noun (biology)

a ↑sex chromosome. In human males each cell has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. In human females there is never a Y chromosome.

Y-Fronts
Y-Fronts ˈY-Fronts [Y-Fronts] BrE NAmE ™ noun plural (BrE)

men's ↑underpants, with an opening in the front sewn in the shape of a Y upside-down

• a pair of Y-Fronts

Z Cars
Z Cars Z Cars [Z Cars] BrE NAmE a popular ↑BBC television series (1960–78) about a group of ↑fictional police officers in ↑Liverpool. It dealt with the problems of ordinary police work in a realistic way and strongly influenced later programmes of this type.

Z angles
Z angles ˈZ angles [Z angles] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑alternate angles

a believer in something
be a great believer in something be a firm believer in something be a (great/firm) believer in sth idiom

to believe strongly that sth is good, important or valuable

• I've always been a great believer in getting as much sleep as possible.

Main entry: ↑believer_idiom

be a great believer in something be a firm believer in something be a (great/firm) believer in sth idiom

to believe strongly that sth is good, important or valuable

• I've always been a great believer in getting as much sleep as possible.

Main entry: ↑believer_idiom

a different ball game
a whole different ball game a whole new ball game a (whole) different/new ˈball game idiom

(informal) a completely different kind of situation

• Camping in summer is fun, but in winter it's a whole different ball game.

Main entry: ↑ball game_idiom

a lease of life
a new lease of life a new lease on life a (ˌnew) lease of ˈlife idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a (ˌnew) lease on ˈlife) the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life

• Since her hip operation she's had a new lease of life.

Main entry: ↑lease_idiom

a lease on life
a new lease of life a new lease on life a (ˌnew) lease of ˈlife idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a (ˌnew) lease on ˈlife) the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life

• Since her hip operation she's had a new lease of life.

Main entry: ↑lease_idiom

a new ball game
a whole different ball game a whole new ball game a (whole) different/new ˈball game idiom

(informal) a completely different kind of situation

• Camping in summer is fun, but in winter it's a whole different ball game.

Main entry: ↑ball game_idiom

a sight better
a damn sight better a damn sight too good a (damn, etc.) sight better, etc. | a (damn, etc.) sight too good, etc. idiom

(informal) very much better; much too good, etc

• She's done a darn sight better than I have.

• It's worth a damn sight more than I thought.

Main entry: ↑sight_idiom

a sight too good
a damn sight better a damn sight too good a (damn, etc.) sight better, etc. | a (damn, etc.) sight too good, etc. idiom

(informal) very much better; much too good, etc

• She's done a darn sight better than I have.

• It's worth a damn sight more than I thought.

Main entry: ↑sight_idiom

a sport
be a good sport be a (good) ˈsport idiom

(informal) to be generous, cheerful and pleasant, especially in a difficult situation

• She's a good sport.

• Go on, be a sport (= used when asking sb to help you).

Main entry: ↑sport_idiom

a wrench in the works
throw a spanner in the works throw a monkey wrench in the works (throw) a ˈspanner in the works idiom

(BrE) (NAmE (throw) a (ˈmonkey) ˈwrench in the works) (to cause) a delay or problem with sth that sb is planning or doing

Main entry: ↑spanner_idiom

a Skylark
to a Skylark To a Skylark [To a Skylark] BrE NAmE one of the best-known short poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. It was ↑inspired by the song of a bird he heard when in Italy and begins with the famous lines: Hail to thee, blithe Spirit! Bird thou never wert.

a T
to a T to a tee to a ˈT/ˈtee idiom

(informal) used to say that sth is exactly right for sb, succeeds in doing sth in exactly the right way, etc.

• Her new job suits her to a T.

• The novel captures the feeling of the pre-war period to a T.

Main entry: ↑T_idiom

a an evil brew
a witch's evil brew a an evil brew a witch's/an evil ˈbrew idiom

(BrE) an unpleasant drink that is a mixture of different things

Main entry: ↑brew_idiom

a babe in arms
a babe in arms a ˌbabe in ˈarms idiom

(old-fashioned) a very small baby that cannot yet walk

Main entry: ↑babe_idiom

a backhanded compliment
a backhanded compliment a ˌbackhanded ˈcompliment idiom

(NAmE also ˌleft-handed ˈcompliment) a remark that seems to express admiration but could also be understood as an insult

Main entry: ↑backhanded_idiom

a bad end
a bad end a sticky end a bad/sticky ˈend idiom

(BrE) something unpleasant that happens to sb, for example punishment or a violent death, usually because of their own actions

• He'll come to a sticky end one of these days if he carries on like that.

Main entry: ↑end_idiom

a bad lot
a bad lot a bad ˈlot idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE) a person who is dishonest

Main entry: ↑lot_idiom

a bad mixer
a good mixer a bad mixer a good/bad ˈmixer idiom

a person who finds it easy/difficult to talk to people they do not know, for example at a party

Main entry: ↑mixer_idiom

a bad sailor
a good sailor a bad sailor a good/bad ˈsailor idiom

a person who rarely/often becomes sick at sea

Main entry: ↑sailor_idiom

a bad timekeeper
be a good timekeeper be a bad timekeeper be a good/bad ˈtimekeeper idiom

to be regularly on time/late for work

Main entry: ↑timekeeper_idiom

a bag of bones
a bag of bones a ˌbag of ˈbones idiom

(informal) a very thin person or animal

• The cat hadn't been fed for weeks and was just a bag of bones.

Main entry: ↑bag_idiom

a bag of nerves
be a bag of nerves be a bundle of nerves be a bag/bundle of ˈnerves idiom

(informal) to be very nervous

Main entry: ↑nerve_idiom

a bag of tricks
a bag of tricks a box of tricks a bag/box of ˈtricks idiom

(informal) a set of methods or equipment that sb can use

• Hotel managers are using a whole new bag of tricks to attract their guests.

Main entry: ↑trick_idiom

a ball and chain
a ball and chain a ˌball and ˈchain idiom

(BrE) a problem that prevents you from doing what you would like to do

Main entry: ↑ball_idiom

a ball of fire
a ball of fire a ˌball of ˈfire idiom

(informal) a person who is full of energy and enthusiasm

Main entry: ↑ball_idiom

a baptism of fire
a baptism of fire a ˌbaptism of ˈfire idiom

a difficult introduction to a new job or activity

Main entry: ↑baptism_idiom

a barrel of laughs
a barrel of laughs a barrel of ˈlaughs idiom

(often ironic) very amusing; a lot of fun

• Life hasn't exactly been a barrel of laughs lately.

Main entry: ↑barrel_idiom

a bed of roses
not a bed of roses (not) a bed of ˈroses idiom

(not) an easy or a pleasant situation

• Their life together hasn't exactly been a bed of roses.

Main entry: ↑bed_idiom

a big ask
a big ask a big ˈask idiom

(informal) a difficult thing to achieve or deal with

• Beating the world champions is certainly a big ask for the team.

Main entry: ↑ask_idiom

a big cheese
a big cheese a ˌbig ˈcheese idiom

(informal, humorous) an important and powerful person, especially in an organization

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big fish
a big fish in a small pond a big fish (in a small pond) idiom

an important person (in a small community)

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big fish in a small pond
a big fish in a small pond a big fish (in a small pond) idiom

an important person (in a small community)

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big girl's blouse
a big girl's blouse a ˌbig girl's ˈblouse idiom

(BrE, informal) a weak man, who is not brave or confident

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big name
a big noise a big shot a big name a big noise/shot/name idiom

an important person

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big noise
a big noise a big shot a big name a big noise/shot/name idiom

an important person

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a big shot
a big noise a big shot a big name a big noise/shot/name idiom

an important person

Main entry: ↑big_idiom

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush a bird in the ˈhand is worth two in the ˈbush idiom

(saying) it is better to keep sth that you already have than to risk losing it by trying to get much more

Main entry: ↑bird_idiom

a bird's-eye view
a bird's-eye view of something a ˌbird's-ˌeye ˈview (of sth) idiom

a view of sth from a high position looking down

• From the plane we had a bird's eye view of Manhattan.

Main entry: ↑bird_idiom

a bird's-eye view of something
a bird's-eye view of something a ˌbird's-ˌeye ˈview (of sth) idiom

a view of sth from a high position looking down

• From the plane we had a bird's eye view of Manhattan.

Main entry: ↑bird_idiom

a bit much
a bit much a bit ˈmuch idiom

(informal) not fair or not reasonable

• It's a bit much calling me at three in the morning.

• The noise from next door is getting a bit much.

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

a bit of a …
a bit of a … a bit of a… idiom

(informal, especially BrE) used when talking about unpleasant or negative things or ideas, to mean ‘rather a…’

• We may have a bit of a problem on our hands.

• The rail strike is a bit of a pain.

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

a bit of all right
a bit of all right a bit of all ˈright f9 idiom

(BrE, slang) a person that you think is sexually attractive

• Dave's new girlfriend is a bit of all right, isn't she?

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

a bit of rough
a bit of rough a bit of ˈrough f9 idiom

(BrE, slang) a person of a low social class who has a sexual relationship with sb of a higher class

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

a bit on the side
a bit on the side a bit on the ˈside idiom

(BrE, slang) the boyfriend or girlfriend of sb who is already married or in a steady sexual relationship with sb else

• Is he your bit on the side?

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

a bit strong
be a bit strong be a bit ˈstrong idiom

(BrE, informal) used to say that you think what sb has said is unfair or too critical

Main entry: ↑strong_idiom

a bite at the cherry
a bite at the cherry a bite of the cherry a bite at/of the ˈcherry idiom

(BrE) an opportunity to do sth

• You only get one bite at the cherry in life.

• They were eager for a second bite of the cherry.

Main entry: ↑bite_idiom

a bite of the cherry
a bite at the cherry a bite of the cherry a bite at/of the ˈcherry idiom

(BrE) an opportunity to do sth

• You only get one bite at the cherry in life.

• They were eager for a second bite of the cherry.

Main entry: ↑bite_idiom

a bitter pill
a bitter pill for somebody to swallow a bitter ˈpill (for sb) (to swallow) idiom

a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept

• The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.

Main entry: ↑bitter_idiom

a bitter pill to swallow
a bitter pill for somebody to swallow a bitter ˈpill (for sb) (to swallow) idiom

a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept

• The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.

Main entry: ↑bitter_idiom

a bitter pill for somebody
a bitter pill for somebody to swallow a bitter ˈpill (for sb) (to swallow) idiom

a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept

• The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.

Main entry: ↑bitter_idiom

a bitter pill for somebody to swallow
a bitter pill for somebody to swallow a bitter ˈpill (for sb) (to swallow) idiom

a fact or an event that is unpleasant and difficult to accept

• The election defeat was a bitter pill for the party to swallow.

Main entry: ↑bitter_idiom

a blast from the past
a blast from the past a ˌblast from the ˈpast idiom

(informal) a person or thing from your past that you see, hear, meet, etc. again in the present

Main entry: ↑blast_idiom

a blessing in disguise
a blessing in disguise a blessing in disˈguise idiom

something that seems to be a problem at first, but that has good results in the end

Main entry: ↑blessing_idiom

a blot on the landscape
a blot on the landscape a blot on the ˈlandscape idiom

an object, especially an ugly building, that spoils the beauty of a place

Main entry: ↑blot_idiom

a blow-by-blow account
a blow-by-blow account of something a blow-by-blow description of something a ˌblow-by-ˌblow acˈcount, deˈscription, etc. (of sth) idiom

(informal) a description of an event which gives you all the details in the order in which they happen

• He insisted on giving us a blow-by-blow account of what had happened.

Main entry: ↑blow_idiom

a blow-by-blow account of something
a blow-by-blow account of something a blow-by-blow description of something a ˌblow-by-ˌblow acˈcount, deˈscription, etc. (of sth) idiom

(informal) a description of an event which gives you all the details in the order in which they happen

• He insisted on giving us a blow-by-blow account of what had happened.

Main entry: ↑blow_idiom

a blow-by-blow description
a blow-by-blow account of something a blow-by-blow description of something a ˌblow-by-ˌblow acˈcount, deˈscription, etc. (of sth) idiom

(informal) a description of an event which gives you all the details in the order in which they happen

• He insisted on giving us a blow-by-blow account of what had happened.

Main entry: ↑blow_idiom

a blow-by-blow description of something
a blow-by-blow account of something a blow-by-blow description of something a ˌblow-by-ˌblow acˈcount, deˈscription, etc. (of sth) idiom

(informal) a description of an event which gives you all the details in the order in which they happen

• He insisted on giving us a blow-by-blow account of what had happened.

Main entry: ↑blow_idiom

a bolt from the blue
a bolt from the blue a ˌbolt from the ˈblue idiom

an event or a piece of news which is sudden and unexpected; a complete surprise

• Her dismissal came as a bolt from the blue.

Main entry: ↑bolt_idiom

a bone of contention
a bone of contention a bone of conˈtention idiom

a subject which causes disagreement and arguments between people

Main entry: ↑bone_idiom

a bottomless pit
a bottomless pit of something a bottomless ˈpit (of sth) idiom

a thing or situation which seems to have no limits or seems never to end

• There isn't a bottomless pit of money for public spending.

• the bottomless pit of his sorrow

Main entry: ↑bottomless_idiom

a bottomless pit of something
a bottomless pit of something a bottomless ˈpit (of sth) idiom

a thing or situation which seems to have no limits or seems never to end

• There isn't a bottomless pit of money for public spending.

• the bottomless pit of his sorrow

Main entry: ↑bottomless_idiom

a bounden duty
a bounden duty your bounden duty a/your bounden ˈduty idiom

(old-fashioned, formal) something that you feel you must do; a responsibility which cannot be ignored

• He felt it was his bounden duty to tell the police what he knew.

• We have a bounden duty to respond to this call for help.

Main entry: ↑bounden_idiom

a box of tricks
a bag of tricks a box of tricks a bag/box of ˈtricks idiom

(informal) a set of methods or equipment that sb can use

• Hotel managers are using a whole new bag of tricks to attract their guests.

Main entry: ↑trick_idiom

a brave new world
a brave new world (a) ˌbrave new ˈworld idiom

a situation or society that changes in a way that is meant to improve people's lives but is often a source of extra problems

• the brave new world of technology

Main entry: ↑brave_idiom

a breath of air
a breath of air breath of air a breath of (fresh) ˈair idiom

clean air breathed in after being indoors or in a dirty atmosphere

• We'll get a breath of fresh air at lunchtime.

Main entry: ↑breath_idiom

a breath of fresh air
a breath of fresh air ▪ I. a breath of (fresh) ˈair idiom

clean air breathed in after being indoors or in a dirty atmosphere

• We'll get a breath of fresh air at lunchtime.

Main entry: ↑breath_idiom

▪ II. a breath of fresh ˈair idiom

a person, thing or place that is new and different and therefore interesting and exciting

Main entry: ↑breath_idiom

a brick short of a load sandwiches short of a picnic
a brick short of a load sandwiches short of a picnic a brick short of a two sandwiches short of a picnic a ˌbrick short of a ˈload, two ˌsandwiches short of a ˈpicnic, etc. idiom

(informal) (of a person) stupid; not very intelligent

Main entry: ↑short_idiom

a brick short of a two sandwiches short of a picnic
a brick short of a load sandwiches short of a picnic a brick short of a two sandwiches short of a picnic a ˌbrick short of a ˈload, two ˌsandwiches short of a ˈpicnic, etc. idiom

(informal) (of a person) stupid; not very intelligent

Main entry: ↑short_idiom

a bright spark
a bright spark a bright ˈspark idiom

(BrE, informal, often ironic) a lively and intelligent person, especially sb young

• Some bright spark (= stupid person) left the tap running all night.

Main entry: ↑bright_idiom

a bright spot
a bright spot the bright spot a/the ˈbright spot idiom

a good or pleasant part of sth that is unpleasant or bad in all other ways

• The win last week was the only bright spot in their last ten games.

Main entry: ↑bright_idiom

a broad church
a broad church a broad ˈchurch idiom

(BrE) an organization that accepts a wide range of opinions

Syn: ↑big tent

• The party aims to be a broad church with members from all sections of society.

Main entry: ↑broad_idiom

a bull in a china shop
a bull in a china shop a bull in a ˈchina shop idiom

a person who is careless, or who moves or acts in a rough or awkward way, in a place or situation where skill and care are needed

• You're not going to go storming in there like a bull in a china shop, are you?

Main entry: ↑bull_idiom

a bundle of nerves
be a bag of nerves be a bundle of nerves be a bag/bundle of ˈnerves idiom

(informal) to be very nervous

Main entry: ↑nerve_idiom

a buyer's market
a buyer's market a ˌbuyer's ˈmarket idiom

a situation in which there is a lot of a particular item for sale, so that prices are low and people buying have a choice

Main entry: ↑buyer_idiom

a can of worms
a can of worms a can of ˈworms idiom

(informal) if you open up a can of worms, you start doing sth that will cause a lot of problems and be very difficult

Main entry: ↑can_idiom

a cappella
a cappella ▪ I. a cap·pella f60 BrE [ˌæ kəˈpelə] NAmE [ˌæ kəˈpelə] BrE [ˌɑː kəˈpelə] NAmE [ˌɑː kəˈpelə] adjective

(of music) for singing voices alone, without musical instruments

Derived Word: ↑cappella

Word Origin:

[a cappella] Italian, literally in chapel style.

▪ II. a cap·pella adverb

Main entry: ↑cappella_derived

a case in point
a case in point a case in ˈpoint idiom

a clear example of the problem, situation, etc. that is being discussed

Main entry: ↑case_idiom

a case of dog eat dog
a case of dog eat dog (a case of) ˌdog eat ˈdog idiom

a situation in business, politics, etc. where there is a lot of competition and people are willing to harm each other in order to succeed

• I'm afraid in this line of work it's a case of dog eat dog.

• We're operating in a dog-eat-dog world.

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a catch-22
a catch-22 a catch-22 situation (a) catch-22 | a catch-22 situation idiom

(informal) a difficult situation from which there is no escape because you need to do one thing before doing a second, and you cannot do the second thing before doing the first

• I can't get a job because I haven't got anywhere to live but I can't afford a place to live until I get a job— it's a catch-22 situation.

Main entry: ↑catch_idiom

a catch-22 situation
a catch-22 a catch-22 situation (a) catch-22 | a catch-22 situation idiom

(informal) a difficult situation from which there is no escape because you need to do one thing before doing a second, and you cannot do the second thing before doing the first

• I can't get a job because I haven't got anywhere to live but I can't afford a place to live until I get a job— it's a catch-22 situation.

Main entry: ↑catch_idiom

a change for the better
a change for the better a change for the worse a change for the ˈbetter/ˈworse idiom

a person, thing, situation, etc. that is better/worse than the previous or present one

• Voters see the new leader as a change for the better.

Main entry: ↑change_idiom

a change for the worse
a change for the better a change for the worse a change for the ˈbetter/ˈworse idiom

a person, thing, situation, etc. that is better/worse than the previous or present one

• Voters see the new leader as a change for the better.

Main entry: ↑change_idiom

a change of heart
a change of heart a ˌchange of ˈheart idiom

if you have a change of heart, your attitude towards sth changes, usually making you feel more friendly, helpful, etc

• Dan did not want to get married but recently he's had a change of heart.

Main entry: ↑change_idiom

a change of mind
a change of mind a ˌchange of ˈmind idiom

an act of changing what you think about a situation, etc.

Main entry: ↑change_idiom

a chapter of accidents
a chapter of accidents a ˌchapter of ˈaccidents f6 idiom

(BrE) a series of unfortunate events

• The whole affair has been a chapter of accidents from start to finish.

Main entry: ↑chapter_idiom

a chicken-and-egg problem
a chicken-and-egg situation a chicken-and-egg problem a ˌchicken-and-ˈegg situation, problem, etc. idiom

a situation in which it is difficult to tell which one of two things was the cause of the other

Main entry: ↑chicken_idiom

a chicken-and-egg situation
a chicken-and-egg situation a chicken-and-egg problem a ˌchicken-and-ˈegg situation, problem, etc. idiom

a situation in which it is difficult to tell which one of two things was the cause of the other

Main entry: ↑chicken_idiom

a chink in somebody's armour
a chink in somebody's armour a chink in sb's ˈarmour idiom

a weak point in sb's argument, character, etc, that can be used in an attack

Main entry: ↑chink_idiom

a chinless wonder
a chinless wonder a chinless ˈwonder idiom

(BrE, humorous, disapproving) a young, upper-class man who is weak and stupid

Main entry: ↑chinless_idiom

a chip off the old block
a chip off the old block a ˌchip off the old ˈblock idiom

(informal) a person who is very similar to their mother or father in the way that they look or behave

Main entry: ↑chip_idiom

a clean bill of health
a clean bill of health a clean bill of ˈhealth idiom

a report that says sb is healthy or that sth is in good condition

• Doctors gave him a clean bill of health after a series of tests and examinations.

• The building was given a clean bill of health by the surveyor.

Main entry: ↑clean_idiom

a clean break
a clean break a clean ˈbreak idiom

1. a complete separation from a person, an organization, a way of life, etc

• She wanted to make a clean break with the past.

2. a break in a bone in one place

Main entry: ↑clean_idiom

a clean sheet
a clean sheet a clean slate a clean ˈsheet/ˈslate idiom

a record of your work or behaviour that does not show any mistakes or bad things that you have done

• No government operates with a completely clean sheet.

• They kept a clean sheet in the match (= no goals were scored against them).

Main entry: ↑clean_idiom

a clean slate
a clean sheet a clean slate a clean ˈsheet/ˈslate idiom

a record of your work or behaviour that does not show any mistakes or bad things that you have done

• No government operates with a completely clean sheet.

• They kept a clean sheet in the match (= no goals were scored against them).

Main entry: ↑clean_idiom

a close call
a close call a close shave a ˌclose ˈcall/ˈshave idiom

(informal) a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.

Main entry: ↑close_idiom

a close run thing
a close run thing a close run ˈthing idiom

a situation in which sb only just wins or loses, for example in a competition or an election

• Mr Taylor's election defeat was a close run thing.

Main entry: ↑close_idiom

a close shave
a close call a close shave a ˌclose ˈcall/ˈshave idiom

(informal) a situation in which you only just manage to avoid an accident, etc.

Main entry: ↑close_idiom

a close thing
a close thing a close ˈthing idiom

a situation in which success or failure is equally possible

• We got him out in the end, but it was a close thing.

Main entry: ↑close_idiom

a closed book
a closed book to somebody a closed ˈbook (to sb) idiom

a subject or person that you know nothing about

• Nuclear physics is a closed book to most of us.

Main entry: ↑closed_idiom

a closed book to somebody
a closed book to somebody a closed ˈbook (to sb) idiom

a subject or person that you know nothing about

• Nuclear physics is a closed book to most of us.

Main entry: ↑closed_idiom

a cog in the machine
a cog in the machine a cog in the wheel a cog in the maˈchine/ˈwheel idiom

(informal) a person who is a small part of a large organization

Main entry: ↑cog_idiom

a cog in the wheel
a cog in the machine a cog in the wheel a cog in the maˈchine/ˈwheel idiom

(informal) a person who is a small part of a large organization

Main entry: ↑cog_idiom

a cold fish
a cold fish a cold ˈfish idiom

a person who seems unfriendly and without strong emotions

Main entry: ↑cold_idiom

a contradiction in terms
a contradiction in terms a ˌcontradiction in ˈterms idiom

a statement containing two words that ↑contradict each other's meaning

• A ‘nomad settlement’ is a contradiction in terms.

Main entry: ↑contradiction_idiom

a counsel of despair
a counsel of despair a counsel of desˈpair f9 idiom

(formal) advice not to try to do sth because it is too difficult

Main entry: ↑counsel_idiom

a counsel of perfection
a counsel of perfection a counsel of perˈfection f7 idiom

(formal) advice that is good but that is difficult or impossible to follow

Main entry: ↑counsel_idiom

a couple
a couple a couple BrE ; NAmE pronoun

• Do you need any more glasses? I've got a couple I can lend you.

Main entry: ↑couple_derived

a crashing bore
a crashing bore a crashing ˈbore idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE) a very boring person

Main entry: ↑crash_idiom

a creature of somebody
a creature of somebody the creature of somebody somebody's creature a/the creature of sb | sb's creature idiom

(formal, disapproving) a person or thing that depends completely on sb else and is controlled by them

Main entry: ↑creature_idiom

a crock of gold
a crock of gold a pot of gold a crock/pot of ˈgold idiom

a large prize or reward that sb hopes for but is unlikely to get

Main entry: ↑gold_idiom

a crock of shit
a crock of shit a ˌcrock of ˈshit idiom

(taboo, slang, especially NAmE) something that is not true

Main entry: ↑crock_idiom

a crying need
a crying need for something a crying ˈneed (for sth) idiom

a great and urgent need for sth

• There is a crying need for more funds.

Main entry: ↑crying_idiom

a crying need for something
a crying need for something a crying ˈneed (for sth) idiom

a great and urgent need for sth

• There is a crying need for more funds.

Main entry: ↑crying_idiom

a crying shame
be a crying shame be a crying ˈshame idiom

(informal) used to emphasize that you think sth is extremely bad or shocking

• It's a crying shame to waste all that food.

Main entry: ↑crying_idiom

a curate's egg
the curate's egg a curate's egg the/a ˌcurate's ˈegg f18 idiom

(BrE) something that has some good parts and some bad ones

Main entry: ↑curate_idiom

a cushy number
a cushy number a cushy ˈnumber idiom

(BrE) an easy job; a pleasant situation that other people would like

Main entry: ↑cushy_idiom

a cut above somebody
a cut above somebody a cut above something a cut above sb/sth idiom

better than sb/sth

• His latest novel is a cut above the rest.

Main entry: ↑cut_idiom

a cut above something
a cut above somebody a cut above something a cut above sb/sth idiom

better than sb/sth

• His latest novel is a cut above the rest.

Main entry: ↑cut_idiom

a damn sight better
a damn sight better a damn sight too good a (damn, etc.) sight better, etc. | a (damn, etc.) sight too good, etc. idiom

(informal) very much better; much too good, etc

• She's done a darn sight better than I have.

• It's worth a damn sight more than I thought.

Main entry: ↑sight_idiom

a damn sight too good
a damn sight better a damn sight too good a (damn, etc.) sight better, etc. | a (damn, etc.) sight too good, etc. idiom

(informal) very much better; much too good, etc

• She's done a darn sight better than I have.

• It's worth a damn sight more than I thought.

Main entry: ↑sight_idiom

a damp squib
a damp squib a damp ˈsquib idiom

(BrE, informal) an event that is disappointing because it is not as exciting or impressive as expected

• The celebrations were a bit of a damp squib.

Main entry: ↑damp_idiom

a damsel in distress
a damsel in distress a ˌdamsel in diˈstress idiom

(humorous) a woman who needs help

Main entry: ↑damsel_idiom

a dark horse
a dark horse a dark ˈhorse idiom

1. (BrE) a person who does not tell other people much about their life, and who surprises other people by having interesting qualities

2. a person taking part in a race, etc. who surprises everyone by winning

Main entry: ↑dark_idiom

a day of reckoning
a day of reckoning a day of ˈreckoning idiom

the time when sb will have to deal with the result of sth that they have done wrong, or be punished for sth bad that they have done

Main entry: ↑day_idiom

a day or two
a day or two a moment or two a pound or two a ˈday, ˈmoment, ˈpound, etc. or two idiom

one or a few days, moments, pounds, etc

• May I borrow it for a day or two?

Main entry: ↑two_idiom

a dead duck
a dead duck a ˌdead ˈduck idiom

(informal) a plan, an event, etc. that has failed or is certain to fail and that is therefore not worth discussing

Main entry: ↑dead_idiom

a dead ringer for somebody
be a dead ringer for somebody be a dead ˈringer for sb idiom

(informal) to look very like sb

• She's a dead ringer for a girl I used to know.

Main entry: ↑dead_idiom

a devil
be a devil be a ˈdevil idiom

(BrE) people say Be a devil! to encourage sb to do sth that they are not sure about doing

• Go on, be a devil, buy both of them.

Main entry: ↑devil_idiom

a devil of a job
a devil of a job a devil of a time a ˈdevil of a job/time idiom

(old-fashioned) a very difficult or unpleasant job or time

• I've had a devil of a job finding you.

Main entry: ↑devil_idiom

a devil of a time
a devil of a job a devil of a time a ˈdevil of a job/time idiom

(old-fashioned) a very difficult or unpleasant job or time

• I've had a devil of a job finding you.

Main entry: ↑devil_idiom

a different kettle of fish
a different kettle of fish a different kettle of fish idiom

(informal) a completely different situation or person from the one previously mentioned

Main entry: ↑different_idiom

a different matter
be another different matter be a different matter be another/a different ˈmatter idiom to be very different

• I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a dime a dozen
a dime a dozen a ˌdime a ˈdozen idiom

(NAmE) (BrE ˌtwo/ˌten a ˈpenny) very common and therefore not valuable

Main entry: ↑dime_idiom

a dirty word
be a dirty word be a dirty ˈword idiom

to be a subject or an idea that people think is bad or immoral

• Profit is not a dirty word around here.

Main entry: ↑dirty_idiom

a disaster waiting to happen
an accident disaster waiting to happen an a disaster waiting to happen an ˌaccident/a diˌsaster waiting to ˈhappen idiom

a thing or person that is very likely to cause danger or a problem in the future because of the condition it is in or the way they behave

Main entry: ↑wait_idiom

a dog and pony show
a dog and pony show a ˌdog and ˈpony show idiom

(NAmE, informal, disapproving) an event that is planned only in order to impress people so that they will support or buy sth

• the dog and pony show of his visits to the war zone

• a dog and pony show to sell the idea to investors

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a dog in the manger
a dog in the manger a ˌdog in the ˈmanger idiom

a person who stops other people from enjoying what he or she cannot use or does not want

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a dog's breakfast
a dog's breakfast a dog's dinner a dog's ˈbreakfast/ˈdinner idiom

(BrE, informal) a thing that has been done badly

Syn: ↑mess

• He's made a real dog's breakfast of these accounts.

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a dog's dinner
a dog's breakfast a dog's dinner a dog's ˈbreakfast/ˈdinner idiom

(BrE, informal) a thing that has been done badly

Syn: ↑mess

• He's made a real dog's breakfast of these accounts.

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a dog's life
a dog's life a ˈdog's life idiom

an unhappy life, full of problems or unfair treatment

• He led poor Amy a dog's life. She was desperately lonely, poor dear.

Main entry: ↑dog_idiom

a done deal
a done deal a ˌdone ˈdeal idiom

an agreement or a plan that has been finally completed or agreed

• The merger is by no means a done deal yet.

Main entry: ↑done_idiom

a dose of your own medicine
a taste of your own medicine a dose of your own medicine a taste/dose of your own ˈmedicine idiom

the same bad treatment that you have given to others

• Let the bully have a taste of his own medicine.

Main entry: ↑medicine_idiom

a double-edged sword
be a double-edged sword be a double-edged weapon be a double-edged ˈsword/ˈweapon idiom

to be sth that has both advantages and disadvantages

Main entry: ↑double-edged_idiom

a double-edged weapon
be a double-edged sword be a double-edged weapon be a double-edged ˈsword/ˈweapon idiom

to be sth that has both advantages and disadvantages

Main entry: ↑double-edged_idiom

a drop in the bucket
a drop in the ocean a drop in the bucket a ˌdrop in the ˈocean idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a ˌdrop in the ˈbucket) an amount of sth that is too small or unimportant to make any real difference to a situation

• The amount of money raised was a drop in the ocean compared to what we needed.

Main entry: ↑drop_idiom

a drop in the ocean
a drop in the ocean a drop in the bucket a ˌdrop in the ˈocean idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a ˌdrop in the ˈbucket) an amount of sth that is too small or unimportant to make any real difference to a situation

• The amount of money raised was a drop in the ocean compared to what we needed.

Main entry: ↑drop_idiom

a fact of life
a fact of life a ˌfact of ˈlife idiom

a situation that cannot be changed, especially one that is unpleasant

• It's a fact of life that some people will always be racist.

Main entry: ↑fact_idiom

a fair crack of the whip
a fair crack of the whip a fair crack of the ˈwhip idiom

(BrE, informal) a reasonable opportunity to show that you can do sth

• I felt we weren't given a fair crack of the whip.

Main entry: ↑fair_idiom

a fair hearing
give somebody a fair hearing (give sb) a fair ˈhearing idiom

(to allow sb) the opportunity to give their opinion of sth before deciding if they have done sth wrong, often in court

• I'll see that you get a fair hearing.

Main entry: ↑fair_idiom

a fair shake
give somebody a fair shake give get a fair shake (give sb/get) a fair ˈshake f26 idiom

(NAmE, informal) (to give sb/get) fair treatment that gives you the same chance as sb else

• Are minority students getting a fair shake at college?

Main entry: ↑fair_idiom

give somebody a fair shake give get a fair shake (give sb/get) a fair ˈshake f26 idiom

(NAmE, informal) (to give sb/get) fair treatment that gives you the same chance as sb else

• Are minority students getting a fair shake at college?

Main entry: ↑fair_idiom

a far cry from something
a far cry from something a far cry from sth idiom

a very different experience from sth

Syn: ↑remote

• All this luxury was a far cry from the poverty of his childhood.

Main entry: ↑far_idiom

a fast talker
a fast talker a fast ˈtalker idiom

a person who can talk very quickly and easily, but who cannot always be trusted

• As a politician, she had the reputation for being a real fast talker.

Main entry: ↑fast_idiom

a fast worker
a fast worker a fast ˈworker idiom

(informal) a person who knows how to get what they want quickly, especially when beginning a sexual relationship with sb

Main entry: ↑fast_idiom

a fat chance
a fat chance of something something a fat chance of doing something (a) fat ˈchance (of sth/doing sth) idiom

(informal) used for saying that you do not believe sth is likely to happen

• ‘They might let us in without tickets.’ ‘Fat chance of that!’

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fat chance of something something a fat chance of doing something (a) fat ˈchance (of sth/doing sth) idiom

(informal) used for saying that you do not believe sth is likely to happen

• ‘They might let us in without tickets.’ ‘Fat chance of that!’

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fat chance of doing something
a fat chance of something something a fat chance of doing something (a) fat ˈchance (of sth/doing sth) idiom

(informal) used for saying that you do not believe sth is likely to happen

• ‘They might let us in without tickets.’ ‘Fat chance of that!’

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fat chance of something something
a fat chance of something something a fat chance of doing something (a) fat ˈchance (of sth/doing sth) idiom

(informal) used for saying that you do not believe sth is likely to happen

• ‘They might let us in without tickets.’ ‘Fat chance of that!’

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fat lot of good
a fat lot of good a fat lot of use a fat lot of good, use, etc. idiom

(informal) not at all good or useful

• Paul can't drive so he was a fat lot of use when I broke my arm.

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fat lot of use
a fat lot of good a fat lot of use a fat lot of good, use, etc. idiom

(informal) not at all good or useful

• Paul can't drive so he was a fat lot of use when I broke my arm.

Main entry: ↑fat_idiom

a fate worse than death
a fate worse than death a fate worse than ˈdeath idiom

(often humorous) a terrible thing that could happen

• At the last minute the hero saves her from a fate worse than death.

Main entry: ↑fate_idiom

a fault
to a fault to a ˈfault idiom

used to say that sb has a lot, or even too much, of a particular good quality

• She is generous to a fault.

Main entry: ↑fault_idiom

a feather in your cap
a feather in your cap a ˈfeather in your cap idiom

an action that you can be proud of This idiom comes from the Native American custom of giving a feather to sb who had been very brave in battle.

Main entry: ↑feather_idiom

a fight to the finish
a fight to the finish a fight to the ˈfinish idiom

a sports competition, election, etc. between sides that are so equal in ability that they continue fighting very hard until the end

• Six teams are bitter rivals in what will be a fight to the finish.

Main entry: ↑fight_idiom

a fighting chance
a fighting chance a ˌfighting ˈchance idiom

a small chance of being successful if a great effort is made

• We still have a fighting chance of beating them and winning the Cup.

• If you win this round then you still have a fighting chance.

Main entry: ↑fight_idiom

a figment of somebody's imagination
a figment of somebody's imagination a figment of sb's imagiˈnation idiom

something that sb has imagined and that does not really exist

• Are you telling me that these symptoms are just a figment of my imagination?

Main entry: ↑figment_idiom

a firm believer in something
be a great believer in something be a firm believer in something be a (great/firm) believer in sth idiom

to believe strongly that sth is good, important or valuable

• I've always been a great believer in getting as much sleep as possible.

Main entry: ↑believer_idiom

a firm hand
a firm hand a firm ˈhand idiom

strong control or discipline

• Those children need a firm hand to make them behave.

Main entry: ↑firm_idiom

a fish out of water
a fish out of water a ˌfish out of ˈwater idiom

a person who feels uncomfortable or awkward because he or she is in surroundings that are not familiar

Main entry: ↑fish_idiom

a flash in the pan
a flash in the pan a ˌflash in the ˈpan idiom

a sudden success that lasts only a short time and is not likely to be repeated

• He needed to prove that his success was not just a flash in the pan.

Main entry: ↑flash_idiom

a fly in the ointment
a fly in the ointment the fly in the ointment a/the fly in the ˈointment idiom

a person or thing that spoils a situation or an occasion that is fine in all other ways

Main entry: ↑fly_idiom

a fly on the wall
a fly on the wall a fly on the ˈwall idiom

a person who watches others without being noticed

• I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he tells her the news.

• fly-on-the-wall documentaries (= in which people are filmed going about their normal lives as if the camera were not there)

Main entry: ↑fly_idiom

a following wind
a following wind a ˌfollowing ˈwind idiom

a wind blowing in the same direction as a ship or other vehicle that helps it move faster

• With a generous following wind, we sped across the lake.

Main entry: ↑following_idiom

a fool and his money are soon parted
a fool and his money are soon parted a ˌfool and his ˌmoney are soon ˈparted idiom

(saying) a person who is not sensible usually spends money too quickly or carelessly, or is cheated by others

Main entry: ↑fool_idiom

a foregone conclusion
a foregone conclusion a ˌforegone conˈclusion idiom

if you say that sth is a foregone conclusion, you mean that it is a result that is certain to happen

• The outcome of the vote is a foregone conclusion.

Main entry: ↑foregone_idiom

a fortiori
a fortiori a for·ti·ori 7 [a fortiori] BrE [ˌeɪ ˌfɔːtiˈɔːraɪ] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˌfɔːrtiˈɔːraɪ] adverb (formal or law) (from Latin)

for or with an even stronger reason

a friend in need
a friend in need is a friend indeed a ˌfriend in ˈneed (is a ˌfriend inˈdeed) idiom

(saying) a friend who gives you help when you need it (is a true friend)

Main entry: ↑friend_idiom

a friend in need is a friend indeed
a friend in need is a friend indeed a ˌfriend in ˈneed (is a ˌfriend inˈdeed) idiom

(saying) a friend who gives you help when you need it (is a true friend)

Main entry: ↑friend_idiom

a game
be a game be a ˈgame idiom

to not be considered to be serious

• For her the whole project was just a game.

Main entry: ↑game_idiom

a gentleman of leisure
a gentleman of leisure a lady of leisure a ˌgentleman/ˌlady of ˈleisure idiom

(humorous) a man/woman who does not have to work

Main entry: ↑leisure_idiom

a ghost of your former self
be a shadow of your former self be a ghost of your former self be a shadow/ghost of your former ˈself idiom

to not have the strength, influence, etc. that you used to have

• When his career ended, he became a shadow of his former self.

Main entry: ↑former_idiom

a gift for gab
the gift of the gab a gift for gab a gift of gab the gift of the ˈgab idiom

(BrE) (US a gift for/of ˈgab) (informal, sometimes disapproving) the ability to speak easily and to persuade other people with your words

• Joe's got the gift of the gab— he can sell anything.

Main entry: ↑gift_idiom

a gift of gab
the gift of the gab a gift for gab a gift of gab the gift of the ˈgab idiom

(BrE) (US a gift for/of ˈgab) (informal, sometimes disapproving) the ability to speak easily and to persuade other people with your words

• Joe's got the gift of the gab— he can sell anything.

Main entry: ↑gift_idiom

a go
be a go be a ˈgo idiom

(NAmE, informal) to be planned and possible or allowed

• I'm not sure if Friday's trip is a go.

Main entry: ↑go_idiom

a gogo
a gogo a gogo 7 [a gogo] BrE [ə ˈɡəʊɡəʊ] NAmE [ə ˈɡoʊɡoʊ] adjective after noun (informal)

in large quantities

Syn: ↑galore

• There are photos a gogo on our website.

a going concern
a going concern a ˌgoing conˈcern idiom

a business or an activity that is making a profit and is expected to continue to do well

• He sold the cafe as a going concern.

Main entry: ↑going_idiom

a good Samaritan
a good Samaritan a ˌgood Saˈmaritan idiom

a person who gives help and sympathy to people who need it From the Bible story of a person from Samaria who helps an injured man that nobody else will help

Main entry: ↑Samaritan_idiom

a good bet
a good bet a safe bet a ˌgood/ˌsafe ˈbet idiom

something that is likely to happen, to succeed or to be suitable

• Clothes are a safe bet as a present for a teenager.

Main entry: ↑bet_idiom

a good egg
a good egg a ˈgood egg idiom

(old-fashioned, informal) a person who you can rely on to behave well

Main entry: ↑egg_idiom

a good few
a good few a good ˈfew idiom

several

• There are still a good few empty seats.

Main entry: ↑good_idiom

a good job
a good job a good ˈjob idiom

(informal) used to say that you are pleased about a situation or that sb is lucky that sth happened

• It's a good job you were there to help.

Main entry: ↑job_idiom

a good mixer
a good mixer a bad mixer a good/bad ˈmixer idiom

a person who finds it easy/difficult to talk to people they do not know, for example at a party

Main entry: ↑mixer_idiom

a good sailor
a good sailor a bad sailor a good/bad ˈsailor idiom

a person who rarely/often becomes sick at sea

Main entry: ↑sailor_idiom

a good sport
be a good sport be a (good) ˈsport idiom

(informal) to be generous, cheerful and pleasant, especially in a difficult situation

• She's a good sport.

• Go on, be a sport (= used when asking sb to help you).

Main entry: ↑sport_idiom

a good thing …
be a good thing that … be a ˈgood thing (that)… idiom

to be lucky that…

• It's a good thing we got here early.

Main entry: ↑thing_idiom

a good thing that …
be a good thing that … be a ˈgood thing (that)… idiom

to be lucky that…

• It's a good thing we got here early.

Main entry: ↑thing_idiom

a good timekeeper
be a good timekeeper be a bad timekeeper be a good/bad ˈtimekeeper idiom

to be regularly on time/late for work

Main entry: ↑timekeeper_idiom

a good turn
do somebody a good turn (do sb) a good ˈturn idiom

(to do) sth that helps sb

• Well, that's my good turn for the day.

Main entry: ↑turn_idiom

a grand old age
a grand old age of … the grand old age of … a/the ˌgrand old ˈage (of…) idiom

a great age

• She finally learned to drive at the grand old age of 70.

Main entry: ↑grand_idiom

a grand old age of …
a grand old age of … the grand old age of … a/the ˌgrand old ˈage (of…) idiom

a great age

• She finally learned to drive at the grand old age of 70.

Main entry: ↑grand_idiom

a grand old man
a grand old man of something the grand old man of something a/the ˌgrand old ˈman (of sth) idiom

a man who is respected in a particular profession that he has been involved in for a long time

• James Lovelock, the grand old man of environmental science

Main entry: ↑grand_idiom

a grand old man of something
a grand old man of something the grand old man of something a/the ˌgrand old ˈman (of sth) idiom

a man who is respected in a particular profession that he has been involved in for a long time

• James Lovelock, the grand old man of environmental science

Main entry: ↑grand_idiom

a great believer in something
be a great believer in something be a firm believer in something be a (great/firm) believer in sth idiom

to believe strongly that sth is good, important or valuable

• I've always been a great believer in getting as much sleep as possible.

Main entry: ↑believer_idiom

a great one for something
be a great one for doing something be a ˈgreat one for (doing) sth idiom

to do sth a lot; to enjoy sth

• I've never been a great one for writing letters.

• You're a great one for quizzes, aren't you?

Main entry: ↑great_idiom

a great one for doing something
be a great one for doing something be a ˈgreat one for (doing) sth idiom

to do sth a lot; to enjoy sth

• I've never been a great one for writing letters.

• You're a great one for quizzes, aren't you?

Main entry: ↑great_idiom

a guilt trip
a guilt trip a ˈguilt trip idiom

(informal) things you say to sb in order to make them feel guilty about sth

• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.

Main entry: ↑guilt_idiom

a guilty secret
a guilty secret a guilty ˈsecret idiom

a secret that sb feels ashamed about

Main entry: ↑guilty_idiom

a happy event
a happy event a ˌhappy eˈvent idiom

the birth of a baby

Main entry: ↑happy_idiom

a happy medium
a happy medium the happy medium a/the happy ˈmedium idiom

something that is in the middle between two choices or two ways of doing sth

• She tried to strike a happy medium between making the questions too hard and making them too easy.

Main entry: ↑happy_idiom

a hard act to follow
a hard act to follow a tough act to follow a ˌhard/ˌtough act to ˈfollow idiom

a person who is so good or successful at sth that it will be difficult for anyone else coming after them to be as good or successful

• She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow.

Main entry: ↑act_idiom

a hard nut
a hard nut ▪ I. a hard/tough ˈnut idiom

(informal) a person who is difficult to deal with or to influence

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

▪ II. a hard/tough ˈnut (to ˈcrack) idiom

a difficult problem or situation to deal with

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

a hard nut to crack
a tough nut to crack a hard nut to crack hard nut to crack tough nut to crack a hard/tough ˈnut (to ˈcrack) idiom

a difficult problem or situation to deal with

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

a head
a head per head a/per ˈhead idiom for each person

• The meal worked out at $20 a head.

Main entry: ↑head_idiom

a heartbeat away
a heartbeat away from something a ˈheartbeat away (from sth) idiom

very close to sth

• Her game is just a heartbeat away from perfection.

Main entry: ↑heartbeat_idiom

a heartbeat away from something
a heartbeat away from something a ˈheartbeat away (from sth) idiom

very close to sth

• Her game is just a heartbeat away from perfection.

Main entry: ↑heartbeat_idiom

a heavy atmosphere
a heavy silence a heavy atmosphere a heavy ˈsilence/ˈatmosphere idiom

a situation when people do not say anything, but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable

Main entry: ↑heavy_idiom

a heavy heart
a heavy heart a heavy ˈheart idiom

a feeling of great sadness

• She left her children behind with a heavy heart.

Main entry: ↑heavy_idiom

a heavy silence
a heavy silence a heavy atmosphere a heavy ˈsilence/ˈatmosphere idiom

a situation when people do not say anything, but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable

Main entry: ↑heavy_idiom

a hell of a …
a hell of a … one hell of a … a helluva … one helluva … a/one hell of a… | a/one helluva… idiom

BrE [ˈheləvə] ; NAmE [ˈheləvə] (slang) used to give emphasis to what a person is saying

• The firm was in a hell of a mess when he took over.

• This holiday is going to cost a hell of a lot of money.

• It must have been one hell of a party.

• It's taken him a hell of a long time to get here.

• That's one helluva big house you've got.

Main entry: ↑hell_idiom

a helluva …
a hell of a … one hell of a … a helluva … one helluva … a/one hell of a… | a/one helluva… idiom

BrE [ˈheləvə] ; NAmE [ˈheləvə] (slang) used to give emphasis to what a person is saying

• The firm was in a hell of a mess when he took over.

• This holiday is going to cost a hell of a lot of money.

• It must have been one hell of a party.

• It's taken him a hell of a long time to get here.

• That's one helluva big house you've got.

Main entry: ↑hell_idiom

a high profile
a high profile a low profile a ˌhigh/ˌlow ˈprofile idiom

the amount of attention sb/sth has from the public

• This issue has had a high profile in recent months.

• I advised her to keep a low profile for the next few days (= not to attract attention).

Main entry: ↑profile_idiom

a hill of beans
a hill of beans a ˌhill of ˈbeans idiom

(old-fashioned, NAmE, informal) something that is not worth much

Main entry: ↑hill_idiom

a home away from home
a home from home a home away from home a ˌhome from ˈhome idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a ˌhome away from ˈhome) a place where you feel relaxed and comfortable as if you were in your own home

• The guests are made to feel that the hotel is a home from home.

Main entry: ↑home_idiom

a home from home
a home from home a home away from home a ˌhome from ˈhome idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a ˌhome away from ˈhome) a place where you feel relaxed and comfortable as if you were in your own home

• The guests are made to feel that the hotel is a home from home.

Main entry: ↑home_idiom

a hornets' nest
a hornets' nest a ˈhornets' nest idiom

a difficult situation in which a lot of people get very angry

• His letter to the papers stirred up a real hornets' nest.

Main entry: ↑hornet_idiom

a hostage to fortune
a hostage to fortune a ˌhostage to ˈfortune idiom

something that you have, or have promised to do, that could cause trouble or worry in the future

Main entry: ↑hostage_idiom

a hundred per cent
a hundred per cent one hundred per cent a/one ˈhundred per cent idiom

1. in every way

Syn: ↑completely

• I'm not a hundred per cent sure.

• My family supports me one hundred per cent.

2. (BrE) completely fit and healthy

• I still don't feel a hundred per cent.

Main entry: ↑hundred_idiom

a jack of all trades
a jack of all trades a jack of ˈall trades idiom

a person who can do many different types of work, but who perhaps does not do them very well

Main entry: ↑jack_idiom

a job of work
a job of work a job of ˈwork idiom

(BrE, old-fashioned formal) work that you are paid to do or that must be done

• There was a job of work waiting for him that he was not looking forward to.

Main entry: ↑job_idiom

a kick in the teeth
a kick in the teeth a kick in the ˈteeth idiom

(informal) a great disappointment; sth that hurts sb/sth emotionally

• The job losses are a kick in the teeth for the union.

Main entry: ↑kick_idiom

a kind of
a kind of a ˈkind of idiom

(informal) used to show that sth you are saying is not exact

• I had a kind of feeling this might happen.

Main entry: ↑kind_idiom

a king's ransom
a king's ransom a ˌking's ˈransom idiom

(literary) a very large amount of money

Main entry: ↑king_idiom

a knight in shining armour
a knight in shining armour a knight in shining ˈarmour idiom

(usually humorous) a man who saves sb, especially a woman, from a dangerous situation

Main entry: ↑knight_idiom

a labour of love
a labour of love a ˌlabour of ˈlove idiom

a hard task that you do because you want to, not because it is necessary

• Writing the book was a labour of love.

Main entry: ↑labour_idiom

a lady of leisure
a gentleman of leisure a lady of leisure a ˌgentleman/ˌlady of ˈleisure idiom

(humorous) a man/woman who does not have to work

Main entry: ↑leisure_idiom

a lamb to the slaughter
like a lamb to the slaughter like a lambs to the slaughter (like) a lamb/lambs to the ˈslaughter f18 idiom

used to describe people who are going to do sth dangerous without realizing it

Main entry: ↑lamb_idiom

a lambs to the slaughter
like a lamb to the slaughter like a lambs to the slaughter (like) a lamb/lambs to the ˈslaughter f18 idiom

used to describe people who are going to do sth dangerous without realizing it

Main entry: ↑lamb_idiom

a last resort
a last resort your last resort a/your last reˈsort idiom

the person or thing you rely on when everything else has failed

• I've tried everyone else and now you're my last resort.

Main entry: ↑last_idiom

a law unto yourself
be a law unto yourself be a law unto yourˈself idiom

to behave in an independent way and ignore rules or what other people want you to do

• Boys of that age are a law unto themselves.

Main entry: ↑law_idiom

a leap in the dark
a leap in the dark a leap in the ˈdark idiom

an action or a risk that you take without knowing anything about the activity or what the result will be

• I didn't know what the new job would be like— I just took a leap in the dark.

Main entry: ↑leap_idiom

a leopard cannot change its spots
a leopard cannot change its spots a leopard cannot change its ˈspots idiom

(saying) people cannot change their character, especially if they have a bad character

• You didn't really expect her to be on time, did you? A leopard can't change its spots.

Main entry: ↑leopard_idiom

a level playing field
a level playing field a ˌlevel ˈplaying field idiom

a situation in which everyone has the same opportunities

Main entry: ↑level_idiom

a licence to print money
a licence to print money a licence to print ˈmoney idiom

(disapproving) used to describe a business which makes a lot of money with little effort

Main entry: ↑licence_idiom

a lick and a promise
a lick and a promise a lick and a ˈpromise idiom

(informal) the act of performing a task quickly and carelessly, especially of washing or cleaning sth quickly

Main entry: ↑lick_idiom

a life of its own
have a life of its own (have) a life of its ˈown idiom

(of an object) seeming to move or function by itself without a person touching or working it

Main entry: ↑life_idiom

a light touch
a light touch a light touch idiom

the ability to deal with sth in a delicate and relaxed way

• She handles this difficult subject with a light touch.

Main entry: ↑light_idiom

a likely story
a likely story a ˈlikely story idiom

(informal, ironic) used to show that you do not believe what sb has said

• You just found it lying in the street? A likely story!

Main entry: ↑likely_idiom

a link in the chain
a link in the chain a link in the ˈchain idiom

one of the stages in a process or a line of argument

• Food production, processing and marketing are different links in the chain from farmer to consumer.

• Death is the last link in the chain.

Main entry: ↑link_idiom

a little bird told me
a little bird told me a little ˈbird told me idiom

(informal) used to say that sb told you sth but you do not want to say who it was

Main entry: ↑little_idiom

a live wire
a live wire a live ˈwire idiom

a person who is lively and full of energy

Main entry: ↑live_idiom

a lone wolf
a lone wolf a ˌlone ˈwolf idiom

a person who prefers to be alone

Main entry: ↑lone_idiom

a long face
pull a long face wear a long face (pull, wear, etc.) a long ˈface idiom

(to have) an unhappy or disappointed expression

• He took one look at her long face and said ‘What's wrong?’

Main entry: ↑long_idiom

pull a long face wear a long face (pull, wear, etc.) a long ˈface idiom

(to have) an unhappy or disappointed expression

• He took one look at her long face and said ‘What's wrong?’

Main entry: ↑long_idiom

a long shot
a long shot a ˈlong shot idiom

an attempt or a guess that is not likely to be successful but is worth trying

• It's a long shot, but it just might work.

Main entry: ↑long_idiom

a lot going for you
have a lot going for you have a nothing going for you (have) a lot, nothing, etc. ˈgoing for you idiom

(to have) many/not many advantages

• You're young, intelligent, attractive— you have a lot going for you!

Main entry: ↑go_idiom

a low profile
a high profile a low profile a ˌhigh/ˌlow ˈprofile idiom

the amount of attention sb/sth has from the public

• This issue has had a high profile in recent months.

• I advised her to keep a low profile for the next few days (= not to attract attention).

Main entry: ↑profile_idiom

a man
to a man to the last man to a ˈman | to the last ˈman idiom used to emphasize that sth is true of all the people being described

• They answered ‘Yes,’ to a man.

• They were all destroyed, to the last man.

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man about town
a man about town the man about town a/the ˌman about ˈtown idiom

a man who frequently goes to fashionable parties, clubs, theatres, etc

• In his new suit, he looked quite the man about town.

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man after your own heart
a man after your own heart a woman after your own heart a man/woman after your own ˈheart idiom

a man/woman who likes the same things or has the same opinions as you

Main entry: ↑heart_idiom

a man of parts
a man of many parts a woman of many parts a man/woman of (many) ˈparts idiom

a person with many skills

Main entry: ↑part_idiom

a man of God cloth
a man of God cloth a man of the cloth a ˌman of ˈGod/the ˈcloth idiom

(old-fashioned, formal) a religious man, especially a priest or a ↑clergyman

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man of many parts
a man of many parts a woman of many parts a man/woman of (many) ˈparts idiom

a person with many skills

Main entry: ↑part_idiom

a man of substance
a man of substance a woman of substance a man/woman of ˈsubstance idiom

(formal) a rich and powerful man or woman

Main entry: ↑substance_idiom

a man of the cloth
a man of God cloth a man of the cloth a ˌman of ˈGod/the ˈcloth idiom

(old-fashioned, formal) a religious man, especially a priest or a ↑clergyman

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man of the people
a man of the people a ˌman of the ˈpeople idiom

(especially of a politician) a man who understands and is sympathetic to ordinary people

• He is not only a statesman, but also a man of the people.

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man of the world
a man of the world a woman of the world a man/woman of the ˈworld idiom

a person with a lot of experience of life, who is not easily surprised or shocked

Main entry: ↑world_idiom

a man's home is his castle
a man's home is his castle a ˌman's ˌhome is his ˈcastle idiom

(US) (BrE an ˌEnglishman's ˌhome is his ˈcastle) (saying) a person's home is a place where they can be private and safe and do as they like

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a man's man
a man's man a ˈman's man idiom

a man who is more popular with men than with women

Main entry: ↑man_idiom

a mare's nest
a mare's nest a ˈmare's nest f8 idiom

1. a discovery that seems interesting but is found to have no value

2. a very complicated situation

• This area of the law is a veritable mare's nest.

Main entry: ↑mare_idiom

a marked man
a marked man a marked woman a marked ˈman/ˈwoman idiom

a person who is in danger because their enemies want to harm them

• He has been a marked man since he decided to cooperate with the police.

Main entry: ↑marked_idiom

a marked woman
a marked man a marked woman a marked ˈman/ˈwoman idiom

a person who is in danger because their enemies want to harm them

• He has been a marked man since he decided to cooperate with the police.

Main entry: ↑marked_idiom

a mass of
be a mass of be a ˈmass of idiom

to be full of or covered with sth

• The rose bushes are a mass of flowers in June.

• Her arm was a mass of bruises.

Main entry: ↑mass_idiom

a matter of course
as a matter of course (as) a matter of ˈcourse idiom

(as) the usual and correct thing to do

• We always check people's addresses as a matter of course.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of hours
a matter of hours a matter of minutes a matter of inches a matter of metres a matter of ˈhours, ˈminutes, etc. | a matter of ˈinches, ˈmetres, etc. idiom only a few hours, minutes, etc

• It was all over in a matter of minutes.

• The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of inches
a matter of hours a matter of minutes a matter of inches a matter of metres a matter of ˈhours, ˈminutes, etc. | a matter of ˈinches, ˈmetres, etc. idiom only a few hours, minutes, etc

• It was all over in a matter of minutes.

• The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of life and death
a matter of life and death a ˌmatter of ˌlife and ˈdeath idiom

used to describe a situation that is very important or serious

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of metres
a matter of hours a matter of minutes a matter of inches a matter of metres a matter of ˈhours, ˈminutes, etc. | a matter of ˈinches, ˈmetres, etc. idiom only a few hours, minutes, etc

• It was all over in a matter of minutes.

• The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of minutes
a matter of hours a matter of minutes a matter of inches a matter of metres a matter of ˈhours, ˈminutes, etc. | a matter of ˈinches, ˈmetres, etc. idiom only a few hours, minutes, etc

• It was all over in a matter of minutes.

• The bullet missed her by a matter of inches.

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a matter of record
a matter of record a ˌmatter of ˈrecord idiom

(formal) something that has been recorded as being true

Main entry: ↑matter_idiom

a means to an end
a means to an end a ˌmeans to an ˈend idiom

a thing or action that is not interesting or important in itself but is a way of achieving sth else

• He doesn't particularly like the work but he sees it as a means to an end.

Main entry: ↑means_idiom

a meeting of minds
a meeting of minds a meeting of ˈminds idiom

a close understanding between people with similar ideas, especially when they meet to do sth or meet for the first time

• a meeting of minds between the two artists

Main entry: ↑meeting_idiom

a middle course
steer a middle course take a middle course find a middle way find the middle way (steer, take, etc.) a middle ˈcourse | (find, etc.) a/the middle ˈway idiom (to take/find) an acceptable course of action that avoids two extreme positions

Main entry: ↑middle_idiom

steer a middle course take a middle course find a middle way find the middle way (steer, take, etc.) a middle ˈcourse | (find, etc.) a/the middle ˈway idiom (to take/find) an acceptable course of action that avoids two extreme positions

Main entry: ↑middle_idiom

a middle way
steer a middle course take a middle course find a middle way find the middle way (steer, take, etc.) a middle ˈcourse | (find, etc.) a/the middle ˈway idiom (to take/find) an acceptable course of action that avoids two extreme positions

Main entry: ↑middle_idiom

a millstone around your neck
a millstone around your neck a millstone round your neck a millstone around/round your ˈneck idiom

a difficult problem or responsibility that it seems impossible to solve or get rid of

• My debts are a millstone around my neck.

• Unemployment was an economic millstone around the country's neck.

Main entry: ↑millstone_idiom

a millstone round your neck
a millstone around your neck a millstone round your neck a millstone around/round your ˈneck idiom

a difficult problem or responsibility that it seems impossible to solve or get rid of

• My debts are a millstone around my neck.

• Unemployment was an economic millstone around the country's neck.

Main entry: ↑millstone_idiom

a mine of information
a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information about somebody
a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information about something
a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information on somebody
a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a mine of information on something
a mine of information about somebody a mine of information on somebody a mine of information about something a mine of information on something a mine of inforˈmation (about/on sb/sth) idiom

a person, book, etc. that can give you a lot of information on a particular subject

Main entry: ↑mine_idiom

a miss is as good as a mile
a miss is as good as a mile a ˌmiss is as ˌgood as a ˈmile idiom

(saying) there is no real difference between only just failing in sth and failing in it badly because the result is still the same

Main entry: ↑miss_idiom

a moment or two
a day or two a moment or two a pound or two a ˈday, ˈmoment, ˈpound, etc. or two idiom

one or a few days, moments, pounds, etc

• May I borrow it for a day or two?

Main entry: ↑two_idiom

a monkey wrench in the works
throw a spanner in the works throw a monkey wrench in the works (throw) a ˈspanner in the works idiom

(BrE) (NAmE (throw) a (ˈmonkey) ˈwrench in the works) (to cause) a delay or problem with sth that sb is planning or doing

Main entry: ↑spanner_idiom

a moot point
a moot point a moot question a moot ˈpoint/ˈquestion idiom

(BrE, NAmE) a matter about which there may be disagreement or confusion

• Whether this should be enforced by law or not is a moot point.

Main entry: ↑moot_idiom

a moot question
a moot point a moot question a moot ˈpoint/ˈquestion idiom

(BrE, NAmE) a matter about which there may be disagreement or confusion

• Whether this should be enforced by law or not is a moot point.

Main entry: ↑moot_idiom

a mug's game
a mug's game a ˈmug's game idiom

(disapproving, especially BrE) an activity that is unlikely to be successful or make a profit

Main entry: ↑mug_idiom

a nail in somebody's coffin
a nail in somebody's coffin a nail in something's coffin a nail in sb's/sth's ˈcoffin idiom

something that makes the end or failure of an organization, sb's plans, etc. more likely to happen

• This latest defeat is another nail in the government's coffin.

Main entry: ↑nail_idiom

a nail in something's coffin
a nail in somebody's coffin a nail in something's coffin a nail in sb's/sth's ˈcoffin idiom

something that makes the end or failure of an organization, sb's plans, etc. more likely to happen

• This latest defeat is another nail in the government's coffin.

Main entry: ↑nail_idiom

a name to conjure with
a name to conjure with a name to reckon with a name to ˈconjure with idiom

(BrE)

1. (NAmE a name to ˈreckon with) a person or thing that is well known and respected in a particular field

• Miyazaki is still a name to conjure with among anime fans.

2. (humorous) used when you mention a name that you think is difficult to remember or pronounce

• He comes from Tighnabruaich— now there's a name to conjure with!

Main entry: ↑name_idiom

a name to reckon with
a name to conjure with a name to reckon with a name to ˈconjure with idiom

(BrE)

1. (NAmE a name to ˈreckon with) a person or thing that is well known and respected in a particular field

• Miyazaki is still a name to conjure with among anime fans.

2. (humorous) used when you mention a name that you think is difficult to remember or pronounce

• He comes from Tighnabruaich— now there's a name to conjure with!

Main entry: ↑name_idiom

a nasty piece of work
a nasty piece of work a nasty piece of ˈwork idiom

(BrE, informal) a person who is unpleasant, unkind or dishonest

• Don't trust him; he's a nasty piece of work.

Main entry: ↑nasty_idiom

a near thing
a near thing a ˌnear ˈthing idiom

a situation in which you are successful, but which could also have ended badly

• Phew! That was a near thing! It could have been a disaster.

• We won in the end but it was a near thing.

Main entry: ↑near_idiom

a necessary evil
a necessary evil a ˌnecessary ˈevil idiom

a thing that is bad or that you do not like but which you must accept for a particular reason

• The loss of jobs is regarded as a necessary evil in the fight against inflation.

Main entry: ↑necessary_idiom

a needle in a haystack
a needle in a haystack a needle in a ˈhaystack idiom

a thing that is almost impossible to find

• Searching for one man in this city is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Main entry: ↑needle_idiom

a new broom
a new broom a new ˈbroom idiom

(BrE, often disapproving) a person who has just started to work for an organization, department, etc, especially in a senior job, and who is likely to make a lot of changes

• Well, you know what they say— A new broom sweeps clean.

Main entry: ↑new_idiom

a new kid on the block
a new kid on the block the new kid on the block a/the ˌnew kid on the ˈblock idiom

(informal) a person who is new to a place, an organization, etc

• Despite his six years in politics, he was still regarded by many as the new kid on the block.

Main entry: ↑new_idiom

a new lease of life
a new lease of life a new lease on life a (ˌnew) lease of ˈlife idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a (ˌnew) lease on ˈlife) the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life

• Since her hip operation she's had a new lease of life.

Main entry: ↑lease_idiom

a new lease on life
a new lease of life a new lease on life a (ˌnew) lease of ˈlife idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a (ˌnew) lease on ˈlife) the chance to live or last longer, or with a better quality of life

• Since her hip operation she's had a new lease of life.

Main entry: ↑lease_idiom

a new one on me
a new one on me a new one on ˈme idiom

(informal) used to say that you have not heard a particular idea, piece of information, joke, etc. before

• ‘Have you come across this before?’ ‘No, it's a new one on me.’

Main entry: ↑new_idiom

a night out
a night out a night ˈout idiom

an evening that you spend enjoying yourself away from home

• They enjoy a night out occasionally.

Main entry: ↑night_idiom

a nine days' wonder
a nine days' wonder a ˌnine days' ˈwonder idiom

a person or thing that makes people excited for a short time but does not last very long

Main entry: ↑nine_idiom

a nod and a wink
a nod and a wink a nod is as good as a wink a ˌnod and a ˈwink | a ˌnod is as good as a ˈwink idiom used to say that a suggestion or a ↑hint will be understood, without anything more being said

• Everything could be done by a nod and a wink.

Main entry: ↑nod_idiom

a nod is as good as a wink
a nod and a wink a nod is as good as a wink a ˌnod and a ˈwink | a ˌnod is as good as a ˈwink idiom used to say that a suggestion or a ↑hint will be understood, without anything more being said

• Everything could be done by a nod and a wink.

Main entry: ↑nod_idiom

a nothing going for you
have a lot going for you have a nothing going for you (have) a lot, nothing, etc. ˈgoing for you idiom

(to have) many/not many advantages

• You're young, intelligent, attractive— you have a lot going for you!

Main entry: ↑go_idiom

a nudge and a wink
nudge nudge, wink wink a nudge and a wink ˌnudge ˈnudge, ˌwink ˈwink | a ˌnudge and a ˈwink idiom used to suggest sth to do with sex without actually saying it

• They've been spending a lot of time together, nudge nudge, wink wink.

Main entry: ↑nudge_idiom

a one for something
be a one for doing something be (a) one for (doing) sth idiom

to be a person who enjoys sth, or who does sth often or well

• I've never been a great one for fish and chips.

Main entry: ↑one_idiom

a one for doing something
be a one for doing something be (a) one for (doing) sth idiom

to be a person who enjoys sth, or who does sth often or well

• I've never been a great one for fish and chips.

Main entry: ↑one_idiom

a one horse race
a one horse race a two horse race a three horse race a one, two, three, etc. horse ˈrace f9 idiom

a competition or an election in which there are only one, two, etc. teams or candidates with a chance of winning

• The women's competition was a two horse race between last year's winners Surrey and the previous champions Essex.

Main entry: ↑horse_idiom

a pain in the arse
a pain in the neck a pain in the arse a pain in the backside a pain in the ass a pain in the butt a pain in the ˈneck idiom

(BrE also a pain in the ˈarse/ˈbackside) (NAmE also a pain in the ˈass/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying

Main entry: ↑pain_idiom

a pain in the ass
a pain in the neck a pain in the arse a pain in the backside a pain in the ass a pain in the butt a pain in the ˈneck idiom

(BrE also a pain in the ˈarse/ˈbackside) (NAmE also a pain in the ˈass/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying

Main entry: ↑pain_idiom

a pain in the backside
a pain in the neck a pain in the arse a pain in the backside a pain in the ass a pain in the butt a pain in the ˈneck idiom

(BrE also a pain in the ˈarse/ˈbackside) (NAmE also a pain in the ˈass/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying

Main entry: ↑pain_idiom

a pain in the butt
a pain in the neck a pain in the arse a pain in the backside a pain in the ass a pain in the butt a pain in the ˈneck idiom

(BrE also a pain in the ˈarse/ˈbackside) (NAmE also a pain in the ˈass/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying

Main entry: ↑pain_idiom

a pain in the neck
a pain in the neck a pain in the arse a pain in the backside a pain in the ass a pain in the butt a pain in the ˈneck idiom

(BrE also a pain in the ˈarse/ˈbackside) (NAmE also a pain in the ˈass/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that is very annoying

Main entry: ↑pain_idiom

a pair of hands
a pair of hands a pair of ˈhands idiom

(informal) a person who can do, or is doing, a job

• We need an extra pair of hands if we're going to finish on time.

• Colleagues regard him as a safe pair of hands (= sb who can be relied on to do a job well).

Main entry: ↑pair_idiom

a parting of the ways
a parting of the ways the parting of the ways a/the ˌparting of the ˈways idiom

a point at which two people or groups of people decide to separate

• These events led to a final parting of the ways.

Main entry: ↑parting_idiom

a party to something
be a party to something be (a) party to sth idiom

(formal) to be involved in an agreement or action

• to be party to a decision

• He refused to be a party to any violence.

Main entry: ↑party_idiom

a pat on the back
a pat on the back for something doing something a pat on the back for for doing something a ˌpat on the ˈback (for sth/for doing sth) idiom

(informal) praise or approval for sth that you have done well

• He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.

• Give yourself a pat on the back!

Main entry: ↑pat_idiom

a pat on the back for something doing something a pat on the back for for doing something a ˌpat on the ˈback (for sth/for doing sth) idiom

(informal) praise or approval for sth that you have done well

• He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.

• Give yourself a pat on the back!

Main entry: ↑pat_idiom

a pat on the back for for doing something
a pat on the back for something doing something a pat on the back for for doing something a ˌpat on the ˈback (for sth/for doing sth) idiom

(informal) praise or approval for sth that you have done well

• He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.

• Give yourself a pat on the back!

Main entry: ↑pat_idiom

a pat on the back for something doing something
a pat on the back for something doing something a pat on the back for for doing something a ˌpat on the ˈback (for sth/for doing sth) idiom

(informal) praise or approval for sth that you have done well

• He deserves a pat on the back for all his hard work.

• Give yourself a pat on the back!

Main entry: ↑pat_idiom

a pearl of wisdom
a pearl of wisdom a ˌpearl of ˈwisdom idiom

(usually ironic) a wise remark

• Thank you for those pearls of wisdom.

Main entry: ↑pearl_idiom

a pecking order
a pecking order the pecking order a/the ˈpecking order idiom

(informal, often humorous) the order of importance in relation to one another among the members of a group

Syn: ↑hierarchy

• New Zealand is at the top of the pecking order of rugby nations.

• to be first in the pecking order

Main entry: ↑peck_idiom

a peg to hang something on
a peg to hang something on a peg to ˈhang sth on idiom

something that gives you an excuse or opportunity to discuss or explain sth

• The character provides a peg to hang the writer's political ideas on.

Main entry: ↑peg_idiom

a penny for them
a penny for your thoughts a penny for them a ˌpenny for your ˈthoughts | a penny for them idiom

(saying) used to ask sb what they are thinking about

Main entry: ↑penny_idiom

a penny for your thoughts
a penny for your thoughts a penny for them a ˌpenny for your ˈthoughts | a penny for them idiom

(saying) used to ask sb what they are thinking about

Main entry: ↑penny_idiom

a piece of cake
a piece of cake a ˌpiece of ˈcake idiom

(informal) a thing that is very easy to do

Main entry: ↑piece_idiom

a piece of piss
a piece of piss a ˌpiece of ˈpiss idiom

(BrE, taboo, slang) a thing that is very easy to do

Main entry: ↑piece_idiom

a piece of the action
a piece of the action a slice of the action a piece/slice of the ˈaction idiom

(informal) a share or role in an interesting or exciting activity, especially in order to make money

• Foreign firms will all want a piece of the action if the new airport goes ahead.

Main entry: ↑action_idiom

a piece of the pie
a piece of the pie a slice of the pie a share of the pie a ˌpiece/ˌslice/ˌshare of the ˈpie idiom

a share of sth such as money, profits, etc.

Main entry: ↑pie_idiom

a piece of work
a piece of work some piece of work a/some ˌpiece of ˈwork idiom

(NAmE, informal) used to express the fact that you admire sb or find them amusing, often when they have done sth that surprises you

• You're some piece of work, Jack, do you know that?

Main entry: ↑piece_idiom

a pig in a poke
buy a pig in a poke (buy) a pig in a ˈpoke idiom

if you buy a pig in a poke, you buy sth without seeing it or knowing if it is good enough

• Buying from a catalogue can mean buying a pig in a poke.

Main entry: ↑pig_idiom

a pig of a something
a pig of a something a pig of a sth idiom

(BrE, informal) a difficult or unpleasant thing or task

• I've had a pig of a day.

Main entry: ↑pig_idiom

a place in the sun
a place in the sun a place in the ˈsun idiom

a position in which you are comfortable or have an advantage over other people

Main entry: ↑place_idiom

a play on words
a play on words a play on ˈwords idiom

the humorous use of a word or phrase that can have two different meanings

Syn: ↑pun

Main entry: ↑play_idiom

a point of departure
a point of departure a ˌpoint of deˈparture idiom

1. a place where a journey starts

2. (formal) an idea, a theory or an event that is used to start a discussion, an activity, etc.

Main entry: ↑point_idiom

a point of honour
a point of honour a ˌpoint of ˈhonour idiom

a thing that sb considers to be very important for their honour or reputation

Main entry: ↑point_idiom

a poisoned chalice
a poisoned chalice a poisoned ˈchalice idiom

(especially BrE) a thing that seems attractive when it is given to sb but which soon becomes unpleasant

• He inherited a poisoned chalice when he took over the job as union leader.

Main entry: ↑poison_idiom

a posteriori
a posteriori a pos·teri·ori BrE [ˌeɪ ˌpɒsteriˈɔːraɪ] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˌpɑːsteriˈɔːraɪ] adjective, adverb (from Latin, formal)

analysing sth by starting from known facts and then thinking about the possible causes of the facts, for example saying ‘Look, the streets are wet so it must have been raining.’

compare ↑priori

Word Origin:

[a posteriori] early 17th cent.: Latin, from what comes after.

a pot of gold
a crock of gold a pot of gold a crock/pot of ˈgold idiom

a large prize or reward that sb hopes for but is unlikely to get

Main entry: ↑gold_idiom

a pound or two
a day or two a moment or two a pound or two a ˈday, ˈmoment, ˈpound, etc. or two idiom

one or a few days, moments, pounds, etc

• May I borrow it for a day or two?

Main entry: ↑two_idiom

a pregnant pause
a pregnant pause a pregnant silence a pregnant ˈpause/ˈsilence idiom

an occasion when nobody speaks, although people are aware that there are feelings or thoughts to express

• There was a pregnant pause before she replied.

Main entry: ↑pregnant_idiom

a pregnant silence
a pregnant pause a pregnant silence a pregnant ˈpause/ˈsilence idiom

an occasion when nobody speaks, although people are aware that there are feelings or thoughts to express

• There was a pregnant pause before she replied.

Main entry: ↑pregnant_idiom

a pretty penny
a pretty penny a pretty ˈpenny idiom

(old-fashioned) a lot of money

• I bet that cost you a pretty penny.

Main entry: ↑pretty_idiom

a price on somebody's head
a price on somebody's head a ˈprice on sb's head idiom

an amount of money that is offered for capturing or killing sb

• Ever since he killed the gang's leader, there has been a price on his head.

Main entry: ↑price_idiom

a priori
a priori a pri·ori BrE [ˌeɪ praɪˈɔːraɪ] NAmE [ˌeɪ praɪˈɔːraɪ] adjective, adverb (from Latin, formal)

using facts or principles that are known to be true in order to decide what the probable effects or results of sth will be, for example saying ‘They haven't eaten anything all day so they must be hungry.’

• an a priori assumption

compare ↑posteriori

Word Origin:

[a priori] late 16th cent.: Latin, from what is before.

a prodigal
the prodigal son a prodigal son the/a ˌprodigal (ˈson) idiom

a person who leaves home and wastes their money and time on a life of pleasure, but who later is sorry about this and returns home

Main entry: ↑prodigal_idiom

a prodigal son
the prodigal son a prodigal son the/a ˌprodigal (ˈson) idiom

a person who leaves home and wastes their money and time on a life of pleasure, but who later is sorry about this and returns home

Main entry: ↑prodigal_idiom

a queer fish
an odd queer fish an a queer fish an odd/a queer ˈfish idiom

(old-fashioned, BrE) a person who is slightly strange or crazy

Main entry: ↑fish_idiom

a question mark against something
a question mark over something a question mark against something a ˈquestion mark over/against sth idiom

used to say that sth is not certain

• There's still a big question mark hanging over his future with the team.

Main entry: ↑question mark_idiom

a question mark over something
a question mark over something a question mark against something a ˈquestion mark over/against sth idiom

used to say that sth is not certain

• There's still a big question mark hanging over his future with the team.

Main entry: ↑question mark_idiom

a race against the clock
a race against time clock a race against the clock a ˌrace against ˈtime/the ˈclock idiom

a situation in which you have to do sth or finish sth very fast before it is too late

• Getting food to the starving refugees is now a race against time.

Main entry: ↑race_idiom

a race against time clock
a race against time clock a race against the clock a ˌrace against ˈtime/the ˈclock idiom

a situation in which you have to do sth or finish sth very fast before it is too late

• Getting food to the starving refugees is now a race against time.

Main entry: ↑race_idiom

a rap across the knuckles
give somebody a rap on the knuckles give get a rap on the knuckles give somebody a rap over the knuckles give get a rap over the knuckles give somebody a rap across the knuckles give get a rap across the knuckles (give sb/get) a rap on/over/across the ˈknuckles idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

give somebody a rap on the knuckles give get a rap on the knuckles give somebody a rap over the knuckles give get a rap over the knuckles give somebody a rap across the knuckles give get a rap across the knuckles (give sb/get) a rap on/over/across the ˈknuckles idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

a rap on the knuckles
give somebody a rap on the knuckles give get a rap on the knuckles give somebody a rap over the knuckles give get a rap over the knuckles give somebody a rap across the knuckles give get a rap across the knuckles (give sb/get) a rap on/over/across the ˈknuckles idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

a rap over the knuckles
give somebody a rap on the knuckles give get a rap on the knuckles give somebody a rap over the knuckles give get a rap over the knuckles give somebody a rap across the knuckles give get a rap across the knuckles (give sb/get) a rap on/over/across the ˈknuckles idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

(informal) (to give sb/receive) strong criticism for sth

• We got a rap over the knuckles for being late.

Main entry: ↑rap_idiom

a raw deal
a raw deal a raw ˈdeal idiom

the fact of sb being treated unfairly

• Older workers often get a raw deal.

Main entry: ↑raw_idiom

a ray of sunshine
a ray of sunshine a ˌray of ˈsunshine idiom

(informal) a person or thing that makes life brighter or more cheerful

Main entry: ↑ray_idiom

a red rag to a bull
a red rag to a bull a red rag to a ˈbull idiom

(BrE) (NAmE like waving a red flag in front of a ˈbull) something that is likely to make sb very angry

• If you criticize him, it's like a red rag to a bull— he gets absolutely furious.

Main entry: ↑red_idiom

a ripe old age
a ripe old age of … the ripe old age of … a/the ripe old age (of…) idiom

an age that is considered to be very old

• He lived to the ripe old age of 91.

Main entry: ↑ripe_idiom

a ripe old age of …
a ripe old age of … the ripe old age of … a/the ripe old age (of…) idiom

an age that is considered to be very old

• He lived to the ripe old age of 91.

Main entry: ↑ripe_idiom

a roaring success
a roaring success a ˌroaring sucˈcess idiom

(informal) a very great success

• The latest Disneyland has been a roaring success.

Main entry: ↑roaring_idiom

a rod to beat somebody with
a rod to beat somebody with a stick to beat somebody with a rod/stick to ˈbeat sb with idiom

a fact, an argument, etc. that is used in order to blame or punish sb

Main entry: ↑beat_idiom

a roll in the hay
a roll in the hay a ˌroll in the ˈhay f6 idiom

(informal) an act of having sex with sb

Main entry: ↑roll_idiom

a rolling stone gathers no moss
a rolling stone gathers no moss a rolling ˈstone gathers no ˈmoss idiom

(saying) a person who moves from place to place, job to job, etc. does not have a lot of money, possessions or friends but is free from responsibilities

Main entry: ↑roll_idiom

a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
a rose by any other name would smell as sweet a ˌrose by any other ˌname would smell as ˈsweet idiom

(saying) what is important is what people or things are, not what they are called

Main entry: ↑rose_idiom

a rotten apple
a rotten apple a rotten ˈapple idiom

one bad person who has a bad effect on others in a group

Main entry: ↑rotten_idiom

a rough deal
a rough deal a rough ˈdeal idiom

the fact of being treated unfairly

Main entry: ↑rough_idiom

a rule of thumb
a rule of thumb a rule of ˈthumb idiom

a practical method of doing or measuring sth, usually based on past experience rather than on exact measurement

• As a rule of thumb, you should cook a chicken for 20 minutes for each pound of weight.

Main entry: ↑rule_idiom

a safe bet
a good bet a safe bet a ˌgood/ˌsafe ˈbet idiom

something that is likely to happen, to succeed or to be suitable

• Clothes are a safe bet as a present for a teenager.

Main entry: ↑bet_idiom

a safe pair of hands
a safe pair of hands a safe pair of ˈhands idiom

(especially BrE) a person that you can trust to do a job well

Main entry: ↑safe_idiom

a second childhood
a second childhood somebody's second childhood a/sb's second ˈchildhood f8 idiom

a time in the life of an adult person when they behave like a child again

Main entry: ↑childhood_idiom

a seller's market
a seller's market a ˌseller's ˈmarket idiom

a situation in which people selling sth have an advantage, because there is not a lot of a particular item for sale, and prices can be kept high

Main entry: ↑seller_idiom

a sense of occasion
a sense of occasion a sense of ocˈcasion idiom

a feeling or understanding that an event is important or special

• Candles on the table gave the evening a sense of occasion.

Main entry: ↑sense_idiom

a shadow of your former self
be a shadow of your former self be a ghost of your former self be a shadow/ghost of your former ˈself idiom

to not have the strength, influence, etc. that you used to have

• When his career ended, he became a shadow of his former self.

Main entry: ↑former_idiom

a share of the cake
a slice of the cake a share of the cake a slice/share of the ˈcake idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a piece/slice/share of the ˈpie) a share of the available money or benefits that you believe you have a right to

• Scotland is demanding a larger slice of the national cake.

Main entry: ↑cake_idiom

a share of the pie
a piece of the pie a slice of the pie a share of the pie a ˌpiece/ˌslice/ˌshare of the ˈpie idiom

a share of sth such as money, profits, etc.

Main entry: ↑pie_idiom

a shot across somebody's bows
a shot across the bows a shot across somebody's bows a shot across the/sb's ˈbows idiom

something that you say or do as a warning to sb about what might happen if they do not change, etc.

Main entry: ↑shot_idiom

a shot across the bows
a shot across the bows a shot across somebody's bows a shot across the/sb's ˈbows idiom

something that you say or do as a warning to sb about what might happen if they do not change, etc.

Main entry: ↑shot_idiom

a shot in the arm
a shot in the arm a shot in the ˈarm idiom

something that gives sb/sth the help or encouragement they need

Main entry: ↑shot_idiom

a shot in the dark
a shot in the dark a stab in the dark a shot/stab in the ˈdark idiom

a guess; sth you do without knowing what the result will be

• The figure he came up with was really just a shot in the dark.

Main entry: ↑dark_idiom

a shoulder to cry on
a shoulder to cry on a shoulder to ˈcry on idiom

used to describe a person who listens to your problems and gives you sympathy

Main entry: ↑shoulder_idiom

a show of hands
a show of hands a show of ˈhands idiom

a group of people each raising a hand to vote for or against sth

• The vote was passed by a show of hands.

• Let's have a show of hands. Who's in favour of the proposal?

Main entry: ↑show_idiom

a shrinking violet
a shrinking violet a ˌshrinking ˈviolet idiom

(humorous) a way of describing a very shy person

Main entry: ↑shrink_idiom

a sight for sore eyes
a sight for sore eyes a ˌsight for sore ˈeyes idiom

(informal) a person or thing that you are pleased to see; something that is very pleasant to look at

Main entry: ↑sight_idiom

a sign of the times
a sign of the times a ˌsign of the ˈtimes idiom

something that you feel shows what things are like now, especially how bad they are

• The increasing number of people owning guns is an alarming sign of the times.

Main entry: ↑sign_idiom

a sinking feeling
a sinking feeling that sinking feeling a/that ˈsinking feeling idiom

(informal) an unpleasant feeling that you get when you realize that sth bad has happened or is going to happen

• I had a horrible sinking feeling when I saw the ambulance outside the house.

Main entry: ↑sink_idiom

a skeleton in the closet
a skeleton in the cupboard a skeleton in the closet a skeleton in the ˈcupboard idiom

(BrE) (also a skeleton in the ˈcloset NAmE, BrE) (informal) something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret

Main entry: ↑skeleton_idiom

a skeleton in the cupboard
a skeleton in the cupboard a skeleton in the closet a skeleton in the ˈcupboard idiom

(BrE) (also a skeleton in the ˈcloset NAmE, BrE) (informal) something shocking, embarrassing, etc. that has happened to you or your family in the past that you want to keep secret

Main entry: ↑skeleton_idiom

a slap in the face
a slap in the face a slap in the ˈface idiom

an action that seems to be intended as a deliberate insult to sb

Main entry: ↑slap_idiom

a slap on the wrist
a slap on the wrist a slap on the ˈwrist idiom

(informal) a warning or mild punishment

Main entry: ↑slap_idiom

a slice of life
a slice of life a ˌslice of ˈlife idiom

a film/movie, play or book that gives a very realistic view of ordinary life

Main entry: ↑slice_idiom

a slice of the action
a piece of the action a slice of the action a piece/slice of the ˈaction idiom

(informal) a share or role in an interesting or exciting activity, especially in order to make money

• Foreign firms will all want a piece of the action if the new airport goes ahead.

Main entry: ↑action_idiom

a slice of the cake
a slice of the cake a share of the cake a slice/share of the ˈcake idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a piece/slice/share of the ˈpie) a share of the available money or benefits that you believe you have a right to

• Scotland is demanding a larger slice of the national cake.

Main entry: ↑cake_idiom

a slice of the pie
a piece of the pie a slice of the pie a share of the pie a ˌpiece/ˌslice/ˌshare of the ˈpie idiom

a share of sth such as money, profits, etc.

Main entry: ↑pie_idiom

a slip of a boy
a slip of a boy a slip of a girl a ˈslip of a boy, girl, etc. idiom

(old-fashioned) a small or thin, usually young, person

• She's only a slip of a thing.

Main entry: ↑slip_idiom

a slip of a girl
a slip of a boy a slip of a girl a ˈslip of a boy, girl, etc. idiom

(old-fashioned) a small or thin, usually young, person

• She's only a slip of a thing.

Main entry: ↑slip_idiom

a slip of the pen
a slip of the pen a slip of the tongue a slip of the ˈpen/ˈtongue idiom

a small mistake in sth that you write or say

• Did I call you Richard? Sorry, Robert, just a slip of the tongue.

Main entry: ↑slip_idiom

a slip of the tongue
a slip of the pen a slip of the tongue a slip of the ˈpen/ˈtongue idiom

a small mistake in sth that you write or say

• Did I call you Richard? Sorry, Robert, just a slip of the tongue.

Main entry: ↑slip_idiom

a slippery slope
the slippery slope a slippery slope the/a slippery ˈslope idiom

a course of action that is difficult to stop once it has begun, and can lead to serious problems or disaster

• She realized he was on the slippery slope towards a life of crime.

Main entry: ↑slippery_idiom

a smoke-filled room
a smoke-filled room a smoke-filled ˈroom idiom

(disapproving) a decision that people describe as being made in a smoke-filled room is made by a small group of people at a private meeting, rather than in an open and ↑democratic way

Main entry: ↑smoke_idiom

a snake
snake in the grass a snake a snake in the grass a ˌsnake (in the ˈgrass) idiom

(disapproving) a person who pretends to be your friend but who cannot be trusted

Main entry: ↑snake_idiom

a snake in the grass
snake in the grass a snake a snake in the grass a ˌsnake (in the ˈgrass) idiom

(disapproving) a person who pretends to be your friend but who cannot be trusted

Main entry: ↑snake_idiom

a snap
be a snap be a ˈsnap idiom

(NAmE, informal) to be very easy to do

• This job's a snap.

Main entry: ↑snap_idiom

a soft touch
an easy soft touch an a soft touch an easy/a soft ˈtouch idiom

(informal) a person that you can easily persuade to do sth, especially to give you money

• Unfortunately, my father is no soft touch.

Main entry: ↑touch_idiom

a something to end all sths
a something to end all sths the something to end all sths a/the sth to end all sths idiom

used to emphasize how large, important, exciting, etc. you think sth is

• The movie has a car chase to end all car chases.

Main entry: ↑end_idiom

a song and dance
a song and dance about something a song and ˈdance (about sth) idiom

1. (BrE, informal, disapproving) if you make a song and dance about sth, you complain or talk about it too much when this is not necessary

• She gives generously to charity without making a song and dance about it.

2. countable (NAmE, informal) a long explanation about sth, or excuse for sth

Main entry: ↑song_idiom

a song and dance about something
a song and dance about something a song and ˈdance (about sth) idiom

1. (BrE, informal, disapproving) if you make a song and dance about sth, you complain or talk about it too much when this is not necessary

• She gives generously to charity without making a song and dance about it.

2. countable (NAmE, informal) a long explanation about sth, or excuse for sth

Main entry: ↑song_idiom

a sore point
a sore point a ˌsore ˈpoint idiom

a subject that makes you feel angry or upset when it is mentioned

• It's a sore point with Sue's parents that the children have not been baptized yet.

Main entry: ↑sore_idiom

a sort of something
a sort of something a sort of sth idiom

(informal) used for describing sth in a not very exact way

• I had a sort of feeling that he wouldn't come.

• They're a sort of greenish-blue colour.

Main entry: ↑sort_idiom

a spanner in the works
throw a spanner in the works throw a monkey wrench in the works (throw) a ˈspanner in the works idiom

(BrE) (NAmE (throw) a (ˈmonkey) ˈwrench in the works) (to cause) a delay or problem with sth that sb is planning or doing

Main entry: ↑spanner_idiom

a spent force
a spent force a ˌspent ˈforce idiom

a person or group that no longer has any power or influence

• The opposition party is now a spent political force.

Main entry: ↑spent_idiom

a sporting chance
a sporting chance a ˌsporting ˈchance idiom

a reasonable chance of success

Main entry: ↑sporting_idiom

a square meal
a square meal a square ˈmeal idiom

a good, satisfying meal

• He looks as though he hasn't had a square meal for weeks.

Main entry: ↑square_idiom

a square peg
a square peg in a round hole a square ˈpeg (in a round ˈhole) idiom

(BrE, informal) a person who does not feel happy or comfortable in a particular situation, or who is not suitable for it

Main entry: ↑square_idiom

a square peg in a round hole
a square peg in a round hole a square ˈpeg (in a round ˈhole) idiom

(BrE, informal) a person who does not feel happy or comfortable in a particular situation, or who is not suitable for it

Main entry: ↑square_idiom

a stab in the back
a stab in the back a ˌstab in the ˈback idiom

(informal) an act that harms sb, done by a person they thought was a friend

• Her refusal to support his campaign was a real stab in the back.

Main entry: ↑stab_idiom

a stab in the dark
a shot in the dark a stab in the dark a shot/stab in the ˈdark idiom

a guess; sth you do without knowing what the result will be

• The figure he came up with was really just a shot in the dark.

Main entry: ↑dark_idiom

a state of affairs
a state of affairs a state of afˈfairs idiom

a situation

• This state of affairs can no longer be ignored.

Main entry: ↑state_idiom

a stay of execution
a stay of execution a ˌstay of exeˈcution idiom

(law) a delay in following the order of a court

• to grant a stay of execution

• There will be no stay of execution and few mourners for this concrete tower block, due to be demolished next month.

Main entry: ↑stay_idiom

a steal
be a steal be a ˈsteal idiom

(informal, especially NAmE) to be for sale at an unexpectedly low price

• This suit is a steal at $80.

Main entry: ↑steal_idiom

a step ahead
a step ahead of somebody one step ahead of somebody a step ahead of something one step ahead of something a/one step aˈhead (of sb/sth) idiom

when you are one step ahead of sb/sth, you manage to avoid them or to achieve sth more quickly than they do

Main entry: ↑step_idiom

a step ahead of somebody one step ahead of somebody a step ahead of something one step ahead of something a/one step aˈhead (of sb/sth) idiom

when you are one step ahead of sb/sth, you manage to avoid them or to achieve sth more quickly than they do

Main entry: ↑step_idiom

a step ahead of somebody
a step ahead of somebody one step ahead of somebody a step ahead of something one step ahead of something a/one step aˈhead (of sb/sth) idiom

when you are one step ahead of sb/sth, you manage to avoid them or to achieve sth more quickly than they do

Main entry: ↑step_idiom

a step ahead of something
a step ahead of somebody one step ahead of somebody a step ahead of something one step ahead of something a/one step aˈhead (of sb/sth) idiom

when you are one step ahead of sb/sth, you manage to avoid them or to achieve sth more quickly than they do

Main entry: ↑step_idiom

a step at a time
a step at a time one step at a time a/one step at a ˈtime idiom

when you do sth one step at a time you do it slowly and gradually

Main entry: ↑step_idiom

a stick to beat somebody with
a rod to beat somebody with a stick to beat somebody with a rod/stick to ˈbeat sb with idiom

a fact, an argument, etc. that is used in order to blame or punish sb

Main entry: ↑beat_idiom

a sticky end
a bad end a sticky end a bad/sticky ˈend idiom

(BrE) something unpleasant that happens to sb, for example punishment or a violent death, usually because of their own actions

• He'll come to a sticky end one of these days if he carries on like that.

Main entry: ↑end_idiom

a sticky wicket
a sticky wicket a ˌsticky ˈwicket idiom

(BrE, informal) a difficult situation

Main entry: ↑sticky_idiom

a stiff upper lip
keep a stiff upper lip (keep) a stiff upper ˈlip idiom

to keep calm and hide your feelings when you are in pain or in a difficult situation

• He was taught to keep a stiff upper lip and never to cry in public.

• Their reaction contrasts sharply with the stiff upper lip of the English.

Main entry: ↑stiff_idiom

a still small voice
a still small voice the still small voice a/the still small ˈvoice idiom

(literary) the voice of God or your ↑conscience, that tells you to do what is morally right

Main entry: ↑still_idiom

a sting in the tail
a sting in the tail a ˌsting in the ˈtail idiom

(informal) an unpleasant feature that comes at the end of a story, an event, etc. and spoils it

Main entry: ↑sting_idiom

a stitch in time
a stitch in time saves nine a stitch in ˈtime (saves ˈnine) idiom

(saying) it is better to deal with sth immediately because if you wait it may become worse or more difficult and cause extra work

Main entry: ↑stitch_idiom

a stitch in time saves nine
a stitch in time saves nine a stitch in ˈtime (saves ˈnine) idiom

(saying) it is better to deal with sth immediately because if you wait it may become worse or more difficult and cause extra work

Main entry: ↑stitch_idiom

a stone's throw
a stone's throw a ˈstone's throw idiom

a very short distance away

• We live just a stone's throw from here.

• The hotel is within a stone's throw of the beach.

Main entry: ↑stone_idiom

a storm in a teacup
a storm in a teacup a storm in a ˈteacup idiom

(BrE) (NAmE a tempest in a ˈteapot) a lot of anger or worry about sth that is not important

Main entry: ↑storm_idiom

a straight face
a straight face a straight ˈface idiom

if you keep a straight face, you do not laugh or smile, although you find sth funny

see also ↑straight-faced

Main entry: ↑straight_idiom

a stranger to something
be no stranger to something be a stranger to something be no/a ˈstranger to sth idiom

(formal) to be familiar/not familiar with sth because you have/have not experienced it many times before

• He is no stranger to controversy.

Main entry: ↑stranger_idiom

a straw in the wind
a straw in the wind a straw in the ˈwind idiom

(BrE) a small sign of what might happen in the future

Main entry: ↑straw_idiom

a sword of Damocles
a sword of Damocles the sword of Damocles a/the sword of ˈDamocles idiom

(literary) a bad or unpleasant thing that might happen to you at any time and that makes you feel worried or frightened From the legend in which Damocles had to sit at a meal at the court of Dionysius with a sword hanging by a single hair above his head. He had praised Dionysius' happiness, and Dionysius wanted him to understand how quickly happiness can be lost.

Main entry: ↑sword_idiom

a tad
a tad a tad BrE ; NAmE adverb

• It's a tad too expensive for me.

Main entry: ↑tad_derived

a tall order
be a tall order be a ˌtall ˈorder idiom

(informal) to be very difficult to do

Main entry: ↑tall_idiom

a taste of your own medicine
a taste of your own medicine a dose of your own medicine a taste/dose of your own ˈmedicine idiom

the same bad treatment that you have given to others

• Let the bully have a taste of his own medicine.

Main entry: ↑medicine_idiom

a tearing hurry
be in a tearing hurry be in a tearing rush (be in) a tearing ˈhurry/ˈrush idiom

(especially BrE) (to be) in a very great hurry

Main entry: ↑tear_idiom

a tearing rush
be in a tearing hurry be in a tearing rush (be in) a tearing ˈhurry/ˈrush idiom

(especially BrE) (to be) in a very great hurry

Main entry: ↑tear_idiom

a tee
to a T to a tee to a ˈT/ˈtee idiom

(informal) used to say that sth is exactly right for sb, succeeds in doing sth in exactly the right way, etc.

• Her new job suits her to a T.

• The novel captures the feeling of the pre-war period to a T.

Main entry: ↑T_idiom

a tempest in a teapot
a tempest in a teapot a tempest in a ˈteapot idiom

(NAmE) (BrE a storm in a ˈteacup) a lot of anger or worry about sth that is not important

Main entry: ↑tempest_idiom

a tempo
a tempo a tempo 7 BrE [ɑː ˈtempəʊ] NAmE [ɑː ˈtempoʊ] adverb, adjective (from Italian, music)

at the previous speed

Word Origin:

[a tempo] Italian, literally ‘in time’.

a the winds of change
a wind winds of change a the winds of change a wind/the winds of ˈchange idiom

(used especially by journalists) an event or a series of events that has started to happen and will cause important changes or results

• A wind of change was blowing through the banking world.

Main entry: ↑wind_idiom

a thick head
a thick head a thick ˈhead idiom

(informal) a physical condition in which your head is painful or you cannot think clearly as a result of an illness or of drinking too much alcohol

• You're going to have a thick head in the morning!

Main entry: ↑thick_idiom

a thick skin
a thick skin a ˌthick ˈskin idiom

the ability to accept criticism, insults, etc. without becoming upset

Opp: ↑thin skin

see also ↑thick-skinned

Main entry: ↑thick_idiom

a thin skin
a thin skin a ˌthin ˈskin idiom

the lack of ability to accept criticism, insults, etc. without becoming upset

Syn: ↑sensitive

• You shouldn't be in politics if you have such a thin skin.

Opp: ↑thick skin

see also ↑thin-skinned

Main entry: ↑thin_idiom

a thorn in somebody's flesh
a thorn in somebody's flesh a thorn in somebody's side a thorn in sb's ˈflesh/ˈside idiom

a person or thing that repeatedly annoys sb or stops them from doing sth

Main entry: ↑thorn_idiom

a thorn in somebody's side
a thorn in somebody's flesh a thorn in somebody's side a thorn in sb's ˈflesh/ˈside idiom

a person or thing that repeatedly annoys sb or stops them from doing sth

Main entry: ↑thorn_idiom

a three horse race
a one horse race a two horse race a three horse race a one, two, three, etc. horse ˈrace f9 idiom

a competition or an election in which there are only one, two, etc. teams or candidates with a chance of winning

• The women's competition was a two horse race between last year's winners Surrey and the previous champions Essex.

Main entry: ↑horse_idiom

a tight corner
a tight spot a tight corner a tight ˈspot/ˈcorner idiom

a very difficult or dangerous situation

• She'll always help if you're in a tight spot.

Main entry: ↑tight_idiom

a tight spot
a tight spot a tight corner a tight ˈspot/ˈcorner idiom

a very difficult or dangerous situation

• She'll always help if you're in a tight spot.

Main entry: ↑tight_idiom

a tissue of lies
a tissue of lies a ˌtissue of ˈlies idiom

(literary) a story, an excuse, etc. that is full of lies

Main entry: ↑tissue_idiom

a tough act to follow
a hard act to follow a tough act to follow a ˌhard/ˌtough act to ˈfollow idiom

a person who is so good or successful at sth that it will be difficult for anyone else coming after them to be as good or successful

• She has been an excellent principal and will be a hard act to follow.

Main entry: ↑act_idiom

a tough nut
a tough nut ▪ I. a hard/tough ˈnut idiom

(informal) a person who is difficult to deal with or to influence

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

▪ II. a hard/tough ˈnut (to ˈcrack) idiom

a difficult problem or situation to deal with

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

a tough nut to crack
a tough nut to crack a hard nut to crack hard nut to crack tough nut to crack a hard/tough ˈnut (to ˈcrack) idiom

a difficult problem or situation to deal with

Main entry: ↑nut_idiom

a tower of strength
a tower of strength a ˌtower of ˈstrength idiom

a person that you can rely on to help, protect and comfort you when you are in trouble

Main entry: ↑tower_idiom

a train of thought
a train of thought a train of ˈthought idiom

the connected series of thoughts that are in your head at a particular time

• The phone ringing interrupted my train of thought.

Main entry: ↑train_idiom

a treat
a treat a ˈtreat idiom

(BrE, informal) extremely well or good

• His idea worked a treat (= was successful).

• I don't know whether she can act but she looks a treat.

Main entry: ↑treat_idiom

a trip down memory lane
a trip down memory lane a walk down memory lane a trip/walk down ˌmemory ˈlane idiom

time that you spend thinking about and remembering the past or going to a place again in order to remind yourself of past experiences

• Visiting my old school was a real trip down memory lane.

Main entry: ↑memory lane_idiom

a trouble shared is a trouble halved
a trouble shared is a trouble halved a trouble ˌshared is a trouble ˈhalved idiom

(saying) if you talk to sb about your problems and worries, instead of keeping them to yourself, they seem less serious

Main entry: ↑trouble_idiom

a turn of mind
a turn of mind a ˌturn of ˈmind idiom

a particular way of thinking about things

Main entry: ↑turn_idiom

a turn of phrase
a turn of phrase a ˌturn of ˈphrase idiom

a particular way of describing sth

Main entry: ↑turn_idiom

a turn of speed
a turn of speed a ˌturn of ˈspeed idiom

a sudden increase in your speed or rate of progress; the ability to suddenly increase your speed

• He put on an impressive turn of speed in the last lap.

• The kangaroo has a fast turn of speed.

Main entry: ↑turn_idiom

a turn of the screw
a turn of the screw a ˌturn of the ˈscrew idiom

an extra amount of pressure, ↑cruelty, etc. added to a situation that is already difficult to bear or understand

Main entry: ↑turn_idiom

a two horse race
a one horse race a two horse race a three horse race a one, two, three, etc. horse ˈrace f9 idiom

a competition or an election in which there are only one, two, etc. teams or candidates with a chance of winning

• The women's competition was a two horse race between last year's winners Surrey and the previous champions Essex.

Main entry: ↑horse_idiom

a walk down memory lane
a trip down memory lane a walk down memory lane a trip/walk down ˌmemory ˈlane idiom

time that you spend thinking about and remembering the past or going to a place again in order to remind yourself of past experiences

• Visiting my old school was a real trip down memory lane.

Main entry: ↑memory lane_idiom

a walk in the park
a walk in the park a ˌwalk in the ˈpark idiom

(informal) a thing that is very easy to do or deal with

• The role isn't exactly a walk in the park.

• The next game will be a walk in the park.

Main entry: ↑walk_idiom

a walk of life
a walk of life a walk of ˈlife idiom

a person's job or position in society

Syn: ↑background

• She has friends from all walks of life.

Main entry: ↑walk_idiom

a war of nerves
a war of nerves a ˌwar of ˈnerves idiom

an attempt to defeat your opponents by putting pressure on them so that they lose courage or confidence

Main entry: ↑war_idiom

a war of words
a war of words a ˌwar of ˈwords idiom

a bitter argument or disagreement over a period of time between two or more people or groups

• the political war of words over tax

Main entry: ↑war_idiom

a waste of space
a waste of space a waste of ˈspace idiom

(informal) a person who is useless or no good at anything

Main entry: ↑waste_idiom

a watched pot never boils
a watched pot never boils a watched ˌpot never ˈboils idiom

(saying) used to say that when you are impatient for sth to happen, time seems to pass very slowly

Main entry: ↑watch_idiom

a way in to something
a way into something a way in to something a way ˈinto sth idiom

(also a way ˈin to sth) something that allows you to join a group of people, an industry, etc. that it is difficult to join, or to understand sth that it is difficult to understand

Main entry: ↑way_idiom

a way into something
a way into something a way in to something a way ˈinto sth idiom

(also a way ˈin to sth) something that allows you to join a group of people, an industry, etc. that it is difficult to join, or to understand sth that it is difficult to understand

Main entry: ↑way_idiom

a way of life
a way of life the way of life somebody's way of life a/the/sb's way of ˈlife idiom the typical pattern of behaviour of a person or group

• the American way of life

Main entry: ↑way_idiom

a week today
today week tomorrow week Monday week a week from today today, tomorrow, Monday, etc. ˈweek idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek (from) toˈday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• I'll see you Thursday week.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week from Monday
a week next Monday a week on Monday a week this Monday a week tomorrow a week from Monday a ˌweek next/on/this ˈMonday, etc. | a ˌweek toˈmorrow, etc. idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek from ˈMonday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• It's my birthday a week on Tuesday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week from today
today week tomorrow week Monday week a week from today today, tomorrow, Monday, etc. ˈweek idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek (from) toˈday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• I'll see you Thursday week.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week last Monday
a week yesterday Monday a week last Monday a ˌweek ˈyesterday, last ˈMonday, etc. idiom

(especially BrE) seven days before the day that you mention

• She started work a week yesterday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week next Monday
a week next Monday a week on Monday a week this Monday a week tomorrow a week from Monday a ˌweek next/on/this ˈMonday, etc. | a ˌweek toˈmorrow, etc. idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek from ˈMonday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• It's my birthday a week on Tuesday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week on Monday
a week next Monday a week on Monday a week this Monday a week tomorrow a week from Monday a ˌweek next/on/this ˈMonday, etc. | a ˌweek toˈmorrow, etc. idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek from ˈMonday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• It's my birthday a week on Tuesday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week this Monday
a week next Monday a week on Monday a week this Monday a week tomorrow a week from Monday a ˌweek next/on/this ˈMonday, etc. | a ˌweek toˈmorrow, etc. idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek from ˈMonday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• It's my birthday a week on Tuesday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week tomorrow
a week next Monday a week on Monday a week this Monday a week tomorrow a week from Monday a ˌweek next/on/this ˈMonday, etc. | a ˌweek toˈmorrow, etc. idiom

(BrE) (also a ˌweek from ˈMonday, etc. NAmE, BrE) seven days after the day that you mention

• It's my birthday a week on Tuesday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a week yesterday Monday
a week yesterday Monday a week last Monday a ˌweek ˈyesterday, last ˈMonday, etc. idiom

(especially BrE) seven days before the day that you mention

• She started work a week yesterday.

Main entry: ↑week_idiom

a whole different ball game
a whole different ball game a whole new ball game a (whole) different/new ˈball game idiom

(informal) a completely different kind of situation

• Camping in summer is fun, but in winter it's a whole different ball game.

Main entry: ↑ball game_idiom

a whole lot
a whole lot ▪ I. a ˈwhole lot idiom

(informal) very much; a lot

• I'm feeling a whole lot better.

Main entry: ↑whole_idiom

▪ II. a ˈwhole lot (of sth) idiom

(informal) a large number or amount

• There were a whole lot of people I didn't know.

• I lost a whole lot of money.

Main entry: ↑whole_idiom

a whole lot of something
a whole lot of something whole lot of something a ˈwhole lot (of sth) idiom

(informal) a large number or amount

• There were a whole lot of people I didn't know.

• I lost a whole lot of money.

Main entry: ↑whole_idiom

a whole new ball game
a whole different ball game a whole new ball game a (whole) different/new ˈball game idiom

(informal) a completely different kind of situation

• Camping in summer is fun, but in winter it's a whole different ball game.

Main entry: ↑ball game_idiom

a wind winds of change
a wind winds of change a the winds of change a wind/the winds of ˈchange idiom

(used especially by journalists) an event or a series of events that has started to happen and will cause important changes or results

• A wind of change was blowing through the banking world.

Main entry: ↑wind_idiom

a witch's evil brew
a witch's evil brew a an evil brew a witch's/an evil ˈbrew idiom

(BrE) an unpleasant drink that is a mixture of different things

Main entry: ↑brew_idiom

a witness to something
be a witness to something be (a) ˈwitness to sth idiom

1. (formal) to see sth take place

• He has been witness to a terrible murder.

2. to show that sth is true; to provide evidence for sth

• His good health is a witness to the success of the treatment.

Main entry: ↑witness_idiom

a wolf in sheep's clothing
a wolf in sheep's clothing a wolf in sheep's ˈclothing idiom

a person who seems to be friendly or harmless but is really an enemy

Main entry: ↑wolf_idiom

a woman after your own heart
a man after your own heart a woman after your own heart a man/woman after your own ˈheart idiom

a man/woman who likes the same things or has the same opinions as you

Main entry: ↑heart_idiom

a woman of parts
a man of many parts a woman of many parts a man/woman of (many) ˈparts idiom

a person with many skills

Main entry: ↑part_idiom

a woman of many parts
a man of many parts a woman of many parts a man/woman of (many) ˈparts idiom

a person with many skills

Main entry: ↑part_idiom

a woman of substance
a man of substance a woman of substance a man/woman of ˈsubstance idiom

(formal) a rich and powerful man or woman

Main entry: ↑substance_idiom

a woman of the world
a man of the world a woman of the world a man/woman of the ˈworld idiom

a person with a lot of experience of life, who is not easily surprised or shocked

Main entry: ↑world_idiom

a world away
a world away from something a ˈworld away (from sth) idiom

used to emphasize how different two things are

• His new luxury mansion was a world away from the tiny house where he was born.

Main entry: ↑world_idiom

a world away from something
a world away from something a ˈworld away (from sth) idiom

used to emphasize how different two things are

• His new luxury mansion was a world away from the tiny house where he was born.

Main entry: ↑world_idiom

a world of difference
a world of difference the world of difference a/the ˈworld of difference idiom

(informal) used to emphasize how much difference there is between two things

• There's a world of difference between liking someone and loving them.

Main entry: ↑world_idiom

a-
a- a- [a-] BrE [eɪ‑] NAmE [eɪ‑] prefix

(in nouns, adjectives and adverbs) not; without

• atheist

• atypical

• asexually

a.m.
a.m. A.M. a.m. (NAmE also A.M.)BrE [ˌeɪ ˈem] NAmE [ˌeɪ ˈem] abbreviation

between midnight and midday (from Latin ‘ante meridiem ’)

• It starts at 10 a.m.

compare ↑p.m.

Word Origin:

[a.m.] from Latin ante meridiem.

a/c
a/c a/c [a/c] BrE ; NAmE

(in writing) abbreviation

1. ↑account

2. ↑air conditioning

b & b
B and B B & B b and b b & b B and B [B and B] (also B & B, b and b, b & b)BrE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] abbreviation (informal, especially BrE)

↑bed and breakfast

See also: ↑B & B ▪ ↑b and b

b and b
B and B B & B b and b b & b B and B [B and B] (also B & B, b and b, b & b)BrE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] NAmE [ˌbiː ən ˈbiː] abbreviation (informal, especially BrE)

↑bed and breakfast

See also: ↑B & B ▪ ↑b and b

b.
b. b. [b.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) born

• Emily Clifton, b. 1800

b/w
b/w b/w 7 [b/w] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) black and white

c.
c c. ca c [c] BrE [siː] NAmE [siː] (BrE) (also c. NAmE, BrE) abbreviation

1. (in writing) ↑cent

2. (also C) (in writing) century

• in the 19th c

• (NAmE) a C19th church

see also ↑cent.

3. (also ca) (especially before dates)about; approximately (from Latin circa)

• c1890

4. (NAmE) (in cooking) cup

• add 2c. flour

See also: ↑c.

c/o
c/o c/o [c/o] BrE [ˌsiː ˈəʊ] NAmE [ˈoʊ] abbreviation

(used on letters to a person staying at sb else's house) care of

• Mr P Brown, c/o Ms M Jones

d'oh
d'oh d'oh 8 [d'oh] BrE [dəʊ] NAmE [doʊ] exclamation (informal)

used when you have just said or done sth that you know is stupid

• D'oh! That was the biggest mistake ever.

• D'oh! I wasn't supposed to know about that. Used by Homer Simpson in The Simpsons television series.

d.
d. d. [d.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

1. (in writing) died

• Emily Clifton, d. 1865

2. d (in the system of money used in the past in Britain) a ↑penny

d.b.a.
d.b.a. d.b.a. [d.b.a.] BrE [ˌdiː biː ˈeɪ] NAmE [ˌdiː biː ˈeɪ] abbreviation (US)

doing business as

• Philip Smith, d.b.a. Phil's Signs

e pluribus unum
e pluribus unum e pluribus unum [e pluribus unum] BrE NAmE a Latin phrase, meaning ‘one from many’, which was chosen for the ↑Continental Congress when a single country was created from the ↑thirteen colonies. The phrase appears on the ↑Great Seal of the United States and on many US coins.

e'en
e'en e'en 7 [e'en] BrE [iːn] NAmE [iːn] adverb (literary)

= ↑even

e'er
e'er e'er 7 [e'er] BrE [eə(r)] NAmE [er] adverb (literary)

= ↑ever

e-
e- e- BrE [iː] NAmE [iː] combining form

(in nouns and verbs) connected with the use of electronic communication, especially the Internet, for sending information, doing business, etc

• e-commerce

• e-business

see also E-fit, ↑email

Word Origin:

[e-] from ↑electronic, on the pattern of email.

e-book
e-book ˈe-book 8 [e-book] BrE NAmE noun

a book that is displayed on a computer screen or on an electronic device that is held in the hand, instead of being printed on paper

• You can download unlimited e-books for free.

• academic e-books in multiple electronic formats

e-cash
e-cash ˈe-cash 7 [e-cash] BrE NAmE noun uncountable

a system for sending and receiving payments using the Internet

e-friend
e-friend ˈe-friend 7 [e-friend] BrE NAmE noun

= ↑e-pal

e-mail
email e-mail email (also e-mail) noun, verb BrE [ˈiːmeɪl] NAmE [ˈiːmeɪl] noun

1. (also formal ˌelectronic ˈmail) uncountable a way of sending messages and data to other people by means of computers connected together in a network

• to send a message by email

2. countable, uncountable a message sent by email

• Thanks for your email.

Word Origin:

late 20th cent.: abbreviation of ↑electronic mail.

Thesaurus:

email (also e-mail) noun C, U

• I check my email daily.

mail • • message • |formal communication • • correspondence •

an email/mail/a message/a communication/correspondence from/to sb

send/receive an email/mail/a message/a communication/correspondence

open an email/a message

Collocations:

Email and the Internet

Email

receive/get/open an email

write/send/answer/forward/delete an email

check/read/access your email

block/filter (out) junk/spam/unsolicited email

exchange email addresses

open/check your inbox

junk mail fills/floods/clogs your inbox

have/set up an email account

open/send/contain an attachment

sign up for/receive email alerts

Connecting to the Internet

use/access/log onto the Internet/the Web

go online/on the Internet

have a high-speed/dial-up/broadband/wireless (Internet) connection

access/connect to/locate the server

use/open/close/launch a/your web browser

browse/surf/search/scour the Internet/the Web

send/contain/spread/detect a (computer/email) virus

update your anti-virus software

install/use/configure a firewall

accept/enable/block/delete cookies

Using the Internet

visit/check a website/an Internet site/sb's blog

create/design/launch a website/social networking site

start/write/post/read a blog

update your blog/a website

be in/meet sb in/go into/enter an Internet chat room

download/upload music/software/a song/a podcast/a file/a copy of sth

share information/data/files

post a comment/message on a website/an online message board/a web forum/an internet chat room

stream video/audio/music/content over the Internet

join/participate in/visit/provide a (web-based/web/online/Internet/discussion) forum

generate/increase/monitor Internet traffic

Example Bank:

• An email arrives in your inbox.

• Each of the rooms has Internet and email access.

• I sent an email asking about their products.

• If a member does not have email, a letter is sent.

• Most people check their email several times a day.

• She is in constant email contact with a number of college staff.

• Some companies monitor all employee email.

• Some members used email to renew their membership.

• The email contains a link to the retailer's website.

• The next day I got 400 email responses.

• Users receive email notification of special offers.

• Web-based email providers

• When I saw what he'd written I fired off an angry email.

• You can sign up to receive email alerts.

• a free email service

• an email announcing his promotion

• filtering devices that block unwanted email

• the rise in corporate email traffic

• I got an email from Andrew last week.

• I have to check my email.

verb transitive, intransitive

to send a message to sb by email

• ~ (sb) Patrick emailed me yesterday.

• ~ sth (to sb) I'll email the documents to her.

• ~ sb sth I'll email her the documents.

Verb forms:

Word Origin:

[email] late 20th cent.: abbreviation of ↑electronic mail.

Example Bank:

• I'll email the documents to her.

See also: ↑electronic mail

e-pal
e-pal ˈe-pal 7 [e-pal] BrE NAmE (also ˈe-friend) noun

a person that you make friends with by sending emails, often sb you have never met

• She now has e-pals all over the world.

See also: ↑e-friend

e-tailer
e-tailer ˈe-tailer BrE ; NAmE noun

• America's leading e-tailers

Main entry: ↑e-tailing_derived

e-tailing
e-tailing ˈe-tailing 8 [e-tailer e-tailing] BrE NAmE noun uncountable

the business of selling goods to the public over the Internet

• E-tailing in the US broke all records last year.

• The bookseller is one of the world's biggest e-tailing companies.

Derived Word: ↑e-tailer

e-ticket
e-ticket E-ticket™ ˈe-ticket [e-ticket] (US ˈE-ticket™) BrE ; NAmE noun a ticket, for example a plane ticket, that you buy over the Internet and receive by email. Your purchase details are stored on computer so you do not need a paper ticket.

e-zine
e-zine ˈe-zine 7 [e-zine] BrE NAmE noun

a magazine published in electronic form on the Internet

e.g.
e.g. e.g. BrE [ˌiː ˈdʒiː] NAmE [ˌiː ˈdʒiː] abbreviation

for example (from Latin ‘exempli gratia ’)

• popular pets, e.g. cats and dogs

Word Origin:

[e.g.] from Latin exempli gratia ‘for the sake of example’.

Language Bank:

e.g.

Giving examples

▪ The website has a variety of interactive exercises (e.g. ▪ matching games, crosswords and quizzes).

▪ The website has a variety of interactive exercises, including ▪ matching games, crosswords and quizzes.

▪ Web 2.0 technologies, such as ▪ wikis, blogs and social networking sites, have changed the way that people use the Internet.

▪ Many websites now allow users to contribute information. A good example of this is ▪ the ‘wiki’, a type of website that anyone can edit.

▪ Wikis vary in how open they are. For example ▪, some wikis allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.

▪ Wikis vary in how open they are. Some wikis, for example ▪ / for instance ▪, allow anybody to edit content, while others only allow registered users to do this.

▪ More and more people read their news on the Internet. To take one example, ▪ over 14 million people now read the online version of ‘The Oxford Herald’.

▪ Online newspapers are now more popular than paper ones. ‘The Oxford Herald’ is a case in point ▪. Its print circulation has fallen in recent years, while its website attracts millions of users every month.

note at ↑example

Language Banks at ↑addition, ↑argue, ↑evidence, ↑illustrate

f-hole
f-hole ˈf-hole 7 [f-hole] BrE NAmE noun

one of two holes with a shape similar to the letter ‘f ’ cut in the front of ↑violins and some other instruments

f-ing
f-ing f-ing 8 [f-ing] BrE NAmE adjective only before noun (taboo, slang)

= ↑effing

f-number
f-number ˈf-number 7 [f-number f-numbers] BrE NAmE noun

a number that shows the relationship between the ↑focal length of a camera ↑lens and its ↑diameter

Word Origin:

early 20th cent.: from f (denoting the focal length) and ↑number.

f.
f f. f [f] BrE [ef] NAmE [ef] (BrE) (also f. NAmE, BrE) abbreviation

1. female

2. (grammar) feminine

3. (music) loudly (from Italian ‘forte ’)

f.o.b.
f.o.b. f.o.b. 7 [f.o.b.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) ↑free on board

g'day
g'day g'day 7 [g'day] BrE [ɡəˈdeɪ] NAmE [ɡəˈdeɪ] exclamation (AustralE, NZE)

hello

h'm
hmm h'm hmm [hmm] (also hm, h'm)BrE [m] NAmE [m] BrE [hm] NAmE [hm] exclamation

used in writing to show the sound that you make to express doubt or when you are hesitating

See also: ↑hm

h.p.
h.p. HP h.p. [h.p.] BrE [ˌeɪtʃ ˈpiː] NAmE [ˌeɪtʃ ˈpiː] abbreviation

1. ↑horsepower

2. (also HP) (BrE) ↑hire purchase

i-
i- i- 8 [i-] BrE [aɪ] NAmE [aɪ] combining form

(in the names of products) (computing) ↑interactive (= allowing information to be passed continuously and in both directions between a computer and the person who uses it)

• The i-writer teaches you how to plan and write essays.

i.e.
i.e. i.e. BrE [ˌaɪ ˈiː] NAmE [ˌaɪ ˈiː] abbreviation

used to explain exactly what the previous thing that you have mentioned means (from Latin ‘ id est ’)

• the basic essentials of life, i.e. housing, food and water

Word Origin:

[i.e.] from Latin id est ‘that is’.

Language Bank:

i.e.

Explaining what you mean

▪ Some poems are mnemonics, i.e. ▪ they are designed to help you remember something.

▪ Some poems are mnemonics, that is to say ▪, they are designed to help you remember something.

▪ Mnemonic poems, that is ▪ poems designed to help you remember something, are an excellent way to learn lists.

▪ A limerick's rhyme scheme is A–A–B–B–A. In other words ▪, the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with one another, while the third and fourth lines have their own rhyme.

▪ In this exercise the reader is encouraged to work out the meaning, or rather ▪ the range of meanings, of the poem.

▪ This is a poem about death, or, more precisely ▪, dying.

▪ He says his poems deal with ‘the big issues’, by which he means ▪ love, loss, grief and death.

Language Bank at ↑about

l.
l l. l [l] BrE [el] NAmE [el] abbreviation

1. (pl. l) (in writing) litre(s)

2. (also l.)(pl. ll) (in writing) line (on a page in a book)

l.c.
l.c. l.c. 7 [l.c.] BrE [ˌel ˈsiː] NAmE [ˌel ˈsiː] abbreviation

1. in the piece of text that has been quoted (from Latin ‘loco citato ’)

2. (in writing) ↑letter of credit

3. (in writing) ↑lower case

l.h.
l.h. l.h. 7 [l.h.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) left hand

m-commerce
m-commerce ˈm-commerce 8 [m-commerce] BrE NAmE noun uncountable (BrE, business)

the business of buying and selling products on the Internet by using mobile/cell phones and other similar technology

• m-tickets and other m-commerce products

• revenue from m-commerce

m.
m m. m [m] BrE [em] NAmE [em] (BrE) (also m. NAmE, BrE) abbreviation

1. male

2. married

3. metre(s)

• 800m medium wave

4. million(s)

• population: 10m

n.
n. n. [n.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

noun

n/a
n/a n/a 7 [n/a] BrE NAmE abbreviation

1. not applicable (used on a form as an answer to a question that does not apply to you)

2. not available

o'
o' o' [o'] BrE [ə] NAmE [ə] preposition

used in written English to represent an informal way of saying of

• a couple o' times

o'clock
o'clock o'clock [o'clock] BrE [əˈklɒk] NAmE [əˈklɑːk] adverb

used with the numbers 1 to 12 when telling the time, to mean an exact hour

• He left between five and six o'clock.

• at/after/before eleven o'clock

o'er
o'er o'er [o'er] BrE [ɔː(r)] NAmE [ɔːr] adverb, preposition (old use)

over

o.b.o.
o.b.o. o.b.o. 7 [o.b.o.] BrE NAmE abbreviation (NAmE)

or best offer (used in small advertisements to show that sth may be sold at a lower price than the price that has been asked)

• $800 o.b.o.

see also ↑o.n.o.

o.n.o.
o.n.o. o.n.o. [o.n.o.] BrE NAmE abbreviation (BrE)

or near/nearest offer (used in small advertisements to show that sth may be sold at a lower price than the price that has been asked)

• Guitar £200 o.n.o.

see also ↑o.b.o.

p.
p p. p [p] (also p.)BrE [piː] NAmE [piː] abbreviation

1. (pl. pp.) page

• See p.34 and pp.63-72.

2. ↑penny ↑pence

• a 30p stamp

3. (music) quietly (from Italian ‘piano ’)

see also ↑p. and p., ↑p. and h.

p. & h.
p. and h. p. & h. p. and h. [p. and h.] (also p. & h.)BrE [ˌpiː ənd ˈeɪtʃ] NAmE [ˌpiː ənd ˈeɪtʃ] abbreviation (NAmE)

postage and handling

compare ↑p. and p.

p. & p.
p. and p. p. & p. p. and p. [p. and p.] (also p. & p.)BrE [ˌpiː ən ˈpiː] NAmE [ˌpiː ən ˈpiː] abbreviation (BrE)

postage and packing (= the cost of packing sth and sending it by post)

• Add £2 for p. and p.

compare ↑p. and h., ↑s and h

p. and h.
p. and h. p. & h. p. and h. [p. and h.] (also p. & h.)BrE [ˌpiː ənd ˈeɪtʃ] NAmE [ˌpiː ənd ˈeɪtʃ] abbreviation (NAmE)

postage and handling

compare ↑p. and p.

p. and p.
p. and p. p. & p. p. and p. [p. and p.] (also p. & p.)BrE [ˌpiː ən ˈpiː] NAmE [ˌpiː ən ˈpiː] abbreviation (BrE)

postage and packing (= the cost of packing sth and sending it by post)

• Add £2 for p. and p.

compare ↑p. and h., ↑s and h

p.a.
p.a. p.a. [p.a.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

per year (from Latin ‘per annum ’)

• an increase of 3% p.a.

p.d.q.
p.d.q. p.d.q. [p.d.q.] BrE [ˌpiː diː ˈkjuː] NAmE [ˌpiː diː ˈkjuː] abbreviation

pretty damn/damned quick (= very fast)

• Make sure you get here p.d.q.

p.m.
p.m. P.M. p.m. (NAmE also P.M.)BrE [ˌpiː ˈem] NAmE [ˌpiː ˈem] abbreviation

after 12 o'clock ↑noon (from Latin ‘post meridiem ’)

• The appointment is at 3 p.m.

compare ↑a.m.

Word Origin:

[p.m.] from Latin post meridiem.

p.p.
pp p.p. pp [pp] BrE NAmE abbreviation

1. pp. pages

• See pp. 100–117.

2. (also p.p.) (especially BrE) used in front of a person's name when sb signs a business letter on his/her behalf

• pp Chris Baker (= from Chris Baker, but signed by sb else because Chris Baker is away)

3. (music) very quietly (from Italian ‘pianissimo ’)

p.s.i.
p.s.i. p.s.i. 7 [p.s.i.] BrE [ˌpiː es ˈaɪ] NAmE [ˌpiː es ˈaɪ] abbreviation

pounds per square inch (used for giving the pressure of tyres, etc.)

p.w.
p.w. p.w. [p.w.] BrE NAmE abbreviation (BrE)

per week

• Rent is £100 p.w.

q.v.
q.v. q.v. BrE [ˌkjuː ˈviː] NAmE [ˌkjuː ˈviː] abbreviation

used in books to tell a reader that there is more information in another part of the book (from Latin ‘ quod vide ’)

Word Origin:

[q.v.] from Latin quod vide, literally which see.

r.h.
r.h. r.h. 7 [r.h.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) right hand

s & h
s and h s & h s and h [s and h] (also s & h)BrE NAmE abbreviation (NAmE)

shipping and handling

compare ↑p. and p.

s and h
s and h s & h s and h [s and h] (also s & h)BrE NAmE abbreviation (NAmE)

shipping and handling

compare ↑p. and p.

s'more
s'more s'more 8 [s'more] BrE [smɔː(r)] NAmE [smɔːr] noun (NAmE)

a cooked ↑marshmallow eaten with chocolate between two ↑graham crackers (= a type of cookie) that is traditionally cooked over a fire when camping

• s'mores and other campfire treats

• S'mores can be messy to eat.

s/he
s/he s/he 7 [s/he] BrE NAmE pronoun

used in writing by some people when the subject of the verb could be either female (she) or male (he)

• If a student does not attend all the classes, s/he will not be allowed to take the exam.

t'ai chi
t'ai chi ch'uan t'ai chi t'ai chi ch'uan f30 BrE [ˌtaɪ tʃiː ˈtʃwɑːn] NAmE [ˌtaɪ tʃiː ˈtʃwɑːn] (also ˌt'ai ˈchi) noun uncountable (from Chinese)

a Chinese system of exercises consisting of sets of very slow controlled movements

Word Origin:

[t'ai chi ch'uan] Chinese, literally great ultimate boxing, from tái ‘extreme’ + ji ‘limit’ + quán ‘fist, boxing’.

t'ai chi ch'uan
t'ai chi ch'uan t'ai chi t'ai chi ch'uan f30 BrE [ˌtaɪ tʃiː ˈtʃwɑːn] NAmE [ˌtaɪ tʃiː ˈtʃwɑːn] (also ˌt'ai ˈchi) noun uncountable (from Chinese)

a Chinese system of exercises consisting of sets of very slow controlled movements

Word Origin:

[t'ai chi ch'uan] Chinese, literally great ultimate boxing, from tái ‘extreme’ + ji ‘limit’ + quán ‘fist, boxing’.

t'other
t'other t'other BrE [ˈtʌðə(r)] NAmE [ˈtʌðər] adjective, pronoun (BrE, dialect)

the other

• I saw it t'other day.

• They were talking of this, that and t'other.

Word Origin:

[t'other] Middle English the tother, wrong division of thet other ‘the other’ (thet, from Old English thaet, the obsolete neuter form of the).

u.c.
u.c. u.c. 7 [u.c.] BrE NAmE abbreviation

(in writing) ↑upper case

w/c
w/c w/c 8 [w/c] abbreviation

(used in writing) (BrE) week commencing (the week that begins on the date mentioned)

• the schedule for w/c 19 November

• Interviews will take place in w/c 10 May.

y'all
y'all y'all [y'all] BrE [jɔːl] NAmE [jɔːl] pronoun

= ↑you-all

£50 a throw
$100 a throw £50 a throw $100, £50, etc. a ˈthrow idiom

(informal) used to say how much items cost each

• The tickets for the dinner were £50 a throw.

Main entry: ↑throw_idiom

à la
à la à la [la] BrE [ˈɑː lɑː] NAmE [ˈɑː lɑː] preposition (from French)

in the same style as sb/sth else

• a new band that sings à la Beatles

à la carte
à la carte à la carte [la carte] BrE [ˌɑː lɑː ˈkɑːt] NAmE [ˌɑː lɑː ˈkɑːrt] adjective, adverb (from French)

if food in a restaurant is à la carte, or if you eat à la carte, you choose from a list of dishes that have separate prices, rather than having a complete meal at a fixed price

• There is an excellent à la carte restaurant for hotel residents.

• It was more expensive to eat à la carte.

à la mode
à la mode à la mode f21 [la mode] BrE [ˌɑː lɑː ˈməʊd] NAmE [ˌɑː lɑː ˈmoʊd] adjective, adverb (from French)

1. not before noun (old-fashioned) fashionable; in the latest fashion

• We'll get Papa to buy you something a little more à la mode.

2. after noun (NAmE) served with ice cream

• apple pie à la mode

… a pop
… a pop …a pop idiom

(informal, especially NAmE) costing a particular amount for each one

• We can charge $50 a pop.

Main entry: ↑pop_idiom

… and counting
… and counting …and ˈcounting idiom

used to say that a total is continuing to increase

• The movie's ticket sales add up to $39 million, and counting.

Main entry: ↑count_idiom

… and such
… and such … and such idiom

and similar things or people

• The centre offers activities like canoeing and sailing and such.

Main entry: ↑such_idiom

… and then some
… and then some ▪ I. … and ˈthen some idiom

(informal) and a lot more than that

• We got our money's worth and then some.

Main entry: ↑some_idiom

▪ II. …and ˈthen some idiom

(informal) used to emphasize the large amount or number of sth, and to say that you have not mentioned everything

• There are Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai restaurants… and then some!

Main entry: ↑then_idiom

… bit
the whole … bit the (whole)… bit idiom

(informal, disapproving) behaviour or ideas that are typical of a particular group, type of person or activity

• She couldn't accept the whole drug-culture bit.

Main entry: ↑bit_idiom

… days hence
… days hence … weeks hence … days, weeks, etc. ˈhence idiom

(formal) a number of days, etc. from now

• The true consequences will only be known several years hence.

Main entry: ↑hence_idiom

… is the new …
… is the new … … is the new … idiom

(BrE, informal) used to say that sth has become very fashionable and can be thought of as replacing sth else

• Brown is the new black.

• Comedy is the new rock and roll.

• Fifty is the new forty.

Main entry: ↑new_idiom

… my foot!
… my foot! …my ˈfoot! idiom

(informal, humorous) a strong way of saying that you disagree completely with what has just been said

• ‘Ian can't come because he's tired.’ ‘Tired my foot! Lazy more like!’

Main entry: ↑foot_idiom

… or bust
… or bust … or ˈbust idiom

(informal) used to say that you will try very hard to get somewhere or achieve sth

• For him it's the Olympics or bust.

Main entry: ↑bust_idiom

… or so
… or so … or so idiom used after a number, an amount, etc. to show that it is not exact

• There were twenty or so (= about twenty) people there.

• We stayed for an hour or so.

Main entry: ↑so_idiom

… thing
the whole … thing the (whole)… thing idiom

(informal) a situation or an activity of the type mentioned

• She really didn't want to be involved in the whole family thing.

Main entry: ↑thing_idiom

… weeks hence
… days hence … weeks hence … days, weeks, etc. ˈhence idiom

(formal) a number of days, etc. from now

• The true consequences will only be known several years hence.

Main entry: ↑hence_idiom