(© Pearson 2016 SOA2) List of expressions - unit 6

In time, they will either become a distant memory or a close reality.

Her honeymoon seemed like a distant memory.

signs he's still in love with his ex-girlfriend

The signs are that the country is likely to recover soon.

You have to be smart. The easy days are over.

The days are over when you could buy a cinema ticket for sixpence.

The future will soon be a thing of the past.

We hope that smoking will become a thing of the past.

Books may well be the only true magic.

What you say may well be true.

Relax! You're more likely to get killed by a COW than a shark! Oh... Okay...

Children who live in the country’s rural areas are very likely to be poor.

People who use a lot of swear words tend to be more honest and trustworthy, human behavioral studies suggest.

Opinion polls suggest that only 10% of the population trust the government.

Everything points to something

Everything points to her having died from a drugs overdose.

Be bound to is used to refer to future events which are certain or very likely to happen: Kevin is stuck in a traffic jam, so he is bound to be late.

Don’t lie to her. She’s bound to find out.

5 signs you’re destined to be together

She was destined to have a successful career

How to stay on track: set goal, make plan, get to work, stick to it, reach goal!

We’re still on track for 10% growth.

Can you drown in a river that is on average only 3 feet deep? (1 meter)

On average, men still earn more than women.

Trial software is a free trial version for evaluation (being tested for performance or suitability).

They let me have the computer on trial for thirty days.

Earth at risk

Their children are also at high risk of developing the disease.

NOW

The item you want is not available at present.

a chance: take at least one

It will take you at least 20 minutes to get there.

Giving a child an education is by far one of the most important investments we can make.

Watching sport was by far the most popular activity on Saturday afternoons.

If you say that something has a particular characteristic by its nature or by its very nature, you mean that things of that type always have that characteristic.

Optimistic by nature. She was by nature a very affectionate person.

No smoking by law. A regulation made by a local authority or corporation.

By law, seat belts must be worn by all passengers.

If something is in decline or on the decline, it is gradually decreasing in importance, quality, or power. Thankfully the smoking of cigarettes is on the decline.

He disagrees with the widely held belief that educational standards are in decline.

Small bird in danger.

The party is in danger of being defeated in the next election.

In effect, people are digitizing themselves.

In effect, we’ll be earning less than we were last year.

Also, out of hand. No longer under management, direction, or regulation; unmanageable or unruly.

The economy is worsening and out of control.

out of sight, out of mind

Voters suspected the real political agenda was being kept out of sight.

because of necessity; due to need. because of conditions that cannot be changed: because it is necessary. He works two jobs out of necessity.

Many of the jobs are temporary out of necessity.

Off course is used when a vehicle doesn't follow a planned, or intended, route. Off course: recalculating route ... No kiddin'

The ship was blown off course. disoriented, confused.

Behind the leader or leading group in a race or contest. ‘Duncan was two seconds off the pace’

I was off the pace and decided to retire from the race.

Out of equilibrium, unsteady, as in When learning how to ride a two-wheeler, it's easy to get off balance and fall.

The sudden movement of the ship knocked them both off balance.

Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion. People associated with public figures must not be suspected of being a part of any wrongdoing.

The President is surely above suspicion.

called from the requirement of keeping the hands above the table or board in order to discourage possible cheating at cards

His plans for opening a coffee shop are completely above board.

A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind.

Max is hard-working, cheerful, and above all, honest.

Just remember, when you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.

Kathleen thinks she’s over the hill, but she’s only 32.

Very happy. I passed my test. I'm over the moon!

I was over the moon when I won the championship.

“Over the top” means “extreme, too much”. He has always had an independent style, but don’t you think purple spiky hair is a bit over the top?

He was a bit over the top with his drinking last night.

to feel slightly ill or suffering from a hangover. This expression presumably alludes to the influence of the weather on one's health.

You look a bit under the weather.

I was under the impression that the sex we were having was recreational

I’m sorry, I was under the impression that you were the manager.

on oath, upon oath, on one's word, upon the Book, on one's word of honor

The evidence was given under oath.

Have a good command of English? Fully operational command of the language: appropriate, accurate and fluent with complete understanding.

He’s studied in the US and has a good command of English.

You are what you speak, so mind your language!

She gave him a frown and told him to mind his language.

Dead languages are languages that, though once spoken by certain peoples, is no longer a native language to anyone.

He is an expert in dead languages.

Offensive language including discrimination, profanity, racist, sexist, politically incorrect and obscene language

I found her language deeply offensive.

is the most used variety of a language, which is usually employed in conversation or other communication in informal situations.

Describe it in ordinary everyday language.

A world language is a language that is spoken internationally and is learned and spoken by a large number of people as a second language.

Why did English become a global language?

A language barrier is a figurative phrase used primarily to refer to linguistic barriers to communication, i.e. the difficulties in communication experienced by people or groups speaking different languages, or even dialects in some cases

Living in China was hard for me at first because of the language barrier.

An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction.

Hindi is one of the official languages of India.

To find it impossible to take part in a conversation because the other person is talking continously.

Once George starts talking it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways.

"Let me get straight to the point, in a roundabout way."

I wish you’d get to the point.

Computer tech support? Allright ... I've removed all of my cookies ... Now what?

I think we’re talking at cross purposes.

What did you say? - I didn't quite catch that...

I’m afraid I didn’t catch what you said, because of the noise.

A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to.

I can see that young man needs a good talking to.

Talk shop: talk business Even at a party Peter has to talk shop!

I’m fed up with you two talking shop.

Can I run a couple of ideas by you? – to get someone’s opinion or to make sure they approve or understand Could you run that by me again? – (spoken) to ask someone to repeat what they’ve just said

I just wanted to run it by you and see what you thought.

"to be unable to understand something".

I couldn’t make head or tail of the instructions.

It is used when we want to indicate that a certain word isn’t strong enough to describe a situation.

His teaching methods were strange, to say the least.

Getting the wrong end of the stick is a phrase to explain when someone misunderstands, misinterprets, or misconstrues a situation.

Geoff had got the wrong end of the stick, and thought I was angry with him.

increase fast in success/popularity

Mimi became jealous when Jack’s career started taking off.

It's the latest thing. It's called the veterinarian diet.

These handbags are the latest thing in accessories, darling!

Ugly fashion isn't just a passing trend...

I’m sure it’s just a passing trend.

Today, word of mouth marketing has become a healthy alternative to celebrity endorsement.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways of getting business.

Lawers never lose their appeal. Losing a case upon review by a higher court of the decision made by a lower court The convicted killer lost on appeal of his death sentence before the state Supreme Court.

This kind of music has lost its appeal for the under-20s.

Camera's don't capture imagination

His stories of foreign adventure captured my imagination.

evoke a reaction, response, or emotion; "this writer strikes a chord with young women".

Their story is bound to strike a chord with all parents.

From 1996 to 1998, the population increased dramatically. From 1996 to 1998 there was a dramatic increase in the population.

Output has risen dramatically since last month.

a great success, following relatively mediocre or disappointing performances She is hoping for a breakout with this latest movie.

This new smartphone will be the next breakout mobile device.

spend more money than you normally do, especially for a celebration

Push the boat out and get tickets to the theatre or ballet.

What's your take on the tatoos and piercings?

What’s your take on this issue?

in, into, or towards a prominent position.

Environmental issues came to the fore in the 1980s.

A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a wristwatch.

Have you seen the company’s latest smart watch?

Interactive TV is an approach to television advertising and programming that creates the opportunity for viewers to communicate with advertisers and programming executives by responding to a call to action.

We don’t have an interactive television – you have to get up and press buttons to change the channel!

A smart thermostat keeps your home at an ideal temperature at all times, saving energy and saving you money.

Our new smart thermostat changes the room temperature whenever it senses changes in the weather.

Driverless cars: Don't ignore the human factor

I’m not sure I would feel safe on the motorway in a driverless car.

an unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control or onboard computers

Drones have been used to take images of countries thousands of miles away from where they are controlled.

Brain imaging methods allow neuroscientists to see inside the living brain.

New brain imaging technologies mean that doctors are better able to screen for defects.

'genetic data' means personal data relating to the inherited or acquired genetic characteristics of a natural person

This new breakthrough gave scientists immense amounts of genetic data.

donation, reward, equity, peer 2 peer lending

He was able to start his new business with the help of crowdfunding.

At that time, it represented a conglomeration of mostly Italian, with a smattering of French, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Greek, and Arabic, and was used primarily as the language of commerce.

The English language is sometimes described as the lingua franca of computing. In comparison to other sciences, where Latin and Greek are the principal sources of vocabulary, computer science borrows more extensively from English.

English Language Olympics

I don't follow trends, I create them.

The hotel is closed during the off season, i.e., from October to March.

Used esp. in writing after a general statement to introduce specific information or examples.