Undertarned (Deceptive, dishonest--iised tv than a person) Examples: + He has the gift of the gab, so | was a bit wary of him, but as it turned out, nothing underhand had happened. Not this time, anyway, + Fmnot a mug, you know. i'm sure youre up to no good. Something underhand is going on, !'m certain of it. AU bell broke foose (Everything went crazy/out of control) Examples: + The authorities tried to deter people from turning out to see the new Princess artive at Buckingham Palace, but as soon as she got out of the royal car, all hell broke loose. + Inthe wake of his recent release from prison, al! hell broke foose amongst his followers. However, the fact that some people fove him and every stupid thing he says doesn’t mean that he’s going to be able to turn his ife around. To turn a blind eye to/towards (To pretend not to notice that something negative is happening) Examples: + Even if youre seething with anger, it better that you turn @ blind eye to what is going on. Opting for a quiet life is always the best policy. + Her husband is beginning to lose his marbles, but she turns a blind eye towards it and tries to banish the thought of not being able to cope. Te burden, a burden (To cause inconvenience, to disturb; an inconvenience) Examples: +” Iso sorry to Burden you with my problems, but in the light of what has happened, | don’t think I can just turn a blind eye, do you? +The heavy burden of having to take on unqualified staff during the Christmas period is one we cannot afford to overlook.To meliow, mellow (To become more relaxed and easy-going-especially as one gets older quiet and relaxing ‘ Examples + I think my father and | have only bonded relatively recently because he has begun to melfow in his old age. We have stopped bickering and he is no longer constantly seething with rage.This is in stark contrast to earlier years. + Can you put on something meftow like a Chopin Prelude? I'm feeling rather shattered ofter a gruelling week. “Tari truer (A burst of anger, screaming and shouting- child ally an adult beha Bamples: + As you know, my young child is prone to having tantrums in the middte of a supermarket. That's why | don’t like to burden my parents with him when they go shopping + The boss is having one of her tantrums. | don’t think now is the right time to accuse her of doing something underhand; all hell will break foose. “I'm not a mug, you know. I'm sure youre up to no good. Something underhand is going on, Pm certain of it”. (see p 16)Chapter Two Lesson Two ‘Fe flatter (To pay someone a compliment- “to be flattered” ery will get you nowhere”, w 1 what you want. It is genera ans to feel honou Examples: + He's always trying to flatter his female clients, speaking to them with that smooth, mellow voice of his. He thinks he's got the gift of the gab. + She was flattered by all the attention she received. This was in stark contrast to last year when she was banished from the limelight by the media, who were more interested in her daughter. + rm very wary of pretentious people who haven't actually read my books trying to plug them and saying cringingly nice things about me. Flattery will get them nowhere. To stiffe, stifling (To prevent, suppress or constrain an activity or idea; to restrict one's freedom; suffocating) Examples: +E feel that the Government's actions have been underhand. They are clearly trying to stifle debate on the issue. + A:T have an inexplicable craving for hot chocolate. B: In this stifling heat? ‘Yo strive (To try with difficulty;to make a great effort to achieve somethin; ) used w Bamples + If'we want to strive for a decent society, we will have to step up our efforts to improve the standard of education for the poor in this country. + The Indians and Pakistanis are still striving for peace, although they are very wary of each other. 18‘To be disrmayed (To be very disappointed/shocked by an action or decision) Examples: +” We were somewhat dismayed when we discovered that our son's schoo! had opted out of the councit-run literacy programme for focal schools. His teacher told us it was because the programme could stifle the children’s love of literature. Oh please! + After all she had striven for, she was dismayed at the new president's decision to turn a blind eye to the previous government's human rights abuses. Buisybodly (Someone who interferes with/organises other people's affairs without being asked to do so~ expression) Examples + She says that she doesn't like to burden people with her own problems, but when it comes to the lives of others, she’s « real busybody, Someone needs to give her a dressing-down, + If you hadn't been such a busybody trying to organise her life, she wouldn’t now be having so many tantrums.And just at g time when she was showing signs of mellowing. To brace oneself for semething (To prepare oneself for bad news/ something unpleasant) Examples + Before you meet my parents, fd better warn you that they never stop bickering...and my dad’s losing his marbles. So, brace yourself! . She told me that it was no good turning a blind eye to all the goings-on at work, and that I should Brace myself for a hectic few weeks ahead when all hell is likely to break loose. ‘To deploy (To position troops/weapons so that they can be used immediately) Examples: . The stark reality with which all of us must come to terms is that enemy forces have deployed missiles and bombs in strategic locations around the city. * A: {tis so boring having to listen to politicians go on and on about the “need” to deploy more troops in Afghanistan B: Oh yes indeed; was trying to stifle a yawn too.Yulneraisle (Ina position where one can easily get hurt-. rallyens weak and without protection) Examples + Unless we take the bull by the horns, we will be leaving ourselves in an increasingly vulnerable position + You can’t overlook the fact that he was feeling extremely vulnerable in the wake of that farce involving his father’s business dealings. Ye deplete, depleted (To use up the supply/resources of something;no longer in sufficient supply) Examples: . Environmentalists have complained that excessive fishing of cod in the seas surrounding the UK has dramatically depleted stocks, and they are dismayed that the powers that be are turning a blind eye to this state of affairs. + The number of maths teachers in our schoo! is seriously depleted. We are going to have to step up recruitment if we want to remain at the cutting edge of education in this city Yo mourn, be in rme@urning (To show how sad one is because of someone's, death or because one has lost the use or benefit of something which had previously brought pleasure; to be in a state of sorrow following a death) Examples: + She will remain in this vulnerable state until she stops mourning for her mother, who passed away nearly two years ago. She needs to brace herself for a life without her, sad though that i. + The whole schoo! still mourns the loss of its playing fields just at a time when many of the pupils were striving for success in their chosen sports, + She was in mourning for her late husband until she had the pleasure and joy of becoming a grandmother. That certainly tumed her life around. 20“The number of maths teachers in our schoo! is seriously depleted. We are going to have to step up recruitment if we want to remain at the cutting edge of ed education in this city.” {see page 21eee Chapter Two Fo be outlawed (To be made illegal criminal who is hiding Lesson Three that on “ourthaw” is ¢ rather dated term police. See Examples: “The underhand practices of many multinational companies have now, thankfully, been outlawed. Jn stark contrast to the custom in some European countries, smoking in public places has been outlawed in most U.S. states. We will turn a blind eye to those families who have been housing outlaws, providing they own up immediately. Fat cat (A very highly paid person, often an industrialist or company director, who is usually Considered not to be worth the money he is paid-~d negaune XPS ) Examples T think the future of some of the fat cats running the railways is doomed. | certainly won't mourn any of them if they go. ‘As a fat cat of the country’s largest gas energy provider, he has ‘alowed supplies to become depleted while continuing to pay himself 4 huge company dividend. This is corruption and should be outlawed. To lure, lire (To attract someone to a particular place or activity; the appeal! attraction of something) Examples he beautifil beaches, sunshine and laid-back lifestyle lured me to the Caribbean, 'd had quite enough of the gruelling routine of London. Jam bracing myself for a very bad year...and the thought of doing something alot less stressful ke writing cookery books, is turing me away from the restaurant business. The lure of the dollar is what attracts so many international companies to the United States. But they are ail striving for the same thing and competition is fierce.Glam (Gad and full of despair) Examples: + I don’t know why you look so glum. Id be quite flattered if people had been so complimentary about my work. + She looks like she’s in mourning for someone, all dressed in black. {s she always so glum? To overhau!, overhau! (To examine and change a system; a major change to a system) Examples: . We must be careful not to allow ourselves to be lured into the expensive exercise of overhauling our computer system. It’s very easy for fat cats to keep telling us we need to spend money. . There has to be a total overhaul of the National Health Service before the image of a Third World country can be banished from ‘our minds. Spate (A series of events happening over a short period of time-vsvolly something negative) Bamples + There has been a spate of robberies here over the last few weeks. This area is fast becoming renowned as a haven for outlaws. + We've had a spate of cases recently where vulnerable women have been sexually exploited by criminal gangs. Police investigations of this serious problem need to be stepped up. Cover-up (A hiding of the truth about a mistake or crime) Examples: + Anoverhaul of the medical profession could help to prevent cover-ups when mistakes have been made. . The whole thing has been a massive cover-up. Now the truth has come to fight, all helt will break loose.. Te be poised to Go se@rmething (To be ready for action) Examples + They were poised to attack the enemy. Unfortunately, they didn’t realise at the time that their own military resources were severely depleted. 23. It’s a refreshing change to see such a seemingly mellow guy poised to take over as lead vocalist of the country's loudest heavy metal band. “They were poised to attack the enemy. Unfortunately, they didn’t realise at the time that their own military resources were severely depleted.” (see page 22). Feat (An accomplishment, achievement--ote the expression “ne mean feat®, w ”) Examples: + The cover-ups surrounding this loss-making project were a major feat in themselves and must have taken a lot of intricate planning, * Being abie to handle my child's tantrums is a feat I'm still striving to achieve. 24+ A: Your wife talks even more than mine, and that’s no mean feat, I can tell you. B: She will be flattered to hear that. Il let her know. ‘To be renowned for something (To be well known for something) Examples: + You'd better brace yourself for some strong weather: This island is renowned for its hurricanes. + fd be very wary of him if | were you; he’s renowned for his tantrums and he tends to lose the plot. 25Chapter Two in Use NEWS BULLETIN Last night MP (Member of Parliament) Peter Miller was seething with anger after being accused of having masterminded a spate of cover-ups concerning business interests he is alleged to have in various American multinationals. Mr Miller, generally known as quite a mellow character, got embroiled in some fiery with members of the Opposition in the House of Commons today, He assured the House that nething vnder/cnd was going on and that the idea that he was becoming renowned as a fet cot left him somewhat hurt and dismayed. He was seen leaving Westminster looking rather glum, which was in stark contrast to his mood last week when he was poised to become the new Secretary for Overseas Tiade. In other news, in the Middle East, Israel has deployed more troops on the West Bank in light of the fact that several Jewish settlers have recently been \r=< to their deaths by Palestinian rebels posing as United Nations peacekeepers.A spokesman for the Israeli government said that miltary protection in the area had become (-nellowistarkiglumal depleted) contrast to how she was as a shy, withdrawn teenager. Now she is happy to be {(underhondifictteredia busybodylin the limelight), 9. All (tantrums came ovt/stocks were depletedihell broke loose/fat cats were destroyed) when Alison found out what Gavin had been up to. She was °(deployediseething/bickering) mourning). {flaicerersibusybodies/mellow guys) to get so rich, they have to be doing edivilnerablelunderhandirenowned). 19. For these *(far something "(de 11, GSeethingiMourning!D should be %(ciniawedlovertail loying/Stifting) nuclear missiles so near a thriving, young community ‘overed uplturned a blind eye). ed/renownedIstifiediflatered) to discover that the (depioymentftantre ) of a better life in Australia had made him leave his family, 27B 28 She was #(outlawadipoisediseething/flattered) to relate to everyone what she had overheard in the ladies’ toilets, but then she remembered that her husband had always told her not to cat/bielere We were al! Jooking rather »(depieted/giuni/renownedistark) when we realised what trouble we had got ourselves into. | was wondering whether there was any way we could subtly organise a *(mourninglousybodylcover-up! fla