Vocabulary List. Thelma and Louise

NO

LANGUAGE UNITS

NOTES

Don’t holler like that. Haven’t I told you I can’t stand it?

informal especially American English to shout loudly [= yell]:

I heard someone hollering at me.

No, Thelma, we don’t need the lantern. The place has electricity.

There’s some psychokiller on the loose.

free from being controlled or held in a cage, prison, or institution:

break/get loose (=escape)

A 34-year old inmate broke loose from the sheriff's office yesterday.

Then this lantern’ll come in real handy.

be useful:

Take your swimming trunks with you - they might come in handy.

Maybe we should tow your car behind too, in case he steals the spark plugs.

to pull a vehicle or ship along behind another vehicle, using a rope or chain:

The ship had to be towed into the harbor.

You get what you settle for.

to accept something even though it is not the best, or not what you really want:

They want $2500 for it, but they might settle for $2000.

You’re usually so se΄date.

calm, serious, and formal:

a sedate seaside town

The wedding was rather a sedate occasion.

We’re gonna, just for once, really let our hair down.

informal to enjoy yourself and start to relax, especially after working very hard:

The party gave us all a chance to really let our hair down.

Can’t you tell if somebody’s hittin’ on you?

American English informal to talk to someone in a way that shows you are sexually attracted to them:

Dave has hit on most of the women in the department.

It’s waiting tables that’s made you jaded, that’s all.

someone who is jaded is no longer interested in or excited by something, usually because they have experienced too much of it:

The concert should satisfy even the most jaded critic.

The news was talking about a dragnet up on the interstate.

dragnet a system in which the police look for criminals, using very thorough methods

interstate American English TTRa wide road that goes between states, on which cars can travel very fast

-Why don’t you just tell him to get lost once and for all? -Why don’t you ditch that no-good husband of yours?

informalto end a romantic relationship with someone:

Meg and Neil were due to marry, but she ditched him.

He’ll freak out and call you.

to become very anxious, upset or afraid, or make someone very anxious, upset or afraid:

People just freaked out when they heard the news.

freak somebody out

The whole idea freaked me out.

Darryl’s been calling, mad as a hornet, making all kinds of noise.

I’m gonna have to haul ass.

haul ass American English spoken not polite to hurry

Don’t you start flaking out on me.

American English to do something strange, or to not do what you said you would do

Kathy said she'd help but she flaked out on us.

Every time we get in trouble you just get blank or play insanity…

a blank face or look shows no emotion, understanding, or interest:

Zoe looked at me with a blank expression.

She gazed at him in blank astonishment.

See, I’m trying to get back to school. My ride fell through. I am stuck here.

if an agreement, plan, sale etc falls through, it is not completed successfully:

The studio planned to make a movie of the book but the deal fell through.

She’ll probably say no. She’s a little bit uptight.

informal

1behaving in an angry way because you are feeling nervous and worried:

You have to learn to laugh instead of getting uptight about things.

2having strict traditional attitudes and seeming unable to relax

We should stay away from the interstate. We’re too conspicuous.

very easy to notice [≠ inconspicuous]:

I felt very conspicuous in my red coat.

We’re running for our lives.

to run away to save one's life: The dam has burst! Run for your life!

We have some witnesses who saw a 1966 T-Bird convertible sort of speeding out of the driveway there.

Louise and he don’t get along. That’s putting it mildly.

Perhaps you know?

He is an asshole. Most of the time I just let it slide.

let something slide

a) to let a situation get gradually worse:

Management has let safety standards slide at the factory.

b) spoken to ignore a mistake, problem, remark etc, without trying to improve or stop it:

Well, I guess we can let it slide this time.

They were on their way to some guy’s cabin.

a small house, especially one built of wood in an area of forest or mountains:

a log cabin

She kind of took to him.

to start to like someone or something:

Sandra took to it straight away.

Charles was an odd character whom Kelly had never really taken to.

I shouldn’t make him any more an accessory than he already is.

someone who helps a criminal, especially by helping them hide from the police

an accessory to murder

He sure got his work cut out for him now.

have your work cut out (for you)

informal used to say that it will be very difficult to do something:

The team will have their work cut out if they are to win the competition.

Just put a lid on it!

put a/the lid on something

informal to do something that finally stops something or ruins or ends someone's plans or hopes:

Let's put a lid on all these rumours.

I won’t wait up.

to wait for someone to return before you go to bed:

Don't wait up for me; I may be late.

You didn’t see that one coming did you?

to know that something bad is about to happen: I wasn't surprised when they divorced - you could see it coming.

I don’t wanna lose you. I get the feeling you’re gonna split permanently.

informalif people split, they end a marriage or relationship with each other:

He split from his wife last year.

The band split two years ago.

I’m not having a turd’s luck getting a ride out in this rain.

informal not polite a piece of the solid brown waste material you pass from your body

You think I’m happy playing my one-night gigs?

1APMa performance by a musician or a group of musicians playing modern popular music orjazz, or a performance by acomedian

do/play/have a gig

The band are doing a gig in Sheffield on Nov 12.

2American English informal a job, especially one that does not last for a long time

It’s time to let go of old mistakes. Just chalk it up to bad timing.

chalk it up to experience

informal to accept a failure or disappointment calmly and regard it as an experience that you can learn something from

A guy whose parole officer is probably having a shit fit just about now.

permission for someone to leave prison, on the condition that they promise to behave well

He was released on parole after serving two years.

She will become eligible for parole in 19 months.

I robbed a couple of convenience stores, liquor stores…

a shop where you can buy food, alcohol, magazines etc, that is often open 24 hours each day

I waltz right in.

informalto walk somewhere calmly and confidently - used to show disapproval

Jeff just waltzed up to the bar and helped himself to a drink.

She can't waltz in here and start making changes.

You’re smooth.

someone who is smooth is polite, confident, and relaxed, but is often not sincere:

a smooth salesmen

He was a smooth talker.

George is a smooth operator (=someone who does things in a smooth way).

I’m choking on the words.

to be unable to breathe properly because something is in your throat or there is not enough air

He choked on a piece of bread.

Six people choked to death on the fumes.

We thought we were gonna have to put out a fire.

to make a light stop working by pressing or turning a button or switch [= switch off]

The son of a bitch burned me. I don’t believe it.

deceive; cheat: We really got burned on the used car we bought.

get burned to lose a lot of money:

The company got badly burned in the dot.com collapse.

We’ve tapped your phone.

to listen secretly to someone's telephone by using a special piece of electronic equipment:

Murray's phone calls to Australia were tapped.

Live it up!

slang to engage in festive pleasures or extravagances.

Come on, get a grip.

Get a grip spoken used in order to tell someone to control their emotions: For God's sake get a grip!

Think you found your calling?

a strong inner urge to follow an occupation, etc.; vocation

He identified you through a series of mug shots.

informal face

Now that you mention it, they might have seemed a little jumpy.

worried or nervous especially because you are expecting something bad to happen [= anxious]

Cat got your tongue?

Cat got your tongue? also Lost your tongue?spoken used to ask someone why they are not talking

We’re fugitives now.

one who flees; a refugee

“Nursery rhymes she memorized in her daddy’s easy chair…”

a large, comfortable, well-upholstered chair

I’ll be darned.

= damned

Let’s play it by ear.

to decide what to do according to the way a situation develops, without making plans before that time:

We'll see what the weather's like and play it by ear.

Three days ago neither one of us would have pulled a stunt like this.

pull a stunt

to do something that is silly or that is slightly dangerous:

Next time you pull a stunt like that don't expect me to get you out of trouble.

Extra ammo.

informal ammunition

I feel like I got a knack for this.

informal a natural skill or ability [↪ talent]

Some people seem to have a knack for making money.

Don’t dent my car!

if you dent something, or if it dents, you hit or press it so that its surface is bent inwards:

No one was injured, but the car was scratched and dented.

…incarceration, cavity search…

incarcerate formal

SCJto put or keep someone in prison [= imprison]:

He spent 10 years incarcerated in prison.

cavity search a visual search or a manual internal inspection of body cavities for prohibited material (contraband), such as illegal drugs, money, or weapons

Don’t blow it!

informalto lose a good opportunity by making a mistake or by being careless:

We've blown our chances of getting that contract.

You've got a great future ahead of you. Don't blow it.

Something’s crossed over in me.

British Englishold use to die

We don’t want to end up on the damn Geraldo show.

Geraldo is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Geraldo Rivera. Although public perceptions in the show's first season were leading to this dubious title, the episode that solidified Geraldo as "Trash TV" was the November 3, 1988, episode involving white supremacists, anti-racist skinheads, black activists, and Jewish activists.

I’m gonna work at Club Med.

Club Méditerranée, a French corporation of vacation resorts found in many parts of the world, usually in exotic locations. It is considered the original all-inclusive resort.

Where do you get off behaving like that?

if someone gets off, they are not punished for doing something wrong, or they receive only a small punishment:

In the end he got off because there wasn't enough evidence against him.

The police felt he had got off very lightly.

If you're lucky, you'll get off with a fine.

I bet you even called us “beavers” on your CB radio, didn’t you?

beaver a. Vulgar Slang The female genitals.

b. Offensive & Vulgar Slang A woman or girl.

CB radio 1. a device that transmits and receives citizens band radio signals.

2. a system of private radio communication built around such a device.

On felony warrants for armed robbery.

felony Law SCCa serious crime such as murder

warrant a legal document that is signed by a judge, allowing the police to take a particular action

The magistrate issued a warrant for his arrest.