Glossary for students Unit 1

determination

persevere

foresight

quick thinking

power of persuasion

will to succeed

set goals

block out negative thoughts

channel sb’s efforts

plan your progress

push beyond your limits

stay focused

hurdles

insurmountable

claw one’s way back into sth

put things into perspective

get side-tracked

gut instinct

external distractions

detrimental effect

nerve-racking

social background

influential acquaintances

well-rounded education

ability to seize an opportunity

team spirit

charisma

ruthlessness

house-warming party

name-day

economic decline

financial backing

outbreak

joviality

smirk

on the off-chance

on second thoughts

on a whim

on a budget

on principle

on purpose

on condition that

get/gain/win control of a situation

get/gain/win/earn promotion

win/earn the title

get/gain/win sb’s respect

get/gain/win/earn a reputation

get/gain experience

get/earn a salary

earn one’s living

get/gain/win/earn the advantage

have the world at one’s feet

be in seventh heaven

be a feather in one’s cap

have one’s head in the clouds

keep on top of things

keep up with the Joneses

rub sb up the wrong way

steal the show

work one’s fingers to the bone

work one’s way to the top

beaming smile

incivility

ingrates

affluent

eliminate

perk sb up

miserable/down in the mouth/wretched/glum/dejected

life expectancy

mortality rate

jump-start

thirty somethings

as happy as a lark

on top of the world

in high spirits

full of the joys of spring

happy camper

grin from ear to ear

be over the moon

walk on air

feel at home in a language

be a constant source of delight

be motivated in learning

embark upon a career

enter the field of

genuine interest in

besprinkle one’s language with new words

be a welcome development

bring new insight into

encounter sth

pick up sth new

acquire knowledge

oldster

birthday boy/girl

octogenarian

looming on a horizon

well-heeled

milestone

upheaval

slump

run contrary to sth

insinuation

ensue

replete with sth

purportedly

to discount

on the verge of collapse

At a reasonable price

Instant success

House-warming party

The arrival of the daughter/son

Forthcoming/ongoing

Massively

Thirty somethings

Dejected

Oldster

A far cry from

Birthday boy/girl

Something out of the ordinary

Downright

Bungee jumping

Buddy

Stomach churning

White water rafting

Octogenarian

Milestone

The world is your oyster

A well-heeled

To celebrate the passing of the half century

Loom on the horizon

A well-travelled person

A well-spoken person

A well-thought of person

Go-between

Alarming

Be alarmed

alarmist

Buzz

Awesome!

To work one’s guts out

Give sb the greatest kick

Dog days

Be idle

Archive

Browse

Commonplace

Internet junk

Word of mouth

Search engine

Household name

Fiancé

At ease

Tearful

Displeased

Disillusioned

Unfazed

Content(ed)

Assertive

Lucrative

Fortunes

Agile internet

Downturn

Entrepreneurial

Upheaval

Slump

Be endowed with

Hereditary factors

It has little to do with genius

Infinite

Accomplishment

Pushy

Mental breakdown

Cartoon strip

Football strip

Jot sth down

Strip of paper

Brush up one’s language

To walk in single file

file

IDIOMS

Take the world of tennis by storm

Break the back of the problem

Work wonders

Burn the candle at both ends

Leave no stone unturned

Through thick and thin

Be urgently in need of sth

Refund

Receipt

Be bound to

Bump into

Like-minded people

Make use of/take advantage of

Reckon

Speak at length

bonnet

Turn up