A Closer Look: Lesson 12 · Street Talk 3 Vocabulary List

repeatedly and frequently

"He made the same mistake again and again."

"He made the same mistake again and again even after the teacher explained it to him multiple times."

a small wound or bruise, often used when talking to children

"The child has a boo-boo on his knee."

"The child fell off the swing and got a boo boo on his elbow that his mother kissed better."

a farewell remark

"The toddler waves bye-bye to the train."

"The baby waved bye bye to her grandmother as the train pulled away from the station."

with faces or bodies touching or very close, especially while dancing

"They danced cheek-to-cheek."

"At the wedding reception, the happy couple danced cheek-to-cheek while all their friends and family watched with smiles."

a child's word for locomotive

"The little boy calls the train a choo-choo."

"The toddler shouted choo choo every time he saw a train pass by the window."

(of e.g. journeys or deliveries) direct from point of origin to point of destination

"He works door-to-door sales."

"The door to door salesman knocked on every house in the neighborhood trying to sell vacuum cleaners."

(of a person) to look extremely happy and satisfied

"He smiled from ear to ear."

"When she saw her new puppy the little girl grinned from ear to ear with pure joy and happiness."

overly elaborate or decorative, often in fashion or décor

"The dress is frou-frou."

"Her taste in home décor leaned towards the frou-frou, with excessive ruffles and ornate details everywhere."

extremely enthusiastic or obsessed, often romantically

"She's gaga over him."

"The teenagers were absolutely gaga over the new pop star, screaming and cheering at his concert."

baby talk used to make a baby laugh or react playfully

"Goochie-goo! Look at the cute baby."

"Goochie-goo! Look at the cute baby with his chubby little cheeks and tiny fingers."

used to represent laughter or amusement in a casual or sarcastic manner

"Ha ha, that is funny."

"Ha ha, you actually believe that story; it's quite amusing how gullible you are."

to walk while holding hands, often as a sign of affection or unity

"They walked hand-in-hand."

"The two friends walked hand-in-hand along the beach, watching the sunset and talking about their dreams for the future."

(of two things) to be closely connected to one another, particularly in a way that one of them causes the occurrence of another

"They go hand in hand."

"In many successful companies, innovation and hard work go hand in hand, as neither can truly thrive without the other."

direct and very close

"The soldiers fought hand-to-hand."

"The hand to hand combat training taught the soldiers how to fight without weapons using only their bodies."

involving direct confrontation between two sides

"The rivals went head-to-head."

"The candidates went head to head in a heated debate that lasted for two hours."

describing a conversation or discussion that is honest, open, and sincere, typically between close friends or family members

"They had a heart-to-heart talk."

"The mother had a heart to heart conversation with her daughter about the dangers of drugs and peer pressure."

used to express joy, celebration, or congratulations

"Hip hip hooray! Happy birthday to you!"

"Hip hip hooray! Happy birthday to you! Have a wonderful day full of joy."

a very attractive or seductive looking woman

"She's a real lulu."

"The actress, with her striking features and captivating smile, was considered a true lulu by many admirers."

a loose, flowing dress, usually worn in warm climates

"She wore a flowery muumuu."

"The large woman wore a colorful muumuu that flowed loosely around her ample figure."

a first aid procedure where a person breathes air into another’s mouth to revive them

"The lifeguard gave mouth-to-mouth."

"The lifeguard administered mouth to mouth resuscitation to the drowning victim on the beach."

used to reprimand children in a playful or mild way

"Naughty, naughty! Do not do that again."

"Naughty, naughty! Do not do that again because you know it is wrong, and you will get punished."

***a thing that is not possible or acceptable

"It is a no-no to talk during the movie."

"Chewing with your mouth open was a definite no no at formal dinner parties."

*** continually; at tedious length

"The lecture went on and on."

"The speaker's monotonous voice droned on and on, making it difficult for anyone to stay awake."

in succession

"The students entered one by one."

"The students entered the room one by one and took their seats quietly without making any noise."

to urinate, often used in a way that is informal

"I need to pee-pee now."

"The toddler told her mother she had to pee-pee before they left the restaurant."

a fluffy, decorative ball of material, typically waved by cheerleaders during performances

"The cheerleader shook her pom-poms."

"The cheerleader shook her pom poms enthusiastically while leading the crowd in a chant."

(said in a playful or childlike manner) to defecate

"The baby did a poo-poo."

"The little boy laughed and said he made a poo-poo in his diaper this morning."

used to indicate that nothing has changed and things remain the same

"It is the same old same old."

"How was work today? Just the same old same old nothing interesting happened at the office again."

being average or mediocre, neither impressive nor disappointing

"The movie was so-so."

"The food at the new restaurant was so so not terrible but not good enough to make her want to return."

used to refer to something unspecified, unknown, or not needing to be named explicitly

"Go to such-and-such place."

"You need to visit such-and-such department to get your application processed."

a casual way to say goodbye

"Ta-ta! Goodbye for now, my friend."

"Ta-ta! Goodbye for now, my friend. I hope to see you again very soon. Take care."

to urinate, often used when speaking to or around children to make the topic sound less serious or more playful

"The little boy needs to go tee-tee."

"The little boy told his mother he needed to go tee tee during the long car ride."

any of various drums with small heads

"He beat the tom-tom drum."

"The drummer beat the tom tom drums rapidly during the instrumental break in the song."

a babyish or affectionate way to say stomach

"My tum-tum hurts."

"The little child rubbed his tum-tum after eating too much ice cream."

with one person next to another

"They walked two-by-two together."

"The students lined up two-by-two before entering the classroom quietly."

describing two or more things that are positioned next to each other

"The bikes are side by side."

"The side by side refrigerators stood in the kitchen and the family used both because they had many children."

used to express pleasure or satisfaction related to taste, often in response to something delicious or appetizing

"Yum! This food is tasty."

"Yum! This food is tasty. I think I will have some more, please."

used when two or more participants in a race or competition are very close and have an equal chance of winning

"The two horses ran neck and neck."

"The two runners were neck and neck as they approached the finish line of the race."

within each other's presence

"We met face-to-face."

"After arguing on the phone for an hour they finally met face to face to resolve their differences peacefully."