A Closer Look: Lesson 3 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

a large sum of money

"This car cost me an arm and a leg."

"The repairs to the car cost me an arm and a leg but I had no other choice."

to force or persuade someone to do something they are unwilling to do

"He twisted my arm until I agreed."

"I did not want to go to the party but my friend twisted my arm and I agreed."

to finally stop criticizing or annoying someone

"Get off my back, please."

"After weeks of constant nagging, his parents finally told him to get off their backs."

to make someone become really annoyed or angry

"His words put my back up."

"Her condescending tone immediately put my back up during the meeting."

everything a person has to offer for helping someone, even things that they need for themselves

"He gives shirt off his back."

"She is so generous; she would give you the shirt off her back if you needed it."

to not allow negative things such as an unfair criticism, etc. to have any effect on one

"Let it roll off your back."

"It's important to learn to let negative comments roll off your back and not take them personally."

used suggest that if one does a favor for someone, they will be more likely to reciprocate that favor in the future

"You scratch my back."

"If you help me with this project, you scratch my back and I will scratch yours later."

to have a problem with someone or be annoyed with them and want to tell them all about it

"I have a bone to pick."

"I have a bone to pick with you regarding the missing report from last week."

to study or prepare intensively for something

"Bone up on your French before traveling."

"I need to bone up on my Spanish before my trip to Mexico next month."

a stupid or stubbornly foolish person

"He is a bonehead."

"Calling the manager a bonehead in front of everyone was a terrible decision."

extremely thin or lacking flesh

"The fish is boney."

"The boney fingers of the old woman gripped the cane tightly as she walked across the slippery floor."

to not hesitate to do or say what one truly wants

"She makes no bones."

"He made no bones about his disapproval of the proposed changes to the policy."

used to refer to someone who is extremely thin, often in an unattractive and unhealthy way

"The stray dog was all skin and bone."

"After being lost in the forest for two weeks the poor dog was nothing but skin and bone."

a silly or foolish person with little intelligence

"She is a birdbrain."

"Don't listen to her; she's a bit of a birdbrain when it comes to practical matters."

very smart

"My brother is brainy."

"The brainy student solved the difficult math problem in just a few minutes while others struggled for hours."

to ask a knowledgeable or informed person their opinion on something

"Can I pick your brain?"

"I'd like to pick your brain about your experience starting a small business."

to think hard or make a great effort to remember or solve something

"I racked my brain for the answer."

"She had to rack her brain to recall the forgotten details of the event."

a person who is consistently forgetful, unfocused, and disorganized

"The scatterbrain leaves her phone at home."

"As a scatterbrain, he often misplaced his keys and forgot important appointments."

to be careful to notice a thing or person

"Keep your eyes peeled for danger."

"We must keep our eyes open for any suspicious activity in the neighborhood."

to completely agree with someone and understand their point of view

"My brother and I do not always see eye to eye."

"My brother and I rarely see eye to eye on political issues during dinner."

informal expression for getting some rest

"He needs to catch some shuteye."

"After a long day of traveling, all she wanted was some much-needed shuteye."

the act of assigning blame to others, often to deflect responsibility from oneself

"There was much finger-pointing today."

"Instead of finger-pointing, the team focused on finding solutions to the problem."

to make a minimal effort to do something, particularly in order to help someone

"He never lifts a finger to help at home."

"He never lifts a finger to help around the house while his wife does all the cleaning and cooking."

to figure out why things are the way they are and be able to identify the reason

"I can't put my finger on it."

"He couldn't quite put his finger on why the project felt incomplete."

to raise one's middle finger and point it toward a person to show one is angry with them, hates, or disrespects them

"He gave her the finger yesterday."

"After the driver cut him off in traffic, he angrily flipped the other driver the finger and sped away down the highway."

to manage to convince someone to do whatever one asks of them out of love or respect that they have for one

"She wrapped him around her finger."

"The charming salesperson managed to wrap the customer around her little finger with a smile."

the state in which one loses all one's confidence and willingness to continue doing something

"He gets cold feet and calls off the wedding."

"He gets cold feet and calls off the wedding three days before the ceremony."

unconstrained and able to move about or act freely

"He is footloose and fancy-free."

"The footloose traveler sold all his belongings and bought a one way ticket to explore the world."

to accept the financial burden or responsibility for a certain project, service, or event, and pay for it

"The company footed the bill for the trip."

"The generous grandfather offered to foot the bill for the entire family wedding celebration last summer."

an opportunity for starting a business or entering an organization, etc. in order to achieve a higher level of success later

"This job is a foot in the door."

"Getting an internship at that company is a great foot in the door for a career."

to do something that one has not done before in order to become more experienced or familiar with it

"I got my feet wet today."

"Yesterday I finally got my feet wet by investing a small amount of money in the stock market for the first time."

to move quickly or in a hurry

"They hotfoot to the bus."

"The children had to hotfoot it to school when they realized they were late."

to have a tendency to drive very fast

"He has a lead foot always."

"My brother has a lead foot, so he gets many speeding tickets every year."

the state of being close to death due to old age or a fatal sickness

"My old car has one foot in the grave."

"After his heart attack my grandfather looks like he has one foot in the grave unfortunately."

to firmly take control and enforce a specific action

"She put her foot down."

"The parents finally had to put their foot down about the late curfew."

able to think and respond rapidly in challenging or unexpected situations

"He is quick on feet."

"During the crisis, the leader proved to be quick on her feet and made decisive actions."

to make someone have intense romantic feelings for one

"He swept her off her feet."

"The charming prince swept her off his feet with his kind words and beautiful smile."

to beg someone for help or forgiveness

"He threw himself at her feet."

"The defeated general threw himself at the victor's feet, begging for mercy."

to have an unsuccessful or unpleasant beginning in a relationship or activity

"We started off on the wrong foot."

"I got off on the wrong foot with my new boss because I was late on the first day."

to talk in great length without mentioning anything important or of high value

"He flapped his gums."

"The politician spent an hour at the podium, just flapping his gums about vague promises."

to try one's best to do or achieve something

"I busted a gut trying to finish on time."

"I really had to bust a gut to finish the project before the strict deadline arrived."

to have the necessary conviction or be brave enough to get something done

"I did not have the guts to tell him the truth."

"He did not have the guts to tell his boss that he was quitting the job."

showing impolite behavior in a manner that is amusing or endearing

"The child was cheeky."

"The little boy gave a cheeky grin after he successfully hid his sister's favorite toy."

in an ironic, humorous, or insincere way, not meant to be taken literally

"He said it with his tongue in his cheek."

"He made the ridiculous suggestion with his tongue in his cheek and everyone knew he was joking."

to respond to an offense with patience, forgiveness, and a peaceful attitude instead of retaliating or seeking revenge

"He decided to turn the other cheek and forgive."

"When someone insults you sometimes it is better to turn the other cheek than to fight back."

to naturally be good at noticing, judging, or appreciating something, particularly a thing's value or a person's talents

"She has an eye for art."

"My grandmother has an eye for beautiful antiques and rare vintage furniture."

to look at or observe someone or something in a particular way, often with interest or suspicion

"He eyed the last piece of cake."

"The hungry cat sat very still and began to eye the little mouse that was nibbling on a piece of cheese nearby."

something that has an extremely ugly appearance, particularly a building

"The building is an eyesore."

"The dilapidated old theater was a real eyesore in the heart of the historic district."

used to describe a greedy person who takes more food than they could possibly finish

"My eyes are bigger than my stomach."

"His eyes are always bigger than his belly, so he orders too much food at restaurants."

excessively affectionate glances at someone

"The couple makes goo-goo eyes at each other across the room."

"The couple made goo goo eyes at each other across the table during their anniversary dinner."

the feeling of discontent caused by lacking someone else's possessions, accomplishments, etc.

"Jealousy, the green-eyed monster, took over him."

"The green-eyed monster took over when she saw her best friend wearing a more beautiful dress to the party."

to closely watch a person or thing, particularly in order to make sure they are safe

"Keep an eye on the kids."

"Please keep an eye on the oven while I step out to answer the door for a moment."

to be eager to hear what a person wants to say

"I am all ears now."

"Tell me your exciting news because I am all ears and ready to listen to everything."

to speak to someone who is unwilling to listen for an extended period of time

"She bent my ear."

"My neighbor tends to bend my ear for hours about his gardening woes."

to make others tired by talking too much

"He chewed my ear."

"He'll chew your ear off about his stamp collection if you let him."

showing signs of wear and tear from excessive use, particularly with pages that have bent or folded corners

"The book is dog-eared."

"Her favorite novel was dog-eared from being read so many times."

to be quick at learning and understanding a piece of music or a specific language and be able to accurately reproduce or utilize it

"She has an ear for music."

"He has a remarkable ear for languages, picking up new dialects quickly."

a unique feature or trait that distinguishes someone or something

"That's his earmark."

"The unique way he blended colors was an earmark of his artistic talent."

(of statements, warnings, requests, etc.) to be completely ignored

"My advice fell on deaf ears."

"My warnings about the storm fell on deaf ears and nobody prepared for the bad weather."

to make an effort to stay well informed on the developments or changes of a situation

"I keep my ear to the ground for new trends."

"The journalist keeps her ear to the ground to hear about breaking news before anyone else."

to have the ability to play music by listening to it and recreating the sounds and melodies without relying on sheet music or written notation

"He can play by ear."

"She can play any song by ear without reading the music notes on the paper."

to provide someone with a hint or suggestion

"She put a bug in his ear."

"My friend put a bug in my ear about the new job opening at her company."

to talk to someone for an extended period of time, particularly in a way that annoys them

"He talked my ear off."

"My neighbor talked my ear off about his garden for over an hour yesterday."

a great amount of physical effort or work that is put into something

"It takes a lot of elbow grease to clean the oven."

"Removing the stubborn stain required plenty of elbow grease and a strong cleaning product."

to forcefully make a path through a crowded or obstructed area

"He elbowed his way through the crowd."

"He elbowed his way through the crowded concert to get to the front of the stage."

enough space that enables people to move easily

"We need elbow room."

"The small apartment didn't offer much elbow room for entertaining guests."

to have social interaction with people, especially with ones who are famous or important

"At the gala, I rubbed elbows with famous actors."

"At the fancy party I got to rub elbows with several famous actors and directors from Hollywood."

a concept in which if someone harms one, one should harm them back in the same way

"He believes in an eye for an eye."

"The old law of an eye for an eye often leads to endless cycles of revenge and violence."

a look in someone's eyes that reveals their sexual attraction toward someone else

"She gives him bedroom eyes from across the bar."

"She gave him bedroom eyes across the crowded room and he immediately walked over to her."

something or someone that grabs attention

"The bright red car is a real eye-catcher."

"The bright red sports car was an eye catcher in the parking lot full of gray sedans."

exhibiting bravery and resolve when confronted with challenges or danger; bold and unrestrained

"She made a gutsy choice."

"The explorer's gutsy decision to cross the treacherous mountain range was met with admiration."

to hate someone to an extreme degree

"I hate his guts so much."

"She said she hates his guts after he betrayed her trust and lied to everyone at work."

to share with someone all one's feelings, most private thoughts, and secrets

"She spilled her guts to her best friend."

"The suspect finally spilled his guts to the police and confessed everything about the crime he committed."

causing great fear or excitement

"The roller coaster was hair-raising."

"The hair raising roller coaster dropped two hundred feet at nearly ninety miles per hour."

to behave in a comfortable manner, without worrying about one's problems or other people's opinions

"Let your hair down now."

"After a stressful week at work, she was finally able to let her hair down and relax."

to persistently annoy someone by doing something or by simply being around them

"My little brother always gets in my hair."

"My little brother always gets in my hair when I am trying to study for important exams."

to offer help to someone with a task or problem

"Can you give me a hand with this box?"

"Can you give me a hand with moving this heavy table to the other side of the room please."

***to give credit to someone

"I have to hand it to you, that was smart."

"I have to hand it to you for finishing the marathon despite twisting your ankle halfway through the race."

to be well-informed about or completely familiar with something

"I know this town like the back of my hand."

"I have lived in this city for thirty years so I know it like the back of my hand."

to survive with only the bare minimum resources, often with no savings or financial security

"They live hand to mouth on a small salary."

"After losing his job he has been living hand to mouth without any savings for emergencies."

(of a person) having extensive knowledge about or a lot of experience in a particular activity or job

"He is an old hand."

"As an old hand in the kitchen, she could prepare a gourmet meal with minimal ingredients."

the most reliable and supportive assistant or partner

"The assistant is the CEO's right-hand man."

"The CEO's right hand man handled all the difficult negotiations with suppliers and clients."

previously owned or used by someone else

"I bought a secondhand bike."

"The secondhand furniture was cheap but it needed a lot of work to make it look nice again."

lacking a sufficient number of workers or assistants

"The store was short-handed."

"Due to unexpected absences, the hospital was severely short-handed during the busy holiday season."

used to refer to the lack of communication between the different parts of an organization about their roles or activities that leads to confusion and dysfunction

"Nobody told the sales team about the change — the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing."

"The two departments launched conflicting campaigns on the same day — a classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing."

to attempt to do something that one has no experience in

"I want to try my hand at painting."

"I decided to try my hand at painting during the lockdown and discovered a new hobby I love."

a person who is forgetful, absent-minded, or not very intelligent

"The airhead forgets her own phone number."

"The character in the movie was an airhead who could not remember anything for more than a minute."

to angrily reply or react to someone

"I asked a simple question and he bit my head off."

"I just asked a simple question so there is no need to bite my head off like that."

to leave a place or go on a journey, especially for a specific destination

"We head out now."

"Let's head out to the beach before the sun gets too hot this afternoon."

to become completely and suddenly very much in love with someone

"I fell head over heels fast."

"He fell head over heels in love with her the very first time they met at the summer festival."

determined to do things in one's own way and often resistant to the opinions or suggestions of others

"She is headstrong."

"The headstrong child insisted on wearing his boots in the summer despite the heat."

to laugh really hard, particularly to the point that one's stomach hurts

"We will bust a gut."

"The comedian's hilarious jokes had the audience bust a gut with laughter throughout the entire performance."

to make someone or something more alert

"The coffee perked me up."

"The exciting news helped to perk up the otherwise quiet atmosphere in the room."

to share with someone all one's feelings, most private thoughts, and secrets

"Let's spill our guts."

"After years of holding back, she finally decided to spill her guts to her best friend about her deepest fears."

dangerous or scary, usually in an exciting way

"That was hairy!"

"Navigating the treacherous mountain pass during the storm was a hairy experience, but ultimately exhilarating."

to physically take an object and give it to someone

"She hands the keys to him."

"Please hand me the salt shaker from the table because the food needs more seasoning."

money, food, or other resources distributed freely to those in need, typically by an organization or government

"Food handout given."

"Many poor families depend on government handout to survive during difficult economic times."

in a way that is free of all ambiguity or uncertainty

"She is hands down the best player."

"She is hands down the best singer in our school because her voice is absolutely incredible and unique."

used to refer to someone or something that is accessible and near to one

"We have plenty of food on hand."

"There were plenty of security guards on hand to control the large crowd at the music festival."

impossible or very hard to control

"The situation got out of hand."

"After the initial incident, the protest quickly escalated and became completely out of hand."