A Closer Look: Lesson 6 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

in a way that unfairly takes advantage of a person's weaknesses

"His insult was below the belt."

"Bringing up his past failures during the debate was below the belt and completely unfair."

to feel upset, irritated, or unhappy

"My father is in a bad mood today."

"My father is in a bad mood today because his football team lost the important match last night."

to sell or distribute illicit products, such as drugs, alcohol, or counterfeit goods

"They bootleg movies and sell them cheaply."

"The man was caught trying to bootleg copies of popular movies and sell them online."

to shake involuntarily as a response to extreme fear

"The big dog made the mailman shake in his boots."

"The new recruit was trembling in his boots when he met the tough sergeant for the first time."

relating to jobs or workers who engage in manual labor or skilled trades

"My father has a blue-collar job."

"My father has a blue collar job and works with his hands as a plumber in our town."

extremely furious or upset

"He gets hot under the collar when people are late."

"My boss gets hot under the collar whenever someone arrives late for an important meeting."

without any preparations or prior plans

"He gave a funny speech off the cuff."

"The president made some off the cuff remarks that got him into trouble with the press."

to be specially careful, gentle, or considerate when dealing with someone or something

"You have to treat her with kid gloves, she is sensitive."

"The fragile antique vase must be treated with kid gloves because it is very valuable and old."

said to someone to show praise or respect for what they have done

"Hats off to you!"

"Hats off to the entire team for their incredible dedication and hard work on this project."

to avoid sharing a secret with others

"Please keep it under your hat."

"I am planning a surprise birthday party for my best friend, so please keep it under your hat and do not tell anyone at work."

used to describe something that has been used many times or has existed for an extended period of time and is no longer new

"That idea is old hat."

"The concept of a physical book is old hat now with the advent of e-readers and digital libraries."

to have different roles, positions, or jobs at the same time

"She wears many different hats daily."

"As a small business owner, she wears many different hats, including manager, accountant, marketer, and customer service representative every single day."

to have a hard time staying calm due to being extremely nervous or excited about something

"The kids had ants in pants."

"My little brother had ants in his pants all morning because he was so excited about going to the amusement park with his friends."

to unexpectedly expose or confront someone in an embarrassing situation

"The reporter caught him with his pants down."

"The sudden arrival of the inspectors caught the disorganized staff with their pants down."

to cause a person to become greatly interested in one, particularly in the first encounter

"She charmed the pants off him."

"The charismatic speaker charmed the pants off the audience with his engaging stories and witty remarks."

in a way that solely relies on one's intuition or personal judgment rather than the necessary knowledge, tools, etc.

"He managed it by the seat of his pants."

"With no prior experience, she navigated the complex negotiation entirely by the seat of her pants."

to take legal action against someone and demand so much money and damages from them that it leaves them with nothing

"They will sue the pants off him."

"If the company doesn't compensate us fairly, we will sue the pants off them for negligence."

to be the one who makes important decisions and is in complete control and of a relationship or family

"She wears the pants here."

"Everyone in the office knows that she is the one who wears the pants in the company because she makes all the important financial decisions."

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."

used for telling a person to be more patient or to think before reacting angrily

"Keep your pants on, please."

"Keep your shirt on; we'll get there eventually, so there's no need to get so agitated."

to lose a big sum of money, often due to a risky bet or investment

"He lost his shirt gambling."

"He invested all his savings in that startup and unfortunately lost his shirt when it failed."

someone who considers themselves more important than others and often behaves in a very formal and old-fashioned way

"The manager is a stuffed shirt who never cracks a joke."

"The stuffed shirt at the country club looked down on anyone with less money than him."

used to suggest that if something accurately describes or applies to a person, they should accept it as true

"If the shoe fits, wear it, he is talking to you."

"If the shoe fits then wear it because that criticism was aimed directly at your behaviour."

to have a hidden resource, plan, or advantage that can be used strategically when needed

"He has something up his sleeve."

"The experienced negotiator kept a brilliant strategy up his sleeve, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal it and secure the deal."

to make someone become impressed

"The magic show will knock your socks off."

"The amazing special effects in the movie knocked my socks off and I want to see it again."

to tell a person to stop making noise or stop talking, especially if they are being loud or annoying

"Please put a sock in it, I am trying to sleep."

"Would you please put a sock in it because I am trying to concentrate on my homework here."

to strike forcefully or swiftly with something like a belt or a similar object

"He belted the wall."

"Frustrated, he belted the wall with his fist, regretting it immediately."

(of a computer or electronic device) to start and load the operating system into memory for use

"Boot up your computer now."

"It takes about a minute for my old computer to boot up completely after I press the power button."

camp for training military recruits

"The soldiers went to boot camp."

"The new recruits endured rigorous training at the army boot camp for several weeks."

a person who tries hard to let others know that they always do the right thing and behave well

"My sister is such a goody two shoes."

"My sister is such a goody two shoes that she has never broken a single rule in her life."