Everyday English (Unit 12) · New Headway Intermediate Vocabulary List

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."

something that is a typical or normal part of a person's job

"For a firefighter, this is all in a day's work."

"Dealing with difficult customers is all in a day's work for a restaurant waiter."

used to express one's complete agreement with someone's statement

"'This pizza is really good.' — 'You can say that again!'"

"'The traffic in this city has become absolutely unbearable.' — 'You can say that again!'"

used to mean that by passing time it will be proved if something is true, valid, or effective

"It is a new school — time will tell."

"The reform looks promising on paper, but time will tell whether it delivers meaningful results in practice."

used to describe someone or something that perfectly matches one's tastes, values, or preferences

"You are a man after my own heart."

"My father is a man after my own heart because he also loves fishing and camping in the wilderness."

used to imply that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process, and that one should not be discouraged by failure but instead use it as an opportunity for growth and improvement

"Live and learn. That is a good lesson."

"Live and learn. That is a good lesson to take with you for the rest of your life."

used to promote tolerance and acceptance of different lifestyles, opinions, or beliefs

"He does not care what others do — live and let live."

"In a diverse and multicultural society, the principle of live and let live is essential for peaceful coexistence."

used to imply that diversity and individual differences among people are necessary for the world to function and thrive

"It takes all sorts to make a world — some people love loud music."

"The team was made up of very different personalities, but as they say, it takes all sorts to make a world."

used as a reminder that life is full of successes and failures, and it is important to be resilient and maintain a positive attitude in order to learn and grow from both

"We lost today, but you win some, you lose some."

"She did not get the promotion, but she handled it well — you win some, you lose some."

used to say that on any given day, there are opportunities to acquire new knowledge or gain new insights

"I did not know that word before. You learn something new every day!"

"She spent years in the industry and still found herself surprised by new developments — you learn something new every day."

used to describe someone who continuously talks about what they are planning to do, but they never do or achieve much

"Do not listen to him, he is all talk."

"The politician is all talk and no action when it comes to solving real problems."

a situation that is an absolute disaster or is the worst thing that could possibly happen

"Failing a test is not the end of the world."

"Failing one single test is not the end of the world so please stop worrying so much."

to reach a point where it is unlikely or too difficult to make any progress

"I hit a brick wall today."

"After months of trying to solve the problem, the researchers finally hit a brick wall and had to change their approach."

used to suggest that intelligent or creative individuals often come up with similar ideas or solutions, especially when faced with a particular problem or challenge

"We had the same idea! Great minds think alike."

"Both research teams independently reached the same conclusion — great minds think alike, as they say."

to be practical, realistic, and down-to-earth in one's thinking or approach to life

"She keeps her feet on the ground."

"Even after winning the lottery, he kept his feet on the ground and continued living a simple, modest life."

used to say that one is feeling relieved or grateful that a situation or fate is happening to someone else instead of oneself

"They asked me to go bungee jumping. Rather him than me!"

"She was chosen to give the speech in front of a thousand people — rather her than me."

used to indicate that something is not worth worrying about or paying attention to

"Never mind. It is not important anymore."

"Never mind. It is not important anymore, so let us just forget about it and move on."

used to express jealousy, envy, or resentment towards someone who appears to be in a favorable or privileged situation

"It's alright for some, isn't it?"

"While we're stuck in the office working late, the boss is on holiday in Hawaii — it's alright for some!"

used sarcastically to say that the situation is already quite bad or that the outcome is disappointing, despite the attempt to find a positive spin on it

"I missed the bus, but it could have been worse — at least it was not raining."

"The project went over budget, but it could have been worse — we still delivered on time."

to try one's best to do or achieve something

"I will bust a gut."

"We all had to bust a gut to finish the project before the deadline."