Lesson 3 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

used for saying that it is completely unlikely that something ever happens

"It will be a cold day in hell before he apologizes."

"It will be a cold day in hell before I apologise to him because he started the argument first."

to put trust in something or someone

"You can count on me for help."

"You can always count on me for help whenever you need it because that is what friends are for."

an eccentric or unreliable person

"He is a flake who never shows up on time."

"He was a flake who promised to help but never showed up when needed."

a person, typically a male

"The guy near the door smiled."

"That guy in the blue jacket helped me carry my groceries to the car yesterday."

the final and decisive event or action that pushes someone beyond their tolerance or patience, leading to a significant reaction or decision

"That was the straw."

"After weeks of constant delays and poor communication, the final straw was when they lost my luggage entirely."

to tell lies in an obvious way

"He lies like a cheap rug, do not trust him."

"Do not believe a word he says because that man would lie like a cheap rug to get what he wants."

to become suddenly very angry, often to the point of shouting or behaving in an aggressive manner

"He lost his cool then."

"The normally calm teacher lost her cool when the student refused to follow instructions."

to give a strong, negative review or opinion about something

"Critics panned the new movie."

"The famous film critic completely panned the movie saying that the acting was terrible and the plot made no sense at all."

to tolerate something or someone unpleasant, often without complaining

"I cannot put up with this noise."

"I cannot put up with this constant noise anymore and I am going to complain to the landlord."

to angrily warn or threaten someone so that they will not make the same mistake

"Mom read me the riot act."

"The boss read him the riot act after the project failed."

an exceptionally successful and popular work, particularly in entertainment, that achieves widespread acclaim and significant sales

"The song becomes a smash hit overnight."

"The new song became a smash hit within days of its release on streaming platforms."

said to express agreement with someone's suggestion

"You said it!"

"You said it not me so do not blame me when the boss finds out what happened."

to stop at nothing to obtain or do something

"I would give my right arm to see that concert."

"I would give my right arm to travel to Japan because it has always been my biggest dream destination."

to physically hit someone in the eye, causing visible bruising

"He gave him a black eye."

"After the argument escalated, one of the men gave the other a black eye."

used to show that one does not believe or accept something that was said or suggested

"In a pig's eye! That is not true."

"In a pig's eye! That is not true, and you know it, so stop lying to me."

used to refer to the act of recovering from a setback, such as illness, financial trouble, or a difficult situation, and returning to a stable or successful state

"The loan helped him get back on his feet."

"After losing his job it took him six months to get back on his feet and find new work."

to engage in secretive or underhanded cooperation, often in politics or business

"They played footsie secretly."

"The two companies have been playing footsie for months behind the scenes."

to act in a cautious, hesitant, or overly careful manner, often to avoid making a decision or offending someone

"Stop pussyfooting around and tell the truth."

"Stop pussyfooting around and tell me directly whether you like my new haircut or not."

to act in a cautious, hesitant, or overly careful way, often to avoid commitment, confrontation, or making a firm decision

"Stop pussyfooting around the issue."

"Stop pussyfooting around the issue and tell us directly what you really think about the proposal."

a belief that is strong, yet without any explainable reason

"I have a gut feeling about this."

"My gut feeling told me that something was wrong even though I could not explain what it was."

to expel the contents of one's stomach, often in a forceful or uncontrolled manner

"I thought I would throw guts out."

"After eating the questionable seafood, he felt like he was going to throw his guts out."

to have an inflated sense of one's own importance or abilities; to be arrogant or overly self-confident

"He has a big head now."

"Ever since he got the promotion, he has had a big head and refuses to listen to anyone else's ideas."

used to refer to a state in which one is really in love with someone

"He is head over heels in love with her."

"My younger brother is head over heels for the new girl who just moved in next door."

to walk too closely behind someone, often so close that it feels as though one is almost stepping on their heels, creating an uncomfortable or intrusive proximity

"He walked on his heels."

"The bodyguard walked on his heels, staying just a step behind the celebrity."

a swollen lip from getting punched in the mouth

"He gets a fat lip after being punched."

"He got a fat lip after accidentally walking into the door while carrying boxes."

to criticize or speak unfavorably about someone or something, often in an unfair or unkind way.

"Do not badmouth your former employer."

"It is never a good idea to badmouth your former employer during a job interview with a new company."

a rural, working-class white person, especially in the Southern U.S., often stereotyped as socially conservative, uneducated, or unsophisticated

"He is a redneck."

"The politician's speech was criticized for appealing to a stereotypical redneck audience."

to squeeze something, typically a wet cloth or clothing, to remove excess liquid

"Wring out the wet towel."

"She used her hands to wring out the excess water from the wet towel before hanging it up."

used to refer to a state in which someone is extremely nervous and unable to relax

"The loud noise put me on edge."

"The constant loud noises from the construction site have been putting everyone on edge all week long."

an unexpected and rapid decline, particularly in terms of value and price

"The stock market takes a nosedive."

"The company's profits took a nosedive after the product recall damaged consumer trust."

a state of great annoynce or anger

"His nose is out of joint."

"She got her nose out of joint when her colleague received the promotion she wanted."

to be completely under someone's control or influence

"He eats out of her hand."

"The charismatic leader had the entire crowd eating out of the palm of his hand."

saying what is in one's mind in a very forceful yet honest manner

"He gave me advice straight from the shoulder."

"She gave her honest opinion straight from the shoulder without worrying about hurting anyone feelings at all."

to make a person be constantly worried about or ready for any possible danger or threat

"My boss keeps me on toes."

"The demanding nature of the job kept the new intern on her toes at all times."

to make a mess of or ruin something, often through reckless actions or poor decision-making

"You blow it."

"He managed to blow his entire chance at a promotion with one careless remark."

the highest and most successful level in a profession, particularly in entertainment field

"He made big time."

"After years of small roles she finally made it big time as a Hollywood star."

an absolute failure

"The party was a bomb."

"After the disastrous product launch, the entire event was considered a complete bomb."

to suddenly malfunction or stop operating

"The car will die."

"After years of loyal service, the aging computer system is expected to die any day now."

an occasion marked by extraordinary enjoyment and triumph

"We had a field day."

"The surprise announcement of early holidays gave the students a complete field day of unadulterated fun."

to engage in social activities or interactions

"They like to get around."

"She enjoys to get around and meet new people at various social gatherings and events."

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."

confusion or lack of clarity caused by irrelevant information or trivial remarks

"There is too much noise."

"The constant noise from irrelevant details made it difficult to understand the main point of the discussion."

to successfully execute a plan or scheme, especially when it involves cunning or manipulation

"He will pull it."

"Despite the obvious challenges, the cunning politician managed to pull off the unexpected victory."

to meet someone by chance and unexpectedly

"I run into my friend."

"You will never guess who I ran into at the grocery store yesterday after so many years."

to leave in a sudden manner

"The plane will take off."

"When the security alarm sounded, the suspect decided to take off immediately in their getaway car."

used to refer to something important or urgent, indicating that it requires immediate attention or consideration

"Help is at hand."

"Help is at hand for those struggling with the complex instructions, so don't hesitate to ask."

a mental state or experience where someone is absorbed in unrealistic, delusional, or self-centered thoughts, often disconnected from reality or driven by an inflated sense of self-importance

"The intense experience is a real head trip."

"The philosophical movie was a head trip that left audiences questioning the nature of reality."

a command given to a dog to walk closely and attentively next to its owner or handler, typically at their side, without pulling ahead or lagging behind

"Heel, boy!"

"The drill sergeant commanded the new recruit to heel, emphasizing the importance of discipline and close formation."

someone who is morally reprehensible

"He is a heel."

"That notorious con artist is a complete heel, known for deceiving and exploiting innocent people for personal gain."

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."

to get a free ride from passing vehicles by signaling with one's thumb

"He will thumb a ride."

"Stranded in the middle of nowhere, the traveler decided to thumb a ride to the nearest town."