Lesson 4 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

having little or no financial resources

"I am broke."

"After paying his rent and bills he was completely broke and he had to borrow money from his parents to buy groceries."

used for saying that someone strongly refuses to participate in or be associated with something, often due to strong dislike, embarrassment, or a sense of moral objection

"I would not be caught dead in that hat."

"I would not be caught dead wearing that ugly shirt to a party because it is embarrassing."

to an extreme or intense degree

"She looked drop-dead gorgeous last night."

"The actress showed up at the premiere in a drop-dead stunning gown that left everyone absolutely speechless."

to become drunk just to forget something upsetting or disturbing

"He went to a bar to drown his sorrows."

"After losing his job he went to the bar to drown his sorrows with too much alcohol."

to reluctantly pay a significant amount of money

"He forked out a lot of money."

"I had to fork out a lot of money for the car repairs after the accident."

used to express surprise, mild shock, or amazement without swearing

"Gee, that is really interesting."

"Gee, that is really interesting. I had no idea about that before."

to be entertained, delighted, or excited by someone or something

"Kids get a kick out of clowns."

"My grandmother still gets a real kick out of watching old black-and-white movies from the 1950s on television."

to start or begin something, often with a sense of urgency or purpose

"Let's get it going."

"We need to get the project going immediately to meet the upcoming deadline."

to perfectly match someone's interests or needs

"This job has my name on it."

"When I saw the vintage guitar in the shop window, I knew it had my name written all over it."

used to express surprise, amazement, or disbelief

"Holy cow, look at that!"

"Holy cow, look at that amazing car parked right in front of us."

to observe someone or something with particular attention or interest

"Get a load of that new car."

"You should really get a load of the incredible sunset over the mountains; it is absolutely breathtaking tonight."

used to show that one agrees with someone's suggestion or statement

"'Let us get ice cream!' — 'Now you are talking!'"

"'What if we scrapped the current strategy entirely and started fresh with a more agile framework?' — 'Now you are talking!'"

to have a great deal of money

"The successful businessman is rolling in money."

"The successful businessman is rolling in money but he still refuses to donate any to charity."

to shop to the point of exhaustion or until one collapses

"We shopped till we dropped on Saturday."

"My sister loves to shop till she drops every Saturday at the large shopping mall near our house."

too fancy or costly for someone

"That luxury car is too rich for my blood."

"The fancy restaurant prices are a bit rich for my blood so let us go somewhere cheaper instead."

to look at items displayed in store windows without intending to make a purchase; to browse visually

"We like to window-shop on weekends."

"They decided to window-shop along the busy street, admiring the beautiful clothes without buying anything."

an event, situation, or experience that is wildly entertaining

"The party was a scream."

"The surprise birthday party turned out to be a real scream for everyone involved."

to rely on someone else's resources, typically money or support, without offering anything in return; to live at someone else's expense

"Do not sponge off your parents."

"The lazy young man continues to sponge off his elderly parents instead of getting a job."

a person who earns money to support their family, typically the main or sole provider of income

"The father is the breadwinner for the family of five."

"The father is the breadwinner for the family of five and works two jobs to support them."

to be extremely cold, typically due to harsh or freezing weather

"I froze my buns off waiting for the bus."

"I forgot my coat and nearly froze my buns off waiting for the bus in the snowstorm."

used to telll someone to stop doing something, especially when trying to avoid trouble or when someone is caught in an act

"Cheese it! Run away!"

"When the alarm went off, the burglars shouted, 'Cheese it!' and fled the scene."

to work at full capacity, handling multiple tasks or responsibilities at once, or performing at one's best in a busy or demanding situation

"She is cooking on all four burners to finish the project."

"The chef was cooking on all four burners to prepare the large banquet for three hundred guests."

use to state that someone is in serious trouble or their situation is hopeless, often implying that they are caught or defeated beyond redemption

"His goose is cooked now, sadly."

"When the teacher found the stolen test answers on his desk, his goose was cooked and he knew he would fail the class."

used to ask about the current situation, activity, or what's happening. It can be a more casual or playful way of checking in

"What is cooking, friend?"

"Hey, I haven't seen you all day, so what is cooking with you?"

in a very comfortable, expensive, and luxurious way

"Since winning the lottery, they have been living high on the hog."

"After winning the lottery they have been living high on the hog staying at luxury hotels everywhere."

to accept failure or defeat, often used when someone experiences a setback or is humiliated

"He had to eat it."

"The inexperienced skateboarder tried to do a trick but fell and ate it hard on the pavement."

to start eating a meal

"It is noon, time to put the feedbag on."

"It is time to put the feedbag on because dinner is ready and I am very hungry."

used to suggest altering, modifying, or handling a situation in a way that avoids the exact or proper solution, often by being dishonest or making something up

"Fudge it, I'll try."

"Fudge it! I give up now because this is too difficult for me to handle on my own."

to tamper with or alter something in a way that is imprecise or unreliable

"Stop fudging around with that!"

"The mechanic was caught fudging around with the car's engine readings to make it seem like the repairs were done properly."

to sell very quickly and in large amounts

"Her homemade cookies sold like hot cakes."

"The new smartphone is selling like hot cakes and the store has already run out of stock."

used to describe something or someone that is weak, floppy, or lacking in strength, energy, or firmness

"The old rope was limp as noodle."

"After running the marathon, her legs felt as limp as a noodle, and she could barely stand up without leaning on her friend for support."

to experiment, play, or tinker with something in an aimless or casual way, often in a creative or exploratory manner. It can refer to playing an instrument, brainstorming ideas, or casually working on a task without a clear direction

"He noodled around on the guitar."

"He spent the afternoon noodling around on his guitar without actually playing any complete songs."

a foolish, silly, or absentminded person

"The noodlehead forgot to set his alarm."

"The noodlehead forgot his own address when filling out the important legal document."

(of a person) crazy, irrational, or behaving in an extremely foolish or eccentric way

"You are off your noodle if you think that will work."

"You must be off your noodle if you think I am going to lend you my new car."

a person who dampens excitement, enthusiasm, or fun

"He is a wet noodle."

"Don't be such a wet noodle; let's go out and have some fun tonight."

used to affectionately refer to a loved one, such as a romantic partner, child, or close friend

"The grandmother calls her granddaughter sweetie pie."

"She called her grandson sweetie pie and pinched his cheek every time he visited."

used to describe someone that is extremely kind, charming, or pleasant in manner

"Grandma is as sweet as sugar."

"The new neighbor brought us homemade cookies and was as sweet as sugar, making everyone in the building feel welcome right away."

one dollar

"I have one buck."

"He spent his last buck on a lottery ticket and surprisingly won fifty dollars."

to persistently annoy someone, often by making repeated requests or demands

"He will bug you."

"She continued to bug her parents about getting a new phone until they finally agreed."

money, cash, or financial resources

"He needs more dough."

"The startup company is actively seeking additional dough to fund its ambitious expansion plans."

to compel or force someone or something to come along against their will

"They drag him away."

"The authorities decided to drag the reluctant witness into court to testify."

a place, such as a bar, club, or restaurant

"Meet at the joint."

"This cozy little joint on the corner is known for its delicious homemade pasta."

the act of cheating or exploiting someone, often by overcharging or providing subpar goods or services

"This is a rip-off."

"Charging double the market price for that outdated software is a complete rip-off."

to severely criticize or condemn someone or something

"Do not trash his work."

"The critics decided to trash the new film, calling it a complete failure."

a close friend or companion, often used in an informal or affectionate way

"He is my brother."

"I can always count on my brother to offer support and advice."

to get to or reach a particular place

"We hit the store."

"Let's hit the nearest cafe for a quick coffee break before continuing our journey."

to be consumed by guilt, regret, or remorse over something that happened in the past

"He eats up guilt."

"She continued to eat up the regret over her past mistakes for years."