Lesson 7 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

a person who is always nervous or stressed and is therefore unable to have a calm and organized life

"The stress of the exam turns him into a basket case."

"After the accident he was a basket case who could not even dress himself without help."

to expel gas audibly from the stomach through the mouth

"He belched loudly after drinking soda."

"The rude man belched loudly at the dinner table without even apologizing to the other guests."

to put in an extreme or great amount of effort to do something

"The teacher bent over backward to help her students."

"My boss bent over backward to help me get the time off work when my mother was sick."

to make someone extremely angry

"That noise drives me up wall."

"My neighbor's dog barks loudly every single night, and it is slowly driving me up the wall because I cannot get any sleep."

to visit a place or someone without a prior arrangement, often casually and briefly

"Drop in for coffee sometime."

"Please feel free to drop in for a cup of coffee whenever you are in the neighborhood."

to eat so much of food available in someone's house so that there is little or none left

"They ate us out."

"The teenagers ate my brother out of house and home during their week-long visit, leaving almost no food in the fridge."

a person who habitually takes advantage of others' generosity without offering anything in return

"He is a freeloader who never pays for anything."

"Stop being a freeloader and pay for your own meal instead of expecting others to cover you."

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 leave a location, usually to embark on a journey or trip

"We should hit the road before it gets dark."

"We should hit the road early tomorrow morning to avoid the heavy traffic on the highway."

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."

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 be in a very good position and be living a luxurious life

"She really has it made in the shade."

"After winning the lottery, he has it made in the shade and never has to worry about money again."

to stay in bed and sleep for a longer period than one typically would, especially in the morning

"I sleep in on Saturdays."

"The children were happy to sleep in on Saturday morning because there was no school."

a small lie that does not cause any harm, especially told to avoid making someone upset

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings."

"She tells a white lie to spare his feelings and says his cooking is delicious when it is not."

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!'"

a person who eats constantly, seemingly without ever getting full, or someone with an insatiable appetite

"Her appetite is like a bottomless pit."

"The teenager ate like a bottomless pit consuming an entire pizza by himself for dinner."

used to say hi

"Hey, wait for me, please."

"Hey, wait for me! I cannot walk as fast as you. Please slow down."

to search through the refrigerator, usually late at night or when hungry, often eating snacks or leftovers impulsively

"I went to raid the fridge for a midnight snack."

"My brother raided the fridge at midnight and ate all the leftovers from dinner last night."

to remain awake very late into the night, often until early morning, usually due to work, entertainment, or insomnia

"We stayed up all night talking."

"We stayed up all hours of the night talking about our childhood memories and laughing together."

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 express surprise, annoyance, or intensity

"Blue blazes! What happened here?"

"Blue blazes! What happened here? This room is a complete mess, and I am very shocked."

extremely red in the face, usually due to embarrassment, anger, or exertion

"His face turned beet red."

"His face turned beet red with embarrassment when he realized he had forgotten his lines on stage."

used to refer to someone who looks unnaturally pale, often as a result of fear or illness

"She looked white as a ghost."

"When he heard the terrible news, his face went as white as a sheet and he couldn't speak."

used to describe something intense, thrilling, or nerve-wracking, often causing fear or excitement

"The plane ride was white-knuckle."

"The white knuckle drive along the narrow mountain road made everyone in the car hold on tightly."

to observe someone’s emotions, such as fear or determination, especially when their expression is extreme or evident in their eyes

"I saw the whites of his eyes."

"The soldier waited until he could see the whites of the enemy's eyes before giving the order to fire."

to closely examine to see if someone is suitable or something is true

"Let's check out."

"We need to check out the new restaurant downtown to see if it's worth the hype."

to experience a mental breakdown

"She might fall apart."

"After the immense pressure and loss, she began to fall apart emotionally."

to manage or address a person, situation, or issue in a particular manner

"Handle the situation carefully."

"The experienced diplomat was able to handle the delicate negotiations with skill and tact."

to forcefully make someone leave a place or residence

"Do not kick out your guests rudely."

"The club bouncer kicked out the drunk man who had started a fight with another customer at the bar."

to provide housing or accommodation for someone

"We can put up guests."

"My parents were generous enough to put up my cousins for the entire summer vacation."

to place something where it should be after using it

"Put away your toys now."

"The child was asked to put away his toys in the box before dinner was served."

to leave a surface and begin flying

"The plane will take off."

"After a brief delay, the aircraft was cleared to take off and begin its ascent."

electronic device consisting of a system of electrodes arranged in an evacuated glass or metal envelope

"The tube glows brightly."

"The old television relied on a vacuum tube to display images on the screen."

to get ready for sleep

"Turn in your homework now."

"It was getting very late so she decided to turn in for the night and go to sleep."

something of no value or significance, often used to express disdain or disregard

"He does not have a red cent to his name."

"He did not have a red cent to his name after losing his job and savings."