Lesson 8 · Street Talk 1 Vocabulary List

an alcoholic beverage, especially the type containing high amounts of alcohol

"He spent all his money on booze."

"The teenager was caught with a bottle of booze in his backpack at school and was suspended for violating the zero tolerance policy on alcohol."

to notify one's employer or supervisor that one is unwell and unable to work on a specific day

"I felt terrible, so I called in sick."

"I decided to call in sick to work because I had a terrible headache and felt very tired."

to strongly criticize someone in an angry manner

"The teacher chewed out him."

"The manager had to chew out the employee for his repeated tardiness and lack of professionalism."

to make an effort to demonstrate a better behavior and treat others better

"He needs to clean up his act or he will get fired."

"After getting arrested twice the young man decided to clean up his act and find a job."

to suddenly become angry

"Dad flew off the handle."

"My boss flew off the handle when he found out that the important project had been delayed again."

used to tell someone that one completely understands or agrees with what they are saying

"'I am really stressed about this.' — 'I hear you.'"

"'The team is exhausted and morale is low.' — 'I hear you — let us talk about solutions.'"

to successfully reach or attend a place or event

"I hope to make it."

"The young athlete dreamed that he would make it to the Olympic Games one day."

a state of low priority where something is set aside to be dealt with later

"He puts his hobbies on the back burner while he works."

"He put his travel plans on the back burner while he focused on completing his degree."

to ruin a situation through mistakes or poor judgment

"Do not screw up this opportunity."

"Do not screw up this important opportunity because it may be the only chance you ever get."

someone who is not in any way affected by chemical substances or alcoholic drinks

"The driver is stone sober after leaving the party."

"He was stone sober because he had been the designated driver all night."

having the requisite qualities for

"I think those two are up to something naughty."

"The children have been very quiet which usually means they are up to some kind of mischief."

used as a greeting or conversation starter in casual settings

"What's up? You look happy!"

"Hey, what's up? It's great to see you after such a long time since we last met."

a person regarded as weak, timid, or lacking courage

"He is seen as a wimp for not confronting the bully."

"The other boys called him a wimp because he refused to join the fight."

to vomit forcefully or expel the contents of one's stomach, often in a graphic or intense manner

"He felt sick and barfed up his guts."

"After eating spoiled food at the party, he went home and barfed up his guts all night long."

used to tell someone to stop annoying one with their action or behavior

"Cut it out — stop making that noise!"

"She told her colleagues to cut it out after the jokes became disruptive during the meeting."

the activities, events, or situations that are currently happening

"The strange goings on in the house frighten the children."

"The strange goings on in the old house made the neighbors suspect something supernatural."

to possess knowledge or understanding of something; to have an idea or information about a situation or topic

"I don't have a clue."

"She doesn't have a clue about how to fix the computer, so we need to call a technician."

slang terms for inside information

"She wants the low-down on what happened at the party."

"She gave us the low down on which professors were easy graders and which were tough."

(of a person) dazed, absent-minded, or senseless, often due to exhaustion, distraction, or emotional shock

"He looked zoned out."

"After the long, exhausting flight, she sat in her seat, completely zoned out and unable to focus."

used to informally say goodbye, often in a playful or lighthearted manner

"Bye! See you later, alligator!"

"He grabbed his bag, winked at his friend, and said see you later, alligator on his way out."

someone with very thin or scrawny legs

"She has very thin chicken legs."

"People often tease him about his bird legs because they are so skinny compared to the rest of his body."

bother persistently with trivial complaints

"She always hen-pecks him."

"He felt constantly hen-pecked by his wife's endless stream of minor criticisms about his habits."

to be really stressed, angry, or upset about something that has happened or is going to happen

"Mom will have a cow if she sees this."

"My mother is going to have a cow when she finds out that I accidentally broke her favorite vase yesterday."

used to respond to a farewell, typically in a fun or lighthearted way

"See you later, crocodile, in a while, crocodile."

"After saying goodbye to his friends, he called out, 'See you later, alligator!' and they replied, 'In a while, crocodile!'"

a person who is very fortunate or has experienced good luck in a particular situation

"The lottery winner is a lucky dog."

"The lucky dog won the lottery twice in the same month and became a multimillionaire."

a person who is cunning, clever, and often deceitful in a way that helps them achieve their goals

"That sly dog managed to get the last piece of cake."

"The sly dog managed to sneak out of the office early without anyone noticing."

an older man who is seen as being lecherous or overly interested in women, often in a way that is considered inappropriate or embarrassing for his age

"The old goat winked at her."

"The elderly gentleman's inappropriate jokes and leering glances made him seem like an old goat to the younger staff."

a score that is equivalent to zero in a match or game

"They got a goose egg."

"Despite their best efforts, the visiting team failed to score any points, ending the game with a goose egg."

a person who is foolish, stubborn, or behaving in a ridiculous or irritating manner

"He acted like a horse's ass."

"The way he refused to listen to any advice made him seem like a complete horse's ass."

a formal suit or tuxedo, typically worn for events such as weddings or fancy parties

"He wore a monkey suit."

"The groom looked very dapper in his perfectly tailored monkey suit for the wedding."

treat or classify according to a mental stereotype

"Don't pigeonhole the artist."

"It's unfair to pigeonhole her as just a singer when she's also a talented songwriter."

a person sent into a group as a spy to report on its activities

"The stool pigeon gives evidence to the police."

"The stool pigeon informed the police about the gang's planned robbery in exchange for immunity."

used to describe someone or something that is untrustworthy, erratic, or difficult to predict. It can also imply a sense of nervousness or instability in behavior

"The dog is squirrelly."

"His squirrelly behavior made everyone in the office feel uneasy about his sudden resignation."

in a manner that is sudden, unexpected, and not gradual

"He quit smoking cold turkey last week."

"My uncle quit smoking cold turkey after twenty years and he has not touched a cigarette since."

to make someone reveal information by questioning them repeatedly or cleverly

"I finally wormed the secret out of her."

"The clever lawyer managed to worm the truth out of the reluctant witness during cross examination."

terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position

"They can workers."

"The company decided to can the underperforming employee after repeated warnings about his work ethic."

to drink completely, often in one go

"He will down the drink."

"He decided to down the entire glass of water in one go to quench his intense thirst."

to be irritating or annoying for someone

"It will get you."

"The constant noise from the construction site really started to get on my nerves."

to complain or speak loudly in an immoderate way

"Do not mouth off."

"The disgruntled customer began to mouth off loudly at the service representative."

heavily affected or exited by a chemical substance, especially alcohol

"He was ripped."

"After consuming several shots of tequila, he became noticeably ripped and started singing loudly."

to anger or frustrate someone by one's actions or behaviors

"His behavior will tick off everyone."

"His constant complaining and negative attitude really began to tick off his colleagues at work."

female genitalia, especially the vulva or pubic area

"The beaver was hidden."

"She was concerned about the health of her beaver and sought medical advice."

a sexually suggestive or insulting whistle, shout, or comment directed at someone in public

"The catcall from the construction site is inappropriate."

"The construction worker's catcall was inappropriate and made the woman feel uncomfortable."

a silly or foolish person

"He is a goose."

"Don't be such a goose; you should have seen that obvious trap."

a person who is easily deceived, tricked, or swindled, often used in reference to someone who falls for scams or dishonest schemes

"He was a pigeon."

"The con artist viewed the naive tourist as an easy pigeon for his elaborate scam."

a person considered treacherous, despicable, or contemptible

"You are a rat."

"He was branded a rat for betraying his friends during the difficult times."

a very large person; impressive in size or qualities

"He is a whale."

"The philanthropist was a whale, known for his immense generosity and significant contributions."