Innovations Unit 5 BIG DECISIONS

(cannot) make up one's mind about sth

reach a decisionI __________________ ________ ______ ___ ____________ about what to do for my birthday!

a dead-end job

a job with no prospects for promotion, also, repetitive and dullI don't want to end up in some ________-_________ job.

a second bite at the cherry (UK)

you do not get a second chance if you fail the first time.Since a large percentage of her students failed the English exam, the teacher decided to give them a __________ ____________ ___ _____ _________ by allowing them to take the test again.There will be no ___________ _________ __ ___ ______ if we screw this up—it's our only chance.

on earth

used in wh- questions to add emphasis and show that you're surprised, annoyed, etc.How ____ _________ are we going to solve this problem?!

to be on the fence about sth

unable to reach decisionYou can't stay __ ____ ________ any longer—you need to choose which of the two candidates we should hire.

come/get off the fence

finally reach decisionThe government has finally ________ _____ _____ ______ about that issue with this latest legislation

How come? (informal)

an informal way of asking how and why things happened_______ ________ you're marrying her and not me?

be in total chaos

very disorganisedIt _____ __________ ___________ when the train drivers went on strike.

be a real weight off one's shoulders

you are relieved that a situation that wasworrying you has been resolved or removed.It was a _________ ___________ _________ _____ ____________ when the neighbors from hell moved out.

cannot stand sth

have had enough of itI ____________ _________ his rambling about the English grammar any longer!

What a nightmare!collocates:a. one's worst nightmareb. nightmare scenarioc. stuff of nightmares/the stuff nightmares are made of/the stuff of which nightmares are made

emphasizing that the situation is very bad, utterly terrible_________ a _____________ of a job this is! My boss is utterly horriblecollocates:a. a situation or a person that fills you with dread, anxiety or fear.That's not a pet, that's a tarantula! Spiders are _____ _______ _______________, so get that thing away from me!As a teacher, the overbearing parent of a kid who isn't getting good grades can end up being ________ _________ __________________b. the worst thing that can happen.Losing one of our sponsors at a time like this would be a _____________ ___________ for the company.c. sth completely grotesque or horrificGrowing up my grandparents' cellar was always ______ ____ ____________ - dark, dirty, and positively crawling with spiders!

After that it was plain sailing

something became easy after being difficult to begin with.It's a bit complicated to get to our house in the suburbs, but once you get out of the city and onto the highway, __ ___ _______ ____________.

shift-ed-edcollocates:a. shift one's groundb. shift for oneselfc. shift the goalpostsd. shifting sands

move or changeI __________ the bag to my other shoulder.She ________ her position slightly so she could see the stage better.They __________ him to a different department.Public opinion ____ ____________ drastically in recent months. collocates:a. to change one's opinion. She's always been a tad stuck in her ways so no wonder she refused to ________ ____ ___________ this time, too.b. do things without help from othersThat's how my grandfather taught me how to swim: he brought me to the middle of the lake, threw me out and left me to _______ ____ ___________.c. change the rules often so it is difficult to succeed.I honestly don't know what our target here is, Michael keeps _____________ ________ _____________ all the time.d. changes that happen as time passes.The ___________ _________ of war.

notice (noncount)

a statement telling someone that an agreement, job, etc., will end soon (уведомление)She gave her landlord ____________. I gave my employer two weeks' ____________.My boss gave me two weeks' _____________.

feel/have a craving for sth

strong desire, urge to do sthI suddenly ______ a __________ ____ French fries, so I pulled into the nearest fast-food restaurant.

to die for

want something a lotAre you kidding? It's Chanel! A bag to ________ _______!

stub (out)

to put out a cigarette by pushing it up or against something.He ___________ _____ his cigarette on the ashtray

give it a go/try/shot

to try sth and see what happensI don't usually like hot tea, but it's so cold out that I _________ ____ a ________ today.

splash out on sth

to allow oneself to spend a lot of money bc you know having the thing will make you happy.Once in a while I indulge into eating out in a fancy restaurant, so I _____ _____ a bit.Sue totally _______ ______ ____ her new convertible, yes, but that's so worth it!

take a (period of time) off work

time when you don't need to go to work, short vacation.I was so exhausted that I decided to _______ two days _____ _______ and finally have some rest.I haven't had a proper vacation in years so I finally ______ a month ____ ______ and went to Europe.

a place of one's own

one's own homeI got tired of a constant strain of roommates, so I splashed out and got a _______ of ___ __________.

for the time being

for now, temporarilyThe crisis hit really hard, so I'm in between jobs, at least __ ___ _____ _________. He can stay with us ______ _______ _____ ___________ until he finds a place of his own.

if you don't mind me asking

used before a sensitive questionSo, how come is that you split up, ___ _____ _______ _____ ___ ___________?What religion are you, ___ ____ ______ ____ _____ ____________?

have second thoughts about sth

start having doubts about a decision you have madeHe started _________ __________ _______ splashing out that much onto his new Maserati

be a piece of cake

be very easy to doA: It must've been really hard learning Spanish!B: No, not really, I already speak Italian, so basically, it was a ____________ of ___________!

get blood out of a stone

be almost impossibleA: Did Gary give you your money back?B: Well, eventually, yes, but it was like ___________ _______ ___ ___ a _______! He's so stingy, a real Scrooge!

(there) be nothing to it

very easy, no problem.A: Did you donate blood in the end?B: Yes, there ___ ___________ ____ ___! I didn't feel a thing!

out of one's depth

to be in a situation that you cannot control or have no experience handling.I'm sorry, I'm completely ______ ___ ____ ______ here, I don't know anything about venture investments.

easier said than done

more difficult than you thinkA: Why not try to get a work permit and stay?B: _______ ____ ______ _______! It's fine if you have an EU passport, but I'm Chilean.

bouncer

a person whose job is to force anyone who causes a problem in a bar, nightclub, etc., to leave that placeSee Gary over there? He's our _______ so if you do not behave, he'll kick you out in a second!

chemist (UK)

a pharmacist, a person who works at a drugstoreBe sure to ask your doctor or ___________ about the possible side effects.

on the upside...... (positive side)on the downside..... (negative side)

considering advantages and disadvantages of something.A: Would you like to be a doctor?B: Well, it's a tough choice! _____ _____ _________, it is a respectable job where you can really make a difference, _____ _______ ___________, however, you have to study for 10 years and constant long hours are insane!

good for you!

congratulationsA: I've just passed my driving test.B: ______ ____ ______!

Tell me about it!

I completely agree with youA: Maths is so boring, I just can't wrap my head around it!B: _______ ______ ______ ___!

a physical (examination)collocates:verbs: pass/take a physicaladjectives: a routine/regular physical

a medical examination (a check up) to see if the body is healthy.I knew I had to ______ a ___________ to become a firefighter; they have to check you thoroughly before you start the job.Her doctor performed a routine ______________.At my job we have to __________ a ___________ annualy.

be stuck in

to be unable to get out of somethingI knew I didn't want to _______ _________ ___ this dead-end job pushing pencils all day long!

fed up with sthcollocates:be fed up withget fed up withfeel fed up with

very tired of something : angry about something that has continued for a long timeCustomers are _____ ___ ____ rising gas prices.I'm ____ ___ _____ all these delays.We've had one delay after another, and I'm starting to _______ pretty _____ ____.

dead (inf)collocates: go dead

boring, dull, uneventful, tired or out of charge.I was born in a small town in Kansas. Middle of nowhere, really. It was completely _______! I'm so glad I was able to get out and move to Chicago!My legs are completely _______ after a whole day of walking.The car's battery is _________.

feel like Ving sth

to want to do something, at a particular momentA: I love Italian cuisine! Canelloni, tiramisu, carbonara. Even the sound of it is mouth-watering!B: Oh, why on earth did you mention Italian food? Now I _____ _____ I could clean out 3 pizzas!A: So, what shall we do?B: I don't know, do you _____ _______ ________ for a walk maybe?A: Sure.