Set 7 Flashcards

Question

higgledy-piggledy

Answer 1

higgledy-piggledy

Answer 2

wheeze /wiːz/ verb **1** to breathe with difficulty, making a whistling or rattling sound ...The asthmatic patient wheezed during the examination. ...The old man wheezed as he climbed the stairs. **2** to make a sound similar to difficult breathing ...The old accordion wheezed out a tune. ...The broken machine wheezed and sputtered. noun **1** a whistling or rattling sound caused by breathing difficulties ...His wheeze got worse during allergy season. ...The doctor listened carefully to the wheeze in her chest. **2** INFORMAL•BRITISH a clever scheme or trick ...That old wheeze about the broken-down car doesn't work anymore. ...He came up with a new wheeze to avoid paying taxes. \> From Middle English whesen, perhaps from Old Norse hvæsa (“to hiss”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to pant”). \> Wiktionary

Answer 3

helter-skelter

Answer 4

conflagration

Answer 5

be wedded to sth

Answer 6

jump the gun 1 (sports) to begin a race too soon, before the starting gun goes off. 2 to do something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it. ...They've only just met - isn't it **jumping the gun** to be talking about marriage already? \> Cambridge English Dictionary, Wiktionary

Answer 7

put sb on the spot

Answer 8

talk through one's hat

Answer 9

indisposed

Answer 10

(v.) to twist or wriggle, often from discomfort or embarrassment ##Footnote The child began to squirm in his seat during the long lecture. \> perhaps imitative. \> Etymonline

Answer 11

convulsion

Answer 12

loath /ləʊθ $ loʊθ/ *also* loth → be loath to do sth FORMAL to be unwilling to do something: RELUCTANT, unwilling, disinclined, ill-disposed ...She is loath to give up her hard-earned liberty. ...The new finance minister seems loath to cut income tax. \> From Middle English lōth (“loath; averse, hateful”), \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Wiktionary

Answer 13

put in a good word for sb put in a word for sb to try to help someone get or achieve something by saying good things about them to someone else ...I got the job because Paul **put in a good word for** me. ...I really need a job and I was hoping you might **put in a good word for** me **with** your boss. ...I'll **put in a good word** with Lord Vader. Come with me. ~ Perception, Season 2, Episode 2 \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Cambridge English Dictionary

Answer 14

har‧row /ˈhærəʊ $ -roʊ/ noun a farming machine with sharp metal blades, used to break up the earth before planting crops verb 1 draw a harrow over (land) ...They ploughed and **harrowed** the heavy clay. 2 cause distress to: DISTRESS, TORMENT, VEX, trouble, afflict, grieve ...Todd could take it, whereas I'm **harrowed** by it. \> of Scandinavian origin; compare Danish harv, Swedish harf; related to Middle Dutch harke rake \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Collins English Dictionary

Answer 15

eat humble pie to make a humble apology and accept humiliation. ...He will have to **eat humble pie** at training after being sent off for punching. ...He had to **eat humble pie** and publicly admit his error. ...The Queen's Press secretary resigned over his personal attack on the duchess. He was forced to **eat humble pie** and publicly apologize to the duchess. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Collins English Dictionary

Answer 16

impertinence

Answer 17

crank sth out

Answer 18

purview /ˈpɜːrvjuː/ noun The **purview of** something such as an organization or activity is the range of things it deals with: The range or scope of something is its *purview*. If you are a professional race car driver, performing surgery is way outside your *purview*: SCOPE, reach, range, field Anything inside a range of interest or activity is within a purview. A supervisor is in charge of certain workers — other workers are outside her purview. The surgeon general deals with medical issues: the defense budget is outside his purview. When a business expands, it's trying to increase its purview. If you go to the dentist and ask her to paint a picture of your tooth rather than extracting it, you're likely to discover you've gone way beyond her purview. **1** (archaic) the body or enacting part of a statute ...The law's purview clearly stated the restrictions. **2** the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention ...Employee training falls within the purview of the HR department. ...Such decisions are not within my purview. ...Environmental regulations fall under the purview of the EPA. ...This matter is outside the purview of local government. → within/outside the purview of sb/sth FORMAL within or outside the limits of someone’s job, activity, or knowledge ...This matter comes **within the purview of** the Department of Health. ...Salary negotiations are normally not **within the purview of** the president. ...This case falls **outside the purview of** this particular court. ...This sometimes involves ideas related to symbolic value, but the discussion of these is **beyond the purview of** this paper. **3** range of vision, understanding, or cognition ...These complex theories were beyond the purview of most students. ...The implications fell within his purview of expertise. Usage Notes: - Often used in formal or professional contexts - Frequently appears in phrases like: - "within/under the purview of" - "beyond/outside the purview of" - Common in legal, administrative, and academic contexts \> *Purview* comes from *purveu*, a word often found in the legal statutes of 13th- and 14th-century England. These statutes, written in Anglo-French, regularly open with the phrase *purveu est*, which translates literally to "it is provided." *Purveu* in turn comes from *porveu*, the past participle of the Old French verb *porveeir*, meaning "to provide." *View*, on the other hand, comes (via Middle English) from the past participle of another Anglo-French word, *veer*, meaning "to see," and ultimately from the Latin word *vidēre*, of the same meaning. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com

Answer 19

shore sth up

Answer 20

impervious

Answer 21

get ahold of oneself

Answer 22

dote on sb

Answer 23

inexorable

Answer 24

extrapolate

Answer 25

differentiate

Answer 26

up one's alley

Answer 27

keep tabs on sth

Answer 28

on the ball

Answer 29

despondent

Answer 30

iconoclastic

Answer 31

*Measly* is a great word for describing an amount or number so small that it's ridiculous. You'll be disappointed (and maybe even annoyed) if you're paid a *measly* six dollars to babysit a toddler for two hours. If you've got a measly ten minutes to eat lunch between classes, it's a laughably short amount of time — hardly enough to unwrap your tuna sandwich. And when a detective has a measly number of clues to help her solve a crime, it can seem nearly impossible. This informal word comes from British slang, and it originally meant "affected by measles." (adj.) contemptibly small; inadequate ##Footnote He quit his job after receiving a measly two percent raise despite his outstanding performance. \> Vocabulary.com

Answer 32

assortment

Answer 33

perpetrate

Answer 34

repentance

Answer 35

belligerent

Answer 36

(v.) to move in a furtive, stealthy manner; to sneak or creep: CREEP, sneak, steal, slip, slide, sidle, edge, move furtively, tiptoe, pussyfoot, pad; skulk, lurk; prowl ##Footnote - The fox came slinking through the woods. - He tried to slink out of the room unnoticed after breaking the vase. USAGE NOTES: **Slink** implies moving stealthily often merely to escape attention: *slunk* around the corner \> From Middle English slynken, sclynken, from Old English slincan (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Germanic \*slinkaną (“to creep; crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European \*sleng-, \*slenk- (“to turn; wind; twist”), from Proto-Indo-European \*sel- (“to sneak; crawl”). Cognate with West Frisian slinke, Dutch slinken (“to shrink; shrivel”), Low German slinken, Swedish slinka (“to glide”). \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Wiktionary

Answer 37

exculpatory

Answer 38

infestation

Answer 39

sneak/snuck/snuck

Answer 40

(adj.) generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person A *magnanimous* person has a generous spirit. Letting your little sister have the last of the cookies, even though you hadn't eaten since breakfast, would be considered a *magnanimous* act. *Magnanimous* comes from Latin *magnus* "great" and *animus* "soul," so it literally describes someone who is big-hearted. A person can show that over-sized spirit by being noble or brave, or by easily forgiving others and not showing resentment. It implies superiority, and is something you should say of others rather than of yourself. Being magnanimous doesn't require doling out tons of cash — just being an understanding and tolerant soul will do the trick. ##Footnote - Despite winning the election, she was magnanimous toward her defeated opponent. - The Yankees’ manager was magnanimous in defeat, praising Seattle for its fine play. \> Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary.com

Answer 41

weasel out

Answer 42

innuendo /ˌɪnjuˈendəʊ $ -doʊ/ Speaking in *innuendo* is when you say something indirectly — often of a hurtful or sexual nature. *Innuendo* in Latin means "to point to" or "nod to." When you refer to something indirectly, you point at it without mentioning it, making an innuendo. If your friend who recently stopped speaking to you glares at you across a room as she says to someone else, "I would never lie to someone I called a friend," she's making an innuendo. Without accusing you directly, she's saying she thinks you lied. an allusive or oblique remark or hint, typically a suggestive or disparaging one; (the making of) a remark or remarks that suggest something sexual or something unpleasant but do not refer to it directly; **Innuendo** is indirect reference to something rude or unpleasant: INSINUATION, implication, hint, suggestion, intimation, overtone, undertone, whisper, allusion, nuance, reference, imputation, aspersion, slur ...She's always making sly innuendoes. sexual innuendo ...There's always an element of sexual innuendo in our conversations. \> "oblique hint, indiscreet suggestion," usually a deprecatory one, 1670s, from Latin innuendo "by meaning, pointing to," literally "giving a nod to," ablative of gerund of innuere "to mean, signify," literally "to nod to," from in- "at" (from PIE root **en** "in") + nuere "to nod" (see **numinous**). By the late 17th century innuendo was used to refer to the insertion itself and more broadly to any indirect suggestion. Later, the notion of the derogatory possibilities of such remarks came to predominate. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of English, Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Vocabulary.com, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Answer 43

knock boots

Answer 44

get wind of sth

Answer 45

insanitary

Answer 46

pertain to sth

Answer 47

pull teeth

Answer 48

(n.) a very small or inadequate amount of money paid to someone as wages or allowance: A VERY SMALL AMOUNT, a tiny amount, an insufficient amount, next to nothing, very little; informal peanuts, chicken feed, slave wages, a shoestring ##Footnote She worked long hours but was only paid a pittance for her efforts. \> Middle English: from Old French pitance, from medieval Latin pitantia, from Latin pietas ‘pity’. \> Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus

Answer 49

sic sth on sb

Answer 50

weasel one's way into sth

Answer 51

the drift (of something)

Answer 52

pull the wool over someone's eyes to trick or deceive someone; to hide the truth from someone ...He was too clever to let them **pull the wool over his eyes**. ...Don't try and **pull the wool over my eyes** - I can tell you've been smoking. ...He found out we had been **pulling the wool over his eyes** for quite some time. ...The only conclusion a consumer can reach is that Microsoft managed to **pull the wool over the eyes** of millions of users. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Merriam-Webster **The phrase "pull the wool over someone's eyes" means to deceive or trick someone by telling lies or hiding the truth. It is an American expression that first appeared in print in the 1830s. There are different theories about its origin, but none of them are certain. Here are some of the possible explanations:** - One theory is that it comes from the practice of pulling a woolen wig down over someone's eyes to blind them or make them look foolish. Wigs were popular in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, but they went out of fashion in America by the early 19th century²⁴. - Another theory is that it comes from the image of an unshorn sheep, whose wool covers its eyes and prevents it from seeing clearly. This could be a metaphor for someone who is ignorant or easily misled³. - A third theory is that it comes from the idea of pulling wool over a window or a lantern to dim the light and create a dark or secretive atmosphere. This could be a way of hiding something from someone or misleading them¹. None of these theories have conclusive evidence to support them, so the true origin of the phrase remains unknown. However, the phrase is still widely used today to describe a situation where someone is dishonest or deceptive. (1) The saying 'Pull the wool over your eyes' - meaning and origin. - Phrasefinder. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/pull-the-wool-over-your-eyes.html. (2) pull the wool over one's eyes — Wordorigins.org. https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/pull-the-wool-over-ones-eyes. (3) Pull the wool over someone's eyes - GRAMMARIST. https://grammarist.com/idiom/pull-the-wool-over-someones-eyes/. (4) the origin of ‘to pull the wool over someone’s eyes’? - word histories. https://wordhistories.net/2017/08/20/wool-over-eyes-origin/.

Answer 53

unaccounted for

Answer 54

Knock it off.

Answer 55

confection

Answer 56

weary /ˈwɪəri/ adjective **1** feeling tired or exhausted, either physically or mentally; If you are **weary**, you are very tired: TIRED, tired out, worn out, exhausted, fatigued, overtired, sleepy, drowsy, wearied, sapped, dog-tired, spent, drained; *informal* all in, done (in/up), dead, dead beat, dead tired, dead on one's feet, asleep on one's feet, ready to drop, fagged out, burnt out, bushed, worn to a frazzle, shattered; *British informal* knackered, whacked; North American informal pooped, tuckered out ...She was weary after a long day at work. ...His weary eyes struggled to stay open. **2** having one's patience, tolerance, or pleasure exhausted; If you are **weary of** something, you have become tired of it and have lost your enthusiasm for it: TIRED OF, fed up with, bored with/by, sick of, sick and tired of, jaded with/by, surfeited with/by, satiated by, glutted with/by ...He grew **weary of** hearing the same excuses. ...She was **weary of** the endless meetings. **3** *especially literary* very tiring: TIRING, exhausting, wearying, fatiguing, enervating, draining, sapping, stressful, wearing, trying, crushing; demanding, exacting, taxing, challenging ...a long and weary march verb to make or become tired; If you **weary** of something or it **wearies** you, you become tired of it and lose your enthusiasm for it. ...The long journey wearied them. ...He soon wearied of the tedious task. \> **weary (adj.)**: Middle English weri, from Old English werig "tired, exhausted; dispirited by trouble, heartsick," related to worian "to wander, totter," from Proto-Germanic \*worigaz (source also of Old Saxon worig "weary," Old High German wuorag "intoxicated"), a word of unknown origin. The sense of "discontented with a continual recurrence" is by c. 1200. Related: Wearily. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Collins English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus, Etymonline

Answer 57

prior to sth

Answer 58

(n.) liquid or semi-liquid waste or food, often spilled carelessly (v.) to spill or splash liquid carelessly ##Footnote The bucket tipped over, and dirty water slopped onto the floor.

Answer 59

**weave** /wiːv/ **verb** (*past tense* **wove** /wəʊv $ woʊv/, *past participle* **woven** /ˈwəʊvən $ ˈwoʊ-/) (v.) to form fabric by interlacing threads; to create something complex or intricate ##Footnote - She learned to weave baskets using traditional techniques. - She wove a beautiful tapestry depicting scenes from nature. - The basket was beautifully woven from natural reeds. \> Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Answer 60

(adj.) completely engrossing; fascinating ##Footnote - The audience sat in silence, captivated by the riveting performance on stage. - The documentary was so riveting that I couldn't look away for a second.

Answer 61

(n.) a stringed musical instrument with a round body and a long neck, often used in folk and country music ##Footnote He played a lively tune on his banjo that had everyone clapping along.

Answer 62

(v.) to produce young; to reproduce or produce offspring ##Footnote - Many species procreate seasonally to ensure the survival of their young. - Many species have evolved complex mating rituals to attract partners and procreate.

Answer 63

(n.) a trainee in a military or police academy; a young person in training for a specific role or organization ##Footnote The cadet worked hard to excel in both physical and academic training at the academy.

Answer 64

(n.) a foolish or easily deceived person ##Footnote He felt like a chump after falling for such an obvious scam.

Answer 65

(v.) to understand something deeply and intuitively ##Footnote It took me a while to grok the new programming framework, but now it feels natural.

Answer 66

(adj.) devoted to the pursuit of pleasure; self-indulgent ##Footnote The rock star's hedonistic lifestyle of parties and excess eventually took a toll on his health.

Answer 67

make it rain

Answer 68

snot /snɒt/ noun **1** nasal mucus ...The child wiped snot from his nose. ...Cold weather increased the production of snot. **2** (informal, derogatory) an unpleasant or arrogant person ...He acted like a real snot at the party. ...Don't be such a snot to your sister. \> From Middle English snot, snotte, from Old English ġesnot, \*snott, from Proto-West Germanic \*snott, \*snutt, from Proto-Germanic \*snuttuz (“nasal mucus”), from the same base as **snout**. \> Throughout the Germanic languages a group of words in *sn-* (Modern German and Yiddish *schn-*) relate to the human nose or the animal snout. Probably the root is imitative. The senses can extend to the **snap** of a dog's snout; the **snort** a horse can make, and the rough or obstructed breathing of a human **snore**. Also compare **snarl**, **sneeze**, **snooze**, **snuff**, **snoop**, **snot**, etc. Their relation to another Germanic group having to do with "to cut; a detached part" (**snip**, **snick**, etc.) is uncertain, but the senses tend to overlap. \> Wiktionary

Answer 69

sass /sæs/ noun disrespectful or cheeky talk; impudent /ˈɪmpjədənt/ speech ...The teenager got in trouble for giving his teacher sass. ...She responded with a bit of sass but meant no harm. verb to speak in a rude or cheeky manner, especially to authority figures ...Don't sass your mother when she's talking to you. ...He got grounded for sassing his teacher.

Answer 70

topography