Study and Work

Question 1

It is not for want/lack of trying

Answer 1

Used to say that somebody is trying hard even though they are not succesful

Question 2

Night after night

Answer 2

Every night for a period of time

Question 3

Hold somebody back

Answer 3

Stop somebody being as succesful as they should be

Question 4

Show signs of something

Answer 4

Show that something seems to be happening,
e.g. show signs of improvement/recovery, etc.

Question 5

Next to nothing

Answer 5

Almost nothing

Question 6

Pull your socks up

Answer 6

(Informal) Used to tell somebody that they are not doing well and must work harder

Question 7

Have nothing/ something/ little/ a lot to show for something

Answer 7

Have achieved nothing/ something / little / a lot as a result of something that you have done

Question 8

Turn over a new leaf

Answer 8

Change your life by stopping a bad habit or becoming a better person

Question 9

Apply yourself

Answer 9

Work hard on something; give your full attention to something

Question 10

With flying colors

Answer 10

Very well; with a very high mark/grade

Question 11

Scrape through something

Answer 11

Suceed in doing something with difficulty, especially passing an exam.

Question 12

Tell somebody off

Answer 12

(Informal) Talk angrily to somebody for doing something wrong

Question 13

As a matter of routine/course

Answer 13

As a habit; as the usual way of doing something

Question 14

Cut something out

Answer 14

Stop doing something, especially something wrong.

Question 15

Mark somebody down

Answer 15

Reduce the mark/grade given to somebody in an exam

Question 16

Two weeks /three years / four times etc. Running

Answer 16

Two weeks / three years / four times etc., one after another

Question 17

Come on

Answer 17

Improve

Question 18

In/by leaps and bounds

Answer 18

Very quickly; in large amounts

Question 19

Can’t make head or tail of something

Answer 19

You are completely confused by it

Question 20

Something goes over your head

Answer 20

You don’t understand

Question 21

Get your/a foot in the door

Answer 21

Get your first opportunity to work for an organization or business, which could later bring you sucess

Question 22

Take something in your stride

Answer 22

Accept and deal with something difficult without letting it worry you

Question 23

Pin (all) ypur hopes on sb/sth

Answer 23

Hope that somebody will help you or that sth will happen because all your plans depend on this.

Question 24

Go it alone

Answer 24

Do sth without help from anyone

Question 25

Put all your eggs in one basket

Answer 25

Rely on onlynone thing for success, having no other possibilities if sth goes wrong. (Opp) keep ypur options open

Question 26

Keep in with sb

Answer 26

(Inf) Stay friends with sb because you think you will benefit from it.

Question 27

Keep your ear to the ground

Answer 27

Make sure you find out about recent developments in a particular situation

Question 28

On the grapevine

Answer 28

By talking in an informal way to other people

Question 29

Make a name for yourself

Answer 29

Become well known and respected by many people

Question 30

Keep your feet on the ground

Answer 30

Have a sensible and realistic attitude

Question 31

Close on

Answer 31

(Used with time, age, distancw, etc.) Almost; very nearly (He's close on 60)

Question 32

Part of the furniture

Answer 32

A person who is part of the furniture is so familiar to you that ypu no longer notice them

Question 33

Somebody's face doesn't fit

Answer 33

Used go say that somebody won't get or keep a job because they are not the kind of person that the employer wants.

Question 34

Take sb under your wing

Answer 34

Look after sb

Question 35

The tricks of the trade

Answer 35

The clever ways of doing things in a particular job

Question 36

Pass something on (to somebody)

Answer 36

Give sth to sb else (in this case, knowledge of the job) especially after receiving it yourself

Question 37

Dead-end job

Answer 37

A boring job with no hope of promotion

Question 38

Take some doing

Answer 38

(Inf) Be difficult to do, or involve a lot of effort or time

Question 39

Throw your weight around/about

Answer 39

(Inf) Tell people what to do in a bossy way

Question 40

Got the push/boot/elbow Or Gave me the push/boot/elbow

Answer 40

To be dismissed from a job

Question 41

Shore sth up, Prop sth up.

Answer 41

Help to support sth that is weak or going to collapse

Question 42

Management buyout, Buy sb out

Answer 42

A situation in which the managers of a company gain control by buying most of its shares

Question 43

Fall through

Answer 43

If a deal or plan falls through, it does not happen

Question 44

At the eleventh hour

Answer 44

At the last possible moment

Question 45

Thanks to sb/sth

Answer 45

Used to say that sth has happened because of sb/sth

Question 46

Bailout, Bail sb out

Answer 46

An act of giving money to a business, economy, etc. To save it from collapse

Question 47

Hang in the balance

Answer 47

If the future of sth hangs in the balance, It is uncertain

Question 48

On the verge of (doing) sth

Answer 48

Very near to the moment when sth happens or sb does sth.

Question 49

Pull out (of sth), Pull-out (noun)

Answer 49

Withdraw from an arrangement; stop being involved in sth.

Question 50

Stand aside

Answer 50

Not get involved in sth

Question 51

Go to the wall

Answer 51

(Inf) (of an organization) Fail because of lack of money