* fall apart: to break into pieces with
little or no applied force; become dissolved
ex>
The wheelbarrow was so old that it literally fell apart as soon as I
touched it.
* throw salt in the wound: to make
someone feel worse about a situation
ex>
Then my boss threw salt in the wound by reminding me about the contact I
lost six months ago.
* give or take: plus or minus;
approximately
ex>
That old elm tree must have been eighty feet all, give or take.
ex>
We should be able to finish the yard cleanup in five hours, give or take.
* in stages: incrementally; not all at
once
ex>
The bridge construction project took a long time because they had to do it in
stages.
Note>
Today we think of a “stage” as a floor for performances, but the word is
derived from one meaning “to stand.” A temporary platform built so that workers
could construct a building was also called a “stage,” and this would be raised
to a higher level once a section of the work was completed.
* pull it off: to achieve something
ex>
Selling 500 churros a day was an ambitious goal, but you pulled it off.
ex>
I’m sure we could pull it off if we had some more rope, a big net, and
some bananas.
* peckish: hungry
ex>
Every time I skip breakfast on a weekday, I’m peckish by 10:30 am.
* scuttle:
(배를 일부러) 가라앉히다, 고의적으로 망치거나
끝내다
Scuttle
is a word with several meanings that seem to have no connection with one
another. As well as the meaning above, the verb scuttle means “to move quickly
with small movements.” As a noun, it also describes a bucket for coal or a
covered passageway between decks of a ship.
ex>
We scuttled our plans when some new regulations made the idea
unprofitable.
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