* budge: to move by a small amount
ex>
I saw the bedroom door budge a little, and then a little face peered
around the corner.
Note>
Budge is derived from the French verb bougier, which means to be in motion. At
the time it was adopted into the English language, the pronunciation of the
letter “u” would have been more of an “oo” sound, as in “room.”
* take one’s sweet time: to be needlessly
slow
ex>
We’ve worked hard all day, so I think we can take our sweet time with
this final order.
ex>
You took your sweet time getting back here with the sandwiches, didn’t
you?
* tongue-in-cheek: sarcastic; not meant
to be taken literally
ex>
Daphne made a tongue-in-cheek remark about David’s Hawaiian shirt.
Note>
This expression refers to a facial gesture that used to be common, and was
formerly an expression of hatred. It later meant to signify restrained laughter,
similar to biting one’s tongue.
* pay lip service: to express support in
words, but not in action
ex>
Let’s hope the company really is going to implement some gender equality policies,
and not just pay lip service to the idea.
* give one the benefit of the doubt: to
believe someone without proof that they are right
ex>
I really appreciate you giving me the benefit of the doubt, ma’am: I don’t
know where I left my ID.
* bright ideas: motivation to act on an
opportunity
ex>
We’d better put these snacks away before the dogs get any bright ideas.
* holdup:
지연, 연기
Be
careful not to confuse holdup (a
delay) with hold-up (an armed
robbery). Adding to the confusion, native English speakers often reverse the
spellings of these two nouns, so you really must rely on the context to know which
one is being talked about.
ex>
Can you see what the holdup is? There’s a big truck blocking my view.
cf>
If this is a holdup, I have no cash with me.
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