phrasal verbs concerning increasing and decreasing

Here is a list of some of the most common phrasal verbs concerning increasing and decreasing using the prepositions UP and DOWN. Each phrasal verb includes an explanation and example sentence.

Idioms: Personal Feelings and Opinions #1 - Definitions

1. It's really difficult to figure out what you mean if you don't explain yourself. Figure out: to understand after consideration
   
2. I'd like to apologize for last weekend. I feel guilty about not having telephoned to say I wouldn't be able to come. Feel guilty: to feel bad about something you have done.
   
3. He is dying to go to the Red Hot Chili Pepper's concert next week. Be dying to: be very eager or keen to do something.
   
4. I just can't stand listening to him lecture. He is so boring! Can't stand: despise or hate something.
   
5. They're not sure that want to get married. I think they are getting cold feet. Get cold feet: become unsure about an important decision.
   
6. He really did poorly on the test. When it came to take it, he went blank and couldn't answer anything. Go blank: not remember anything - happens often on tests!
   
7. Jason is having a hard time getting over the death of his cat. Get over: recover from an illness or very bad news.
   
8. He must be kidding! He can't really mean what he says. Be kidding: be joking, not serious.
   
9. When you think really hard, you should always be able to know what you feel deep down. Feel deep down: your true feelings about something.
   
10. Unfortunately, he is having second thoughts about the car he just bought. It seems that it doesn't get very good mileage. Have second thoughts: be unsure of something you have already done - very similar to get cold feet, only that, in this case, the action has already been completed.
    
    
    

Friday, July 14, 2006

As times goes by

Food & fruit test

1-Ethan's teachers told him he is the 'cream of the crop' of his graduating class. What does 'cream of the crop' mean? ..........

(a) Good
(b) The best
(c) Not so good


2-His drama coach 'egged him on' so he'd go onto the stage and perform as well as he did during the rehearsals. What does "egged him on" mean? ..........

(a) To discourage someone
(b) To encourage someone
(c) To tell them they should be embarrassed




3-Keira felt like tennis was 'her cup of tea.' What does 'her cup of tea' mean? ..........

(a) That it's not the right thing for her
(b) That it's a perfect match for her
(c) That she should practice more


4- Ray was as 'cool as a cucumber' about his exam because he studied all week for it. What does 'cool as a cucumber' mean? ..........

(a) To be scared and cold about something
(b) To be very embarrassed about something
(c) To be very calm and relaxed about something




5-Everyone knew that the politician had his 'finger in the pie' of many businesses around the city. What does 'finger in the pie' mean? ..........

(a) To be involved in something
(b) To be uninterested in something
(c) Wanting to get out of something




6-Most of Kim's teachers wanted her to 'use her noodle' more when it came to exam time. What does 'use her noodle' mean? ..........

(a) To act up more
(b) To think more
(c) To try more




7-"'In a nutshell', the problem was caused by a faulty wire," said the experienced electrician. What does 'in a nutshell' mean? ..........

(a) To be blunt about something
(b) To be concise about something
(c) To be long and exhaustive about something




8-The trial turned out to be 'a hot potato' that everyone at the table was thinking about. What does 'a hot potato' mean? ..........

(a) A topic that is very controversial
(b) A topic that is easy to answer/solve
(c) A topic that people are indifferent about because they want to eat




9-The king was so rich, arrogant and mean that when he was overthrown by his people, most of his subjects thought it was about time he 'ate some humble pie.' What does to 'eat humble pie' mean? ..........

(a) To get upset/angry about something
(b) To be vengeful
(c) To accept shame




10-Mary was going through a rough time and her family felt like they had to 'walk on eggshells' around her. What does to 'walk on eggshells' mean? ..........

(a) To be very messy
(b) To be very loud
(c) To be very cautious and/or sensitive about something

Friday, July 07, 2006

test for cooking words:

1-Middle Eastern restaurants often have a way of whisking you away to a far off land of belly dancers, exotic spices and ...... drink
(a)  incriminating
(b)  intimidating

2-Thai cuisine is one of the most romantic of the Asian cuisines as it still ......... an element of mystery and exoticism.

Category	Preposition	Phrasal Verb	Explanation Notes	Example Sentence
Increasing	up	to put up	to increase prices	They put up the price on that model by five dollars.
Increasing	up	to bring up	to raise children	They brought their children up in the countryside.
Increasing	up	to blow up	to make something more important than it really is	They blew that issue up until it became noticed by the media.
Increasing	up	to go up	used for increases in prices, profits and production	Production went up at the plant by 15 percent.
Increasing	up	to grow up	children getting older	My daughter has grown up so quickly!
Increasing	up	to speed up	used for machines increasing velocity	The car sped up and passed the slow driver.
Increasing	up	to hurry up	to increase the speed of doing something when someone feels late	We're going to have to hurry up if we want to finish this project on time.
Increasing	up	to heat up	with temperatures	It's really heated up these past few days.
Increasing	up	to cheer up	to become happier	He cheered up at the news of a raise.
Increasing	up	to liven up	to make more exciting	The party livened up when he arrived.
Increasing	up	to turn up	used with volume	Can you turn the sound up?
Increasing	up	to speak up	to increase speaking volume	You'll have to speak up if you want him to pay attention to you.
Increasing	up	to build up	improve health	He built his strength up over a number of months.
Increasing	up	to pick up	used when a general situation improves	The local economy has really picked up since the new factory was built.
Decreasing	down	to go down	for prices, profits and production	The quarterly profits went down from the second to the third quarter.
Decreasing	down	to come down	for prices, profits and production	Computer prices have really come down recently.
Decreasing	down	to slow down	used for machines and people	He slowed down as he approached the city limits.
Decreasing	down	to calm down	used when calming other people	She did her best to calm her child down.
Decreasing	down	to turn down	used with volume	Turn down that horrible music!
Decreasing	down	to keep down	decrease volume	Please keep the noise down in this room!
Decreasing	down	to quieten down	decrease volume	He asked the students to quieten down.
Decreasing	down	to cool down	with temperatures	It's really cooled down these past few days.
	(c)  intoxicating
	(d)  instigating

	(a)  remains
	(b)  retains
	(c)  refrains
	(d)  regains

3-Modern Asian restaurants in Jakarta have an ......... history.

	(a)  extended
	(b)  external
	(c)  extracted
	(d)  exude

4-Indonesia has an ......... range of Japanese restaurants as Japan has long been the biggest investor in the country

	(a)  ecliptic
	(b)  ecstatic
	(c)  eclectic
	(d)  eccentric

5-International restaurants in Singapore are ......... adept at simultaneously perfecting both eastern and western dishes on their menues

	(a)  partially
	(b)  particularity
	(c)  partly
	(d)  particularly

6-Hong Kong has to be one of the few places on the planet where you can enjoy ......... cuisine and service at relatively reasonable prices.

	(a)  exquisite
	(b)  explicit
	(c)  expletive
	(d)  explosive

7-European cuisine always ......... a sense of nostalgia and romance, like running into an old flame.

	(a)  evolves
	(b)  evinces
	(c)  evokes
	(d)  evicts

8-America is ......... at the front of the race to become the world's most obese country.

	(a)  undecidedly
	(b)  undeniably
	(c)  underbelly
	(d)  underling

9-Many people drink wine, but many wine consumers know little about wine ......... or wine and food pairing because they are intimidated or put off by the pretensions often associated with wine

	(a)  appropriation
	(b)  appreciation
	(c)  apportion
	(d)  apprehension

10-One of the most beautiful things about Jakarta is its ......... wealth from both within the archipelago and around the world.

	(a)  cursory
	(b)  cautionary
	(c)  coronary
	(d)  culinary

Topics: standard

Topics: Daily Notes

Topics : Word cup