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Street Talk 1 - A Closer Look: Lesson 4

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Street Talk 1
to [bring] home the bacon

to earn enough money to be able to pay for the necessities of life

Ex: When prices rose, bringing home the bacon became even harder.
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to beef up

make strong or stronger

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beef
beef
[noun]

a disagreement, argument, or ongoing conflict between people, often involving hostility or rivalry

Ex: She 's got beef with the manager about the schedule .
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beefy
beefy
[Adjective]

with a strong body and well-built muscles

Ex: Despite his advanced age , Jack 's beefy physique made him a formidable opponent on the football field .
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to [put] the bite on {sb}

to put pressure on someone to do something, particularly in order to get money from them

Ex: The alumni association of my old university puts the bite on me once or twice a year looking for a donation.
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to [bite|snap] {one's} head off

to angrily reply or react to someone

Ex: The customer service representative, overwhelmed with complaints, inadvertently snapped the customer's head off, leading to a formal apology.
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to [bite|hold] {one's} tongue

to not say something, against one's wish, in order to avoid causing an argument or upsetting someone

Ex: He bit his tongue because he knew another comment would start a fight.
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to [bite] the bullet

to start to deal with an inevitable challenge or difficulty

Ex: If the old system keeps failing, we'll have to bite the bullet and replace it.
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to [bite] the dust

to die or no longer exist

Ex: The ambitious business venture ultimately bit the dust due to a lack of funding and support.
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the (best|greatest) thing since sliced bread

a thing or person that one believes to be extremely good, useful, interesting etc.

Ex: The enthusiastic reviews about the new restaurant made her curious to try it, as everyone claimed it was the greatest thing since sliced bread in the culinary world.
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bread
bread
[noun]

money, cash, or earnings

Ex: They 're always looking for ways to turn their skills into bread.
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to [have] a bun in the oven

to be expecting a child

Ex: Everyone was excited when they heard she had a bun in the oven.
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buns
buns
[noun]

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

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cakewalk
cakewalk
[noun]

an easy accomplishment

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big cheese

someone of great importance or influence

Ex: He became a big cheese after the merger .
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cheesecake

a photograph of an attractive woman in minimal attire

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cheesy
cheesy
[Adjective]

having very low quality

Ex: The cheesy plastic toy broke easily after just a few uses.
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to [cut] the cheese

to emit wind from one's anus

Ex: Even though it's a natural bodily function, people often feel embarrassed when they accidentally cut the cheese in public.
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to chew out

to strongly criticize someone in an angry manner

Ex: The manager chewed out the staff for not maintaining cleanliness .
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to [chew] the fat

to enjoy a friendly talk with a person for a long period of time

Ex: At family gatherings, we often sit around the table and chew the fat over dinner, discussing various topics.
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clam
clam
[noun]

a piece of paper money worth one dollar

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to clam up

to suddenly become silent or refuse to talk, often because of nervousness, fear, or a desire to keep information secret

Ex: As soon as the topic of her recent project came up , Emily clam up and did n't want to reveal any details .
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(as|) happy as a clam (at hot water|)

(of a person) very pleased or satisfied

Ex: She was as happy as a clam attending her favorite concert.
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to [wake] up and [smell] the coffee

to recognize the reality of a situation, no matter how unpleasant it may be

Ex: It's time to wake up and smell the coffee: this relationship is over.
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to cook up

to prepare food quickly, often in an informal or creative manner

Ex: She cooked up a hearty soup to warm up on a chilly evening .
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to [be] cooking with gas

to be doing very well or functioning effectively

Ex: The machine was noisy at first, but now it is cooking with gas.
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to [catch] {sb} with {one's} [hand] in the cookie jar

to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong or inappropriate

Ex: She caught her little brother with his hand in the cookie jar, breaking their mom's rule about snacks before dinner.
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(smart|sharp) cookie

a person who is clever and has a strong personality

Ex: We need a smart cookie to handle these negotiations.
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that is the way the cookie crumbles (in the market|)

said after an unfortunate event to mean one must accept the situation as it is

Ex: She was disappointed about the result, but she said, 'That's the way the cookie crumbles.'
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to [toss] {one's} cookies

to empty what is in one's stomach through one's mouth

Ex: He drank too much and tossed his cookies in the toilet.
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tough cookie

a person who is strong, resilient, and determined, often in the face of challenging circumstances

Ex: You have to be a tough cookie to survive in that business .
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crackers
crackers
[Adjective]

informal or slang terms for mentally irregular

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dough
dough
[noun]

money, cash, or financial resources

Ex: They were excited about the big paycheck , knowing it would add a good amount of dough to their savings .
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to [eat] {one's} words

to take back something one has said previously

Ex: You doubted I could lose 20 pounds - I think it's time for you to eat your words!
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big enchilada

an individual who is very famous or influential

Ex: In Hollywood , he became the big enchilada overnight .
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the whole enchilada

***the whole situation; everything

Ex: The team has a good chance in the playoffs and may win the whole enchilada this year.
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chicken feed

an extremely small amount of money

Ex: For that amount of work , the pay was chicken feed.
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to [feed] {one's} face

to eat more food than one's body needs or can handle

Ex: Despite being on a diet, John couldn't resist the temptation and gave in, feeding his face with a big slice of chocolate cake.
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to spoon-feed

***to give someone so much help or information that that person does not need to try himself or herself

Ex: Certain students enjoy finding out things for themselves; others prefer being spoon-fed.
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a different kettle of fish

an issue or subject that is not in any way connected to what one was talking about

Ex: Raising a teenager is a different kettle of fish from raising a young child.
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fishy
fishy
[Adjective]

suggestive of dishonesty or something dubious

Ex: She sensed a fishy motive behind his sudden kindness .
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(as|) nutty as a fruitcake

(of a person) crazy or exhibiting odd behavior

Ex: Everyone thinks she's nutty as a fruitcake, but she has brilliant ideas.
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gravy
gravy
[noun]

a sudden happening that brings good fortune (as a sudden opportunity to make money)

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gravy train

a situation in which making a lot of money becomes possible with minimal time or effort

Ex: Once the gravy train stopped , people quickly lost interest .
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ham
ham
[noun]

an actor with an exaggerated theatrical style

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to ham it up
to ham it up
[phrase]

exaggerate one's acting

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to [sell|go] like hot cakes

to sell very quickly and in large amounts

Ex: The fresh batch of pastries went like hot cakes this morning.
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to [cut] the mustard

to meet expectations or perform satisfactorily in a given task or situation

Ex: She proved she could cut the mustard when the project suddenly doubled in size.
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noodle
noodle
[noun]

informal terms for a human head

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knuckle sandwich

used to refer to a punch that is hit in a person's mouth

Ex: When the heckler continued to disrupt the comedian 's act , the performer quipped that he might receive a knuckle sandwich if he did n't quiet down .
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in a stew
in a stew
[phrase]

in a very troubled or nervous state

Ex: There is no need to be in a stew; we still have plenty of time.
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to sugarcoat

cause to appear more pleasant or appealing

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sugar daddy

a rich older man who gives money or gifts to a younger partner for companionship or intimacy

Ex: She joked about needing a sugar daddy to pay rent .
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