标准英音听力

Above board

Above board describes actions or deals that are honest and legal, with nothing hidden.

Ad Hoc: Meaning and Daily Use

Adjective clauses: choose the right word

Adverse or Averse: Choose the Right Word

Aesthetic or Ascetic: Style or Strict Discipline

Albeit Meaning: Use Clear Formal Contrasts

Allusion or Illusion: How to Choose

Although, though, even though: Connect contrasting ideas

Arbitrary: Meaning and Everyday Use

At first glance

At first glance introduces how something appears when first seen before a closer look reveals new facts.

Attitude Adverbs: A Practical Guide

Backlog

You answer five old emails, but twelve more are still waiting. What do you call the work that has built up behind you?

Bend the rules

Bend the rules means to relax or ignore a rule in a particular situation. The speaker presents the exception as small, but others may see it as unfair.

Born or Borne: Choosing the Right Form

Breathing down my neck

Breathe down someone's neck means to watch someone closely in a stressful way, or to approach quickly as an urgent deadline.

Burn phrasal verbs: clear everyday usage

Compare burn down, burn out, burn through, burn off, and burn up. Learn how each phrase changes the meaning of burn.

By the book

Following set rules, laws, or standard steps strictly without taking shortcuts.

Capricious Meaning: Unpredictable Changes

Caveat Meaning: One Condition to Remember

Come out of your shell

Come out of your shell means to become less shy and more willing to talk with other people.

Compound Conjunctions: How to Link Ideas

Corner the market

One company sells nearly every reusable bottle in a city, and competing shops struggle to attract buyers. How can you describe the company's position?

Correlative conjunctions: rules and examples

Crossed wires

You arrive for a meeting on Tuesday, but your colleague expects you on Thursday. Neither person meant to cause a problem. How can you describe what happened?