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Panels
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Theme panels 440
Anger
'What's wrong?' asked Claire. 'You've been like a bear with a sore head all
morning.' 'I've had it up to here,' I replied. 'I've got three reports to write byfive
o'clock, and if I don't fmish them on time, Bill's going to hit the roof. I've already
put his back up by refusing to work late, and he's likely to blow a fuse if I don't
get this job done.' Just then, the phone rang. It was the managing director asking
me if I would help show some clients around the office.This was the second time
she'd asked me and, although it was a pain in the neck, I had to agree because she
was the one person I didn't want to rub up the wrong way. Twohours later, I was
still busy.As we reached my department, Claire came running up to me. 'Where've
you been?' she whispered. 'Bill's on the warpath because you haven't done those
reports yet.' At that moment, he appeared by the door,with a face like thunder.
He was just about to let rip when he saw the managing director standing next to
me. 'Hello,Bill,' she said. 'Let me introduce you to some very important clients.'
being angry
hit the ceiling/roof
informal Y
to becomevery angry and~art shouting
blow a fuse
informal
.?'\,
to become very angry and shout or
behave in a violent way
be on the warpath
humorous
X
to be looking for someone you are angry

to make someone very angry, especially
by continuing to do something annoying
talking angrily to someone
x:
let rip
~Z
fly off the handle
informal
to suddenly express your emotions
to react in a very angry way to without control
something someone says or does _. . _ ~
. . "\/ give sb an earful
informal
7~
have had It (up to here)
informal '-,
to tell someone how angry you are with
to be so angry about something that you them
do not want to continue with it or think
about
it
any more
being in a bad mood
be fed up to the back teeth
British .
&
Australian, informal
'<"'
to be angry because a bad situation has
continued for too long or a subject has

most successful business people in the region, but unlike some fat cats, he supports
a lot of local charities and looks after his staff well. He often says he'd like to retire
soon, but I can't see him hanging up his hat just yet - he loves his job too much.
succeeding in business doing business
make it
to be successful, especially in a job
be ahead of the pack
>:.
to be more successful than other people
who are trying to achieve the same
things as you
corner the market
K
to become so successful at selling or
making a particular product that almost
no one else sells or makes it
successful people
.....................................................................
a big shot
informal
'Z
an important or powerful person in a
group or organization
a big fish in a small pond )(.
one of the most important people in a
small organization who would have
much less power and importance if they
were part of a larger organization
a fat cat
informal

0
run a tight ship :""'-
to control a business or other
organization firmly and effectively
hard-nosed
;;rl:
practical and determined
making money
do a roaring trade
British
& ( .)
Australian "'-
to sell a lot of goods quickly -
make a killing
informal
::...7
to earn a lot of money very easily
a money-spinner
British
&
y
Australian
a business or product that makes a lot of
money for someone
behaving dishonestly
.....................................................................
be on the make ~_
trying to get money or power in a way
that is not pleasant or honest
cook the books

order to persuade people to believe
something that is not true
X,
a snake in the grass '
someone who pretends to be your friend
while secretly doing things to harm you
be as slippery as an eel
)<.
someone who is as slippery as an eel
cannot be trusted
a bad egg mainly American,
y
informal .
" someone who behaves in a bad or
dishonest way
deceiving someone
pull the wool over sb's eyes / ",
to deceive someone in order to prevent
them from knowing what you are really
doing
take sb for a ride )~
to cheat
or
deceive someone
pull a fast one informal
y
to successfully deceive someone .
sell sb a bill of goods American'--:::
to make someone believe something that
is not true

a cock-and-bull story informal
)<.
a story or explanation which is
obviously not true
r-:»:
",/
/'--
be economical with the truth
humorous
to not be completely honest about
something
discovering dishonest
activities
....................................................d .
Y
catch sb red-handed
to discover someone doing something
that is wrong or not legal
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443
Theme panels
Happiness and Sadness
It was Maria's 21st birthday, a day on which she should have felt on top of the
world. Instead she was feeling down in the dumps because she had just started a
new job in a new town, away from her family and friends.As she got out of bed, she
heard the sound of the post being delivered. Running downstairs, she jumped for
joy when she saw four envelopes on the doormat. But when she looked closer, her
heart sank as she realized they were bills, not birthday cards. All day at work, she
went around with a long face. Even though she was very happy to be doing a job
she loved so much, she still couldn't help feeling out of sorts. However, when she

like the cat that got the cream
British
&
Australian
like the cat that ate the canary
American
annoying other people by looking very
pleased with yourself about something
good that you have done
making someone happy
make
sb's
day
x..
to make someone very happy
being sad
be down in the dumps
informal
to be unhappy
a
long face
a very sad expression
be out of sorts
to feel slightly ill or slightly unhappy
a
misery guts
informal
someone who complains all the time and
is never happy
be in the doldrums

"
be/feel under the weather /"
be off-colour
British
&
Australian
to feel ill or less well than usual
y
be below par / ./
not
be up to par \(
to be slightly ill ./
be as sick as a dog
informal
to be very sick
be as white as a sheet
)<
to be very pale, usually because you are ill
X
be in a bad way
British
&
Australian
to be ill, unhappy or in a bad state
like death (warmed up)
British
&
Australian
like death (warmed over)
j.."

&
Australian, informal
to be crazy
recovering/being healthy
be as right as rain
to feel well /---
be as fit as a fiddle
to be very healthy
y'
recharge
your
batteries
to rest in order to get back your strength
and energy ;
be up and about/around ~
to be well enough to get out of bed and
move around
a clean bill of health
a statement that someone is healthy
death
be pushing up daisies
humorous
to be dead
x:
pop
your
clogs
British, humorous •
to die
'<..

themselves
someone who is younger or has less
experience than you
go to bat for
sb
American
&
Australian
to give help and support to someone who
is in trouble, often by talking to someone
else for them
in
sb's
hour of need
at a time when someone needs help very
much
do
sb's
dirty work A friend in need (is a friend
to do something unpleasant or difficult
indeed).
for someone else because they do not something that you say which means
want to do it themselves that someone who gives you help when
y
you need it is a really good friend
givelhand
sth
to sb on a plate
f "'-
to let someone get something very easily,

scratch yours.
something that you say in order to tell
someone that you will help them if they
will help you
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Theme panels 446
Intelligence and Stupidity
'Doyou remember Sean Hughes? He was in your class at school.'
'Ofcourse 1do!Heused to goto sleep during lessons. Everyone said he had nothing
between his ears. I don't know why he was put in our class - he really was out of
his depth. I remember once he was asked to demonstrate an experiment in
chemistry, and he didn't have the faintest idea what to do.Hewas a rugby player
as well,wasn't he?All brawn and no brains, I suppose.I wonder what's happened
to him now.'
'Well,you'll never guess, but it turns out that Sean's really quite a bright spark. I
found out yesterday he's the brains behind the new computer software company
that everyone's talking about.'
'Sean Hughes - a brain box? I don't believe it!'
being intelligent
a brain box
British
&
Australian,
informal
a very intelligent person
being stupid
have nothing between
your
ears
informal

something
~~'~~~'~;';~~;"~~~~~""'~>(""""""""
to not have the knowledge,experience or
skills to deal with a particular subject or
situation
a mine of information
a person or a book with a lot of not
have the faintest (idea)
information to have no knowledge of
X'
information about something
be in the know
informal
to know about something which most
people do not know about
know
your
onions
British
&
Australian, humorous
to know a lot about a particular subject
or no
the blind leading the blind
a situation where someone is trying to
show someone else how to do something
which they do not know how to do
themselves
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447

be all ears
informal
'<,
to be very eager to hear what someone is
going to say
have a thing about
sth/sb
informal
to like something or someone very much
or to be very interested in them
being eager to do something
be champing/chomping at the bit
to be very keen to start an activity or to
go somewhere
get-up-and-go
energy and enthusiasm
not
be
sb's
cup of tea
X
if someone or something is not your cup
of tea, you do not like them or you are
not interested in them
not
give a damn
informal
X
not
care/give a toss

Australian
to have nothing to do
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Theme panels 448
Liking and not Liking
X
I've got four sons and I love them all to bits, although I must admit I've got a bit
of a soft spot for the youngest, who's only three and very cute. The older two get
on like a house on fire, but always seem to have it in for the third. They get into
terrible arguments with each other, and it usually ends up with one of them saying
that he hates the other's guts and storming out of the house. It really gets on my
husband's nerves. Still, the oldest seems to have taken a shine to a girl in his
class, which gets him out of the house a bit. She's very quiet and not especially
pretty;but I suppose there's no accounting for taste.
liking people
the apple of
sb's
eye
the person who someone loves most and
is very proud of
love sb to bits
informal
Y,
to like or to lovesomeone a lot
get on like a house on fire
informal
if two people get on like a house on fire,
they like each other very much and
become friends very quickly
a mutual admiration society

nerves
informal
X
to annoy someone, especially by doing
something again and again
sb's
pet hate
British
&
Australian
sb's
pet peeve
American
something that you do not like at all
have a soft spot for
sb
to feela lot ofaffection for one particular
opinions on what people like
.....................................................................
person, often without knowing why
be
sb's
main squeeze
American,
informal
to be the person that someone has a
romantic or sexual relationship with
sing
sb/sth's
praises

believe in different things
One man's meat is another man's
poison.
something that you say which means
that something one person likes very
much can be something that another
person does not like at all
There's no accounting for taste!
something that yousay when you cannot
understand why someone likes
something or someone
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449 Theme panels
Money
Youknow the saying, 'A penny saved is a penny earned'. Well,that's all right if
you're regularly earning money, but I'm not. I've been living from hand to mouth
doing temporary work. I've tightened my belt but I'm always in the red at the end
of the month. My latest idea is to start my own business. This requires hard cash
and I don't have it. I want to start a taxi service to and from the airport. I'll need a
good, reliable car and that will cost an arm and a leg. Initially, I'd probably just
break even, but eventually I reckon I'd have a steady job and a steady income, even
if I didn't make a killing. What I really need is some ready money or perhaps
someone who has a nest egg they would like to invest. Maybe my best hope is to
win the lottery and strike it rich!
having a lot of money
be rolling in it
to be very rich
break even
to not make or lose any money from a
business

not
have two pennies to rub
together
to be very poor
be in the red
:t<--
to owe money to a bank
having just enough money
live (from) hand to mouth
><-
to have just enough money to live on and
nothing extra
sayings about money
A penny saved is a penny earned.
it is wise to save money
be penny-wise and pound-foolish
to be extremely careful about small
amounts of money and not careful
enough about larger amounts
Money doesn't grow on trees.
tighten
your
belt
be careful how much money you spend
to spend less than you did before because there is only a limited amount
because you have less money
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Theme panels
450
Power and Authority

weight around
to behave in a way which showsthat you
are more important or powerful than
other people
flex
your
muscles
:>;.
to take some action to show people how
powerful you are
people in powerful positions
controlling and influencing
people
twist/wrap sb around
your
little
finger
to be able to persuade someone to do
anything you want, usually because
they like you so much
have sb in the palm of
your
hand
to have so much control over someone
that they will do whatever you want
them to do
have friends in high places
to know important people who can help
you get what you want
thinking you are more

do
sb's
bidding
old-fashioned
to dowhat someonetells or asks youto do
lick
sb's
boots
very informal ~~
to try too hard to please someone
important
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