Daily advanced cae and proficiency idioms,

phrasal verbs, slang and sayings with pictures.

BASIC VOCABULARY. 07-15-2011.

BLOG WITH RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ENGLISH.

http://www.madremiraqueluna.blogspot.com

Caterpillar.Caterpillar.

• Caterpillar [countable] trademark

• also Caterpillar track a metal belt made of short connected pieces that is fastened over the wheels of a heavy vehicle to help it to move over soft ground: a Caterpillar tractor (=a vehicle fitted with this belt)

Timer.Timer.

• tim er [countable]‧• 1 an instrument that you

use to measure time, when you are doing something such as cooking: Set the timer on the cooker for three minutes.

• 2•  part-timer/full-timer• someone who works part

or all of a normal working week

Asparagus.Asparagus.

• as par a‧ ‧ ‧gus [uncountable]

• a long thin green vegetable with a point at one end

Cheetah.Cheetah.

• chee‧tah [countable]

• a member of the cat family that has long legs and black spots on its fur, and can run extremely fast

A volte-face.01A volte-face.01• Meaning: If you make a volte-face, you change your opinion or your

decision about something to the exact opposite of what it was.• For example:• When Nancy became a born-again Christian, she made a volte-face in

her views on abortion and now she thinks it's wrong.

• For some reason the government has done a volte-face on the dam proposal. They'd rejected it until last week, and then they suddenly said they'd build it after all. 

• Note: This idiom means the same as "about-face", but "volte-face" is more formal. 

Origin: This phrase derives from the Italian "voltafaccia", as in "volta" (turn) and "faccia" (face). It was adopted by the French, who changed it to "volte-face", and then it was adopted into formal English.

A volte-face.02A volte-face.02

• Quick Quiz:• After all the controversy

about the violence in the movie, the cinema showing it did a volte-face and decided

• A.-to show it anyway• B.-not to show itB.-not to show it• C.-to cut screenings to

one a day• Picture source http://www.idioms4you.com/

Poof, poofter. 01.Poof, poofter. 01.

• Meaning: an offensive, derogatory word meaning a gay man

• For example:• Everybody thought Gavin was a poof because

he liked classical music and going to the ballet. 

• Boys in my high school used to go "poofter bashing". They'd find a guy in the park they thought was gay, and they'd beat him up.

Poof, poofter. 02Poof, poofter. 02

• Quick Quiz:• The words "poof" and

"poofter" are offensive words used by hateful bigots in order to insult

• A.-Christians• B.-Jewish people• C.-gay men and C.-gay men and

boysboys• Image source:

• community.livejournal.com

Keep from.01• Meaning: If something or someone keeps you

from doing something, it means you can't do it.• For example:• keep sb from sth Are you busy? I don’t want to

keep you from your work.

• keep sb from doing sth Most parents find it very difficult to keep their kids from eating unhealthy snacks.

Keep from.02• Some parents Keep their children from

studying because they are on holidays. • Quick Quiz:• My wife and I try to

keep our children from

• A.-doing their homework

• B.-playing computer B.-playing computer games too muchgames too much

• C.-learning English

• PICTURE SOURCE:• nurdianakamalul.blogspot.com

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 01.If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 01.

• Possible interpretation: If something is not faulty or damaged, don't try to repair it.

• Note: ain't (verb): [contraction of] am not, are not, is not | broke (adj.): broken; damaged; faulty | fix (verb): repair; mend | The British English equivalent of this saying is: "Let well alone."

Origin: American businessman Bert Lance (born 1931) writing in Nation's Business (1977).

Variety: This is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 02.If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 02.

• SOURCE:

• Quick Quiz:• The saying "If it ain't

broke, don't fix it" implies that if your watch is running on time you should

• A.-take it in for maintenance

• B.-sell it• C.-do nothingC.-do nothing• Picture source:Picture source: xtri.com

Sources.

• http://madremiraqueluna.blogspot.com

• www.englishclub.com

• Longman Dictionary of contemporary English for advanced learners.

• Pictures from the web sites written at the bottom of them.