MyEnglishRoom

make sb`s hackles rise: make sb angry.

He really makes my hackles rise. He`s so rude to every body.

She was finally able to buy the bicycle after she`d saved up enough money.

He was such a dangerous prisoner that they locked him up in a room & put a guard outside.

If you`re worried about things falling out of the parcel, you`d better use some strong tape to seal it up.

play sb`s `ace /eIs/; to use sb`s own best argument, etc. to get an advantage in a situation.

I think it`s time we played our ace, which is the fact that without us they wouldn`t be able to run this place.

by/ from `all accounts; used when the speaker does not have direct experience of the thing mentioned but it reporting the ideas, etc. of others.

I`ve never seen any of her movies, but she`s a brilliant directors, by all accounts.

It was, from all accounts, a very interesting discussion.

to swap horses in midsteam; to vote against a candidate running for reelection; to change one`s mind.

The mayor asked for our support, pointing out how foolish it would be to swap horses in midstream.

sour grapes; to disparage sth that you cannot have (from Aesop`s fable about the fox who called the grapes sour because he could not reach them)

Marcia said that she didn`t  want be on the Principal`s Honor Roll anyway, but we knew that it was just sour grapes on her part.

premise, n; a pervious statement or assertion that serves as the basis for an argument. Premise implies the setting forth of a proposition on which a conclusion can be based.

The entire proposal was based on the premise that men spent more time online than women. 

postulate, v; to assume without proof to be true, real, or necessary, espicially as a basis for argument. Postulate implies the assumption of sth as an underlying factor, often one that is incapable of proof.

Without any proof to the contray, Jamie postulated that the drop in sales was due to seasonal factors.

sacrilegious, adj; guilty of violating what is consercrated to God or religion. Sacrilege can also be the desecration or disrepectful tratment of any person, place, thing, or idea held sacred.

To Brendo, taking the Lord`s name in vain was sacrileious.

sanctimonious, adj; pretending to be very holy or pious; affecting righteousness. Sanctimonious implies insincerity.

William`s sanctimonious posturing oozed of false sincerity.

atheist, n; a person who believes that there`s no God. Whereas an agnostic questions religious beliefs, an atheist rejects all religious belifs & denies the existence of God.

The atheist coalition objected to the nativity scene in front of the school.

ostentatious, adj; showy.

In an ostentatious display of histronics the star refused to perform. 

fractious, adj; quarrelsome.

Roger`s fractious behavior compounded the bad relationship he had already had with his partner.

jaunty, adj; sprightly; gay; cheerful & confident.

With his cap at a jaunty angle, the amicable sailor strutted down the steet.

با کلاه یک وری!

truncated, adj; cut short.

It is frustating to have one`s lenghty remarks printed in truncated form.

schism, n; split.

A pernicious schism developed between the two sisters.

anathema, n; sth greatly detested.

The traitor`s name was anathema in his father`s domicile.

flamboyant, adj; showy; colorful.

Our theatrical pages were inundated with press releases from the flamboyant producer.

expunge, v; to erase; to remove from a list.

After having made the rash  statements, the senator wished that he could expunge them from the record. 

timorous, adj; full of fear; afraid; timid.

I admit I was timorouos when I began my speech, but as I went along, I felt less & less afraid.

stroll, n; idle & leisurely walk.

It was a warm spring afternoon, & many people were out for a stroll on the boulevard.

spine, n; chain of small bones down the middle of the back; backbone.

The ribs are curved bones extending from the spine & enclosing the upper part of the body.

retract, v; to draw back; to withdraw; to take back.

You can depend on Frank. Once he has given promise, he`ll not retract it.

restrain, v; to hold back; to check; to curb; to repress.

Mildred could not restrain her desire to open the package immediately, even though it read, "Do not open before Christmas!"

reserved, adj; restrained in speech or action; uncommunicative.

Mark was reserved at fist but became much more communicative when he got to know us better.

portal, n; door, entrance, especially a grand or impressive one.

The original doors at the main entrance to our school have been replaced by bronze portals.

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ما تو امریکا کم ایرونی نداریم.

It`s a long journey so remember to fill up the petrol tank before you go.