New

prior to something

before a particular time or event: the weeks prior to her death

grim

worrying, without hope: The future looks grim./worried and serious or sad: Her face was grim as she told them the bad news.

concede

to admit, often unwillingly, that something is true: [+ (that) ] The government has conceded (that) the new tax policy has been a disaster. [+ speech ] "Well okay, perhaps I was a little hard on her," he conceded.

deal in sth

to buy and sell particular goods as a business: They mainly deal in rare books.

do away with

to murder someone/to get rid of or destroy something: The governor is proposing to do away with the state transportation department.

be done for

to be about to die or suffer very much because of a serious difficulty or danger: We all thought we were done for when the boat started to sink.

do without

to manage without having something: There's no mayonnaise left, so you'll just have to do without.

be green with envy

to be very unhappy because someone has something that you want: Chad is heading off to Spain for the week, and I'm green with envy.

take it easy

Take it easy – don’t get mad. rest, relax, or be calm

worn-out

can no longer be used because it is so old or because it has been damaged by continued use: My jeans are almost worn out because I've worn them so much. extremely tired

flesh and blood

someone from your family: I was surprised at how much I cared for this girl who wasn't even my flesh and blood.

in a flash/quick as a flash

quickly or suddenly: The ceremony was over in a flash.

put your foot down

to use your authority to stop something happening: When she started borrowing my clothes without asking, I had to put my foot down.

gatecrasher

someone who goes to a party or other event when they have not been invited: The party was ruined by a couple of rowdy gatecrashers.(V gatecrash)

there are plenty of fish in the sea

used to tell someone whose relationship has ended that there are many other people that they could have a relationship with: Don't cry over Pierre - there are plenty of fish in the sea!

the gift of gab

the ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen to you and believe you:

It's all Greek to me

a way of saying that you do not understand something that is said or written

give or take

possibly a little more or less than the amount or time mentioned: It'll be ready at 6:00, give or take a few minutes.

hear sth through/on the grapevine

to hear news from someone who heard the news from someone else: I heard through the grapevine that he was leaving - is it true?

head over heels in love

completely in love

put your foot in your mouth

to say something by accident that embarrasses or upsets someone: I really put my foot in my mouth – I asked her if Jane was her mother, but she said Jane is her sister.

by/from force of habit

do it without thinking because you have done it so many times before.

get cold feet

to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do, especially something important such as getting married

not have the foggiest idea

to not know or understand something at all: I didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talking about

flat broke

used to emphasize that someone or something has no money at all: A spokesman said that the credit crunch had left the company "flat broke". penniless

see fit

If you see fit to do something, you think it is good or necessary to do it: She saw fit to pull her son out of the school

point finger at sb

to say that someone should be blamed: I just tried to do what was right, and now everyone's pointing the finger at me

bear fruit

to be successful especially after a lot of work or effort: Some of their research is now bearing fruit, and the results are interesting

in the flesh

in real life, and not on TV, in a movie, in a picture, etc.: I've seen her perform on television, but never in the flesh.

few and far between

not very many or not appearing very frequently: Sunny, warm weekends have been few and far between this summer.

without fail

in every case, or for certain: She takes a walk every morning without fail.

put a brave face on it

to behave as if a problem is not important or does not worry you: She seems all right but I think she's just putting on a brave face.

to the fore

to the foreto public attention or into a noticeable position: Various ecological issues have come to the fore since the discovery of the hole in the earth's ozone layer.

at your fingertips

If you have information at your fingertips, you can get it and use it very easily: He has all the latest statistics at his fingertips.

as tough as nails

strong and very determined: She is a warm and friendly person, but she is also as tough as nails at work

as silent as the grave

completely silent

sick as a dog

vomiting a lot: I was sick as a dog after last night's meal.

as strong as an ox

very strong

as thin as a rail

vary thin

as white as a sheet

someone is (as) white as a sheet, their face is very pale, usually because of illness, shock, or fear.