Learning English

Words from Unit 5

Mr Christmas

turkey
a large bird like a chicken, kept for its meat

gravy
a thick meat sauce served with meat and vegetables

broccoli
a vegetable with a green stem and a green or purple head

stuffing balls
balls of stuffing: food that is cut into small pieces and put inside meat or vegetables

every single day
a stronger way of saying 'every day'

overweight
fat; heavier than you should be

fatty
containing a lot of fat

Must and mustn't

expires
officially finishes, usually after a particular date

mustn’t grumble
can’t complain; not bad (said after someone asks how you are)

The family reunion

family reunion
when family members and relatives get together to celebrate a special date or occasion

A&E
Accident & Emergency (A&E) is a department in hospitals for patients without appointments, who need urgent help

to bang
to hit

to feel dizzy
to feel like your head is spinning and that you might fall

vegan
someone who doesn't eat meat or animal products; also an adjective describing this kind of diet

poultry
chicken and other birds which people eat

anniversary
date on which something happened and is remembered every year

imagine
think about something which isn't real

extensively
widely

veganism
the state of being vegan

minimising
making as small as possible

ecological footprint
the amount you affect the environment

animal rights
the idea that animals have rights

to inform
to tell

preaching
speaking about your beliefs forcefully in the hope others will agree with you

actions speak louder than words
a phrase that means what you do is more important than what you say, and has more influence over people

6 Minute Vocabulary: Binomials

Sick and tired is a phrase which means annoyed and bored. Phrases like this with two nouns joined by and are very common and useful in English. They're called binomials.

Here are a few more:

aches and pains
general body pains that aren’t serious

A warm bath is great for aches and pains.

cheap and cheerful
simple, basic and often inexpensive

The cafe was cheap and cheerful but the food was great.

short and sweet
quick and simple

Our Monday meetings are always short and sweet.

black and blue
sore and bruised

Look at these bruises – I’m black and blue.

quick and dirty
short, simple and basic

It was a one-minute quick and dirty presentation.

Vocabulary tip

To help you remember the binomials, why not play a simple card game where you match up the beginnings and ending. This will really help you to remember them.