February

Hurricane Hugo menaced the eastern coast for a week. He was accused of unlawfully demanding money with menaces.

. If you should change your mind, do let me know.

marital/sexual infidelity She could not forgive his many infidelities.

If you are not feeling well, you should make an appointment and see a general practitioner.

examples include taking some days off, going for a walk to avoid burnout.

He heaved the bag onto his shoulder. He cleared a space, heaving boxes out of the way. She picked up a heavy book and heaved it at him. As the wind increased, the deck of the ship began to heave beneath his feet.

Swaddling a baby tightly in a blanket can be a good way to stop it crying. Let us open our eyes, and not swaddle ourselves in the theories of a bygone age

I need to have a wash and make myself presentable for our guests. Giulio was looking quite presentable in a suit and tie.

twist wit

Educational reform was one of the main planks of their election campaign. The party's policy is based on five central planks.

His elaborate deception fooled everyone.

He was a feeble, helpless old man. The little lamp gave only a feeble light. Opposition to the plan was rather feeble.

We could stroll along the beach after dinner. An elderly couple strolled hand in hand in the park.

I'm swotting up on English grammar. She's at home, swotting up on her maths.

The prime minister convened (a meeting of) his cabinet to discuss the matter. The council will be convening on the morning of the 25th.

If you decide to embark on a journey with me, vagabonding throughout Caucasus glades, you will see things that you wouldn't have thought of in your wildest dreams

Stop thinking about becoming an actress, it's a pipe dream.

live in a dream world Jack is living the dream of being a hero of the LOTR universe.

the organ of a cow, sheep, or other animal, that produces milk and hangs like a bag between the legs

ecclesiastical history

When we receive your instructions we will act accordingly. She's an expert in her field, and is paid accordingly.

He's been granted the ultimate accolade - his face on a postage stamp. Her approval was the highest accolade he could receive.

Her face crumpled with laughter. This shirt crumples easily. The bullet hit him and he crumpled into a heap on the floor. Sylvie crumpled up the letter and threw it in the bin.

He's filled five binders with notes. You can use egg as a binder.

It is a key to everything vinous in Paris.

a garden/fire hose The severe drought has led to a hosepipe ban in eastern England.

The plaintiff’s lawyer turned the tables this morning by producing some strong new evidence.

She fleeced him of his money. The farmer fleeced his sheep.

Today is his first outing to the movies. Nothing has really changed since his outing.

Perhaps they had the scope at their service to tell them we were near. The full scope of the problem is not yet known.

Let us savour this transient moment of beauty. There was a transient relationship between them, but it didn't work out."A transient" is sometimes just a polite way of describing a homeless person. Italy was a popular destination among transient workers.

All new apartments had to be metered by law. I installed a new water meter in my bathroom. The electricity meter is in the basement.

We deeply deplore the loss of life. He said that he deplored all violence.

the continuing economic downturn There is evidence of a downturn in the housing market

My daughter has a sweet tooth and eats a lot of chocolate. People who have a sweet tooth need more sugar than others

The bigger farms were parcelled out after the revolution in 1973. She parcelled out the gifts to the other children.

a sweet wrapper. He usually carried his guitar in a wrapper. I read the description on the wrapper and I liked it, so I bought the book.

The official reports say that the would-be murderer had a gun with him. Acting classes are essential for all would-be actors and actresses. I can't believe my would-be husband is here. would-be work of art

tap into a fear that is within all of us. If only we could tap into all that energy and creativity.

A protein rich diet, with more fish, lean meat, and low-fat milk products, appears to promote weight reduction, probably mainly due to an increased satiety.

She sprayed herself with perfume. Vandals had sprayed graffiti on the wall. The pipe burst and water was spraying everywhere. Farmers use a lot of chemical sprays on crops.

an icky shade of green

His parents were remiss in their duties. He has a potential, but being so remiss will not help him to succeed. It was remiss of me to forget to give you the message.

We drove through a barren, rocky landscape. She became very depressed during the barren years when she was unable to paint.

The ship carries both freight and passengers. a freight company Will the goods be sent by air or sea freight? He spent whole day freighting the cargo onto the ship.

She's got a nice husky voice - very sexy. You sound husky - do you have a cold?

judicial, executive, legislative

It's a very select club - I've been trying unsuccessfully to join it for years. These activities should be available to all students, not just a select few. Although his artwork is varied in style, it's very often considered rarefied

She'd always had a soft spot for her younger nephew.

Reform-minded leaders want to reinvigorate calcified institutions. Her work underscores just how calcified much of cinema is.

high-end video equipment/a high-end department store. high-end consumers

You have the right to opt out if you want to. Within any society, there will usually be people who decide to opt out (= choose not to live the way most people do).

A parent must be careful not to show favouritism towards any one of their children.

From their vantage point, they could look across the whole valley. Vantage point in Georgia that overlooks the entire region of the capital.

Their products are a byword for good value.

We depart from old-fashioned rules. Her version of the events deviates from the truth.

I can't say that I follow your reasoning. If we applied the same reasoning to other areas, Europe would be on the road to ruin

hedging phrase to bypass the problematic and unwelcome issues.

The supermarket phased out a program that rewarded card holders with merchandise discounts.

You have to learn how to phrase your thoughts. His speeches are always great - he can phrase everything in simple words.

Smith tacitly acknowledged the failure. The government had tacitly approved coercive measures. tacit agreement/approval/support

The president relied on the coercive powers of the military. coercive measures/tactics

Her father bequeathed her the family fortune in his will. Picasso bequeathed most of his paintings and sculptures to Spain and France.

He was asked to adjudicate on the dispute. He was called in to adjudicate a local land dispute. Adjudication of the competition is the responsibility of the college.

Love burgeoned between them. This is a place burgeoning with activity both during night and day.

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty - how much will it cost?

within spitting distance

Woody Allen's movie "Zelig" contains early newsreel footage.

You are a material member of our team. Whenever we talk about material things, you turn around.

The board concurred that the editor should have full control over editorial matters. "I think you're absolutely right," concurred Chris.