A.
Match the expressions in heavy type to the definitions below:
1)
He’s a scary guy; he gives me the heebie-jeebies.
2)
She’s a bit of a snob: she prefers not to mix with the hoi polloi.
3)
It’s all higgledy-piggledy: you need
to straighten it out!
4)
I’ve always thought that astrology is a load of mumbo jumbo.
5)
His wife divorced him when she found out about the hanky-panky with his secretary.
6)
The doorman refused to let a group of guys into the club and there was some argy-bargy.
7)
My friend dragged me along to some arty-fartyexhibition.
8)
Some interfering fuddy-duddy told us
we were dressed inappropriately for the occasion.
9)
Urban planning is important: you can’t just allow people to build houses willy-nilly.
10)
The proposal looked interesting but after looking at the nitty-gritty we decided not to accept.
11)
Don’t listen to him: he’s talking claptrap.
12)
They are always so lovey-dovey they
make me want to vomit!
13)
Sometimes I need to get away from the hurly-burlyof life in Bari.
14)
A lot of these bigwigs pay far less
tax than we do.
15)
It was the simplest exam ever: easy-peasy!
a) artistic in a
pretentious way
b) common people
c) disturbing
feeling of anxiety
d) essential
substance or practical details
e) excessively
romantic or affectionate
f)
important or powerful people
g) improper sexual
or financial behaviour
h) in disorder
i) noisy confusion
j) noisy dispute or
scuffling
k) not at all
difficult
l) old-fashioned,
conformist person
m) pretentious
nonsense
n) superstitious
nonsense
o) without
planning, criteria or method
B. Complete the
following using the expressions in heavy type in the sentences above:
1) It was _____: an
absolute piece of cake!
2)
Don’t be such an old _____ ! Come with us and try something new!
3)
When the referee gave the penalty there was quite a bit of _____ between the
players.
4)
Don’t just leave your clothes _____ on your bed, tidy them away in your
wardrobe.
5) He’s having
lunch with some _____ from head office today.
6) I can’t say I’m
looking forward to returning to the _____ of the office.
7)
She gets the _____ whenever she walks past the cemetery at night.
8) I refuse to
listen to all this pompous _____ !
9)
It’s not my kind of film; far too _____ for my taste.
10) She was never
this _____ with her previous boyfriend.
11) The tables are
not arranged _____ but carefully positioned to ensure there is a good view from
each.
12)
Some of these politicians have been getting up to all kinds of _____ .
13)
They stay in ridiculously expensive hotels so they won’t have to associate with
the _____ .
14)
You don’t seriously believe in all that _____ , do you?
15) We need to
examine the _____ before we make a decision.
Key:
A.
1)c 2)b 3)h 4)o 5)g
6)j 7)a 8)l 9)o 10)d 11)m 12)e 13)i 14)f 15)k
B.
1) easy-peasy 2) fuddy-duddy 3) argy-bargy 4) higgledy-piggledy
5) bigwigs 6) hurly-burly 7) heebie-jeebies 8) claptrap
9) arty-farty 10) lovey-dovey 11) willy-nilly 12) hanky-panky
13) hoi polloi 14) mumbo jumbo 15) nitty-gritty
