Collections on 2nd Nov. 2018

dust sth off

UK also dust down

to prepare something for use, especially after it has not been used for a long time:

So, I dusted off some old plans.
It’s time to dust off the old chemistry books and start studying.
UK They brought out the old ambulances, dusted them down and put them back into service.

burrow

verb /ˈbʌr.əʊ/
​
[ I usually + adv/prep ] to dig a hole in the ground, especially to live in:

Look, the ants have burrowed into the tech facility.
Rats had burrowed into the bank of the river.

schematic

noun [ C ] /skiːˈmæt.ɪk/

a drawing or plan that shows the details of how something operates or is put together

I was looking at the schematics for the Karapetyan buildings…

overquote

(transitive, intransitive) To give a quotation (price estimate) that is too high.

And if we overquote him… he’s gonna go somewhere else.

be hung up on sth

to be extremely interested in or worried by a particular subject and spend an unreasonably large amount of time thinking about it:

Why are you so hung up on getting everything right?
I know it’s silly to get hung up on these kinds of things, but I do.

hawk 鹰

in the middle of doing

busy doing something:

When she called, I was in the middle of making dinner.
I’m in the middle of trying to steal something with my daughter.

freak (sb) out

informal to become or cause someone to become extremely emotional:

He freaked out when he heard he’d got the job.
This song just freaks me out whenever I hear it.
And sorry about freaking out earlier, you know.

perimeter

noun [ C ] /pəˈrɪm.ɪ.tə^r/

the outer edge of an area of land or the border around it:

Protesters cut a hole in the perimeter fence.
A river runs along one side of the field’s perimeter.
You trip the perimeter alarm, we search the place.

probation 缓刑

a period of time when a criminal must behave well and not commit any more crimes in order to avoid being sent to prison:

He was fined and given two years’ probation.
The judge put him on probation for two years.
He served a year in prison and was then let out on probation.
Now, as a part of his joint plea deal… with Homeland Security and the German government… he was allowed to return to the U.S… provided he serve two years under house arrest… followed by three years of probation.

statute

noun [ C or U ] /ˈstætʃ.uːt/

a law that has been formally approved and written down

keep tabs on sth/sb

to watch something or someone carefully:

I like to keep tabs on my bank account so that I don’t spend too much.
We keep tabs on all security threats, all right?

crouch

verb [ I ] /kraʊtʃ/
​
to bend your knees and lower yourself so that you are close to the ground and leaning forward slightly:

She saw him coming and crouched (down) behind a bush.
Whatever are you doing there, crouching in the dark?

handiwork

noun [ U ] /ˈhæn.di.wɜːk/
​
work done skilfully with the hands:

Susannah put down the paintbrush and stood back to admire her handiwork.
Well, it’s electricity and not the devil’s handiwork.

fend sth off

to avoid dealing with something that is unpleasant or difficult:

Somehow she managed to fend off the awkward questions.