01/04/2015
🔮carrot-and-stick
adjective
🔮(of a method of persuasion or coercion) characterized by both the offer of reward and the threat of punishment.
👉"a carrot-and-stick approach"
🔮 The "carrot and stick" approach (also "carrot or stick approach") is an idiom that refers to a policy of offering a combination of rewards and punishment to induce behavior.
👨🐴It is named in reference to a cart driver dangling a carrot in front of a mule and holding a stick behind it.
🔔bellwether
/ˈbɛlwɛðə(r)/
noun
🔺the leading sheep of a flock, with a bell on its neck.
🔺something that leads or indicates a trend.
"Basildon is now the bellwether of Britain's voting behavior"
👑bigwig
/ˈbɪɡwɪɡ/
noun
🔺an important person, especially in a particular sphere.
"government bigwigs"
🔺synonyms: VIP, important person, notable, notability, personage, dignitary, grandee, panjandrum
Some American Slangs...
🔹call it quits: stop working and, maybe, leave the place where you work. Also, call it a day.
-We called it quits after a 10-hour day and went out for a few beers.
🔹can do: completely possible. Also used in the negative--no can do.
_This company needs a can-do attitude if it wants to be successful.
🔹catch-22: an impossible situation with no easy solution; a contradiction; illogical reasoning. This is a reference to a book, Catch-22, written by Joseph Heller about a bureaucratic military during World War II. This is hard to use, and it's often misused, but it remains popular.
-The harder I work, the more money I pay in taxes. It seems like a catch-22.
🔹check it out: look at this; this is interesting; listen to me.
-Check it out! I got the new Google phone!
🔹cheesy: something kind of cheap; an appeal to popular taste in decorating and entertainment; not of high quality--sometimes regarded as an insult.
-Where did she find that cheesy old picture? It looks like something from the 60s.
🔹chick: a beautiful woman; a young woman. (some women don't like the use of this word--it's a little sexist.)
-There were tons of hot chicks at the place we went to last night.
🔹chicken: scared; afraid. (This is a very popular adjective)
-If you're too chicken to ask her out, I'll do it for you.
🔹chip in: to share the expenses; to contribute money.
-Someone at the office is getting married so we're all chipping in for a gift.
🔹choke: to suddenly lose the ability to do something or win; to go from winning to losing.
-The Cubs have a good baseball team, but they always choke at the end of the season.
🔹chug: drink fast, usually beer.
-Let's chug these beers and get going.
🔹clean: innocent of wrongdoing; not carrying a weapon. (You hear this used a lot on TV cop shows.)
-The public thought he was guilty of murder at first, but then it turned out he was clean.
🔹closet: secret (adjective); also in the closet, and out of the closet, usually used for someone who is hiding the fact that he or she is gay.
-When he came out of the closet, he lost his job with the military.
🔹cold: not friendly; unemotional.
-Ali tried talking to Sara, but she was so cold towards him, he walked away.
🔹come off: to appear; to make an impression.
-She came off as a nice person at first, but then after we all got to know her, it turned out she was really mean.
🔹come on: to show some romantic interest in someone.
-She was coming on to my friend at the club, but he didn't notice.
🔹comp: (complimentary); free; payback.
-We're getting out tickets comp because we won a contest.
🔹cool: great; interesting; good. (very popular)
-This is a very cool song! What's it called?
🔹cool off: calm down; try not to be upset
-You'd better cool off before you speak to him. You're too angry right now.
🔹cop: police officer (very popular)
-The cops came when a shot was fired in the restaurant.
🔹couch potato: a person who stays on the couch, watches TV, and usually eats.
-She'd rather be a coach potato today than go to school on her day off.
🔹corny: something that appeals to simple emotions; lacking in sophistication.
-A lot of people say that movie is so powerful that it made them cry, but I thought it was corny and boring.
🔹cough up: to give; to give with reluctance.
-Tom's sister couldn't cough up enough money to pay her rent this month, so he helped her out.
🔹crap: something bad; junk.
-They have a bunch of crap in their backyard that needs to be thrown out.
🔹crib: house or apartment. (African-American usage)
-Let's go back to the crib and get something to eat.
🔹crush: 1. (noun) a fondness; deep romantic love, often one that can't be fulfilled; 2. (verb, often used in the passive voice) to experience disappointment.
1. She has a crush on her teacher.
2. He was crushed to find out that he didn't get that job.
🔹cut it out: stop immediately.
-My kids were fighting so I told them to cut it out.
