Phrases & Expressions

The difference in wealth, income and opportunities between wealthy people and poor people.

• Economists have warned that the gap between the rich and the poor has been widening in many countries since the 1980s.
• Free university education could help to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor over time.

The most fashionable style or thing at a particular time.

• In the 1970s, wide trousers and platform shoes were considered the height of fashion.
• What was the height of fashion ten years ago often looks rather silly in old photographs.

Something that is completely unwelcome because it would make a bad situation even worse.

• The last thing struggling families need is another rise in energy prices this winter.
• I've got three essays due on Friday, so the last thing I need is a broken laptop.

Used to say that someone is unlikely to succeed or that something is unlikely to happen.

• The odds are against our team winning the cup this year, but the players are determined to do their best.
• The odds are against anyone winning the lottery, so it makes more sense to save your money.

How large one number or amount is compared with another, often shown as two figures.

• In many state primary schools, the ratio of teachers to pupils is still around one to thirty.
• In this city, the ratio of cars to residents has almost doubled over the past twenty years.

The genuine, original or complete version of something, not a copy or substitute.

• Virtual museum tours are interesting, but nothing compares to standing in front of the real thing.
• After years of practising on flight simulators, he finally got the chance to fly the real thing.

The place, time or situation in which something such as a custom or belief first began.

• The roots of the festival go back to an ancient harvest celebration.
• The museum explores the roots of jazz in the music of African American communities.

Said when the main machine that a network depends on is temporarily out of action.

• Students cannot upload their essays when the server is down, so the university usually extends the deadline.
• Sorry, the online booking system isn't working — the server is down for maintenance until noon.

A dense layer of polluted air, especially over a city, that makes it hard to see or breathe.

• Schools were closed for three days after thick smog covered the capital and pollution reached dangerous levels.
• From the plane, we could hardly see the city because of the thick smog hanging over it.

To remember and consider an event or period from the past.

• When I think back to my first year at university, I realise how little I knew about managing money.
• Thinking back to the interview, she wished she had prepared more examples of her teamwork skills.