CHATTING MEAL VOCABULARY - FEBRUARY

rubbish /'rʌbɪʃ/ noun [uncountable] (especially British English)

food, paper etc. that is no longer needed and has been thrown away = garbage, trash (American English):

a rubbish bin household rubbish

rubbish tip/dump (= a place to take rubbish)

Some other meanings:

informal an idea, statement, etc that is rubbish is silly or wrong and does not deserve serious attention = nonsense, garbage (American English):

You do talk rubbish sometimes. That’s a load of rubbish. The suggestion is absolute rubbish.

rubbish! spoken (= used to tell someone that what they have just said is completely wrong )

informal a film, book etc that is rubbish is very bad: the usual Hollywood rubbish

THESAURUS

rubbish (especially British English) things that people throw away, such as old food, dirty paper etc:

People are being encouraged to recycle their household rubbish. the rubbish bin.

garbage/trash (American English) rubbish: The garbage is collected every Tuesday. There were piles of trash in the backyard. a black plastic garbage bag.

refuse formal rubbish: The strike has disrupted refuse collection. It’s a site which is used for domestic refuse.

litter empty bottles, pieces of paper etc that people have dropped on the ground: Parents should teach children not to drop litter. There was a lot of litter on the beach.

waste rubbish, or materials that need to be dealt with after they have been used in industrial processes:

nuclear/toxic waste household waste The company was fined for dumping toxic waste in the sea.

spitting ˈimage noun be the spitting image of somebody to look exactly like someone else.

brief /'bri:f/ noun [countable]

a short report about something

Some other meanings:

in brief a) in as few words as possible:

We should, in brief, invest heavily in digital systems. b) without any details :

Here again are today’s headlines in brief.

(British English informal) the lawyer who represents someone in a court case: His brief asked for a fine rather than a prison sentence.

summary /'sʌməri/noun ( plural summaries ) [countable]

a short statement that gives the main information about something, without giving all the details:

A brief summary is given on a separate sheet. summary of

The group produces a monthly summary of their research. in summary

In summary, do not sell your shares.

starch /'stɑ:tʃ /noun

[uncountable] a substance that is mixed with water and is used to make cloth stiff.

Some other meanings:

[uncountable and countable] a substance which provides your body with energy and is found in foods such as grain, rice, and potatoes, or a food that contains this substance = carbohydrate:

He eats a lot of starch. Avoid fatty foods and starches.

date /'deɪt/ verb

RELATIONSHIP [intransitive and transitive] (American English) to have a romantic relationship with someone = go out with:

Is he still dating Sarah? Are Chris and Liz dating?

Some other meanings:

SHOW SB’S AGE [transitive] if something that you say, do, or wear dates you, it shows that you are fairly old:

Yes, I remember the moon landings – that dates me, doesn’t it?

WRITE DATE [transitive] to write or print the date on something: a newspaper dated November 23, 1963 Make sure you sign and date it at the bottom.

FIND AGE [transitive] to find out when something old was made or formed: The rocks are dated by examining the fossils found in the same layer. radiocarbon dating

charming /'tʃɑ:mɪŋ/ adjective

very pleasing or attractive: a charming little Italian restaurant Harry can be very charming.

curse /kɜ:s/ verb

[intransitive] to swear : Gilbert was cursing under his breath.

[transitive] to say or think bad things about someone or something because they have made you angry :

He cursed his bad luck in arriving just after she’d left. curse somebody/something for (doing) something

Elsa cursed herself for believing his lies.

curse somebody ↔ out phrasal verb (American English) informal to swear at someone who has made you angry.

Some other meanings:

[transitive] to ask God or a magical power to harm someone

ˈsoap ˌopera noun [countable]

a television or radio story about the daily lives and relationships of the same group of people, which is broadcast regularly.

! but novel is a long written story in which the characters and events are usually imaginary → fiction :

a novel by Jane Austen

fatty /'fæti/ noun (plural fatties) [countable] informal

an insulting word for someone who is fat

shenanigans /ʃə'nænɪgənz/ noun [plural] informal

bad behaviour that is not very serious, or slightly dishonest activities: She wouldn’t put up with his shenanigans. financial shenanigans