Other midsentence adverbs

1. blow... up p.v. When somethingblows up or when someoneblows something up, it explodes.

Seven people were killed when the buildingblew up.

The hijackers ultimatelyblew the planeup.

2. blow... up p.v. When somethingblows up or when someoneblows something up, it becomes much larger because air or something else is being forced into it.

It always takes me an hour or more toblow up the balloons for a party.

Hankblew up a beach ball and threw it in the pool.

3. blow... up p.v. When you make a picture or photograph larger, youblow itup.

I blew the photographup and framed it.

When youblow this photo of the carup, you can make out the license plate number.

blowupn.A blowup is a picture or photograph that has been made larger.I made ablowup of the photo and framed it.

4. blow up (atIover) p.v. [informal] When youblow up orblow up at someone, you suddenly become very angry. When youblow up over something, you suddenly become very angry because of it.

Heatherblew up when she saw her boyfriend dancing with Linda.

Heatherblew up at her boyfriend when she saw him dancing with Linda.

Dadblew up over the increase in our property taxes.

Catch on

catch on & catches on catching on caught on caught on

1. catch on p.v. When a fashion or habit becomes popular and is adopted by many people, itcatches on. When a product or service becomes popular and is used or bought by many people, itcatches on.

Beta VCRs nevercaught on.

If his striped business suitscatch on, the designer will become famous.

2. catch on p.v. When you eventually begin to understand something or begin to learn a skill after practicing and studying, youcatch on.

When Sally studies something, she usuallycatches on right away.

Learning to dance the cumbia wasn't easy, but I eventuallycaught on.

3. catch on (to) p.v. When youcatch on orcatch on to people, you realize that they are trying to trick or cheat you.

If you keep lying to everyone, they'll eventuallycatch on.

It took me a while, but I finallycaught on to him.

1. come about p.v. When somethingcomes about, it happens, usually as a result of a series of events and actions.

He was the richest man in town, and now he's bankrupt. How did thatcome about?

Several major medical advances havecome about in the last fifty years.

Fall behind

fall behind & falls behind falling behind fell behind fallen behind

1. fall behind p.v. When you are in a group that is walking, running, driving, and so on, and they move ahead of you because you are moving more slowly than the others, youfall behind. Keep up is the oppositeoffall behind.

Alfonso and Tom are walking so fast that I'vefallen behind.

I was supposed to be following Linda to the party, but Ifell behind and got lost.

1. fall behind (in) p.v. When you are in a group that is studying, working, and so on, and they learn faster or get more work done because you are learning or working more slowly than the others, youfall behind orfall behind in your work, studies, and so on. When you do not complete work as fast as it was originally planned and expected, youfall behind schedule.Get behind is similar tofall behind. Keep upis the oppositeof fall behind.

Timmy was sick last semester, and hefell behind in his studies.

The sales manager wanted to know why I hadfallen behind the rest of the department.

The building project willfall behind schedule if the construction workers go on strike.

3. fall behind (in) p.v. When you do not make the regular payments you are required to make, youfall behind or fall behind in your payments.

When I lost my job, Ifell behind in my mortgage payments.

Don'tfall behind in your payments, or your car will be repossessed.

Goof around

goof around & goofs around goofing around goofed around goofed around

1. goof around p.v. [informal] When you waste time playing or doing silly or unimportant things, yougoof around. Fool around is the same asgoof around.

My brother drives his teachers crazy. He constantlygoofs around and creates problems.

Stopgoofing around and get to work.

1. help... out (with) p.v. When youhelp out orhelp peopleout, you assist them in doing some work or you lend or give them money or something else that they need.

Can youhelp meout? I need a hundred bucks until payday.

We had a lot of work to do, so Mariahelped out.

Know about

know about & knows about knowing about knew about known about

1. know about p.v. When youknow about a situation, plan, or other information, you are aware of it.

Jim isn't here. Maybe he doesn'tknow about the schedule change.

Thanks for telling me, but I alreadyknow allabout it.

2. know about p.v. When you have studied something and learned it, youknow about it.

I don'tknow muchabout history. I was a business major.

Knowing about art and being an artist are two different things.

Pull off

pull off & pulls off pulling off pulled off pulled off

1. pull ...off p.v. When youpull something off, you succeed in doing something difficult and possibly sneaky or illegal even though the chances of success are not high.

Mike tried to juggle three butcher knives and two bowling balls at the same time, but he couldn't pull itoff.

When Jake said he was going to try to rob a Las Vegas casino, no one believed he could pull it off.

2. pull off p.v. When you are driving and youpull off the road, you drive to the side of the road and stop.

If I get sleepy while I'm driving, I alwayspull off the road and take a nap.

When I heard that strange noise,I pulled off to the side and checked the engine.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 545