Vocabulary

Learn ten new words a week!


Week 1 Advanced: Finance 
Wherewithal:  Financial capital or monetary means to allow you to do something.
Business plan:  is a description of the business itself plus mangagement, marketing, financial strategy for creating a new firm.
Venture capitalists: are investors who make available funds to innovative companies at relatively high risk. They are sort of gambling bankers.
Mortgage: to conditionally promise or convey property to a creditor in return for money. To put at risk, claim, or pledge 
Stock: a corporation raises capital by selling stocks in the company; this usually entitles the buyers to dividends, voting and property rights.
Start-up: a new business, creating an enterprise from scratch.
Financing: Providing money for an operation or venture, usually included for this service are fees and interest payments.
Below the radar: This phrase means be undetectable. In business parlance: Try to avoid notice . Don't brag about new products until they hit the stores. 
Collateral:  Money, goods or property serving as a guarantee.
Bankrupt: Legally insolvent. Being without sufficient funds.


Week 1 Intermediate: Trend verbs

Verbs indicating an upward trend 

Rise: To move from a lower to a higher position;ascend. e.g. The price of petrol has risen several times this year.
Jump: To rise suddenly.e.g. Prices jumped 2% last month.
Leap: 1.To spring from one point to another. 2. An abrupt transition. e.g House prices leapt 15% last year.
Rocket: To move up extremely quickly like a rocket. e.g. The value of my house has rocketed. It is now worth double what I paid for it two years ago. 

Verbs indicating a rise after a decline 

Rally: A rise in stock prices or trading after a declining market.e.g. The stock market rallied today after a week of falling prices
Rebound: To spring back quickly or suddenly after a declining market.e.g. The price of gold rebounded to last year's levels.
 Recover: To get back, regain.
e.g. My shares have recovered. They are back to their original price.

Do not confuse

Rise /ráis/ is an irregular verb: rise-rose-risen. Things can rise, but you cannot rise something. e.g. Prices rise every year. That is inflation.
Raise /réis/ is a regular verb: raise-raised-raised. To make something higher. e.g. We need to raise our prices to maintain our profit margin.
Arise /aráis/ is an irregular verb: arise-arose-arisen. It means to happen, to occur, or to come into existence. e.g. Problems arose soon after the new chairman took office.  


Week 2 Advanced:  Insurance
Insurable interest:The legal entitlement of a person to insure against an event because s/he would suffer financial damage should that event occur.
Burglary: The crime of entering a building by force and stealing.
Third Party, Fire and Theft: The standard minimum car insurance cover in UK and elsewhere.
Own Damage Cover: Insurance protection for loss or damage suffered by a person to his own property or person.
Fully comprehensive: Normally, a car insurance which covers the widest range of possible risk. Including accidental damage.
Underwriting: Is the process whereby information is collected to establish the risk, which leads to accepting or declining (refusing) said risk(s).
Quote: The offer of the insurer to the prospective client, for a premium.
Non-disclosure: The deliberate withholding of relevant information by a potential client.
Indemnify / indemnification: To pay / the payment to the client (of) the appropriate financial compensation for the occurrence of an insured risk.
Repudiate / repudiation: To deny /the denial by the insurance company (of) responsibility for indemnifying a client.

 
Week 2 Intermediate:  Giving directions
Giving directions
This is a typical dialogue asking for and giving directions. The words in large bold type are the important words or expressions you need to know.

Tourist: Excuse me, can you help me? I'm lost!
Person: Certainly, where would you like to go?
Tourist: I'd like to go to the art gallery, but I can't find it. Is it far?
Person: No, not really. It's about a 5 minute walk.
Tourist: Maybe I should call a taxi ...
Person: No, no. It's very easy. Really. I can give you directions.
Tourist: Thank you. That's very kind of you.
Person: Not at all. ... Now, go along this street to the traffic lights. Do you see them?
Tourist: Yes, I can see them.
Person: OK, at the traffic lights, turn left into Queen Mary Avenue.
Tourist: Queen Mary Avenue.
Person: Yes. Go straight on. Take the second left and go into Central Drive.
Tourist: OK. Queen Mary Avenue, straight on and then the first left, Central Drive.
Person: No, it's the SECOND left.
Tourist: Ah, right. The second street on the left.
Person: Exactly. Just follow Central Drive and the art gallery is at the end of the road, opposite a cinema.
Tourist: Great. Thanks again for your help.
Person: Not at all. 

Translations

Is it far?: ¿Está lejos? ( We can also ask: How far is it? ¿A cuánto está?)
Go along: Sigue...
Turn left/into: Gira a la izquierda/y coge ….
Go straight on: Sigue todo recto.
Take: Coge...
On the left: A mano izquierda.
Follow: Continúa...
At the end of: Al final de...
Opposite: En frente de...

 
Week 3 Advanced:  Work!
A breeze: Something very simple and easy to do. e.g. My job isn’t a breeze, it´s actually very stressful.
Count out: Eliminate; no longer consider as a factor. e.g. However, it would be a breeze if you counted out the travel factor; I am always out of the office and away too much.
Day in and day out: Constantly; for a long time. e.g. Day in and day out, I have to pack my bags and head for the airport.
A far cry from: Very different from. e.g. Of course, it´s a far cry from my first job, as a bored receptionist in a sleepy legal office.
Few and far between: uncommon and infrequent. e.g. In that position, business trips were few and far between, unless you include “trips” to the photocopier!
Go without saying: Be clear; be obvious. e.g. It goes without saying, though, that apart from more travelling in this company I obviously also carry a lot more responsibility.
Have one´s hands full: Be very busy; have a lot of work to do. e.g. Most days I have my hands so full that the time comes to go home almost without my realizing it… almost!
Keep track of: Know where something or someone is. e.g. I rely heavily on my diary to keep track of my next trips and projects.
Play it safe: Choose a cautious plan. e.g. In this business, when deciding between attractive options but high risk, and low risk options that aren´t so glamorous, I usually play it safe and take the low risk plan.
Slowly but surely: Gradually; steadily but not quickly. e.g. Taking low risk options may be less profitable, though it does build up the business slowly but surely.


Week 3 Intermediate:  Phonecalls
Give somebody a call: To telephone someone. E.g. Give me a call as soon as you get back to the office.
Make a call: To telephone a place or institution. E.g. Would you excuse me for five minutes? I need to make a call to the head office.
Return a call: To telephone a person who has telephoned you first. E.g. I’ll ask Mrs Wright to return your call when she gets back to the office.
Take a call: To accept a call that has been passed to you. E.g. Have you ever pretended you were out of the office to avoid taking a call?
Call back: (phr v) To return a telephone call. E.g. Please call me back as soon as possible.
Face to face: To speak in person. E.g. It’s often easier talking to people face to face rather than on the phone.
Get back to somebody: (phr v) To return to someone on an issue. E.g. I’ll get back to you with the necessary information as soon as possible.
Put through: (phr v) To pass a telephone call from a main line to a different extension. E.g. “I’d like to speak to someone in accounts.” “Hold the line. I’ll put you through”.
Tone: (n) The sound you hear on the telephone; usually refers to the sounds indicating that an answering machine is now recording. E.g. Sorry I can’t take your call right now; please leave a message after the tone.
Voicemail: (n) An answering machine system used in companies; each extension has their own voicemail. E.g. If I’m not in, just leave a message on my voicemail.


Week 4 Advanced:  Gestures
Nod To move the head up and down. e.g. When she finished speaking, we all nodded in agreement with what she had said.
Shake To move the head from side to side. e.g. "They can’t have given the contract to the Germans!!’, he said, shaking his head in disbelief.
Shrug To move the shoulders up and down once. e.g. "Do what you want. I really couldn’t care less!!’ he said, shrugged (his shoulders), and walked off.
Blink To close and then open your eyes. e.g. He blinked as he stepped out of the dark corridor into the bright light. 
Wink To close one eye briefly to give a signal to another person. e.g. He saw her sitting in the front row. He couldn’t say anything, so he just winked at her, and gave her a smile.
Frown To move your eyebrows together and wrinkle the forehead in anger or disagreement.
e.g. As he studied the report, he frowned at the bad news he was reading.
Grin To give a broad smile. e.g. He put the tickets -- first-class return to New York -- into his pocket and grinned with delight at his good luck in winning such a prize.
Glare To look fixedly and angrily at someone. e.g. She glared at him all the time she was speaking: her anger was growing by the minute as she went through all the details of his terrible behaviour.
Look daggers at To look very angrily and in a threatening manner. e.g. As soon as she mentioned the surprise party her colleagues looked daggers at her -- it was supposed to be a SURPRISE!
Sulk To look and act in a silent and resentful manner. e.g. "Don’t sulk just because I’ve said you can’t go out tonight”, she said to her daughter.


Week 4 Intermediate:  The weather

Typical English weather!!
 
Foggy: It was so foggy we couldn’t see our hands in front of our faces (había niebla …)
Overcast: It has beenovercast all day -- we haven’t seen the sun once! (encapotado)
Dull: Another dull day! It’s so depressing!! (gris)
Freezing: Brrrrr! It’s freezing! Put your gloves and scarf on, Peter. (hace MUCHO frio)
Chilly: It’s a bit chilly today. Put on your coat when you go out. (hace algo de frio)
Mild: Mmm. It’s quite mild today -- it’s usually colder in February. (templado)
Shower: It didn’t really rain, just a quick shower and then the sun came out again. (chubasco)
 Thunderstorm: There was a really heavy thunderstorm, with lightning every few seconds. It was really spectacular. (tormenta eléctrica)
Gale: It was blowing a gale, the trees were swaying, papers were flying everywhere …… (viento muy fuerte)
 Sunny periods: It was a typical summer’s day -- sunny periods, clouds, a shower, more sunshine ….(periodos soleados)
 

Week 5 Advanced:  Office equipment
Air-conditioning (unit) apparatus for keeping the air cool in summer
Photo-copier machine for making copies of a document Sprinkler device usually in the ceiling, which sprays water in case of fire
Fire extinguisher hand-operated apparatus for putting out a small fire
Hole-punch small apparatus for masking holes in a document to be filed
Stapler small machine for stapling papers together
 Filing cabinet free-standing cupboard, usually metal, with deep drawers for storing documents in order
Clip-board portable writing board with a spring-clip for holding papers
Ring-binder portable hard file, with two or more metal rings for filing papers
Cash box small metal lockable box for keeping (usually) small amounts of money


Week 5 Intermediate:  At the airport
Check-in desk where you check-in -- show your ticket and passport, get your seat number etc
Hand baggage OR luggage one bag or case you can carry on to the plane with you
Sharp objects knives, scissors, etc which you are not allowed to carry on to a plane in your hand luggage
Boarding card the ’ticket’ or pass which has your seat number and allows you to get onto the plane
Security check a control to check you are not carrying anything dangerous
Passport control you have to show your passport here
Departure lounge the room where you can sit comfortably before you board (get on to) your plane
Departure gate the numbered door you pass through to board your plane
Baggage reclaim you go here to get your suitcase or luggage when you arrive at your
destination airport
Customs control you have to pass through here and if necessary tell, or show, the customs officials what you have in your baggage: they may ask you to pay a ‘duty’ or tax on certain items you want to take into a country  


Week 6 Advanced:  Food I -Tastes-
Sour more acid, like lemons, or milk that has been kept too long, and turns sour (agrio). e.g. I know lemon juice is good for you, but I don’t know how you can drink it without sugar – it’s so sour!
Bitter a very sharp, almost unpleasant, taste like strong black coffee (amargo) (also one of the two popular kinds of English beer -- the other is sweeter and is called Mild). e.g. Ugh! this orange isn’t ripe, it tastes really bitter
Off tastes bad because it has been kept too long, or in bad conditions. e.g. Throw that milk away, it’s past its use-by date and has gone off. 
More-ish tastes so good you want more! e.g. Mmmmmmm! This Thai curry is very more-ish, I’d love another spoonful, thanks
Sickly too sweet (empalagoso). e.g. I love cake, but this one’s too sickly even for me!
Savoury slightly salted, not sweet, like some kinds of biscuit. e.g. I like savoury biscuits with some kinds of cheese, after dinner
Spicy quite hot, because of certain spices used (like pepper, chili etc) (picante). e.g. Oriental cooking in general is much spicier than English food
Mild not strong or hot, not very spicy (suave). e.g. Can I have a mild curry, please -- I can’t eat food that’s too hot.
Bland having very little taste, short of salt (soso). e.g Peter, you didn’t put any salt in this stew -- it’s quite bland!
Tasteless having no taste at all! (muy soso). e.g You’ve really overcooked these vegetables – they’re completely tasteless!

Week 6 Intermediate:  On the road
Junction where two or more roads meet. e.g. When you come to a junction, you have to either stop, or give way (ceder) to other cars
Roundabout a circular island where various roads meet; you drive round and choose the exit road you want. e.g. When you get to the roundabout, take the third exit -- that’s the Madrid road.
Traffic lights red, amber (yellow) and green lights which control traffic in the city. e.g. There was an accident at the traffic-lights -- a motorbike went through them at red!
Crossroads a junction where two roads cross. e.g. There is a restaurant by the crossroads-- the food’s good and it’s very well situated too.
Speed bumps raised (elevados) bands across a road designed to make cars slow down in a dangerous section, usually at the entrance to a town or village.e.g. He was driving really fast but saw the speed bumps and slowed down just in time.
Pelican crossing a special place for pedestrians (peatones) to cross the road, with lights which tells cars to stop, and a green light which tells pedestrians when they can cross safely. e.g. Teach your children to cross the road safely, and use the pelican crossing correctly.
Traffic jam traffic on a main road stopped or moving very slowly in a long line. e.g. I hate driving home on a Sunday night -- there’s always a long traffic-jam and it takes hours to get back
Double yellow lines two parallel yellow lines painted at the side of the road which tell you not to park there. e.g. I was only parked on double yellow lines for about two minutes -- but I still got a ticket (multa)
One-way street a city street which you can only drive along in one direction. e.g. Drive down High Street -- oh no, you can’t, it’s a one-way street -- you’ll have to go down Long Street instead
Car-park (NOT parking!!) a special place to park your car in the city. e.g. There’s a car-park next to the office, so it’s easy to come to work by car.



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