Vocabulary

setting a bad example to others

to feel relieved

to bring a complaint to a person (who is responsible for the problem)

what is worse; to make matters worse

not very appealing; pretty disgusting

I am not going to fall for that trick; that trick won't work on me

to count on someone as the only support

to understand the essence; to catch the main points

to be able to do other work; to have transferable skills; to be adaptable; to be valuable as scrap

to be forced to bear the responsibility and resign; to be driven out of office

to have one's hands tied behind one; to be arrested

beyond help; there's nothing that can be done

unable to leave the work at hand; right in the middle of something; tied up; busy

to reveal one's true intentions; to show one's cards

have a happy New Year

to go wherever one has to go (to get a matter settled, e.g. the court)

it is none of one's business; it is not one's place to say (do) something

to employ one's secret weapon; to play one's trump card; to use the ace up one's sleeve

not to be spoken of in the same breath; cannot be compared; defying all comparison; bearing no comparison; not a same-day discussion

without a moment's delay; leaving everything else unattended to

the mere shadow of one's former self; the ruin of what one once was

quite unlike; not bearing the slightest resemblance

to have an uneasy conscience

as hard as one can; with one's whole heart

a dime a dozen; two a penny

not worrying about one's reputation or appearance; not caring what others think

to make one's story to seem coherent; to adjust one's story to fit the situation

cannot suppress one's anger; cannot stomach

to have a meal (before doing something); to fortify oneself with a meal

all day long

being in too deep to back out; having gone too far to retreat

to be conspicuous; to attract public attention

to avoid being seen; to be clandestine

arrogant; insolent; disdainful

disdaining everybody; not caring an ounce about other people's feelings

a bad wife spells the ruin of her husband; a bad wife means a hundred years of bad luck to her husband

knowing only too well; being fully aware of

to harbor ill feeling

to cheat (in a romantic relationship)

totally unexpected; completely unforeseen