Vocabulary 5

priority
etiquette
situation
curiosity
luxury
obsession
addiction
quality

ambitious
courteous
determined
enthusiastic
forgiving
mature
optimistic

priceless
valuable
worthless
precious
precise
proper
pretentious
patriotic
frivolous
mundane
overrated
underrated

pessimistic
cold
indecisive
indifferent
stingy
insecure
disorganized
egocentric

arrange
appreciate
develop
negotiate
compromise
predict
recycle
demonstrate
offend
persuade
abuse

necklace
bracelet
wallet
handbag
purse
earrings
stud

hang up
listen up
brush up
finish up
go up
divide up
connect up
lock up
shut down
wipe down

pop
classical
rock
rock’n’roll
hip hop
rap
r’n’b
rhythm and blues
blues
jazz
swing
folk
patriotic
a cappella
punk
funk
dance
soul
Motown

revolting
heavenly
hideous
idiotic
hopeless
tranquil
resemble
pester
heave
stroll

romance
horror
action
comedy
sci-fi (science fiction)
drama
documentary
mystery
rom-com

creme de la creme
deja vu
faux pas
tete-a-tete
circa
et cetera
pro
con
vice versa

wedding

meaning: the event at which two people get married

1) Saul and Roseanne had their wedding in May. It rained, but everyone was happy.
2) If I ever get married, my wedding will be a small event: just 300 or 400 people.

engagement party

meaning: a party to celebrate two people agreeing to get married (‘getting engaged’)

1) Alex and Myrle’s engagement party at the bar was a very drunken affair.
2) Not everyone has an engagement party: some people just have a wedding.

stag do

meaning: a party a man has with his friends before he gets married (seen by many as a last chance to drink and party before he must be sensible with his wife)

1) Last night was Keenan’s stag do. Everyone feels a bit sick this morning.
2) The amount of stag dos held in cities like Prague are a problem for residents.

hen night

meaning: a party a woman has with her friends before she gets married (seen by many as a last chance to drink and party before she must be sensible with her husband)

1) Whenever a hen night arrives in the pub, half the people there leave. Hen nights are so annoying.
2) For her hen night, Elissa wanted a quiet dinner with her friends. Unfortunately for her, her friends had a different idea.

baby shower

meaning: a gift-giving party held for a woman or couple about to have a baby, in which friends provide gifts that will help after the child is born.

1) We held a surprise baby shower for Rhoda at the weekend. She was thrilled.
2) Andi finds baby showers boring: standing around talking about babies is not her idea of a good time.

bridal shower

meaning: a gift-giving party for a woman who will soon be married

1) I have to go to Alice’s bridal shower on Friday afternoon, and don’t know what to get her. A toaster?
2) Five people came to the bridal shower. It was nice to see old friends again before this important moment in life.

house-warming

meaning: a party held in a person’s new home

1) After I bought my first house, the house-warming party was wild: the house was ruined!
2) I’m having a little house-warming party on Friday to celebrate moving into my new apartment. Please come if you have the time.

school reunion

meaning: a party in which people who went to school together meet after a number of years (for example, a 10 year reunion held 10 years after they all left school)

1) Kitty and Gavin were always the most well-behaved students, so it was no surprise that they were the two to organise the school reunion.
2) The class of 74 is having a 50-year reunion this weekend. God, we are all going to look so old now.

office opening

meaning: a party to celebrate a new office for a business, often held to invite customers

1) Digimarkets is having its office opening celebration this Friday. It has booked some children’s entertainment and a guest speaker, so I might go.
2) The opening of our new offices was a small affair: it was just the staff, some balloons, and a cake.

opening ceremony

meaning: a formal ceremony held to announce the start of an event, or opening of a shop or business

1) The opening ceremony of the Olympics is always weird, but I watch it anyway.
2) The film festival is having an opening ceremony on Thursday, which includes a showing of Suspiria and a question-and-answer session with a director.

funeral

meaning: a formal ceremony held when a person dies, which can include speakers and the burial

1) The funeral of Letitia Lewis was held on Saturday morning. It was a sad affair.
2) The first funeral I remember attending was that of my grandfather. I didn’t know how to feel.

reception

meaning: a gathering or party usually held after the formal part of a wedding or funeral

1) After the funeral, a reception was held in the town hall in which friends and family could meet.
2) The wedding ceremony starts at 2pm in the church, with the reception starting at 3pm in the castle.

overcast
thunder storms
typhoon
hurricane
tornado
heat wave
sleet
foggy
misty
smoggy
hail

scratch (scratched)
stain (stained)
chip (chipped)
leak (leaking)
break (broken)
crack (cracked)
burn (burnt)
tear (torn)
fray (frayed)
scuff (scuffed)
wear (worn)

mammal
insect
bird
fish
reptile
amphibian
arachnid
crustacean
mollusc
vertebrate
invertebrate

politics
business
financial
sport
local news
domestic news
national news
international news, celebrity/gossip
entertainment
environment
technology
science
obituary
comment / opinion piece
editorial

jungle
desert
ocean
river
grasslands
savannah
farmland
forest
rainforest
tundra

unemployment
taxes
crime
violent crime
petty crime
white-collar crime
drug abuse
alcohol abuse
poverty
education
disease
inequality
corruption
prejudice (racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia)

cube
cuboid
pyramid
cone
sphere
hemisphere
cylinder
prism

calligraphy
Traditional Chinese Medicine
tai chi
kung fu
paper cutting
tea ceremony
traditional painting
seal carving
majiang / mahjong