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well1 adverbwell2 interjectionwell3 adjectivewell4 nounwell5 verb wellwell1 /wel/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb (comparative better /ˈbetə $ -ər/, superlative best /best/) well1Origin: Old English wel - Before you open it, shake the bottle well.
- Both books are very well written and enjoyable to read.
- Dad doesn't hear very well anymore.
- Don't worry about the test - I'm sure you'll do well.
- Jean's playing much better since you gave her some lessons.
- We didn't win, but at least we played well.
- Educated men hid their jealousy awfully well.
- Especially on liberal initiatives, they face defections by moderates, as well as Republican delaying tactics.
- Government giveaways to special-interest groups often hurt the environment as well.
- The final test of truth, as Marxists well know, is human action.
- This fear of fear will both provoke further symptoms as well as preventing the existing ones from diminishing naturally.
- This might well be the word processor that puts WordStar right back on the map in the word processor stakes.
- We had come to believe that Concorde was not just impossibly graceful but infallible as well.
to do something skilfully or carefully► do (something) well · Don't worry about the test - I'm sure you'll do well.· She enjoys her job and does it very well.· If a firm does a job well, we use them again. ► do a good job especially spoken to do something well, especially a job that you have been asked to do: · You can always rely on Brian to do a good job.· You're doing a good job there, Sally. I don't know what we'd do without you.do a good job of doing something: · They did a really good job of decorating my bathroom. ► make a good job of British to do something well, especially a piece of practical work, so that it looks good or works well: · The hairdresser made a good job of your hair. It looks lovely.· We've just had a new heating system installed, but unfortunately they didn't make a very good job of it. ► excel to do something much better than most other people, especially because you have a natural ability to do it well: · I didn't exactly excel academically and I left school as soon as I had the chance.excel at/in: · He played cricket for Middlesex but it was football that he really excelled at.· Many parents put too much pressure on their children to excel in school.excel yourself British (=do even better than usual): · Costner has excelled himself in this movie - definitely his best performance yet. ► outdo to be better or more successful than someone else at doing something: · The Canadian hockey team has outdone all its rivals.outdo somebody in something: · Each state seems to be trying to outdo its neighbors in cutting health services.outdo yourself (=do even better than usual): · The singer outdid himself at the festival, singing for almost three hours to noisy applause.not to be outdone (=so that no one else does better than you): · Not to be outdone, Stern went on television and made a speech of his own. ► distinguish yourself to do something very well, so that people notice you, praise you, and remember you: · Bradley has distinguished himself as the top scorer on the team.· After joining the newspaper, she quickly distinguished herself with a series of hard-hitting exposés. well made or of good quality► good · Lisa's work has been much better recently.· It's a good car, but it's very expensive.· It's worth paying a bit more for a good haircut.very good · There are one or two very good restaurants nearby. ► well if something is done or made well , it is done with a lot of care and skill, so that it is of a high standard: · Jean's playing much better since you gave her some lessons.· one of the best designed cars on the marketvery well: · Both books are very well written and enjoyable to read.do well: · Don't worry about the test - I'm sure you'll do well. ► excellent of extremely good quality or very well made: · The bank provides an excellent service for its customers.· They told me my English was excellent. ► good quality/high quality well made from good materials: · If you buy good quality shoes, they last much longer.· We only use the highest quality ingredients for our pizzas.of good/high quality: · handmade carpets of the highest quality ► first-class a product or service that is first-class is much better than most others: · Jaguar has always made first-class cars.· The food at the restaurant is always first-class. ► fine of a very high quality and often valuable, rare, or very skilfully made: · The collar is made of finest English lace.· The train passes near Gate Manor, a fine Victorian mock Jacobean hall. ► superior better made or of a better quality than most similar products - used especially in advertisements: · Style, comfort and superior cuisine are the most important characteristics of a good hotel. ► deluxe: deluxe model/version/edition etc one that is of high quality because it has more features or uses better quality materials than others made by the same company: · The deluxe model comes complete with an in-car CD player and car-phone.· Longman has published a deluxe, leather-bound edition of Johnson's Dictionary. what you say when you hope something will happen► hopefully spoken say this when you hope something will happen: · He's been resting today, so hopefully he'll be feeling better tomorrow.· Hopefully we can find a way of solving this problem. ► with any luck also with a little luck spoken say this when you hope something will happen, even though there is a small chance it might not: · With any luck, we'll have this finished by the end of the day.· With a little luck, Ruth will forget all about the party. ► let's hope spoken say this when you hope that something will happen, especially because it will be very unpleasant if it does not: · Let's hope we can find a parking space.· The whole thing has been nothing but heartache and worry. Let's hope nothing like it ever happens again. ► if all goes well spoken say this when you hope something will be successful, but you know that success depends on everything happening in the right way: · If all goes well, I'll be sailing from Vera Cruz in about a week.· The tunnel should be finished by 2010 if all goes well. intending to be helpful or kind, but causing problems► mean well to try to be helpful or kind, but really only cause problems for someone or annoy them: · The doctor meant well, but he was not really listening to me.· She means well, but she's a bit tactless. ► well-meaning intending to be helpful, but not able to achieve anything useful: · Well-meaning relatives gave me all kinds of advice.· Even well-meaning parents cannot protect their children from everything. ► good intentions if you have good intentions , you think of doing something helpful or kind, but often never do it: · Good intentions are not enough. Make an exercise programme for yourself and keep to it.· The department's good intentions have been buried under a mountain of rules and paperwork. ► well-meant/well-intentioned an action or a statement that is well-meant or well-intentioned is intended to be kind or helpful, but either does not help at all, insults someone, or causes harm: · Recent changes in housing policy, though well-meant, have done more harm than good.· Well-intentioned grandparents sometimes interfere with a mother's way of bringing up her children. to like something► like to think that something is nice, attractive, enjoyable etc: · I like your dress - it's a beautiful colour.· Do you like spaghetti?like something about something: · What did you like about the movie?like doing something/like to do something: · I think Roy likes living alone.· I like to see the children enjoying themselves. ► be into spoken to like doing a particular activity or be interested in a particular subject: · I know she's really into sports, so I thought I'd ask her to come skiing with us.· A lot of his relatives are into very weird New Age stuff. ► be fond of especially British to like something, especially something that you have liked for a long time: · Connie had always been fond of animals.· He had always been fond of drinking at lunchtime, perhaps too fond. ► be keen on especially British to like or be very interested in an activity or idea: · I know he's keen on opera. Let's take him to see "La Traviata'.· I'm quite keen on the idea of having a fancy dress party. ► appeal to if something appeals to you, you like it because it involves things that interest you or ideas that you agree with: · I'm sure this delightful book will appeal to children of all ages.· Does either suggestion appeal to you? ► go down well also go over well American if something you do, or a book, film, performance etc goes down well with a group of people, they like it: · Her style of comedy is very British, but it goes down well in the States too.go down well with: · At the present time, military action would not go over well with the international community ► be to your liking formal if something is to your liking it has the qualities that you like, or it is made in the way that you like: · Was the meal to your liking, Madam?· The surrounding countryside was very much to our liking. what you say when you praise someone► well done British /good job American spoken say this to someone when they have done something well or succeeded in doing something difficult: · Well done! You got all the answers right.· Good job, John! That was a great shot. ► congratulations say or write this to someone when they have done something good or special: · Congratulations! Is it a girl or boy?congratulations on: · Congratulations on your new job, Jenny.congratulations on doing something: · Congratulations on passing your driving test. ► way to go American spoken informal use this to praise someone who has just done something very good or impressive: · "I got accepted at Stanford." "Way to go!"· Way to go Sam! Nice hit! to be better again after an illness or injury► be better if someone is better after an illness or injury, they have recovered, or they are in the process of recovering: · How are you? Are you better?· I'll just rest today, and, hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow.· I hope Robert's better by Saturday, because we need him for the team. ► be well if someone is well , they are healthy again, and they no longer have an illness or injury: · As soon as you're well we'll go to Florida and have a few weeks in the sun.· They couldn't really make any firm plans until Luis was well again. ► be fully recovered to be completely well again after an illness or injury: · We were relieved to find that Barnes was fully recovered and able to take part in the race.be fully recovered from: · Keep the patient still and quiet until he is fully recovered from the attack. ► be cured if someone is cured , they are completely better because their illness has been treated successfully: · She's still rather weak, but her bronchitis seems to be cured.be cured of: · It is only after two or three years that the doctors can say you are definitely cured of cancer.be completely cured: · He was always confident that he would be completely cured. ► be over to be well again after an illness: · You've had a bad attack of malaria, but I think you're over it now.be over the worst: · Her temperature is going down again - she seems to be over the worst. ► be back on your feet (again) informal to be well again and able to live life as usual after being ill: · After a day or two in bed I'll be back on my feet again.· Wait till you're back on your feet before you start worrying about your exams. ► be up and about (again) to be out of bed and well enough to walk around again, after an illness or injury has forced you to stay in bed: · She's up and about now, and should be back at work in a day or two.· It's good to see you up and about again. ► be fit especially British to be well again after having been ill, so that you are now able to move around as usual, exercise etc: · Don't come back to work until you're completely fit.· He should be back at training next week if he's fit.be fit as a fiddle (=be extremely fit): · Don't worry - I'll be as fit as a fiddle again by next week. having a good reputation► reputable a reputable company or business person has a good reputation and can be trusted: · If you are going to be out late, book a taxi from a reputable firm.· We chose that company because we thought they were reputable.· Most reputable suppliers advertise in Birds magazine.a reputable source: · Only buy floppy disks that have come from a reputable source. ► prestigious a prestigious organization, event, or product has a reputation of being one of the best of its kind and is highly respected: · I am a partner in one of Cleveland's oldest and most prestigious law firms.· The anxiously awaited invitations to the prestigious end-of-year dance began to arrive.· Women are attaining powerful and prestigious managerial positions. ► be well thought of if a person or their work is well thought of , they have a good reputation for the quality of their work: · Richards is well thought of within his own firm.· Millet's work is less well thought of today than it was during his lifetime. ► prestige prestige goods, products, services etc cost a lot and have a very good reputation: · There are always prestige neighbourhoods where only the wealthy or successful can afford to live.· champagne, caviar, truffles and other prestige goods when something has the result that you want it to have► succeed if something that you plan to do or try to do succeeds , you get the result that you hoped for: · Both sides could make these talks succeed by seeking a real and lasting peace.· As long as the financial crisis continues, economic reform cannot possibly succeed.succeed in doing something: · None of the measures taken by the government have succeeded in reducing the spread of violent crime. ► successful if something that you plan to do or try to do is successful you get the result that you hoped for: · If the treatment is successful, she could be back at school next month.· a small but successful program to boost the number of African-Americans getting into collegehighly successful (=very successful): · It was a highly successful campaign.the most successful: · This has been Baltimore's most successful art show ever.so successful (. . . that): · The case of Thailand illustrates why family planning programs have been so successful in many countries. prove successful (=be successful): · The scheme was started in January 2000, and has proved largely successful. ► work if a plan or method works , it produces the result that you want: · "I can't open this jar." "Try putting it under hot water. That sometimes works."· I think your treatment worked Arnie, my headache's gone.· The recipe works just as well if you cook the fish in a microwave. ► go well if something goes well , such as a meeting, party, or performance, everything happens in the way you wanted and there are no problems: · Ray met my parents for the first time this weekend, and it went really well.· The audition was OK, but it could have gone better I suppose.· Most people seem to think the party went well.go well for: · Good luck with the project, and I hope everything goes well for you. ► have some success if a plan, method etc has some success , it is fairly successful: · The early warning system has had some success; for example Pacific coast residents get four hours notice of a potential earthquake.· Only in the late 1990s did efforts to reduce sectarian violence have some success. ► come out right/turn out right if something comes out right or turns out right , it succeeds in the end when it had seemed as though it would fail: · People enjoy romantic fiction because it offers a reassurance that things will always come out right.· Just when it looks as though everything will turn out right, tragedy strikes and Jenny dies of a fatal illness.come out right in the end: · She's scared she'll fail her exams, but I think everything'll come out right in the end. ► come off if something that you arrange such as a party or trip comes off , it happens successfully even though there are problems in arranging it: · We had hoped to organize a trip to the theatre tonight, but it didn't come off.· Good try Tim. Shame it didn't quite come off. ► pay off if hard work, effort, a risk etc pays off , it has a successful result at a later time: · I think if you show a bit more consideration for other road users, you'll find it pays off.· We put a lot of hard work into local initiatives, and that's really starting to pay off now. ► bear fruit if a plan, idea, or action bears fruit , it has the successful result that it was intended to have, especially after a long period of time: · The campaign for debt relief will not bear fruit for another two or three years. · I hope you feel your involvement has been worthwhile and has borne fruit. ► fruitful a meeting, discussion etc that is fruitful is successful, useful, and produces good results: · So far, the investigation has not been very fruitful.· This was one of the most fruitful debates of the conference.· If the talks prove fruitful, the working groups will start bargaining in May. Meaning 3prep/adj► well before· She’s been up since well before dawn. ► well after· It was well after ten o'clock when we arrived. ► well above· The school’s performance was well above average. ► well below· They earn well below $5 an hour. ► well short of· This total falls well short of the sum required. ► well back· Stand well back from the edge of the platform. ► well worth· The book is well worth reading. ► well aware· I am well aware of the risks involved. ► well able/capable· She is well able to look after herself. ► well underway· The work on the extension is well underway. ► well above The salaries we offer are well above (=much higher than) average. ► a well-known/famous actor· I’d really like to be a famous actor. ► well adapted flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters ► well in advance Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting? ► alive and well Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil. ► alive and well Christianity is alive and well in Asia. ► leave well (enough) alone (=not change something that is satisfactory) In economic matters, they should leave well alone. ► well-argued case The researchers put forward a well-argued case for banning the drug. ► a famous/well-known author· The famous author Henry James lived here. ► a best-selling author· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author. ► the best available· We use the best available technology. ► well/fully/acutely aware They were well aware that the company was losing money. ► well-behaved/badly-behaved a badly-behaved class ► well below Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard). ► best-seller list His new book went straight to number one on the best-seller list. ► be better off doing something (=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler. ► a bit better/older/easier etc I feel a bit better now. ► book (well) in advance· There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance. ► a well-earned break (=one that you deserve)· Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over. ► well camouflaged The strain she was under was well camouflaged by skilful make-up. ► somebody’s best clothes· They wore their best clothes for the photograph. ► came across ... well I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. ► came off ... well The performance on the first night came off pretty well. ► come over ... well He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview. ► cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)· Beans should always be cooked well. ► cope well· Most schools coped well with the change. ► prevention is better than cure British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it) ► curiosity gets the better of somebody/overcomes somebody (=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary. ► damn well· I’ll damn well do as I please. ► know damn well· You know damn well what I’m talking about. ► clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. ► deserve better (also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better. ► well deserved· The restaurant has a well deserved reputation for excellent fish. ► well-deserved He has a well-deserved reputation as a reliable worker. ► deservedly popular/well-known/famous etc Bistro Roti is a deservedly popular restaurant. ► well/badly etc designed a badly designed office ► well-developed plants with well-developed root systems ► be well/extensively/poorly etc documented It is well documented that men die younger than women. ► well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil. ► well-dressed (=wearing nice clothes of good quality)· The restaurant was full of well-dressed couples. ► well drilled The crew were well drilled in handling emergency situations. ► eat well (=have enough food, or have good food)· The people work hard, but they eat well. ► be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard)· It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort. ► best endeavours Despite our best endeavours, we couldn’t start the car. ► well/poorly/fully etc equipped a well equipped hospital ► well-established (=existing for a long time and respected or trusted by people)· McCarthy is a well-established and successful author. ► do well/badly in an exam British English, do well/badly on an exam American English:· Maria always did well in her exams at school. ► do well/badly in an examination· He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT. ► a well-known fact· It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year. ► far better/easier etc The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago. ► fit ... well His clothes did not fit him very well. ► well fitted Elinor is well fitted to be the sales manager. ► somebody’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)· Fiona was her best friend. ► well-kept/tidy British English (also neat American English)· The hotel is set in a well-kept garden. ► go well/smoothly/fine etc The party went well. Everything’s going fine at the moment. ► the best way What’s the best way to deal with this? ► The best thing The best thing you can do is wait here. ► a good deal bigger/better etc He was a good deal older than her. ► somebody’s best guess (=one that you think is most likely to be right)· My best guess is that it will take around six months. ► handles well/badly The car handles well, even on wet roads. ► somebody’s best handwriting· In his best handwriting, he wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day, Dad'. ► health and well-being· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children. ► heaps better/bigger etc (=much better, bigger etc) ► somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore. ► hope for the best Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). ► how best advice on how best (=the best way) to invest your money ► can well imagine (=can easily imagine)· I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news. ► well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible)· Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible. ► be well in with You have to be well in with the directors (=be very friendly with them) if you want to get promotion here. ► well-informed/ill-informed I became reasonably well-informed about the subject. ► good intentions/the best (of) intentions (=intentions to do something good or kind, especially when you do not succeed in doing it) He thinks the minister is full of good intentions that won’t be carried out. ► judge it best/better to do something (=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was. ► against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment. ► the best/worst kind· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture. ► of the worst/best etc kind· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. ► know ... well I don’t know him very well. ► is best known for Hepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’. ► know perfectly well/full well/only too well He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous. ► should know better It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better. ► knew better than to Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. ► a famous/well-known landmark· The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark in Paris. ► the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans. ► well lit The porch is always well lit at night. ► like best The time I like best (=like most of all) is the evening when it’s cool. ► a little more/better/further etc We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens. ► little more/better etc (than something) His voice was little more than a whisper. ► the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time) He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived. ► live well They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc). ► well looked after You could tell that the horse had been well looked after. ► much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. ► make something the best/worst/most expensive etc Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area. ► well-matched/ill-matched a well-matched pair ► good/best mate He’s good mates with John. ► may well Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely). ► may well ask ‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’ ► means well He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► the best means· Is this really the best means of achieving our goal? ► be well into middle age (=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age. ► might well This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). ► might well ask ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ ► as well it might This caused a few gasps, as well it might. ► move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things. ► much better/greater/easier etc Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable. ► much the best/most interesting etc British English It’s much the best way to do it. ► how much better/nicer/easier etc I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past! ► better nature I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us. ► well-nourished a well-nourished baby ► be well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. ► Oh ... well Oh, well, never mind. ► somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway! ► a good/better option· Renting a house may be a better option than buying. ► the best/worst part· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining. ► well past a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date ► well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time)· I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction. ► well-paid· Teachers here are well-paid. ► higher/better pay· Workers demanded higher pay. ► a famous/well-known phrase· We all hear the phrase "greenhouse gasses", but do you know what it really means? ► a well-turned phrase (=skilfully invented or chosen)· She creates lifelike characters with a few well-turned phrases. ► the best plan British English (=the best thing to do)· I think the best plan is to take the train. ► well/fully/inadequately etc prepared Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm. ► prevention is better than cure You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). ► well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body a beautifully proportioned room ► greater/better protection· The law should give greater protection to victims. ► well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) His visit was highly publicized. ► well put· Sorry, I’m not putting it very well. ► well qualified· As a former footballer, he is well qualified to talk about the game. ► read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly) He had accurately read the mood of the nation. ► reads well I think in general the report reads well. ► for reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour)· For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house. ► well received The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good). ► to (the best of) my recollection (=used when you are unsure if you remember correctly) To the best of my recollection, she drives a Mercedes. No one, to my recollection, gave a second thought to the risks involved. ► remember well (=thoroughly and completely)· I remember so well my first day there. ► a well-deserved reputation· Ronaldo’s performances earned him a deserved reputation as a terrific footballer. ► well respected· They were well respected in their communities. ► a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard)· Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season. ► well rid He was a bully, and we’re well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone). ► the best route· Let's look at the map and work out the best route. ► well/badly run The hotel is well-run and extremely popular. ► safe and sound/well (=unharmed, especially after being in danger) The missing children were found safe and sound. ► settle for second best I’m not going to settle for second best. ► come off second best (=lose a game or competition, or not be as successful as someone else) ► a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know)· The recipe is a closely-guarded secret. ► sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well. ► serve ... well Her talent for organization should serve her well. ► a shade better/quicker/faster etc The results were a shade better than we expected. ► well/elegantly/badly etc shod The children were well shod and happy. ► fall far/a long way/well short of something Facilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required. ► significantly better/greater/worse etc Delia’s work has been significantly better this year. ► well ... sunk A well was sunk in the back garden, and water could be pumped up into the kitchen. ► sleep well· I haven’t been sleeping well lately. ► slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. ► well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil. ► the best/perfect/ideal solution· Locking people in prison is not necessarily the ideal solution. ► speak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them)· He always spoke very highly of Marge. ► money well spent The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money). ► start badly/well/slowly etc Any new exercise program should start slowly. ► suit somebody well· Our new house suits us very well. ► tears well up in somebody’s eyes (=tears come into their eyes)· She broke off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. ► do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English· I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test. ► things go well/badly etc· If things went well, we would double our money in five years.· How did things go? ► time something well/badly etc Keith timed the pass well. a beautifully timed shot ► well treat· The majority of workers are well treated. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► turn out well/badly/fine etc It was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right. ► take a turn for the worse/better Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse. ► a better/greater/deeper understanding· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market. ► well underway The project is already well underway. ► are better left unsaid Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them). ► well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc a well-ventilated kitchen ► the very best/latest/worst etc We only use the very best ingredients. ► the best way· Doing the job is often regarded as the best way of learning the job. ► a sense/feeling of well-being A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. ► physical/psychological/material etc well-being the physical and emotional well-being of the children ► economic well-being We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country. ► well-chosen words He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words. ► feel ... well-disposed I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him. ► well-nigh impossible It will be well-nigh impossible to raise that amount of money. ► less well-off Many pensioners are less well-off (=have less money) than they used to be. ► well-trodden path/road/ground etc Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady. ► well-woman clinic a well-woman clinic ► wish somebody well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) My friends wished me well in my new job. ► work out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us. ► the best/tallest etc in the world· We want to become the best team in the world. ► the world’s best/tallest etc· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer. ► better or worse· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse. ► at best ... at worst Choosing the right software can be time-consuming at best and confusing or frustrating at worst. ► well worth The film is well worth seeing. ► It’s well worth It’s well worth getting there early if you want a good seat. ► wrap up warm/well Make sure you wrap up warm – it’s freezing. ► well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written. ADJECTIVE► aware· I suspect we're both well aware who telephoned Colin Fairfax-Vane in May, claiming to be Beatrix.· Television news directors and producers are well aware of this fascination, and almost universally favor the idea of televising actual trials.· Because - he was well aware - most people thought he was something called a Nice Bloke.· As he was well aware, the timing for the move had been chosen with care.· Aristotle and his Athenian contemporaries were well aware that some barbarians were very different in physical appearance from themselves.· As all Tuesday regulars are well aware, space is always at a premium.· There is every reason to suspect that ancient glass-makers were well aware of this.· When we first met her we were well aware of how cheerful and sweet she is. ► known· There are at least five well known approaches: 1 Tell and sell.· My employer is Heather Wilkinson a well known caterer.· The author is one of New Zealand's well known spinners and weavers who has an extensive knowledge of the craft.· He was articled to Ernest Proud, a well known firm in which he was later to become a partner.· Some varieties of waterlilies are fairly new to cultivation whereas the majority of well known cultivars date back years.· The opening was a well known variation of the Ruy Lopez.· Bicester is also a well known hunting centre with a hunt dating back to the late 1700s.· It is a well known fact that designers plant a line of bollards when they do not know what to do. VERB► advise· Both sides would be well advised to check what help is actually available from the plaintiff's local authority.· Similarly, students interested in technical fields would be well advised to take physics.· Probably Anselm would have been well advised to comply.· It was not well advised of Oliver to make jokes before her.· The beginner would be well advised to copy them out in open score with the necessary transpositions.· An expert taking on the task of deciding a dispute of this kind would be well advised to establish terms excluding claims.· You are well advised, when the Whitney Biennial comes along, to be sure to remember your reading glasses.· Solicitors would be well advised to take heed. ► develop· Only when cultures are well developed is there enough social trust to support commercial and governmental institutions.· These four key elements are well developed and widely shared within the research communities of every natural and applied science.· The unfertilised egg cell began to divide to produce embryos that sometimes developed well.· In general, work experience historically has been the least well developed component of career academies.· When rates are discounted in this way by substantial amounts, bad feeling and discontent may well develop on the site.· He could tell the difference between reality and fantasy Language, under-standing, and logic were well developed.· The occipital bone is well developed, without protruding too much.· Constraint knowledge is well developed and influences most specific opinions. ► do· You think you are not clever because you didn't do well at school.· The implication: one does well to regard oneself as a legendary figure.· Tell us what you think and well do our best every month to make sure the magazine delivers what you need.· Both banks and insurance companies can do well in a low-interest-rate world because their cost of funds will be low.· They will do well to eke out a draw.· Carlton does well to keep up with the drop.· Haruo Arima, the Communists' chief campaign strategist, believes his party could do well.· It is very sensitive to calcium and does not do well in alkaline or hard water. ► document· Catches were well documented at the time and proceeds from sales were distributed to the poor of Doncaster.· If there are conflicts and they are well documented, let them stand.· The overtly sectarian, aggressively anti-intellectual tactics of the party between 1928 and 1931 are well documented.· The correlation between infant mortality and fertility has not been well documented.· Conflicts between the aspirations of individuals and the objectives of organizations have been well documented.· Its reliability and performance improvements are well documented.· Nevertheless, the problems of this ultimate in fixed track systems are particularly well documented.· The decision process for loan approval was well documented and of limited complexity. ► equip· But it's also practical, roomy and well equipped.· After all, such lopsided enthusiasm indicates that you feel well equipped to tell judges how to do their jobs.· Its state regiments are well equipped and lavishly uniformed in a mixture of red and blue.· On-site treatment may be a new venture for many companies, and one that they are not well equipped to handle.· She has been in private use in Scandinavia only, and is very well equipped.· It also is open to question how well equipped courts are to make this kind of determination-about the workings of economic markets.· It is well equipped, and warrior for warrior better than almost any other.· Furthermore, family stories, including myths, are well equipped to lull us. ► establish· Fifty years later Fujitsu was well established as a supplier to Siemens of mainframe computers.· The power of feedback to motivate improved performance is well established.· Many Northern Ireland companies already have well established exporting links.· Greater is the irony that twenty years earlier the open mind for this view was well established in economic circles.· A taste for the exotic was already well established in the mid-nineteenth century and photography gave it a new boost.· All of these craters were well established by 1965.· It is well established that a director is a fiduciary.· Men well established in state security. ► go· Hope all goes well with you.· But if all goes well, it is projected to climb to 1 million a year to meet rising worldwide demand.· She had gone well over the half-hour.· But his contributions go well beyond that.· He couldn't very well go up to him and accuse him of giving old Mr Schofield a fatal heart attack.· When all goes well during this time, a gradual strengthening of ties between parent and infant occurs.· And if both went well, he might acquire a momentum of success.· If all goes well, Wells Fargo may even invite gourmet coffee chains or copy-center services into its branches. ► inform· In modem history as it affected his class he was well informed as ever, and had a memory overflowing with detail.· Innkeepers Lynnette and Bob Kahn were delightful and well informed about the area.· In an area where the costs of being well informed are high compared with the benefits, this is not surprising.· He was well informed on civil and constitutional law.· There should be a collective understanding of the issues, so that the judgements involved in decision-making can be well informed.· The product is reasonably well written and they appear to be well informed about local issues.· In the effort to distribute accurate information, keeping journalists and politicians well informed is absolutely crucial.· His father was a quiet man, but he was surprisingly well informed on current issues. ► keep· It's haunted, and I would keep well away from it.· Some are dilapidated, some well kept.· I keep well out of her way.· All the same, the ground pigeons were careful to keep well under cover.· If they keep you, they might as well keep me.· Like Edam, Teifi is waxed and keeps well.· He had to be kept well away from her and then defeated. ► know· Officially he had malaria, but his battle with Aids was well known.· This relative of the dogwood family, whose trees are well known farther south, here creeps along just under the soil.· Atkins is well known in East Anglia, having previously captained Ipswich Town.· It was well known that Victoria was interested in our father.· Many accidents are caused by sports or by other activities whose risk are well known.· Moreover as you well know such traditional managerial perspectives are reinforced by traditional organizational arrangements.· This passage was already well known to Ash scholars and had been extensively quoted.· It is a lesson most trial lawyers know well. ► pay· Might as well pay attention, he reminded himself; it's your career they're talking about.· You are well paid and well respected.· But it does lend itself to careful analysis and preparation which may well pay off during the actual bargaining.· Sousa paid well and attracted some of the greatest performers of the era.· Feeders are small fry, though they're well paid if the ransom's high.· Yet it is work she likes, and she is getting paid well for it.· I wouldn't say so, it's a pretty cushy job, driving a nice car around, being paid well.· Besides, they are already well paid. ► perform· Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.· This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.· Chairman Nicholas Hood described the regulated business as performing well, with its waste management company boosting profits to £3.2m.· To be sure, not all construction shares are performing well.· In response to imposed assessment for selection and evaluation, the teacher will prepare children to perform well.· Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.· In comparison to those sectors, supermarkets performed well year on year.· On top of her usual lack of self-confidence, Eddie feels more than usual pressure to perform well during this game. ► place· Future food technologists will be well placed to create concentrated foodstuffs which rectify the known deficiencies in the diet.· The cost of the abortion plus the cost of the travel may well place abortion beyond the reach of many young women.· He was well placed to comment.· By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.· North Shields is very well placed in relation to the North Sea grounds.· Analysis of terms of contract and of seniority by ethnic groups suggests that minorities are significantly less well placed within the profession.· These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.· The fitments will need to be placed well above and beyond the sides of the window to give maximum freedom of movement. ► play· Luckily we are playing well enough to not be under much pressure at all lately.· I just didn't play well.· I needed to focus on playing well.· Many golfers give themselves no chance of playing well because they ruin the swing with a poor takeaway.· The team played well in the first half.· Such thinking comes from a belief that swing technique has nothing whatsoever to do with playing well.· And it plays well off-road, thanks to Control Trac with settings aimed at all surfaces and weathers. ► receive· Already well received by selected retail outlets, it is being used for window and in-store displays.· The message was well received by commissioners.· Scarman's position in 1981 was well received by many political commentators.· Midwinter ski conditions prevail most times here, since the area receives well more than 200 inches of natural snow yearly.· McLaren well receive continued supplies of Honda engines for testing purposes through to the end of the year.· In the political and economic environment of the 1970s these sentiments were often well received by both national and local public officials.· The plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday were less well received.· It was well received by a fairly small house. ► remember· I well remember her giving an excellent day course to the Society trainers on relaxation.· Having used my running legs once, I remembered well the sensation of freedom seized.· I well remember the excitement of seeing the very first breeding pair on Yell back in the 1950s.· Mike well remembers the first check he received made out to Michael Gates Gill & Friends, his marketing consultancy.· Jack well remembers his first shift on his own.· His late father Gordon Wood, will be well remembered by an earlier generation.· Stephen Court well remembers the mill, being first run by his great grandfather and later, his grandfather, Frederick Beard.· I well remember during one hot dry summer talking to one grower who was complaining about his poor crop of parsnips. ► sell· The book has now appeared in the shops and is selling well.· Particularly lucrative are bands that might sell well to two segments that buy lots of records: country and rock.· The Daily Mail sold well over 200,000 copies daily in its first years and reached half-a-million sales after three years.· Many writers tend to work on their personal myths ad nauseam because it sells well and feels so good.· It was a good, sickly time of year, and coffins were selling well.· He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.· Swaledale is a traditional cheese of the same era as Wensleydale, which has been revived and is now selling well.· Do certain products and services sell well? ► serve· Even business, so well served by Mr Mbeki's government, is becoming unnerved.· For programs affecting the health and safety of the entire population a single average value serves well.· Conservation is not well served by ill-informed arguments.· But I do wonder whether you would be well served by simply liquidating your two brokerage accounts.· In Britain particularly, people don't like serving and don't serve well.· Today, there are more than 1, 058 tech-prep consortia nationwide, serving well over 500, 000 students.· Newport, well served by Moseley and Waters at the line-out and also by their back row, were looking increasingly confident.· This particular map served well in Baja. ► sleep· I've not been sleeping well since the house was ransacked, and it's made me very edgy.· None of the Lundbergs slept well last night.· And you're obviously not sleeping well.· Do any of us seriously think that Michael Parks is going to sleep well for the foreseeable future?· Marie had slept well last night: there had been no dreams of violence.· I slept well the night before.· Several babies cried, though Jane slept well.· I seem to have no emotional resilience these days because I am not sleeping well. ► spend· If he refers it to the Court of Appeal, Courtney may well spend a proper period in jail.· The money was not always well spent.· At a time when resources are so scarce is this really money well spent?· They see money spent on political campaigns as money well spent.· Although more expensive than the others reviewed here, the extra money is well spent.· Time spent building a complete picture of your ideal position will be well spent. ► understand· But individualists, while they can perfectly well understand this holist complaint, have not selected an arbitrary stopping-point.· The mechanism behind these phenomena is still not well understood.· Mr. Tom King I have received many such representations and I well understand the depth of feeling on the part of those expressing their concern.· At the present state of the art, unsupervised learning is not well understood and is still the subject of much research.· I said I get a lot of enquiries from frustrated knitters on this point and I can well understand their frustration.· It was a way to make the theory operational in terms of components that were well understood.· I can well understand that many older and less confident people feel comfortable and unthreatened in such places.· Additionally, the mapping procedure is not well understood, and there is no guarantee the system will converge. ► work· Such an arrangement works well at the Viking Centre in York.· And I must say, on what I see, your methods seem to work well.· A sound currency is one of the things that people expect from a government that is working well.· Kistiakowsky worked well with Deke Parsons, the naval officer in charge of the Ordnance Division.· Alison and Johnny have a rapport that will work well for their characters.· Such clever agitprop worked well enough to get Clinton elected, but not well enough to make the programs work.· Where the arrangement works well, children obtain a secure substitute home.· When the role of manager came up, three colleagues told management they could work well with Martin. ► may/might/could well- As we have already noted, he may well have been a militant nationalist who did not shrink from violence.
- But the women whom they find may well not match their feminist consciousness.
- By and large Alex and I think these developments are likely to give tangible gains and could well become a priority for implementation.
- In addition, the clarification of such issues could well provide the initial stimulus for a whole school language policy.
- It is too early to be entirely sure, but it looks as though the tide may well have turned.
- The requirements may well be modified as detailed work and discussion proceed.
► may/might/could (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- And we might as well get used to it and resolve to cope.
- Besides, they cost so much, you might as well get some fun out of them.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- If the traveler expects the high way to be safe and well-graded, he might as well stay at home.
- It might as well be now.
- She might as well see how the enemy behaved themselves in a place like this.
- While she was there, they might as well have added the charge of breaching the Trades Description Act.
► can’t very well (do something)► know full/perfectly well- I know perfectly well that metastases are not just a characteristic of malignant cells, spreading from organ to organ.
- In everyday life we talk about things being good and bad, and we know perfectly well what we mean.
- Oh, I glory in inconsistencies, as you know full well.
- Ought we to think less of Johnson for agreeing because he knew full well that he could influence Boswell?
- She knew perfectly well he didn't trust her.
- The public know full well that the Labour party taxes and spends, taxes and spends.
- You know perfectly well I can't.
- You know perfectly well that women get depressed at - at certain times.
► speak/think well of somebody- Uncle Brian always thought well of you.
- Ensure they speak well of us rather than denigrate us to their friends.
- If they did this particularly well, analysts were thought well of by their bosses.
- Instead, we were awkward and seething-which didn't encourage scouts, barbers or anyone to speak well of us.
- It was important to him to know this, because he wanted her to think well of him.
- She speaks well of you, and I am uneasy.
- The Newleys' acquaintances spoke well of the dead in order to think ill of the living.
- Why was it so important to her whether I thought well of her or not?
► well done!/well played!► well said!► be well away- It's just a shame he was such an ugly old boiler, otherwise I'd be well away!
- Mathilda will be well away now.
► be well in with somebody► be well out of something► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► as well somebody might/may- Marilyn looked guilty when she saw me, as well she might.
- And a deviant and mentally diseased species as well.
- Microscopes caught the imagination, as well they might.
► do well by somebody- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► do well- Gail seemed so anxious to do well, and she worked really hard.
- If the firm does well, your shares will be worth far more than you paid for them.
- Most of his tutors expected him to do well at Harvard.
- My friend left college and went into law, and he's doing very well for himself.
- Neither of the kids was doing well in school.
- The operation was successful and the patient is doing well.
- The producer would only say that sales of the video were 'doing very well indeed.'
- When the players do well, I praise them -- but there are no rewards for coming second.
- Blues singers do well in Ireland, as Celts have a feeling for Negro music.
- He represented the ability to do well in the world.
- I remember her 4-H teacher told me Molly inspired others in her class to do well because of her determination.
- Parents are likely to want children to do well in life.
- The players we have are good enough to do well without people like him.
- The presence of a star, Glenn Robinson, may be the reason it did well that year.
- Wall Street is not concerned about whether old people do well in retirement.
- You must do well at this, that, or the other.
► as well- As well as being a community worker, he's a fully qualified nurse.
- Did Joe go as well?
- Our vacation was a disaster: not only was the food terrible, the weather was awful as well.
- While you're at the store, could you get a few things for me as well?
► as well as something/somebody- A dietary questionnaire or frequency determination is often useful in individual counseling, as well as in nutrition education and community programs.
- C., as well as laundering proceeds from drug deals.
- It was the right thing to do as well as good, sensible politics.
- Java applets are capable of handling a wide variety of graphic formats as well as creating graphics on the fly.
- Large numbers of turbines create noise as well as electricity, so there's often resistance to wind farms from local residents.
- Qualitative considerations Qualitative as well as quantitative factors come into play in the lease or buy decision.
- They must somehow sense that they have a tongue, as well as where it is located and how to control it.
- This takes time, and calls for contributions from different parts of the Office, as well as elsewhere in Whitehall.
► to the best of your ability- All the children competed and performed to the best of their ability.
- I have always done my work to the best of my ability.
► acquit yourself well/honourably- They did acquit themselves well with heavier strings and a flat pick, but in the main they were seen as fingerpicking guitars.
► you would be well/ill advised to do something► all the better/easier/more etc- He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
- His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
- If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
- It makes it all the more opportune.
- Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
- The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
- The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
- Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► at your best/worst/most effective etc► augur well/badly/ill- Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
- In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
- It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
- Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
- That augured well for the day.
- That, at least, augured well.
- This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck► be on your best behaviour- Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behaviour.
- And if what Cadfael suspected was indeed true, he had now good reason to be on his best behaviour.
- But everyone is on their best behaviour.
- So when we arrived hopefully at Loch Hope that morning, I was on my best behaviour.
- Use only our own girls and warn them to be on their best behaviour.
► you’d better believe it!- "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
► your best bet- For getting around the city centre, a bicycle's your best bet.
- We decided that our best bet was to leave him where he was and go and get help.
- Well, your best bet would be to go back to Highway 218 and turn left.
► your best bib and tucker► bloody well- He seems to have bloody well disappeared altogether.
- I bloody well did, that's who.
- If there was a boat to rock, she'd bloody well rock it.
- It's encouraging them all to bloody well abuse the system so it is.
- M' lud, we bloody well hope so.
- They should bloody well have stuck around till we turned up.
- You see what we've bloody well done?
► bode well/ill (for somebody/something)- The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
- Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
- Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
- The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
- Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
- Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
- Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
- Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
- Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
► bring out the best/worst in somebody- Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
- And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
- But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
- But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
- Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
- It brings out the best in us.
- Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
- So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
- Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
► the best/pick of the bunch- But me third was the best of the bunch.
- Either they are one of the best of the bunch at home, or they make their name abroad.
- Even these modest broadcasts show only the best of the bunch.
- He may be the best of the bunch.
- It's also the best of the bunch for multi-processing, he says.
- Nevertheless as an introduction it is the best of the bunch.
- Woolwich is the best of the bunch, trading at a multiple to future earnings of 10.3.
► trump/best/strongest card- And perhaps it was time to play the trump card up his sleeve.
- In the struggle for development, every economy has certain advantages or trump cards.
- Parents must recognize that if a child does not want to do homework, the child holds the trump card.
- That night, though, our sincerity was our trump card.
- That was why Gorbachev wanted to negotiate-and that is why, in my opinion, President Reagan was holding the trump card.
- The citizens of Hebron, by contrast, hold all the trump cards.
- This was one of the trump cards of News International in its dispute with the print workers in 1986-87.
- We had beaten him, but he played a final trump card.
► come off best/better/worst etc- Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
- Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
- His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
- It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
- Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
- The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
- The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► well connected- And it does show these people are well connected.
- Be sure to get concrete and focused information from some one well connected to the writing world.
- By Road Carnlough is 35 miles from Belfast and is well connected with regular transport services.
- Certainly, such insubordination and disloyalty would have gotten a less well connected man court-martialed.
- For non-residents, other than the nobly born and well connected, it is less informative.
- Pogo's family were very well connected and he had an entrée to every branch of society.
- Samson was a man of worldly tastes and habits: he was well connected, well educated, generous and rich.
- She was well off, well educated, well connected, but she wasn't well.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc► a damn sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour► be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)- He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
► somebody would do well to do something- Nelson would do well to keep her political views out of her work.
- And President Dole or President Clinton would do well to take advantage of the services of such a splendid fellow.
- However, managers would do well to first address their own personal fears and discomfort.
- It's a motto the world of fundraising would do well to remember.
- Kansas City would do well to follow their example.
- Our selectors would do well to not pay too much attention to birth certificates.
- Parents would do well to discuss them with their doctor or hospital personnel before birth. 1.
- She would do well to remember that.
- This is highly regarded and influential in police circles and the social worker would do well to be aware of its thinking.
► do well by somebody- He's left home, but he still does well by his kids.
- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► easily the best/biggest etc- Aluminium benching is easily the best, as it virtually lasts for ever and is easily cleaned.
- He's easily the best military brain in the country.
- It's easily the best Fermanagh side I've played on.
- It gave easily the best value.
- Johnny Hero played the between set music - again proving that he hosts easily the best disco in town.
- Natural gas forms easily the biggest world reserve of methane-rich fuel.
- The greens were easily the best part of the dish.
- The pension is easily the biggest single cash benefit.
► university-educated/well educated/privately educated etc► even bigger/better/brighter etc- But he actually proved even better than I thought.
- He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
- I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
- It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
- Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
- There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
- This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
- What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
► hotter/colder/better etc than ever- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
► fare well/badly/better etc- I think the men fared better than the women.
- It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
- It still fared better than the broader market.
- Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
- Not faring well, but resting.
- Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
- The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
- There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► well-fed/under-fed/poorly-fed► I must/I’d better be getting along► go down well/badly/a treat etc- It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
- It seems to be going down a treat.
► go off well/badly etc► go over well► the biggest/best/nicest etc something going- A few hundred metres off-shore we congregate so that Tor can explain the best way of going ashore.
- Are the best bargains going to petrol buyers?
- But in those years, they were always the team with the best record going into the playoffs.
- Its got to be the best ticket office going.
- Perhaps the biggest thing going was the harp played by JoAnn Turovsky, sounding positively, well, huge.
- There was a wide range of scores with the best individual score going to George McCallum of Douglas Reyburn with 37 points.
- This, so I was led to believe, was the best it was going to get.
- What is the best way of going forward? - Ideas from within I hear you say!
► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► somebody had better/best do something► be somebody’s last/only/best hope- Advocates just seem to take it on faith that annexation is the only hope of salvation for this city.
- But mad or not, you are my only hope, Meg.
- But Thomas Sachs was now her only hope.
- I expected to be disappointed, though the letter was now my only hope.
- In the long term, Mr Heseltine said that privatisation was the only hope for the industry.
- Is he only hoping to make money?
- Robert Urquhart was her only hope, her only ally.
- That was the only hope I had of reaching the doctor.
► jolly well- And charge they jolly well did.
- And if he hasn't changed his sheets by now, he jolly well ought to have done.
- But the horse is used to being brushed, or he jolly well should be!
- He claimed he hadn't any but he jolly well had!
- He had a mountain to climb and he was jolly well going to reach the top or die in the attempt.
- I mean, would you jolly well put money into this place?
► it’s/that’s just as well► kiss something better► not know any better- Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
► (well,) what do you know?► know better- Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
- The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
- But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
- Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
- Guess he should have known better.
- Now you know better, thass all.
- Then I would have known better.
- Time you knew better, young lady.
- Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
► somebody knows best► well-known/little-known/lesser-known► better late than never- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► do your level best (to do something)- Even so he did his level best with the new ball.
- We did our level best to look fascinated.
► light years ahead/better etc than something► (just) that little bit better/easier etc- We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
► good luck/best of luck- Best of luck with your driving test.
- Good luck Archie! Enjoy your new job.
► better luck next time- Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
- And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
- Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► wish somebody (the best of) luck- But had we sat down with her, we would have wished her good luck.
- Everyone wished each other good luck and Mould, Matron and Endill headed off to the library.
- I wish him luck and hope that after a couple of years he is transferred back!
- James wished me good luck and dashed off home.
- Lineker and Paul Gascoigne have both been in touch with Spurs to wish them good luck for the new season.
- She wishes me luck, opens the door to the bathroom, and disappears into a cloud of steam.
- Well, I wish you luck.
- Yet at the start of the day both sides had wished each other luck.
► a well-oiled machine- If you're trained correctly you become like a well-oiled machine.
- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► man’s best friend► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► may well- Database development and a news archiving feature which may well appear as a separate product are also in the pipeline.
- Half a dozen senior people in the energy ministry, recently sacked on suspicion of taking bribes, may well join him.
- It may well be argued that any attempt at locating sUch a remote people is itself an idle one.
- Moreover, there may well be some very severe doubts about the application of the biological model even to the favourite cases.
- The two who stay may well be the ones who adapt to the new system the best.
- There may well be a real problem here.
- To take them off groundwater may well mean we have to subsidize them some more.
- You may well have heard of him.
► may as well- Since we're just sitting here, we may as well have a drink.
- You may as well not turn it on, Cooper, until after the game.
- I may as well explain here why he did this much-criticized and desperate deed of daring...
- I may as well have not bothered.
- I may as well stick it out to the end.
- If Klepner's gonna get his job he may as well do the spiel.
- In the end the mission controllers took the very pragmatic view that they may as well continue the mission to the Moon.
- That may as well be a word from a foreign language.
- You may as well get used to it, Oakland.
- You may as well play when you are in a scoring mode.
► the best medicine- Laughter is the best medicine.
- A former teacher at Longlands College, Middlesbrough, Pat always believes in laughter as the best medicine for loneliness.
- Besides, it is the best medicine.
- Having Louella come and live with me will be the best medicine in the world.
- Recovery is the best medicine for the market, but it must be sustainable.
► might (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
► might well- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along► the next best thing- He can't ask them, so he is doing the next best thing.
- I guess they figured calling their game Arnie was the next best thing to having a blockbusting movie title.
- It is the next best thing to crossing the deserts of the world oneself.
- The new switch is the next best thing we could do to moving.
- The room is the next best thing to being outside.
- Video may seem like the next best thing to being there, but electronically mediated interactions are different from real-life meetings.
- We do, however, have the next best thing: a place to go for more information.
- We went to the bookshelves to find the next best thing.
► none the worse/better etc (for something)- Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
- I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
- Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► well now- Well now, do you agree or not?
- Buffalo is better now on offense than they have been.
- But things were much better now.
- Even though he could foresee the problem then, we can see it equally well now.
- He and I get along very well now.
- I know Steven's method of working very well now.
- Q: Your album is doing incredibly well now, and your career is on the upswing.
- The clients expect and understand that quite well now, because it's been happening for about two or three years.
- Um, yeah, yeah, I actually started getting kind of sick but I am feeling better now.
► well/badly/carefully etc organized- From everything I saw and heard, he seemed to be very well organized in Iowa.
- In parliament there would be a carefully organized campaign of resistance that would at least slow the government down and raise Unionist morale.
- Now that the partisans were well organized in the Province of Parma they committed many acts of sabotage.
- Others around us, and we ourselves, demand that we always be well organized and hopeful.
- Professionals are well organized, never seen by their victims, and they don't kill.
- The anti-London lobby, however, was well organized and had financial arguments to back its case.
- They can also be extraordinarily well organized and methodical, as well as deliberate and purposeful.
► the best/better part of something- Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
- Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
- Converse drank the better part of the rum.
- For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
- I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
- It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
- This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► pass off well/badly etc► perform well/badly etc- After they had performed well in the role, these women made prestigious marriages, as does Cinderella.
- All this works only if Hanson's headquarters performs well in its non-executive role.
- Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.
- Is a nominated subcontractor really likely to perform better than the subcontractor's own subcontractor?
- Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.
- This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.
- To perform well a team needs a range of roles in its make-up.
- Yet these stocks performed well in both.
► personal best- But I still ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best, so I was happy.
- Conrad Allen came up trumps again, finishing fourth in the boys 800 metres in a personal best 2 mins. 22.
- Fredericks' 19. 68 was 0. 14 seconds lower than his personal best.
- His personal best before this season was 10. 08.
- I next ran at Oslo where I set a personal best for 200 metres, so that was encouraging.
- Ron and I take each year as it comes and we always plan for me to run a personal best every season.
- Sammy also collected a 50 freestyle bronze with 31.44-a personal best along with her 43.95 in the 50 breaststroke.
- That means that their motives are clean and their actions represent their personal best.
► photograph well- Despite worries to the contrary, pressed flowers photograph well and make a refreshing change from more conventional forms of artwork.
- Owing to poor light conditions, these particular marks did not photograph well.
► be well/ideally etc placed- But the island that in the prohibition years after 1920 profitably ran the rum trade is well placed for bootlegging cocaine.
- By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.
- Development agencies are well placed to make this point with the authority of people trying to get a job done.
- He was well placed to comment.
- In short, I knew a lot of management educators and developers and was well placed to include them in my study.
- Professional associations would seem to be well placed in terms of expertise and disinterest to carry out this kind of selection.
- The clearing banks were ideally placed.
- These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.
► be well/ideally/perfectly positioned► the best/biggest/fastest etc possible- Any successful entrepreneurial venture starts with making sure that the entrepreneur is in the best possible mental and physical health.
- But the psychologist was never confident that he had obtained the best possible scores from Nelson.
- For a moment, I imagined the best possible to the worst possible reply.
- Obviously, the purpose is to ensure that the best possible pensions arrangements are reached.
- That way it will have the best possible start in life.
- The additional value farmers receive is the best possible free advice on both inputs and marketing.
- The horrifying news sent the Ciprianos on a nationwide search to find the best possible treatment for their daughter.
- This at once enhances the contribution which the court or parents can make towards reaching the best possible decision in all the circumstances.
► good/best/bad practice- An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
- Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
- It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
- Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
- The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
- There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
- These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
- This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► pretty well/much- In 1992, Clinton had pretty much wrapped up the Democratic nomination by Super Tuesday.
- It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.
- Once we would arrive at a place, Alistair seemed to leave Judy pretty much on her own.
- Otherwise you have to walk the half block, but then you can see them pretty well.
- Our point here is that at an abstract level, every organization values pretty much the same things.
- Since I was there six years ago some things have changed and others have remained pretty much the same.
- They have timed the deal pretty well, and not just from a weather outlook.
- They know me pretty well here.
► well-read/widely-read► better Red than dead► better (to be) safe than sorry- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
► have seen better days- Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
- Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
- We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
► send your love/regards/best wishes etc- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
► give something your best shot- I'm not promising I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best shot.
- Hopefully he can recover and regain his test place and give it his best shot.
- I'd have given it my best shot, and that was all anyone could demand from me.
- I just have a feeling that we have given it our best shot.
- The band gave it their best shot, until the arrival of the blue meanies put an end to the proceedings.
- You were never entirely safe from prying fingers in Chinatown, but I had to give it my best shot.
► the best/biggest etc ... this side of something► a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
- The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
- We were a darned sight better than them.
► be well/clearly/badly signposted- Big Pit is about a male out of Blaenafon on the B4248, and is well signposted.
- There are well signposted walks, some of them offering views of the snow-topped Alps.
► not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)- Certainly, such views as these do not sit comfortably with managerialism and are equally at odds with restricted professionality.
- He had never before been accused of stealing and it did not sit well with him.
- One might think a hockey fan would not sit easily at a sewing machine piecing together patches for a quilt.
- The adornment, thought Eloise smugly, would not sit well amidst so much blubber.
- The closures, which began late last month, does not sit well with many of the regulars.
- The populist vision of a peasant landholding democracy does not sit easily with alternative visions of women's rights.
- The volatility and their non-guaranteed status do not sit comfortably with the official line linking the two benefits.
- This conviction did not sit well either with regimental soldiering or with Whitehall.
► the best/greatest thing since sliced bread- Now, I didn't get it because I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
► the sooner ( ... ) the better- The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
- They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
► good/better/healthy etc start (in life)- A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
- But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
- He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
- It wasn't a very good start.
- Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
- The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
- The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
- They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
► better/harder/worse etc still- And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
- But perhaps the early evening was better still?
- He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
- I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
- I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
- Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
- Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
- With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
► best/well/ideally/perfectly etc suited to/for something- Boar chops are best suited to grilling or sauteing.
- If I were a free agent, those are the places I would go, a place best suited for my needs.
- It is not however so well suited to an intensive, detailed study of spoken language.
- Nevertheless, it is an early maturing variety well suited to the long ripening period of a northern wine region.
- Secondly, the adversary nature of the adjudicative process may not be well suited to this area.
- The farmer's wife was well suited to tackling this considerable undertaking.
- Use the systems best suited to their talent, both offensively and defensively.
- We have large quantities of plutonium already separated and in forms ideally suited for nuclear weapons.
► greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
► your Sunday best► your/her/my etc Sunday best► be well/poorly/generously supplied with something- The lounge was well supplied with ashtrays.
- Football stars are well supplied with female groupies.
- The markets are well supplied with agricultural produce, and with linens and yarns from the surrounding country.
► think better of it- She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
- But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
- But then she thought better of it.
- Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
- He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
- He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
- He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
- Then he thought better of it.
► think the best/worst of somebody- Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
- He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
- I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
- My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
- The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
- Why should you think the worst of me?
- You always think the worst of me.
► carefully/well/badly thought-out- But new-wave sanitation experts say sewerage offers little more than convenience when compared to well thought-out latrines.
- Each section is well thought-out and presented with a good number of diagrams and chromatograms.
- It is here that the value of well thought-out objectives can be seen.
- The system is a well thought-out one and seems to work well.
► the best/biggest etc ... of all time- And seeing as it was my brainchild, would you not say it was possibly the best commercial of all time?
- Surely the biggest robbery of all time was the $ 900m that the Dome stole from lottery funds?
- That's the biggest understatement of all time!
- You could call that round the biggest fluke of all time...
► well-travelled► travel well- Clear out your food cupboard and throw away everything that will not travel well, such as leaky, crushable or carbonated goods.
- Commercially precooked and ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats and cheeses travel well.
- He could travel well enough on his own, if only they'd let him.
- It had travelled well and the colour emphasised her astonishing fairness.
- It is excellent wine, in either its white or its red versions, and said to travel well.
- Smells travel well under water, though what the experience of underwater scents may be like is open to imagination.
- Some things don't travel well, in time or in space.
► well and truly- After two weeks, the kids were well and truly converted.
- But I had been caught, well and truly, and had paid the price, time and time again.
- From February, the challenge will have well and truly begun, especially if your birthday falls between August 13 and 23.
- It looked as if she was well and truly trapped.
- Mind you any food in our stomach was going to get well and truly shaken up.
- One word from him and doors that Washington depended on being open would be well and truly slammed.
- The padded fabric varieties are well and truly childproof - and look very attractive.
- We were all well and truly bitten.
► well/beautifully/badly etc turned out- He looks trim and well turned out in a new dark suit.
- Mr. Russ's deputy was Mr. Windust, then probably in his late thirties - always smart and well turned out.
► two heads are better than one► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► be (well) versed in something- An engineer may be well versed in the technique of value engineering; it includes methods of generating the creative discontinuity.
- He was also reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
- Of course, not everyone is well versed in moral philosophy.
- The second point is that factory women were well versed in appraising the advantages and disadvantages of additional family members.
- William Fannon, the author of this recollection, and Charles Shartle were well versed in shop ways.
- You may be versed in necromancy, and steeped in alchemy, and schooled in the ancient cruel arts of your realm.
► very well- Very well, you can go to Emily's house, but be back by 7 p.m.
- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► vote something a success/the best etc- But they will be in costume, and all party goers will have a chance to vote on the best disguise.
- They also voted the Cappuccino the best sub-£20,000 sports car in the show.
► something is (well) worth waiting for- Tuesday night's Boston-Chicago game was worth waiting for.
- Something worth having is worth waiting for.
► for want of a better word/phrase etc- Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
- Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► wash well- Silk doesn't wash well.
- Drain the anchovies and wash well to remove the oil from the surface.
- This one is knitted in a linen-mix yarn which washes well and feels especially soft to touch.
► wear well- Brass wears as well as steel in most hinges.
- Pavement's album from 1991 still wears well.
- A dense pile wears better than a loosely-woven one, which can be parted to reveal the backing.
- But most have stayed and worn well, reassuring and fixed points in an otherwise changing landscape.
- He has worn well, she mused.
- He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.
- His haughtiness did not wear well with the Republicans who controlled both houses of the legislature.
- If he was Sorrel's father, then he must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he'd worn well.
- That bit of you has worn well!
- Vibram: a brand name for a traditional tough and heavy-duty patterned sole which wears well.
► you would be well-advised to do something► well-grounded in something- Irwin is well-grounded in both engineering and robotics.
► be well-off for something► you don’t know when you’re well-off► a well-oiled machine- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► the well-to-do► well-trodden path/track/route etc► with the best will in the world- And, David, with the best will in the world, you can't teach him.
- Even with the best will in the world, we could not do it.
► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...► best/good/warmest etc wishes- A former miner, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
- And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.
- Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.
- My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warm greetings to you.
- Our best wishes to his family and friends.
- She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a boon companion of late.
- Spare me your shock and good wishes.
- With best wishes for success and prosperity.
► the worried well 1satisfactorily in a successful or satisfactory way: Did you sleep well? James reads quite well for his age. All the team played very well today. Simon doesn’t work well under pressure. The festival was very well organized. The concert went very well.2thoroughly in a thorough way: Mix the flour and butter well. I know Birmingham quite well.3a lot a)a lot, or to a great degreewell before/after/above/below etc Stand well back from the bonfire. It was well after 12 o'clock when they arrived. The village is well below sea level. The amphitheatre is well worth a visit. I’m well aware of the problems involved. I went out and got well and truly (=completely) drunk. b)[+adjective] British English informal very: That was well funny!4do well a)to be successful, especially in work or business: He’s doing very well at college. Elizabeth’s done well for herself since she moved to London. b)if someone who has been ill is doing well, they are becoming healthy again: He had the operation yesterday, and he’s doing very well.5 as well in addition to something or someone else: Why don’t you come along as well?RegisterAs well is used mostly in spoken English. In written English, people usually prefer to use also:· Parents are also welcome.6as well as something/somebody in addition to something or someone else: They own a house in France as well as a villa in Spain.as well as doing something The organization gives help and support to people in need, as well as raising money for local charities.7may/might/could well used to say that something is likely to happen or is likely to be true: What you say may well be true. You could try the drugstore, but it might well be closed by now.8may/might/could (just) as well a)informal used when you do not particularly want to do something but you decide you should do it: I suppose we may as well get started. b)used to mean that another course of action would have an equally good result: The taxi was so slow we might just as well have gone on the bus.9can’t very well (do something) used to say that you cannot do something because it would be unacceptable: I can’t very well tell him we don’t want him at the party!10know full/perfectly well used to say that someone does know something even though they are behaving as if they do not: You know full well what I mean.11speak/think well of somebody to talk about someone in an approving way or to have a favourable opinion of them: Sue has always spoken well of you.12well done!/well played! spoken used to praise someone when you think they have done something very well13well said! spoken used to say that you agree with what someone has just said, or that you admire them for saying it14be well away British English informal a)to be making good progress: If we can get that grant from the local authority, we’ll be well away. b)to be very drunk15be well in with somebody informal to have a friendly relationship with someone, especially someone important: She’s very well in with members of the management committee.16be well out of something British English spoken to be lucky to no longer be involved in a particular situation17be well up in/on something informal especially British English to know a lot about a particular subject: Geoff’s always been well up on the internet.18 as well somebody might/may formal used to say that there is a good reason for someone’s feelings or reactions: Marilyn looked guilty, as well she might.19do well by somebody informal to treat someone generouslyCOLLOCATIONS– Meaning 3prep/adjwell before· She’s been up since well before dawn.well after· It was well after ten o'clock when we arrived.well above· The school’s performance was well above average.well below· They earn well below $5 an hour.well short of· This total falls well short of the sum required.well back· Stand well back from the edge of the platform.well worth· The book is well worth reading.well aware· I am well aware of the risks involved.well able/capable· She is well able to look after herself.well underway· The work on the extension is well underway.well1 adverbwell2 interjectionwell3 adjectivewell4 nounwell5 verb wellwell2 ●●● S1 W1 interjection - Well, I don't think she's the best person for the job.
- Well, I suppose this room will be big enough for the meeting.
- Well, I think you should wait for a better offer.
- Well, let's see now, I could book you in for an appointment next Thursday.
- Well, that's all for today, I'll see you all tomorrow.
- Well, you'd think at least she might have phoned to say she wasn't coming!
- Well, you look really good in a suit and tie.
- Oh well, at least we have a place to stay tonight.
- This needs to be copied, and, well, I don't have time to do it.
- You know the guy I was telling you about? Well, he dropped out of school.
► Well then ‘James doesn’t want to come to the cinema with us.’ ‘Well then, let’s go on our own.’ ► well above The salaries we offer are well above (=much higher than) average. ► a well-known/famous actor· I’d really like to be a famous actor. ► well adapted flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters ► well in advance Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting? ► alive and well Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil. ► alive and well Christianity is alive and well in Asia. ► leave well (enough) alone (=not change something that is satisfactory) In economic matters, they should leave well alone. ► well-argued case The researchers put forward a well-argued case for banning the drug. ► a famous/well-known author· The famous author Henry James lived here. ► a best-selling author· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author. ► the best available· We use the best available technology. ► well/fully/acutely aware They were well aware that the company was losing money. ► well-behaved/badly-behaved a badly-behaved class ► well below Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard). ► best-seller list His new book went straight to number one on the best-seller list. ► be better off doing something (=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler. ► a bit better/older/easier etc I feel a bit better now. ► book (well) in advance· There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance. ► a well-earned break (=one that you deserve)· Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over. ► well camouflaged The strain she was under was well camouflaged by skilful make-up. ► somebody’s best clothes· They wore their best clothes for the photograph. ► came across ... well I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. ► came off ... well The performance on the first night came off pretty well. ► come over ... well He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview. ► cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)· Beans should always be cooked well. ► cope well· Most schools coped well with the change. ► prevention is better than cure British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it) ► curiosity gets the better of somebody/overcomes somebody (=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary. ► damn well· I’ll damn well do as I please. ► know damn well· You know damn well what I’m talking about. ► clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. ► deserve better (also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better. ► well deserved· The restaurant has a well deserved reputation for excellent fish. ► well-deserved He has a well-deserved reputation as a reliable worker. ► deservedly popular/well-known/famous etc Bistro Roti is a deservedly popular restaurant. ► well/badly etc designed a badly designed office ► well-developed plants with well-developed root systems ► be well/extensively/poorly etc documented It is well documented that men die younger than women. ► well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil. ► well-dressed (=wearing nice clothes of good quality)· The restaurant was full of well-dressed couples. ► well drilled The crew were well drilled in handling emergency situations. ► eat well (=have enough food, or have good food)· The people work hard, but they eat well. ► be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard)· It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort. ► best endeavours Despite our best endeavours, we couldn’t start the car. ► well/poorly/fully etc equipped a well equipped hospital ► well-established (=existing for a long time and respected or trusted by people)· McCarthy is a well-established and successful author. ► do well/badly in an exam British English, do well/badly on an exam American English:· Maria always did well in her exams at school. ► do well/badly in an examination· He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT. ► a well-known fact· It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year. ► far better/easier etc The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago. ► fit ... well His clothes did not fit him very well. ► well fitted Elinor is well fitted to be the sales manager. ► somebody’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)· Fiona was her best friend. ► well-kept/tidy British English (also neat American English)· The hotel is set in a well-kept garden. ► go well/smoothly/fine etc The party went well. Everything’s going fine at the moment. ► the best way What’s the best way to deal with this? ► The best thing The best thing you can do is wait here. ► a good deal bigger/better etc He was a good deal older than her. ► somebody’s best guess (=one that you think is most likely to be right)· My best guess is that it will take around six months. ► handles well/badly The car handles well, even on wet roads. ► somebody’s best handwriting· In his best handwriting, he wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day, Dad'. ► health and well-being· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children. ► heaps better/bigger etc (=much better, bigger etc) ► somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore. ► hope for the best Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). ► how best advice on how best (=the best way) to invest your money ► can well imagine (=can easily imagine)· I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news. ► well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible)· Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible. ► be well in with You have to be well in with the directors (=be very friendly with them) if you want to get promotion here. ► well-informed/ill-informed I became reasonably well-informed about the subject. ► good intentions/the best (of) intentions (=intentions to do something good or kind, especially when you do not succeed in doing it) He thinks the minister is full of good intentions that won’t be carried out. ► judge it best/better to do something (=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was. ► against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment. ► the best/worst kind· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture. ► of the worst/best etc kind· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. ► know ... well I don’t know him very well. ► is best known for Hepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’. ► know perfectly well/full well/only too well He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous. ► should know better It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better. ► knew better than to Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. ► a famous/well-known landmark· The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark in Paris. ► the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans. ► well lit The porch is always well lit at night. ► like best The time I like best (=like most of all) is the evening when it’s cool. ► a little more/better/further etc We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens. ► little more/better etc (than something) His voice was little more than a whisper. ► the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time) He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived. ► live well They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc). ► well looked after You could tell that the horse had been well looked after. ► much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. ► make something the best/worst/most expensive etc Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area. ► well-matched/ill-matched a well-matched pair ► good/best mate He’s good mates with John. ► may well Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely). ► may well ask ‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’ ► means well He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► the best means· Is this really the best means of achieving our goal? ► be well into middle age (=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age. ► might well This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). ► might well ask ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ ► as well it might This caused a few gasps, as well it might. ► move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things. ► much better/greater/easier etc Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable. ► much the best/most interesting etc British English It’s much the best way to do it. ► how much better/nicer/easier etc I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past! ► better nature I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us. ► well-nourished a well-nourished baby ► be well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. ► Oh ... well Oh, well, never mind. ► somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway! ► a good/better option· Renting a house may be a better option than buying. ► the best/worst part· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining. ► well past a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date ► well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time)· I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction. ► well-paid· Teachers here are well-paid. ► higher/better pay· Workers demanded higher pay. ► a famous/well-known phrase· We all hear the phrase "greenhouse gasses", but do you know what it really means? ► a well-turned phrase (=skilfully invented or chosen)· She creates lifelike characters with a few well-turned phrases. ► the best plan British English (=the best thing to do)· I think the best plan is to take the train. ► well/fully/inadequately etc prepared Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm. ► prevention is better than cure You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). ► well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body a beautifully proportioned room ► greater/better protection· The law should give greater protection to victims. ► well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) His visit was highly publicized. ► well put· Sorry, I’m not putting it very well. ► well qualified· As a former footballer, he is well qualified to talk about the game. ► read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly) He had accurately read the mood of the nation. ► reads well I think in general the report reads well. ► for reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour)· For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house. ► well received The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good). ► to (the best of) my recollection (=used when you are unsure if you remember correctly) To the best of my recollection, she drives a Mercedes. No one, to my recollection, gave a second thought to the risks involved. ► remember well (=thoroughly and completely)· I remember so well my first day there. ► a well-deserved reputation· Ronaldo’s performances earned him a deserved reputation as a terrific footballer. ► well respected· They were well respected in their communities. ► a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard)· Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season. ► well rid He was a bully, and we’re well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone). ► the best route· Let's look at the map and work out the best route. ► well/badly run The hotel is well-run and extremely popular. ► safe and sound/well (=unharmed, especially after being in danger) The missing children were found safe and sound. ► settle for second best I’m not going to settle for second best. ► come off second best (=lose a game or competition, or not be as successful as someone else) ► a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know)· The recipe is a closely-guarded secret. ► sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well. ► serve ... well Her talent for organization should serve her well. ► a shade better/quicker/faster etc The results were a shade better than we expected. ► well/elegantly/badly etc shod The children were well shod and happy. ► fall far/a long way/well short of something Facilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required. ► significantly better/greater/worse etc Delia’s work has been significantly better this year. ► well ... sunk A well was sunk in the back garden, and water could be pumped up into the kitchen. ► sleep well· I haven’t been sleeping well lately. ► slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. ► well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil. ► the best/perfect/ideal solution· Locking people in prison is not necessarily the ideal solution. ► speak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them)· He always spoke very highly of Marge. ► money well spent The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money). ► start badly/well/slowly etc Any new exercise program should start slowly. ► suit somebody well· Our new house suits us very well. ► tears well up in somebody’s eyes (=tears come into their eyes)· She broke off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. ► do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English· I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test. ► things go well/badly etc· If things went well, we would double our money in five years.· How did things go? ► time something well/badly etc Keith timed the pass well. a beautifully timed shot ► well treat· The majority of workers are well treated. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► turn out well/badly/fine etc It was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right. ► take a turn for the worse/better Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse. ► a better/greater/deeper understanding· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market. ► well underway The project is already well underway. ► are better left unsaid Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them). ► well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc a well-ventilated kitchen ► the very best/latest/worst etc We only use the very best ingredients. ► the best way· Doing the job is often regarded as the best way of learning the job. ► a sense/feeling of well-being A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. ► physical/psychological/material etc well-being the physical and emotional well-being of the children ► economic well-being We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country. ► well-chosen words He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words. ► feel ... well-disposed I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him. ► well-nigh impossible It will be well-nigh impossible to raise that amount of money. ► less well-off Many pensioners are less well-off (=have less money) than they used to be. ► well-trodden path/road/ground etc Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady. ► well-woman clinic a well-woman clinic ► wish somebody well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) My friends wished me well in my new job. ► work out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us. ► the best/tallest etc in the world· We want to become the best team in the world. ► the world’s best/tallest etc· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer. ► better or worse· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse. ► at best ... at worst Choosing the right software can be time-consuming at best and confusing or frustrating at worst. ► well worth The film is well worth seeing. ► It’s well worth It’s well worth getting there early if you want a good seat. ► wrap up warm/well Make sure you wrap up warm – it’s freezing. ► well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written. ► very well- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- It was all very well to be indignant, but she had driven him away.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► Well?- You were out past 3 a.m.! Well?
► to the best of your ability- All the children competed and performed to the best of their ability.
- I have always done my work to the best of my ability.
► acquit yourself well/honourably- They did acquit themselves well with heavier strings and a flat pick, but in the main they were seen as fingerpicking guitars.
► you would be well/ill advised to do something► all the better/easier/more etc- He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
- His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
- If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
- It makes it all the more opportune.
- Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
- The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
- The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
- Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► at your best/worst/most effective etc► augur well/badly/ill- Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
- In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
- It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
- Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
- That augured well for the day.
- That, at least, augured well.
- This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck► be on your best behaviour- Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behaviour.
- And if what Cadfael suspected was indeed true, he had now good reason to be on his best behaviour.
- But everyone is on their best behaviour.
- So when we arrived hopefully at Loch Hope that morning, I was on my best behaviour.
- Use only our own girls and warn them to be on their best behaviour.
► you’d better believe it!- "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
► your best bet- For getting around the city centre, a bicycle's your best bet.
- We decided that our best bet was to leave him where he was and go and get help.
- Well, your best bet would be to go back to Highway 218 and turn left.
► your best bib and tucker► bloody well- He seems to have bloody well disappeared altogether.
- I bloody well did, that's who.
- If there was a boat to rock, she'd bloody well rock it.
- It's encouraging them all to bloody well abuse the system so it is.
- M' lud, we bloody well hope so.
- They should bloody well have stuck around till we turned up.
- You see what we've bloody well done?
► bode well/ill (for somebody/something)- The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
- Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
- Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
- The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
- Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
- Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
- Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
- Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
- Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
► bring out the best/worst in somebody- Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
- And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
- But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
- But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
- Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
- It brings out the best in us.
- Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
- So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
- Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
► the best/pick of the bunch- But me third was the best of the bunch.
- Either they are one of the best of the bunch at home, or they make their name abroad.
- Even these modest broadcasts show only the best of the bunch.
- He may be the best of the bunch.
- It's also the best of the bunch for multi-processing, he says.
- Nevertheless as an introduction it is the best of the bunch.
- Woolwich is the best of the bunch, trading at a multiple to future earnings of 10.3.
► trump/best/strongest card- And perhaps it was time to play the trump card up his sleeve.
- In the struggle for development, every economy has certain advantages or trump cards.
- Parents must recognize that if a child does not want to do homework, the child holds the trump card.
- That night, though, our sincerity was our trump card.
- That was why Gorbachev wanted to negotiate-and that is why, in my opinion, President Reagan was holding the trump card.
- The citizens of Hebron, by contrast, hold all the trump cards.
- This was one of the trump cards of News International in its dispute with the print workers in 1986-87.
- We had beaten him, but he played a final trump card.
► come off best/better/worst etc- Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
- Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
- His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
- It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
- Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
- The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
- The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► well connected- And it does show these people are well connected.
- Be sure to get concrete and focused information from some one well connected to the writing world.
- By Road Carnlough is 35 miles from Belfast and is well connected with regular transport services.
- Certainly, such insubordination and disloyalty would have gotten a less well connected man court-martialed.
- For non-residents, other than the nobly born and well connected, it is less informative.
- Pogo's family were very well connected and he had an entrée to every branch of society.
- Samson was a man of worldly tastes and habits: he was well connected, well educated, generous and rich.
- She was well off, well educated, well connected, but she wasn't well.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc► a damn sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour► be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)- He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
► somebody would do well to do something- Nelson would do well to keep her political views out of her work.
- And President Dole or President Clinton would do well to take advantage of the services of such a splendid fellow.
- However, managers would do well to first address their own personal fears and discomfort.
- It's a motto the world of fundraising would do well to remember.
- Kansas City would do well to follow their example.
- Our selectors would do well to not pay too much attention to birth certificates.
- Parents would do well to discuss them with their doctor or hospital personnel before birth. 1.
- She would do well to remember that.
- This is highly regarded and influential in police circles and the social worker would do well to be aware of its thinking.
► do well by somebody- He's left home, but he still does well by his kids.
- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► easily the best/biggest etc- Aluminium benching is easily the best, as it virtually lasts for ever and is easily cleaned.
- He's easily the best military brain in the country.
- It's easily the best Fermanagh side I've played on.
- It gave easily the best value.
- Johnny Hero played the between set music - again proving that he hosts easily the best disco in town.
- Natural gas forms easily the biggest world reserve of methane-rich fuel.
- The greens were easily the best part of the dish.
- The pension is easily the biggest single cash benefit.
► university-educated/well educated/privately educated etc► even bigger/better/brighter etc- But he actually proved even better than I thought.
- He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
- I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
- It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
- Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
- There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
- This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
- What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
► hotter/colder/better etc than ever- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
► fare well/badly/better etc- I think the men fared better than the women.
- It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
- It still fared better than the broader market.
- Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
- Not faring well, but resting.
- Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
- The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
- There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► well-fed/under-fed/poorly-fed► I must/I’d better be getting along► go down well/badly/a treat etc- It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
- It seems to be going down a treat.
► go off well/badly etc► go over well► the biggest/best/nicest etc something going- A few hundred metres off-shore we congregate so that Tor can explain the best way of going ashore.
- Are the best bargains going to petrol buyers?
- But in those years, they were always the team with the best record going into the playoffs.
- Its got to be the best ticket office going.
- Perhaps the biggest thing going was the harp played by JoAnn Turovsky, sounding positively, well, huge.
- There was a wide range of scores with the best individual score going to George McCallum of Douglas Reyburn with 37 points.
- This, so I was led to believe, was the best it was going to get.
- What is the best way of going forward? - Ideas from within I hear you say!
► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► somebody had better/best do something► be somebody’s last/only/best hope- Advocates just seem to take it on faith that annexation is the only hope of salvation for this city.
- But mad or not, you are my only hope, Meg.
- But Thomas Sachs was now her only hope.
- I expected to be disappointed, though the letter was now my only hope.
- In the long term, Mr Heseltine said that privatisation was the only hope for the industry.
- Is he only hoping to make money?
- Robert Urquhart was her only hope, her only ally.
- That was the only hope I had of reaching the doctor.
► jolly well- And charge they jolly well did.
- And if he hasn't changed his sheets by now, he jolly well ought to have done.
- But the horse is used to being brushed, or he jolly well should be!
- He claimed he hadn't any but he jolly well had!
- He had a mountain to climb and he was jolly well going to reach the top or die in the attempt.
- I mean, would you jolly well put money into this place?
► it’s/that’s just as well► kiss something better► not know any better- Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
► (well,) what do you know?► know better- Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
- The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
- But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
- Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
- Guess he should have known better.
- Now you know better, thass all.
- Then I would have known better.
- Time you knew better, young lady.
- Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
► somebody knows best► well-known/little-known/lesser-known► better late than never- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► do your level best (to do something)- Even so he did his level best with the new ball.
- We did our level best to look fascinated.
► light years ahead/better etc than something► (just) that little bit better/easier etc- We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
► good luck/best of luck- Best of luck with your driving test.
- Good luck Archie! Enjoy your new job.
► better luck next time- Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
- And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
- Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► wish somebody (the best of) luck- But had we sat down with her, we would have wished her good luck.
- Everyone wished each other good luck and Mould, Matron and Endill headed off to the library.
- I wish him luck and hope that after a couple of years he is transferred back!
- James wished me good luck and dashed off home.
- Lineker and Paul Gascoigne have both been in touch with Spurs to wish them good luck for the new season.
- She wishes me luck, opens the door to the bathroom, and disappears into a cloud of steam.
- Well, I wish you luck.
- Yet at the start of the day both sides had wished each other luck.
► a well-oiled machine- If you're trained correctly you become like a well-oiled machine.
- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► man’s best friend► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► may well- Database development and a news archiving feature which may well appear as a separate product are also in the pipeline.
- Half a dozen senior people in the energy ministry, recently sacked on suspicion of taking bribes, may well join him.
- It may well be argued that any attempt at locating sUch a remote people is itself an idle one.
- Moreover, there may well be some very severe doubts about the application of the biological model even to the favourite cases.
- The two who stay may well be the ones who adapt to the new system the best.
- There may well be a real problem here.
- To take them off groundwater may well mean we have to subsidize them some more.
- You may well have heard of him.
► may as well- Since we're just sitting here, we may as well have a drink.
- You may as well not turn it on, Cooper, until after the game.
- I may as well explain here why he did this much-criticized and desperate deed of daring...
- I may as well have not bothered.
- I may as well stick it out to the end.
- If Klepner's gonna get his job he may as well do the spiel.
- In the end the mission controllers took the very pragmatic view that they may as well continue the mission to the Moon.
- That may as well be a word from a foreign language.
- You may as well get used to it, Oakland.
- You may as well play when you are in a scoring mode.
► the best medicine- Laughter is the best medicine.
- A former teacher at Longlands College, Middlesbrough, Pat always believes in laughter as the best medicine for loneliness.
- Besides, it is the best medicine.
- Having Louella come and live with me will be the best medicine in the world.
- Recovery is the best medicine for the market, but it must be sustainable.
► might (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
► might well- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along► the next best thing- He can't ask them, so he is doing the next best thing.
- I guess they figured calling their game Arnie was the next best thing to having a blockbusting movie title.
- It is the next best thing to crossing the deserts of the world oneself.
- The new switch is the next best thing we could do to moving.
- The room is the next best thing to being outside.
- Video may seem like the next best thing to being there, but electronically mediated interactions are different from real-life meetings.
- We do, however, have the next best thing: a place to go for more information.
- We went to the bookshelves to find the next best thing.
► none the worse/better etc (for something)- Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
- I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
- Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► well now- Well now, do you agree or not?
- Buffalo is better now on offense than they have been.
- But things were much better now.
- Even though he could foresee the problem then, we can see it equally well now.
- He and I get along very well now.
- I know Steven's method of working very well now.
- Q: Your album is doing incredibly well now, and your career is on the upswing.
- The clients expect and understand that quite well now, because it's been happening for about two or three years.
- Um, yeah, yeah, I actually started getting kind of sick but I am feeling better now.
► well/badly/carefully etc organized- From everything I saw and heard, he seemed to be very well organized in Iowa.
- In parliament there would be a carefully organized campaign of resistance that would at least slow the government down and raise Unionist morale.
- Now that the partisans were well organized in the Province of Parma they committed many acts of sabotage.
- Others around us, and we ourselves, demand that we always be well organized and hopeful.
- Professionals are well organized, never seen by their victims, and they don't kill.
- The anti-London lobby, however, was well organized and had financial arguments to back its case.
- They can also be extraordinarily well organized and methodical, as well as deliberate and purposeful.
► the best/better part of something- Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
- Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
- Converse drank the better part of the rum.
- For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
- I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
- It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
- This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► pass off well/badly etc► perform well/badly etc- After they had performed well in the role, these women made prestigious marriages, as does Cinderella.
- All this works only if Hanson's headquarters performs well in its non-executive role.
- Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.
- Is a nominated subcontractor really likely to perform better than the subcontractor's own subcontractor?
- Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.
- This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.
- To perform well a team needs a range of roles in its make-up.
- Yet these stocks performed well in both.
► personal best- But I still ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best, so I was happy.
- Conrad Allen came up trumps again, finishing fourth in the boys 800 metres in a personal best 2 mins. 22.
- Fredericks' 19. 68 was 0. 14 seconds lower than his personal best.
- His personal best before this season was 10. 08.
- I next ran at Oslo where I set a personal best for 200 metres, so that was encouraging.
- Ron and I take each year as it comes and we always plan for me to run a personal best every season.
- Sammy also collected a 50 freestyle bronze with 31.44-a personal best along with her 43.95 in the 50 breaststroke.
- That means that their motives are clean and their actions represent their personal best.
► photograph well- Despite worries to the contrary, pressed flowers photograph well and make a refreshing change from more conventional forms of artwork.
- Owing to poor light conditions, these particular marks did not photograph well.
► be well/ideally etc placed- But the island that in the prohibition years after 1920 profitably ran the rum trade is well placed for bootlegging cocaine.
- By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.
- Development agencies are well placed to make this point with the authority of people trying to get a job done.
- He was well placed to comment.
- In short, I knew a lot of management educators and developers and was well placed to include them in my study.
- Professional associations would seem to be well placed in terms of expertise and disinterest to carry out this kind of selection.
- The clearing banks were ideally placed.
- These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.
► be well/ideally/perfectly positioned► the best/biggest/fastest etc possible- Any successful entrepreneurial venture starts with making sure that the entrepreneur is in the best possible mental and physical health.
- But the psychologist was never confident that he had obtained the best possible scores from Nelson.
- For a moment, I imagined the best possible to the worst possible reply.
- Obviously, the purpose is to ensure that the best possible pensions arrangements are reached.
- That way it will have the best possible start in life.
- The additional value farmers receive is the best possible free advice on both inputs and marketing.
- The horrifying news sent the Ciprianos on a nationwide search to find the best possible treatment for their daughter.
- This at once enhances the contribution which the court or parents can make towards reaching the best possible decision in all the circumstances.
► good/best/bad practice- An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
- Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
- It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
- Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
- The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
- There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
- These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
- This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► pretty well/much- In 1992, Clinton had pretty much wrapped up the Democratic nomination by Super Tuesday.
- It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.
- Once we would arrive at a place, Alistair seemed to leave Judy pretty much on her own.
- Otherwise you have to walk the half block, but then you can see them pretty well.
- Our point here is that at an abstract level, every organization values pretty much the same things.
- Since I was there six years ago some things have changed and others have remained pretty much the same.
- They have timed the deal pretty well, and not just from a weather outlook.
- They know me pretty well here.
► well-read/widely-read► better Red than dead► better (to be) safe than sorry- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
► have seen better days- Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
- Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
- We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
► send your love/regards/best wishes etc- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
► give something your best shot- I'm not promising I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best shot.
- Hopefully he can recover and regain his test place and give it his best shot.
- I'd have given it my best shot, and that was all anyone could demand from me.
- I just have a feeling that we have given it our best shot.
- The band gave it their best shot, until the arrival of the blue meanies put an end to the proceedings.
- You were never entirely safe from prying fingers in Chinatown, but I had to give it my best shot.
► the best/biggest etc ... this side of something► a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
- The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
- We were a darned sight better than them.
► be well/clearly/badly signposted- Big Pit is about a male out of Blaenafon on the B4248, and is well signposted.
- There are well signposted walks, some of them offering views of the snow-topped Alps.
► not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)- Certainly, such views as these do not sit comfortably with managerialism and are equally at odds with restricted professionality.
- He had never before been accused of stealing and it did not sit well with him.
- One might think a hockey fan would not sit easily at a sewing machine piecing together patches for a quilt.
- The adornment, thought Eloise smugly, would not sit well amidst so much blubber.
- The closures, which began late last month, does not sit well with many of the regulars.
- The populist vision of a peasant landholding democracy does not sit easily with alternative visions of women's rights.
- The volatility and their non-guaranteed status do not sit comfortably with the official line linking the two benefits.
- This conviction did not sit well either with regimental soldiering or with Whitehall.
► the best/greatest thing since sliced bread- Now, I didn't get it because I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
► the sooner ( ... ) the better- The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
- They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
► good/better/healthy etc start (in life)- A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
- But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
- He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
- It wasn't a very good start.
- Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
- The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
- The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
- They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
► better/harder/worse etc still- And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
- But perhaps the early evening was better still?
- He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
- I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
- I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
- Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
- Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
- With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
► best/well/ideally/perfectly etc suited to/for something- Boar chops are best suited to grilling or sauteing.
- If I were a free agent, those are the places I would go, a place best suited for my needs.
- It is not however so well suited to an intensive, detailed study of spoken language.
- Nevertheless, it is an early maturing variety well suited to the long ripening period of a northern wine region.
- Secondly, the adversary nature of the adjudicative process may not be well suited to this area.
- The farmer's wife was well suited to tackling this considerable undertaking.
- Use the systems best suited to their talent, both offensively and defensively.
- We have large quantities of plutonium already separated and in forms ideally suited for nuclear weapons.
► greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
► your Sunday best► your/her/my etc Sunday best► be well/poorly/generously supplied with something- The lounge was well supplied with ashtrays.
- Football stars are well supplied with female groupies.
- The markets are well supplied with agricultural produce, and with linens and yarns from the surrounding country.
► think better of it- She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
- But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
- But then she thought better of it.
- Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
- He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
- He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
- He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
- Then he thought better of it.
► think the best/worst of somebody- Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
- He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
- I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
- My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
- The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
- Why should you think the worst of me?
- You always think the worst of me.
► carefully/well/badly thought-out- But new-wave sanitation experts say sewerage offers little more than convenience when compared to well thought-out latrines.
- Each section is well thought-out and presented with a good number of diagrams and chromatograms.
- It is here that the value of well thought-out objectives can be seen.
- The system is a well thought-out one and seems to work well.
► the best/biggest etc ... of all time- And seeing as it was my brainchild, would you not say it was possibly the best commercial of all time?
- Surely the biggest robbery of all time was the $ 900m that the Dome stole from lottery funds?
- That's the biggest understatement of all time!
- You could call that round the biggest fluke of all time...
► well-travelled► travel well- Clear out your food cupboard and throw away everything that will not travel well, such as leaky, crushable or carbonated goods.
- Commercially precooked and ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats and cheeses travel well.
- He could travel well enough on his own, if only they'd let him.
- It had travelled well and the colour emphasised her astonishing fairness.
- It is excellent wine, in either its white or its red versions, and said to travel well.
- Smells travel well under water, though what the experience of underwater scents may be like is open to imagination.
- Some things don't travel well, in time or in space.
► well and truly- After two weeks, the kids were well and truly converted.
- But I had been caught, well and truly, and had paid the price, time and time again.
- From February, the challenge will have well and truly begun, especially if your birthday falls between August 13 and 23.
- It looked as if she was well and truly trapped.
- Mind you any food in our stomach was going to get well and truly shaken up.
- One word from him and doors that Washington depended on being open would be well and truly slammed.
- The padded fabric varieties are well and truly childproof - and look very attractive.
- We were all well and truly bitten.
► well/beautifully/badly etc turned out- He looks trim and well turned out in a new dark suit.
- Mr. Russ's deputy was Mr. Windust, then probably in his late thirties - always smart and well turned out.
► two heads are better than one► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► be (well) versed in something- An engineer may be well versed in the technique of value engineering; it includes methods of generating the creative discontinuity.
- He was also reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
- Of course, not everyone is well versed in moral philosophy.
- The second point is that factory women were well versed in appraising the advantages and disadvantages of additional family members.
- William Fannon, the author of this recollection, and Charles Shartle were well versed in shop ways.
- You may be versed in necromancy, and steeped in alchemy, and schooled in the ancient cruel arts of your realm.
► very well- Very well, you can go to Emily's house, but be back by 7 p.m.
- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► vote something a success/the best etc- But they will be in costume, and all party goers will have a chance to vote on the best disguise.
- They also voted the Cappuccino the best sub-£20,000 sports car in the show.
► something is (well) worth waiting for- Tuesday night's Boston-Chicago game was worth waiting for.
- Something worth having is worth waiting for.
► for want of a better word/phrase etc- Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
- Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► wash well- Silk doesn't wash well.
- Drain the anchovies and wash well to remove the oil from the surface.
- This one is knitted in a linen-mix yarn which washes well and feels especially soft to touch.
► wear well- Brass wears as well as steel in most hinges.
- Pavement's album from 1991 still wears well.
- A dense pile wears better than a loosely-woven one, which can be parted to reveal the backing.
- But most have stayed and worn well, reassuring and fixed points in an otherwise changing landscape.
- He has worn well, she mused.
- He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.
- His haughtiness did not wear well with the Republicans who controlled both houses of the legislature.
- If he was Sorrel's father, then he must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he'd worn well.
- That bit of you has worn well!
- Vibram: a brand name for a traditional tough and heavy-duty patterned sole which wears well.
► you would be well-advised to do something► well-grounded in something- Irwin is well-grounded in both engineering and robotics.
► be well-off for something► you don’t know when you’re well-off► a well-oiled machine- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► the well-to-do► well-trodden path/track/route etc► with the best will in the world- And, David, with the best will in the world, you can't teach him.
- Even with the best will in the world, we could not do it.
► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...► best/good/warmest etc wishes- A former miner, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
- And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.
- Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.
- My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warm greetings to you.
- Our best wishes to his family and friends.
- She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a boon companion of late.
- Spare me your shock and good wishes.
- With best wishes for success and prosperity.
► the worried well 1emphasizing something used to emphasize something you are saying: Well, I think it’s a good idea anyway. Well, I’ve had enough and I’m going home! ‘James doesn’t want to come to the cinema with us.’ ‘Well then, let’s go on our own.’2pausing used to pause or give yourself time to think before saying something: Well, let’s see now, I could meet you on Thursday.3accepting a situation (also oh well) used to show that you accept a situation even though you feel disappointed or annoyed about it: Well, I did my best – I can’t do any more than that. Oh well, we’ll just have to cancel the holiday, I suppose.4showing surprise (also well, well, (well)) used to express surprise or amusement: Well, so Steve got the job? Well, well, well, I didn’t think I’d see you here.5showing anger used to express anger or disapproval: Well, she could at least have phoned to say she wasn’t coming!6final remark used to show that you are about to finish speaking or doing something: Well, that’s all for today. Well, that’s the last one done.7expressing doubt used to show that you are not sure about something: ‘Will you be in on Friday evening?’ ‘Well, it depends.’8changing something used to slightly change something that you have said: He’s rolling in money! Well, he’s got a lot more than me, anyway.9agreeing very well formal used to show that you agree with an idea or accept a suggestion: ‘Very well,’ he said. ‘I accept.’10continuing a story used to continue a story you are telling people, especially in order to make it seem more interesting: You know that couple I was telling you about the other day? Well, last night I saw a police car in front of their house!11asking a question Well? used to ask someone to answer a question you have asked them, when you are angry with them: Well? What have you got to say for yourself?well1 adverbwell2 interjectionwell3 adjectivewell4 nounwell5 verb wellwell3 ●●● S1 W2 adjective (comparative better, superlative best) - ""How are you?'' ""I'm very well, thank you.''
- Clare's been much better since the operation.
- Ellen hasn't been very well lately.
- I should be better by this weekend.
- You're looking well - have you been on holiday?
- You need to eat regular nourishing meals if you want to keep yourself fit and well.
► healthy having good health: · A good diet keeps you healthy.· They tested the drug on healthy volunteers. ► well used especially when describing or asking about how someone feels or looks: · I don’t feel well.· How was James – did he look well? ► fine spoken used in a reply to a question about your health, or when talking about someone else’s health. Use fine only in replies or statements, not in questions: · ‘Hi, Tom, how are you?’ ‘Fine, thanks.’· She had a bad cold, but she’s fine now. ► all right/OK spoken not ill or injured. These expressions are very commonly used in everyday spoken English: · You look pale – are you feeling all right?· He’s had an accident but he’s OK. ► better less ill than you were, or no longer ill: · I’m feeling a lot better now.· Don’t come back to school until you’re better. ► fit healthy, especially because you exercise regularly: · She keeps fit by cycling everywhere.· Police officers have to be physically fit and have good eyesight. ► in (good) shape healthy and fit: · Jogging keeps me in pretty good shape. ► robust literary healthy and strong, and not likely to become ill: · He had a robust constitution (=a strong and healthy body).· robust plants· a robust girl, wearing a thick woollen sweater ► be/look a picture of health to look very healthy: · She looked a picture of health as she posed for the cameras. someone who is healthy► healthy someone who is healthy has nothing physically wrong with them: · I've been much healthier since I stopped smoking.· She's just had a lovely healthy baby girl. ► well healthy - use this to say that someone feels or looks healthy, or that they are healthy again after an illness: · "How are you?'' "I'm very well, thank you.''· Clare's been much better since the operation.look well: · You're looking well - have you been on holiday?fit and well: · You need to eat regular nourishing meals if you want to keep yourself fit and well. ► fine spoken say this when someone has asked you how you or someone else feels, and you are replying that you or the other person feels well: · "How are you?'' "Fine, thanks."· "How's your wife now?'' "Oh, she's fine, thank you.'' ► in good/perfect/excellent health formal very healthy: · The hostages arrived back in Britain yesterday, tired but otherwise in good health.· My grandmother remained in excellent health until she was in her nineties. ill► ill especially British suffering from bad health or not feeling well: · Mel was so ill that she had to stay in bed for a month.seriously ill (=very ill): · Apparently Don's wife is seriously ill, and they think it might be cancer.critically ill (=extremely ill): · The baby caught a virus and became critically ill.terminally ill (=so ill that you are going to die): · psychological support for terminally ill patientsmentally ill (=suffering from a mental illness): · Mentally ill patients have the same rights as anyone else.lie ill (=be ill in bed): · All that week, Catherine lay ill, drifting in and out of consciousness. ► sick especially American ill: · Where's Mary today? I hope she's not sick again.· Sheila spent months looking after her sick mother.be off sick (=not at work or school because of illness): · Gary phoned to say that he's off sick today.be off work sick/be in bed sick: · I'm sorry I didn't reply to your e-mail. I was in bed sick for a couple of days.sick with the flu/a virus etc (=ill as a result of flu etc): · Grant Hill played despite being sick with the flu for the past ten days.be sick with worry/fear/exhaustion etc (=so worried etc that you feel sick): · We were dirty, hungry, cold and sick with exhaustion. ► be not (very) well especially spoken to be ill, but not seriously ill: · Sarah's not very well - she's got a throat infection.· Jed's Mum says he's not well, so he's staying at home today. ► unwell formal ill: · Mrs Hedges is unwell today, so her class will be taken by Mr Collier.· Tom had been unwell for some time but had refused to see a doctor. ► poorly British informal ill: · Dad was always out, Mum was often poorly, and I had to look after the rest of the kids.· "I'm afraid your grandmother's very poorly," the nurse on duty said. ► be in a bad way informal to be very ill, especially as a result of a serious injury or disease: · You'd better get an ambulance - she's in a pretty bad way.· Martin came back from Africa with malaria, and he was in a pretty bad way for months. ► look like death warmed up British /death warmed over American spoken to look ill and pale, especially because you did not get enough sleep or are suffering for the effects of too much alcohol: · Kate didn't sleep a wink last night. She looks like death warmed up.· Boy, you look like death warmed over this morning! to feel ill► feel ill British /feel sick American · "Do you feel ill, darling?'' asked Rosie anxiously.· I was feeling ill, so I went home.· Mark said he felt sick, so I've made an appointment with the doctor. ► not feel (very) well also not feel too good, also not feel good American informal to feel slightly ill: · If you don't feel well the best thing to do is to stay in bed.· "I don't feel very well,'' said Jamie, suddenly going very pale.· Ben's not feeling good this morning. I think it's something he ate.· No, I don't think I'll be coming out tonight. I'm not feeling too good. ► feel funny spoken informal to feel slightly ill - use this especially when you do not know what is wrong with you: · I felt a bit funny and dizzy, and then the next thing I knew I was lying on the floor. ► feel rough British spoken to feel ill: · Don't get up if you're feeling rough - I'll bring you some breakfast in bed.· Liz said she was feeling pretty rough yesterday -- I don't think she'll come to work today. ► feel sick British /feel sick to your stomach American to feel as if you are going to vomit (=bring food up from your stomach): · We'd only been in the car two minutes when David said he felt sick.· When I was pregnant, the smell of coffee made me feel sick to my stomach. ► groggy informal feeling weak and tired as a result of illness or drugs: · You shouldn't drive after taking these pills. They're likely to make you feel groggy.groggy from: · I went to see Sally in hospital, but she was still groggy from the anaesthetic. ► feel faint to feel very weak and as if you are going to become unconscious: · It was a very hot day, and I suddenly felt faint and sick.· If at any time you feel faint or nauseous, stop taking the tablets. to become healthy again after an illness or accident► recover to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · My mother's been very ill, and is still in hospital recovering.· Sammy needed to recover a little before they could move him to a hospital nearer his home.recover from: · He never really recovered from the operation.fully recover (=completely recover): · It was several months before John had fully recovered from his heart attack. ► get better especially spoken to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · I hope you get better soon.· My back has been quite bad recently, but it's getting better slowly.· I didn't remember anything about the accident, but little by little, as I got better, memories started coming back to me. ► make a complete/full/good/slow recovery to recover completely, fully, well, or slowly: · The disease has been caught early, and the doctors say she should make a complete recovery.· Thomas is making a good recovery, although he is still quite weak.make a remarkable/amazing recovery: · Joe has made a remarkable recovery from the injuries he sustained in the accident. ► get over to recover from an illness, especially one that is not very serious: · Mark hasn't got over the flu yet. He still feels pretty weak.· I've had a nasty cold, but I'm getting over it now.· The doctor told Mum it was only a stomach upset, not food poisoning, and she would get over it in a day or two. ► get well to recover from an illness - use this especially when you are encouraging someone to recover: · Get well soon -- we all miss you!· I hope you get well quickly. ► feel better to feel less ill than you did before: · I hope you feel better soon.· My father's been quite ill, but he's starting to feel a bit better now. ► improve if you or your health improves, you become less ill than you were before but not completely well. Improve is more formal than feel better: · Susie's improving gradually with this new treatment.· My health finally began to improve when I changed to a less stressful job.· She was told to go back to the doctor in two weeks if she hadn't improved. ► be on the mend if someone is on the mend , they are definitely showing signs of getting better after an illness or injury: · I'm glad to see you're on the mend again.· Kathy's been quite ill with flu, but I think she's on the mend now. ► shake off to manage to recover from an illness such as a cold or an infection, which you have had for a fairly long time: shake something off: · Towards the end of the year he caught flu, and he couldn't shake it off.shake off something: · It seems to be taking me a long time to shake off this cold. to be successful in your work► be successful also be a success to earn a lot of money or to become well known and respected, because you do your job very well: · Five years ago he started his own business and now he's very successful.· I'm glad we appointed Cyril - he's proved to be a great success.· In order to be successful as a dancer, you need flair and stamina.· He's leaving the company, despite having been a big success as marketing manager.· People who are successful in their careers have found out what they like and do well. ► do well to be successful in your job, especially because you work hard: · Gail seemed so anxious to do well, and she worked really hard.· When the players do well, I praise them -- but there are no rewards for coming second.· Neither of the kids was doing well in school.· Most of his tutors expected him to do well at Harvard.· My friend left college and went into law, and he's doing very well for himself. ► get on/get ahead to be successful in your job, especially because you have a very strong desire to succeed: · The people who get on are the ones who create their own opportunities.· My father's experience taught me a memorable lesson in how to get ahead.get on in life/the world: · You may not like having to agree with everything the boss says, but often that's the way to get on in life.· If you want to get ahead in this world, kid, never take 'no' for an answer. ► make it informal to become successful, especially in the sports or entertainment business: · He was a talented football player and I knew he'd make it.· We've fought long and hard to get where we are, and we deserve to make it.make it big (=become very successful): · Many actors move to America, hoping to make it big in Hollywood.make it on your own (=without any help from anyone): · Get as much advice from colleagues as you can - it can be difficult trying to make it on your own. ► succeed to become successful in your job by doing it well and continuing to work at it for a fairly long time: · People who have had setbacks are often the ones who are really driven to succeed.· a strong desire to succeedsucceed as a teacher/actor/musician etc: · If you don't change your attitude, you will never succeed as a manager in this firm.succeed at: · My parents always told me I'd succeed at anything I chose to do.succeed in: · A lot of people doubted that I could succeed in business for myself. ► rise to the top to get better and better jobs in a company, organization, or profession so that eventually you have one of the most important jobs in it: · Those who rise to the top in advertising can expect to earn in excess of $100,000.· I think we all like to believe that if someone is made of the right stuff, they will rise to the top.· A consummate professional, he rose to the top of the most competitive organization in the country. ► work your way up to work very hard in your job so that eventually you reach an important and high position: · While she was working her way up from dishwasher to chef, she was studying at night school to improve her grades. work your way up to the top: · He started two years ago as an admin assistant, and worked his way up to the top. ► make your mark to be successful in your job so that people notice you and respect your ability, especially because of a particular piece of work you have done: · In his early twenties, Terry was the typical ambitious graduate, full of ideas and eager to make his mark.· She instantly made her mark with a series of award-winning ad campaigns for high-profile clients. ► further/advance your career to gain more important and better paid jobs in your chosen area of work, especially by doing things that will get you noticed by more important people that you work with: · First, take a look at what you personally can do to advance your career.· In recent weeks, Janet has become aware that her colleague Alan has been using her to further his own career. when a company or product is successful► be successful · Unless we make a product that people want, we are not going to be successful.· To be successful, agencies must have in place a first-rate financial management system. · The new playstation has been less successful than the previous version.· The campaign was so successful that Harvard Business School adopted it as a case study. ► do well if a company or product does well , it is successful, especially in difficult conditions or when it has not existed for very long: · If the firm does well, your shares will be worth far more than you paid for them.· The producer would only say that sales of the video were 'doing very well indeed.' ► be a success if a company, product, film etc is a success , it makes a lot of money because a lot of people use it, buy it, or go to see it: · There was a lot of uncertainty about whether or not the picture would be a success.· We've started our own business. If it's a success we should be earning at least $3,000 per month.· The movie was, not surprisingly, a huge commercial success for Jordan.· The show was an even bigger success than he had dreamed. ► succeed if a company or product succeeds , it becomes successful and can continue to do business or be produced: · Even in remote areas people open restaurants, and surprisingly enough, they succeed.· Who'd think of designing a virtual rock-climbing game? Microsoft did, and it succeeded. ► thrive if a company, or industry thrives , it is very successful, especially because economic conditions are good or because a lot of people want to buy or use its products: · The IT explosion means that telecommunications companies are thriving.· It is still unclear whether dotcom companies will continue to thrive in the long-term future. ► prosper if a company, or industry prospers , it is successful and is able to make good profits because of good economic conditions or good management: · Over the next few years, our little bar prospered and grew in popularity.· India's software companies have prospered by keeping costs to a bare minimum. ► feel ... well I don’t feel very well. ► looking ... well You’re looking very well. ► get well I hope you get well again soon. ► well above The salaries we offer are well above (=much higher than) average. ► a well-known/famous actor· I’d really like to be a famous actor. ► well adapted flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters ► well in advance Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting? ► alive and well Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil. ► alive and well Christianity is alive and well in Asia. ► leave well (enough) alone (=not change something that is satisfactory) In economic matters, they should leave well alone. ► well-argued case The researchers put forward a well-argued case for banning the drug. ► a famous/well-known author· The famous author Henry James lived here. ► a best-selling author· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author. ► the best available· We use the best available technology. ► well/fully/acutely aware They were well aware that the company was losing money. ► well-behaved/badly-behaved a badly-behaved class ► well below Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard). ► best-seller list His new book went straight to number one on the best-seller list. ► be better off doing something (=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler. ► a bit better/older/easier etc I feel a bit better now. ► book (well) in advance· There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance. ► a well-earned break (=one that you deserve)· Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over. ► well camouflaged The strain she was under was well camouflaged by skilful make-up. ► somebody’s best clothes· They wore their best clothes for the photograph. ► came across ... well I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. ► came off ... well The performance on the first night came off pretty well. ► come over ... well He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview. ► cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)· Beans should always be cooked well. ► cope well· Most schools coped well with the change. ► prevention is better than cure British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it) ► curiosity gets the better of somebody/overcomes somebody (=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary. ► damn well· I’ll damn well do as I please. ► know damn well· You know damn well what I’m talking about. ► clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. ► deserve better (also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better. ► well deserved· The restaurant has a well deserved reputation for excellent fish. ► well-deserved He has a well-deserved reputation as a reliable worker. ► deservedly popular/well-known/famous etc Bistro Roti is a deservedly popular restaurant. ► well/badly etc designed a badly designed office ► well-developed plants with well-developed root systems ► be well/extensively/poorly etc documented It is well documented that men die younger than women. ► well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil. ► well-dressed (=wearing nice clothes of good quality)· The restaurant was full of well-dressed couples. ► well drilled The crew were well drilled in handling emergency situations. ► eat well (=have enough food, or have good food)· The people work hard, but they eat well. ► be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard)· It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort. ► best endeavours Despite our best endeavours, we couldn’t start the car. ► well/poorly/fully etc equipped a well equipped hospital ► well-established (=existing for a long time and respected or trusted by people)· McCarthy is a well-established and successful author. ► do well/badly in an exam British English, do well/badly on an exam American English:· Maria always did well in her exams at school. ► do well/badly in an examination· He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT. ► a well-known fact· It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year. ► far better/easier etc The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago. ► fit ... well His clothes did not fit him very well. ► well fitted Elinor is well fitted to be the sales manager. ► somebody’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)· Fiona was her best friend. ► well-kept/tidy British English (also neat American English)· The hotel is set in a well-kept garden. ► go well/smoothly/fine etc The party went well. Everything’s going fine at the moment. ► the best way What’s the best way to deal with this? ► The best thing The best thing you can do is wait here. ► a good deal bigger/better etc He was a good deal older than her. ► somebody’s best guess (=one that you think is most likely to be right)· My best guess is that it will take around six months. ► handles well/badly The car handles well, even on wet roads. ► somebody’s best handwriting· In his best handwriting, he wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day, Dad'. ► health and well-being· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children. ► heaps better/bigger etc (=much better, bigger etc) ► somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore. ► hope for the best Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). ► how best advice on how best (=the best way) to invest your money ► can well imagine (=can easily imagine)· I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news. ► well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible)· Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible. ► be well in with You have to be well in with the directors (=be very friendly with them) if you want to get promotion here. ► well-informed/ill-informed I became reasonably well-informed about the subject. ► good intentions/the best (of) intentions (=intentions to do something good or kind, especially when you do not succeed in doing it) He thinks the minister is full of good intentions that won’t be carried out. ► judge it best/better to do something (=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was. ► against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment. ► the best/worst kind· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture. ► of the worst/best etc kind· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. ► know ... well I don’t know him very well. ► is best known for Hepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’. ► know perfectly well/full well/only too well He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous. ► should know better It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better. ► knew better than to Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. ► a famous/well-known landmark· The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark in Paris. ► the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans. ► well lit The porch is always well lit at night. ► like best The time I like best (=like most of all) is the evening when it’s cool. ► a little more/better/further etc We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens. ► little more/better etc (than something) His voice was little more than a whisper. ► the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time) He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived. ► live well They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc). ► well looked after You could tell that the horse had been well looked after. ► much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. ► make something the best/worst/most expensive etc Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area. ► well-matched/ill-matched a well-matched pair ► good/best mate He’s good mates with John. ► may well Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely). ► may well ask ‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’ ► means well He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► the best means· Is this really the best means of achieving our goal? ► be well into middle age (=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age. ► might well This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). ► might well ask ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ ► as well it might This caused a few gasps, as well it might. ► move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things. ► much better/greater/easier etc Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable. ► much the best/most interesting etc British English It’s much the best way to do it. ► how much better/nicer/easier etc I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past! ► better nature I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us. ► well-nourished a well-nourished baby ► be well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. ► Oh ... well Oh, well, never mind. ► somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway! ► a good/better option· Renting a house may be a better option than buying. ► the best/worst part· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining. ► well past a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date ► well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time)· I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction. ► well-paid· Teachers here are well-paid. ► higher/better pay· Workers demanded higher pay. ► a famous/well-known phrase· We all hear the phrase "greenhouse gasses", but do you know what it really means? ► a well-turned phrase (=skilfully invented or chosen)· She creates lifelike characters with a few well-turned phrases. ► the best plan British English (=the best thing to do)· I think the best plan is to take the train. ► well/fully/inadequately etc prepared Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm. ► prevention is better than cure You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). ► well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body a beautifully proportioned room ► greater/better protection· The law should give greater protection to victims. ► well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) His visit was highly publicized. ► well put· Sorry, I’m not putting it very well. ► well qualified· As a former footballer, he is well qualified to talk about the game. ► read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly) He had accurately read the mood of the nation. ► reads well I think in general the report reads well. ► for reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour)· For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house. ► well received The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good). ► to (the best of) my recollection (=used when you are unsure if you remember correctly) To the best of my recollection, she drives a Mercedes. No one, to my recollection, gave a second thought to the risks involved. ► remember well (=thoroughly and completely)· I remember so well my first day there. ► a well-deserved reputation· Ronaldo’s performances earned him a deserved reputation as a terrific footballer. ► well respected· They were well respected in their communities. ► a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard)· Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season. ► well rid He was a bully, and we’re well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone). ► the best route· Let's look at the map and work out the best route. ► well/badly run The hotel is well-run and extremely popular. ► safe and sound/well (=unharmed, especially after being in danger) The missing children were found safe and sound. ► settle for second best I’m not going to settle for second best. ► come off second best (=lose a game or competition, or not be as successful as someone else) ► a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know)· The recipe is a closely-guarded secret. ► sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well. ► serve ... well Her talent for organization should serve her well. ► a shade better/quicker/faster etc The results were a shade better than we expected. ► well/elegantly/badly etc shod The children were well shod and happy. ► fall far/a long way/well short of something Facilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required. ► significantly better/greater/worse etc Delia’s work has been significantly better this year. ► well ... sunk A well was sunk in the back garden, and water could be pumped up into the kitchen. ► sleep well· I haven’t been sleeping well lately. ► slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. ► well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil. ► the best/perfect/ideal solution· Locking people in prison is not necessarily the ideal solution. ► speak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them)· He always spoke very highly of Marge. ► money well spent The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money). ► start badly/well/slowly etc Any new exercise program should start slowly. ► suit somebody well· Our new house suits us very well. ► tears well up in somebody’s eyes (=tears come into their eyes)· She broke off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. ► do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English· I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test. ► things go well/badly etc· If things went well, we would double our money in five years.· How did things go? ► time something well/badly etc Keith timed the pass well. a beautifully timed shot ► well treat· The majority of workers are well treated. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► turn out well/badly/fine etc It was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right. ► take a turn for the worse/better Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse. ► a better/greater/deeper understanding· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market. ► well underway The project is already well underway. ► are better left unsaid Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them). ► well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc a well-ventilated kitchen ► the very best/latest/worst etc We only use the very best ingredients. ► the best way· Doing the job is often regarded as the best way of learning the job. ► a sense/feeling of well-being A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. ► physical/psychological/material etc well-being the physical and emotional well-being of the children ► economic well-being We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country. ► well-chosen words He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words. ► feel ... well-disposed I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him. ► well-nigh impossible It will be well-nigh impossible to raise that amount of money. ► less well-off Many pensioners are less well-off (=have less money) than they used to be. ► well-trodden path/road/ground etc Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady. ► well-woman clinic a well-woman clinic ► wish somebody well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) My friends wished me well in my new job. ► work out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us. ► the best/tallest etc in the world· We want to become the best team in the world. ► the world’s best/tallest etc· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer. ► better or worse· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse. ► at best ... at worst Choosing the right software can be time-consuming at best and confusing or frustrating at worst. ► well worth The film is well worth seeing. ► It’s well worth It’s well worth getting there early if you want a good seat. ► wrap up warm/well Make sure you wrap up warm – it’s freezing. ► well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written. ► all is well/all is not well- All is not well at the office.
► all’s well that ends well► it’s just as well (that)- It's just as well I took the train today - I heard the traffic was really bad.
- Perhaps it is just as well.
► it’s/that’s all very well, but ...► that’s/it’s all well and good- If that helps the government keep up with their debt repayments, that's all well and good.
► it might/would be as well► to the best of your ability- All the children competed and performed to the best of their ability.
- I have always done my work to the best of my ability.
► acquit yourself well/honourably- They did acquit themselves well with heavier strings and a flat pick, but in the main they were seen as fingerpicking guitars.
► you would be well/ill advised to do something► all the better/easier/more etc- He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
- His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
- If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
- It makes it all the more opportune.
- Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
- The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
- The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
- Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► at your best/worst/most effective etc► augur well/badly/ill- Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
- In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
- It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
- Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
- That augured well for the day.
- That, at least, augured well.
- This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck► be on your best behaviour- Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behaviour.
- And if what Cadfael suspected was indeed true, he had now good reason to be on his best behaviour.
- But everyone is on their best behaviour.
- So when we arrived hopefully at Loch Hope that morning, I was on my best behaviour.
- Use only our own girls and warn them to be on their best behaviour.
► you’d better believe it!- "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
► your best bet- For getting around the city centre, a bicycle's your best bet.
- We decided that our best bet was to leave him where he was and go and get help.
- Well, your best bet would be to go back to Highway 218 and turn left.
► your best bib and tucker► bloody well- He seems to have bloody well disappeared altogether.
- I bloody well did, that's who.
- If there was a boat to rock, she'd bloody well rock it.
- It's encouraging them all to bloody well abuse the system so it is.
- M' lud, we bloody well hope so.
- They should bloody well have stuck around till we turned up.
- You see what we've bloody well done?
► bode well/ill (for somebody/something)- The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
- Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
- Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
- The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
- Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
- Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
- Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
- Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
- Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
► bring out the best/worst in somebody- Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
- And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
- But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
- But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
- Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
- It brings out the best in us.
- Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
- So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
- Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
► the best/pick of the bunch- But me third was the best of the bunch.
- Either they are one of the best of the bunch at home, or they make their name abroad.
- Even these modest broadcasts show only the best of the bunch.
- He may be the best of the bunch.
- It's also the best of the bunch for multi-processing, he says.
- Nevertheless as an introduction it is the best of the bunch.
- Woolwich is the best of the bunch, trading at a multiple to future earnings of 10.3.
► trump/best/strongest card- And perhaps it was time to play the trump card up his sleeve.
- In the struggle for development, every economy has certain advantages or trump cards.
- Parents must recognize that if a child does not want to do homework, the child holds the trump card.
- That night, though, our sincerity was our trump card.
- That was why Gorbachev wanted to negotiate-and that is why, in my opinion, President Reagan was holding the trump card.
- The citizens of Hebron, by contrast, hold all the trump cards.
- This was one of the trump cards of News International in its dispute with the print workers in 1986-87.
- We had beaten him, but he played a final trump card.
► come off best/better/worst etc- Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
- Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
- His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
- It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
- Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
- The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
- The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► well connected- And it does show these people are well connected.
- Be sure to get concrete and focused information from some one well connected to the writing world.
- By Road Carnlough is 35 miles from Belfast and is well connected with regular transport services.
- Certainly, such insubordination and disloyalty would have gotten a less well connected man court-martialed.
- For non-residents, other than the nobly born and well connected, it is less informative.
- Pogo's family were very well connected and he had an entrée to every branch of society.
- Samson was a man of worldly tastes and habits: he was well connected, well educated, generous and rich.
- She was well off, well educated, well connected, but she wasn't well.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc► a damn sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour► be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)- He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
► somebody would do well to do something- Nelson would do well to keep her political views out of her work.
- And President Dole or President Clinton would do well to take advantage of the services of such a splendid fellow.
- However, managers would do well to first address their own personal fears and discomfort.
- It's a motto the world of fundraising would do well to remember.
- Kansas City would do well to follow their example.
- Our selectors would do well to not pay too much attention to birth certificates.
- Parents would do well to discuss them with their doctor or hospital personnel before birth. 1.
- She would do well to remember that.
- This is highly regarded and influential in police circles and the social worker would do well to be aware of its thinking.
► do well by somebody- He's left home, but he still does well by his kids.
- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► easily the best/biggest etc- Aluminium benching is easily the best, as it virtually lasts for ever and is easily cleaned.
- He's easily the best military brain in the country.
- It's easily the best Fermanagh side I've played on.
- It gave easily the best value.
- Johnny Hero played the between set music - again proving that he hosts easily the best disco in town.
- Natural gas forms easily the biggest world reserve of methane-rich fuel.
- The greens were easily the best part of the dish.
- The pension is easily the biggest single cash benefit.
► university-educated/well educated/privately educated etc► even bigger/better/brighter etc- But he actually proved even better than I thought.
- He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
- I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
- It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
- Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
- There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
- This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
- What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
► hotter/colder/better etc than ever- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
► fare well/badly/better etc- I think the men fared better than the women.
- It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
- It still fared better than the broader market.
- Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
- Not faring well, but resting.
- Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
- The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
- There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► well-fed/under-fed/poorly-fed► I must/I’d better be getting along► go down well/badly/a treat etc- It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
- It seems to be going down a treat.
► go off well/badly etc► go over well► the biggest/best/nicest etc something going- A few hundred metres off-shore we congregate so that Tor can explain the best way of going ashore.
- Are the best bargains going to petrol buyers?
- But in those years, they were always the team with the best record going into the playoffs.
- Its got to be the best ticket office going.
- Perhaps the biggest thing going was the harp played by JoAnn Turovsky, sounding positively, well, huge.
- There was a wide range of scores with the best individual score going to George McCallum of Douglas Reyburn with 37 points.
- This, so I was led to believe, was the best it was going to get.
- What is the best way of going forward? - Ideas from within I hear you say!
► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► somebody had better/best do something► be somebody’s last/only/best hope- Advocates just seem to take it on faith that annexation is the only hope of salvation for this city.
- But mad or not, you are my only hope, Meg.
- But Thomas Sachs was now her only hope.
- I expected to be disappointed, though the letter was now my only hope.
- In the long term, Mr Heseltine said that privatisation was the only hope for the industry.
- Is he only hoping to make money?
- Robert Urquhart was her only hope, her only ally.
- That was the only hope I had of reaching the doctor.
► jolly well- And charge they jolly well did.
- And if he hasn't changed his sheets by now, he jolly well ought to have done.
- But the horse is used to being brushed, or he jolly well should be!
- He claimed he hadn't any but he jolly well had!
- He had a mountain to climb and he was jolly well going to reach the top or die in the attempt.
- I mean, would you jolly well put money into this place?
► it’s/that’s just as well► kiss something better► not know any better- Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
► (well,) what do you know?► know better- Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
- The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
- But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
- Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
- Guess he should have known better.
- Now you know better, thass all.
- Then I would have known better.
- Time you knew better, young lady.
- Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
► somebody knows best► well-known/little-known/lesser-known► better late than never- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► do your level best (to do something)- Even so he did his level best with the new ball.
- We did our level best to look fascinated.
► light years ahead/better etc than something► (just) that little bit better/easier etc- We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
► good luck/best of luck- Best of luck with your driving test.
- Good luck Archie! Enjoy your new job.
► better luck next time- Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
- And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
- Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► wish somebody (the best of) luck- But had we sat down with her, we would have wished her good luck.
- Everyone wished each other good luck and Mould, Matron and Endill headed off to the library.
- I wish him luck and hope that after a couple of years he is transferred back!
- James wished me good luck and dashed off home.
- Lineker and Paul Gascoigne have both been in touch with Spurs to wish them good luck for the new season.
- She wishes me luck, opens the door to the bathroom, and disappears into a cloud of steam.
- Well, I wish you luck.
- Yet at the start of the day both sides had wished each other luck.
► a well-oiled machine- If you're trained correctly you become like a well-oiled machine.
- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► man’s best friend► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► may well- Database development and a news archiving feature which may well appear as a separate product are also in the pipeline.
- Half a dozen senior people in the energy ministry, recently sacked on suspicion of taking bribes, may well join him.
- It may well be argued that any attempt at locating sUch a remote people is itself an idle one.
- Moreover, there may well be some very severe doubts about the application of the biological model even to the favourite cases.
- The two who stay may well be the ones who adapt to the new system the best.
- There may well be a real problem here.
- To take them off groundwater may well mean we have to subsidize them some more.
- You may well have heard of him.
► may as well- Since we're just sitting here, we may as well have a drink.
- You may as well not turn it on, Cooper, until after the game.
- I may as well explain here why he did this much-criticized and desperate deed of daring...
- I may as well have not bothered.
- I may as well stick it out to the end.
- If Klepner's gonna get his job he may as well do the spiel.
- In the end the mission controllers took the very pragmatic view that they may as well continue the mission to the Moon.
- That may as well be a word from a foreign language.
- You may as well get used to it, Oakland.
- You may as well play when you are in a scoring mode.
► the best medicine- Laughter is the best medicine.
- A former teacher at Longlands College, Middlesbrough, Pat always believes in laughter as the best medicine for loneliness.
- Besides, it is the best medicine.
- Having Louella come and live with me will be the best medicine in the world.
- Recovery is the best medicine for the market, but it must be sustainable.
► might (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
► might well- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along► the next best thing- He can't ask them, so he is doing the next best thing.
- I guess they figured calling their game Arnie was the next best thing to having a blockbusting movie title.
- It is the next best thing to crossing the deserts of the world oneself.
- The new switch is the next best thing we could do to moving.
- The room is the next best thing to being outside.
- Video may seem like the next best thing to being there, but electronically mediated interactions are different from real-life meetings.
- We do, however, have the next best thing: a place to go for more information.
- We went to the bookshelves to find the next best thing.
► none the worse/better etc (for something)- Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
- I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
- Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► well now- Well now, do you agree or not?
- Buffalo is better now on offense than they have been.
- But things were much better now.
- Even though he could foresee the problem then, we can see it equally well now.
- He and I get along very well now.
- I know Steven's method of working very well now.
- Q: Your album is doing incredibly well now, and your career is on the upswing.
- The clients expect and understand that quite well now, because it's been happening for about two or three years.
- Um, yeah, yeah, I actually started getting kind of sick but I am feeling better now.
► well/badly/carefully etc organized- From everything I saw and heard, he seemed to be very well organized in Iowa.
- In parliament there would be a carefully organized campaign of resistance that would at least slow the government down and raise Unionist morale.
- Now that the partisans were well organized in the Province of Parma they committed many acts of sabotage.
- Others around us, and we ourselves, demand that we always be well organized and hopeful.
- Professionals are well organized, never seen by their victims, and they don't kill.
- The anti-London lobby, however, was well organized and had financial arguments to back its case.
- They can also be extraordinarily well organized and methodical, as well as deliberate and purposeful.
► the best/better part of something- Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
- Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
- Converse drank the better part of the rum.
- For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
- I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
- It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
- This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► pass off well/badly etc► perform well/badly etc- After they had performed well in the role, these women made prestigious marriages, as does Cinderella.
- All this works only if Hanson's headquarters performs well in its non-executive role.
- Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.
- Is a nominated subcontractor really likely to perform better than the subcontractor's own subcontractor?
- Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.
- This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.
- To perform well a team needs a range of roles in its make-up.
- Yet these stocks performed well in both.
► personal best- But I still ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best, so I was happy.
- Conrad Allen came up trumps again, finishing fourth in the boys 800 metres in a personal best 2 mins. 22.
- Fredericks' 19. 68 was 0. 14 seconds lower than his personal best.
- His personal best before this season was 10. 08.
- I next ran at Oslo where I set a personal best for 200 metres, so that was encouraging.
- Ron and I take each year as it comes and we always plan for me to run a personal best every season.
- Sammy also collected a 50 freestyle bronze with 31.44-a personal best along with her 43.95 in the 50 breaststroke.
- That means that their motives are clean and their actions represent their personal best.
► photograph well- Despite worries to the contrary, pressed flowers photograph well and make a refreshing change from more conventional forms of artwork.
- Owing to poor light conditions, these particular marks did not photograph well.
► be well/ideally etc placed- But the island that in the prohibition years after 1920 profitably ran the rum trade is well placed for bootlegging cocaine.
- By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.
- Development agencies are well placed to make this point with the authority of people trying to get a job done.
- He was well placed to comment.
- In short, I knew a lot of management educators and developers and was well placed to include them in my study.
- Professional associations would seem to be well placed in terms of expertise and disinterest to carry out this kind of selection.
- The clearing banks were ideally placed.
- These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.
► be well/ideally/perfectly positioned► the best/biggest/fastest etc possible- Any successful entrepreneurial venture starts with making sure that the entrepreneur is in the best possible mental and physical health.
- But the psychologist was never confident that he had obtained the best possible scores from Nelson.
- For a moment, I imagined the best possible to the worst possible reply.
- Obviously, the purpose is to ensure that the best possible pensions arrangements are reached.
- That way it will have the best possible start in life.
- The additional value farmers receive is the best possible free advice on both inputs and marketing.
- The horrifying news sent the Ciprianos on a nationwide search to find the best possible treatment for their daughter.
- This at once enhances the contribution which the court or parents can make towards reaching the best possible decision in all the circumstances.
► good/best/bad practice- An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
- Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
- It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
- Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
- The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
- There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
- These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
- This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► pretty well/much- In 1992, Clinton had pretty much wrapped up the Democratic nomination by Super Tuesday.
- It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.
- Once we would arrive at a place, Alistair seemed to leave Judy pretty much on her own.
- Otherwise you have to walk the half block, but then you can see them pretty well.
- Our point here is that at an abstract level, every organization values pretty much the same things.
- Since I was there six years ago some things have changed and others have remained pretty much the same.
- They have timed the deal pretty well, and not just from a weather outlook.
- They know me pretty well here.
► well-read/widely-read► better Red than dead► better (to be) safe than sorry- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
► have seen better days- Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
- Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
- We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
► send your love/regards/best wishes etc- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
► give something your best shot- I'm not promising I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best shot.
- Hopefully he can recover and regain his test place and give it his best shot.
- I'd have given it my best shot, and that was all anyone could demand from me.
- I just have a feeling that we have given it our best shot.
- The band gave it their best shot, until the arrival of the blue meanies put an end to the proceedings.
- You were never entirely safe from prying fingers in Chinatown, but I had to give it my best shot.
► the best/biggest etc ... this side of something► a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
- The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
- We were a darned sight better than them.
► be well/clearly/badly signposted- Big Pit is about a male out of Blaenafon on the B4248, and is well signposted.
- There are well signposted walks, some of them offering views of the snow-topped Alps.
► not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)- Certainly, such views as these do not sit comfortably with managerialism and are equally at odds with restricted professionality.
- He had never before been accused of stealing and it did not sit well with him.
- One might think a hockey fan would not sit easily at a sewing machine piecing together patches for a quilt.
- The adornment, thought Eloise smugly, would not sit well amidst so much blubber.
- The closures, which began late last month, does not sit well with many of the regulars.
- The populist vision of a peasant landholding democracy does not sit easily with alternative visions of women's rights.
- The volatility and their non-guaranteed status do not sit comfortably with the official line linking the two benefits.
- This conviction did not sit well either with regimental soldiering or with Whitehall.
► the best/greatest thing since sliced bread- Now, I didn't get it because I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
► the sooner ( ... ) the better- The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
- They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
► good/better/healthy etc start (in life)- A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
- But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
- He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
- It wasn't a very good start.
- Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
- The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
- The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
- They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
► better/harder/worse etc still- And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
- But perhaps the early evening was better still?
- He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
- I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
- I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
- Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
- Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
- With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
► best/well/ideally/perfectly etc suited to/for something- Boar chops are best suited to grilling or sauteing.
- If I were a free agent, those are the places I would go, a place best suited for my needs.
- It is not however so well suited to an intensive, detailed study of spoken language.
- Nevertheless, it is an early maturing variety well suited to the long ripening period of a northern wine region.
- Secondly, the adversary nature of the adjudicative process may not be well suited to this area.
- The farmer's wife was well suited to tackling this considerable undertaking.
- Use the systems best suited to their talent, both offensively and defensively.
- We have large quantities of plutonium already separated and in forms ideally suited for nuclear weapons.
► greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
► your Sunday best► your/her/my etc Sunday best► be well/poorly/generously supplied with something- The lounge was well supplied with ashtrays.
- Football stars are well supplied with female groupies.
- The markets are well supplied with agricultural produce, and with linens and yarns from the surrounding country.
► think better of it- She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
- But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
- But then she thought better of it.
- Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
- He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
- He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
- He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
- Then he thought better of it.
► think the best/worst of somebody- Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
- He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
- I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
- My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
- The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
- Why should you think the worst of me?
- You always think the worst of me.
► carefully/well/badly thought-out- But new-wave sanitation experts say sewerage offers little more than convenience when compared to well thought-out latrines.
- Each section is well thought-out and presented with a good number of diagrams and chromatograms.
- It is here that the value of well thought-out objectives can be seen.
- The system is a well thought-out one and seems to work well.
► the best/biggest etc ... of all time- And seeing as it was my brainchild, would you not say it was possibly the best commercial of all time?
- Surely the biggest robbery of all time was the $ 900m that the Dome stole from lottery funds?
- That's the biggest understatement of all time!
- You could call that round the biggest fluke of all time...
► well-travelled► travel well- Clear out your food cupboard and throw away everything that will not travel well, such as leaky, crushable or carbonated goods.
- Commercially precooked and ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats and cheeses travel well.
- He could travel well enough on his own, if only they'd let him.
- It had travelled well and the colour emphasised her astonishing fairness.
- It is excellent wine, in either its white or its red versions, and said to travel well.
- Smells travel well under water, though what the experience of underwater scents may be like is open to imagination.
- Some things don't travel well, in time or in space.
► well and truly- After two weeks, the kids were well and truly converted.
- But I had been caught, well and truly, and had paid the price, time and time again.
- From February, the challenge will have well and truly begun, especially if your birthday falls between August 13 and 23.
- It looked as if she was well and truly trapped.
- Mind you any food in our stomach was going to get well and truly shaken up.
- One word from him and doors that Washington depended on being open would be well and truly slammed.
- The padded fabric varieties are well and truly childproof - and look very attractive.
- We were all well and truly bitten.
► well/beautifully/badly etc turned out- He looks trim and well turned out in a new dark suit.
- Mr. Russ's deputy was Mr. Windust, then probably in his late thirties - always smart and well turned out.
► two heads are better than one► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► be (well) versed in something- An engineer may be well versed in the technique of value engineering; it includes methods of generating the creative discontinuity.
- He was also reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
- Of course, not everyone is well versed in moral philosophy.
- The second point is that factory women were well versed in appraising the advantages and disadvantages of additional family members.
- William Fannon, the author of this recollection, and Charles Shartle were well versed in shop ways.
- You may be versed in necromancy, and steeped in alchemy, and schooled in the ancient cruel arts of your realm.
► very well- Very well, you can go to Emily's house, but be back by 7 p.m.
- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► vote something a success/the best etc- But they will be in costume, and all party goers will have a chance to vote on the best disguise.
- They also voted the Cappuccino the best sub-£20,000 sports car in the show.
► something is (well) worth waiting for- Tuesday night's Boston-Chicago game was worth waiting for.
- Something worth having is worth waiting for.
► for want of a better word/phrase etc- Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
- Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► wash well- Silk doesn't wash well.
- Drain the anchovies and wash well to remove the oil from the surface.
- This one is knitted in a linen-mix yarn which washes well and feels especially soft to touch.
► wear well- Brass wears as well as steel in most hinges.
- Pavement's album from 1991 still wears well.
- A dense pile wears better than a loosely-woven one, which can be parted to reveal the backing.
- But most have stayed and worn well, reassuring and fixed points in an otherwise changing landscape.
- He has worn well, she mused.
- He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.
- His haughtiness did not wear well with the Republicans who controlled both houses of the legislature.
- If he was Sorrel's father, then he must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he'd worn well.
- That bit of you has worn well!
- Vibram: a brand name for a traditional tough and heavy-duty patterned sole which wears well.
► you would be well-advised to do something► well-grounded in something- Irwin is well-grounded in both engineering and robotics.
► be well-off for something► you don’t know when you’re well-off► a well-oiled machine- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► the well-to-do► well-trodden path/track/route etc► with the best will in the world- And, David, with the best will in the world, you can't teach him.
- Even with the best will in the world, we could not do it.
► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...► best/good/warmest etc wishes- A former miner, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
- And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.
- Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.
- My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warm greetings to you.
- Our best wishes to his family and friends.
- She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a boon companion of late.
- Spare me your shock and good wishes.
- With best wishes for success and prosperity.
► the worried well 1healthy: ‘How are you?’ ‘Very well, thanks.’ I don’t feel very well. You’re looking very well. I hope you get well again soon.► see thesaurus at healthy2it’s just as well (that) spoken used to say that things have happened in a good or fortunate way: It’s just as well I kept some money aside for emergencies.3it’s/that’s all very well, but ... spoken used to say that something seems to be a good idea, but is not really possible or helpful: It’s all very well the doctors telling me I’ve got to rest, but who’s going to look after my children?4that’s/it’s all well and good spoken especially British English used to say that something is good or enjoyable, but it also has some disadvantages: Going off on foreign holidays is all well and good, but you’ve got to get back to reality sometime.5it might/would be as well spoken used to give someone advice or make a helpful suggestion: It might be as well to make him rest for a few days.6all is well/all is not well formal used to say that a situation is satisfactory or not satisfactory: All is not well with their marriage.7all’s well that ends well used to say that a difficult situation has ended with a good result. It is the title of a humorous play by William Shakespeare about the relationship between the two main characters, Helena and Bertram.well1 adverbwell2 interjectionwell3 adjectivewell4 nounwell5 verb wellwell4 ●●○ noun [countable] well4Origin: Old English welle - Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the melted margarine and the beaten egg.
- Residents fearful of their wells becoming contaminated would like to see the one of the wells moved farther south.
- The centrepiece of the courtyard was a deep well.
- These should fit into the well of the recessed window and have a flange which overlaps the edge of the well.
► Foodabalone, nounacetic acid, nounadditive, nounaftertaste, nounà la carte, adjectiveal dente, adjectivealfresco, adjectiveambrosia, nounangelica, nounaniseed, nounantipasto, nounappetizer, nounarrowroot, nounbad, adjectivebaker, nounbaking powder, nounbaking soda, nounbanana split, nounbanger, nounbanquet, nounbanqueting hall, nounbarbie, nounbarley, nounbasil, nounbass, nounbatch, nounbay leaf, nounBBQ, nounbean, nounbean curd, nounbeansprout, nounbeef, nounbeefburger, nounbeefsteak, nounbeet, nounbell pepper, nounberry, nounbetel, nounbetel nut, nounbicarbonate of soda, nounbilberry, nounbill of fare, nounbinge, nounbinge, verbbistro, nounblackberry, nounblack-eyed bean, nounblack pepper, nounblack pudding, nounblend, verbblend, nounblueberry, nounboard, nounbolt, verbbone, verbbon vivant, nounbony, adjectivebox lunch, nounbramble, nounbran, nounbrandy butter, nounbrasserie, nounbrawn, nounbreakfast, nounbrisket, nounbroiler, nounbroiler chicken, nounbroth, nounbrown rice, nounbrunch, nounbubble gum, nounbuckwheat, nounbuffet, nounbun, nounbus, verbbusboy, nounbutcher, nounbutcher, verbbutchery, nounbuttercream, nounbutty, nouncafé, nouncafeteria, nouncaff, nouncaffeine, nouncake, nouncan, verbcandy, nouncanned, adjectivecapon, nouncapsicum, nouncaraway, nouncarbohydrate, nouncare package, nouncarvery, nouncassava, nouncater, verbcaterer, nouncatering, nouncatsup, nouncatwalk, nouncayenne pepper, nouncereal, nouncheese, nounchef, nouncherry tomato, nounchickpea, nounchilli, nounChinese, nounchip shop, nounchives, nounchocolate, nounchocolatey, adjectiveChristmas dinner, nounchuck steak, nouncitric acid, nouncitron, nounclotted cream, nounclub sandwich, nouncob, nouncobbler, nouncocoa, nouncocoa bean, nouncoconut milk, nouncoffee house, nouncoffee shop, nouncold cuts, nouncold storage, nouncold store, nouncommissary, nounconcentrate, nouncondensed milk, nouncondiment, nouncone, nounconfection, nounconfectioner, nounconfectioner's sugar, nounconfectionery, nounconserve, nouncontent, nouncontinental breakfast, nounconvenience food, nouncook-chill, adjectivecooker, nouncookie, nouncooking, nouncooking oil, nouncorn bread, nouncorn chip, nouncorncob, nouncorned beef, nouncornet, nouncornflakes, nouncornflour, nouncornmeal, nouncorn on the cob, nouncorn pone, nouncornstarch, nouncorn syrup, nouncottage cheese, nouncotton candy, nouncourgette, nouncourse, nouncover charge, nouncrab, nouncrab apple, nouncracker, nouncrackling, nouncranberry, nouncrayfish, nouncream, nouncream cheese, nouncream cracker, nouncreamer, nouncreamy, adjectivecress, nouncrisp, nouncrisp, adjectivecrispbread, nouncrispy, adjectivecroissant, nouncroquette, nouncrouton, nouncrumb, nouncrumpet, nouncrunchy, adjectivecrust, nouncrusty, adjectivecrystallized, adjectivecucumber, nouncud, nouncuisine, nouncupcake, nouncurd, nouncurdle, verbcurrant, nouncustard, nouncut, nouncutlet, noundainty, nounDanish pastry, noundate, noundefrost, verbdelicacy, noundemerara sugar, noundesiccated, adjectivedevilled, adjectivedevour, verbdiabetic, adjectivedigest, verbdigestible, adjectivedill, noundill pickle, noundine, verbdiner, noundining car, noundinner, noundinner dance, noundinner party, noundinner theater, noundinnertime, noundissolve, verbdoggy bag, noundoily, noundollop, noundough, noundown, verbdrain, verbdredge, verbdried, adjectivedried fruit, noundripping, noundrumstick, noundry goods, noundunk, verbEaster egg, nouneat, verbeatery, nouneating apple, nouneats, nounEccles cake, nounéclair, nounEdam, nounedible, adjectiveeel, nounegg, nouneggplant, nounegg roll, nounelevenses, nounendive, nounEnglish breakfast, nounEnglish muffin, nounentrée, nounepicure, nounescalope, nounevaporated milk, nounfast food, nounfeed, verbfeed, nounfeta cheese, nounfig, nounfilbert, nounfillet, verbfilling, adjectivefilling, nounfilo, nounflounder, nounfloury, adjectiveflyblown, adjectivefoil, nounfoodstuff, nounforage, nounfork, verbfortify, verbfreeze-dried, adjectiveFrench bean, nounFrench bread, nounFrench dressing, nounFrench fry, nounFrench loaf, nounFrench stick, nounfries, nounfromage frais, nounfrozen, adjectivefruit, nounfudge, nounfull-fat, adjectivegaram masala, noungarlic, noungarnish, noungarnish, verbgastronomic, adjectivegastronomy, noungel, verbginger, nounglass, nounglassware, noungolden raisin, noungoody, noungourmand, noungrain, nounGranary, adjectivegranulated, adjectivegreasy, adjectivegreasy spoon, noungreen, adjectivegrill, noungristle, noungrocer, nounground, adjectiveground beef, noungrub, noungruel, nounguava, noungum, noungumball, noungumbo, noungumdrop, nounhalal, adjectivehalibut, nounham, nounhamburger, nounhaunch, nounhead table, nounhealth food, nounheart, nounhearty, adjectiveheat, nounherb, nounhigh tea, nounhome economics, nounhot dish, nounhygiene, nounhygienic, adjectiveiceman, nounindigestible, adjectiveindigestion, nouninedible, adjectiveinfected, adjectiveingest, verbinn, nouninsipid, adjectiveintake, nounirradiate, verbjellied, adjectivejoint, nounjuice, nounjuicy, adjectivejunk, nounjunk food, nounknuckle, nounkosher, adjectivelaxative, nounlean, adjectiveleavings, nounleg, nounlight, adjectiveliquorice, nounlive, adjectiveloaf, nounlocker, nounloin, nounlotus, nounlukewarm, adjectivelump, nounlunch, nounlunch, verblunchbox, nounlunch break, nounluncheon, nounlunch hour, nounlunchroom, nounlunchtime, nounluscious, adjectivemace, nounMadeira cake, nounmain course, nounmaitre d', nounmaize, nounmandarin, nounmandarin orange, nounmangetout, nounmango, nounmaple syrup, nounmargarine, nounmarge, nounmarmalade, nounmarrow, nounmarshmallow, nounMason jar, nounmasticate, verbmature, adjectivemature, verbmeal, nounmealie, nounmealtime, nounmealy, adjectivemeat, nounmeat-packing, nounmeaty, adjectivemellow, adjectivementhol, nounmentholated, adjectivemenu, nounmess, nounmess, verbmess hall, nounmilk chocolate, nounmillet, nounmince, nounmint, nounmocha, nounmolasses, nounmoreish, adjectivemorsel, nounmouldy, adjectivemouth, nounmouthful, nounMSG, nounmunch, verbmung bean, nounmush, nounmushroom, nounmustard, nounnibble, verbnibble, nounnosh, nounnourish, verbnourishment, nounnugget, nounnut, nounnutcracker, nounnutshell, nounnutty, adjectiveoatmeal, nounoats, nounoffal, nounokra, nounon, prepositiononion, nounorder, nounoregano, nounorganic, adjectiveoverindulge, verboxtail, nounpackaging, nounpacker, nounpap, nounparcel, nounpaste, nounpastille, nounpastry, nounpatisserie, nounpearl barley, nounpectin, nounpeel, verbpeel, nounpepper, nounpepper, verbpeppercorn, nounpeppermint, nounperishable, adjectivepetit four, nounpiccalilli, nounpicnic, nounpicnic, verbpie, nounpilaff, nounpilau, nounpimento, nounpinto bean, nounpit, nounpizza parlor, nounpizzeria, nounplain chocolate, nounplain flour, nounploughman's lunch, nounpoor boy, nounpork, nounpork pie, nounpork rinds, nounporridge, nounporterhouse steak, nounportion, nounpostprandial, adjectivepotato, nounpotato crisp, nounpotted, adjectivepoultry, nounpraline, nounprawn, nounprepacked, adjectivepreservative, nounpreserve, verbpreserve, nounpretzel, nounprovision, verbprune, nounpuff pastry, nounpumpernickel, nounpumpkin, nounpuree, verbquince, nounQuorn, nounrabbit, nounrancid, adjectiverare, adjectiveravenous, adjectiveraw, adjectivered meat, nounreheat, verbrennet, nounrepast, nounreplete, adjectiverestaurant, nounrestaurant car, nounrestaurateur, nounrib, nounrice, nounrigatoni, nounrind, nounripe, adjectiveroadhouse, nounrock, nounroe, nounroll, nounroot vegetable, nounrose hip, nounrusk, nounrutabaga, nounsaccharin, nounsalad cream, nounsalad dressing, nounsalami, nounsalmon, nounsalsa, nounsalt, verbsalt, adjectivesalty, adjectivesandwich, nounsardine, nounsassafras, nounsatisfying, adjectivesatsuma, nounsauerkraut, nounsausage, nounscallion, nounscampi, nounscone, nounscoop, nounScotch broth, nounscratchings, nounseafood, nounseasoned, adjectiveseed, verbsemolina, nounservery, nounservice charge, nounserving, nounset, adjectiveshallot, nounshellfish, nounsherbet, nounshish kebab, nounshortbread, nounshortcake, nounshortcrust pastry, nounshoulder, nounshrimp cocktail, nounside order, nounsillabub, nounsimnel cake, nounsingle cream, nounsirloin, nounsitting, nounskimmed milk, nounskin, nounskin, verbslaw, nounslice, nounsliced bread, nounsloe, nounsloppy joe, nounsmorgasbord, nounsnack bar, nounsnow pea, nounsoda fountain, nounsodium chloride, nounsoft fruit, nounsorghum, nounsoul food, nounsour, adjectivesour, verbsourdough, nounsoya, nounsoya bean, nounspearmint, nounspinach, nounsponge, nounsponge cake, nounsponge pudding, nounspoon, verbspoonful, nounspotted dick, nounspread, nounspring onion, nounspring roll, nounsprout, nounspud, nounsquash, nounsquid, nounstaple, nounstarfruit, nounstarter, nounsteak, nounsteakhouse, nounsteak tartare, nounstew, nounstick, nounStilton, nounstir-fry, verbstodge, nounstone-ground, adjectivestrawberry, nounstring bean, nounstringy, adjectivestrudel, nounsub, nounsucrose, nounsuet, nounsugar, nounsugar, verbsugar-coated, adjectivesugar cube, nounsugar lump, nounsugary, adjectivesultana, nounsun-dried, adjectivesup, verbsupper, nounsustenance, nounswallow, verbswallow, nounswede, nounsweetcorn, nounsweetened condensed milk, nounsweetener, nounsweetmeat, nounsweet pepper, nounsweet potato, nounsyrup, nounsyrupy, adjectivetable d'hôte, nountaco, nountaffy, nountainted, adjectivetakeaway, nountakeout, nountangerine, nountapas, nountapioca, nountaramasalata, nountariff, nountart, nountartare sauce, nountaste, verbtasteless, adjectivetaster, nountasting, nountater, nountattie, nounT-bone steak, nountea, nounteacake, nountender, adjectivetin, nountinned, adjectivetitbit, nountoffee apple, nountofu, nountomato, nountongue, nountop, nountopping, nountop round, nountopside, nountop table, nountortilla, nountough, adjectivetransport cafe, nountreacle, nountrifle, nountripe, nountrotter, nountruck stop, nountruffle, nountub, nountuna, nounturkey, nounTurkish delight, nounturnip, nounturnover, nountutti frutti, nounTV dinner, nounTVP, noununadulterated, adjectiveunleavened, adjectiveunpalatable, adjectivevacuum-packed, adjectivevanilla, nounveal, nounvegan, nounvegetable, nounvegetarian, nounvegetarianism, nounveggie, nounvenison, nounvictual, verbvictuals, nounvoracious, adjectivevoucher, nounwaiter, nounwaitress, nounwalnut, noun-ware, suffixwarmed-over, adjectivewedge, nounwell, nounwell-done, adjectivewell-fed, adjectivewet fish, nounwheat, nounwhite, nounwhite flour, nounwhite pepper, nounwhite sauce, nounwholefood, nounwholemeal, adjectivewhole wheat, adjectivewiener, nounwild rice, nounwishbone, nounwrap, nounyeast extract, nounyoghurt, nounyogurt, nounyolk, nounyule log, nounyummy, adjectivezucchini, nounzwieback, noun ► well above The salaries we offer are well above (=much higher than) average. ► a well-known/famous actor· I’d really like to be a famous actor. ► well adapted flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters ► well in advance Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting? ► alive and well Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil. ► alive and well Christianity is alive and well in Asia. ► leave well (enough) alone (=not change something that is satisfactory) In economic matters, they should leave well alone. ► well-argued case The researchers put forward a well-argued case for banning the drug. ► a famous/well-known author· The famous author Henry James lived here. ► a best-selling author· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author. ► the best available· We use the best available technology. ► well/fully/acutely aware They were well aware that the company was losing money. ► well-behaved/badly-behaved a badly-behaved class ► well below Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard). ► best-seller list His new book went straight to number one on the best-seller list. ► be better off doing something (=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler. ► a bit better/older/easier etc I feel a bit better now. ► book (well) in advance· There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance. ► a well-earned break (=one that you deserve)· Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over. ► well camouflaged The strain she was under was well camouflaged by skilful make-up. ► somebody’s best clothes· They wore their best clothes for the photograph. ► came across ... well I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. ► came off ... well The performance on the first night came off pretty well. ► come over ... well He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview. ► cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)· Beans should always be cooked well. ► cope well· Most schools coped well with the change. ► prevention is better than cure British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it) ► curiosity gets the better of somebody/overcomes somebody (=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary. ► damn well· I’ll damn well do as I please. ► know damn well· You know damn well what I’m talking about. ► clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. ► deserve better (also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better. ► well deserved· The restaurant has a well deserved reputation for excellent fish. ► well-deserved He has a well-deserved reputation as a reliable worker. ► deservedly popular/well-known/famous etc Bistro Roti is a deservedly popular restaurant. ► well/badly etc designed a badly designed office ► well-developed plants with well-developed root systems ► be well/extensively/poorly etc documented It is well documented that men die younger than women. ► well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil. ► well-dressed (=wearing nice clothes of good quality)· The restaurant was full of well-dressed couples. ► well drilled The crew were well drilled in handling emergency situations. ► eat well (=have enough food, or have good food)· The people work hard, but they eat well. ► be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard)· It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort. ► best endeavours Despite our best endeavours, we couldn’t start the car. ► well/poorly/fully etc equipped a well equipped hospital ► well-established (=existing for a long time and respected or trusted by people)· McCarthy is a well-established and successful author. ► do well/badly in an exam British English, do well/badly on an exam American English:· Maria always did well in her exams at school. ► do well/badly in an examination· He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT. ► a well-known fact· It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year. ► far better/easier etc The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago. ► fit ... well His clothes did not fit him very well. ► well fitted Elinor is well fitted to be the sales manager. ► somebody’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)· Fiona was her best friend. ► well-kept/tidy British English (also neat American English)· The hotel is set in a well-kept garden. ► go well/smoothly/fine etc The party went well. Everything’s going fine at the moment. ► the best way What’s the best way to deal with this? ► The best thing The best thing you can do is wait here. ► a good deal bigger/better etc He was a good deal older than her. ► somebody’s best guess (=one that you think is most likely to be right)· My best guess is that it will take around six months. ► handles well/badly The car handles well, even on wet roads. ► somebody’s best handwriting· In his best handwriting, he wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day, Dad'. ► health and well-being· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children. ► heaps better/bigger etc (=much better, bigger etc) ► somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore. ► hope for the best Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). ► how best advice on how best (=the best way) to invest your money ► can well imagine (=can easily imagine)· I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news. ► well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible)· Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible. ► be well in with You have to be well in with the directors (=be very friendly with them) if you want to get promotion here. ► well-informed/ill-informed I became reasonably well-informed about the subject. ► good intentions/the best (of) intentions (=intentions to do something good or kind, especially when you do not succeed in doing it) He thinks the minister is full of good intentions that won’t be carried out. ► judge it best/better to do something (=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was. ► against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment. ► the best/worst kind· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture. ► of the worst/best etc kind· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. ► know ... well I don’t know him very well. ► is best known for Hepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’. ► know perfectly well/full well/only too well He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous. ► should know better It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better. ► knew better than to Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. ► a famous/well-known landmark· The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark in Paris. ► the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans. ► well lit The porch is always well lit at night. ► like best The time I like best (=like most of all) is the evening when it’s cool. ► a little more/better/further etc We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens. ► little more/better etc (than something) His voice was little more than a whisper. ► the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time) He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived. ► live well They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc). ► well looked after You could tell that the horse had been well looked after. ► much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. ► make something the best/worst/most expensive etc Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area. ► well-matched/ill-matched a well-matched pair ► good/best mate He’s good mates with John. ► may well Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely). ► may well ask ‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’ ► means well He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► the best means· Is this really the best means of achieving our goal? ► be well into middle age (=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age. ► might well This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). ► might well ask ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ ► as well it might This caused a few gasps, as well it might. ► move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things. ► much better/greater/easier etc Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable. ► much the best/most interesting etc British English It’s much the best way to do it. ► how much better/nicer/easier etc I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past! ► better nature I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us. ► well-nourished a well-nourished baby ► be well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. ► Oh ... well Oh, well, never mind. ► somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway! ► a good/better option· Renting a house may be a better option than buying. ► the best/worst part· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining. ► well past a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date ► well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time)· I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction. ► well-paid· Teachers here are well-paid. ► higher/better pay· Workers demanded higher pay. ► a famous/well-known phrase· We all hear the phrase "greenhouse gasses", but do you know what it really means? ► a well-turned phrase (=skilfully invented or chosen)· She creates lifelike characters with a few well-turned phrases. ► the best plan British English (=the best thing to do)· I think the best plan is to take the train. ► well/fully/inadequately etc prepared Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm. ► prevention is better than cure You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). ► well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body a beautifully proportioned room ► greater/better protection· The law should give greater protection to victims. ► well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) His visit was highly publicized. ► well put· Sorry, I’m not putting it very well. ► well qualified· As a former footballer, he is well qualified to talk about the game. ► read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly) He had accurately read the mood of the nation. ► reads well I think in general the report reads well. ► for reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour)· For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house. ► well received The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good). ► to (the best of) my recollection (=used when you are unsure if you remember correctly) To the best of my recollection, she drives a Mercedes. No one, to my recollection, gave a second thought to the risks involved. ► remember well (=thoroughly and completely)· I remember so well my first day there. ► a well-deserved reputation· Ronaldo’s performances earned him a deserved reputation as a terrific footballer. ► well respected· They were well respected in their communities. ► a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard)· Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season. ► well rid He was a bully, and we’re well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone). ► the best route· Let's look at the map and work out the best route. ► well/badly run The hotel is well-run and extremely popular. ► safe and sound/well (=unharmed, especially after being in danger) The missing children were found safe and sound. ► settle for second best I’m not going to settle for second best. ► come off second best (=lose a game or competition, or not be as successful as someone else) ► a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know)· The recipe is a closely-guarded secret. ► sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well. ► serve ... well Her talent for organization should serve her well. ► a shade better/quicker/faster etc The results were a shade better than we expected. ► well/elegantly/badly etc shod The children were well shod and happy. ► fall far/a long way/well short of something Facilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required. ► significantly better/greater/worse etc Delia’s work has been significantly better this year. ► well ... sunk A well was sunk in the back garden, and water could be pumped up into the kitchen. ► sleep well· I haven’t been sleeping well lately. ► slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. ► well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil. ► the best/perfect/ideal solution· Locking people in prison is not necessarily the ideal solution. ► speak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them)· He always spoke very highly of Marge. ► money well spent The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money). ► start badly/well/slowly etc Any new exercise program should start slowly. ► suit somebody well· Our new house suits us very well. ► tears well up in somebody’s eyes (=tears come into their eyes)· She broke off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. ► do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English· I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test. ► things go well/badly etc· If things went well, we would double our money in five years.· How did things go? ► time something well/badly etc Keith timed the pass well. a beautifully timed shot ► well treat· The majority of workers are well treated. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► turn out well/badly/fine etc It was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right. ► take a turn for the worse/better Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse. ► a better/greater/deeper understanding· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market. ► well underway The project is already well underway. ► are better left unsaid Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them). ► well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc a well-ventilated kitchen ► the very best/latest/worst etc We only use the very best ingredients. ► the best way· Doing the job is often regarded as the best way of learning the job. ► a sense/feeling of well-being A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. ► physical/psychological/material etc well-being the physical and emotional well-being of the children ► economic well-being We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country. ► well-chosen words He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words. ► feel ... well-disposed I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him. ► well-nigh impossible It will be well-nigh impossible to raise that amount of money. ► less well-off Many pensioners are less well-off (=have less money) than they used to be. ► well-trodden path/road/ground etc Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady. ► well-woman clinic a well-woman clinic ► wish somebody well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) My friends wished me well in my new job. ► work out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us. ► the best/tallest etc in the world· We want to become the best team in the world. ► the world’s best/tallest etc· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer. ► better or worse· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse. ► at best ... at worst Choosing the right software can be time-consuming at best and confusing or frustrating at worst. ► well worth The film is well worth seeing. ► It’s well worth It’s well worth getting there early if you want a good seat. ► wrap up warm/well Make sure you wrap up warm – it’s freezing. ► well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written. ADJECTIVE► bloody· I bloody well can't achieve that by sticking them in dull concrete abortions!· You did it well, Holly, bloody well. ► deep· The centrepiece of the courtyard was a deep well.· Engineers were to begin Monday an attempt to dry out the waterlogged San Pedro mountain by drilling two 300-foot-deep wells.· The air in these underground passages was cold, chill as the water in a deep well.· She was looking for stars, knowing that stars were visible in daylight from deep wells, but she saw none.· Trapped in a huge, deep well of sleep.· He is fortunate, too, that at Nottingham he has such a deep well of rugby knowledge to help him.· As she held the cup of tea to her mouth, she felt herself tumble down into a deep well.· A potentially large structure will be tested by a deep well at Mengkapan in late 1992. NOUN► oil· Although the oil wells survived they where badly managed and an environmental disaster.· In the southern state of Tabasco, farmers blockaded 60 oil wells in February to demand compensation from Pemex.· A further 100 oil wells were reported to have been fired in the 24 hours prior to Bush's ultimatum.· Sensa has also developed pressure and acoustic sensors to detect the water and gas content of oil wells. VERB► dig· And I dug wells of milk and wells of oil.· And the only way I figure we can get to it now is to dig a well by hand.· All these homes dig wells and take out the water that provides for all these plants.· They established health clinics in some villages, dug wells in others and send their doctors and nurses into the countryside.· He told me where to dig and I dug a well. ► draw· The water supply used to be drawn from an ancient well, remembered still by one or two of the older residents.· Running in streams, stagnant in ponds, drawn from wells.· People who draw water from private wells in the area have been advised to switch to bottled water.· It was intended to provide not only a means of cooking but of heating the water we drew from the well. ► drill· Plans for the three-year exploration phase include drilling three wells and seismic studies at a cost of $ 13 million.· A third well has also been drilled and is currently being completed, and Pogo has plans to drill a fourth well. ► sink· The group sunk its first exploratory well in late 1987, and work proceeded rapidly. ► to the best of your ability- All the children competed and performed to the best of their ability.
- I have always done my work to the best of my ability.
► acquit yourself well/honourably- They did acquit themselves well with heavier strings and a flat pick, but in the main they were seen as fingerpicking guitars.
► you would be well/ill advised to do something► all the better/easier/more etc- He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
- His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
- If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
- It makes it all the more opportune.
- Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
- The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
- The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
- Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► at your best/worst/most effective etc► augur well/badly/ill- Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
- In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
- It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
- Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
- That augured well for the day.
- That, at least, augured well.
- This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck► be on your best behaviour- Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behaviour.
- And if what Cadfael suspected was indeed true, he had now good reason to be on his best behaviour.
- But everyone is on their best behaviour.
- So when we arrived hopefully at Loch Hope that morning, I was on my best behaviour.
- Use only our own girls and warn them to be on their best behaviour.
► you’d better believe it!- "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
► your best bet- For getting around the city centre, a bicycle's your best bet.
- We decided that our best bet was to leave him where he was and go and get help.
- Well, your best bet would be to go back to Highway 218 and turn left.
► your best bib and tucker► bloody well- He seems to have bloody well disappeared altogether.
- I bloody well did, that's who.
- If there was a boat to rock, she'd bloody well rock it.
- It's encouraging them all to bloody well abuse the system so it is.
- M' lud, we bloody well hope so.
- They should bloody well have stuck around till we turned up.
- You see what we've bloody well done?
► bode well/ill (for somebody/something)- The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
- Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
- Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
- The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
- Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
- Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
- Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
- Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
- Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
► bring out the best/worst in somebody- Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
- And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
- But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
- But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
- Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
- It brings out the best in us.
- Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
- So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
- Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
► the best/pick of the bunch- But me third was the best of the bunch.
- Either they are one of the best of the bunch at home, or they make their name abroad.
- Even these modest broadcasts show only the best of the bunch.
- He may be the best of the bunch.
- It's also the best of the bunch for multi-processing, he says.
- Nevertheless as an introduction it is the best of the bunch.
- Woolwich is the best of the bunch, trading at a multiple to future earnings of 10.3.
► trump/best/strongest card- And perhaps it was time to play the trump card up his sleeve.
- In the struggle for development, every economy has certain advantages or trump cards.
- Parents must recognize that if a child does not want to do homework, the child holds the trump card.
- That night, though, our sincerity was our trump card.
- That was why Gorbachev wanted to negotiate-and that is why, in my opinion, President Reagan was holding the trump card.
- The citizens of Hebron, by contrast, hold all the trump cards.
- This was one of the trump cards of News International in its dispute with the print workers in 1986-87.
- We had beaten him, but he played a final trump card.
► come off best/better/worst etc- Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
- Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
- His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
- It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
- Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
- The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
- The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► well connected- And it does show these people are well connected.
- Be sure to get concrete and focused information from some one well connected to the writing world.
- By Road Carnlough is 35 miles from Belfast and is well connected with regular transport services.
- Certainly, such insubordination and disloyalty would have gotten a less well connected man court-martialed.
- For non-residents, other than the nobly born and well connected, it is less informative.
- Pogo's family were very well connected and he had an entrée to every branch of society.
- Samson was a man of worldly tastes and habits: he was well connected, well educated, generous and rich.
- She was well off, well educated, well connected, but she wasn't well.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc► a damn sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour► be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)- He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
► somebody would do well to do something- Nelson would do well to keep her political views out of her work.
- And President Dole or President Clinton would do well to take advantage of the services of such a splendid fellow.
- However, managers would do well to first address their own personal fears and discomfort.
- It's a motto the world of fundraising would do well to remember.
- Kansas City would do well to follow their example.
- Our selectors would do well to not pay too much attention to birth certificates.
- Parents would do well to discuss them with their doctor or hospital personnel before birth. 1.
- She would do well to remember that.
- This is highly regarded and influential in police circles and the social worker would do well to be aware of its thinking.
► do well by somebody- He's left home, but he still does well by his kids.
- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► easily the best/biggest etc- Aluminium benching is easily the best, as it virtually lasts for ever and is easily cleaned.
- He's easily the best military brain in the country.
- It's easily the best Fermanagh side I've played on.
- It gave easily the best value.
- Johnny Hero played the between set music - again proving that he hosts easily the best disco in town.
- Natural gas forms easily the biggest world reserve of methane-rich fuel.
- The greens were easily the best part of the dish.
- The pension is easily the biggest single cash benefit.
► university-educated/well educated/privately educated etc► even bigger/better/brighter etc- But he actually proved even better than I thought.
- He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
- I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
- It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
- Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
- There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
- This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
- What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
► hotter/colder/better etc than ever- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
► fare well/badly/better etc- I think the men fared better than the women.
- It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
- It still fared better than the broader market.
- Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
- Not faring well, but resting.
- Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
- The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
- There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► well-fed/under-fed/poorly-fed► I must/I’d better be getting along► go down well/badly/a treat etc- It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
- It seems to be going down a treat.
► go off well/badly etc► go over well► the biggest/best/nicest etc something going- A few hundred metres off-shore we congregate so that Tor can explain the best way of going ashore.
- Are the best bargains going to petrol buyers?
- But in those years, they were always the team with the best record going into the playoffs.
- Its got to be the best ticket office going.
- Perhaps the biggest thing going was the harp played by JoAnn Turovsky, sounding positively, well, huge.
- There was a wide range of scores with the best individual score going to George McCallum of Douglas Reyburn with 37 points.
- This, so I was led to believe, was the best it was going to get.
- What is the best way of going forward? - Ideas from within I hear you say!
► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► somebody had better/best do something► be somebody’s last/only/best hope- Advocates just seem to take it on faith that annexation is the only hope of salvation for this city.
- But mad or not, you are my only hope, Meg.
- But Thomas Sachs was now her only hope.
- I expected to be disappointed, though the letter was now my only hope.
- In the long term, Mr Heseltine said that privatisation was the only hope for the industry.
- Is he only hoping to make money?
- Robert Urquhart was her only hope, her only ally.
- That was the only hope I had of reaching the doctor.
► jolly well- And charge they jolly well did.
- And if he hasn't changed his sheets by now, he jolly well ought to have done.
- But the horse is used to being brushed, or he jolly well should be!
- He claimed he hadn't any but he jolly well had!
- He had a mountain to climb and he was jolly well going to reach the top or die in the attempt.
- I mean, would you jolly well put money into this place?
► it’s/that’s just as well► kiss something better► not know any better- Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
► (well,) what do you know?► know better- Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
- The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
- But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
- Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
- Guess he should have known better.
- Now you know better, thass all.
- Then I would have known better.
- Time you knew better, young lady.
- Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
► somebody knows best► well-known/little-known/lesser-known► better late than never- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► do your level best (to do something)- Even so he did his level best with the new ball.
- We did our level best to look fascinated.
► light years ahead/better etc than something► (just) that little bit better/easier etc- We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
► good luck/best of luck- Best of luck with your driving test.
- Good luck Archie! Enjoy your new job.
► better luck next time- Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
- And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
- Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► wish somebody (the best of) luck- But had we sat down with her, we would have wished her good luck.
- Everyone wished each other good luck and Mould, Matron and Endill headed off to the library.
- I wish him luck and hope that after a couple of years he is transferred back!
- James wished me good luck and dashed off home.
- Lineker and Paul Gascoigne have both been in touch with Spurs to wish them good luck for the new season.
- She wishes me luck, opens the door to the bathroom, and disappears into a cloud of steam.
- Well, I wish you luck.
- Yet at the start of the day both sides had wished each other luck.
► a well-oiled machine- If you're trained correctly you become like a well-oiled machine.
- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► man’s best friend► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► may well- Database development and a news archiving feature which may well appear as a separate product are also in the pipeline.
- Half a dozen senior people in the energy ministry, recently sacked on suspicion of taking bribes, may well join him.
- It may well be argued that any attempt at locating sUch a remote people is itself an idle one.
- Moreover, there may well be some very severe doubts about the application of the biological model even to the favourite cases.
- The two who stay may well be the ones who adapt to the new system the best.
- There may well be a real problem here.
- To take them off groundwater may well mean we have to subsidize them some more.
- You may well have heard of him.
► may as well- Since we're just sitting here, we may as well have a drink.
- You may as well not turn it on, Cooper, until after the game.
- I may as well explain here why he did this much-criticized and desperate deed of daring...
- I may as well have not bothered.
- I may as well stick it out to the end.
- If Klepner's gonna get his job he may as well do the spiel.
- In the end the mission controllers took the very pragmatic view that they may as well continue the mission to the Moon.
- That may as well be a word from a foreign language.
- You may as well get used to it, Oakland.
- You may as well play when you are in a scoring mode.
► the best medicine- Laughter is the best medicine.
- A former teacher at Longlands College, Middlesbrough, Pat always believes in laughter as the best medicine for loneliness.
- Besides, it is the best medicine.
- Having Louella come and live with me will be the best medicine in the world.
- Recovery is the best medicine for the market, but it must be sustainable.
► might (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
► might well- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along► the next best thing- He can't ask them, so he is doing the next best thing.
- I guess they figured calling their game Arnie was the next best thing to having a blockbusting movie title.
- It is the next best thing to crossing the deserts of the world oneself.
- The new switch is the next best thing we could do to moving.
- The room is the next best thing to being outside.
- Video may seem like the next best thing to being there, but electronically mediated interactions are different from real-life meetings.
- We do, however, have the next best thing: a place to go for more information.
- We went to the bookshelves to find the next best thing.
► none the worse/better etc (for something)- Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
- I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
- Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► well now- Well now, do you agree or not?
- Buffalo is better now on offense than they have been.
- But things were much better now.
- Even though he could foresee the problem then, we can see it equally well now.
- He and I get along very well now.
- I know Steven's method of working very well now.
- Q: Your album is doing incredibly well now, and your career is on the upswing.
- The clients expect and understand that quite well now, because it's been happening for about two or three years.
- Um, yeah, yeah, I actually started getting kind of sick but I am feeling better now.
► well/badly/carefully etc organized- From everything I saw and heard, he seemed to be very well organized in Iowa.
- In parliament there would be a carefully organized campaign of resistance that would at least slow the government down and raise Unionist morale.
- Now that the partisans were well organized in the Province of Parma they committed many acts of sabotage.
- Others around us, and we ourselves, demand that we always be well organized and hopeful.
- Professionals are well organized, never seen by their victims, and they don't kill.
- The anti-London lobby, however, was well organized and had financial arguments to back its case.
- They can also be extraordinarily well organized and methodical, as well as deliberate and purposeful.
► the best/better part of something- Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
- Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
- Converse drank the better part of the rum.
- For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
- I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
- It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
- This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► pass off well/badly etc► perform well/badly etc- After they had performed well in the role, these women made prestigious marriages, as does Cinderella.
- All this works only if Hanson's headquarters performs well in its non-executive role.
- Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.
- Is a nominated subcontractor really likely to perform better than the subcontractor's own subcontractor?
- Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.
- This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.
- To perform well a team needs a range of roles in its make-up.
- Yet these stocks performed well in both.
► personal best- But I still ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best, so I was happy.
- Conrad Allen came up trumps again, finishing fourth in the boys 800 metres in a personal best 2 mins. 22.
- Fredericks' 19. 68 was 0. 14 seconds lower than his personal best.
- His personal best before this season was 10. 08.
- I next ran at Oslo where I set a personal best for 200 metres, so that was encouraging.
- Ron and I take each year as it comes and we always plan for me to run a personal best every season.
- Sammy also collected a 50 freestyle bronze with 31.44-a personal best along with her 43.95 in the 50 breaststroke.
- That means that their motives are clean and their actions represent their personal best.
► photograph well- Despite worries to the contrary, pressed flowers photograph well and make a refreshing change from more conventional forms of artwork.
- Owing to poor light conditions, these particular marks did not photograph well.
► be well/ideally etc placed- But the island that in the prohibition years after 1920 profitably ran the rum trade is well placed for bootlegging cocaine.
- By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.
- Development agencies are well placed to make this point with the authority of people trying to get a job done.
- He was well placed to comment.
- In short, I knew a lot of management educators and developers and was well placed to include them in my study.
- Professional associations would seem to be well placed in terms of expertise and disinterest to carry out this kind of selection.
- The clearing banks were ideally placed.
- These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.
► be well/ideally/perfectly positioned► the best/biggest/fastest etc possible- Any successful entrepreneurial venture starts with making sure that the entrepreneur is in the best possible mental and physical health.
- But the psychologist was never confident that he had obtained the best possible scores from Nelson.
- For a moment, I imagined the best possible to the worst possible reply.
- Obviously, the purpose is to ensure that the best possible pensions arrangements are reached.
- That way it will have the best possible start in life.
- The additional value farmers receive is the best possible free advice on both inputs and marketing.
- The horrifying news sent the Ciprianos on a nationwide search to find the best possible treatment for their daughter.
- This at once enhances the contribution which the court or parents can make towards reaching the best possible decision in all the circumstances.
► good/best/bad practice- An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
- Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
- It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
- Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
- The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
- There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
- These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
- This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► pretty well/much- In 1992, Clinton had pretty much wrapped up the Democratic nomination by Super Tuesday.
- It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.
- Once we would arrive at a place, Alistair seemed to leave Judy pretty much on her own.
- Otherwise you have to walk the half block, but then you can see them pretty well.
- Our point here is that at an abstract level, every organization values pretty much the same things.
- Since I was there six years ago some things have changed and others have remained pretty much the same.
- They have timed the deal pretty well, and not just from a weather outlook.
- They know me pretty well here.
► well-read/widely-read► better Red than dead► better (to be) safe than sorry- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
► have seen better days- Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
- Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
- We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
► send your love/regards/best wishes etc- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
► give something your best shot- I'm not promising I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best shot.
- Hopefully he can recover and regain his test place and give it his best shot.
- I'd have given it my best shot, and that was all anyone could demand from me.
- I just have a feeling that we have given it our best shot.
- The band gave it their best shot, until the arrival of the blue meanies put an end to the proceedings.
- You were never entirely safe from prying fingers in Chinatown, but I had to give it my best shot.
► the best/biggest etc ... this side of something► a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
- The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
- We were a darned sight better than them.
► be well/clearly/badly signposted- Big Pit is about a male out of Blaenafon on the B4248, and is well signposted.
- There are well signposted walks, some of them offering views of the snow-topped Alps.
► not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)- Certainly, such views as these do not sit comfortably with managerialism and are equally at odds with restricted professionality.
- He had never before been accused of stealing and it did not sit well with him.
- One might think a hockey fan would not sit easily at a sewing machine piecing together patches for a quilt.
- The adornment, thought Eloise smugly, would not sit well amidst so much blubber.
- The closures, which began late last month, does not sit well with many of the regulars.
- The populist vision of a peasant landholding democracy does not sit easily with alternative visions of women's rights.
- The volatility and their non-guaranteed status do not sit comfortably with the official line linking the two benefits.
- This conviction did not sit well either with regimental soldiering or with Whitehall.
► the best/greatest thing since sliced bread- Now, I didn't get it because I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
► the sooner ( ... ) the better- The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
- They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
► good/better/healthy etc start (in life)- A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
- But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
- He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
- It wasn't a very good start.
- Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
- The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
- The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
- They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
► better/harder/worse etc still- And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
- But perhaps the early evening was better still?
- He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
- I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
- I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
- Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
- Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
- With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
► best/well/ideally/perfectly etc suited to/for something- Boar chops are best suited to grilling or sauteing.
- If I were a free agent, those are the places I would go, a place best suited for my needs.
- It is not however so well suited to an intensive, detailed study of spoken language.
- Nevertheless, it is an early maturing variety well suited to the long ripening period of a northern wine region.
- Secondly, the adversary nature of the adjudicative process may not be well suited to this area.
- The farmer's wife was well suited to tackling this considerable undertaking.
- Use the systems best suited to their talent, both offensively and defensively.
- We have large quantities of plutonium already separated and in forms ideally suited for nuclear weapons.
► greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
► your Sunday best► your/her/my etc Sunday best► be well/poorly/generously supplied with something- The lounge was well supplied with ashtrays.
- Football stars are well supplied with female groupies.
- The markets are well supplied with agricultural produce, and with linens and yarns from the surrounding country.
► think better of it- She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
- But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
- But then she thought better of it.
- Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
- He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
- He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
- He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
- Then he thought better of it.
► think the best/worst of somebody- Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
- He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
- I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
- My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
- The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
- Why should you think the worst of me?
- You always think the worst of me.
► carefully/well/badly thought-out- But new-wave sanitation experts say sewerage offers little more than convenience when compared to well thought-out latrines.
- Each section is well thought-out and presented with a good number of diagrams and chromatograms.
- It is here that the value of well thought-out objectives can be seen.
- The system is a well thought-out one and seems to work well.
► the best/biggest etc ... of all time- And seeing as it was my brainchild, would you not say it was possibly the best commercial of all time?
- Surely the biggest robbery of all time was the $ 900m that the Dome stole from lottery funds?
- That's the biggest understatement of all time!
- You could call that round the biggest fluke of all time...
► well-travelled► travel well- Clear out your food cupboard and throw away everything that will not travel well, such as leaky, crushable or carbonated goods.
- Commercially precooked and ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats and cheeses travel well.
- He could travel well enough on his own, if only they'd let him.
- It had travelled well and the colour emphasised her astonishing fairness.
- It is excellent wine, in either its white or its red versions, and said to travel well.
- Smells travel well under water, though what the experience of underwater scents may be like is open to imagination.
- Some things don't travel well, in time or in space.
► well and truly- After two weeks, the kids were well and truly converted.
- But I had been caught, well and truly, and had paid the price, time and time again.
- From February, the challenge will have well and truly begun, especially if your birthday falls between August 13 and 23.
- It looked as if she was well and truly trapped.
- Mind you any food in our stomach was going to get well and truly shaken up.
- One word from him and doors that Washington depended on being open would be well and truly slammed.
- The padded fabric varieties are well and truly childproof - and look very attractive.
- We were all well and truly bitten.
► well/beautifully/badly etc turned out- He looks trim and well turned out in a new dark suit.
- Mr. Russ's deputy was Mr. Windust, then probably in his late thirties - always smart and well turned out.
► two heads are better than one► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► be (well) versed in something- An engineer may be well versed in the technique of value engineering; it includes methods of generating the creative discontinuity.
- He was also reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
- Of course, not everyone is well versed in moral philosophy.
- The second point is that factory women were well versed in appraising the advantages and disadvantages of additional family members.
- William Fannon, the author of this recollection, and Charles Shartle were well versed in shop ways.
- You may be versed in necromancy, and steeped in alchemy, and schooled in the ancient cruel arts of your realm.
► very well- Very well, you can go to Emily's house, but be back by 7 p.m.
- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► vote something a success/the best etc- But they will be in costume, and all party goers will have a chance to vote on the best disguise.
- They also voted the Cappuccino the best sub-£20,000 sports car in the show.
► something is (well) worth waiting for- Tuesday night's Boston-Chicago game was worth waiting for.
- Something worth having is worth waiting for.
► for want of a better word/phrase etc- Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
- Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► wash well- Silk doesn't wash well.
- Drain the anchovies and wash well to remove the oil from the surface.
- This one is knitted in a linen-mix yarn which washes well and feels especially soft to touch.
► wear well- Brass wears as well as steel in most hinges.
- Pavement's album from 1991 still wears well.
- A dense pile wears better than a loosely-woven one, which can be parted to reveal the backing.
- But most have stayed and worn well, reassuring and fixed points in an otherwise changing landscape.
- He has worn well, she mused.
- He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.
- His haughtiness did not wear well with the Republicans who controlled both houses of the legislature.
- If he was Sorrel's father, then he must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he'd worn well.
- That bit of you has worn well!
- Vibram: a brand name for a traditional tough and heavy-duty patterned sole which wears well.
► you would be well-advised to do something► well-grounded in something- Irwin is well-grounded in both engineering and robotics.
► be well-off for something► you don’t know when you’re well-off► a well-oiled machine- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► the well-to-do► well-trodden path/track/route etc► with the best will in the world- And, David, with the best will in the world, you can't teach him.
- Even with the best will in the world, we could not do it.
► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...► best/good/warmest etc wishes- A former miner, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
- And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.
- Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.
- My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warm greetings to you.
- Our best wishes to his family and friends.
- She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a boon companion of late.
- Spare me your shock and good wishes.
- With best wishes for success and prosperity.
► the worried well 1a deep hole in the ground from which people take water: She lowered her bucket into the well.2an oil well3the space in a tall building where the stairs arewell1 adverbwell2 interjectionwell3 adjectivewell4 nounwell5 verb wellwell5 (also well up) verb [intransitive] literary well5Origin: 1300-1400 well ‘to cause to boil’ (11-15 centuries), from Old English wellan VERB TABLEwell |
Present | they | well | | it | wells | Past | it, they | welled | Present perfect | they | have welled | | it | has welled | Past perfect | it, they | had welled | Future | it, they | will well | Future perfect | it, they | will have welled |
|
Present | they | are welling | | it | is welling | Past | they | were welling | | it | was welling | Present perfect | they | have been welling | | it | has been welling | Past perfect | it, they | had been welling | Future | it, they | will be welling | Future perfect | it, they | will have been welling |
- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- Dark blood was welling up from both of them.
- Diana vented all the grievances which had been welling up inside her for more than ten years.
- His right armpit ached; a kind of fever of anger welled up like a midnight tide coming in.
- It welled up, reclaiming its rightful position in the hit parade of the senses: No.
- It wells up her perfectly tanned throat and finally she starts to shake, honey blonde hair cascading over slim shoulders.
- She groaned, as hot tears welled up and wetted both their faces.
- Sympathy welled up in her for him.
► tears well up I felt tears well up in my eyes. ► well above The salaries we offer are well above (=much higher than) average. ► a well-known/famous actor· I’d really like to be a famous actor. ► well adapted flowers which are well adapted to harsh winters ► well in advance Could you distribute copies well in advance of the meeting? ► alive and well Apparently he’s alive and well and living in Brazil. ► alive and well Christianity is alive and well in Asia. ► leave well (enough) alone (=not change something that is satisfactory) In economic matters, they should leave well alone. ► well-argued case The researchers put forward a well-argued case for banning the drug. ► a famous/well-known author· The famous author Henry James lived here. ► a best-selling author· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author. ► the best available· We use the best available technology. ► well/fully/acutely aware They were well aware that the company was losing money. ► well-behaved/badly-behaved a badly-behaved class ► well below Tom’s spelling is well below average (=much worse than the normal standard). ► best-seller list His new book went straight to number one on the best-seller list. ► be better off doing something (=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler. ► a bit better/older/easier etc I feel a bit better now. ► book (well) in advance· There are only 20 places, so it is essential to book well in advance. ► a well-earned break (=one that you deserve)· Everyone’s looking forward to a well-earned break when the exams are over. ► well camouflaged The strain she was under was well camouflaged by skilful make-up. ► somebody’s best clothes· They wore their best clothes for the photograph. ► came across ... well I don’t think I came across very well (=seemed to have good qualities) in the interview. ► came off ... well The performance on the first night came off pretty well. ► come over ... well He didn’t come over very well (=seem to have good qualities) in the interview. ► cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time)· Beans should always be cooked well. ► cope well· Most schools coped well with the change. ► prevention is better than cure British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it) ► curiosity gets the better of somebody/overcomes somebody (=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary. ► damn well· I’ll damn well do as I please. ► know damn well· You know damn well what I’m talking about. ► clearly/well defined The tasks will be clearly defined by the tutor. ► deserve better (also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better. ► well deserved· The restaurant has a well deserved reputation for excellent fish. ► well-deserved He has a well-deserved reputation as a reliable worker. ► deservedly popular/well-known/famous etc Bistro Roti is a deservedly popular restaurant. ► well/badly etc designed a badly designed office ► well-developed plants with well-developed root systems ► be well/extensively/poorly etc documented It is well documented that men die younger than women. ► well-drained/poorly-drained soil (=soil from which water flows away quickly or slowly) This plant needs rich, well-drained soil. ► well-dressed (=wearing nice clothes of good quality)· The restaurant was full of well-dressed couples. ► well drilled The crew were well drilled in handling emergency situations. ► eat well (=have enough food, or have good food)· The people work hard, but they eat well. ► be (well) worth the effort (=used to say that something is worth doing even though it is hard)· It’s a difficult place to get to, but it's well worth the effort. ► best endeavours Despite our best endeavours, we couldn’t start the car. ► well/poorly/fully etc equipped a well equipped hospital ► well-established (=existing for a long time and respected or trusted by people)· McCarthy is a well-established and successful author. ► do well/badly in an exam British English, do well/badly on an exam American English:· Maria always did well in her exams at school. ► do well/badly in an examination· He did well in his examinations, and went on to study at MIT. ► a well-known fact· It is a well-known fact that new cars lose a lot of their value in the first year. ► far better/easier etc The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago. ► fit ... well His clothes did not fit him very well. ► well fitted Elinor is well fitted to be the sales manager. ► somebody’s best friend (=the friend you like the most)· Fiona was her best friend. ► well-kept/tidy British English (also neat American English)· The hotel is set in a well-kept garden. ► go well/smoothly/fine etc The party went well. Everything’s going fine at the moment. ► the best way What’s the best way to deal with this? ► The best thing The best thing you can do is wait here. ► a good deal bigger/better etc He was a good deal older than her. ► somebody’s best guess (=one that you think is most likely to be right)· My best guess is that it will take around six months. ► handles well/badly The car handles well, even on wet roads. ► somebody’s best handwriting· In his best handwriting, he wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day, Dad'. ► health and well-being· The breakfast program improves the health and well-being of the children. ► heaps better/bigger etc (=much better, bigger etc) ► somebody doesn’t hear too well/very well (=they have problems with their hearing) Old Zeke doesn’t hear too well anymore. ► hope for the best Liam decided to ignore the warning and just hope for the best (=hope that a situation will end well when there is a risk of things going wrong). ► how best advice on how best (=the best way) to invest your money ► can well imagine (=can easily imagine)· I can well imagine how delighted you were with the news. ► well-nigh impossible formal (=almost impossible)· Policing the entire coastline is well-nigh impossible. ► be well in with You have to be well in with the directors (=be very friendly with them) if you want to get promotion here. ► well-informed/ill-informed I became reasonably well-informed about the subject. ► good intentions/the best (of) intentions (=intentions to do something good or kind, especially when you do not succeed in doing it) He thinks the minister is full of good intentions that won’t be carried out. ► judge it best/better to do something (=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was. ► against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment. ► the best/worst kind· Not knowing what had happened to her was the worst kind of torture. ► of the worst/best etc kind· This is hypocrisy of the worst kind. ► know ... well I don’t know him very well. ► is best known for Hepburn is best known for (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ‘My Fair Lady’. ► know perfectly well/full well/only too well He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous. ► should know better It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better. ► knew better than to Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. ► a famous/well-known landmark· The Eiffel Tower is probably the most famous landmark in Paris. ► the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans. ► well lit The porch is always well lit at night. ► like best The time I like best (=like most of all) is the evening when it’s cool. ► a little more/better/further etc We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens. ► little more/better etc (than something) His voice was little more than a whisper. ► the best/greatest etc that/who ever lived (=the best, greatest etc who has been alive at any time) He’s probably the best journalist who ever lived. ► live well They earn enough money to live well (=have plenty of food, clothes etc). ► well looked after You could tell that the horse had been well looked after. ► much-loved/well-loved In 1941, her much-loved sister was killed in an accident. ► make something the best/worst/most expensive etc Over 80,000 people attended, making it the biggest sporting event in the area. ► well-matched/ill-matched a well-matched pair ► good/best mate He’s good mates with John. ► may well Your job may well involve some travelling (=it is fairly likely). ► may well ask ‘What’s all the noise?’ ‘You may well ask.’ ► means well He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► the best means· Is this really the best means of achieving our goal? ► be well into middle age (=be obviously middle-aged, probably at least 50)· Most of the people there were well into middle age. ► might well This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely). ► might well ask ‘What do they hope to achieve?’ ‘You might well ask.’ ► as well it might This caused a few gasps, as well it might. ► move on to higher/better things (=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things. ► much better/greater/easier etc Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable. ► much the best/most interesting etc British English It’s much the best way to do it. ► how much better/nicer/easier etc I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past! ► better nature I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us. ► well-nourished a well-nourished baby ► be well/badly off for something The school’s fairly well off for books these days. ► Oh ... well Oh, well, never mind. ► somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway! ► a good/better option· Renting a house may be a better option than buying. ► the best/worst part· The worst part was having to work even when it was raining. ► well past a pot of yoghurt well past its sell-by date ► well-worn (=used a lot or for a long time)· I followed what seemed to be a well-worn path heading in the right direction. ► well-paid· Teachers here are well-paid. ► higher/better pay· Workers demanded higher pay. ► a famous/well-known phrase· We all hear the phrase "greenhouse gasses", but do you know what it really means? ► a well-turned phrase (=skilfully invented or chosen)· She creates lifelike characters with a few well-turned phrases. ► the best plan British English (=the best thing to do)· I think the best plan is to take the train. ► well/fully/inadequately etc prepared Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm. ► prevention is better than cure You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). ► well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body a beautifully proportioned room ► greater/better protection· The law should give greater protection to victims. ► well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) His visit was highly publicized. ► well put· Sorry, I’m not putting it very well. ► well qualified· As a former footballer, he is well qualified to talk about the game. ► read something well/accurately (=understand something correctly) He had accurately read the mood of the nation. ► reads well I think in general the report reads well. ► for reasons best known to somebody (=used when you do not understand someone’s behaviour)· For reasons best known to herself, she decided to sell the house. ► well received The film was well received by critics (=they said it was good). ► to (the best of) my recollection (=used when you are unsure if you remember correctly) To the best of my recollection, she drives a Mercedes. No one, to my recollection, gave a second thought to the risks involved. ► remember well (=thoroughly and completely)· I remember so well my first day there. ► a well-deserved reputation· Ronaldo’s performances earned him a deserved reputation as a terrific footballer. ► well respected· They were well respected in their communities. ► a well-earned/well-deserved rest (=a rest after working hard)· Our players are taking a well-earned rest before the start of the new season. ► well rid He was a bully, and we’re well rid of him (=it is good that he has gone). ► the best route· Let's look at the map and work out the best route. ► well/badly run The hotel is well-run and extremely popular. ► safe and sound/well (=unharmed, especially after being in danger) The missing children were found safe and sound. ► settle for second best I’m not going to settle for second best. ► come off second best (=lose a game or competition, or not be as successful as someone else) ► a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know)· The recipe is a closely-guarded secret. ► sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well. ► serve ... well Her talent for organization should serve her well. ► a shade better/quicker/faster etc The results were a shade better than we expected. ► well/elegantly/badly etc shod The children were well shod and happy. ► fall far/a long way/well short of something Facilities in these schools fall far short of the standards required. ► significantly better/greater/worse etc Delia’s work has been significantly better this year. ► well ... sunk A well was sunk in the back garden, and water could be pumped up into the kitchen. ► sleep well· I haven’t been sleeping well lately. ► slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc January’s sales were slightly better than average. ► well-drained (=letting water pass through easily)· Plant the seedlings out in a warm, sunny position in well-drained soil. ► the best/perfect/ideal solution· Locking people in prison is not necessarily the ideal solution. ► speak well/highly of somebody (=say good things about them)· He always spoke very highly of Marge. ► money well spent The repairs cost a lot, but it’s money well spent (=a sensible way of spending money). ► start badly/well/slowly etc Any new exercise program should start slowly. ► suit somebody well· Our new house suits us very well. ► tears well up in somebody’s eyes (=tears come into their eyes)· She broke off, feeling the tears welling up in her eyes. ► do well/badly in a test British English, do well/badly on a test American English· I didn’t do very well in the first part of the test. ► things go well/badly etc· If things went well, we would double our money in five years.· How did things go? ► time something well/badly etc Keith timed the pass well. a beautifully timed shot ► well treat· The majority of workers are well treated. ► try your best/hardest (=make as much effort as possible)· Try your best to block out other distractions. ► turn out well/badly/fine etc It was a difficult time, but eventually things turned out all right. ► take a turn for the worse/better Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse. ► a better/greater/deeper understanding· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market. ► well underway The project is already well underway. ► are better left unsaid Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them). ► well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc a well-ventilated kitchen ► the very best/latest/worst etc We only use the very best ingredients. ► the best way· Doing the job is often regarded as the best way of learning the job. ► a sense/feeling of well-being A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being. ► physical/psychological/material etc well-being the physical and emotional well-being of the children ► economic well-being We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country. ► well-chosen words He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words. ► feel ... well-disposed I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him. ► well-nigh impossible It will be well-nigh impossible to raise that amount of money. ► less well-off Many pensioners are less well-off (=have less money) than they used to be. ► well-trodden path/road/ground etc Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady. ► well-woman clinic a well-woman clinic ► wish somebody well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) My friends wished me well in my new job. ► work out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us. ► the best/tallest etc in the world· We want to become the best team in the world. ► the world’s best/tallest etc· It is the world’s largest car manufacturer. ► better or worse· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse. ► at best ... at worst Choosing the right software can be time-consuming at best and confusing or frustrating at worst. ► well worth The film is well worth seeing. ► It’s well worth It’s well worth getting there early if you want a good seat. ► wrap up warm/well Make sure you wrap up warm – it’s freezing. ► well/badly/poorly etc written The article is very well written. NOUN► anger· After I hung up, the anger and frustration began welling up inside me.· His right armpit ached; a kind of fever of anger welled up like a midnight tide coming in. ► tear· She could feel the tears waiting, welling up inside, ready to pounce as always.· She groaned, as hot tears welled up and wetted both their faces.· He couldn't speak, and, to his horror, he felt tears welling up in his throat.· I could feel my own tears welling up.· Some people find uncontrollable tears welling up, yet they may feel wonderfully relaxed and calm after the massage.· He paused and suddenly tears welled up.· I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and suddenly they spilled over the sides and dripped down my cheeks.· Alan stared at Pam, fighting back the tears which welled in his eyes. ► to the best of your ability- All the children competed and performed to the best of their ability.
- I have always done my work to the best of my ability.
► acquit yourself well/honourably- They did acquit themselves well with heavier strings and a flat pick, but in the main they were seen as fingerpicking guitars.
► you would be well/ill advised to do something► all the better/easier/more etc- He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
- His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
- If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
- It makes it all the more opportune.
- Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
- The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
- The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
- Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► at your best/worst/most effective etc► augur well/badly/ill- Enjoyment of one's past job does not augur well for contentment in the role of housewife.
- In another development that does not augur well for transatlantic trade, Zoellick formally asked the U.S.
- It hardly augurs well - especially as none of them have won an international in Paris.
- Such potential augurs well for the 1990s.
- That augured well for the day.
- That, at least, augured well.
- This augurs well for the future and underlines the truth that music as a universal language is an important resource for ecumenism.
► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck► be on your best behaviour- Dinner was very formal, with everyone on their best behaviour.
- And if what Cadfael suspected was indeed true, he had now good reason to be on his best behaviour.
- But everyone is on their best behaviour.
- So when we arrived hopefully at Loch Hope that morning, I was on my best behaviour.
- Use only our own girls and warn them to be on their best behaviour.
► you’d better believe it!- "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
► your best bet- For getting around the city centre, a bicycle's your best bet.
- We decided that our best bet was to leave him where he was and go and get help.
- Well, your best bet would be to go back to Highway 218 and turn left.
► your best bib and tucker► bloody well- He seems to have bloody well disappeared altogether.
- I bloody well did, that's who.
- If there was a boat to rock, she'd bloody well rock it.
- It's encouraging them all to bloody well abuse the system so it is.
- M' lud, we bloody well hope so.
- They should bloody well have stuck around till we turned up.
- You see what we've bloody well done?
► bode well/ill (for somebody/something)- The results of the opinion poll do not bode well for the Democrats.
- Even if they are fictional characters, it doesn't bode well for the poor things.
- Somehow, it bodes well for the couture.
- The evening had, on reflection, never boded well.
- Things had connected, falling into a new shape - a shape that bode well for the future.
- Those numbers bode well for the Raiders.
- Unsurprisingly, refugees often fell into a torpid dependency, which did not bode well for the future.
- Word on the street is that Sub Pop refused the new Friends' second album, which may not bode well.
- Yet, conservation biologists have begun to wonder if these long-hoped-for changes bode well for the land.
► bring out the best/worst in somebody- Ingram always seems to bring out the best in his players.
- And Vince was obviously a great coach; he brought out the best in his team and whoever played him.
- But the Washington Wizards have a way of bringing out the best in their opponents.
- But, says Markert, there is something about one-way communication that can also bring out the worst in people.
- Campaigns seem to bring out the worst in Bob Dole.
- It brings out the best in us.
- Maybe something like they tend to bring out the best in us.
- So, to bring out the best in your cooking make sure you use the purest soy sauce, Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
- Yet it was not an unsuccessful attempt to bring out the best in his audience.
► the best/pick of the bunch- But me third was the best of the bunch.
- Either they are one of the best of the bunch at home, or they make their name abroad.
- Even these modest broadcasts show only the best of the bunch.
- He may be the best of the bunch.
- It's also the best of the bunch for multi-processing, he says.
- Nevertheless as an introduction it is the best of the bunch.
- Woolwich is the best of the bunch, trading at a multiple to future earnings of 10.3.
► trump/best/strongest card- And perhaps it was time to play the trump card up his sleeve.
- In the struggle for development, every economy has certain advantages or trump cards.
- Parents must recognize that if a child does not want to do homework, the child holds the trump card.
- That night, though, our sincerity was our trump card.
- That was why Gorbachev wanted to negotiate-and that is why, in my opinion, President Reagan was holding the trump card.
- The citizens of Hebron, by contrast, hold all the trump cards.
- This was one of the trump cards of News International in its dispute with the print workers in 1986-87.
- We had beaten him, but he played a final trump card.
► come off best/better/worst etc- Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
- Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
- His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
- It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
- Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
- The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
- The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► well connected- And it does show these people are well connected.
- Be sure to get concrete and focused information from some one well connected to the writing world.
- By Road Carnlough is 35 miles from Belfast and is well connected with regular transport services.
- Certainly, such insubordination and disloyalty would have gotten a less well connected man court-martialed.
- For non-residents, other than the nobly born and well connected, it is less informative.
- Pogo's family were very well connected and he had an entrée to every branch of society.
- Samson was a man of worldly tastes and habits: he was well connected, well educated, generous and rich.
- She was well off, well educated, well connected, but she wasn't well.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc► a damn sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour► be well/favourably/kindly disposed (to/towards somebody/something)- He said Bonn was favourably disposed to such a conference if it were well prepared.
- I think maybe she had seen the television programmes and was favourably disposed.
- It is expected that he will be favourably disposed towards the report's proposals.
- Jackson was well disposed towards journalists of left-wing sympathies.
- The best that can be hoped for, on their behalf, is that human beings are kindly disposed towards them.
- The majority were favourably disposed, some were ambivalent and a few highly critical of the messages and their style.
► somebody would do well to do something- Nelson would do well to keep her political views out of her work.
- And President Dole or President Clinton would do well to take advantage of the services of such a splendid fellow.
- However, managers would do well to first address their own personal fears and discomfort.
- It's a motto the world of fundraising would do well to remember.
- Kansas City would do well to follow their example.
- Our selectors would do well to not pay too much attention to birth certificates.
- Parents would do well to discuss them with their doctor or hospital personnel before birth. 1.
- She would do well to remember that.
- This is highly regarded and influential in police circles and the social worker would do well to be aware of its thinking.
► do well by somebody- He's left home, but he still does well by his kids.
- Economic constraints or limitations can be overcome given a sufficiently high motivation to do well by the individual entrepreneur.
► easily the best/biggest etc- Aluminium benching is easily the best, as it virtually lasts for ever and is easily cleaned.
- He's easily the best military brain in the country.
- It's easily the best Fermanagh side I've played on.
- It gave easily the best value.
- Johnny Hero played the between set music - again proving that he hosts easily the best disco in town.
- Natural gas forms easily the biggest world reserve of methane-rich fuel.
- The greens were easily the best part of the dish.
- The pension is easily the biggest single cash benefit.
► university-educated/well educated/privately educated etc► even bigger/better/brighter etc- But he actually proved even better than I thought.
- He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
- I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
- It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
- Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
- There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
- This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
- What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
► hotter/colder/better etc than ever- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
► fare well/badly/better etc- I think the men fared better than the women.
- It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
- It still fared better than the broader market.
- Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
- Not faring well, but resting.
- Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
- The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
- There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► well-fed/under-fed/poorly-fed► I must/I’d better be getting along► go down well/badly/a treat etc- It went down a treat with the matrons in safe seats like South-west Surrey.
- It seems to be going down a treat.
► go off well/badly etc► go over well► the biggest/best/nicest etc something going- A few hundred metres off-shore we congregate so that Tor can explain the best way of going ashore.
- Are the best bargains going to petrol buyers?
- But in those years, they were always the team with the best record going into the playoffs.
- Its got to be the best ticket office going.
- Perhaps the biggest thing going was the harp played by JoAnn Turovsky, sounding positively, well, huge.
- There was a wide range of scores with the best individual score going to George McCallum of Douglas Reyburn with 37 points.
- This, so I was led to believe, was the best it was going to get.
- What is the best way of going forward? - Ideas from within I hear you say!
► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► I/you might as well be hanged for a sheep as (for) a lamb► somebody had better/best do something► be somebody’s last/only/best hope- Advocates just seem to take it on faith that annexation is the only hope of salvation for this city.
- But mad or not, you are my only hope, Meg.
- But Thomas Sachs was now her only hope.
- I expected to be disappointed, though the letter was now my only hope.
- In the long term, Mr Heseltine said that privatisation was the only hope for the industry.
- Is he only hoping to make money?
- Robert Urquhart was her only hope, her only ally.
- That was the only hope I had of reaching the doctor.
► jolly well- And charge they jolly well did.
- And if he hasn't changed his sheets by now, he jolly well ought to have done.
- But the horse is used to being brushed, or he jolly well should be!
- He claimed he hadn't any but he jolly well had!
- He had a mountain to climb and he was jolly well going to reach the top or die in the attempt.
- I mean, would you jolly well put money into this place?
► it’s/that’s just as well► kiss something better► not know any better- Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
► (well,) what do you know?► know better- Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
- The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
- But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
- Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
- Guess he should have known better.
- Now you know better, thass all.
- Then I would have known better.
- Time you knew better, young lady.
- Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
► somebody knows best► well-known/little-known/lesser-known► better late than never- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► do your level best (to do something)- Even so he did his level best with the new ball.
- We did our level best to look fascinated.
► light years ahead/better etc than something► (just) that little bit better/easier etc- We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
► good luck/best of luck- Best of luck with your driving test.
- Good luck Archie! Enjoy your new job.
► better luck next time- Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
- And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
- Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► wish somebody (the best of) luck- But had we sat down with her, we would have wished her good luck.
- Everyone wished each other good luck and Mould, Matron and Endill headed off to the library.
- I wish him luck and hope that after a couple of years he is transferred back!
- James wished me good luck and dashed off home.
- Lineker and Paul Gascoigne have both been in touch with Spurs to wish them good luck for the new season.
- She wishes me luck, opens the door to the bathroom, and disappears into a cloud of steam.
- Well, I wish you luck.
- Yet at the start of the day both sides had wished each other luck.
► a well-oiled machine- If you're trained correctly you become like a well-oiled machine.
- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► man’s best friend► well-mannered/bad-mannered etc► may well- Database development and a news archiving feature which may well appear as a separate product are also in the pipeline.
- Half a dozen senior people in the energy ministry, recently sacked on suspicion of taking bribes, may well join him.
- It may well be argued that any attempt at locating sUch a remote people is itself an idle one.
- Moreover, there may well be some very severe doubts about the application of the biological model even to the favourite cases.
- The two who stay may well be the ones who adapt to the new system the best.
- There may well be a real problem here.
- To take them off groundwater may well mean we have to subsidize them some more.
- You may well have heard of him.
► may as well- Since we're just sitting here, we may as well have a drink.
- You may as well not turn it on, Cooper, until after the game.
- I may as well explain here why he did this much-criticized and desperate deed of daring...
- I may as well have not bothered.
- I may as well stick it out to the end.
- If Klepner's gonna get his job he may as well do the spiel.
- In the end the mission controllers took the very pragmatic view that they may as well continue the mission to the Moon.
- That may as well be a word from a foreign language.
- You may as well get used to it, Oakland.
- You may as well play when you are in a scoring mode.
► the best medicine- Laughter is the best medicine.
- A former teacher at Longlands College, Middlesbrough, Pat always believes in laughter as the best medicine for loneliness.
- Besides, it is the best medicine.
- Having Louella come and live with me will be the best medicine in the world.
- Recovery is the best medicine for the market, but it must be sustainable.
► might (just) as well- And if you have to plough the field anyway, you might as well plant it at the same time.
- But what is unavoidable may still be undesirable, and one might as well say so.
- D.W. had come in over ocean and flown low as a drug smuggler over what might as well be called treetops.
- He might as well have gotten down on his hands and knees and begged for it.
- He said we might as well go before his sister arrived, because once she came, it would be impossible.
- I might as well have been a convert, a Gentile.
- I thought I might just as well come down to the point.
- You might as well go to a branch.
► might well- A design engineer might well require an appreciation of transmission line theory to ensure that the two connect together without data corruption.
- And it might well have done.
- Especially in large urban areas, a particular linguistic feature of a regional dialect might well be influenced by social factors.
- He looked as if he might well be Gordon Brunt.
- Subsequent notification to each individual affected by a suspended measure might well jeopardise the long-term purpose that originally prompted the surveillance.
- The pay was welcome and there might well be plunder to boot, not to mention the excitement.
- Thus a number of sections become cut off from the entrances and these might well not be reopened.
- Undoubtedly the most modern method devised to preserve human bodies might well be said to belong to the realm of science fiction.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along► the next best thing- He can't ask them, so he is doing the next best thing.
- I guess they figured calling their game Arnie was the next best thing to having a blockbusting movie title.
- It is the next best thing to crossing the deserts of the world oneself.
- The new switch is the next best thing we could do to moving.
- The room is the next best thing to being outside.
- Video may seem like the next best thing to being there, but electronically mediated interactions are different from real-life meetings.
- We do, however, have the next best thing: a place to go for more information.
- We went to the bookshelves to find the next best thing.
► none the worse/better etc (for something)- Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
- I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
- Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
► well now- Well now, do you agree or not?
- Buffalo is better now on offense than they have been.
- But things were much better now.
- Even though he could foresee the problem then, we can see it equally well now.
- He and I get along very well now.
- I know Steven's method of working very well now.
- Q: Your album is doing incredibly well now, and your career is on the upswing.
- The clients expect and understand that quite well now, because it's been happening for about two or three years.
- Um, yeah, yeah, I actually started getting kind of sick but I am feeling better now.
► well/badly/carefully etc organized- From everything I saw and heard, he seemed to be very well organized in Iowa.
- In parliament there would be a carefully organized campaign of resistance that would at least slow the government down and raise Unionist morale.
- Now that the partisans were well organized in the Province of Parma they committed many acts of sabotage.
- Others around us, and we ourselves, demand that we always be well organized and hopeful.
- Professionals are well organized, never seen by their victims, and they don't kill.
- The anti-London lobby, however, was well organized and had financial arguments to back its case.
- They can also be extraordinarily well organized and methodical, as well as deliberate and purposeful.
► the best/better part of something- Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
- Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
- Converse drank the better part of the rum.
- For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
- I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
- It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
- This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► pass off well/badly etc► perform well/badly etc- After they had performed well in the role, these women made prestigious marriages, as does Cinderella.
- All this works only if Hanson's headquarters performs well in its non-executive role.
- Anthony Record, Britannia's chairman, said Actron had overcome its problems and was performing well.
- Is a nominated subcontractor really likely to perform better than the subcontractor's own subcontractor?
- Organizations need some degree of structure to perform well.
- This propellant combination performs well and permits a fairly compact vehicle design.
- To perform well a team needs a range of roles in its make-up.
- Yet these stocks performed well in both.
► personal best- But I still ran 20.51 seconds for a personal best, so I was happy.
- Conrad Allen came up trumps again, finishing fourth in the boys 800 metres in a personal best 2 mins. 22.
- Fredericks' 19. 68 was 0. 14 seconds lower than his personal best.
- His personal best before this season was 10. 08.
- I next ran at Oslo where I set a personal best for 200 metres, so that was encouraging.
- Ron and I take each year as it comes and we always plan for me to run a personal best every season.
- Sammy also collected a 50 freestyle bronze with 31.44-a personal best along with her 43.95 in the 50 breaststroke.
- That means that their motives are clean and their actions represent their personal best.
► photograph well- Despite worries to the contrary, pressed flowers photograph well and make a refreshing change from more conventional forms of artwork.
- Owing to poor light conditions, these particular marks did not photograph well.
► be well/ideally etc placed- But the island that in the prohibition years after 1920 profitably ran the rum trade is well placed for bootlegging cocaine.
- By the end of the 32/33 season, the club was well placed to progress from friendlies to Junior League soccer.
- Development agencies are well placed to make this point with the authority of people trying to get a job done.
- He was well placed to comment.
- In short, I knew a lot of management educators and developers and was well placed to include them in my study.
- Professional associations would seem to be well placed in terms of expertise and disinterest to carry out this kind of selection.
- The clearing banks were ideally placed.
- These factors, he argues, created a situation where many clearing banks were well placed to expand.
► be well/ideally/perfectly positioned► the best/biggest/fastest etc possible- Any successful entrepreneurial venture starts with making sure that the entrepreneur is in the best possible mental and physical health.
- But the psychologist was never confident that he had obtained the best possible scores from Nelson.
- For a moment, I imagined the best possible to the worst possible reply.
- Obviously, the purpose is to ensure that the best possible pensions arrangements are reached.
- That way it will have the best possible start in life.
- The additional value farmers receive is the best possible free advice on both inputs and marketing.
- The horrifying news sent the Ciprianos on a nationwide search to find the best possible treatment for their daughter.
- This at once enhances the contribution which the court or parents can make towards reaching the best possible decision in all the circumstances.
► good/best/bad practice- An annex citing examples of good practice would also be helpful.
- Carlesimo said Tuesday, adding that Marshall had just put in his best practice of camp.
- It is good practice to make a note of the client's telephone number on the file.
- Supporters of those with special needs should be exemplars of such good practice.
- The good practice presented in Table 2 and Appendix 3 addresses many of the factors important to the control of risk.
- There is a danger in the search for good practice of looking only at those schools with good academic records.
- These premises are often inadequate to support good practice.
- This week, for example, the permanent secretaries of all government departments will meet to discuss best practice in procurement.
► pretty well/much- In 1992, Clinton had pretty much wrapped up the Democratic nomination by Super Tuesday.
- It seemed to be pretty much an open and shut case of accidental death, apart from the problem of identifying him.
- Once we would arrive at a place, Alistair seemed to leave Judy pretty much on her own.
- Otherwise you have to walk the half block, but then you can see them pretty well.
- Our point here is that at an abstract level, every organization values pretty much the same things.
- Since I was there six years ago some things have changed and others have remained pretty much the same.
- They have timed the deal pretty well, and not just from a weather outlook.
- They know me pretty well here.
► well-read/widely-read► better Red than dead► better (to be) safe than sorry- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
► have seen better days- Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
- Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
- We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
► send your love/regards/best wishes etc- He sends his best wishes to everybody at home.
- Mr Mason sends his best wishes for the success of the event.
► give something your best shot- I'm not promising I'll succeed, but I'll give it my best shot.
- Hopefully he can recover and regain his test place and give it his best shot.
- I'd have given it my best shot, and that was all anyone could demand from me.
- I just have a feeling that we have given it our best shot.
- The band gave it their best shot, until the arrival of the blue meanies put an end to the proceedings.
- You were never entirely safe from prying fingers in Chinatown, but I had to give it my best shot.
► the best/biggest etc ... this side of something► a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc- Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
- I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
- If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
- Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
- The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
- We were a darned sight better than them.
► be well/clearly/badly signposted- Big Pit is about a male out of Blaenafon on the B4248, and is well signposted.
- There are well signposted walks, some of them offering views of the snow-topped Alps.
► not sit well/easily/comfortably (with somebody)- Certainly, such views as these do not sit comfortably with managerialism and are equally at odds with restricted professionality.
- He had never before been accused of stealing and it did not sit well with him.
- One might think a hockey fan would not sit easily at a sewing machine piecing together patches for a quilt.
- The adornment, thought Eloise smugly, would not sit well amidst so much blubber.
- The closures, which began late last month, does not sit well with many of the regulars.
- The populist vision of a peasant landholding democracy does not sit easily with alternative visions of women's rights.
- The volatility and their non-guaranteed status do not sit comfortably with the official line linking the two benefits.
- This conviction did not sit well either with regimental soldiering or with Whitehall.
► the best/greatest thing since sliced bread- Now, I didn't get it because I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
► the sooner ( ... ) the better- The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
- They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
► good/better/healthy etc start (in life)- A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
- But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
- He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
- It wasn't a very good start.
- Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
- The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
- The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
- They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
► better/harder/worse etc still- And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
- But perhaps the early evening was better still?
- He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
- I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
- I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
- Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
- Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
- With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
► best/well/ideally/perfectly etc suited to/for something- Boar chops are best suited to grilling or sauteing.
- If I were a free agent, those are the places I would go, a place best suited for my needs.
- It is not however so well suited to an intensive, detailed study of spoken language.
- Nevertheless, it is an early maturing variety well suited to the long ripening period of a northern wine region.
- Secondly, the adversary nature of the adjudicative process may not be well suited to this area.
- The farmer's wife was well suited to tackling this considerable undertaking.
- Use the systems best suited to their talent, both offensively and defensively.
- We have large quantities of plutonium already separated and in forms ideally suited for nuclear weapons.
► greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
► your Sunday best► your/her/my etc Sunday best► be well/poorly/generously supplied with something- The lounge was well supplied with ashtrays.
- Football stars are well supplied with female groupies.
- The markets are well supplied with agricultural produce, and with linens and yarns from the surrounding country.
► think better of it- She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
- But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
- But then she thought better of it.
- Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
- He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
- He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
- He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
- Then he thought better of it.
► think the best/worst of somebody- Ellie's the type of person that always thinks the best of people.
- He thought the worst of Mitch and clearly thought that left to herself she would ring London at once.
- I was so ready to think the worst of him, she wailed inwardly.
- My immediate reaction, whether it be a man or a woman, is to think the worst of them.
- The prospect of Guy leaving, thinking the worst of her, was unbearable.
- Why should you think the worst of me?
- You always think the worst of me.
► carefully/well/badly thought-out- But new-wave sanitation experts say sewerage offers little more than convenience when compared to well thought-out latrines.
- Each section is well thought-out and presented with a good number of diagrams and chromatograms.
- It is here that the value of well thought-out objectives can be seen.
- The system is a well thought-out one and seems to work well.
► the best/biggest etc ... of all time- And seeing as it was my brainchild, would you not say it was possibly the best commercial of all time?
- Surely the biggest robbery of all time was the $ 900m that the Dome stole from lottery funds?
- That's the biggest understatement of all time!
- You could call that round the biggest fluke of all time...
► well-travelled► travel well- Clear out your food cupboard and throw away everything that will not travel well, such as leaky, crushable or carbonated goods.
- Commercially precooked and ready-to-eat foods such as deli meats and cheeses travel well.
- He could travel well enough on his own, if only they'd let him.
- It had travelled well and the colour emphasised her astonishing fairness.
- It is excellent wine, in either its white or its red versions, and said to travel well.
- Smells travel well under water, though what the experience of underwater scents may be like is open to imagination.
- Some things don't travel well, in time or in space.
► well and truly- After two weeks, the kids were well and truly converted.
- But I had been caught, well and truly, and had paid the price, time and time again.
- From February, the challenge will have well and truly begun, especially if your birthday falls between August 13 and 23.
- It looked as if she was well and truly trapped.
- Mind you any food in our stomach was going to get well and truly shaken up.
- One word from him and doors that Washington depended on being open would be well and truly slammed.
- The padded fabric varieties are well and truly childproof - and look very attractive.
- We were all well and truly bitten.
► well/beautifully/badly etc turned out- He looks trim and well turned out in a new dark suit.
- Mr. Russ's deputy was Mr. Windust, then probably in his late thirties - always smart and well turned out.
► two heads are better than one► be well up in/on something- But deep inside there was a brooding that was welling up in him.
- By eight o'clock, when the first pair was due to tee off, the sun was well up in a clear sky.
► be (well) versed in something- An engineer may be well versed in the technique of value engineering; it includes methods of generating the creative discontinuity.
- He was also reputed to be well versed in poisons and their antidotes.
- Of course, not everyone is well versed in moral philosophy.
- The second point is that factory women were well versed in appraising the advantages and disadvantages of additional family members.
- William Fannon, the author of this recollection, and Charles Shartle were well versed in shop ways.
- You may be versed in necromancy, and steeped in alchemy, and schooled in the ancient cruel arts of your realm.
► very well- Very well, you can go to Emily's house, but be back by 7 p.m.
- All three are very well represented as sediments, shelly fossils and trace.fossils.
- Gentlemen, you could very well be using this gravel strip as an emergency landing field for huge bombers.
- In the psyche, as we know, such opposites as true and false coexist very well.
- Life in a Mayfair rectory suited her very well and she had private means.
- Nevertheless, it captures the essence of the game very well.
- She decided to rest, having treated enough cases of sunstroke to know very well how easily it was caught.
- The last time they played, Taylor took Michael Irvin man-to-man most of the day and did very well.
► vote something a success/the best etc- But they will be in costume, and all party goers will have a chance to vote on the best disguise.
- They also voted the Cappuccino the best sub-£20,000 sports car in the show.
► something is (well) worth waiting for- Tuesday night's Boston-Chicago game was worth waiting for.
- Something worth having is worth waiting for.
► for want of a better word/phrase etc- Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
- Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► wash well- Silk doesn't wash well.
- Drain the anchovies and wash well to remove the oil from the surface.
- This one is knitted in a linen-mix yarn which washes well and feels especially soft to touch.
► wear well- Brass wears as well as steel in most hinges.
- Pavement's album from 1991 still wears well.
- A dense pile wears better than a loosely-woven one, which can be parted to reveal the backing.
- But most have stayed and worn well, reassuring and fixed points in an otherwise changing landscape.
- He has worn well, she mused.
- He was producing boots that sold well but did not wear well.
- His haughtiness did not wear well with the Republicans who controlled both houses of the legislature.
- If he was Sorrel's father, then he must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he'd worn well.
- That bit of you has worn well!
- Vibram: a brand name for a traditional tough and heavy-duty patterned sole which wears well.
► you would be well-advised to do something► well-grounded in something- Irwin is well-grounded in both engineering and robotics.
► be well-off for something► you don’t know when you’re well-off► a well-oiled machine- It was running like a well-oiled machine, instead of like a slightly out-of-control summer camp.
- This could never happen in the Bush operation, which has been turning out policy positions like a well-oiled machine.
► the well-to-do► well-trodden path/track/route etc► with the best will in the world- And, David, with the best will in the world, you can't teach him.
- Even with the best will in the world, we could not do it.
► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...► best/good/warmest etc wishes- A former miner, Joe was presented with a cheque together with good wishes for a long and happy retirement.
- And while babies are on my mind, my best wishes to Patsy Kensit on the birth of her son.
- Meanwhile, may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and best wishes for the coming year.
- My best wishes to Madame Zborowska and warm greetings to you.
- Our best wishes to his family and friends.
- She hadn't deserved their kindness, their good wishes - she'd hardly been a boon companion of late.
- Spare me your shock and good wishes.
- With best wishes for success and prosperity.
► the worried well 1if a liquid wells or wells up, it comes to the surface of something and starts to flow out: I felt tears well up in my eyes.2if a feeling wells or wells up in you, you start to feel it strongly: Anger welled up within him. |