CAMBRIDGE
ENGLISH VOCABULARY IN USE ADVANCED
UNIT 17
All the rage: clothes and fashion
A
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Dressing
for work
1
untidy [noun: scruff = person who dresses in an untidy way]
2
accepted way of dressing in a particular social group
3
clothing; formal
4
shows
5
space between a woman’s breasts
6
part of the body between the chest and the waist
7
materials
8
old-fashioned and boring
9
set of clothes for a particular occasion
10 jacket and trousers in the same material
11 extremely useful
12 extra items added to clothing for useful or decorative
purposes
13 decorative objects used to fasten the cuffs on men’s
shirts
14 days when people wear less formal clothes
15 (plural noun) piece of clothing covering all the body, usually
worn over other clothing to protect it when working
16 hat to protect the head
Language help
Invaluable means extremely valuable. The opposite of valuable is
valueless or without value.
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B
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Words and expressions about clothes
1 showing a lot of flesh
2 short, using little material
3 loose, e.g. a sweater
4 close-fitting
5 /ʃiːk/ modern, stylish
6 clothes that are informal but clean, tidy and stylish
7 from ordinary, much less expensive shops
8 made especially for them
9 ready-made
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C
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Being in fashion
These
jackets are all the rage. [very
fashionable] The woman was dressed in the
very latest fashion. [an extremely fashionable way] Dresses like this are
the height of fashion. [very
fashionable]
The
magazine has up-to-the-minute fashion articles. [dealing with the most recent
trends] The film has set a new trend
for the silk top the star wore. [started a new fashion] A trend-setter is a person whose style is followed by others.
High heels are on trend this year.
[fashionable] Large handbags are this year’s must-have item. [thing that everyone wants] If a fashion/trend
catches on, it becomes popular. A slave
to fashion is someone who is strongly influenced by fashion. [used in a
disapproving way] Your new outfit really suits
you. [looks good on you]
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D
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Clothes in metaphors
to
speak off the cuff [without having prepared anything] to be hand in
glove with someone [to have a close working relationship with someone] to
do something on a shoestring [spending as little as possible] no
frills [simple and plain] to put someone in a straitjacket [restrict
someone’s freedom] to draw a veil over something [not to talk about
something] to have something up your sleeve [to have a secret plan or
idea]
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EXERCISES
17.1
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Answer
these questions.
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17.2
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Fill
the gaps with words or phrases from B or C opposite.
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17.3
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Rewrite
the underlined parts of these sentences using phrases from D opposite.
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17.4
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Here
are more metaphorical uses of clothes words. Explain the literal and
metaphorical meanings of the underlined words and expressions. Use a
dictionary if necessary.
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17.5
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Over
to you
•
What is all the rage in your country at the moment?
•
When was the last time you got dressed up to the nines?
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What do you think about people who are a slave to fashion?
•
What would you wear on a dress-down Friday at work?
•
What sort of people start new fashion trends?
•
What item of clothing would you most like to have made-to-measure?
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ANSWER KEY
17.1
Possible answers:
1 You mean that they tend to dress in an untidy, careless way. 2 Smart but fairly casual clothes. 3 Revealing, skimpy, clingy, baggy or frumpy clothes would not be appropriate for a job interview. 4 It would be appropriate for both men and women to wear a smart suit to a job interview. 5 Jeans and a baggy shirt. 6 A nice belt, with boots and simple jewellery. 7 Trousers and a T-shirt. 8 Nurses, police officers, firemen, airline staff, the military. 9 Jobs involving risk, e.g. construction workers, miners. 10 She means it’s extremely useful.
17.2
1 the nines
2 smart-casual
3 skimpy / revealing
4 designer (label), High Street
5 height, chic
6 baggy
7 on
8 must
17,3
1 I’m no good at speaking off the
cuff.
2 Simon is bound to have something up his sleeve for tomorrow’s meeting. 3 I think we should draw a veil over what happened on Monday, don’t you? 4 Be careful what you say to Helen – she’s hand in glove with the boss. 5 The new legislation has put us in a straitjacket. 6 We’ll still have a great party even if we have to do it on a shoestring.
17.4
1 The literal meaning of belt is
a piece of cloth or leather that you wear round your waist. You need to
tighten it if you lose weight. The metaphorical meaning of tighten your
belt is to start living in a more economical way.
2 The literal meaning of the verb hem is to sew up the bottom edge of, e.g. a dress so that it does not develop loose threads. Hemmed in means completely surrounded. 3 A seam is a line of sewing joining two pieces of material so that if, say, a bag is bursting at the seams, it is almost splitting open. The metaphorical meaning of bursting at the seams is very, very full. 4 Literally, to cloak is to cover with a cloak. The metaphorical meaning of cloaked is kept secret. 5 Literally a feather in someone’s cap is simply a feather decorating their cap or hat. The metaphorical meaning of the expression is an achievement to be proud of. |
Who needs to learn this? :People that don't speak English natively?
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