Firstly we have a face value at face

value means accepting something

as it appears to be without
questioning its true nature or its
authenticity for example you
shouldn't take everything you read
about nutrition at face value always
verify the information is from
reliable sources next we have to
have a crack at something to have a
crack at something this means to
attempt or try something often for
the first time or with great
enthusiasm for example even
though she had never tried rock
climbing before Tara decided to
have a crack at it during the team
building event we also have a
lovely one to burn the Midnight
Oil to burn the Midnight Oil this
means to study or work late into
 the night often to complete a task
or to prepare for something or meet
a deadline for example with exams
approaching Sarah found herself
burning the midnight oil to cover
all the required material we also
have to strike a balance to Striker
balance this means to find a
compromise or a middle ground
another nice phrase between two
competing factors for example it's
essential to strike a balance
between work and Leisure for a
healthy lifestyle next we have to let
off steam to let off steam this
means to do or say something that
helps you to release some anger or
frustration that you feel I was so
Furious that I had to go for a walk
around the block to let off steam to
release my anger we also have to
 count one's blessings this one's
lovely this means to make an effort
to be grateful for the good things in
your life to count your blessings
for example when I'm feeling
down I try to remember to count
my blessings and be grateful for
what I have sometimes we use it in
a sarcastic or patronizing way if
someone is being ungrateful for
what they have we might say count
your blessings there are people that
are way worse off than you are the
final one for our lifestyle and well-
being section is to bloom to bloom
and you might know this word in
connection with flowers the flower
opens it blooms such a nice word
bloom bloom when a person
blooms they become health see
happy and confident we sometimes
 use it when talking about maturity
although we'll use Blossom as well
but it's a really positive phrase Carl
bloomed during his six-week
holiday in the countryside thanks
to the fresh air and healthy food
okay first break first quiz what can
you remember from what I just
taught you firstly which word is
missing from this sentence I'm
going to have a a kayaking today
I'm nervous but I'm sure it will be a
lot of fun i'll give you five seconds
it's crack well done okay next if
I'm really angry and I decide to go
for a run to calm down what am I
doing am I a letting off steam or B
letting out a scream it was a letting
off steam if you said letting out a
scream I think people would
understand you were releasing
anger okay and lastly which of the
words that I just taught you means
to develop healthily and happily
can you remember it it was Bloom
well done if you got it right okay
let's move on to talking about
people first one to stick one's neck
out to stick one's neck out this
means to take a risk or to expose
yourself to possible criticism or
danger by doing or saying
something for example despite the
controversy surrounding the issue
Jane decided to stick her neck out
and support the new policy next we
have a knee-jerk reaction a knee-
jerk reaction have you ever been to
the doctor and they hit your knee
with a hammer and you just can't
help but react it's your reflex isn't it
well a knee-jerk reaction is an
immediate automatic response to a
situation often without careful
consideration or thought for
example when we heard about the
increase in crime rates our knee-
jerk reaction was to insist on more
police Patrols in the area that was
just the immediate gut reaction we
also have to split hairs and I do
have a few split hairs oh I just love
doing my hair that's the problem
but if you split hairs it doesn't
mean you're styling your hair too
much it means you have a very
annoying character trait it means to
argue or worry about very small
details or differences that are
unimportant for example
sometimes I feel like my husband
splits hairs over insignificant
matters and it leads to unnecessary
 arguments another phrase with a
relevant backstory is pecking order
pecking order this is social
hierarchy in a group in which all
individuals in that group are aware
of how important everyone is the
different levels of important and I
presume that this comes from
chickens or Birds an example
there's a clear pecking order in
their group of friends with Sally
being top of the pile I was never
top of the pecking order at school I
just didn't have it in me now the
next three words are adjectives
used to describe people and the
first one is shrewd shrewd and this
describes someone who is good at
understanding and making
judgments about situations they're
often quite good at taking the
 emotion out a shrewd person is
able to make decisions that will
give them an advantage for
example Claire was a shrewd
business person and she made
several wise investment decisions
when she was still young next
number 13 we have obstinate
obstinate and notice how I
pronounce it with a schwa at the
end obstinate not obstinate this
means refusing to change your
opinion or actions despite people
trying to make you do so we could
also say stubborn in a way is often
used for children Henry was a very
obstinate teenager and he
consistently refused to admit that
he might be wrong about
something an extra little Lucy's
note here i've seen some students
 mix up obstinate with another
Advanced adjective abstinent
abstinent it might be the
combination of T's and ends but
abstinent has an entirely different
meaning it means to refrain from
indulging in a particular Behavior
this is often related to Vices or bad
habits you abstain from doing
something our final word in this
topic is Placid Placid with the
sound the soft sea we use Placid to
describe someone who's very calm
and isn't easily excited or annoyed
despite the hullabaloo around her
Ali remained Placid and continued
with her work it's quiz time it's
quiz time can you answer these
three questions I'm going to give
you five seconds to answer each
one firstly which word is missing
 my knee reaction to hearing my
son had been arrested was to be
utterly livid ja Jam jet or jerk it's
jerk excellent job if you got that
right number two sometimes it's
best to keep your opinions to
yourself and not your out is it stick
your head stack your neck stick
your neck or stuck your nose have
a think stick your neck out don't
stick your neck out or they'll chop
your head off and the third one
which words that I just taught you
are synonyms for these words calm
and stubborn which two words are
synonyms Placid obstinate bonus
points if you've got the
pronunciation right of obstinate
okay let's move on to our last
section it is work and our first
phrase is to pull some strings to
pull some strings this means to use
your influence or connections often
secretly or unefficiently to achieve
a desired outcome by pulling some
strings Tom was able to get his
sister a prestigious position at a
london-based accounting firm the
next one is to have a field day to
have a field day which means to
take advantage of a situation
typically for personal benefit and
often at the expense of others for
example when the news of the
Scandal broke tabloid journalists
had a field day writing Sensational
stories next we have to be privy to
to be privy and note that
pronunciation not privy privy this
means to have access to or
knowledge of secret or confidential
information the CEO's assistant is
privy to all the important decisions
in the company another one one I
use quite a lot is on the back burner
on the back burner if something is
on the back burner it's low priority
and it's not being dealt with at the
present moment let's put this
project on the back burner and
focus on more pressing matters
however I'm really busy I put lots
of things on the back burner next
we have an adjective cushy I
wonder if you can guess what it
means it's very similar to another
word cushion if something is
Cushy it means it's very easy
requiring little effort comfortable
sometimes people say kushti as
well this is slang but we use it in
professional situations Ellen got a
cushy job that pays well but allows
her lots of free time number 20 is a
fantastic idiom it is to get your foot
in the door to get your foot in the
door this means to enter a company
or organization at a low level with
a chance of being promoted or
being more successful in the future
Lena got her foot in the door as an
intern but she worked her way up
to department head in just a few
years and my final phrase for you
is to go Belly Up To Go belly up
and we use this to talk about
companies and it means to fail
completely and to have to close the
business went belly up after just a
year of trading okay oh that time
again quiz time which word is
missing I managed to get my in the
door at an amazing company
earlier in my career and i've
worked my way up to management
level head foot leg or hand but you
get your foot in the door number
two you know the prime minister
right can you pull some and get me
an interview with her is it strikes
strides streams or strings that's
right we pull some strings and
finally if a job is very easy and
doesn't require much effort how
can we describe it cushy or if you
said kushti i'll let you have that one
too okay that's everything from me
today I really hope you enjoyed
learning these 21 Advanced words
and phrases in English if you
would like to download the PDF
we've got all of the information
from today's lesson lots more
examples and we have an extra
more difficult quiz actually plus I
 will also give you our C1 ebook
which will talk you through
everything that you need to master
to be able to say that you are at a
C1 level of English it also includes
the curriculum of our brand new
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program that is released on the
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box it's just down there that's all
from me I will see you soon for
another lesson [Music] foreign
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