Reading: Vocabulary in Context
C1 Lesson 3: Idiomatic & Figurative Language
Before You Read 🧠
Key Vocabulary
Understanding these advanced concepts is the first step to mastering nuanced texts.
Advanced Figurative & Idiomatic Language
At the C1 level, you must decode language that is deeply cultural and non-literal to understand the full meaning of a text.
This is a metaphor that doesn't just appear in one sentence, but is developed over a full paragraph to create a sustained, powerful image.
The argument about the new policy was a storm. At first, there were only distant rumbles of disagreement. Soon, the winds of angry accusations began to blow. By the end of the meeting, a full-blown hurricane of insults had erupted, leaving a landscape of ruined professional relationships in its wake.
These are fixed phrases used frequently in professional contexts. The meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words.
"The first draft of the report isn't good enough. We need to go back to the drawing board."
(Meaning: To start a project over again from the beginning.)
"I asked my manager for a direct answer, but he just beat around the bush for ten minutes."
(Meaning: To avoid talking about the main topic.)
These are two ways of saying something indirectly, often to be polite, diplomatic, or ironic.
Understatement: Presenting something as smaller or less serious than it really is.
(After a major flood) "It looks like we've had a spot of rain."
Euphemism: Using a softer, milder word for something unpleasant or embarrassing.
"Due to budget cuts, the company had to let go of twenty employees." (Instead of "fired")
Practice Your Interpretation Skills 🎯
Quiz: Interpret the Nuance
1. After months of difficult negotiations, the two companies finally decided they could not work together and agreed to "go their separate ways". What does this idiom mean?
- A. To go on vacation to different places.
- B. To end a business relationship or partnership.
- C. To choose different roads to drive on.
→ Answer: B. This is a common idiom for the ending of a personal or professional relationship.
2. A student submits a very poor essay. The teacher says, "Thank you. I think there is some 'room for improvement' here." What does the teacher really mean?
- A. The essay is excellent.
- B. The essay is not very good and needs a lot of work.
- C. The student needs to find a bigger room.
→ Answer: B. This is a polite, indirect euphemism for "This is not good and you need to improve it."
Key Vocabulary Reference
- Extended MetaphorA comparison that is developed with more details over several sentences.
- Idiom A fixed phrase with a meaning that is different from the literal meaning of its words (e.g., "back to the drawing board").
- Understatement Describing something as less important or serious than it is, often for ironic humor.
- Euphemism A mild, indirect word used instead of one that is considered too harsh or embarrassing (e.g., "let go" instead of "fired").
Your C1 Mission ⭐
Listen for Real-World Examples
Watch or listen to a formal English news report or a political speech online.
- Listen carefully for a euphemism. Politicians often use them to talk about difficult topics. Write it down and what it really means.
- Listen for a common business or political idiom (e.g., "get the ball rolling," "on the same page"). Write it down and explain its meaning.