ĐỘC LẠ VOCAB

Idioms/Phrases/Collocations: AT (Part 2)
At a disadvantage - In a situation in which you are less likely to succeed than others:
Ex:
(phrase)
➔ He's at a disadvantage being so shy.
➔ Critics of the proposed system say that it puts students from
low-income families at a disadvantage.
- In an unfavorable position in comparison to others:
Ex:
➔ They knew for weeks, but I'm just getting all of this information now -
I'm at a disadvantage here.
➔ You'll be at a disadvantage playing tennis against someone as skilled
as Katie.

At (one's) - When you want:

Ex:
convenience
➔ There's no urgency, so please don't make the journey other than at your
(also at one's earliest
convenience.
convenience.) - When one has the time to do something:
(phrase) Ex:
➔ No rush, you can fill out that paperwork at your convenience.
- As soon as it is possible for someone to do something (a polite way of
saying immediately):
Ex:
➔ Please stop by my office at your earliest convenience. Bill, please have
the oil changed at your earliest convenience.

At (one’s) command - Among one's available resources or skills:

Ex:
(idiom)
➔ With so much experience at his command, he's definitely the best
candidate for the job we're trying to fill.
- If you have particular qualities at your command, you are able to use
them effectively:
Ex:
➔ As a writer, she has both style and humor at her command.
- (humorous) If someone says that they are at your command, that
person is willing to do what you ask:
Ex:
➔ "I can't reach my zip - could you unfasten it, please?" - "I'm at your
command!"
At/in one fell swoop - All at once, with a single decisive or powerful action:
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ I got all my Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop.
➔ When the economy crashed, thousands lost their jobs and their
pensions at one fell swoop.

At a guess - Used when you are giving an approximate amount, measurement,

etc. to show that you are not certain it is correct:
(also at a rough guess)
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ In front of us was a sheer drop of a hundred meters, at a guess.
➔ At a rough guess, I would say I earned twice as much in the first six
months of last year as I did in the same period this year.
- As an estimate or speculation:
Ex:
➔ At a guess, I think we're going to need about 10 more chairs.

At (one's) heels - Following close behind someone, often in an annoying way:

Ex:
(also on someone’s
➔ I'm a preschool teacher, so I've had toddlers at my heels all day.
heels)
➔ The interior designer can't get any work done with your puppy at her
(idiom) heels!
- Close to overtaking a fellow competitor:
Ex:
➔ If she does poorly on this exam, she may lose the title of valedictorian to
one of the students at her heels.
- (used both literally and figuratively) Immediately behind, in close
pursuit:
Ex:
➔ Jean's dog was always at her heels.
➔ Although his company dominated the technology, he always felt that
his competitors were on his heels.
- If a person or animal is at your heels, they are following close behind
you, for example because they are chasing you:
Ex:
➔ She strode through the restaurant with Cavendish following close at
her heels. Children ran along the narrow path towards them, a small
dog yapping at their heels.
- To compete strongly with someone and have a chance of soon
defeating or replacing them:
Ex:
➔ With so many younger women snapping at her heels, this year may be
her last chance to win the championship.
At (long) last - Finally. Typically said after a long period:
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ In the countryside she found herself freed at last from the anxiety that
had plagued her in the city.
➔ My husband returns from his trip today at last—I've missed him so
much!
- After a lengthy or troublesome wait or delay:
Ex:
➔ At long last the winter was over.

At (one’s) peril - Done with the foreknowledge or forewarning that there is implied
danger, especially of loss of life, which one must accept as one's own
(idiom)
responsibility:
Ex:
➔ We underestimate the destructiveness of war at our peril.
➔ There is huge opposition to these plans, which politicians ignore at their
peril.
➔ If he upsets Fraser, he does so at his peril.

At a push - If you can do something at a push, you can do it but it will be difficult:

(usually in UK) Ex:

➔ At a push I could be there by eight o'clock.
(idiom)
- British If necessary; in an emergency:
Ex:
➔ It's roomy for one person, but can take two at a push.

At a price - If something can be obtained at a price, it is available but you have to

pay for it, often a lot of money:
(idiom)
Ex:
➔ She'll decorate your house however you want it – at a price.
- If you get something you want at a price, you get it but you have to
accept something unpleasant as well:
Ex:
➔ He began to realize that fame comes at a price.
- With negative consequences:
Ex:
➔ Freedom of speech came at a price for those protestors, as the crowd
responded to them violently.
At a rate of knots - If someone does something at a rate of knots, they do it very quickly:
Ex:
(usually in UK)
➔ She got through her work at a rate of knots.
(idiom)
➔ We're going to have to move at a rate of knots to have any hope of
getting there on time.

At this rate - At this pace:

Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Drive faster! At this rate, we'll never get there on time!
➔ It doesn't have to be perfect. At this rate, we'll frost one cupcake every
hour!
- If the situation stays as it is:
Ex:
➔ At this rate, we won't be home until midnight.
➔ All of my friends are getting engaged, and I'm still single. At this rate, I'll
be a bridesmaid at least 10 times before I get to be a bride.

At a premium - For an expensive price, typically because the item in question is hard
to find:
(idiom)
Ex:
➔ If you don't go Christmas shopping early, you'll only get the most
popular toys at a premium later.
- To be not common and therefore valuable:
Ex:
➔ Free time is at a premium for working parents.
- Difficult to obtain:
Ex:
➔ Quiet moments are at a premium when there's a toddler in the house.

At large - If someone dangerous is at large, that person is free when they

should not be:
(idiom)
Ex:
➔ Twelve prisoners are at large following a series of escapes.
- As a whole; in general:
Ex:
➔ That change in curriculum has not been accepted by the teachers at
large.
- Representative of the whole, rather than smaller groups, as of certain
elected offices:
Ex:
➔ Who has been elected to act for the community at large?
At face value - To accept something as it appears to be rather than studying it more
closely:
(also take something
Ex:
at face value)
➔ I took the offer at face value. I didn't think they might be trying to trick
(idiom) me.
➔ It's important that the current period of economic growth is not taken
at face value by the government, as there is still a tremendous amount
of work that needs to be done.
- In exchange for the official price printed on a ticket (as opposed to a
resale price determined by the seller):
Ex:
➔ If we want to see The Rolling Stones, we need to get tickets at face
value before they sell out - they'll be way too expensive once people
start reselling them.

At the top of (one’s) - Extremely loudly:

Ex:
lungs
➔ She shouted his name at the top of her lungs.
(also at the top of your
➔ I've hardly slept because my infant has been crying at the top of her
voice) lungs all night.
(idiom) - As loudly as one can:
Ex:
➔ Sing at the top of your lungs so that the people in the last row of the
auditorium can hear you!

At this moment in - formal At the present moment; right now; currently:

Ex:
time
➔ At this moment in time, it's a major concern for us.
(idiom)
➔ All we can do at this moment in time is await the outcome.
➔ At this precise moment in time, I don't know who I'm going to vote for.

At variance (with) - formal Differing, discrepant; also, in a state of conflict:

Ex:
(idiom)
➔ John's and Mary's answers are at variance.
- Disagreeing with or opposing somebody/something:
Ex:
➔ Our fact-checker found that the witness's story was completely at
variance with what the reporter had written.
➔ These conclusions are totally at variance with the evidence.
At random - By chance, or without being chosen intentionally:
Ex:
(phrase)
➔ The winning entry will be the first correct answer drawn at random.
➔ Vehicles were pulled over seemingly at random.

At short notice - Without much warning or time to prepare:

Ex:
(also on short notice)
➔ Who do you think will be free to watch the dog at such short notice?
(idiom)
➔ I can't cancel my plans at such short notice.

At cross purposes - If two or more people are at cross purposes, they do not understand
each other because they are talking about different subjects without
(idiom)
realizing this:
Ex:
➔ I think we've been talking at cross purposes - I meant next year, not this
year.
- In conflict with or in opposition to:
Ex:
➔ You will never find success if you continue to work at cross purposes
with your teammates.

At the coalface - Doing the work involved in a job, in real working conditions, rather
than planning or talking about it:
(idiom)
Ex:
➔ At the coalface with a deadline looming, you sometimes feel under a lot
of pressure.
- Actively doing a certain job:
Ex:
➔ These reports are just speculation—they didn't consult anyone actually
at the coalface.
➔ I earned my retirement after 30 years at the coalface.

At the wheel - Literally, driving a vehicle (and thus sitting at the steering wheel):
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Don't worry, Katie's at the wheel, and she is very good at driving in the
snow.
➔ I'm so excited to finally be at the wheel of my own car!
- By extension, in charge; acting as the leader (of something):
Ex:
➔ Jack is at the wheel, so I know they'll get this project done on time!
Be at liberty to do - formal To be permitted or freely able to do something. Often used in
negative constructions:
something
Ex:
(phrase)
➔ I know you're curious about the case, but I'm not at liberty to talk about
it.
➔ They certainly weren't at liberty to give out the phone numbers of their
clients.

Be at one - formal To agree:

Ex:
(also be as one)
➔ We disagree on most things, but on this question we are at one (with
(idiom)
each other).
- To be or feel very connected to or in harmony with someone or
something:
Ex:
➔ When I meditate, I feel like I am at one with the universe.

Beat someone at - To defeat or triumph over someone by using their own strengths,
techniques, or tactics to one's own advantage:
their own game
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ He thinks that, because he's so much bigger than me, I won't want to
fight with my fists, but I'm so quick that I'll be able to beat him at his
own game.

Be young at heart - Thinking and behaving as if you are younger than you really are:
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Grandma is still so young at heart—I can't believe she's taking dance
lessons at 90 years old.

Burn the candle at - To work or do other things from early in the morning until late at
night and so get very little rest:
both ends
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Oh, Denise is definitely burning the candle at both ends—she's been
getting to the office early and staying very late to work on some big
project.

Chafing at the bit - Very eager or impatient to do something:

(also Ex:
➔ As soon as the kids saw the pool, they were chafing at the bit to get in.
champing/chomping
➔ After two hours of waiting in the airport lobby, we were chomping at
at the bit)
the bit to finally get on the plane.
(idiom)
Clutch/grasp at - To be willing to try anything to improve a difficult or unsatisfactory
situation, even if it has little chance of success:
straws
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ She offered to take a pay cut to keep her job, but she was just clutching
at straws.
- To consider positive suggestions or thoughts in a bad situation:
Ex:
➔ OK, you're just clutching at straws now, fantasizing about a potential
buyer when your house has been on the market for months.

Foam at the mouth - Literally, to produce foam from one's mouth, as due to a disease or
other ailment:
(phrase)
Ex:
➔ They found her on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
➔ The animals were in a terrible state, lying in their own dirt and foaming
at the mouth.
- Figuratively, to be viciously and uncontrollably angry or upset:
Ex:
➔ The Almeida Theatre's recent staging of the opera had critics foaming
at the mouth.
➔ The protesters had formed outside the courthouse, foaming at the
mouth as the alleged murderer made his way up the steps.

Fortune knocks once - People are particularly lucky, fortunate, or successful only once in
their lives:
at every man's door
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ They say that fortune knocks once at every man's door, but I think that
you can get her to visit more often if you're a hard worker.

Fray around/at the - To become worn along the edges, as of fabric:

Ex:
edges
➔ I think it's time for us to get a new blanket—this one has frayed at the
(idiom)
edges.
- To start to become less effective or successful:
Ex:
➔ Without the unifying forces of the army and the monarchy, it seems,
the nation would begin to fray at the edges.
Fly/Go off at a - To suddenly start talking or thinking about a completely new subject:
Ex:
tangent
➔ It's hard to get a firm decision out of him - he's always going off on a
(idiom)
tangent.
- To begin addressing or discussing a topic that is different than or not
relevant to the main discussion:
Ex:
➔ I tried to address the customer's problem, but she kept flying off at a
tangent and I couldn't understand what her true complaint was.

Have the wind at - To be in a good situation in which you can succeed:

Ex:
your back
➔ With a 3–1 lead in the championship finals, the team definitely has the
(idiom)
wind at their back as they go into the next game.
➔ The president has the wind at his back on this issue.

Have the world at - To be extremely successful and admired by a large number of people:
Ex:
your feet
➔ Five years after her debut, the diminutive star of the Royal Ballet has
(idiom)
the world at her feet.
- Have many advantages, and so have many opportunities to choose
from:
Ex:
➔ When you’re young you’ve got the world at your feet.

Have (one's) (best) - To be primarily concerned with what would benefit one.
Ex:
interests at heart
➔ I know you don't agree with some of the decisions I've made, but you
(idiom)
have to trust that, as your mother, I have your best interests at heart.
- To make decisions based on someone's best interests:
Ex:
➔ I know she was only doing what would benefit her, but she said she had
my best interests at heart.

Jump in at the deep - If you jump or are thrown in at the deep end, you start doing
something new and difficult without help or preparation.
end
Ex:
(also throw someone
➔ I'm a little nervous about starting my graduate degree program, but
in at the deep end) I'm determined to jump in at the deep end and give it a go.
(idiom) ➔ Those who go the furthest in life are the ones willing to jump in at the
deep end when a great opportunity arises.
Light at the end of - Signs of improvement in a situation that has been bad for a long time,
or signs that a long and difficult piece of work is almost finished:
the tunnel
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ As finals approached, she felt that at last she could see the light at the
end of the tunnel.
- Hope of success, happiness, or help after a long period of difficulty:
Ex:
➔ After four years struggling as a grad student, Sujata could see the light
at the end of the tunnel.

Look (at something) - To assume a generally optimistic and cheerful attitude (toward
something) or to focus on the positive aspects:
through rose-tinted
Ex:
spectacles
➔ I know nostalgia can be misleading, but I really look at my childhood
(idiom) through rose-tinted spectacles.
- To see only the pleasant things about a situation and not notice the
things that are unpleasant:
Ex:
➔ It seems like Mary only looks through rose-tinted spectacles, like she's
incapable of dealing with the negative things in life!

(The/A pot of gold at) - Something that is very attractive that you will probably never achieve:
Ex:
The end of the
➔ At the moment, finding a good plumber is like finding a pot of gold at
rainbow
the end of the rainbow.
(idiom) ➔ Repairing or regrowing damaged brain cells is the end of the rainbow
for neuroscience research.
- The ultimate goal, reward, achievement, etc., at the end of a difficult
or arduous process:
Ex:
➔ I spent my whole college life thinking a cushy job like this was the pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow, but I'm feeling a bit disenchanted now
that I have it.
➔ I'm warning you, litigation is a costly, soul-crushing experience. Even if
you win, there's rarely a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Point the finger at - To accuse someone of being responsible for something bad that has
happened:
someone
Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Unhappy tourists have pointed the finger at unhelpful travel agents.
➔ I know you guys all want to point fingers at me, but I swear, this wasn't
my fault.
➔ Many analysts are pointing fingers at the company's recent scandal for
its lackluster fiscal quarter.
- To say that someone should be blamed:
Ex:
➔ I just tried to do what was right, and now everyone's pointing the finger
at me.

Stumble at a straw - To be thwarted or unsettled by a minor issue or problem:

Ex:
(idiom)
➔ Overall, your grades are great, so don't stumble at a straw and
abandon your studies because of this one B.
➔ You can't rely on Kelsey, she always stumbles at a straw and gets
rattled by the slightest problem.

Skunk at a garden - Someone or something that is unwelcome or unpleasant:

Ex:
party
➔ Running into my ex at that important networking event was like
(idiom)
encountering a skunk at a garden party.

Pounce at the death - sports To secure an equalizing goal at the final moment of the match
and so avoid defeat:
(idiom)
Ex:
➔ Millwall pounced at the death to seal an amazing victory.
➔ But it was O'Grady who was destined to be the star of the match,
pouncing at death in the 92nd minute of the match to equalize with
the English squad and keep Ireland's tournament hopes alive.
Point the bone at - To point a bone at someone and cast a spell of death or illness on
them:
(phrase)
Ex:
➔ Do I have an enemy somewhere who's pointed a bone at me? Because
I've never been so sick in my life.
- To predict someone's or something's ruin, downfall, or failure:
Ex:
➔ For years, tech pundits have been pointing the bone at virtual reality
technology, announcing its imminent death or decline.
➔ People pointed the bone at him when he presented such wild ideas, but
they all proved to be wildly successful.
- To cast blame or aspersions on someone:
Ex:
➔ Instead of simply pointing the bone at anyone who doesn't share your
opinion, why not try seeing how you can help others understand your
position?

Sneak/Steal a - To look at someone or something quickly and secretly:

Ex:
look/glance at
➔ I noticed him sneak a look at what I was writing.
(phrase)
➔ That boy just stole a glance at you again! I think he likes you!
➔ I stole a glance to see if the teacher was watching us.

At the most - Used when saying what is the largest possible amount or number:
Ex:
(phrase)
➔ It should cost around $20, or $30 at the most.
➔ She must have been five or six years of age at most.
➔ Food accounts for 15 percent of their revenue at the very most.
- No greater or more extreme than is stated or suggested:
Ex:
➔ I wouldn't worry too much about the charges. At the most, they'll make
you do some community service or pay a fine.

Take the first crack - To have the first chance to do something:

Ex:
at
➔ I let them have the first crack at producing my film, but they weren't
(idiom)
interested, so I took my script to another studio.