ANSWERS and further information:
1. to ask sb out
= to invite someone to go out with you, like on a date to watch a movie at the cinema or have dinner, typically when trying to start a romantic relationship.
I'm too scared to ask her out on a date.
2. to brighten sth up
= to make a room lighter in colour (i.e. less dark) by adding colourful decorations (e.g. a light-coloured rug, cushion, couch etc.) or making renovations (e.g. painting the wall a light colour).
We can really brighten up our living room if we add these cushions to our couch.
3. to catch on
= to say that something becomes popular or fashionable
Synonym: to fasten sth
Reality cooking shows are really starting to catch on all around the world.
4. to go down (well/badly) (with sb)
= to describe the reaction of a person, listener, or audience to what someone says (i.e. the way something is received by someone). You need to use a positive (well, amazingly) or negative (badly, terribly) adverb to specify the listener's feeling or reaction.
Synonym: to be received well/badly
The comedian's final joke well went down badly with the audience.
5. to knock off
= to stop work (i.e. your job) for the day or for a meal, like lunch.
Synonym: to call it a day (idiom)
Wow! It's 10 o'clock already. It's time we knocked off.
6. to lock sb up
= to put someone in jail or prison, or similarly to put someone who is mentally ill in an appropriate hospital
Synonym: to imprison sb, to incarcerate sb
People who hurt animals really should be locked up forever.
7. to stop off
= to stay or visit somewhere for a short period of time during a longer trip, or on the way to somewhere else
It's a 6-hour drive to the mountains, but we'll stop off at the petrol station for snacks on the way.
On our way back to Australia from South America, we had to stop off in Christchurch, New Zealand, for a few hours.
8. to water sth down
= to add water to another liquid (usually a drink) to make it less strong. Sometimes, it is done deceivingly to reduce the running costs of bars and restaurants.
I have a bad feeling this bar waters down their drinks to save money.
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