ANSWERS and further information:
1. to answer back
= to speak rudely to someone (usually someone higher in authority to you like a parent, your boss, a police officer etc.) after they have said something to you, which often is criticising or telling you to do something.
Don't answer back at me. It is very rude. Now go to your room!
2. to back sth up
= to make a second copy of a file or document on a computer and placing it in another place (i.e. cloud storage, an external hard disk drive etc.) so that it can be used if the first file is damaged or lost.
Don't forget to back up all your files before you start using your new computer tomorrow.
3. to fall behind
= to not stay at the same level, speed or progress as someone else. This can be because you are sick, or lazy or do not attend class or work. This tends to be used in an academic context, but can be used in others like business or research.
Billy was sick for 2 weeks and missed class and as a result fell behind the rest of the students.
4. to get through sth
= to manage to do (implies difficulty) or complete something such as office work, school homework etc.
We've got quite a lot of work to get through if we want to submit our proposal by tomorrow evening.
5. to knuckle down
= to start working on something or studying hard (i.e. with determination and focus)
As your exams are fast approaching, I suggest you knuckle down and revise all that you have learned this semester.
6. to play up
= to say that a machine is not working as it should (i.e. it's faulty or it doesn't do exactly what it's supposed to do). We can also use this to describe children who behaving badly.
It looks like the new computer is playing up because I cannot log in to the network.
The three boys at the back of the classroom like to play up when the teacher is writing on the blackboard.
7. to talk down to sb
= to talk to someone in a way that makes them seem less important or less intelligent than you, sometimes making them feel like a child or incompetent, when it might not actually be the case. Synonym: to talk in a condescending way, to be patronising
How can the new team leader expect us to complete the work when all he does is talk down to us?
8. to set out
= to start an activity with a particular goal or aim. This is often followed by an infinitive to explain exactly what it is you want to achieve.
He didn't originally set out to become a teacher. He just kind of fell into it and fell in love with the profession.
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