ISSUE 9: FAST FOOD

on the go

= be on the move very busy or active: I'm a very busy person, on the go all the time. So I live mainly fast food. It's not unusual for me to eat out three times a week I've been on the go all day, and I'm really tired. Elise is always on the go. I've been on the move all day. Having four children keeps her on the move.

entertainment

=amusement shows, films, television, or other performances or activities that entertain people, or a performance of this type: radio, television and other forms of entertainment There will be live entertainment at the party. It was typical family entertainment. It was not something you would watch for light entertainment. the market for home entertainment systems (= video/music equipment) A folk band provided the entertainment. Local entertainments are listed in the newspaper. the entertainment industry/business The show was good entertainment value. There's not much in the way of entertainment in this town - just the cinema and a couple of pubs. This film is good family entertainment . I thought there was some in-flight entertainment on the Heathrow-New York flight. They lay on free entertainment at the club every day. What did you do for entertainment while you were staying there - just watch TV? popular/family entertainments the entertainment industry We've set a budget for household expenses, clothing, and entertainment.

consistently

always the same the effort is to make sure that the food is consistently the same quality and taste every time. the ingredients that are used are always very basic components within the major groups, the same sort of healthy food we eat at home. I don't understand the criticism that people make about food. Her work has been of a consistently high standard. OPPOSITE inconsistently

serving

an amount of food for one person This recipe will be enough for four servings. The quantities given in the recipe should be enough for four servings. This recipe makes enough for four servings.

allotment

an amount of something that somebody is given or allowed to have; the process of giving something to somebody Water allotments to farmers were cut back in the drought. the allotment of shares to company employees The allotment of the company's shares to its employees is still to be decided. We have used up this year's allotment of funds.

be convenient

near to a particular place; easy to get to convenient location The office is just five minutes from the station, so it's very convenient. convenient for something (British English) The house is very convenient for several schools. The house is quite convenient for the shops. convenient to something (North American English) The hotel is convenient to downtown. a very convenient bus service Our new house is very convenient for (= near to) the kids' school. It's very convenient for me to get to the station. The house is in a convenient location for travelling to London.

be unadulterated

not mixed with other substances; not adulterated; pure: SYNONYM pure at home, people will eat hamburger or chicken which is fresh and unadulterated, but the same thing consumed in a fast food store will be heavily salted and sweetened. we become additive without realizing unadulterated foods People injecting drugs can never be sure that they're using unadulterated substances.

outlet

Cửa hàng đại lý a shop that is one of many owned by a particular company and that sells the goods that the company has produced: well, that was then; now most fast-food outlets features expensive, unhealthy items. a fast-food outlet a retail outlet The business has 34 retail outlets in this state alone. a factory outlet The company has more than 1200 retail outlets nationwide.

stand on sb's own

do by oneself i don't want him to be a beggar; he needs to stand on his own. - but he's making terrible food choices. How did he get such habits?

ingredient

a food that is used with other foods in the preparation of a particular dish: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Our skin cream contains only natural ingredients. The only active ingredient in this medicine is aspirin. Avocado is the main ingredient of the Mexican dish. ingredient for something Coconut is a basic ingredient for many curries. The list of ingredients included 250 g of almonds. When cooking the sauce, don't forget that all-important ingredient, fresh basil. You mix all the dry ingredients together before you add the milk. He created a wonderful meal from very few ingredients. Combine all the ingredients for the stew.

errand

a job that you do for somebody that involves going somewhere to take a message, to buy sth, deliver goods, etc. at work, I only have a short time to eat and run personal errands so I don't have the time to go to a nice, relaxing restaurant for a good meal. I save that luxury for the weekends. He often runs errands for his grandmother. Her boss sent her on an errand into town. I'll meet you at six, I've got some errands to do/run first. He would clean, do errands, and babysit for their 7-year-old daughter. I've got to run a few errands (= do errands) and then stop by my mother's.

corporations

a large business company the giant corporations understand very well the value of advertising and image-creation multinational corporations the Chrysler corporation a multinational corporation She didn't want to work for a big corporation where everything was so impersonal. The film peeks behind the scenes of a multinational corporation. I hated working for a large corporation. She was elected to the board of directors of the corporation. Whether you work for a large corporation or small company, following these easy guidelines can help you to succeed. a global/multinational corporation It is a global corporation with over 416,000 employees in 190 countries.

assembly line

a line of workers and machines in a factory, along which a product passes, having parts made, put together or checked at each stage until the product is finished most people actually prefer high-quality food that is individually prepared, served to them by a friendly waiter or waitress, and consumed in a comfortable relaxing environment, but they still spend most of their eat-out budget at the assembly - line food outlets workers on the assembly line assembly-line workers

be full

(also full up) having eaten so much food that you cannot eat anymore: i can eat a lot of it without feeling "too full" No more cake for me, thanks, I'm full. No more for me, thanks—I'm full up. The kids still weren't full, so I gave them an ice cream each. You can't run on a full stomach.

be nutritious

(of food) very good for you; containing many of the substances which help the body to grow a good home-cooked meal or eating at a nice restaurant is always more nutritious and better tasting. tasty and nutritious meals a nutritious diet Raw spinach is especially nutritious.

be intimate

(of people) having a close and friendly relationship they can be noisy and actively intimate within that circle of friends in ways that would not be acceptable in a tradition restaurant intimate friends We're not on intimate terms with our neighbours. He's become very intimate with an actress. an intimate friend

be overweight

(of people) too heavy or too fat, in a way that may be unhealthy people who eat a lot of fast food tend to be overweight and lack in many essential ingredients that a healthier balance would provide She was only a few pounds overweight. A number of medical conditions are due to being overweight. You don't look overweight. OPPOSITE underweight He used to be very overweight. I'm only a few pounds overweight, but I just can't seem to lose them. an overweight man/woman/child He's at least 20 pounds overweight.

be acceptable

If behavior is acceptable, it is considered to be within the range of behavior that is permitted and is not disapproved: In those days, it was not acceptable for men to wear shirts without ties. agreed or approved of by most people in a society Children must learn socially acceptable behaviour. It is perfectly acceptable for you as an employee to say no.

be associated with sth

If problems or dangers are associated with a particular thing or action, they are caused by it: are there any problems associated with fast food? The cancer risks associated with smoking have been well documented.

sb cannot help (doing) sth/ sb cannot help but do sth

If you can't/couldn't help something, such as acting in a particular way or making a particular remark, you are/were not able to control or stop it:I can't help thinking he knows more than he has told us. He can't help being ugly. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. It couldn't be helped (= there was no way of avoiding it and we must accept it). He never does more work than he can help (= he does as little as possible). I always end up having an argument with her, I don't know why, I just can't help it. I couldn't help it if the bus was late (= it wasn't my fault). She burst out laughing—she couldn't help herself (= couldn't stop herself). She won't be invited again, not if I can help it (= if I can do anything to prevent it). It was awful, but I couldn't help laughing. "Stop giggling!" "I can't help it!" I can't help thinking (= my true feeling is that) she'd be better off without him.

why do you think people buy food even they know it is not good for their health?

Tại sao bạn nghĩ rằng mọi người mua thực phẩm ngay cả khi họ biết rằng nó không tốt cho sức khỏe của họ? convenient location/ peer pressure/taste/ quick service/ large portions/cheap price /advertising

dozens

a lot of people or things, a large but not exact number: dozens of something my office is in an area where there are dozens of small fast-food restaurants, so I have a wide choice of menus and I can finish my meal quickly I've been there dozens of times. She coordinates the work of dozens of employees. We interviewed dozens and dozens of people. in dozens They arrived in dozens (= in large numbers).

salad

a mixture of raw vegetables such as lettuce, tomato and cucumber, usually served with other food as part of a meal All main courses come with salad or vegetables. Is cold meat and salad OK for lunch? a side salad (= a small bowl of salad served with the main course of a meal) a salad bowl (= a large bowl for serving salad in) a salad sandwich Toss the salad with the dressing. Toss (= mix) the salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Serve the risotto with a mixed/green salad. I ordered some pasta and a mixed salad. The salmon was accompanied by a fresh green salad. a tossed salad Would you like oil and vinegar on your salad?

combo

a number of different things combined together, especially different types of food the typical combo meal provides more calories than the recommended daily allotment I'll have the steak and chicken combo platter. That's a funny combo - pink and orange. I'll have the burrito and taco combo, please.

beggar

a person who lives by asking people for money or food beggars sleeping on the pavement

break

a short period of time when you stop what you are doing and rest, eat, etc. if I am tired of studying and need a break, I go to the nearest ice cream vendor and order a double-dip cone or sundae, with lots of hot fudge, nuts and fruit filling. I don't care what flavour the ice cream is - they're all good UK a tea break a lunch/dinner break We'll take another break at 3.30. They worked through the night without a break. Do you usually take a morning/afternoon break? She was on her lunch break. a coffee/tea break Let's take a break. break for something a break for lunch a bathroom break (= a short period when somebody stops what they are doing to use the toilet) She worked all day without a break.

additive

a substance that is added in small amounts to something, especially food, in order to improve it, give it colour, make it last longer, etc. what the makers dont want to tell you is that the food has a lot of sugar and other addictive substances added because their additive either make the food taste better help preserve its freshness food additives additive-free orange juice chemical additives in petrol This margarine is full of additives - just look at the label! Additives keep certain foods fresh. This paint has an additive that keeps mold from growing on it.

alternative

a thing that you can choose to do or have out of two or more possibilities The car is too expensive so we're trying to find a cheaper alternative. There is a vegetarian alternative on the menu every day. We had no alternative but to fire Gibson. to offer/provide an alternative alternative to something Does this offer a viable alternative to the existing system? as an alternative to something Fruit juice is provided as an alternative to alcoholic drinks. alternative for somebody This treatment is the only alternative for some patients. The opposition parties have so far failed to set out an alternative strategy. An alternative venue for the concert is being sought.

antidote

a way of preventing or acting against something bad: modern society tends toward individual alienation and isolation,the fast-food environment is an antidote Regular exercise is the best antidote to tiredness and depression. Exercise can be an antidote to depression. A Mediterranean cruise was the perfect antidote to a long cold winter.

be high in sth

containing a large quantity of something: the food itself may be basically healthy. But the combinations the major groups offer are high in fat, high in carbohydrates, high in cholesterol. foods that are high in fat Oranges are high in vitamin C. I avoid foods that are high in fat.

be fried

cooked in hot oil or fat: i like them all, but chicken is the healthiest fast food. Even though it is fried, the chicken still has a lot fewer calories and less fat than hamburger or pizza a fried egg fried onions fried fish We had fried chicken for dinner.

used to

done or experienced in the past, but no longer done or experienced: I used to live in London. That's what my father always used to say. I didn't use to like him much when we were at school. Didn't you use to have long hair? I used to think that it would be a great idea to live there. We used to go sailing on the lake in summer. She used to work for a large insurance company. I used to play a lot of football. You used to see a lot of her, didn't you? I used to eat meat, but now I'm a vegetarian. We don't go to the movies now as often as we used to.

gobble sth up

grab; take greedily; to use a lot of your supply of something, usually money: the fast-food chains are gobbling up the restaurant segment of the economy The mounting legal costs quickly gobbled up their savings. Hotel costs gobbled up most of their holiday budget.

be infatuated (with sb/sth)

having a very strong feeling of love or attraction for sb/sth so that you cannot think clearly and in a sensible way but not usually lasting feeling of love or attraction for sb or sth: he's probably just infatuated with somebody. Nobody who's "in love" feels like eating you know She was completely infatuated with him. He's behaving like an infatuated teenager. She was infatuated with her boss. Susan was infatuated with her friend's brother.

fast-food

hot food, such as hamburgers and chips, that is served very quickly and can be taken away to be eaten in the street i never go to a fast-food restaurant. At work sometimes, or if I'm visiting someone's house, I'll eat fast food if that is the only available. But if I have a choice, I always avoid fast food. it's expensive and unhealthy at the same time. I don't understand why anyone eats the stuff. what should the fast-food producers do to help consumers? what is your favourite fast-food? how often do you eat at a fast-food restaurant? people eat in the popular fast-food places for the same reason that they listen to popular music and wear popular fashions: because it is "popular" to do so. fast-food restaurants America's favourite fast-food chain Dicos is a fast-food chain that is becoming increasingly popular in China. The fast-food industry is making good progress in developing more healthy alternatives. It is a densely built-up tourist city of hotels, pubs, discos, shopping malls and fast-food outlets. Later they drove to a fast-food restaurant for takeout.

be addictive

if a substance or activity is addictive, it makes people unable to stop using it or doing it Heroin is highly addictive. The game is very addictive. Marijuana is said to be psychologically though not physically addictive. Addicted people are afraid of coping or living without their addictive substance or behaviour. Tobacco is highly addictive. The problem with video games is that they're addictive. These nuts are addictive - I can't stop eating them. Heroin is obtained from morphine and is extremely addictive. Why is it that I find chocolate so addictive? Betting can be as addictive as drinking or smoking. These tablets are not thought to be addictive.

be prominent

in a way that is easily seen or noticed they should also, clearly and prominently display all the relevant dietary information such as calories, fat content, etc,. so informed customers can make better choices for themselves The photographs were prominently displayed on her desk. A photograph of her daughter was prominently displayed on her desk. The newspaper featured the apology prominently on page 1.

noticeably

in a way that is easy to see or notice; clearly or definitely no only do I get to choose, between chicken, hamburger, or pizza, among others, but the products from different companies in the same category have noticeably different tastes, and the restaurant themselves are constantly introducing new items as well Her hand was shaking noticeably. Marks were noticeably higher for girls than for boys. The question of childcare was noticeably absent from the discussion. Ellen had become noticeably thinner. Her voice was shaking noticeably. This summer is noticeably warmer than previous ones. Our sales haven't noticeably suffered since the financial crisis. She was feeling noticeably better.

along with sb/sth

in addition to sb or sth else: along with extra weight, consumers are faced with higher blood pressure, poor blood circulation and increased risks of heart trouble. There is even the possibility of high cancer risk, though the data on this aspect are not yet complete. California, along with Florida and Hawaii, is among the most popular US tourist destinations. Now we've got hospital bills along with our usual expenses.

ultimately

in the end; finally I guess ultimately he has to make his own choices in life. he's not your prisoner. - no he isn't. But I can't help worrying about him A poor diet will ultimately lead to illness. He is ultimately responsible for the actions of the rebels he leads Ultimately, you'll have to make the decision yourself. His strategy ultimately failed, however. Smith ultimately became the father of modern geology. The economic changes ultimately proved successful. Our plans ultimately depend on the weather.

be balanced

keeping or showing a balance so that different things or different parts of something exist in equal or correct amounts but it isn't good for him to make it his main source of meals. He needs to have a more balanced diet with fewer empty calories and less fat. The programme presented a balanced view of the two sides of the conflict. a balanced diet (= one with the quantity and variety of food needed for good health) The report was accurate and well balanced. A balanced diet is essential for healthy growth.

peer pressure

pressure from people of your age or social group to behave like them in order to be liked or accepted Teenagers are highly influenced by peer pressure. There is tremendous peer pressure to wear fashionable clothes There is tremendous peer pressure among teenagers to dress a certain way.

be at fault

responsibility for a mistake or for having done something wrong: do you think parents are at fault for their children's eating habits or are the kids themselves most responsible? I think the owners are at fault (= responsible) for not warning us. Her doctor was at fault for/in not sending her straight to a specialist. The driver was at fault (= responsible) for the accident - he was going too fast.

from time to time

sometimes, but not often, ​occasionally but not regularly although i visited all of the fast-food places from time to time, I visit the various chicken outlets far more often than the others From time to time I still think of her. She has to work at weekends from time to time.

consideration

the act of thinking about something carefully: for reasons of economic competitions, not dietary considerations, the servings are too large. After some consideration, we've decided to sell the house. The whole matter needs (to be given) careful consideration. Careful consideration should be given to issues of health and safety. Her ideas are worthy of serious consideration.

portion

the amount of a particular food that is served to one person, especially in a restaurant or a shop that sells food ready to be eaten: a generous portion of meat She cut the cake into six small portions. You should eat several portions of fruit a day. Do you serve children's portions? This particular type of fish has less than 200 calories per portion. The portions are very generous in this restaurant. The school would only receive a very small portion of the profits. They serve children's portions at half-price. Bar food, lunchtime and evening, comes in generous portions. They kept their costs down by minimizing waste and having strict portion control.

atmosphere

the character, feeling, or mood of a place or situation: Before the parade, the atmosphere was electric. This type of lighting creates a relaxing atmosphere. City officials have created an atmosphere of fear. Use music and lighting to create a romantic atmosphere. There was an atmosphere of mutual trust between them. The old house is full of atmosphere (= it's very interesting). The children grew up in an atmosphere of violence and insecurity. a party atmosphere The hotel offers a friendly atmosphere and personal service. There's a very relaxed atmosphere in our office. There has been an atmosphere of gloom in the factory since it was announced that it would be closing. You want a restaurant that serves good food but has a little atmosphere too. He put on some soft music and turned the lights down in order to give the room a little more atmosphere. The club provided a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for its members.

alienation

the feeling that you do not belong in a particular group Many immigrants suffer from a sense of alienation. Depressed people frequently feel a sense of alienation from those around them.

appetite

the feeling that you want to eat food: it's like he has no appetite for good food He suffered from headaches and loss of appetite. The walk gave me a good appetite. Don't spoil your appetite by eating between meals. All that walking has given me an appetite. I won't have any chocolate, thanks. It will spoil (= reduce) my appetite. I haven't got much of an appetite (= I am not hungry). The children all have healthy/good appetites (= they eat a lot). Both viruses cause fever and loss of appetite. She's got a hearty appetite. You'll spoil your appetite for dinner if you have a cake now. We worked up a real appetite climbing in the mountains. The appetite, says the proverb, grows with eating. Growing boys have ravenous appetites.

isolation (from sb/sth)

the state of being alone or lonely Many unemployed people experience feelings of isolation and depression. The prisoner had been kept in isolation for three days. After all the visitors had left, she experienced a feeling of complete isolation.

be listless

tired and weak, and lacking energy or interest; having no energy and enthusiasm and unwilling to do anything needing effort: SYNONYM lethargic no matter what I fix at home for him to eat, he hardly touches it. When he does it, he's listless The illness left her feeling listless and depressed. He's seemed listless and a little depressed ever since he got his exam results. As the tennis match continued in the 90° heat, his play grew listless and he made a number of errors.

tend to V

to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a particular characteristic: We tend to get cold winters and warm, dry summers in this part of the country. I think you tend to eat more in the winter. Children tend to get unsettled if you keep on changing their routine. Paintwork on the corner of a stairway tends to get nicked and scratched. The British traditionally tend not to display much emotion in public. Things tend to get lost when you move house. We tend to eat at home. Children tend to be like their parents.

survive

to continue to live or exist, especially after coming close to dying or being destroyed or after being in a difficult or threatening situation: i don't think i could survive a day with a delicious ice cream cone. it always makes my days go better The baby was born with a heart problem and only survived for a few hours. These plants cannot survive in very cold conditions. None of Shakespeare's plays survives in its original manuscript form. The family are struggling to survive on very little money. The front passengers were lucky to survive the accident. "How are you?" "Oh, (I'm) surviving (= life is satisfactory, but not very good)." There's only a fifty-fifty chance that she'll survive the operation. Friendless and jobless, he wondered how he would survive the year ahead. The building survived the earthquake with little damage. The family is struggling to survive on a very reduced income. survive something Her 5-year-old son miraculously survived the crash. He only survived the attack because he was wearing body armour. Many birds didn't survive the severe winter. The company managed to survive the crisis. survive something + adj. Few buildings survived the war intact. She was the last surviving member of the family. Of the six people injured in the crash, only two survived. Many of these teachers are struggling to survive financially. He must betray his friend in order to survive. The children had to survive by begging and stealing. (humorous) 'How are you these days?' 'Oh, surviving.' Don't worry, it's only a scratch—you'll survive. survive from something Some strange customs have survived from earlier times. survive on something I can't survive on £40 a week (= it is not enough for my basic needs). They spent two months in the jungle, surviving on small animals and fruit. survive as something He survived as party leader until his second election defeat.large amount of money will have to be injected into the company if it is to survive. A small dog had somehow managed to survive the fire.

fix

to cook or provide or prepare something, especially food or drink fix somebody/yourself something Can I fix you a drink? I'm just going to fix myself some breakfast. fix something for somebody/yourself Can I fix a drink for you? fix something I'll fix supper. Whose turn is it to fix dinner? Can I fix you a drink?/Can I fix a drink for you? Will you fix dinner?

make money

to earn a lot of money from a job or an investment: the main thing for a fast-food owner to remember is that his children eat it too. so he should do everything possible to make sure it is healthy. Instead, he is only interested in making money. so he added more salt because it makes people more thirsty, so they will order more drinks. Even though sugar is mainly just empty calories with no dietary value, he adds it to as many products as possible because it tastes good and is addictive. so sugar is not only in the drinks or ice cream but even in the chicken or hamburger or pizza. Making money is the only reason I work on Wall Street. The movie should make money. There's money to be made from tourism.

consume sth

to eat or drink, especially a lot of something: Before he died, he had consumed a large quantity of alcohol. a half-consumed loaf of bread Red meat should be consumed in moderation. He consumes huge amounts of bread with every meal.

end up

to find yourself in a place or situation at the end of a process or period of time end up doing something I ended up doing all the work myself. If you go on like this you'll end up in prison. We moved around a lot when I was young but we ended up in London. If he carries on driving like that, he'll end up dead. After two weeks of travelling around Europe, we ended up in Paris. The deals were popular at the time, but many ended up losing money. They're travelling across Europe by train and are planning to end up in Moscow. Much of this meat will probably end up as dog food. She'll end up penniless if she continues to spend like that. After working her way around the world, she ended up teaching English as a foreign language.

​supersize (sb/sth )

to give a customer in a fast food restaurant the largest size of meal or drink; to make sb/sth bigger; to become bigger nobody needs to consume such large helpings at a single sitting. So, the chains should cut back drastically on the quantity of food they provide, instead of constantly pushing towards supersizing everything "A burger and a Coke please." "Can I supersize it for you? We are being supersized into obesity (= made very fat) by the fast food industry. TV ads encourage kids to supersize.

eat out

to have a meal in a restaurant, etc. rather than at home have you talked to him about it? many times. but he doesn't even seem to think there's a problem. He says all his friends eat out and he just wants to be with them Do you feel like eating out tonight? When I lived in Spain, I used to eat out all the time.

promote

to help sell a product, service, etc. or make it more popular by advertising it or offering it at a special price they should make the same marketing efforts into promoting the healthy items they sell, such as salads, as they put into their main items promote something The band has gone on tour to promote their new album. This trade fair will help businesses from Malawi to promote their products. promote something as something The area is being promoted as a tourist destination. The new model cars are being heavily promoted on television.

inspect

to look closely at sth/sb, especially to check that everything is as it should be SYNONYM examine to stay in business, the makers depend on their customers being happy. So all the meat and vegetables and other ingredients are carefully inspected and prepared. inspect sth/sb The teacher walked around inspecting their work. Make sure you inspect the goods before signing for them. inspect sth/sb for sth The plants are regularly inspected for disease. After the crash, both drivers got out and inspected their cars for damage. She held the banknote up to the light and inspected it carefully. Inspect the goods carefully before you accept delivery of them.

sweeten sth

to make food or drinks taste sweeter by adding sugar, etc. The apple mixture can be sweetened with honey.

load up on sth

to take, buy, eat or drink a large amount of something; to get a lot of money, assets, or debt: no, I don't think so. Mainly he only wants to eat fast-food. He loads up on it before he gets home, and then of course he isn't hungry anymore. - that should be an easy problem to fix. Just don't give him any money I went down to the store and loaded up on drinks. Since the pizza seems so light, you might as well load up on dessert The tourists started loading up on perfume and cosmetics. load up on fees/credit/debt People loaded up on debt from lenders who asked few questions of borrowers. load up on stocks/shares .

be stuck

unable to move, or set in a particular position, place, or way of thinking: fortunately, there are many kinds of fast food available, so I'm not stuck in a boring routine. This door seems to be stuck - can you help me push it open? Seven of us were stuck in the lift for over an hour. I hate being stuck (= having to be) behind a desk - I'd rather work outside. This door seems to be stuck. I hate being stuck at a desk all day. Ty got stuck with doing the laundry. We'd be stuck if your sister hadn't offered to come over and look after the children tonight.

be addicted (to sth)

unable to stop using or doing sth as a habit, especially sth harmful why do many people, especially kids, seem to be addicted to fast food? to become addicted to drugs/gambling/social media It did not take James very long to get addicted. She had become addicted to tranquillizers. A lot of people nowadays have become addicted to the internet. She started taking antidepressants and before long she was addicted. He's addicted to coffee and cannot do anything in the morning until he's had some. As soon as she joined the gym, Pam was addicted! By the age of 14 he was addicted to heroin. I'm addicted to (= I very often eat) chocolate. I know that if I start watching a soap opera I immediately become hopelessly addicted.

cancer

ung thư a serious disease in which growths of cells, also called cancers, form in the body and kill normal body cells. The disease often causes death. Most skin cancers are completely curable. cancer of something cancer of the colon/cervix/stomach The cancer has spread to his stomach. Smokers face an increased risk of developing lung cancer. to detect/diagnose/treat/cure cancer The drug can lower the risk of breast cancer. cancer patients/survivors cancer research cancer screening/treatment/prevention/risk He died of liver cancer. breast/bowel/lung cancer cancer cells It was a secondary cancer.

in a hurry

when they first began to appear a generation or so ago, they offered cheap, healthy products to people in a hurry. consumers said they ate there because they couldn't fix that food at home for such a lower price" very quickly or more quickly than usual He had to leave in a hurry. not having enough time to do something Sorry, I haven't got time to do it now—I'm in a hurry. Alice was in a tearing hurry as usual. I was late for work and in a big hurry.

cut sth back

​(also cut back (on sth)) to reduce sth If we don't sell more we'll have to cut back production. to cut back on spending With orders down, many companies are cutting back. We are trying to cut back on travel costs. The firm has cut back hours at its factory. If exercise is causing you pain, you should cut back. We have had to cut back deliveries. The government has cut back $150 million of funding.

vendor

​a person who sells things, for example, food or newspapers, usually outside on the street Jewellery, leather and clothes are offered by street vendors at every corner. For the past few months, she's been working as a street vendor, selling fruit and vegetables. The vendor of the house wants to exchange contracts this week. a hot dog vendor a street vendor

be dietary

​connected with or contained in the food that you eat and drink regularly dietary advice/changes/habits dietary supplements dietary fibre her dietary intake of calcium Dietary habits can be very difficult to change. Do you have any special dietary requirements?

(every) now and again/then

​from time to time; occasionally; sometimes but not often: Every now and again she checked to see if he was still asleep. Every now and again/then they'll have a beer together.

addiction

​the condition of being unable to stop using or doing something as a habit, especially something harmful the real addiction is the social role. People eat in fast food restaurant together with their friends cocaine addiction addiction to something He is now fighting his addiction to alcohol. an addiction to TV game shows/social media/gambling drug addiction his addiction to alcohol For people with OCD, cleaning can become an addiction. Experts fear the game could lead to gambling addiction. He successfully battled his addiction to heroin. His addiction began with prescription drugs. I have an addiction to mystery stories.

take sb out

​to go to a restaurant, theatre, club, etc. with somebody you have invited and pay for everything: it's probably my fault. When I used to take him out shopping, we'd stop at some fast-food place for lunch. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I'm sorry Our boss took us out for dinner.

proliferate

​to increase rapidly in number or amount SYNONYM multiply the "food" part of the description is in some doubt; and as waiting times grow, even the "fast" part seems to be inaccurate as well. Nevertheless, the major fast-food companies continue to proliferate and their profits just keep on growing Books and articles on the subject have proliferated over the last year. Time passed and animal life proliferated. Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years. Amusement and theme parks are proliferating across the country.

pay sb back (sth) | pay sth back (to sb)

​to return money that you (borrowed from sb)/(owe them) SYNONYM repay that wouldn't help. He would just borrow some cash from his friends and I'd end up having to give him money to pay them back I'll pay you back next week. You can pay back the loan over a period of three years. Did he ever pay you back that $100 he owes you? Can you lend me a fiver? I'll pay you/it back tomorrow. He still hasn't paid me back that money he owes me. If I could borrow 20 pounds I'll pay you back next week. She lent me some money last month and I forgot to pay her back. They promised to pay me back and they never did. I have borrowed money from people in the past but I've always paid them back. You need to pay back the loan within five years. I'm happy to lend you the money, but when will you pay me back?

be hard on sb/sth

​to treat or criticize sb in a very severe or strict way don't be too hard on yourself. Everybody buys fast food now and then. Sometimes there just isn't any convenient alternative Don't be too hard on him—he's very young. Don't be too hard on him - he's new to the job.

if I had my way

​used to explain what you would do if you had total control over sth in fact, if I had my way I would make fast-food chains illegial If I had my way, smoking would be banned completely. If she doesn't get/have her (own) way, she sulks like a four-year-old.