British English

shoe

shoe [shoe shoes shod shoeing] noun, verb   [ʃuː]    [ʃuː] 

noun

1. one of a pair of outer coverings for your feet, usually made of leather or plastic
• a pair of shoes
• He took his shoes and socks off.
• What's your shoe size?
• a shoe brush
• shoe polish

see also  snowshoe

2. =  horseshoe 
more at fill sb's shoes/boots at  fill  _v., shake in your shoes at  shake  _v., step into sb's shoes at  step  _v.  
Word Origin:
Old English scōh (noun), scōg(e)an (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schoen and German Schuh.  
Example Bank:
• I've had my shoes resoled.
• She wore a dark blue dress with matching shoes.
• The shoes, though elegant, pinched her feet terribly.
• a sturdy pair of walking shoes
• to break in a new pair of shoes

Idioms: if I were in your shoes ▪ if the shoe fits ▪ in somebody's shoes ▪ put yourself in somebody's shoes ▪ shoe is on the other foot 

skirt

skirt [skirt skirts skirted skirting] noun, verb   [skɜːt]    [skɜːrt] 

noun

1. countable a piece of clothing for a woman or girl that hangs from the waist

• a long/short/straight/pleated, etc. skirt

2. countable (also skirts plural) the part of a dress, coat, etc. that hangs below the waist

3. countable an outer covering or part used to protect the base of a vehicle or machine
• the rubber skirt around the bottom of a hovercraft  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.  
Example Bank:
• Her skirt rode up her thighs when she sat down.
• I lifted the hem of my skirt.
• I've worn both skirt suits and pant suits to interviews.
• She sat down, smoothing her skirt.
• She sat down, smoothing the skirt of her dress.
• She tucked up her voluminous skirts to make room for Jane beside her.
• She was wearing a short denim skirt.
• She wore the plaid skirt that was the uniform of her private school.
• The skirt falls just above the knee.

• a green jacket with a matching skirt

jacket

jacket [jacket jackets jacketed jacketing]   [ˈdʒækɪt]    [ˈdʒækɪt]  noun

1. a piece of clothing worn on the top half of the body over a shirt, etc. that has sleeves and fastens down the front; a short, light coat
• a denim/tweed jacket
• I have to wear a jacket and tie to work.

see also  bomber jacket, dinner jacket, donkey jacket, flak jacket, life jacket, smoking jacket, sports jacket, straitjacket

2. (also ˈdust jacket) a loose paper cover for a book, usually with a design or picture on it

3. an outer cover around a hot water pipe, etc, for example to reduce loss of heat

4. (BrE) the skin of a baked potato

• potatoes baked in their jackets

5. (especially NAmE) =  sleeve  (³)
See also: dust jacket  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French jaquet, diminutive of jaque; origin uncertain, perhaps based on Arabic.  
Thesaurus:
jacket noun C
• His jacket hung over the back of the chair.
coat • • blazer • • tails • • raincoat • |BrE anorak • • mac • |especially AmE tuxedo • |especially AmE, informal tux •
a long/short/heavy/light jacket/coat
wear/put on/take off/remove a jacket/coat/blazer/tails/raincoat/anorak/mac/tuxedo/tux
do up/undo a jacket/coat/blazer/raincoat/anorak/mac
Jacket or coat? Jacket can describe a piece of clothing worn indoors or one worn outdoors; a coat is usually only worn outdoors. A jacket usually comes down to the waist or hips, but not below; a coat is usually hip-length or longer.  
Example Bank:
• A light cotton jacket was draped over her shoulders.
• Gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket and tie for dinner.
• He pulled his passport from his inside jacket pocket.
• He wore a tweed sports jacket.
• His jacket hung over the back of his chair.
• She shrugged her shoulders into her jacket.
• a linen/suede/tweed jacket
• a padded sleeveless jacket
• bomber jacket
• dinner jacket

• ski jacket

shirt

shirt [shirt shirts]   [ʃɜːt]    [ʃɜːrt]  noun

a piece of clothing (usually for men), worn on the upper part of the body, made of light cloth, with sleeves and usually with a collar and buttons down the front
• to wear a shirt and tie
• a short-sleeved shirt
• a football shirt
see also  nightshirt, polo shirt, stuffed shirt, sweatshirt, T-shirt 
Idioms: keep your shirt on ▪ put your shirt on somebody ▪ shirt off somebody's back  
Word Origin:
Old English scyrte, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse skyrta (compare with skirt), Dutch schort, German Schürze ‘apron’, also to short; probably from a base meaning ‘short garment’.  
Example Bank:
• He tucked his shirt into his pants.
• He wears a crisp white shirt to the office every day.
• a footballer's shirt number

• replica football shirts with Beckham's famous number 7

stuffed shirt

ˌstuffed ˈshirt f22 [stuffed shirt]       noun (informal, disapproving)
a person who is very serious, formal or old-fashioned

• The club members are not just a bunch of stuffed shirts.

handsome

hand·some [handsome handsomer handsomest]   [ˈhænsəm]    [ˈhænsəm]  adjective (hand·somer, hand·som·est) more handsome and most handsome are more common
1. (of men) attractive
Syn:  good-looking
• a handsome face
• He's the most handsome man I've ever met.

• He was aptly described as ‘ tall, dark, and handsome ’.

2. (of women) attractive, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones
• a tall, handsome woman

• The bride and groom made a handsome couple.

3. beautiful to look at
• a handsome horse/house/city

• The two of them made a handsome couple.

4. large in amount or quantity
• a handsome profit
• He was elected by a handsome majority (= a lot of people voted for him).

• a handsome cheque

5. generous
• She paid him a handsome compliment.
• It was very handsome of him to pay for the meal.
Derived Words: handsomely ▪ handsomeness  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from hand  + -some. The original sense was ‘easy to handle or use’, hence ‘suitable’ and ‘apt, clever’ (mid 16th cent.), giving rise to the current appreciatory senses (late 16th cent.).  
Synonyms:
beautiful
pretty • handsome • attractive • lovely • good-looking • gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.
beautiful • (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at: ▪ She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
pretty • (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at: ▪ She's got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features.
handsome • (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones: ▪ He was described as ‘ ▪ tall, dark and handsome ▪ ’.
attractive • (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way: ▪ She's a very attractive woman.
lovely • (of a person) beautiful; very attractive: ▪ She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe sb as lovely, you are usually showing that you also have a strong feeling of affection for them.
good-looking • (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way: ▪ She arrived with a very good-looking man.
gorgeous • (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way: ▪ You look gorgeous!
attractive or good-looking?
If you describe sb as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes sb's physical appearance.
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face  
Example Bank:
• a tall, dark, handsome stranger
• his ruggedly handsome features
• He had an interesting and rather handsome face.
• He was elected by a handsome majority ().
• He's the most handsome man I've ever met.
• I enjoyed the job, and was paid a handsome salary too.
• She was a tall, handsome woman.

• They sold the house two years later at a handsome profit.

adjective (pret·tier, pret·ti·est)
1. (especially of a woman, or a girl) attractive without being very beautiful
• a pretty face
• a pretty little girl

• You look so pretty in that dress!

2. (of places or things) attractive and pleasant to look at or to listen to without being large, beautiful or impressive
• pretty clothes
• a pretty garden
• a pretty name
more at come to a pretty pass at  pass  _n.  
Word Origin:
Old English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.  
Thesaurus:
pretty adj.
1.
• She's a very pretty girl.
beautiful • • attractive • • good-looking • • striking • • handsome • |especially BrE lovely • |informal gorgeous • • stunning • |especially AmE, informal cute •
Opp: plain
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/stunning/cute girl/woman
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/cute boy
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/cute face
2.
• Lydia— what a pretty name!
beautiful • • attractive • • picturesque • • scenic • • charming • • exquisite • |especially BrE lovely •
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/picturesque/charming place/town/village
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/exquisite/lovely design
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/charming/exquisite/lovely voice  
Synonyms:
beautiful
pretty • handsome • attractive • lovely • good-looking • gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.
beautiful • (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at: ▪ She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
pretty • (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at: ▪ She's got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features.
handsome • (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones: ▪ He was described as ‘ ▪ tall, dark and handsome ▪ ’.
attractive • (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way: ▪ She's a very attractive woman.
lovely • (of a person) beautiful; very attractive: ▪ She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe sb as lovely, you are usually showing that you also have a strong feeling of affection for them.
good-looking • (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way: ▪ She arrived with a very good-looking man.
gorgeous • (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way: ▪ You look gorgeous!
attractive or good-looking?
If you describe sb as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes sb's physical appearance.
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face  
Example Bank:
• She's very attractive, though not conventionally pretty.
• ‘I didn't know you could play the piano.’ ‘I'm not just a pretty face, you know!’
• A pretty little girl was standing in the doorway.
• Lydia— what a pretty name!
• She's got a very pretty face.
• That's a pretty flower— what's it called?

• You should have seen him in his swimming trunks— not a pretty sight!

young

young [young younger youngest] adjective, noun   [jʌŋ]    [jʌŋ] 

adjective (young·er   [ˈjʌŋɡə(r)]  ;   [ˈjʌŋɡər]  young·est   [ˈjʌŋɡɪst]  ;   [ˈjʌŋɡɪst]  )
1. having lived or existed for only a short time; not fully developed
• young babies
• a young country
• Caterpillars eat the young leaves of this plant.
• a young wine
• The night is still young (= it has only just started).

Opp:  old
2. not yet old; not as old as others
• young people
• talented young football players
• I am the youngest of four sisters.
• In his younger days he played rugby for Wales.
• I met the young Michelle Obama at Princeton.
• Her grandchildren keep her young.
• My son's thirteen but he's young for his age (= not as developed as other boys of the same age).
• They married young (= at an early age).
• My mother died young.

Opp:  old

3. consisting of young people or young children; with a low average age
• They have a young family.

• a young audience

4. suitable or appropriate for young people
Syn:  youthful
• young fashion

• The clothes she wears are much too young for her.

5. ~ man/lady/woman used to show that you are angry or annoyed with a particular young person

• I think you owe me an apology, young lady!

6. the younger used before or after a person's name to distinguish them from an older relative
• the younger Kennedy
• (BrE, formal) William Pitt the younger
compare  elder  at elder  _adj., junior  _adj. (³)
more at (have) an old head on young shoulders at  old, you're only young once at  only  _adv.  
Word Origin:
Old English g(e)ong, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jong and German jung, also to youth; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin juvenis.  
Example Bank:
• He seemed quite young to have so much responsibility.
• He still looks young for his age.
• He's over 70, but he's young at heart.
• I felt young again.
• She looked young enough to be his daughter.
• She still looks very young.
• Fruit Fresh is a young company that is growing fast.
• I met the young Bill Clinton at Oxford.
• In his younger days he played rugby for Wales.
• It's a young wine, not really up to drinking yet.
• It's quite a young orchestra.
• My son's thirteen but he's young for his age.
• The composer died tragically young, just three days before her thirtieth birthday.
• The night is still young.
• The team is full of talented young players.
• They married young.
• This cottage would be perfect for a couple with a young family.
• This story is about a handsome young prince who falls in love with a village girl.
• Young babies need to be wrapped up warmly.
• young babies/children/animals

Idioms: getting younger ▪ not be getting any younger ▪ young at heart  

noun plural
1. the young young people considered as a group
• It's a movie that will appeal to the young.

• It's a book for young and old alike.

2. young animals of a particular type or that belong to a particular mother
• a mother bird feeding her young  
Word Origin:
Old English g(e)ong, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jong and German jung, also to youth; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin juvenis.  
Example Bank:
• It carries its young on its back.
• The females stay close to their offspring/young.
• They catch insects to feed their hungry young.

• the lion's offspring/young

old

old [old older oldest]   [əʊld]    [oʊld]  adjective (old·er, old·est)

 
AGE
1. be… years, months, etc. ~ of a particular age
• The baby was only a few hours old.
• In those days most people left school when they were only fifteen years old.
• At thirty years old, he was already earning £40 000 a year.
• two fourteen-year-old boys
• a class for five-year-olds (= children who are five)
• I didn't think she was old enough for the responsibility.
• How old is this building?
• He's the oldest player in the team.

• She's much older than me.  

NOT YOUNG

2. having lived for a long time; no longer young
• to get/grow old
• The old man lay propped up on cushions.
• She was a woman grown old before her time (= who looked older than she was).

Opp:  young

3. the old noun plural old people

• The old feel the cold more than the young.  

NOT NEW

4. having existed or been used for a long time
• old habits
• He always gives the same old excuses.
• This carpet's getting pretty old now.

Opp:  new

5. only before noun former; belonging to past times or a past time in your life
• Things were different in the old days.
• I went back to visit my old school.

• Old and Middle English

6. only before noun used to refer to sth that has been replaced by sth else
• We had more room in our old house.

Opp:  new

7. only before noun known for a long time
• She's an old friend of mine (= I have known her for a long time).
• We're old rivals.

compare  recent  

GOOD OLD/POOR OLD

8. only before noun (informal) used to show affection or a lack of respect
• Good old Dad!
• You poor old thing!

• I hate her, the silly old cow!

Rem: or
more at a chip off the old block at  chip  _n., (there's) no fool like an old fool at  fool  _n., a/the grand old agea/the grand old man (of sth) at  grand  _adj., give sb the (old) heave-ho at  heave-ho, have a high old time at  high  _adj., money for jam/old rope at  money, a/the ripe old age (of…) at  ripe, settle an old score at  settle  _v., (you can't) teach an old dog new tricks at  teach, (as) tough as old boots at  tough  _adj., be up to your (old) tricks at  trick  _n.
Idioms: any old how ▪ any old … ▪ as old as the hills ▪ bad old days ▪ for old times' sake ▪ of old ▪ old boy/chap/man ▪ old enough to be somebody's father ▪ old enough to know better ▪ old head on young shoulders ▪ old story ▪ old wives' tale ▪ one of the old school  
Word Origin:
Old English ald, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘adult’, shared by Latin alere ‘nourish’.  
Thesaurus:
old adj.
1.
• He's getting old— he's 75 next year.
elderly • • mature • • long-lived • |formal aged •
Opp: young
a/an old/elderly/mature/long-lived/aged man/woman
a/an old/elderly/mature/aged gentleman/lady/couple
sb's old/elderly/aged father/mother/aunt/uncle/relative
2.
• It's one of the oldest parts of the castle.
ancient • • historic • • antique • • long-standing •
Opp: new
a/an old/ancient/historic building/monument
an old/ancient/antique chair/clock/coin
a/an old/ancient/long-standing tradition/belief/method/problem
an old/ancient custom/way/ritual/city/civilization
3.
• We had more room in our old house.
former • • then • • ex- •
Opp: new
sb's old/former/then/ex-partner/boyfriend/girlfriend
a/an old/former/ex-lover/colleague/member
a/an old/former/ex-student/colony  
Synonyms:
old
elderly • aged • long-lived • mature
These words all describe sb/sth that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time.
old • having lived for a long time; no longer young: ▪ She's getting old— she's 75 next year.
elderly • (rather formal) used as a polite word for ‘old’: ▪ She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives.
aged • (formal) very old: ▪ Having aged relatives to stay in your house can be quite stressful.
long-lived • having a long life; lasting for a long time: ▪ Everyone in my family is exceptionally long-lived.
mature • used as a polite or humorous way of saying that sb is no longer young: ▪ clothes for the mature woman
a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman
a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple  
Which Word?:
older / elder
The usual comparative and superlative forms of old are older and oldest: ▪ My brother is older than me. ◊ ▪ The palace is the oldest building in the city. In BrE you can also use elder and eldest when comparing the ages of people, especially members of the same family, although these words are not common in speech now. As adjectives they are only used before a noun and you cannot say ‘elder than’: ▪ my older/elder sister ◊ ▪ the elder/older of their two children ◊ ▪ I’m the eldest/oldest in the family.  
Example Bank:
• Good old Dad!
• He was beginning to look old.
• He's a silly old fool!
• He's old enough by now to manage his own affairs.
• It's a funny old world.
• It's a very old tradition.
• It's always the same old faces.
• It's one of the oldest remaining parts of the church.
• It's the world's oldest surviving ship.
• She was fairly old when she got married.
• She's a silly old cow!
• The way the young people rushed about made her feel old.
• These are some of the oldest known fossil remains.
• We're all getting older.
• Why drink plain old water when you can have something better?
• You are as old as you feel.
• boring old history books
• I met up with some old school friends.
• It's not easy to break old habits.
• She was a woman grown old before her time.
• She's getting old— she's 75 next year.
• These are some of the oldest trees in the world.
• Things were different in the old days.

• This carpet's getting pretty old now.

game

game [game games gamed gaming gamer gamest] noun, adjective   [ɡeɪm]    [ɡeɪm] 

noun  

ACTIVITY/SPORT
1. countable an activity or a sport with rules in which people or teams compete against each other
• card games
• board games
• a game of chance/skill
• ball games, such as football or tennis
• (NAmE) We're going to the ball game (= baseball  game).

2. countable an occasion of playing a game
• to play a game of chess
• Saturday's League game against Swansea
• Let's have a game of table tennis.

• They're in training for the big game.

3. singular sb's ~ the way in which sb plays a game
• Maguire raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.

• Stretching exercises can help you avoid injury and improve your game.  

SPORTS

4. games plural a large organized sports event

• the Olympic Games

5. games plural (old-fashioned, BrE) sport as a lesson or an activity at school

• I always hated games at school.  

PART OF SPORTS MATCH

6. countable a section of some games, such as tennis, which forms a unit in scoring

• two games all (= both players have won two games)  

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY

7. countable a children's activity when they play with toys, pretend to be sb else, etc

• a game of cops and robbers  

FUN

8. countable an activity that you do to have fun

• He was playing games with the dog.  

ACTIVITY, BUSINESS

9. countable a type of activity or business
• How long have you been in this game?
• the game of politics
• I'm new to this game myself.
• Getting dirty was all part of the game to the kids.

SECRET PLAN

10. countable (informal) a secret and clever plan; a trick

• So that's his game (= now I know what he has been planning).  

WILD ANIMALS/BIRDS

11. uncountable wild animals or birds that people hunt for sport or food

more at beat sb at their own game at  beat  _v., play (a game of) cat and mouseplay a cat-and-mouse game with sb at  cat, fun and games at  fun  _n., a mug's game at  mug  _n., the name of the game at  name  _n., numbers game at  number  _n., the rules of the game at  rule  _n., have skin in the game at  skin  _n., talk a good game at  talk  _v., (the game is) not worth the candle at  worth  _adj.  
Word Origin:
Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.  
Culture:
toys and games
Most young children are given toys for their birthday or at Christmas. Many regularly spend their pocket money or allowance on smaller toys. Popular toys include building bricks such as Lego, plastic farm animals, toy cars, model railways and dressing-up costumes. Girls especially have dolls, and several sets of clothes to dress them in. Action Man figures are mainly for boys and Barbie dolls for girls. Babies are given rattles, soft cuddly toys and a teddy bear. Action figures, small plastic models of characters from television shows or films, are also popular. Some parents do not allow their children to have guns or other ‘violent’ toys because they do not want them to think it is fun to kill people.
Among traditional games that are still popular are marbles, which is played with small, coloured glass balls, board games such as snakes and ladders and ludo, card games such as Happy Families, and word games such as hangman. Board and card games are played with family or friends, but children play alone with computer games or video games.
Many children collect objects, such as shells, model animals, stamps or picture cards. In the US baseball cards, cards with a picture of a baseball player on them, are sold with bubblegum. In Britain picture cards are often given free in packets of breakfast cereal.
Children play outside with skipping ropes, bicycles, skateboards and Rollerblades™. In playgrounds there are often swings, a slide, a see-saw and a climbing frame (AmE jungle gym) to climb on. Traditional games played outside include hopscotch, a game in which children hop over squares drawn on the ground to try to pick up a stone, and tag, in which one child chases the others until he or she catches one of them and then that child has to chase the rest.
Toys are often expensive and, even if they can afford them, many parents are unwilling to spend a lot of money on something that they know their children will soon get bored with. Children want toys they see advertised on television or in comics, or toys that their friends already have. There are sometimes crazes for toys connected with characters from a film.
Few people give up toys and games completely when they become adults. Many keep their old teddy bear for sentimental reasons. There are now also executive toys, made specially for adults to keep on their desks. Many people play card games like bridge and poker, and board games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, backgammon and chess. 
Thesaurus:
game noun
1. C
• Chess is a game of skill.
sport •
play/take part in a game/sport
team/competitive games/sports
2. C
• The team is in training for the big game.
especially BrE match • |BrE fixture • • tie • • test (match) •
a game/match/fixture/tie/test against/between/with sb
a/an international/friendly game/match/fixture
a home game/match/fixture/tie/test
an away game/match/fixture/tie
win/lose a game/match/fixture/test/tie
Game or match? Game has a wider range of uses than match. In British English match is used to talk about individual or team sports. In American English match is used for individual sports, but game is used for team sports:
• (BrE) a football match
• (BrE, AmE) a tennis match
• a football game
• a game of football
 ¤ a match of football  
Synonyms:
interest
hobby • game • pastime
These are all words for activities that you do for pleasure in your spare time.
interest • an activity or a subject that you do or study for pleasure in your spare time: ▪ Her main interests are music and gardening.
hobby • an activity that you do for pleasure in your spare time: ▪ His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
game • a children's activity when they play with toys, pretend to be sb else, etc; an activity that you do to have fun: ▪ a game of cops and robbers ◊ ▪ He was playing games with the dog.
pastime • an activity that people do for pleasure in their spare time: ▪ Eating out is the national pastime in France.
interest, hobby or pastime?
A hobby is often more active than an interest: ▪ His main hobby is football ▪ (= he plays football) ▪. ◊ ▪ His main interest is football ▪ (= he watches and reads about football, and may or may not play it) ▪. Pastime is used when talking about people in general; when you are talking about yourself or an individual person it is more usual to use interest or hobby: Eating out is the national interest/hobby in France. ◊ Do you have any pastimes?
a popular interest/hobby/pastime
to have/share interests/hobbies
to take up/pursue a(n) interest/hobby 
Example Bank:
• Chicago's bid to host the Olympic Games
• Children love learning new games.
• Don't let him talk to anybody or he'll give the game away.
• He pitched a perfect game at Atlanta.
• He was unwittingly caught up in a dangerous game of lies and betrayals.
• He's hoping to be fit before next week's game with Liverpool.
• Hendry raised his game to become the champion.
• Hendry raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.
• How I hated team games at school!
• I realized that he had been playing a stupid game with me.
• I'll soon put an end to her silly little games.
• It's going to be a close game.
• It's hard to find indoor games for children.
• Last night he played the final game of his career.
• Lufthansa entered the game with a 25% stake in the company.
• Shall we have a game of chess?
• She's hoping to participate in the next Olympic Games.
• That girl plays a great game of bridge.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• The company is developing games to play on mobile phones.
• The early stages of the game were dominated by the home team.
• The guys are in training for their big game.
• The team fought back to level the game.
• This is a good game for getting people to mix.
• To pass the time, we played a game of cards.
• Trescothick had a good game and was man of the match.
• Trevor had a good game.
• United are playing a home game this week.
• We won the first game and drew the second.
• a game of tennis
• children's party games like Musical Chairs
• competitive games in which there is always a winner and a loser
• finding good indoor games for children
• the game of life/politics
• their first League game of the season
• this week's game against the Titans
• Chess is a game of skill.
• Davenport won the opening game of the third set.
• Discipline is the rock on which the game of golf is built.
• He's levelled the second set at two games all.
• Predicting the outcome of the election is a game of chance.
• She broke Sharapova's serve in the fourth game of the third set.
• So that's his little game.
• The children invented a new game.
• The defence are coming under pressure for the first time in this game.
• Will he be available for Saturday's game against the Bears?
• ball/card/board/computer/video games

Idioms: a game ▪ back in the game ▪ game is up ▪ game on ▪ give the game away ▪ on the game ▪ only game in town ▪ out of the game ▪ play games ▪ play somebody's game ▪ play the game ▪ two can play at that game ▪ what's your game? 

Word Origin:

Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.

tall

tall [tall taller tallest]   [tɔːl]    [tɔːl]  adjective (tall·er, tall·est)
1. (of a person, building, tree, etc.) having a greater than average height
• She's tall and thin.
• tall chimneys
• the tallest building in the world
• a tall glass of iced tea

Opp:  short

2. used to describe or ask about the height of sb/sth
• How tall are you?
• He's six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.
more at great/tall oaks from little acorns grow at  oak, walk tall at  walk  _v.
Idioms: a tall order ▪ stand tall
Derived Word: tallness  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: probably from Old English getæl ‘swift, prompt’. Early senses also included ‘fine, handsome’ and ‘bold, strong, good at fighting’.  
Which Word?:
high / tall
High is used to talk about the measurement from the bottom to the top of something: ▪ The fence is over five metres high. ◊ ▪ He has climbed some of the world’s highest mountains. You also use high to describe the distance of something from the ground: ▪ How high was the plane when the engine failed?
Tall is used instead of high to talk about people: ▪ My brother’s much taller than me. Tall is also used for things that are high and narrow such as trees: ▪ She ordered cold beer in a tall glass. ◊ ▪ tall factory chimneys. Buildings can be high or tall. 
Example Bank:
• She is quite tall for her age.
• Suddenly he seemed to stand taller.
• (a) tall building/tower/tree/grass
• Pollutants are dispersed through tall chimneys.
• She's tall and thin with light brown hair.

• What's the tallest building in the world?