Compulsory vocabulary for week 1

Week 1
abrupt
against all (the) odds
allege
be poles apart
do sth as you see/think fit
be at odds with sb/sth
in attendance
behind the scenes
to/till/until the bitter end
a bone of contention
bring a lump to your throat
call up sth or call sth up
get sth off your chest
conclusive
dawn on sb
an educated guess
be endowed with sth
exclusive of sth
fly in the face of
thick and fast
join forces
get out of hand
do sb a/the world of good
have your hands full
hold sb/sth back
the ins and outs of sth
inside information/knowledge, etc.
keep sb on their toes
by/in leaps and bounds
along the lines of sth
at a loss for words
come to light
keep your temper
to pose (a question...)
ratio