Expert: Mark Smith - 3/4/2006

Question
Dear sir,
       
 Tomorrow Ihave my english exam. i have some doubts to be cleared. can u plz clear them. i know that this is not ur subject, but there are no such experts regarding "english as a second language". so i have no other choice. so can u plz give the answers for my doubts in 20-24 hrs. i ask them so earlier because i have my exam tomorrow. plz sir, help me in those answers u can help. but please dont reject it. please donot send me that "i m not expertise in this".
the doubts are:-

what is the meaning of the idioms-
nip in the bud ?
come to a halt?
to stand a chance?
to break the ice?
beat around the bush?
the apple of one's eye?
if possible, plz give a sentence to explain them.

please fill this from the bracket-
Though ----------  with wound, the bird tried to --------    (soar/sore)

how would u blend the words "flimsy" and "miserable"?
(for example, if we blend "international" and "police" we get "interpol")

can u please use the following in sentences?-
"content" as adjective and noun
"absent" as adj and verb
"wonder" as noun and verb
"jump" as noun and verb

what is the american word for the following british words?-
advertisement, torch, motorway, jam and note.

what is the british word for the following american words?
airplane, band-aid, movie-theatre, cross-walk and pant.

can u please use the compound words "long forgotten"  and "highway-man" in your own sentences?

please give me a single word having "mis" as its prefix and "ment" as its suffix.

can u give the clipped word for "suitcase" , "spectacles" and "refrigerator"?
(for example, the clipped word for "demonstration" is "demo" and for "advertisement" is "ad")

what is plural form of "analysis"?

which word denotes the name of a tree?-yew or ewe?

   i will be greatly thank ful to u if u give the answers within around 20 to 24 hrs.
-sharmi.

Answer
Hello Sharmi.
Nip in the bud - to stop at an early stage.
Come to a halt - stop.
To stand a chance - have an opportunity.
To break the ice - overcome early shyness.
Beat around the bush - avoid the subject.
The apple of one's eye - person or thing of special affection.
Though sore with a wound , the bird tried to soar.
Content adj. "I am content with the way this has turned out".
Content noun "What is the content of the book ?"
Absent adj. "He was absent from school".
Absent vb. "I decided to absent myself from school".
Wonder noun "The beautiful bird was an object of wonder".
Wonder vb. "I wonder if you could do this for me ?"
Jump noun "It was a long jump over the river".
Jump vb. "I had to jump over the river".
UK torch, US flashlight.
UK motorway, US highway.
UK jam, US jelly.
US airplane, UK aeroplane.
US band-aid, UK sticking plaster.
US movie-theatre, UK cinema.
US cross-walk, UK pedestrian crossing.
US pants, UK trousers.
"The highwayman rode his horse down a long-forgotten trackway".
Misspell - meaning to spell something wrongly.
Excitement - a state of being excited.
suitcase - case.
spectacles - specs.
refrigerator - fridge.
analysis - analyses.
tree - yew.

Mark