English 12 with Ms. Mẫn

to behave in a careful and cunning way.

e.g. Suzie realized that she had to box clever. She had to let Adam think she trusted him.

e.g. By boxing clever with your personal tax allowances, you could save over £900 a year.

to make something less accurate or educational, and of worse quality, by trying to make it easier for people to understand.

e.g. The BBC denies that its broadcasting has been dumbed down.

e.g. She could dumb down her explanation for me.

/ˌnəʊ ˈbreɪnə(r)/

a decision or a problem that you do not need to think about much because it is obvious what you should do.

e.g. I said yes straight away. It was a no-brainer for me.

e.g. It should be illegal to drink and drive. That's a no-brainer. 

/ˈstriːtwaɪz/

having the knowledge and experience that is needed to deal with the difficulties and dangers of life in a big city.

e.g. Kids seem much more streetwise these days.

e.g. The experience did make us tough and streetwise.

to become aware of the unpleasant truth about a situation.

e.g. Some insurers have wised up to the fact that their clients were getting very cheap insurance.

e.g. It's time to wise up and tell those around you that enough is enough.