Dress is an item of clothing worn by women and girls, but what is ...?

1 a dress code

a. a box for storing dresses

b. a set of rules about what you should wear on a particular occasion or in a particular place

2 dress sense

a. knowing where to buy cheap clothing

b. the ability to choose clothes that suit you

3 the dress circle

a. the first level of seats above the main floor in a theatre

b. a style of ring women wear on special occasions

4 a dress rehearsal

a. a full-scale practice shortly before the first performance of a play or any other work

b. the first time you try on a new outfit

5 fancy dress

a. clothes that don't suit you

b. special clothes you wear for a party where everybody is in costume

Dressing up

What do these 'dress' verbs mean?

1 to dress up

a. to wear casual, comfortable clothes

b. to put on fine clothes for a special occasion

2 to dress somebody down

a. to congratulate someone on their success

b. to scold someone, usually in front of others

3 to dress a salad

a. to eat a salad for lunch

b. to put some sort of sauce on a salad

4 to dress a window

a. to decorate a shop window with goods for sale and other items

b. to clean a window when it is extremely dirty

French dressing

What is .... ?

1 a dressing gown

a. a dress with a very short skirt

b. a comfortable robe that you wear at home

2 power dressing

a. wearing smart clothes that give you a look of authority

b. putting on a uniform

3 window dressing

a. a list of the goods in a shop window

b. the act of decorating something (usually of poor quality) in the hope of making it more attractive

4 French dressing

a. a mixture of oil, vinegar and herbs used to flavour a salad

b. expensive clothes from France

Word power

Complete each of these sentences with the correct noun.

1 I'd like plenty of (French dressing / fancy dress) on my salad, please.

2 Do you know the (window dressing / dress code) for that new restaurant in the Six Seasons hotel?

3 More holidays and a longer break in the afternoon are just (French dressing / window dressing). What's going to be the pay rise this year?

4 She's got a great (dress sense / dress rehearsal). She always looks good no matter what she wears.

5 Mrs Chan knows the art of (French dressing / power dressing). It helped her get her job.

Questions! Questions!

Complete these questions with the correct phrases

1 Have you seen my ..................?

a. dressing gown

b. dress code

2 Do we all have ................. for the company's New Year dinner?

a. to dress down

b. to dress up

3 Did you realise that part of your duties will be ................. at the front of the store every three weeks?

a. to dress the window

b. to dress the salad

4 Did you really need to ................... in front of all the other people in the office?

a. dress him down

b. dress him up

5 Did you know that if things go badly at the ............., everyone will be really worried because the show is due to open tomorrow?

a. dress rehearsal

b. dressing down

Answers:

Dress code: 1. b, 2. b, 3. a, 4. a, 5. b

Dressing up: 1. b, 2. b, 3. b, 4. a

French dressing: 1. b, 2. a, 3. b, 4. a

Word power: 1. French dressing, 2. dress code, 3. window dressing, 4. dress sense, 5. power dressing

Questions: 1. a, 2. b, 3. a, 4. a, 5. a