Miles Roddis – travelguide writer – vocabulary

to get to do sth – to have the chance / opportunity to; to manage to, succeed in ……ing.
break the back of sth – to get most or the worst part of a particular task done eg He’s broken the back of the decorating now and just has a bit of gloss painting to do to finish the job. (Gloss paint – oil-based, smooth and shiny paint used for painting doors, window-frames, fences, unlike emulsion paint which is water-based, and not shiny and usually used for indoor walls and ceilings).
To write sth up – phrasal verb – to write something in a complete or final form using notes that you have made – eg She hasn’t written up her patients’ medical reports yet.
be in the field – do practical work
fieldwork – practical research work
be on the road – move from place to place / travel
an update – noun – a new form of something which existed at an earlier time
on the job – happening while you are working
a working lunch – eating while you are working – eg while discussing work-related matters with colleagues or visitors
cite – verb – give an example or a name eg She cited the City Library as a good place to work. I cited Mr Brown as my referee.
So much for sth – We have spent enough time on one matter – it is time to move on to another. eg So much for the holiday – now, what about next week’s meeting?
so much for sth is also used to express disappointment and annoyance at the fact that a situation is not as you thought it was – eg So much for a fun evening i.e. the evening was not the fun we had expected it to be.
limp – adjective – not stiff, or robust, lacking strength eg a limp lettuce leaf is not crisp and fresh; he has a very limp handshake
plop – verb – fall with a soft sound, typically as something solid falling into a liquid – eg the stone plopped into the pool.