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afraid

Link: Afraid - definition of afraid by The Free Dictionary

'I'm afraid Sue isn't at her desk at the moment. Can I take a message?'

'I hear she's leaving. Is that right?' – 'I'm afraid so.'

'Can you come round this evening?' – 'I'm afraid not.'

discrepancy

/dɪˈskrep.ən.si/ (a) a difference between two things that should be the same:

chỉ sự khác biệt, sai lệch

There is some discrepancy between the two accounts.
The committee is reportedly unhappy about the discrepancy innumbers.

Holiday and holidays

Holiday as a singular noun commonly refers to a specific day or event:

It’s a public holiday on Monday, isn’t it, so I suppose the banks’ll be closed?

She seems very tired and upset at the moment. She needs a holiday.

We booked a holiday online yesterday – two weeks in Greece.

We use the plural noun holidays and holiday in similar ways:

We are all going to Croatia for our holidays this year.

We are all going to Croatia for our holiday this year.

We often use on with holiday:

They’re very good friends. We first met them when we were on holidayin Morocco.

Not: … ~~when we were in holiday~~ … or … ~~when we were at holiday~~ … or … ~~when we were on holidays~~ …

(“Holiday and holidays” from English Grammar Today © Cambridge University Press.)

so-called

(a) cái gọi là

commonly designated by the name or term specified. ▶expressing one's view that such a name or term is inappropriate: her so-called friends.

the so-called people's capitalism+ cái gọi là chủ nghĩa tư bản nhân dân

BBC to review use of 'Islamic State' after MPs protest against term | Media | The Guardian

“I personally think that using the term Isil or ‘so-called’ would be better than what [the BBC] currently do,” Cameron said. “I don’t think we’ll move them all the way to Daesh, so I think saying Isil is probably better than Islamic State because it is neither, in my view, Islamic or a state.”

The so-called "dating apocalypse" Vanity Fair coined in its recent article unearthed some grim realities around modern relationships, on college campuses and beyond.

How long until sex? For millennials, try 10 texts or less

speak out

speak out/up: express one's opinions frankly and publicly.

v. 1. To speak in a loud or clear voice.

The trucker told the shy boy to speak up.

2. To speak in support of or against someone or something.

Willie spoke up for Dan as club president.

Ed spoke up against letting girls join the club.

Why I’m not going to stop speaking out about gun violence prevention and Hillary Clinton, no matter… — Hillary for America — Medium