(1) We've known each other for donkey's years.
(2) ...old iron mines that haven't been used in donkey's years.
(3) I've been a vegetarian for donkey's years.

(1) The real headache will be getting the bank to lend you the money.
(2) I have a splitting headache (= a very bad one) .
(3) Red wine gives me a headache.

(1) a naughty boy/girl
(2) (humorous)I'm being very naughty─I've ordered champagne!
(3) a naughty joke/word

(1) the publication date
(2) the publication of his first novel
(3) specialist publications

(1) (British English)He was a nuisance and we're all well rid of him (= we'll be much better without him) .
(2) She wanted to be rid of her parents and their authority.
(3) I was glad to be rid of the car when I finally sold it.

(1) Scores of congratulatory telegrams and letters greeted Franklin on his return...
(2) The President received a briefing by telegram.
(3) Sorry, urgent telegram service is not available for it.

(1) The main topic of conversation was Tom's new girlfriend.
(2) The article covered a wide range of topics.
(3) The weather is a constant topic of conversation in Britain…

(1) an underground garage (= for example under an office building)
(2) a garage mechanic
(3) (British English)a house with a built-in garage

(1) to be of good/poor/top quality
(2) goods of a high quality
(3) high-quality goods

(1) She doesn't seem to have any idea of what I'm talking about.
(2) I had some idea of what the job would be like.
(3) The brochure should give you a good idea of the hotel.

(1) I could no longer ignore the fact that he was deeply unhappy.
(2) Despite the fact that she was wearing a seat belt, she was thrown sharply forward.
(3) Due to the fact that they did not read English, the prisoners were unaware of what they were signing.

(1) She scraped the mud off her boots.
(2) The kids had scraped their plates clean.
(3) I scraped the side of my car on the wall.

(1) I am a sinner and I need to repent of my sins.
(2) Those who refuse to repent, he said, will be punished.
(3) Remission of sins is promised to those who repent.

(1) a disappointing year of little growth in Britain and America
(2) policies aimed at sustaining economic growth
(3) an annual growth rate of 10%

(1) ‘Is that John over there? ’ ‘ I'm not sure . ’
(2) You don't sound very sure.
(3) I'm pretty sure (that) he'll agree.

(1) to learn a language/a musical instrument/a skill
(2) I learned a lot from my father.
(3) You can learn a great deal just from watching other players.

(1) Stop biting your nails!
(2) nail clippers
(3) She hammered the nail in.

(1) mutual respect/understanding
(2) mutual support/aid
(3) I don't like her, and I think the feeling is mutual (= she doesn't like me either) .

(1) a long-stemmed rose
(2) ‘Writ ’ is the stem of the forms ‘writes ’, ‘writing ’ and ‘written ’.
(3) The cut was bandaged to stem the bleeding.

(1) He was buried in Highgate Cemetery.
(2) (figurative)Their ambitions were finally dead and buried .
(3) She's 85 and has buried three husbands.

(1) Most schools are extremely unwilling to cut down on staff in order to cut costs.
(2) ...asking them to risk their lives in order that the rest of us can sleep better.
(3) We need to get rid of the idea that we must be liked all the time in order to be worthwhile...

(1) rock, pop and soul
(2) Hi, pop!
(3) The cork came out of the bottle with a loud pop.

(1) He was a contemporary of Freud and may have known him.
(2) She and I were contemporaries at college.
(3) life in contemporary Britain

(1) She busied herself with the preparations for the party.
(2) While we talked, Bill busied himself fixing lunch.
(3) Since she retired she's kept herself very busy.

(1) the scene of the accident/attack/crime
(2) Firefighters were on the scene immediately.
(3) The team's victory produced scenes of joy all over the country.

(1) the mental process of remembering
(2) Do you have a mental picture of what it will look like?
(3) I made a mental note to talk to her about it.

(1) a candy bar
(2) Who wants the last piece of candy?
(3) a candy store

(1) ...a tiny fossil plant, only a few centimetres high.
(2) Surf lifesavers removed the 60 centimetre shark by hosing it with fresh water.
(3) Round each measurement to the nearest whole inch or centimetre.

(1) the earth's core
(2) the core of a nuclear reactor
(3) the core of the argument

(1) I recall: Which classmate have these initial consonant following in being surnamed?
(2) He made a profession of friendship to his classmate Mary.
(3) The boy standing there a classmate of mine.

(1) It was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life...
(2) I'm going to throw a party, then invest the rest of the money...
(3) ...a man with nice clothes, a Range Rover and the rest...

(1) The sign said, ‘private property. Keep out. ’
(2) Those are my father's private papers.
(3) The hotel has 110 bedrooms, all with private bathrooms.

(1) ‘Are you going to come? ’ ‘perhaps. I'll see how I feel. ’
(2) perhaps he's forgotten.
(3) This is perhaps his best novel to date.

(1) The shares gained 14p to 262p.
(2) The euro gained against the dollar again today.
(3) At last she gained the shelter of the forest.

(1) the 1987 stock market crash
(2) I was terrified that the plane would crash.
(3) We're going to crash, aren't we?

(1) We have two sons and a daughter.
(2) They have three grown-up sons.
(3) He's the son of an Oxford professor.

(1) a square room
(2) The book had rounded, not square, corners.
(3) square shoulders

(1) Where's the exit?
(2) There is a fire exit on each floor of the building.
(3) The emergency exit is at the back of the bus.

(1) She rifled through her clothes for something suitable to wear.
(2) His wallet had been rifled.
(3) They shot him at point blank range with an automatic rifle...

(1) This dessert can be served straight from the fridge.
(2) There's some ice in the fridge.
(3) It'seems that there's nothing but some milk left in the fridge.