in the zone

to pencil in

injection

gobbledygook

cold feet

a setback

sidelined

to spark

the front line

to grasp the nettle

to trawl through

jeopardise

to build up

to throw out

to shed

to bed down

to irk

iota

to be square

to outstrip

with a pinch of salt

on the grapevine

to fend off

fishy

a cutback

a giveaway

to railroad

to beat about the bush

to take the mickey

tricky

an upturn

a rundown

a fly on the wall

wake/in the wake of

a return to form

to bolster,

to pay lip service

a facelift

a crime-wave

sluggish

grace-and-favour

cherry pick

famous last words!

to lay off

cavalier

to show (someone) the red card

to foot the bill

to showcase

from left-field

to keep one's finger on the pulse

the forefront

turbulent

a black hole

dead in the water

to sew up

a minefield

a sickie

a fiasco

heyday

a watchdog