Unfortunately

Begin a sentence with "Unfortunately..." when you're talking about something disappointing or annoying:

I'm sorry, but unfortunately, we're sold out.

Unfortunately, there aren't many good jobs in that area.

(something) seems to (do something)

Use the phrase "___ seems to ___" when things turn out differently than you expected or hoped:

We tried to get them to sign with us, but they seem to be going with another company instead.

Natalie seems to want to spend all her time going out with her friends instead of staying with me.

(someone) gets ahead

"Getting ahead" means becoming successful, especially in a company. When you say that someone is "getting ahead", it suggests that they've gotten promotions, bonuses, etc. It also sounds like they're in competition with other people:

Watch out for him. He'll do whatever it takes to get ahead.

(someone) kisses ass

"Kissing ass" means acting extra nice toward the boss, owner, teacher, or other authority figure:

He's always kissing Leroy's ass. It's so pathetic.

I don't want to hire someone who's just going to kiss my ass. I want honesty and hard work.

This phrase can be rude if you use it in the wrong time or place. That's because a person's "ass" is the part of the body that they sit on.

Generally, people describe someone as "kissing ass" when they're gossipping about coworkers.