English Idioms Flashcards
dead as doornail
死定了
put it bluntly
直率地讲
throw in the towel
认输，放弃
chop and change
变化无常
wait on her hand and foot
伺候她这，伺候她那
One whiff of reform and she hears the rattle of guillotine.
一提改革，她想到的就是流血。
our lot
我们这类
my lot, his lot
parking lot 停车场
Someone is walling over my grave.
我感到不寒而慄。
beat about the bush
东拉西扯，兜圈子
You can put her off.
你能让她改主意。
my buddies on the cast and our loving staff and crew
我的演员伙伴和可爱的团队
Shirtsleeves to shirt sleeves in three generations.
富不过三代。
high tea
下午茶
naked wedding
裸婚
flesh search
人肉搜索
3s lady
剩女
single, seventies, stuckleft girls
copycat
山寨
mortgage slave
房奴
trendsetter
潮人
kept woman
二奶
pig iron
n. 生铁, 铸铁
be maturing into
逐渐成熟为…
revert to a trend line following a disturbance
围绕一趋势线波动
be informed on
对…了如指掌
He’s informed on your family’s affairs.
late husband
已故丈夫
insurance measures
保险政策，保险措施
interim measures 暂行办法
The seam at your shoulder is coming apart.
你肩膀上的线开了。
be born standing to attention
天生谨严慎行
double under housemaid and kitchen maid
杂物兼厨娘
I’ve been paid the compliment of a visit.
有贵客来访。
It was in about eight or ten different pieces.
碎成八九块，（书脊）断了八九处
no harm, no foul
既没损失，也不违法。
turn up
找到某人
gook
nigger
yankee
东方人（蔑称）
黑人（蔑称）
on the verge
接近边缘，接近真相
like father, like son
有其父，有其子。
Heavenly Stems, Earthly Branches
天干，地支
Two Sessions
两会
Wearing gauze on her left forearm and a full cast on her right hand.
左臂前部包着纱布，右手全用固定敷料裹着。
the bit between one’s teeth
全力以赴
have ~, take ~
be a blessing in disguire
因祸得福
making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
(猪耳朵做不出丝线袋)巧妇难为无米之炊
House of Habsburg/Hapsburg
源自德国的欧洲古老家族，曾有多名欧洲各国国王、王公、大公。
subprime crisis
次贷危机
musical chairs
抢座游戏，走马灯
go through ~
back road
乡间小路，羊肠道
high way 阳关道
Daniel about Dalai “…”
Daniel如此评价Dalai＂…＂
dog-eared
破破烂烂的，狗啃过一样
be made of sterner stuff
训练有素
draining the pericardial sac of the excess fluid and administering adrenaline
抽出心包积水并注入肾上腺速
don’t force me to be uncivil
别让我为难
cut or graze
头痛脑热
touch one’s forelock at the mention of …
在提及…时肃然起敬
forelock 额头
see to the range
照看炉子
give her your notice
向她提出辞职（暗示的说法，正式：resignation）
My disgrace is complete.
我已颜面扫地。
huff and puff
打哈哈
a deb at her first ball
初入社交界的女孩的第一次舞会。
brute-force solution
暴力解决方案
Lazy Susan
餐桌上的转盘
side burns
络腮胡的发际到耳根的部分
A. E. Burnside, the Civil War Union guardburnsides
work up appetite
开胃
talk about pandering
说迎合的话
write off
划掉，放弃
give me hand
帮我一下忙
lock, stock and barrel
adj. 完全地、全部
Mr. Rockefeller bought the whole oil company lock, stock and barrel.
hook, line and sinker
adj. 全部地，带有受骗的意思
I warned Sally not to believe that man’s stories about how rich he was, but she swallowed them hook, line and sinker. After she married him, she found out that he owed money to everybody in his office.
greasy spoon
n. 小饭馆，路边摊
Honey, let me take you out to dinner. But you know I don’t feel like dressing up to go some place fancy. How about just going down the street to the greasy spoon and getting hamburgers?
joint
n. 小饭馆
Mike, you ought to try the potstickers at that little Chinese joint on New York Avenue. It looks like a greasy spoon but the potstickers are great and the price is cheap.
the Comintern
\ˈkä-mən-ˌtərn\
第三国际，1919年成立，1943年解体。
play by ear
到时再说，临时决定。
I haven’t had a chance to prepare any notes so all I can do is start talking and play it by ear.
doggy bag
n. 饭店打包时用于拎的袋子
I usually wrap up the rest of meal and take it home in doggy bags to feed myself the next day.
sunny side upover easy
荷包蛋只煎一面荷包蛋两面都煎一下
Miss, I’d like two fried eggs sunny side up and the sausage on the side.Miss, two fried eggs, over easy and not fried too hard.
in hot water
有麻烦了
That movie actor tried to cheat on his income tax, but he got caught and now he’s in hot water with the government.
throw cold water on
泼冷水
I had planned on going to medical school but my dad threw cold water on this idea the other day when he told me he wasn’t sure he had the money to pay my tuition for so long.
blow up
- 用炸药炸毁什么东西
The retreating German army tried to blow up all the bridges on the Rhine River to stop the Allied troops from crossing into Germany. - 发脾气或发火
I really blew up when I learned that my girlfriend was going out with another man.3. 给气球吹气，给球和车轮胎打气I have to stop at the gas station to blow up my front tires.4. 放大照片I ‘d like 8 by 10 blow ups of these negatives, please.
potluck
n. 随便吃点；每个人都带一样菜的一种聚会
Say, Charley, if you don’t have plans for tonight, why don’t you come out to our house and take a potluck with us? Helen won’t have time to cook anything special, but she can put an extra plate on the table for you.
go in one ear and out the other
左耳进右耳出
to hold water
借口、理由、或说的话是确实的，站得住脚的。
That excuse simply doesn’t hold water.
water off a duck’s back
毫无作用
I keep telling my friend it’s foolish to gamble all of his money, but it’s like water off of a duck’s back.
to make my mouth water
让我流口水
The roast duck that restaurant serves is my favorite dish. Every time I think about it, it makes my mouth water.
pull one’s socks up
振作精神，重新投入工作
Pull their socks up and get back in the game.
knock your socks off
使人感到非常震惊
Wait until you hear my new marketing plan —— it’ll knock you socks off!
poker face
脸上毫无表情，不露声色
I never know whether my boss likes my work or not – he is a real poker face!
close to the vest
用在一般情况下就是指一个人非常小心不让别人知道他在干什么。
Two other governors have already announced that they will run for president in the next election but the governor of our state is still keeping his plans close to his vest – nobody is sure what he will do.
the shoe is on the other foot
形势已经完全不同了
Back in school we made fun of Jones because we thought he spent too much time studying instead of having fun. Now the shoe is on the other foot - he’s made lots of money and the rest of us are just barely making enough to feed our families.
to work hand in glove
密切合作
The local police are working hand in glove with the FBI to find the bank robbers.
也常用在反面的场合，形容一些人合谋犯罪等
I read in the paper about this customs officer they arrested at the airport. They caught him working hand in glove with a gang of smugglers to bring diamonds into the country without paying duty.
to keep an ear to the ground
保持高度警觉，及早发现那些即将会发生的事情的预兆
I try to keep an ear to the ground and what I hear these days is that most people think we spend too much money on building roads and not enough on our schools.
up to one’s ears
很忙
Half the people in my office are home sick, so I’m up to my ears!
深陷于
The mayor says he didn’t know people on his staff were taking bribes. But my guess is he’s up to his ears in it.
sweeten the pot
原意：加高牌桌赌注为了使一个提议更有吸引力而在原有的条件基础上再增加一些对对方有利的条件
Miss Smith didn’t want the job until the company sweetened the pot by offering her a higher salary and the use of a company car.
the cards are stacked against you
处于很不利的情况下，成功的机会很少
I really wanted to try out for the basketball team when I was in college. But the cards were stacked against me: I’m only five feet six inches tall and everybody else was six-two or even taller.
to fly off the handle
原意：斧头从柄上飞了出去指有的人突然失去控制而勃然大怒的现象
My wife spent all afternoon yesterday cooking a special dinner for our wedding anniversary. So she really flew off the handle when I came home three hours late.
to bark up the wrong tree
原意：猎狗对着上树的动物叫，但对错了树找错门了
If my brother-in-law hopes to borrow any more money from me, he will be barking up the wrong tree.
错怪了某人
Hey man, if you think I was the guy who robbed that bank today, you’re barking up the wrong tree! I was nowhere near the place.
right on the beam
原意：在飞机的电子导航路线上一个人做某件事做得很对
Your school report is right on the beam: you followed directions exactly and got all the facts down in the right order.
to fly by the seat of his pants
原意：没导航前飞行员根据河流、水塔等确定航向，在云层上时只能跟着感觉走了。在做某件事的时候没有明确的指导，也缺乏足够的知识
When Jones started up business in a new town, he didn’t know anybody, so he had to fly by the seat of his pants.
to keep one’s shirt on
劝告别人要有耐心，不要太紧张了
Keep your shirt on, Harry; we have plenty of time to catch the train.
要保持冷静，在对情况有足够了解以前不要发火
Honey, keep your shirt on, please! I’m sorry, but the boss made me work late at the office.
to lose one’s shirt
指某个人失去了他所有的一切
Did you hear what happened to Joe? He’s lost his shirt, the poor guy – invested all his money in a fancy restaurant and it just went out of business.
a stuffed shirt
爱摆架子，表现得神气十足的人 My boss is a stuffed shirt: all he talks about is how important his ancestors are, how he was number one in his class at his university, and the wonderful things he thinks he's done for our company.
to give you the shirt off his back
一个人能在你患难的时候能拿出他所有的一切
Of course Dad gets mad at me sometimes for no good reason. But if I ever need it, I know he would give me the shirt off his back.
to bail out
原意：飞行员跳伞摆脱一些麻烦或危险
Smith was lucky enough to bail out and quit the company just before it went bankrupt.
nose dive
原意：俯冲、跳水急剧下降
Today the stock market took a nose dive and dropped 25 points.
with open arms
非常欢迎
My family received me with open arms when I came back from my trip to California.
up in arms
起来进行武装斗争，或者非常愤怒，准备打架
All us students are up in arms at the news the school is raising our tuition ten percent.
to keep someone at arm’s length
和某人保持一定距离
I keep trying to get friendly with that lovely blonde who sits next to me in biology class. But she keeps me at arm’s length.
to shake a leg
赶快行动
Let’s shake a leg there, you guys! I got to get this truck unloaded and on the way back to the warehouse before dark.
pull one’s leg
逗别人，开别人玩笑
My roommate said this girl had told him she wouldn’t mind going out with me. But when I invited her to a movie, I learned he was just pulling my leg.
just for laughs
做某件事纯属为了高兴
Come on and get your jacket – let’s go out and have a couple of beers just for laughs.
与just for fun相比，just for laughs有为了取乐、找乐子的味道，找乐子也可能是不好的事情。
to laugh up one’s sleeve
偷偷地笑话某人，因为这个人有些可笑的地方，而他本人还没有发现
We were all laughing up our sleeves at the teacher when he was up at the blackboard explaining the math problem. He had a rip in the back of his pants and didn’t know it.
a horse laugh
一种表示不信任的嘲笑 When this guy running for Congress told us how much money he'd save us taxpayers, we all gave him the horse laugh. We knew when he was in the state legislature he always voted for higher taxes.Harry thinks he's God's gift to women: that none of them can resist his charm. So we all gave him the horse laugh when he asked the new girl in class to go to a movie and she told him to get lost.
the last laugh
在某人开始做一件事情的时候，许多人都说他不会成功。但是最后他还是成功了，这时候，他的心里很高兴，也许还很得意I used to laugh at my roommate in college – he’d stay in and study on weekends while I went out for a good time. But I guess he has the last laugh on me. He’s a famous brain surgeon and me, I’m selling used cars and barely make enough to live on.
roll out the red carpet to honor a visiting head of stategive someone the Red carpet treatment
铺上红地毯来欢迎（外国）贵宾
When Ann came back from her long vacation, we gave her the red carpet treatment.
in the red
亏本
a red letter day
大喜日子
It was a real red letter day for me when my son came home from three years in the navy. We rolled out the red carpet to welcome him home.
red tape
官僚主义或文牍主义
You can’t believe how much red tape there is in getting a visa. You have to get a birth certificate and other personal papers and fill out a bunch of complicated forms and have an interview. After that you wait and wait.
white hats and black hats
好人和坏人好莱坞早期无声电影里，导演往往给英雄人物戴上白帽子，而给坏蛋戴黑帽子。白帽和黑帽逐渐成了习惯说法。
in the black
做生意赚钱
a black sheep
一个给他周围的人带来耻辱的人
Uncle Joe is the black sheep in the family. Instead of getting a job, all he does is drink too much, gamble away any money he gets and chase after women.
a white lie
为了避免使对方感到难受而说的谎话
I told a white lie when I told Jennie her boyfriend was goodlooking. The truth is he’s just about the ugliest man I’ve ever seen.
rain check
给予第二次机会在美国，只要在球赛开始以后下雨，每个人在离开体育场的时候都可以得到一张特别的票子。你可以用这张票子下回免费看一场球。
Say, I’m sorry but we just sold the last TV set we had on sale. But I’ll give you a rain check so you can still get the special price when we get in a fresh stock a couple weeks from now.I’d love to go out with you, Ben. I’m sorry I’m busy tonight, but I’d like a rain check.
It never rains but it pours.
祸不单行
You can’t believe the trouble I had today. My alarm clock didn’t go off, so I missed biology class. Then, I lost my home work assignment for math. I invited my girlfriend to lunch and after we ate, I found I’d left my wallet at home. It never rains but it pours.
stick to one’s guns
日常生活中坚持原则，稳步前进，不屈服外界的压力
Pumpkin, I hear that some of the students at your school are fooling around with drugs. But I hope, young woman, that you stick to your guns and keep saying no!
shoot the breeze
放松、毫无顾忌的闲聊
Say, Bill, how about coming back to my room after class? I’ll get a couple of cold sodas and we’ll shoot the breeze for a while.At the staff meeting this morning the boss told us she wanted to see us at our desks busy working instead of spending so much time standing around shooting the breeze with each other.
green thumb
某人在种花或种菜方面很有才能，或在这方面很有知识和技术。
I guess I don’t have much of a green thumb: every year I plant cabbage, beans and sweet corn in my backyard but all I ever get is a lot of weeds.
green light
（开）绿灯
My boss liked my idea to open a branch office in Los Angeles and gave me the green light to go ahead.
sing the blues
诉苦、抱怨
Every time I ask Joe to pay back the money he borrowed from me, he sings the blues about all the things at home he needs money for.
out of the blue
like a bolt out of the blue
晴天霹雳，出乎意外、没料想到
A driver may testify that he was going the normal speed limit when a truck appeared in front of him out of the blue and he did not have time to stop.
The announcement that the president of our university was quitting to go to another school hit us like a bolt out of the blue. He’s always said he liked it here so much he would stay until he retired.
as American as apple pie
就像苹果派一样具有美国特色
So many Asian restaurants have opened up in Washington that a writer on a daily paper here jokes that dim sum, Japanese sushi and Vietnamese spring rolls have become as American as apple pie.
hot potato
烫手的山芋
The question of whether to raise taxes to cut the budget deficit is a real hot potato for a lot of politicians.
put all his eggs in one basket
冒险
If you want to play the stock market, it’s smarter to divide your money and buy three or four different stocks instead of putting the whole amount into just one stock and putting all your eggs in one basket.
eat crow
一个人把自己弄得很丢脸，因为他犯了一个很难堪的错误，而又不得不承认
That man running for mayor went around bragging he’d win the election by a big 50,000 majority. But he had to eat crow when the woman running against him won by more than 60,000 votes.
monkey business
不道德或不合法的行为，往往是偷偷摸摸和具有欺骗性的行为
The newspapers say there’s a lot of monkey business going on at city hall, with officials getting money under the table from people who want the contract to build the new airport.
make a monkey out of somebody
把某人弄得好像一个傻瓜一样
My friend Pete made a monkey out of me the other day. He told me the party Saturday night was formal, so I wore a suit and tie. But everybody else there was wearing a tee-shirt and blue jeans. It sure made me feel like a fool.
hot seat
可能会产生麻烦，或让人感到难堪的局面
I thought it would be fun to judge the high school beauty contest. Instead I ended up on the hot seat. When we picked the winner, I made one girl happy and nineteen others mad at me.
hot and bothered
一个人由于某件事而感到很激动、担忧或者很生气
Nancy was all hot and bothered when her boyfriend showed up two hours late to take her to the party.
break your neck
尽一切力量努力去做某件事
I wish Sam would study harder, because I am breaking my neck to scrape up the money to keep him in college.
stick one’s neck out
“枪打出头鸟”
I think my boss is dead wrong about hiring his son-in-law, but I’m not going to stick my neck out and tell him!
pain in the neck
某人很讨厌
I want to run and hide every time I see that woman come into my place. A real pain in the neck; she’s always complaining about the food and the service.
neck and neck
比赛进行得很激烈，竞争双方不相上下。原来自赛马说两匹马齐头并进，很难分辨出那匹马在前头，那一匹在后头。
I’m running neck and neck with the clock to see if I can finish on time.
have a heart
要求别人对说话的人表示同情，或者是要求别人帮助他
Charlie, I know I’ve owed you the hundred bucks for a long time. But, have a heart: give me a little more time because I really don’t have it right now.
cross my heart
“保证”或者“发誓”等
Honey, cross my heart, I’ve never looked at another woman since the first day I set eyes on you! Believe me, that’s the truth!
my heart stood still
某件事使你非常害怕，或惊恐，以致你的心脏都几乎停止跳动了
I have to tell you my heart stood still when I saw that baby fall into the water. But that boy jumped right in after the kid and pulled him out before he went under — that boy deserves a medal!
heart-to-heart talk
两个人很严肃、很坦率地谈论一些私事
Son, you and I have to sit down and have a heart to heart talk about your school grades. You have to do something to bring them up if you want to get into a good college.
go all out
全力以赴
This time the other party is going all-out to win —— they’re spending twice as much money as we can on radio and TV commercials.
go through hell or high water
赴汤蹈火
That’s a very close family – whatever happens to one of them, sickness, money trouble, anything, the rest of them come to help. They’d go through hell and high water for each other.
go for broke
竭尽全力，孤注一掷
The biggest auto race of the year is ready to start. All the drivers are ready to go for broke and drive their cars until they fall apart.
go overboard
不顾后果，鲁莽从事
I wouldn’t go overboard and buy a lot of stock in that company right now. I hear their profit is down from what it was last year.
put one’s best foot forward
全力以赴，给人留下一个好印象
Better get a haircut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put your best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job.
land on your feet
逢凶化吉
Mr. Green is one of these people who’s not afraid to put his money into some very risky investments. Sometimes he’ll lose out, but somehow he usually manages to land on his feet and find money to put into something else that makes a profit.
get off on the wrong foot
一开始就没给人一个好印象，一开始就把事情弄糟了 I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.
put your foot in your mouth
无意中说错了话（伤害了别人或让自己很不好意思）
I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I’d forgotten that his wife died six months ago.
cold feet
临阵脱逃，事到临头感到胆怯
I really need to get my teeth fixed, but every time I start to phone the dentist, I think about the sound of that drill and right away I get cold feet.
jump in and get your feet wet
到实践中去学
I want to get into politics so I’m volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don’t get paid for it but it’s a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.
ants in one’s pants
（因为紧张或不耐烦）而坐立不安
The company financial report isn’t due until next Friday. But the boss has ants in his pants and wants us to have it all ready for him on Tuesday morning.
have butterflies in one’s stomach
持续不断的恐惧、紧张或忧虑心情，心里七上八下
Sitting there at my sister’s wedding dinner, I had butterflies in my stomach because I know I’d have to stand up and make a speech.
bug someone
令人心烦，使人讨厌；窃听
That loud music next door really bugs me.My kids keep bugging me to buy a new car.
louse up
弄糟，毁坏
I loused up my chance to get that job at the radio station by showing up at the employment interview two hours late. But could I help it if my car had a flat tire on my way to the meeting?louse 虱子lousy 糟糕的、讨厌的
get a foot in the door
为达到目的迈出了第一步美国推销员以前挨家挨户推销商品，当主妇听到敲门声，把门打开时，推销员就会把一只脚先伸到门里，以免还没介绍商品前女主人就把门关上。这种挨家挨户访问的推销员现在几乎已经消声匿迹了，大多数推销员现在都靠电话来招揽生意。
Getting into politics is tough. But Martin got his foot in the door when he volunteered to go around town putting up posters for the Republican candidate for Congress.
be dead on one’s feet
两只脚很累，累得要死
My parents took me to Constitution Avenue to see the parade. After standing there for a whole day, my mom was so dead on her feet that she could not even cook dinner for us by the time we got home.
stand on one’s own two feet
站稳脚跟，独立自主
Bill Brown has managed to stay in Congress now for twenty years. The voters don’t always agree with him but they really like the way he stands on his own feet and makes his own decisions on which way to vote, regardless of pressures from all the lobbyists.
throw oneself at someone’s feet
公开对某人表示爱慕；为了得到好处而溜须拍马
I’m still looking for the right girl to marry. And when I find her, I’ll throw myself at her feet and ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.The prisoner who has been convicted as a traitor threw himself at the feet of the judge and begged for mercy.
be swept off one’s feet
因为兴奋而不由自主，变得飘飘然起来
Dick was so crazy about Jane that he threw himself at her feet. Jane was swept off her feet and they’re getting married next Tuesday.
Don’t let the grass grow under one’s feet
不要停止不前，浪费时间
Right now the house is a real bargain. Don’t let the grass grow under your feet – sign the agreement today before somebody grabs it.
pull no punches
毫不保留地告诉别人你的看法
When I saw my brother Joe, I didn’t pull any punches – I told him to stop drinking and go out and find a job.
no holds barred
毫不留情，毫不迟疑地把自己的想法说出来
That TV debate between those two guys running for senator was sure a no holds barred affair. They spent more time saying nasty things about each other than they did talking about their plans.
let one’s hair down
自然真实，轻松坦率
The president has to make so many official appearances that he seldom gets a chance to let his hair down and enjoy life like ordinary people.
loose cannon
失去控制、无视权威、打破常轨的人
Loose cannon的来历是几百年前当人们在海上作战时，他们往往在船上放好些大炮，每一座大炮放在一个带四个轮子的平台上。在战争间隙的时候，船员们用很粗的绳子把这些大炮栓住，不让它们随便移动。可是，当风暴来临，这些绳子在风暴的冲击下断了以后，大炮就会在船甲板上到处滚动，会把那些不幸就在大炮旁边的船员轧死，这比真正的敌人还要危险。
I know this guy is a smart political worker. But he’s hard to control. In fact, he’s a loose cannon who might do more damage to our side than the man I’m running against.
blockbuster
（电影、歌曲、剧本等）取得很大的成功
Blockbuster原来是第二次世界大战期间联军在和纳粹德国进行空战中用的武器，这种武器的力量十分强大，它可以把城市中两条街之间的所有楼房夷为平地。
A story from Hollywood said that the new James Bond film is the blockbuster film of the season.
bomb
不成功，不受欢迎，卖座率很低
A newspaper says that a picture that had cost 34 million dollars to make has bombed at the box office.This young producer made money on his first three films, so the studio invested forty million in his fourth film. But it turned out to be a real bomb – it didn’t make enough to get back the investment.
drop a bombshell
宣布令人震惊的消息
In March 1968 President Lyndon Johnson dropped one of the biggest bombshells ever dropped in American politics when he announced that he would not run for re-election because of the Vietnam War.
oddball
表现的很奇怪，和一般人不一样
My friend Joe is certainly an oddball. In the summer he puts his shoes in the refrigerator at night so his feet will be cool when he goes to work in the morning. And another oddball is Bill, especially when it comes to food. Can you believe it, he even puts catchup on his ice cream. Talk about oddballs!
odds and ends
零碎东西
One good thing I got done at the office today was clean up my desk. I’d let so many odds and ends pile up that you could scarcely see the desk itself. But I got busy and took care of everything.
peaches and cream
完美无缺；年轻少女容光焕发的面孔
美国人在吃水果时往往喜欢把水果切成块，然后加一点奶油一起吃。实际上，美国人吃很多东西都喜欢和奶油一起吃。
Sally and Joe had a big fight last week, but they’ve made up and now everything is peaches and cream again.Peter’s sister is a lovely girl. She has a real peaches and cream complexion, soft and white as milk and a touch of pink like a fresh ripe peach.
sour grapes
酸葡萄 Bill was sure he'd be elected class president. But when Mary beat him in the voting, he told us he was glad he didn't get the job because it was too much work. That's nothing but sour grapes!
lemon
质量很坏，不理想
Mr. Lee paid $15,000 for his new car. But he got a real lemon: it’s never run right and it spends more time in the garage getting fixed than it does on the road.
bananas
快要发疯了
I’m going bananas over the noise in the apartment next door. They play their television loud enough for the whole building to hear. And they never turn it off until one o’clock in the morning!That kid is driving us all bananas!
through the grapevine
小道消息
What do you think of the news that our regiment is being transferred to California. It’s not announced officially yet, but this morning I got it through the grapevine.
a fish out of water
和他所处的环境不融洽，感到很别扭、很难堪
At the conference I was a fish out of water. All the speeches were in French, a language I never studied.
teach a fish how to swim
班门弄斧
The day after I got my private pilot’s license, I told this man at the party all about how to fly an airplane. Later I learned he was an airline pilot who flew jumbo jets – I’d been teaching a fish how to swim.
fish or cut bait
不要举棋不定，要当机立断
字面解释：你要就钓鱼，否则就切断你的鱼饵
Mister Wilson, you asked me to hold that red convertible until you made up your mind whether to buy it. Well, I’ve got another customer who wants it, so it’s time for you to fish or cut bait.
cold fish
对人很冷淡、很不友好的人，不合群，不受欢迎
Let’s not invite Joe to the party: he’s such a cold fish he’ll spoil it for everybody else.He’s too much of a cold fish. I shook hands with him once and it was like shaking hands with a dead mackerel.
blow out
- 车轮胎炸了
My car smashed into a tree when I had a blow-out. - 把火灭掉
You’d better blow out that candle before it sets fire to the tablecloth. - 指电灯的保险丝断了
All the lights went off in the building and the elevators stopped when the master fuse blew out. - 规模很大，排场很讲究的聚会
When the Lees celebrated their 25th anniversary, they invited all their friends to a big blow-out at the best hotel in town.
to follow your nose
跟着感觉走
Turn left at the next corner and then follow your nose – you can’t miss it.
to pay through the nose
大笔付（令人心痛的）钱
My brother Bob borrowed the money to open his restaurant five years ago when the interest rate was so high, so he’s been paying through the nose ever since.
to be led by the nose
被牵着鼻子走
Ed’s wife is a strong-minded woman and leads him around by the nose.
under your nose
在你眼皮地下
See, they were right under your nose the entire time.
feast your eyes on
饱尝眼福
I’m on diet trying to lose ten pounds, so I stopped to feast my eyes on the cakes in the bakery window, but resisted the temptation to go in and buy one to eat.
hit between the eyes
十分惊奇
I bet I fooled around with these equations for ten minutes but then all of a sudden the right answer hit me right between the eyes.
somebody’s eyes pop out
在碰到突然的、出乎意料之外的事的时候，睁大了眼睛表示惊奇
My wife’s eyes popped out when she saw the necklace I bought her for our twentieth wedding anniversary.
not even bat an eye
不管发生什么大事，似乎从来也不会感到惊奇，总能保持镇静，连眼睛都不眨一下
Bill lost five thousand dollars on this one poker hand, but he didn’t even bat an eye–he just shrugged and said, ‘Easy come, easy go. Come on and deal the next hand!’
keep one’s eyes peeled
提高警觉
The beltway is very dangerous to drive on, especially during the rush hour. So be sure to keep your eyes peeled when you change lanes to pass one of those big trucks they call eighteen wheelers.
have the wool pulled over one’s eyes
蒙蔽某人
Poor Mr. Brown–his partner certainly pulled the wool over his eyes. He had no idea the partner was stealing all the profits until the man suddenly left town.
keep one’s eye on the ball
集中注意力精神
Tom, your sales record is way down the past six months. You’ve only sold 17 cars all this time. You’d better start keeping your eye on the ball, or you’ll find yourself looking for another job.
eye-opener
表示惊奇
Of course, John and I have had a few problems, just like most married couples. But I always felt we had a good, solid marriage. So it was a terrible eye-opener when I opened the letter he’d left on the kitchen table and found out he’d run off with his old college sweetheart.
大开眼界
Seeing those color films the astronauts took off the earth on their flight to the moon was certainly an eye-opener. I never realized how beautiful and how lonely our planet looks hanging there in space.
flea market
跳蚤市场
I was lucky when I went to the flea market today. In the middle of all the worthless junk I found a carved jade Chinese snuff bottle and bought it for five dollars: the seller didn’t know what it was.
clam up
嘴巴闭得很紧
The cops found a man they know was a witness to the murder. But he has clammed up and won’t talk–he’s afraid the killer’s mob will come after him if he testifies in court.
baloney
胡说八道 空话
Honey, the old man told me what a great job I’m doing and how I am so valuable to the company. But he said the company isn’t making enough money right now to give anybody a raise, he thinks he may be able to do something about it a year from now. But I’m afraid all he gave me was a lot of baloney.
kickback
官员接受的贿赂
John Doe, the former head of the City Public Works Department, went on trial today in the district court. He is charged with taking a 50,000-dollar kickback from the Blank Construction Company after giving them a 3 million dollars contract to repair the city streets.
get a kick out of sth.
某人或某事让你感到激动快乐
I’m not a kid anymore but I still get a big kick out of going to see a circus. The elephants, the clowns, the acrobats–they make me feel like a kid again.
kick the bucket
一个人死了
Your old friend Charley’s not working here any more. In fact we heard he kicked the bucket down in Texas last winter; he got kicked in the head by a horse he was trying to saddle up.
kick up one’s heels
寻欢作乐俊马在宽阔的草原上奔跑，马的前腿往前伸展，后腿很有节奏地往上踢。
How about coming out with us Wednesday night? We’re all going to take Bill Glover out to dinner. Then later we’ll drop into a few night spots. It’s Bill’s last chance to kick up his heels, you know–he’s getting married the next morning.
kick off
一项活动，或一个计划的开始足球比赛每次比赛开始都是由一个球队把球踢到对方球队去。
Now that my exams are all finished, I’m going to kick off the summer vacation by going down to Ocean City for a week to get some sun, some surf and a chance to look at the girls.
at the drop of a hat
一有信号可以马上行动，形容脾气很暴燥的人在有必要的时候，某人可以立即行动
I have a job that involves a lot of travel on short notice. I always keep one bag packed so I’m ready to go at the drop of a hat when I get a call from the boss asking me to catch the next plane to Chicago.
talk through one’s hat
说话的人自己根本不懂，所以他的话实际上是胡说八道
Anybody who says we can balance the budget without raising taxes is just talking through his hat.
这个俗语是出自两百年前的一次总统竞选。在1888年，纽约的一家报纸登了一幅漫画，讽刺当时正在竞选总统的本杰明·哈里森。哈里森经常戴一顶很高的帽子，所以漫画家把他的帽子画得很大，连他的脸都给遮住了。漫画下面的注解说，当哈里森发表竞选演说的时候，他是通过他的帽子向听众说话的，也就是他是在胡说八道。
hang on to your hat
有特别惊人的消息，你要准备好，不要因为过于惊奇而让帽子都从头上掉了下来
Hi, honey, I have something to tell you! Now hang on to your hat–the boss says he wants me to take charge of the new office in Honolulu. How about that for a nice surprise!
keep something under your hat
我要告诉你一个秘密，但是千万不要告诉任何人
Mary told me her husband is seeing another woman and she’s thinking about leaving him but please keep it under your hat.
eat one’s words
食言
eat one’s hat
要是他错了，他就不姓…
One thing I do know something about–playing the stock market. And I’ll eat my hat if it doesn’t go up another three hundred points by the end of the year.
eat one’s heart out
非常沉痛而又绝望的悲痛
Ever since grandmother died, grandfather has been eating his heart out–he’s lost all interest in life and won’t even get out of bed to eat.
去伤心吧 （半开玩笑地让别人对你产生妒忌）
Hey, Pete, you know that girl in the physics class you like so much, the one who won’t pay any attention to you? Well, eat your heart out, buddy–I’m taking her out for dinner and a movie Saturday night.
nerd
书呆子
Today George Miller actually had the nerve to ask me to go the the Christmas dance with him! Sure, he’s getting straight A’s in all his classes, but look at those thick glasses, and those dull clothes he wears. I’d rather be caught dead than to out with a nerd like him.
jock
身材魁梧，长得很帅，富有男子汉气概的运动员
You may call me a nerd, but I think it’s more important to study hard than to be a jock and play football or basketball. The trouble is, though, the girls all want to go with jocks, the guys with the muscles and team sweaters.
wimp
软骨头
I’m afraid my sister married a real wimp. Sure, he makes a good salary and treats her good. But he lets himself get pushed around by everybody–waiters, clerks in stores, the guy who pumps gas–he’s afraid to stand up for his rights.
turkey
愚蠢无用
Some private firms and official agencies have what they call a “turkey farm”, a part of the organization where their turkeys can be sent to get them out of the way until it’s possible to fire them.
throw one’s hat in the ring
某人决定参加竞选 接受挑战
People at first thought that the Governor of New York would throw his hat in the ring. But he waited and waited and announced at the last minute that he would not run for president.
stump
到处演讲
The governor is running for reelection, and he’s looking hard for votes–he’ll stump the whole state next month and make speeches in over fifty cities and towns.
favorite son
本州的候选人
Every election year Iowa gets lots of national attention because it’s the first state to show which candidates it wants. But this year other presidential hopefuls did not spend much time in Iowa because Senator Harkin from Iowa was a favorite son candidate.
sound bite
插入电视新闻节目当中的一个和选举有关的片段
We have a problem in our six o’clock newscast. We have sound bites of four candidates and we better squeeze in all four. Which means we’ll have to cut some other story out of the show.
blame game
候选人把造成某些社会问题的责任推到竞选对手身上去的手法
I’m not going to play the blame game and say who’s at fault that so many people are out of work. But I have to tell you my opponent did vote against three bills to create new jobs.
negative campaigning
一个候选人采用的主要策略是告诉选民他的对手是如何的坏，以避免说自己是如何如何的好
Some political observers say that negative campaigning isn’t working this year - that voters want to hear positive ideas about how to create new jobs and give people better health care.
swing voter
摇摆不定的选民
The political experts say that the election in the state of Michigan is too close to predict. It’s the swing voters who will decide who wins there and we don’t know what they are thinking.
come out swinging
候选人进行互相攻击
They say the big mistake the Democratic candidate made in 1988 was that he failed to come out swinging the day after the convention.
Don’t change horses in the middle of the stream.
不要在过河过到一半的时候换你骑的马十九世纪美国内战期间担任总统林肯在竞选连任遇到重重困难的时候说的话。
I kind of like this new man because he has some fresh ideas. But I guess I’ll vote for the old guy who has the job now. Somehow, I just don’t like to change horses in the middle of the stream.
jump on the bandwagon
站在某候选人一边，表示支持
很早以前在收音机和电视还没有出现的时代，竞选官职的人为了吸引公众的注意往往会雇一个乐队，让他们在一辆马车上演奏。马车上贴了许多标语，鼓励人们投某某人的票。这种有乐队的马车就叫bandwagon。要是这个候选人特别受人拥护，那些无足轻重的小政客就会登上那辆马车，让人们知道他们和这位名人关系很好。
Sometimes you can tell who is going to win a big office like President or Governor by watching how many other politicians come running to jump on his bandwagon and get credit for supporting him.
sleaze
下流的人，攻击竞选对手私生活的手法
On the campaign trail today the Republicans and the Democrats both hurled charges accusing the other side of using sleaze despite promises by Bush and Clinton to stop such tactics.
gridlock
政治上处于僵局的现象
Both the Republicans and the Democrats agree that the big problem with the government in Washington is political gridlock. But they certainly don’t agree who is to blame.
lame duck
竞选连任失败，即将下任的官员
During the transition…, I urge America’s friends and foes alike to recognize…that America has only one President at a time…The governor of our state ended up as a lame duck when he lost the election. He still has six weeks left in office but there’s nothing to do except to pack up his papers.
golden parachute
下任官员在经济方面的安排
Congressman Blank lost the election. But he has a golden parachute–he’s been offered a job as a senior vice president in a big company in his home state of New York.
on the fence
骑在篱笆上，左右不定
That man has managed to stay in office for ten years by being a regular fence-sitter. He never makes up his mind how to vote on an issue until he’s sure whether most voters are for or against it.
maverick
用于政治上，形容那些有独立主见，不像大多数党员跟着自己党的意志行事的议员。
Maverick 是大约一百五十年前得克萨斯州一个牧场主的名字。当时，各农场之间是没有铁丝网隔开的，牲口可以到处去吃草。一般农场主都在自己的牛身上打上自己的记号，可是Maverick却不在乎，他的牲口身上没有任何记号。后来，当其他牧场主看到没有记号的牲口时，他们就会说：‘看，那是Maverick的牲口！’ Maverick 是大约一百五十年前得克萨斯州一个牧场主的名字。当时，各农场之间是没有铁丝网隔开的，牲口可以到处去吃草。一般农场主都在自己的牛身上打上自己的记号，可是Maverick却不在乎，他的牲口身上没有任何记号。后来，当其他牧场主看到没有记号的牲口时，他们就会说：‘看，那是Maverick的牲口！’
This vote on the foreign trade bill is going to be close, and I sure wish we could be sure of that man’s support. But he’s such a maverick we can’t count on his voting with the party.
give someone a piece of one’s mind
对某人大发雷霆
This stupid idiot passed me on the left, then cut in ahead of me so close I had to jam on the brakes to keep from hitting him. When I caught up with him at the stoplight, I rolled down my window, and boy, did I give him a piece of my mind.
tell someone off
生气， 包含一些拒绝某人要求的意思。
Can you believe this mechanic charged $800 to fix my car and it runs worse than it did before? Tomorrow I’ll go back to tell him off: I’ll make his ears burn for a week!
hick
乡下佬
See that well-dressed man across the room? That’s Mr. Green. When he came to New York 20 years ago, he was only a hick fresh out of the cornfields of Kansas. But he turned out to be a lot smarter than he looked; they say he made ten million dollars last year trading in the stock exchange.
city slicker
说话很圆滑，衣着很时髦，但是很可能是一个不老实、不可信任的家伙
Yep, I told Susie not to go out with any of them city slickers with their smooth talk and fancy clothes. If she has to go out, look for a farm boy. He may be a hick, but she can trust him a whole lot more.
throw to the wolves
牺牲别人来解救自己
Louie, we’ve got to find some small-time guys to throw to the wolves for murdering that cop. Otherwise, the cops will trace the killing right back to us.
throw the baby out with the bath water
在你扔掉不要的东西时把宝贵的东西都无意地一起扔掉了
throw a wet blanket on something
泼冷水，消除别人的热情或者是破坏别人的享受。 用来形容那些让人感到扫兴的客人
Bad news today: the government says that corporate earnings weren’t as good as expected the last quarter. That’ll throw a wet blanket over plans of investors to get into the stock market.Let’s not invite Dick to the dance–he is such a wet blanket with that sour look on his face and his boring talk.
throw a monkey wrench
影响、或终止某些本来会发生的事
A federal judge threw a monkey wrench into the project to build a new oil refinery on the river. He ordered the company to stop work until they had a better plan to guard against water pollution.
let the cat out of the bag
在不小心的情况下泄露了秘密
I bought a nice wrist watch as a surprise for my wife’s birthday. But I’m afraid I let the cat out of the bag–I hid it under my socks and she found it when she was putting my clean clothes away.
look like the cat that ate the canary
一个人显得非常满足Canary就是金丝雀。
这个俗语是用来形容像一只猫终于实现了它长期来的愿望，把鸟笼打开，把里面的金丝雀吃了一样地感到满足。
My friend didn’t listen to my advice and he bet twenty dollars on the horse. Why, I couldn’t believe my eyes! The horse won by a nose and my friend came back with the two thousand bucks he’d just won, looking like the cat that ate the canary.
rain or shine
不管下雨或出太阳，一切照常进行
I haven’t seen mother and dad and the rest of the family for ten years, but I still know I can count on them rain or shine.
rainy day
今后可能需要钱的时候，也就是准备一些钱，以防万一
When you’re twenty-five years old, sometimes it’s hard to worry about rainy days off in the future. But if you’re smart, you’ll start saving for rainy days because rainy days come to us all.
buddy
亲如兄弟一样的朋友
sidekick
非常忠实的朋友，每当你需要的时候，他们总会在你身边帮忙的
In the old cowboy movies I used to see as a boy, all the heroes had a sidekick. The sidekick was never as smart or handsome or brave as the hero but he was always there to help out in times of danger.
put on the dog
摆排场给别人看
I had this friend in the army who was the son of one of the richest men in the country. But what I like about him was that he never put on the dog to show off his money.
go to the dogs
变得很穷，彻底破落
I always thought my friend Pete had a good future. But then he got hooked on heroin and lost his job and his wife–I never saw a man go to the dogs so fast!
let sleeping dogs lie
要是采取什么行动会给自己或别人带来麻烦，那么最好还是保持现状，不要采取行动
If I were you, I would not tell Nellie you saw her husband having lunch with another woman. It might have been perfectly innocent, but I’d let sleeping dogs lie.
Every dog has his day
每个人总会有实现自己愿望的一天
Darling, I know how upset you are that you didn’t get the promotion. But don’t take it too hard–your turn will come. You know what they say–every dog has his day!
throw a curve
给别人造成错觉，让他难以应付，”欺骗”美国人在打棒球时经常喜欢发曲线球，使球的方向会发生突变，这样给对方造成错觉，不能回击那个球。
My supervisor threw me a curve when he told me he would recommend me for the promotion. He didn’t tell me he was also recommending three other people for the same job. So I didn’t get it.
throw for a loop
“感到非常震惊”或者是”情绪很波动”
When I saw my semester grade for the chemistry course, it really threw me for a loop! I was sure I’d get at least a “B”–but there it was in black and white: a “D”. So I barely managed to pass.
crocodile tears
鳄鱼的眼泪，”猫哭老鼠假慈悲”
In his speeches the mayor always puts on a big show of crocodile tears for poor and homeless people. But I don’t see him doing anything to help them.
sob story
某人编造一个令人伤心的故事来赢得别人的同情，甚至于让别人给钱来帮助他
Usually I don’t give money to beggars. But this nice young man told me a sob story about needing money for a bus ticket to see his dying mother, so I gave him two dollars.
cry in one’s beer
坐在酒吧间里对着啤酒哭，自己可怜自己
I’m tired of hearing my roommate crying in his beer about how hard it is to get good grades. If he’d stay home and study instead of going out every night, I’m sure he’d do a lot better in his classes.
cry baby
老是哭哭啼啼、抱怨日常生活中一些琐事的人
Come on, Jack, you’re twenty years old–don’t be such a cry baby about everything. We all have our problems, but you ought to do something about them instead of just complaining.
cloudy
暗淡、不乐观
The future of international trade looks very cloudy.I’d have to say the chances are cloudy.
in the clouds
做白日梦的时候
I was really embarrassed–the teacher asked me a question and I didn’t even hear him; I was daydreaming and my head was in the clouds.
on a cloud
高兴得走路轻飘飘的好像腾云驾雾一样
My wife has been on a cloud since I told her the other day I would spend my year-end bonus at the office to take us to Hawaii to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. And to tell you the truth, I’m really looking forward to it myself
under a cloud
丢尽了面子，被怀疑做了什么坏事
See that man sitting at the table by himself? He’s supposed to be a very smart lawyer, but he’s been under a cloud ever since he was mixed up in a scandal involving a company that was run by a mobster.
basket case
形容那些很穷的国家，它们的人民饥寒交迫，毫无希望。 老是亏钱，即将倒闭的企业
要是一个人在一次事故中失去了四肢，他就变得毫无能力来料理自己的生活，只能让人家把他放在一只篮子里抬来抬去。这是毫无能力和希望的情景。
They made me wait so long for the interview that I was a basket case by the time I finally got called in. I’ve never been so nervous! I stammered, I stuttered–I almost couldn’t remember my own name.
all washed up
彻底完蛋，和乾净不乾净毫无关系
That man over there used to be one of the best players in baseball. But then he started drinking, turned into an alcoholic, and just two years later he was all washed up.
smart
很聪明
I hate to admit this, but my kid sister is smarter than I am. I barely passed algebra and geometry, but here she’s head of her class in both.
衣着很时髦
The thing I like about Harry is that he’s such a smart dresser. He probably doesn’t spend any more money on his clothes than I do, but somehow he manages to look so stylish.
put on the back burner
做事要看轻重缓急，有的时候不得不把正在做的事或计划要做的事先搁置一边
Honey, the boss told me today he can’t give me that pay raise I was expecting. I’m afraid that means we’ll have to put our plans to buy a bigger house on the back burner until next year.
drag one’s feet
做事拖拖拉拉，很不愿意的样子
Billy and Sally always drag their feet when I tell them it’s bedtime. They love to watch TV after dinner and they’d stay up till midnight if I didn’t chase them off to bed.
turn one’s back on someone
根本不理会某人，或不肯给那个有困难的人任何帮助
My father deserted my mother and me when I was five years old. But I can’t turn my back on him now that he’s old and sick. So I’m paying the rent for him on a little apartment in Los Angeles.
get on someone’s back
对某人唠唠叨叨没完
Helen is always on my back to make me pick up my clothes when I leave them lying around the house. She’s right, of course, but I wish she wouldn’t get on my back so much.
nag
没完没了地唠叨，让人听起来很烦燥。或是不断批评别人，要别人按着他的意志行事的人
My wife is such a nag about my smoking - she keeps after me all day long to stop it. You know, I’ve been smoking twenty years now and giving up my four packs a day is hard to do.
The bus doesn’t show up on time.
公交晚到。
get off one’s back
别唠叨了，或者指一些对人起限制作用的规章、条例或机构等
I’m telling you, if that guy doesn’t stop nagging me about working faster, I’m going to tell him to get off my back or I’ll walk right off the job and let him see how hard it is to find a good mechanic these days.Do you know what would help pick up the economy? Just get the government off our backs with all these useless rules and regulations that keep us filling out forms and showing inspectors around.
Pyrrhic victory
n. 得不偿失的胜利
King Pyrrhus of Epirus defeated the Romans in battle in 279 B.C., but suffered such heavy losses that the better part of his army was wiped out.
pyrrhic \ˈpir-ik\
n. 得不偿失
long a sound
flat a sound
长音a
短音a
book by
路过
Let’s book.
咱开溜吧。
hit the book
K书
book a set/table
I’d like to book a table, please.
I’d rather read a book.
还不如去看书。
just a page of his/her book
只看到他的点滴。
mull over
仔细考虑
Take some time to mull over these questions, do some soul-searching, and then if you think you have what it takes, go for it.
research grant
研究拨款机构
juvenile delinquency
少年犯罪
throw the ball back into his court
把问题抛回去
We should have coffees and hang out some time/lets have a cup of coffee together some day/Do you want to grab a drink some time?
如果根据情境题主判断对方邀请较为严肃，也有兴趣和对方见面“sure, let me know if you have time”, 如果对方是严肃的邀约你，就会提出更具体的时间和地点，如果对方是客气，则会答“totally”, “fine” 等毫无实际约束力的寒暄。
如果无论对方邀请是否严肃都毫无兴趣，则可以简单答：“totally”，“fine”， “that would be cool”。
如果下次对方以具体时间地点邀约，但你不感兴趣，则可以答”I already have plans for that day, too bad”.
squat toilet
蹲式马桶
