Idioms and Slang/Today's Phrase Flashcards

Question

on top of the world

Answer 1

字面意思是这个人在世界顶端，但实际是说此人处于最快乐或最成功的境界。类似汉语里的幸福至极，心满意足。 Winning a gold medal was the happiest moment of my life. I was on top of the world. He's so happy now that he's recovered from his illness - he feels on top of the world. Lucy has really bad mood swings. One minute she's on top of the world, and the next she's irritable and bad-tempered. 请注意英语中有许多形容快乐的词语表达，例如 on top, ecstatic, thrilled, delighted, happy as can be. My daughter was thrilled when she got her exam results. Amy was delighted when they offered her the job. Ed's girlfriend is moving in with him. He's happy as can be.

Answer 2

如果某人或某事被形容为 makes the grade, 意思是说他们达标了，符合要求，成功了。但这个短语往往用于否定句式，比如当什么事情没做好或不符合要求的时候。请注意以下例句中这个短语的用法。例句 The marking of exams has been tougher this year and many students just didn't make the grade. This work is awful. It simply doesn't make the grade. I have every confidence in you and expect you to make the grade. 请注意当你 grade someone down on something 这就是说你给别人的表现打低分，这是因为他们可能犯了某个错误。 I'm afraid I had to grade you down on your essay for poor spelling.

Answer 3

如果一个人被形容为 as good as gold, 那就意味着这个人表现很乖，很好，通常用来形容孩子。 You'll have to be as good as gold during the wedding – don't go running off in the church! Daddy bought me a new toy for being as good as gold today. I was so worried my little girl was going to be scared of the animals at the zoo, but she was as good as gold. 请注意另一个短语是 a heart of gold, 形容一个人心肠极好 My uncle Ronnie does a lot of volunteer work in the local community – he really does have a heart of gold.

Answer 4

如果某人是 hands on 那就是说他亲自参与做某件事情。如果一活动的内容包括很多动手的机会, 那么就可以称之为 hands on。 Our shop manager is really hands-on. She gets involved with everything from serving customers to stocking shelves. On our training course, you'll get hands-on experience of using graphic design packages. I hope that the new headmaster will be more hands-on in the school and get involved in teaching the children. 请注意如果你大声对他人说 “hands off”, 意思是警告他们别碰什么东西。 Hey! Hands off my new mp3 player – you'll break it!

Answer 5

如果你说的话或做的事 goes down like a lead balloon, 这就意味着起不受欢迎，激起了他人的不满或反感。 David's joke was in very poor taste. It went down like a lead balloon! The news of Jenny's engagement went down like a lead balloon when she told the girls – they cannot stand her boyfriend! The job cuts will go down like a lead balloon when the workers are told about them. 请注意通俗表达 to swing the lead 意思是假装生病逃避工作。 I'm sick of having to do the work for my colleague – he's always swinging the lead!

Answer 6

某件事情成功地完成，并得到了人们的赞赏和雷鸣般的掌声。 The festival went out with a bang when the world-famous rock band came on to play. John got a karaoke machine for his leaving party to ensure that he went out with a bang! The fireworks at the closing ceremony ensured that the London 2012 Olympic Games went out with a bang. 请注意另一个通俗短语 to bang something out 意思是很仓促地完成一件事情。 I had to bang out my last assignment overnight as I'd completely forgotten about it.

Answer 7

破了以前所有的纪录。 You will have to run very fast to achieve a record-breaking time in the marathon. I'm pleased to say that the charity fundraiser has raised a record-breaking total of seven million pounds! The most an athlete could ever wish for is to go down in history by achieving a record-breaking result. 请注意短语 off the record, 意思是不能公开说的话，是要保密的。 Off the record, I personally think that the boss made a bad decision.

Answer 8

传统意思是拯救少女的身着闪光盔甲的骑士。如今指帮人排忧解难的英雄人物。 David came to help me when my car broke down - he's my knight in shining armour. Thank you for bringing me that coffee - you're my knight in shining armour! I just cannot get this computer to work. I need a knight in shining armour to come and fix it for me. 请注意英语单词 knight 是盔甲骑士的意思，这个词的发音与英语中的黑夜 night 同样，需要特别注意。 During the dead of night, a knight rode into the castle to rescue the princess.

Answer 9

意思就是在做某件事情的时候，在一开始就犯了错误或失败了。 The football team fell at the first hurdle when they were knocked out of the tournament in the opening game. My plan to travel the world fell at the first hurdle when I realised I'd lost my passport before I even left the country. His efforts to save money fell at the first hurdle when the washing machine broke down and he had to buy a new one. 请注意另一个短语 fall or bend over backwards 意思是为取悦他人而竭尽全力。 I fell over backwards to make a nice meal for my mother-in-law. I always bend over backwards to make sure my work is accurate.

Answer 10

轻轻松松，非常顺利地就完成了这件事情。 My sister sailed through her exams and is looking forward to starting university. Don't worry about your job interview, you'll sail through it. We sailed through the traffic and arrived at the hotel ahead of schedule. 请注意如果某人 sail close to the wind 意思就是他冒险行事甚至做几乎违法的事情。 I think that journalist sailed close to the wind with the comments she made about the NHS.

Answer 11

发生了完全意想不到的事情，晴天霹雳。 The prime minister's resignation was a bolt from the blue. It was a real bolt from the blue when I bumped into my first ever boyfriend in the supermarket. The announcement about redundancies was a bolt from the blue for the workers in the office. 请注意另一个短语 out of blue 含义相似，也有突如其来，意想不到的意思。 His marriage proposal came out of the blue – but she said yes!

Answer 12

把注意力都放了这件事情上，全神贯注。 I've got my driving test this afternoon. I really need to keep my eye on the ball if I'm going to pass. I'm going on safari today. If I keep my eye on the ball, I might be lucky and see a lion! Keep your eye on the ball with this project – we need to make sure we deliver it on time! 请注意如果你 drop the ball, 那就是说你犯错误了，做错事了。 I really dropped the ball in that interview – there's no chance I'll get the job.

Answer 13

克服困难或冲过难关。 I lost my job and can't spend a lot of money at the moment - I'll just have to ride it out until I get a new one. Jonathan had never run a marathon before - he was tired even before the halfway mark, but he managed to ride it out and finish the race. I can't believe the prime minister rode out that scandal and is still in office! 请注意短语 ride a wave 意思是你随和民意或加入民潮。 The British public is really riding the wave of cycling after Bradley Wiggins' success.

Answer 14

当你 hit out at 某人或某件事情时，意思是你在言论上抨击对方。 The MP hit out at the journalists who criticised the government's policy. My friend hit out at everyone when she discovered she wasn't invited to the party. The singer used her website to hit out at fans who had leaked her album early. 请注意如果你 hit back at 某人，意思是反驳或回击某人。 The president hit back at the opposition's criticism of the budget by announcing that 10,000 new jobs would be created.

Answer 15

在可能没有什么意义的东西或事情上花上一大笔钱。 I was feeling down, so I splashed out on a new computer and then felt great. The shops were full of people splashing out after pay day. I fancy sushi. Let's splash out and go to that new restaurant down the road. It's expensive but the food looks delicious. 请注意另一个短语 make a splash 意思是某人突然出名或非常成功。 Bradley Wiggins made a splash by winning the Tour de France. Nobody had heard of him and a week later he started the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Answer 16

第一次尝试做某件事情时发现自己非常上手，做得很棒。 He took to golf like a duck to water. He'd never played before but hit a hole in one! Kate never seemed like the mothering type but when her daughter was born she took to it like a duck to water. She was a real natural! 请注意另一个短语 a sitting duck 意思是容易成为被攻击的目标。 Example: The soldiers were left exposed on the hill. They really were sitting ducks for the enemy.

Answer 17

这是一个比喻性短语，字面意思是你能把马牵到河边，但你不能强迫马饮水，实际的意思是你能为别人提供学习或做事情的机会，但是不能强迫他们接受或把握这个机会。例句 I gave him the email address of the person in charge of recruitment but he still didn’t contact him about the job. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. We arranged everything for Kate: we paid for the train ticket, ordered a taxi from the station and even made a hotel booking but she still didn’t turn up to the wedding. You know what they say: you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. 请注意 Horseplay 的意思是动手动脚地大声欢笑和玩闹；恶作剧；胡闹。 My nephews are always fighting and getting up to all kinds of horseplay.

Answer 18

待发起跑令。 The athletes have been waiting for this moment for years. They're under starter's orders. And they're off! It was only a second or two but the runners seemed to be under starter's orders for hours before the pistol was fired. 请注意 Under arms 意思是出于备战状态中，随时准备作战。 Example: The rebels were under arms and an attack was just a matter of time.

Answer 19

``` 單相思 John has carried a torch for Jane for years but she doesn't seem to notice. "George is such a nice guy, isn't he? You carry a torch for him, don't you? No! Well yes actually… is it obvious?" 请注意另一个短语 to carry the can 意思是替人受过。 Example: The boss is so lazy but when there's a mistake I always have to carry the can for him. ```

Answer 20

当某人在胡闹或装小丑的时候你就可以用 clowning around 来形容。 Stop clowning around and put your coat on. We're going to be late! I meant to do so much work today but ended up clowning around most of the day. He was a terrible student - always clowning around in classes. 请注意 To fool someone 是另一个短语，意思是骗人，让人相信一件不真实的事。 Example: I used to fool the bar staff and get served beer when I was only 16.

Answer 21

如果形容某人 is sailing close to the wind 意思就是某人做冒险的事或斗胆做几乎是违法的事。 John's business practices were sailing close to the wind. He was very close to having the company shut down. Susan's comments were sailing close to the wind so we had to ask her to tone them down. 请注意另一个短语是 to take the wind out of (somebody's) sails. 意思是杀杀某人的嚣张气焰或挑战某人盛气凌人的态度。 Example: I was ready for an argument with my boyfriend but then he bought me some flowers and it took the wind out of my sails.

Answer 22

非常高兴，兴高采烈，欢呼雀跃。 Helen jumped for joy when her boyfriend asked her to marry him. John jumped for joy when he discovered he had won the lottery! The students were jumping for joy when they saw their exam results. 请注意另一个短语 to jump the gun 意思是行动过早，操之过急。 Example: We don't want to jump the gun by announcing who's passed the exam until all the results are in.

Answer 23

领头者，起领头作用。 Bradley Wiggins is the leader of the pack in the Tour de France! For many, Madonna is seen at the leader of the pack in the world of female pop stars. 请注意短语 a pack mentality 的意思是跟着集体走，缺乏独立思考和计划，一种从众心态。 For example: The boys' pack mentality meant that they couldn't find their way out of the forest.

Answer 24

非常清楚，极其明白。 He's given me crystal clear instructions on how to get to the wedding. The boss was crystal clear about what she wanted the team to do whilst she was on holiday. 请注意另一个短语 clear as mud, 表示很难理解或令人费解。 These instructions are as clear as mud – I'm never going to be able to get this mp3 player to work!

Answer 25

在困难的情况下忍耐一下，坚持下去。 I know money is tight right now, but hang in there and it'll get better. I'm desperate to know my exam results, but I'll just have to hang in there until they are published. 请注意另一个短语 hang up 用来表示挂断电话的意思。 I can't believe Claire sometimes. I was in the middle of a conversation and she just hung up!

Answer 26

气愤地回答某人的问题，而且往往是在对方没有准备的情况下，类似汉语中的严厉斥责。 I'm very sorry I lost my temper, I didn't mean to bite your head off. Don't bite my head off, it wasn't my fault, I was just explaining the situation. 请注意另一个短语 to bite your tongue 意思是强忍住不说出的意思。 For example: I had to bite my tongue to stop me from telling her what I really thought.

Answer 27

保守，墨守成规，不喜欢新事物，缺乏创意。 John is such a stick in the mud, he never wants to go anywhere other than Spain for his holiday. Don't be a stick in the mud; let's try the other restaurant for a change. 请注意不要混淆另一个短语的意思。As clear as mud 意思是混乱，不清晰。 For example: His instructions were as clear as mud.

Answer 28

用来形容很多事情同时发生，让人应接不暇，手忙脚乱，不知所措。 Jane was in a spin after everyone had given her a job to do. "My head's in a spin, I've got too many things to do!" 请注意另一个短语 a spin-off 表示由什么派生出来。比如子公司或副产品。 This new TV show is a spin-off from the original hit TV series. The button-making company is a spin-off of the main shirt-making business.

Answer 29

一步一步地做，逐步地完成。 I've got to pack up all of my belongings before we move. I've got so many things, but I'll just have to do it step by step. Here is a handy guide to help you pass your driving test, step by step. It takes a long time to plan a wedding; you have to do it step by step. 请注意如果你让他人step on it, 意思就是让他们快点儿。　 We'll have to hurry if you're going to make the 17.15 train – come on, step on it!

Answer 30

在一种特定情况下，孤注一掷，成败在此一举。 Mary has decided to open a clothes shop in spite of the current economic recession. Let's see if she will sink or swim. I've been accepted by one of the best universities in Britain. It will be a tough year and I know my family is wondering if I'll sink or swim. 请注意如果说 to have a sinking feeling 那就是一个人对什么事情有一种不祥的预感。 The main player in the team has just got a red card! I've a sinking feeling that my team is going to lose this match.

Answer 31

事情根本不像预想的那么好，希望落空了。 I heard it was going to be the greatest fireworks display ever but it turned out to be a damp squib. Everything was finished in 30 seconds and half of them didn’t work. The opening ceremony was a bit of a damp squib. It wasn’t as spectacular as I thought it would be and I got bored towards the end. My 18th birthday party turned out to be a damp squib. Only two people turned up and the food I ordered was rubbish. 请注意另一个短语 damp something down 意思是降低，抑制。 She tried to damp down rumours about her relationship with her boss.

Answer 32

重要人物 I've got a very important meeting with Mr Johnston later – he's the big fish in the company! Sepp Blatter is the President of FIFA and a big fish in international football. If you want the organisation to invest in your project, you really need to talk to a big fish, not me. 请注意当某人是 a big fish in a small pond 小池塘里的一条大鱼，一个意思是小池塘里的一大鱼；另一个意思是说这个人是大材小用。 She thinks she’s really important, but she’s just a big fish in a small pond

Answer 33

勇敢面对并处理碰到的问题或困难。 Shopkeepers are so concerned about the high crime rate in their area that they're putting commercial issues aside and getting together to tackle the problem head-on. John was blind from childhood but his parents have always been proud of him. He's always been used to confronting his disabilities face-on. Youth unemployment will continue to rise till the government decides to face the chronic lack of good schools head-on. 请注意如果你 keep your head down, 那么就是说表现很低调，避免引起他人的注意力。 Joan's boss is in a foul mood today and she's been avoiding trouble by keeping her head down.

Answer 34

同名流相遇，接触。 Mary was lucky get a job in a movie studio canteen. Now she might even rub shoulders with famous actors. At the book launch I ended up rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of the literary world. 请注意另一个短语 looking over his or her shoulder 意思是小心提防的。 Yesterday I took a wrong turn and ended up in the most derelict part of town. I was looking over my shoulder all the time till I found a taxi to take me home.

Answer 35

告诉别人快走开，不要来烦你了。因为这不是一个礼貌表达，所以使用时要注意。 You want twenty pounds to clean my windows? On your bike! Hey, on your bike – ball games are not allowed on the village green! I told you, I don’t want to go out with you any more – on your bike! 请注意另一个不表达让别人走开的非正式用语是 get lost, 去你的！ This is private property, you are trespassing! Get lost!

Answer 36

比喻什么事情很明显，就在眼前。 The detective realised soon that he had been staring the solution to the crime in the face all along: the murderer was the butler! If we calm down in a crisis we might find out that the way out of it is staring us in the face. 请注意另一个短语 stare someone down 的意思是施加压力，让他人让步或投降。 I'm a very persistent person and no amount of staring down will make me give up on joining the posh country club!

Answer 37

当你做事情碰到困难但仍然顽强地坚持下去，这样的态度就可以被形容为 to soldier on. He picked up a nasty injury but had to soldier on till the end of the football match because the coach had used up all of the substitutes. Jane felt terrible but soldiered on till the end of the day. The company was facing bankruptcy but the workers soldiered on till the bitter end. 请注意短语 in the wars 意思是形容某人最近身体受了不少伤，遍体鳞伤。 Dave cut his throat shaving because his broken leg made him lose his balance. He’s really been in the wars recently.

Answer 38

在我们为某事感到惊呆时可以用 jaw-dropping 来形容，类似汉语里的瞠目结舌。 Norway's Lofoten islands are famous for their jaw-dropping views of the Midnight Sun and Northern Lights. Some pictures by old masters reach jaw-dropping prices at auction. When the rate of inflation was published earlier this week, even the most resilient corporations were concerned about the jaw-dropping data. 请注意另一个词（美式英语）a jawbreaker 是绕口令。不过绕口令在英式英语里叫 tongue twister. Speech therapists use jawbreakers like 'the rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain' as an exercise to make people speak more clearly.

Answer 39

要无拘无束地好好享受一下。 It’s Friday night and I’m looking forward to going out and kicking up my heels. We won the big contract so we’re all going out to kick up our heels. After the exams we kicked up our heels and had a really good party. 请注意另一个短语 kicking your heels 表示等待。 He was supposed to meet me at eight o’clock but I was left kicking my heels for half an hour.

Answer 40

但愿走好运的意思。 I've done all of the preparation for the exam, so nothing can go wrong now – touch wood! I've never broken any bones, touch wood! The train is currently on time so we shouldn’t miss our flight, touch wood. 请注意如果形容一种状态为 touch-and-go, 那就是说形式或状态很不稳定。 My grandfather had an operation last week. It was touch-and-go at one point, but he's fully recovered now.

Answer 41

陷入困境或处于水深火热之中。 We’re going to be in deep water if the bank can’t authorize our loan. I'll be in deep water unless I pass all three exams. She left her brother’s laptop on the train! She’s really going to be in deep water with him. 请注意另一个短语 to open the floodgates 意思是打开水闸，打开大门，也可以表示倾诉。 The court's decision could open the floodgates for large numbers of other cases involving human rights issues.

Answer 42

当你身处于岩石与硬壁之间 between a rock and a hard place, 那么你面对棘手问题，让你左右为难或进退两难。 Bill couldn't make up his mind what to do. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. The interview candidates were all so good that Jenny was caught between a rock and a hard place over who to hire. The government is stuck between a rock and a hard place over how it will make significant cuts to the budget. 请注意短语 steady as a rock 意思是非常稳定，不可动摇，坚如磐石 The pressure was immense, but he was steady as a rock when he took the last throw of the game.

Answer 43

如果一个人 wax lyrical 那就是说他开始对某事滔滔不绝地谈起来。类似汉语里我们常说的高谈阔论或滔滔不绝。 Sarah’s been waxing lyrical about her new job, she really loves it. Don’t get him started about his children – he’ll wax lyrical about them for hours. Our girls’ night out was so boring because Kerry waxed lyrical about her boyfriend the whole time. 请注意英语动词 boast 意思是吹嘘，吹捧，自大自夸。 John gets on my nerves – he was boasting about his new car all day.

Answer 44

一件事情让人觉得可疑。 Hang on, my laptop was here a second ago. Something fishy’s going on. There’s something fishy about that guy. He never looks at you when he speaks. There’s something very fishy about the explanation they gave for the cancelled train. I wonder what’s going on. 请注意另一个短语 a fish out of water 意思是如鱼离水，不得其所。 You should have seen the boss dancing at the office party - real fish out of water!

Answer 45

竭尽全力当我们形容某人工作状态是 at full stretch, 这就意味着他已经是竭尽全力的在工作。 New models of mobile phones are very popular and manufacturers have been working at full stretch to meet the demand. My mother wants to make my granny's 70th birthday the event of the year and she's been working at full stretch in the kitchen to prepare her best dishes. 请注意短语 to stretch the rule 字面意思是把规则拉长，实际是指做的事情有违规则，但情有可原。 My boss is very strict when it comes to taking days off but when I my son had a stomach bug he stretched the rules and allowed me to work from home.

Answer 46

鸟瞰 a bird's eye view 意思是俯视，是因为居高临下，一览无余，让你能俯视全景。 From the aeroplane we got a bird's eye view of the spectacular snow capped mountains. From the top floor of our hotel we had a bird's eye view of the city below. 请注意短语as free as a bird 形容的是完全没有约束，无忧无虑的感觉，就像一只自由飞翔的小鸟。 Eg: I was as free as a bird when I finished my final school exam. After quitting my job I felt as free as a bird as I could do exactly what I wanted.

Answer 47

短语 have your hands full, 意思是非常忙，手头事情应接不暇。例句 He can't help today because he has his hands full. He has to go shopping, pick his children up from school and then cook dinner. I've really got my hands full today. I haven't even had a chance to make a cup of tea yet. Can I call you later because I've got my hands full right now? I've got so much to do. 请注意如果你碰到难对付的人，那么你可以形容他们是 a handful. My niece is a lovely child but she's a real handful. She made such a mess in my house yesterday. Christopher is such a handful when he's been drinking. After a few beers he starts hugging everyone - even strangers!

Answer 48

如果形容某人是 hanging around, 意思就是此人无所事事，没有目的闲逛。例句 I like going shopping with my friends but we spend most of the day just hanging around in the mall. I don't think he really loves me. I'm getting sick of hanging around waiting for him to call. There is nothing for teenagers to do round here. They just spend their evenings hanging around street corners. 请注意 Hanging up on someone 意思是在通话过程中（由于某种原因）一个人突然把电话挂断。 If you don't stop shouting at me, I'm hanging up right now!

Answer 49

请他人稍等片刻 Can you hang on for five minutes? I'd like to come with you but I need to make a phone call first. Hang on a minute – don't leave without trying some chocolate cake! Hang on! Look over there, isn't that Joe in the yellow T-shirt and straw hat? 请注意英语中我们有时会告诉别人 to hang in there. 这是一个口语化表达意思是在困难时期坚持下去。 Even though you hate your job, just hang in there for a couple more months, it will look great on your CV! I know you can't stand your mother-in-law but just hang in there, the evening will be over soon.

Answer 50

to turn (something) on its head, 这个短语的意思就是完全改变什么事情。另外它也指完全错误的理解了一件事情。 The internet has turned the music industry on its head. Today many people would rather buy their favourite tracks straight from websites rather than a shop. Picasso turned art on its head. 请注意当我们看到 turn heads 这个短语时，意思就是指某人特别有意思或者很有魅力，以至于其他人的目光不由自主的被他们吸引。 Thelma was used to turning heads. She’s always taken care of her figure and walks around with the best clothes.

Answer 51

I love the fact you're so down-to-earth and have a logical, straightforward approach to problems. Mary thought they were going to make millions with the new company, but Sarah was more down-to-earth and knew the profits wouldn't be that high. My ex-boyfriend was so unrealistic about things. I hope I'll meet someone who is more down-to-earth. 请注意如果某个人不是 down-to-earth, 不实在，那么我们可以形容他为 head in the clouds, 意思是和现实脱节或者无法集中注意力。 My son always has his head in the clouds. His teachers say he never concentrates in class! You must have your head in the clouds if you think they're going to promote you this year.

Answer 52

I have to rush home to get all dolled up for the party tonight! Mary opted for a simple white suit for her wedding because she is too shy to walk down the aisle all dolled up. 请注意 A dolly bird 意思是打扮漂亮，但没有什么头脑的女子。 Madge is very ambitious in her career but people have been dismissing her as just a dolly bird.

Answer 53

如果某人在 make a clean sweep 意思是他准备彻底的重新开始做事情。这个短语同时也可以指取得压倒性的胜利，尤其是体育比赛或竞选。 Laura is determined to make a clean sweep of her house this Christmas. She is going to replace all the kitchen appliances and upgrade her home entertainment system. The Chinese team is hoping to make a clean sweep of the table tennis competition at this year’s Olympic games. 请注意短语 sweep something under the carpet 把东西扫到地毯下是指试图隐藏或者忽视一个问题而不去处理它。 When it comes to the issue of the equality of pay, the management often try to sweep it under the carpet.

Answer 54

当你在 treading water 时，这就是指你处于停滞阶段，没有发展。 I feel like I’m treading water at work. I feel like I’m never going to get a promotion. I’m not enjoying this degree course any more. I’m just treading water. 请注意另一个短语 tread on someone’s toes 的书面意思是踩到了别人的脚趾头，指干涉别人的事情，得罪别人。 Alan keeps treading on my toes and doing the rota when it’s supposed to be part of my job.

Answer 55

如果说某人 puts you on the spot 那就是说他们提出的问题让你感到很为难，很尴尬。 I can't believe he asked me how old I was in front of the whole office. He really put me on the spot. She put me on the spot and asked me to say something in French. 请注意另一个短语 have a soft spot for someone 意思是特别喜欢某人。 No wonder Jane got a promotion. The boss has always had a soft spot for her

Answer 56

如果形容某人 is thick-skinned, 就是说这个人后脸皮，不在意别人对自己的看法。 I made it pretty clear that he had outstayed his welcome but he is so thick-skinned he didn't take the hint. Just be a little gentle with her as she is very sensitive and not thick-skinned at all! 请注意另一个英语beauty is only skin deep means 一个人的内心比外表更重要。 She may not be a beauty queen but you know what they say, beauty is only skin deep.

Answer 57

如果你对某人说 bear with me 你的意思是要对方耐心点儿或耐心等一等。 Please bear with me while I make this phone call. I'll be with you shortly. I went to the hospital and the queue was very long. They asked me to bear with them as there was an epidemic. 请注意如果形容一个人是在 bearing up 那就表示这个人在困难面前显出勇气。 Emma was bearing up but everybody knew how much she misses her mother, who died last month.

Answer 58

如果说某人 fly the flag 那么就表示摇旗呐喊，支持自己的国家（或团体）尤其是在国外。 I’ll be flying the flag for the company when I speak at that big conference in India next week. Lang Lang flies the flag for China when he plays on the international stage. 请注意注意另一个单词 flagging 表示体力或能量的衰减，没力气了。 By the 40th kilometre the marathon runner was really flagging. It looked like she wouldn’t complete the race.

Answer 59

意思是终止或砍掉，经常用来形容经济和金融形势。 The government has axed funding for community centres. If sales don't improve we will be forced to axe jobs. This footballer is really letting the team down. The manager should axe him in the summer. 请注意另一个同 axe 相关的短语是 an axe to grind, 意思是抱怨什么事情。 Nigel really gets on my nerves – he's always got an axe to grind about something.

Answer 60

如果说某人在 horsing around, 意思就是这个人在胡闹、闲逛，无所事事。 Stop horsing around and get on with your work! You can't trust Michael to do anything – he's always horsing around. 请注意 To hold your horses 的意思的别着急，耐心点儿。 Hold your horses! We're not ready to go yet.

Answer 61

如果你 tickled pink，那意思就是你非常高兴。 He asked me to marry him – I'm tickled pink! The footballers were tickled pink at coming first in the league. 请注意当我们说某人 in the pink, 意思就是说此人身体健康，状态良好。 Susan was seriously ill for a while, but she's in the pink now.

Answer 62

当某人 lights up, 这意味着他/她看起来很高兴或为什么事情而感到欣喜。 Mum will light up when she realises we've planned a surprise party for her. My grandma would light up when she talked about the olden days. 请注意另一个字面相似的短语 lighten up 意思和 light up 不一样，这是劝某人应该放松一些，不要太紧张或太在意某件事情。 Hurry! We're going to miss the train! Lighten up – there'll be another one five minutes later.

Answer 63

No sweat 是一个非常口语化的表达，意思是指什么事情很容易，举手之劳，没问题。 "Can you take the rubbish out for me?" "Sure, no sweat!" "We only have tea to drink, is that OK?" "Yeah, no sweat." 请注意另一个短语 to sweat blood 和 no sweat 的意思正好相反，指为了办成什么事情而做出了很大的努力，花了很多心血。 We sweated blood to get the project done on time.

Answer 64

在英语里，the writing's on the wall 这个短语可以用来形容比喻不好的事情即将发生。比如有人要被裁员了，公司要倒闭了等倒霉的事情。 Susie saw the writing on the wall and decided to quit before her company was taken over by the administrators. I should have seen the writing on the wall when I bought my house. It's falling apart and now I have to spend a fortune renovating it. 请注意在美式英语中，人们常说 the handwriting's on the wall, 意思与 the writing's on the wall 相同。

Answer 65

当某人 milk something 时，意思就是这个人想尽办法从某件事情或人身上取得最大利益。这个短语也带有白蹭或榨取利益的意思。 Martha's mother won a lot of money in the lottery and her daughter has been milking it and buying the most expensive clothes she can find. The play was the hit of the year on Broadway and the cast has been milking the applause for months. 请注意 To cry over spilled milk 意思是为了已经发生的事情而后悔或哭泣是没用的，事实已不能改变，世上没有后悔药。 You didn't accept my invitation for the party yesterday and ended up home alone. There is no point in crying over spilled milk now!

Answer 66

短语to nip it in the bud 意思是防患于未然或消灭于萌芽状态。 If he doesn't nip it in the bud, then the problem could soon get much worse. She thought it was a very dangerous idea and should be nipped in the bud immediately. 请注意另一个短语to nip out for something, 意思是快去快回。 Could you nip out to the shop and get me some milk, please?

Answer 67

当某人参与 monkey business 的时候，这就是说这个人在胡闹。这个短语也能用来表达那些不诚实或违规的行为。 Two policemen showed up at my neighbour's doorstep this morning. I've always suspected there's been some monkey business going on in the house. Stop this monkey business in the classroom! You should pay attention to your lessons! 请注意 Not giving a monkey's (about something) 意思是对什么事情漠不关心。 I don't give a monkey's if my ex-boyfriend is getting married or not.

Answer 68

当某人 comes to the rescue 意思就是及时到达营救解围。这个短语也常常用于形容糟糕的情况而并不一定是生命危机时才能使用。 I left my passport at home and only realised on my way to the airport. Fortunately my friend came to the rescue and drove to the airport with it. She locked herself out of the house. Her neighbour came to the rescue with a spare set of keys. 请注意 A rescue party 指的是一组救援队，他们经常被派出营救那些失踪或受困的人们。 The rescue party reached the stranded mountaineer after he spent five days lost on the peak.

Answer 69

如果说你 eclipse 什么东西，那就意味着你超越了或优胜于什么。 She got the job because her interview eclipsed all of the others. That's the best goal he's ever scored: it eclipses all the rest. This has been such a great day; nothing can eclipse it. 请注意另一个英语单词 overshadow 意思是使失色，比如说 A is overshadowed by B, 这句话的意思就是 B 夺去了A 的光彩。换句话说，A 被 B 比下来了，不再那么重要了。 The president's death overshadowed all other news yesterday.

Answer 70

当某人is 或 becomes fired up, 这就意味着这个人对某件事情充满热情和期待。但也可能意味着某人很生气。 I've managed to get hold of some tickets for the final and the thought of watching it in person has really got me fired up. I was talking to someone about politics and we got really fired up and started shouting at each other. 请注意别把 to get fired up 和 to fire away (at someone) 这两个短语给混淆了。当某人 fires away (at someone) 意思是某人向其他人提出很多问题。 I know you're curious about my trip to the Amazon. Please fire away.

Answer 71

是一个较为随便的短语，意思是你对什么事儿根本不在乎，与己无关。 I don't give two hoots about having money, as long as I'm happy. My girlfriend doesn't give two hoots about my career. She didn't even ask how my interview went. 请注意 In English, owls make a noise that sounds like a hoot. If you were having a really good time, you might make this noise in excitement and that noise might sound like hoot! Or, if you’re having a good time, you might stay out late, which is the time when owls come out! 猫头鹰有时会发出类似汽笛的响声。如果一个人特别高兴开心，那么你也会发出类似的响声! 有时人们晚上出去玩儿半夜才回家，这也正是猫头鹰夜出活动的时间!

Answer 72

如果形容什么东西是 out of place, 那就是说这个东西对某种场合或地方不合适，不相称。 I wore an evening dress to the party, but everyone else was in jeans and trainers. I felt so out of place! Sarah bought me a vintage clock for my birthday, but it looks out of place in my modern flat. Your brother has no sense of rhythm – he looks so out of place on the dance floor. 请注意千万不要用 in / out of place 来表示某样东的放置错位了。 Some of these books are out of place. Did you move them? Our flat is so untidy! Everything needs to be in place when my parents come over for dinner.

Answer 73

如果形容一个人是 on the ball, 那就意味着这个人非常机灵。 Brian managed to learn the new college computer system in just a couple of hours. He's really on the ball. You have to be on the ball to win on that TV quiz show. You only have half a second to answer the questions. 请注意如果形容某件事是 a whole new ball game, 那就意味着这是与以往不同的一种全新的事物。 I had a few Chinese lessons at school but actually speaking to Chinese people is a whole new ball game.

Answer 74

to flip out 意思是由于震惊而失控暴怒 When Kate heard that she hadn't got a place at her first choice of university she really flipped out and started shouting and screaming. The flight was cancelled and lots of passengers started flipping out at the airline staff. 请注意 The flip side 是另一个意思，表示反面，特别指物体或论点的负面，不利面。 The Olympics is a great event; on the flip side it's very expensive to host.

Answer 75

指的是那些习惯并适应城市生活的人，而他们往往看不起生活在小镇里的人。 Mike hates London. He says it's full of city slickers who think anyone who doesn't live there is a peasant. During rush hour, the city slickers get fed up with tourists on the Underground when they stand in the way of the doors and start laughing when they almost fall over as the train pulls away. 请注意在英国，The City 代表的是伦敦的金融区。 The Bank of England is in the heart of The City.

Answer 76

意思是经历一个困难时期，类似汉语里我们说的闯过难关。 The company weathered the storm through the recession and is now very successful. Times are tough right now, but you just need to weather the storm for a while and things will get better. 请注意英语里还有一个类似的表达 "to ride out the storm" 意思也是度过难关。 Just ride out the storm; everything will improve soon.

Answer 77

短语 to duck out of something 意思就是避开什么东西或者避开做什么事情。 Frank tried to duck out of going to the restaurant by pretending he was ill. She ducked out of her responsibilities and didn't attend the important meeting. 请注意如果有人形容你是 a sitting duck, 意思就是你很容易受到攻击。 The politician was a sitting duck because of his unpopular position on school reform.

Answer 78

如果形容某事是 a tall order 那么就意味着这是一项非常艰巨的任务。 Zinedine Zidane was a wonderful footballer. His crowning glory was scoring twice when France won the World Cup. The crowning glory of the Sistine Chapel is its painted ceiling. There are many interesting places to visit in China, but for most the Great Wall is the crowning glory. 请注意如果某人 glory in something, 那么意思就是他非常喜欢某件事情或为这件事情感到自豪。 Kate gloried in her success after winning the award. She partied all night and loved the attention.

Answer 79

如果形容某事是 a tall order 那么就意味着这是一项非常艰巨的任务。 The client wants me to deliver the project by tomorrow. It's a tall order but I'll try. What!? You want me to do the shopping, clean the flat, mow the lawn and prepare lunch all before your parents arrive at midday? That's a tall order! I've done no preparation at all before tomorrow's exam. It's a tall order, but if I study all night I might pass. 请注意请大家注意千万不要把 a tall order 同 out of order 相混淆。后者的意思是做事没有章法引起讲话者的不满。 I hate the way Dave smokes in the same room as the kids. It's so out of order.

Answer 80

如果说某人 steps out of line 这就意味着这个人的行为与众不同，不守规矩。甚至可以说一个人的表现太出格了。 Teachers in my school are very keen on discipline. They severely punish anyone who steps out of line. Some tribal societies are very conservative. Anyone stepping out of line could be cut off from the rest of the group. 请注意千万不要把 to step out of line 同另一个短语 to be next in line for (something) 想混，后者的意思是此人将是下一个（被提升的）人选。 My boss has been praising my leadership skills. I think I might be next in line for a managerial post.

Answer 81

I'm head over heels in love with my new boyfriend – he's wonderful. I think they'll get married soon - he's fallen head over heels for that girl. 请注意如果你对某件事情的态度被形容为 digging your heels, 意思就是你的态度非常坚决，不会妥协。 I said I didn't want to go on a beach holiday, but she dug her heels in about it, so I gave in.

Answer 82

就是指一件事情的另一面或相反的观点。 I always thought teachers were really unfair to pupils, but I saw the other side of the coin when I became one myself. Many people think social networking sites are great fun, but the other side of the coin is that people are spending too much time on the internet. 请注意短语 two sides to the same coin 一枚硬币有两面，这个短语的意思指两件事物在某种程度上有所关联。 Unemployment and rising crime are two sides to the same coin.

Answer 83

如果有人劝你 take the weight off your feet, 意思就是劝你坐下来，歇歇脚，坐下来休息一下，尤其是站久了。这个短语和你的体重可没有关系。 After walking around Paris for three hours non-stop, Mary found a nice coffee shop and took the weight off her feet. Don’t walk to school today. Go on the bus and take the weight off your feet. 请注意大家可千万别把 to take the weight off your feet 和 to carry your own weight 给混淆了。后一个短语的意思是自己对自己负责。 My brother has finally got a job! Our father kept telling him that at 30 he is old enough to leave home and carry his own weight.

Answer 84

根据奥运会官网记载，荷兰人可能是最早发明滑冰运动的人。远在13世纪的时候，荷兰人在结了冰的运河上来回滑走，以方便与其它村庄人们的联系。

Answer 85

如果说什么东西是 more to something than meets the eye, 意思就是事情并不象处看到的那样简单。 I don't like Peter's new girlfriend – she seems sweet but I think there's more to her than meets the eye. There's more to the manager's report than meets the eye – I think there could be redundancies. I love Superman. You think he's just a normal guy, but there's much more to him than meets the eye! 请注意注意英语里还有一个同眼睛这个词连用的短语 easy on the eye, 这个短语的意思是很好看。 I love David Beckham – he's very easy on the eye.

Answer 86

如果有人说 to bridge the gap, 意思就是把两个完全不同的事情联系起来，汉语里的意思是缩小差距。 The government will never be able to bridge the gap between the rich and poor. Grandparents can help to bridge the gap between generations by telling their grandchildren stories about their own childhood. You'll need to study a lot harder over the summer to bridge the gap between school and university! 请注意英语里的另一个短语是 cross a bridge when you come to it, 这个短语的意思是车到山前必有路。 The roof of the house may need to be replaced if we have a bad winter, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Answer 87

如果你被 snookered, 意思就是你被骗了。 I was snookered by a fake internet company – I paid one hundred pounds for a handbag but never received anything! This email says I will receive ten thousand pounds if I hand over my bank details – do you think someone's trying to snooker me? 请注意如果你 pot shot 某人，意思就是批评某人，尤其是在这个人已经成为大家的抨击对象时。 The scandal allowed the opposition to take a pot shot at the government.

Answer 88

这个短语是用来告诉别人应该停下来仔细考虑他们对某件事情的看法或意见。 Hold your horses! You've only known her for a week. It's way too soon to think about marriage! Hold your horses! You shouldn't quit your job just because you've had one bad day. Things might get better. Hold your horses! Getting a tattoo on your face might seem like a good idea now, but you'll have to live with it for the rest of your life. 请注意 To hold your own 的意思是和别人一样成功。 It was a fierce debate but Kate really held her own. It's difficult to say who won.

Answer 89

面对面的交流就是 face to face，许多人认为这样的沟通效果和电话上或网上联系是不一样的。 I've been in touch with my niece, who was born in South America, for years but we have never met face to face. One way of overcoming my fear of dogs is to come face to face with them! It must have been difficult for you to go to court and stand face to face with the man who stole your wallet! 请注意大家可千万别把 face to face 和 head-to-head 这两个表达给混淆了。如果双方处于直接对峙状态我们就可以用 head-to-head 来形容这种情况。 The teams representing the best schools in the country will go head-to-head this weekend in the national spelling contest.

Answer 90

形容某事做的很有顺序，井井有条的，我们可以说 ship-shape. Everything had to be ship-shape before we could sell the house. Following that storm it will take ages to get the garden ship-shape again. 请注意形容一个公司的运作很有条理，非常规范，我们可以说 to run a tight ship 一艘模范舰船。 Our new boss runs a tight ship, there's no chance of slacking!

Answer 91

通常来说，户外的地面叫做 the ground, 室内的地面而是 the floor. 不过有一个例外 the forest floor, 指的是森林的地面。 In a rainforest, only about 2% of the light that hits the tops of trees reaches the forest floor. The forest floor is fundamental to the whole ecosystem. It is where insects live and the processes of decomposition and plant growth take place. 请注意和今天的短语相似，单词 carpet 可以用来形容似地毯状的覆盖物，比如说 carpet of flowers 鲜花地毯。 We stepped off the path and onto a carpet of flowers. Carpet 这个单词作为动词使用很常见，尤其是在被动语态的句子中。 The forest floor was carpeted with bluebells, daffodils and other wildflowers.

Answer 92

John knew the answer so he put his hand up as quick as a flash. The customers are complaining. We need to get more food on the shelves as quick as a flash. 请注意 Flash in the pan 昙花一现。这个成语形容那些承诺了巨大的成功却不能实现的人，或者是某些听起来很壮观辉煌但实际上很令人失望的事情。 Bob promised to run the marathon this year but he didn't; he's such a flash in the pan.

Answer 93

如果你扭某人的胳膊 twist someone's arm 就意味着你说服他们做点什么。 I know you said you didn't want to go out tonight, but can I twist your arm? I could really do with a night out. I shouldn't have one of those cakes as I'm on a diet… But go on then, you've twisted my arm! 请注意 To pull somebody's leg 拉某人的腿意思是捉弄某人，开某人的玩笑。 I haven't really won the lottery - I was only pulling your leg. You want me to run the marathon with you? Are you pulling my leg?

Answer 94

Time after time 就是一次又一次的重复发生。另一个相似的表达是 time and time again. You’re late for work – I’ve warned you about this time after time! I phoned him time after time but he still wouldn’t answer. I love Paris, I’ve visited it time and time again. 请注意有很多成语都含有 time 这个词。比如 time flies when you're having fun 形容高兴的时候会感觉时间飞逝。

Answer 95

当你做某件事情的时候，全力以赴，投入了百分百的努力，那么英语的表达就是 you give something one hundred percent. I am quite nervous about running the marathon, but on the day I'll give it one hundred percent. I got a poor mark in my exam, but to be honest, I didn't give it one hundred percent when I was revising. Simon is hilarious on the karaoke machine – he's a terrible singer but always gives it one hundred percent! 请注意如果你身体健康状况很好，自我感觉很棒，那么你可以说 I feel one hundred percent. I'm not coming to the pub tonight, I'm not feeling one hundred percent.

Answer 96

Look at Dave. He's wearing ridiculous skinny jeans and a leather jacket even though he's 50. He's such a fashion victim. Does this purple Mohican suit me? I know, I know, I'm a real fashion victim. I went for a drink last night in a trendy bar and everyone was wearing these huge glasses. They thought they were really cool but they looked absurd – real fashion victims. 请注意另一个同流行有关的词语是 fashionista. A fashionista 就是撰写有关时装评论与报导的人。 I watched an interview on the news last night with this fashionista talking about how certain styles have always been trendy.

Answer 97

A champagne moment 这个短语的直译是香槟时刻，这是因为西方人惯用香槟酒来庆贺胜利。汉语里我们会说辉煌或庆功的时刻。 Rooney played brilliantly all match but the champagne moment was when he scored his third goal. Wow, I passed all my exams. That's what I call a champagne moment! The champagne moment of his political career was when he won the election and became prime minister. 请注意请大家注意不要把香槟时刻 A champagne moment 同另一个短语 in the heat of the moment 相混淆，后者的意思是一时激动或盛怒之下。 In the heat of the moment she told him she wanted a divorce but she didn't really mean it. They were in the middle of a fight when she said it.

Answer 98

如果有人叫你pull yourself together,意思就是告诉你要控制自己的情绪或行动。 He's finding it hard to pull himself together after the accident. Pull yourself together and stop drinking so much! You’re driving like a maniac! You need to pull yourself together before someone gets hurt. 请注意不要把pull yourself together 和to stick together 这两个短语混淆了。'To stick together' 的意思是和某人在一起。 If it is dark and cold when we walk through the forest, then we had better stick together.

Answer 99

如果形容一件事 going swimmingly 那就表示事情进展的非常顺利，没有任何问题。例句 This journey's going swimmingly. We haven't stopped for a single traffic jam. The wedding preparations are going swimmingly. Everything should be ready well before the big day. John's meeting with his future in-laws was going swimmingly until he mentioned his debt problem. 请注意 Going swimmingly 这个短语同游泳没有任何关系。如果你听到 To take a dip 这个短语，那么它的意思才是去游泳。 Oh it's so hot. I think I'll take a dip in the river.

Answer 100

当大家都坐在同一条船上的时候 in the same boat, 这就意味着所有人都处于同样的不乐观的境况。例句 Youth unemployment is so high in Europe at the moment but everyone's in the same boat – no-one can find a job. The whole class came down with chicken pox on a school trip. It completely ruined the holiday but at least all the children were in the same boat. There were hundreds of us waiting to get a visa from the embassy. Knowing everyone was in the same boat was made the long wait easier. 请注意另一个短语to miss the boat 有着不同的含义，它的意思是坐失良机，机会已经失去了。 I wanted tickets to see Adele but by the time I went online they were already sold out. I missed the boat.

Answer 101

如果你 stick your oar into something, 意思就是没有得到别人的允许或者邀请就自以为是的发表意见，插手管闲事儿。 I was managing the project well until the boss came along and stuck his oar in! We're keeping the plans for the party a secret – otherwise everyone will try to stick their oar in and give their suggestions for it. I can't stand our new neighbour – she's always sticking her oar into our business. 请注意另一个短语 to stick your nose into something 也有相似的意思，表示多管闲事儿。 David is always sticking his nose in where it isn’t wanted.

Answer 102

如果一个人 dive into 一件事情，那么意思就是很快很热情地投入到这件事情里去了。 My new course starts next week. I can't wait to dive into the work! Be careful not to dive into a new relationship too quickly after the last one. Let's dive into this ice-cream before it melts! 请注意短语 get stuck into something 意思也是快速投入某件事情。 Alfie's only been at the school for a term, but he's already in the rugby team and the chess club. He's really got stuck in! 短语 get stuck in something 的意思是被某种形势困住了。 I don't want to get stuck in a boring job. I've been stuck in traffic for hours.

Answer 103

Bowing to pressure, the restaurant changed the menu to include a vegetarian option. The senator accused Barack Obama of bowing to pressure from environmentalists. He resigned his position after bowing to pressure from the newspapers. 请注意另一个短语 to ease the pressure 意思是放松，减轻压力。可不要混淆了。 To ease the pressure of work she decided to book a two-week holiday.

Answer 104

如果形容一个人是在另一个世界，那就表示这个人对眼前的事情心不在焉，漠不关心。 Jane's on another planet – she went to buy some apples and bought lemons instead! John really doesn't listen in class; he seems to be on another planet. 请注意如果说一个人 living on another planet 那么意思就是说这个人一点都不现实。 He thinks we'll be able to drive to Paris by tonight – he's really on another planet! If she thinks we can afford a two-week holiday in Spain she's living on another planet!

Answer 105

When push comes to shove 或 if push comes to shove 这两个短语的意思是' 在关键时刻', 或危急关头。例句 He’s quite unreliable, but when push comes to shove I know he’ll be there to help. Money is tight, but if push comes to shove we’ll have to get a loan. The trains are suspended today, so if push comes to shove I’ll get a taxi. 请注意 Push the boat out 意思是超常花钱，热烈庆祝。

Answer 106

短语 'out of this world' 经常被用于形容某物或某事极好，远远超出了人们的期待。 You should try my mum’s chocolate cake. It’s out of this world! 这块巧克力蛋糕实在是太美味了，就像是从另一个世界来的。请看以下例句: I really enjoyed the exhibition. The landscape paintings are out of this world. 请注意另一个看起来和out of this world 这个短语相似的短语是 to feel on top of the world, 意思是幸福到极点，自我感觉非常好。大家可不要混淆了！ I’m so happy that I passed all my exams. I feel like I’m on top of the world!

Answer 107

当某人的状态是 soaked to the skin，那就意味着他成了落汤鸡，全身湿透。例句 It's pouring with rain out there. I'm soaked to the skin! We went to see Niagara Falls on our trip to Canada and got so close we were soaked to the skin. A bus drove right through a massive puddle when I was next to it. I got soaked to the skin! 请注意还有一个表达 soaked to the bone 连骨头都湿透了，意思是一样的。 Alan left his umbrella at home and ended up soaked to the bone!

Answer 108

在英语里 to save face 的意思是想要保全面子，避免陷入难堪的局面。例句 John was just pretending to understand the French conversation in order to save face. The wedding speech was terrible but everyone clapped to save the best man's face. The company director got very drunk at the annual party but no-one ever mentioned it to save his face. 请注意 To save face的反义词是to lose face, 也就是丢脸的意思。 It was a terrible loss of face when the student corrected the teacher's English in front of the whole class. Losing your temper in public is seen as a loss of face in China.

Answer 109

在英语里，如果什么东西是完美的，没有任何瑕疵的，那么可以用picture-perfect 来形容。例句 We had a fantastic weekend at the seaside. The weather was beautiful – it was really picture-perfect. My daughter's wedding dress was so lovely, she looked picture-perfect on her big day. Our new house in the countryside is picture-perfect! 请注意如果'someone's face is a picture', 意思就是他们对某事很惊讶或很生气。 When I told the boss I needed the afternoon off his face was a picture! My son's face was a picture when I told him he wasn't allowed to go to the party.

Answer 110

短语表达 high time 意思是某事需要尽快办，因为已经迟了，不能再拖下去了。例句 I'm already 42. It's high time I sorted my pension out! The plane's due to leave in 30 minutes. It's high time we were boarding. It's high time we got our car serviced. It's been making that funny noise for months. 请注意请注意在上面的例句中，语法上 high time 前面不用加冠词，后面跟的句型是一般过去时或过去进行时。当这个短语和冠词连用时，意思会完全不一样，指非常热闹的气氛，度过精彩的时光。这个用法比较老套。 We had a high old time at Martin's party last night. You should have been there.

Answer 111

Loved one 一般用于我们过世的亲人或最好的朋友。例句 Some families never adjust to the loss of a loved one. You will be able to bid a final farewell to your loved one at the funeral. 请注意和其他语言一样，在提到死亡时，人们会仔细考虑用什么样英语表达和词汇。人们往往用比较委婉的表达比如 to pass away 或者是 pass on 来表示某人已经过世了，口语中人们一般不用 die 这个词来直说死亡。 It has been five years since my mother passed on. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. I'm so sorry to hear about your dad's passing.

Answer 112

In the pink 的意思是身体健康。例句 I've had a rough few months, but I'm happy to say that I'm back in the pink of health again. She's 87 but she's still in the pink! Our profits are down on last year's but we're optimistic that by year-end we'll be in the pink again. 请注意 Tickled pink 意思是感觉非常荣幸或高兴。 He was tickled pink to be chosen to meet the company president. Thanks so much for sending the flowers – I was tickled pink!

Answer 113

当人们因为某件事情感到既兴奋又紧张的时候就可以说 butterflies in their stomach. 例句 My interview starts in ten minutes. I've got butterflies in my stomach! Julie has butterflies in her stomach every time Mike speaks to her. I always get the butterflies before big speeches. 请注意如果一个人特别外向喜欢社交那么就可以称这个认为 social butterfly. Alan goes out every night and loves meeting new people. He’s such a social butterfly.

Answer 114

Close-knit 经常被用来形容关系紧密的人群或组织，可以是家庭，社会群体或有文化关联的组织。 The island has a close-knit community and everyone pulls together when someone needs help. They are such a close-knit family that they never keep secrets from each other. 请注意成语 to be in stitches 意思是忍不住大笑。 The play was so funny it had him in stitches. She was in stitches when she heard him describe what he had done the night before.

Answer 115

如果你被形容为In at the deep end 意思就是在你没有任何经验的情况下被置于一种很难的地位或很棘手的工作中。 Our Boss thinks the best way to introduce staff to the job is to throw them in at the deep and see how they cope. Good old John, it's his first day at college and he's decided to dive in at the deep end and take charge of the football team. 请注意 In deep water 是另一个英语短语，意思是你遇到了麻烦，很可能是棘手的大麻烦。 If we can't pay the money to the bank we're going to be in deep water. I've got to pass this exam to get in to university otherwise I'll be in deep water.

Answer 116

Chuffed to bits 是英式俚语意思是对某事心满意足，美滋滋的。 I'm chuffed to bits with my new car! Anna got three Cs for her A-level exam results. That was better than she was expecting - in fact, she was chuffed to bits! 请注意注意在表达心满意足的时候你不一定非要加 to bits. 你完全可以单独使用 chuffed 意思也同样是心满意足。 I'm pretty chuffed about my new job. 另外 chuff 这个词也是一个象声词用来形容蒸汽机声。 The old train puffed and chuffed its way up the hill.

Answer 117

No smoke without fire 这句话的直译是无火不成烟，其实就是无风不起浪的意思。 He seems like a good guy but there’s no smoke without fire. He claims he didn’t do it but there’s no smoke without fire. 请注意英语里另一个含有smoke 的短语是To go up in smoke 意思是梦想破灭或计划落空。 Now he’s lost his job, his dream of buying a new house has gone up in smoke. Now the airline has gone out of business our plans to travel round the world have gone up in smoke.

Answer 118

在英语里人们往往用 chicken 这个词来表示一个胆小鬼。那么 Don't be a chicken 意思就是‘别害怕，别胆怯’。 You’re such a chicken, you won’t even give skiing a try! He called me a chicken just because I didn’t want to swim in the ice cold water! Don’t be such a chicken, just ask her out! 请注意 To play chicken - 意思是较量看看到底谁胜谁负 chicken out 意思是服输退出的意思。 The company chairman is playing chicken with the shareholders. He knows that the share price will go down if they sack him so he's betting they will back down.

Answer 119

英语段语 let off steam 意思是释放情感，特别表示把心里的话都一股脑地说出来。 I shouldn’t shout at my husband but sometimes I need to let off steam. Ruth spent the whole afternoon complaining about her boss. She needed to let off some steam. We often go jogging after work to let off steam. 请注意另一个短语 run out of steam 意思是对某事失去了兴趣: My mum can talk for hours before she runs out of steam. The beginning of his speech was fantastic but after a while he started to run out of steam.

Answer 120

Going round in circles 这个短语的意思是没有进展总在原地兜圈子。 We've been talking about this for hours but we keep going round in circles. I've been driving around for ages trying to find the station but I seem to keep going round in circles. We've got to make a decision otherwise we'll be going round in circles all day. 请注意 To go full circle 意思是转了360 度，转了整整一圈儿，回到原地。 She's back working in the same office where she first started so her career has gone full circle. My cake-making skills have gone full circle; I'm back to making the sort of cakes I first used to make.

Answer 121

To show (your) face 意思是到某地区露面/亮相，尽管你不受欢迎。基本上就是露面，出场的意思。 How do you dare you show your face in this restaurant after having left without paying last time you ate here!? Mary wasn't keen on leaving her house after her husband's death but we insisted that she showed her face in family gatherings. I don't really want to go to that party. I'm just going to show my face and then leave. 请注意另一个容易混淆的短语是 To put on a brave face. 意思是故作勇敢。 Mr Jones put on a brave face in spite of having been made redundant from his job of 20 years. The British have a reputation for putting on a brave face even in times of war.

Answer 122

To be swallowed up 意思是吞并，统战的意思。在商业中意思是接管。 London has grown so much that is has swallowed up all the outlying villages. Food and heating swallows up much of our household income. The company was swallowed up in a corporate merger. 请注意另一个短语 to swallow it – 意思是忍气吞声地接受什么东西。 Customers will just have to swallow the price rises. You've got no choice about the decision so just swallow it and move on. We've lost the deposit on the holiday, we will have just have to swallow it.

Answer 123

A high-flyer 是在指事业上有极高抱负的成功职业人士。 Daniel is such a high-flyer. He's only 31 years old and he's already the financial director of the company. My brother is a high-flying businessman and travels all over the world. 请注意另外有一个短语 high-flown, 虽然拼写很像 high-flyer，但含义不一样，意思是夸张的，华而不实的。 He tried to seduce Katherine with high-flown language, but she wasn't impressed. Peter has high-flown ideas about morality but he's never nice to me!

Answer 124

英语短语 'like a red rag to a bull' 用来表示挑衅和刺激，故意让某人狂怒。 For my quiet grandfather his teenage neighbour's rock'n'roll-themed party was like a red rag to a bull. Don't talk to my dad about the smoking ban. It's like a red rag to a bull. 请注意英语里还有另一个短语 'to see red'. 它的意思是令人感到气愤。比如: Reading about bankers' bonuses really makes me see red. Turn up late for school and Mr Hitchens will see red.

Answer 125

Full steam ahead 意思是充满信心地和精力饱满地全速前进。 We've had months of setbacks but now it's full steam ahead. We should have the new product out by April. We're going full steam ahead with our plans to extend the kitchen. 请注意不要把这个短语和另一个短语to do something under your own steam 混淆起来，后者的意思是独立完成某事。 I made the whole film without help; the script, the direction, the editing – I did it all under my own steam.

Answer 126

短语 to ring around 指给很多人打电话。 Last Valentine's Day, I spent the whole day ringing round all the florists in West London. They had all sold out of red roses! Let's organise a surprise party for Lisa! You ring round her friends and I'll send an email to her family. 请注意另外有一个很相似的短语 run rings around, 但意思完全不一样，指很容易击败某人。 United are going to thrash Arsenal at the weekend. You wait and see... they'll run rings round them. When it comes to customer satisfaction, we've run rings around our competitors for years.

Answer 127

To go head-to-head 意思是两人之间头对头地竞争。 They're both amazing swimmers – I can't wait to see them go head-to-head. There can only be one winner. We'll have to go head-to-head to decide who it is. 请注意还有一个意思类似的短语是 neck-and-neck, 它的意思是在竞争或竞赛中不相上下。 At this stage, either of them could win. It's neck-and-neck! 英语中还有很多类似结构的短语，比如 eye-to-eye, face-to-face, cheek-to-cheek, shoulder-to-shoulder 或 back-to-back 不过他们的意思各不相同!

Answer 128

动词 to plunge 是往下跳的意思，比如：When we arrived at the lake, my brother plunged into the cold water. 短语 take the plunge 往往用来形容我们下定决心做某件高难度的事情。例句 I'm going to take the plunge and move to France. I've been dreaming of it for years and I'm finally going to do it! My brother is going to take the plunge and quit his job. He's been meaning to leave for months. Let's take the plunge and buy a house! 请注意另一个从跳水运动演变而来的表达是 to dive/jump in with both feet, 两只脚一起跳下水。这个表达的意思是很快全身心地投入某件事情。 Rachel jumped in with both feet when she started her new job. She learnt everything very quickly. When I started English lessons I dived in with both feet: I practised every day and rapidly improved.

Answer 129

短语 scream one's head off 的意思是长时间的大声叫。例句 In Edvard Munch's painting, the figure is screaming his head off in despair. When my mother saw the mouse on the kitchen floor, she started screaming her head off! My friend's baby was screaming his head off in the restaurant. I think he was hungry. 请注意和短语 scream your head off 的使用方法相似，laugh your head off 的意思是长时间的放声大笑。 I was laughing my head off while watching the film. That actor is so funny. Lucy likes Paul a lot. She's always laughing her head off when she's with him.

Answer 130

短语 to steal the show 意思是在大庭广众之下抢镜头，出风头。例句 I thought Adele stole the show at the Brit Awards. She was simply amazing. You were fantastic in your school play. You really stole the show! All the performers were good, but the magician stole the show. He was incredible. 请注意在形容某个表演特别精彩/抢尽风头的时候，我们可以用很多词汇来形容 good/great, 比如：mind-blowing, incredible, fantastic, amazing, superb, excellent, exceptional, marvellous, terrific, spectacular or wonderful. The show was mind-blowing. I've never seen anything as spectacular! The music was terrific at last night's concert. Oh, it was a marvellous play! The actors were superb.

Answer 131

动词 toss 的意思是扔，掷。如果某个形势被形容为 a toss-up, 那么就意味着两种不同结果发生的几率是一样的。例句 It's a toss-up between pancakes and risotto tonight. I'm not sure what to cook yet. We haven't recruited a presenter yet, but it's a toss-up between Sarah and Julie. My boyfriend doesn't know what he wants for his birthday yet. It's a toss-up between a new mobile phone and an e-reader. 请注意短语 toss up 的由来是以前人们把硬币抛向空中，然后猜一猜是正面 heads 还是背面 tails 朝上。人们往往用这种方式来决定作出哪种选择来解决问题。比如: My friend wanted to go to the cinema but I really wanted to go ice-skating instead. We tossed a coin to decide: I chose 'heads' and won! Neither of them wanted to do the washing up, so they tossed a coin. They decided if it landed on 'heads' she would have to do it, and if it landed on 'tails' he would.

Answer 132

短语 up in the air 意思是某种局势的结果尚不清楚或某一决定还没有作出。这类似汉语中的悬而未决。例句 We thought he would sign the contract but he's changed his mind. The situation is up in the air. The doctor told me I can't travel because I need vaccinations first. I'm not sure I’ll be able to go on Wednesday - it's all up in the air! It's all up in the air right now: no one can agree on whether to sell the company or not. 请注意不要把这个短语同 clear the air 混淆起来，后者的意思是通过对话消除疑虑或积怨: My dad was really annoyed at me for forgetting his birthday. Last night we discussed it and cleared the air. I didn't know how my wife felt about the situation, so last night we talked for two hours and cleared the air.

Answer 133

你可以用短语 get a kick out of 来形容因做某事给你带来兴奋或快乐。例句 I'm not frightened of abseiling - I actually get a real kick out of it! She got such a kick from the dance class that she's thinking of taking it up full time. He didn't think he would like Barcelona, but he got a real kick out of the place. 请注意如果想戒掉什么坏习惯那么就可以说 to kick a habit. I'm giving up smoking, it's time to kick the habit. Biting your fingernails is disgusting! You should really kick the habit!

Answer 134

在英语里，如果你认为某件事情或某个形势是 black and white 意思就是你觉得看得很清楚，立场很坚定，但其他人可能会从全局考虑从而会有不同看例句 I'm telling you the situation is black and white – we've got no money left! Other people have opinions, too – it's not all black and white, you know. She had such a black and white view of the project that she wasn't prepared to discuss any other ideas. 请注意短语 grey area 灰色地带' 可以用来形容模糊不清的形势，这与 black and white 黑白分明' 所表达的意思正好相反。 I know a little bit about biology and chemistry, but physics is still a grey area for me. She’s got a date for the wedding, but the venue and church is a bit of a grey area

Answer 135

在英语里，go downhill 这个短语的直接翻译是下山的意思，它也可以用来形容形势越来越糟或者无法控制。例句 My grandfather's been in hospital for the last month. He wasn't too bad at first, but he's rapidly going downhill. The company is not making profits – business is really going downhill. I'm trying to get as much sleep as I can before the baby is born – it all goes downhill from there! 请注意另有一个短语是 an uphill struggle 一场困难的斗争，用来形容某件事情很难办到或者需要付出很多的心血才能完成。 Finishing my degree whilst holding down a full-time job was a real uphill struggle. He has just been made redundant and his wife’s expecting twins – the next couple of months are going to be a real uphill struggle for them.

Answer 136

在英语里，bark 做为动词是狗叫的意思。短语 barking mad 是形容某人完全疯了的状态，同时也能形容某个不理智或疯狂的决定。例句 I went out wearing sandals even though it was raining. Everyone was looking at me as if I were barking mad. My neighbour is barking mad. I always hear him talking to himself! The company's decision to open a new branch is barking mad. They don't have enough money. 请注意在英语里有不少词汇和短语可以用来形容某人疯了或者作出的行为是不可思议的，比如：crazy, mad, insane, bananas, batty, out of one’s mind. Why didn't you call me to tell me you were OK? Are you out of your mind? I can’t remember whether I locked the door this morning. I think I'm going bananas! My brother is crazy. He gets up every morning at 5 a.m. to go to the gym.

Answer 137

我们可以用 to rise to the top 来形容某人在自己行业里非常成功并升到了最高层。例句 She rose to the top of the legal profession and became one of the most successful lawyers in the country. He rose to the top at a young age and won many singing awards 请注意另一个实用的短语是 give rise to, 意思是造成了什么（问题）: The employee’s behaviour gave rise to many complaints. The company director’s speech gave rise to the belief that he had decided to retire. The financial crisis has given rise to reforms in many economies.

Answer 138

Watch the world go by 与世界擦身而过例句 My sister loves sitting on her balcony. She sits there for hours watching the world go by. I didn't read my book in the cafe. I was just watching the world go by. 请注意另一个包含 'world' 一词的短语是 'to mean the world to someone'. 对某人来说极其重要。比如: He really cares about his girlfriend. She means the world to him. Thank you for helping me with my essay. It means the world to me!

Answer 139

动词短语 'spark off' 意思是引起/引发。 Their decision sparked off a protest because people were very angry. If I comment on my girlfriend's new haircut it might spark off an argument. 这个词也可以用来形容一种积极的活动。 The documentary sparked off an interest in astronomy. 请注意 'Spark off' 这个动词短语也经常以被动语态出现。 The protests were sparked off by their decision. The argument was sparked off by his comment about Mary's haircut.

Answer 140

如果形容某人是 stony-faced 那就表示此人看上去毫无表情或不动心的。 I tried to get the judge to be on my side by making a joke but he remained stony-faced. I got caught smoking at school. I'll never forget the stony faces of my parents when they read the letter from the headmaster. 请注意我们还可以用 stonily 作副词。 Mary didn't cry at the funeral. Even when other people were weeping she just stared stonily at the ground. 我们可以用 a stony silence 来表示一种尴尬的沉默。 I've been asking her what's wrong for hours but all I get is this stony silence.

Answer 141

如果用 out of touch 来形容一个人的话那就说明此人已经与现实生活脱节了，这是一个有负面意思的短语。 You have no idea what music the kids are listening to now – you're totally out of touch! The report showed that the police are out of touch with people's concerns about safety. I think most celebrity chefs are just out of touch with ordinary people. I certainly don't have two hours to cook every evening! 请注意我们也可以用这个短语来形容那些失去联系的人。在这种情况下没有负面意思。 I'm afraid I'm going to be out of touch for the next few days. I'm going walking in Scotland.

Answer 142

如果你 fall back on something 那就是说在其它东西都不灵的时候，在最困难的时候你能够依赖的人或事。例句 Steve was finding it difficult to make the repayments and had no savings to fall back on. Rebecca knew that securing a mortgage would be a problem, but she always had her parents to fall back on. If I can't get a job straight away, I've always got my experience as a teacher to fall back on. 请注意另一个短语 to fall out with someone 意思是和某人闹翻了。 Dave fell out with Bob over his broken CD player.

Answer 143

如果形容一个人是 a shoo-in 意思就是说这个人是十拿九稳，几乎就是确定的人选。注意：这个短语的发音同 'shoe' （鞋子）一样，但是拼写不同。例句 Rachel thought she'd be a shoo-in for a promotion within the company. After such a successful role, the actor was a shoo-in for an award nomination. He's a shoo-in to win the next election. He'll win easily. 请注意另一个短语 to be in someone else's shoes 意思是换位思考，设身处地。 If you were in her shoes, you wouldn't have gambled that money away.

Answer 144

如果某人有 nerves of steel, 这就是说他很有胆量，尤其是在面对巨大压力时能沉着果断的作决定。例句 You need nerves of steel to be a bomb disposal expert. There's a man on a tightrope walking between those two skyscrapers! He must have nerves of steel! I will need to have nerves of steel to pass my driving test today – I've only had three lessons. 请注意如果有人 gets on your nerves, 意思就是这个人让你心烦。 I really hope Darren doesn't come to the Christmas party – he really gets on my nerves.

Answer 145

在英语里 “you can't teach an old dog new tricks”是个比喻性短语，字面意思是老狗学不会新把戏，用来比喻你很难使因循守旧的人接受新事物。例句 I bought my mother a smartphone, but she prefers her other one, which is over ten years old! Oh well, you can't teach an old dog new tricks. My friend keeps telling me that I should stop smoking, but there's no chance – you can't teach an old dog new tricks! Everyone keeps telling me that I am too stressed and should work less, but I have always been the same. You can't teach an old dog new tricks! 注意，如果说什么东西 has gone to the dogs, 那就意味着其质量严重下降。 Let's avoid that bar, it's really gone to the dogs since the management changed.

Answer 146

当某人处于 bubbling over 的状态，这就意味着他洋溢着激动的心情，抑制不住这种兴奋的感觉。这个短语往往用来形容喜悦，自豪或兴奋的心情。例句 Lesley's son has just graduated and she's bubbling over with pride. Annabel was so happy when she opened her Christmas presents - she was bubbling over! I'm so excited about our holiday – I'm bubbling over at the moment. 如果你 burst 某人的 bubble, 那就是说你破灭了他们的梦想或幻想。 I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but there won't be any staff bonuses this year.

Answer 147

短语 all that glitters is not gold 字面的意思是闪闪发亮的东西并不都是黄金，换而言之，外表华丽漂亮的东西未必都是宝贝或者是想象中的那么好。例句 Andrea's been showing off her designer necklace all day, but don't be impressed - it's a fake! All that glitters is not gold! My new boyfriend said he owned the restaurant, but then I found out he was only a waiter. I should have known. All that glitters is not gold. The door-to-door salesman offered me a really good deal to fix my roof, but all that glitters is not gold: it was broken again within a week. 请注意如果形容某人是 worth their weight in gold (体重可以用金子来秤)，这就是说他非常友善，乐于助人。 Wendy would do anything to help her neighbours - she's really worth her weight in gold.

Answer 148

To see red 这个短语的意思是大怒，狂怒。例句 The teacher will see red when he finds out you haven't done your homework again! He'll give you detention. My mum saw red when I came in late for dinner. I saw red and shouted when the boss complained about my work for the third time today. 请注意如果你想说一个人很容易发火，可以用to fly off the handle 这个短语。 When Simon told me he was going out for the third night in a row, I really flew off the handle and shouted at him.

Answer 149

如果什么东西 inside out, 就是说把里面翻到了外面了，里外搞错了。另一个短语是 know something inside out, 意思是你对什么事情了如指掌，对事情的来龙去脉清清楚楚。例句 If you’d like a tour of Paris, I can take you. I know the city inside out. Gary knows the history of Manchester United inside out. I feel prepared for my French exam. I’ve been revising all night and I know the vocabulary inside out. 请注意如果一件事情被搞乱了，混乱不清或颠倒了，可以用另一个短语 upside down. Katy’s world was turned upside down when her boyfriend left her, she didn’t know what to do.

Answer 150

当一个地方被形容为a hive of activity, 那就是说这里非常忙碌，一片繁忙的景象。例句 La Bouqueria market is a hive of activity on a Saturday morning, with vendors selling all sorts of food and drink. Welcome to the department! It's a real hive of activity, but don’t worry, you'll soon get the hang of it. London was a hive of activity over the summer, with lots of tourists and spectators who came to see the Olympic games. 请注意如果一个地方人特别多，场面热热闹闹，也可以被形容为 buzzing. The nightclub was packed with people last night; it was really buzzing.

Answer 151

如果你在某人的 good books 上，那就是说他们对你有好感。例句 I'm in my mother's good books, as I took her out for a surprise dinner last night. Anna really gets on my nerves – she's always trying to get into the boss’s good books. My brother is not in my good books today – he broke my mp3 player! 请注意如果有人被形容为 an open book, 这就是说他们很容易流露自己的感情。 Lucy is a real open book: there's never any doubt as to what her opinions are.

Answer 152

英语短语 wear different hats 字面意思是带着不同的帽子，表示一个人身兼多职或扮演多种角色。例句 "Alice is presenting the news at the weekend." "Really? I thought she only worked behind the scenes?" "She presents every weekend - she wears many different hats." I'm not going to work – I'm wearing a different hat today. I'm going to be volunteering at my local scout group. My brother wears many different hats: he works as a swimming teacher during the day, at night he works in our local pub, and at the weekend he helps out at a rowing club. 请注意在表示迅速作某事的时候可以用 the drop of a hat 这个短语，即有信号就立刻行动。 Johnny Depp is gorgeous. I'd marry him at the drop of a hat!

Answer 153

所谓 turn over a new leaf, 意思就是汉语中的改过自新，重新开始。例句 I'm turning over a new leaf after Christmas – I'm going to stop smoking. Matt used to get in trouble with the police regularly, but he's turned over a new leaf now. You're always eating unhealthy snacks. Why don't you turn over a new leaf and buy some fruit instead? 请注意另一个短语 take a leaf out of someone else’s book, 意思是模仿某人的行为，以某人为榜样。 Stop misbehaving! Take a leaf out of your sister’s book and sit quietly.

Answer 154

如果某人 on top of the world 这就是说他对某件事情非常高兴。例句 My boyfriend proposed to me last night – I'm on top of the world! Angela was on top of the world when her boss gave her a promotion. If my football team wins tonight, I'll be on top of the world – it's going to be such a tough match. 请注意如果什么事情或东西是出乎意料的好，那么就可以被形容为 out of this world. You should try my mum's apple pie – the taste is out of this world!

Answer 155

英语里，我们可以称自大的人为 a big head. 例句 Nigel has boasted about his new job all night – he's such a big head! I don't want to know about your perfect exam results. Don't be such a big head. Ruth's new boyfriend is lovely – the last one was a real big head and always showing off. 请注意如果某人有 a big mouth, 那就是说他话太多，而且往往说不该说的话或者是需要保密的信息。 Don't say anything to Catherine about the job cuts – she's such a big mouth, she'll tell everyone in the office.

Answer 156

当你拿到的是 the lion's share, 这就是说你得到的那一份是最大的。例句 I'm having a clear-out and have decided to give the lion's share of my clothes to charity. My colleague is very lazy, whilst I always do the lion's share of all of the work. I get paid tomorrow, but the lion's share of my wages goes on paying bills! 请注意如果有人告诉你 to do your share, 意思就是你得做好你分内的工作。 Edmund's done his share of the cleaning, so you should do your share, too.

Answer 157

当我们说某人 brings the house down, 这就是说观众给他热烈的掌声和支持。例句 I went to see Lady Gaga in concert last night - she really brought the house down. The magician really brought the house down when he sawed his assistant in half! David brought the house down at the party by telling some really funny jokes. 请注意如果你得到的东西是 on the house, 那就是东家免费赠送的。 You're one of our best customers - have this coffee on the house!

Answer 158

如果说你 bite off more than you can chew, 意思就是你不自量力，承担超过自己所能胜任的事情。例句 I have bitten off more than I can chew by taking on this extra work – I don't think I'll get it finished on time. David and Sarah planned to completely renovate their house by themselves. In the end, they bit off more than they could chew and had to pay builders to finish it. Thanks for offering to babysit AND cook dinner for us, but don't bite off more than you can chew. 请注意英语中的另一个同鳄鱼相关的短语是crocodile tears 相当于汉语中的鳄鱼眼泪，假慈悲。 Louise is crying in the corner because she says the boss upset her – don't pay any attention to her, though – they're just crocodile tears.

Answer 159

当两件事情，东西或人被形容为 poles apart, 这就是说他们截然不同，完全不一样。例句 Even though Sarah and Kate are identical twins, their personalities are poles apart. Our new manager is poles apart from the old one – she has completely different ideas. We would like to offer you the job! Your interview was excellent and you were poles apart from the other candidates. 请注意当你处于 pole position, 这就意味着你身处赢得比赛的最佳位置。 Angelina Jolie's last film was such a success – I think she'll be in pole position to win an Oscar.

Answer 160

如果形容某人是 green with envy, 这就是说此人对别人或什么事情妒忌，眼红。例句 My sister has just bought a brand new car – I'm green with envy. Sophie was green with envy when she heard that Alice had won the lottery. Take a look at my engagement ring, it's beautiful – I bet you'll be green with envy! 请注意如果有人说你 green around the gills, 那么你的气色看起来很差，身体不好。 I think we should take Alexander to the doctor – he's looking a bit green around the gills.

Answer 161

短语 a sign of the times 往往可以用来描述过去某段时间的特征或产物，经常带有贬义。例句 The bus driver was so rude to her, but I guess it's just a sign of the times. It's a sign of the times that people can't smoke indoors anymore. 请注意另一个短语 to sign up (for something) 意思是加入某项活动。 I want to sign up for English lessons. Would you like to sign up for our monthly email newsletter?

Answer 162

这个短语 to sit on the fence 的意思就是采取中立态度，坐山观望不表态。例句 I'm sitting on the fence. I don't know who is right or wrong. I prefer to sit on the fence. I hate taking sides in any argument. He's so indecisive. He always prefers to sit on the fence. 请注意另一个短语 to sit tight 意思是静静地观望形势，再决定下一步怎么走。 You're best to sit tight. It's too risky to change jobs now.

Answer 163

短语“摔倒在自己的剑上” fall on your sword 的含义是一个人为一组人的行动造成的不良后果承担责任。例句 He doesn't think he's to blame – but he's falling on his sword anyway. She's going to resign - she's falling on her sword even though it's not her fault. He is the boss – it's only right he's falling on his sword this time. 请注意另一个短语 to take the flack 有替罪羊的意思。 She's always taking the flack for things. Even when it's not her fault.

Answer 164

当某人身处 in the eye of the storm 这就意味着他是一场争论的中心人物。例句 Greece is in the eye of the storm which has gathered over the world economy and is threatening to tear the eurozone apart. Our teacher is making us sit our exams again. Johnny was caught in the eye of the storm after he boasted about cheating. 请注意另一个包含气象学术语的短语是 lull before the storm, 意思是暴风雨来临之前的宁静时刻。 The shop assistants took advantage of the lull before the storm and tidied up the hat display. They knew the moment the doors opened they would be flooded with bargain-hunters.

Answer 165

短语 one sandwich short of a picnic 虽然字面上说的是三明治和野餐，但实际含义是幽默地指某人脑子里少了根筋，做的事情让常人不能理解。例句 John is one sandwich short of a picnic. He gave up a job in a big bank to live in a caravan. When we arrived at our hotel by the beach in Miami, all Mary had in her suitcase was her fur coat. She is one sandwich short of a picnic. 请注意另一个短语 to be the meat in the sandwich 三明治中间夹的那块肉，这就是说这个人夹在两方争论的中间，帮哪方都不好。 My brother and my sister are fighting over who gets our late mother's cat. I'm the meat in the sandwich, as usual, stuck in the middle.

Answer 166

如果有人提醒你说 ‘to keep your eyes peeled’ 意思就是要你保持高度警觉，注意观察周围的一切。例句 John told me he'd meet us in the mall. Just keep your eyes peeled. We need to follow signs for the motorway, so keep your eyes peeled. Mum will be home any minute. Keep your eyes peeled whilst I tidy up! 请注意另一个短语 keep your nose out 的意思是不要多管闲事。 This has got nothing to do with you. Keep your nose out!

Answer 167

短语 whatever floats your boat 的含义是爱做什么就做什么，随意。例句 It's your birthday. We can go to the theatre or have a meal in a posh restaurant. Whatever floats your boat. Peter is a ladies' man but if you still want to go out with him, fine, whatever floats your boat! 请注意表达 to push the boat out 通常用于庆祝活动，意思是比以往多花钱热闹一下。 We really pushed the boat out and held Mary's farewell party in one of the most expensive restaurants in town.

Answer 168

这个短语 to give a leg up 的意思是助人一臂之力。例句 I have a great job in a posh restaurant. My mother gave me a leg up when she taught me to cook French dishes. Mary had an uncle well connected to the business world. It gave her a leg up. 请注意另一个短语 to pull someone's leg 就是开某人玩笑的意思，比如说些完全捏造或不可能的事情。 What?! You've won a million dollars in the lottery? You are pulling my leg.

Answer 169

如果说某人 steps out of line 这就意味着这个人的行为与众不同，不守规矩。甚至可以说一个人的表现太出格了。例句 Teachers in my school are very keen on discipline. They severely punish anyone who steps out of line. Some tribal societies are very conservative. Anyone stepping out of line could be cut off from the rest of the group. 请注意千万不要把 to step out of line 同另一个短语 to be next in line for (something) 想混，后者的意思是此人将是下一个（被提升的）人选。 My boss has been praising my leadership skills. I think I might be next in line for a managerial post.

Answer 170

如果说你是 up against it，那就意味着你非常忙，工作很紧张，任务有固定的截止时间。例句 I'm sorry I'll call you later. I'm really up against it today. He's got lots to do today. He's really up against it. I was up against it last week. Sorry I didn't have time to see you. 请注意另一个和时间有关的短语是 to race against the clock, 意思是同时间赛跑，在规定时间内完成任务。 It's a race against the clock. I don't think I'm going to have this presentation done in time.

Answer 171

短语 to bend over backwards 的意思是竭尽全力，想尽一切办法去做好某件事情。例句 She bent over backwards to help her brother move house but he didn't say thank you. I'm going to have to bend over backwards to organise the Christmas party. She always bends over backwards to defend her boss. 请注意另一个短语 drives you round the bend 意思是一件事情让你忍受不了或非常生气。 He never stops talking about cookery. It really drives me round the bend.

Answer 172

当我们形容某人有 a second wind 的时候，这就是说他们恢复了精力，再次崛起或继续做什么事情。例句 I usually feel a bit tired after lunch but get a second wind around 4pm. Observers said Barack Obama was judged to have lost the first Presidential debate with Republican challenger Mitt Romney, but got a second wind in the second and third debate. 请注意短语 to throw caution to the wind 意思是把顾虑和担忧都抛在脑后，大胆的去做事情。有时候也指办事完全欠考虑。 Sometimes you have to throw caution to the wind and go with your heart. Do what you believe in. You know what? I'm going to throw caution to the wind and bet all my money on that racehorse. I think it's going to win.

Answer 173

在企业里，中心领导往往被称为 big cheese, 字面意思是大奶酪，所以这是一个非常口语化的称呼，最好别在领导面前提起。例句 If you want to get anything done here, you need to speak to the big cheese. Since he became the big cheese he doesn't have time for us anymore. 请注意另一个包含cheese 的短语是 like chalk and cheese, 就像粉笔和奶酪，往往用于形容两个人的个性或面貌截然不同。 My two children are like chalk and cheese – one is tall with fair hair and blue eyes and the other is short with dark hair and dark eyes. Me and my brother are like chalk and cheese – I'm really shy and quiet and he's really talkative and sociable.

Answer 174

To see the point 的意思是明白理解一件事情的重要性。例句 We can't see the point of doing this exercise; it's a waste of time. I can see your point. Now I can see the point of all this training. 请注意短语 to point something out 的意思指出、点明某事。 She pointed out the three tallest buildings in the city.

Answer 175

短语 walk tall 意思是昂首挺胸，对自己的能力有信心，充满自信。例句 I can walk tall because I really am proud of my job as a nurse. I believe I can make a difference. Making presentations can be scary. After I did them a couple of times my confidence really improved. Now I just go out and walk tall and enjoy them! 请注意 A tall tale 是指一个夸张荒诞的故事，不能让人相信。 My mate said he went to China and met Jet Li and they learned kung fu together and even shot a movie. But I don't believe him. He's full of tall tales.

Answer 176

短语 get to grips with 的意思是认认真真地处理碰到的难题。例句 The government is having trouble getting to grips with the problem of rising unemployment. If Rosie wants to be a project manager, she'll have to get to grips with her fear of talking to people. I still haven't got to grips with this new software. 请注意另一个短语 to grip something 的意思是紧紧抓住什么东西。 She gripped the edge of her seat as the plane took off.

Answer 177

如果你是 up to your neck in something, 意思就是你手里要做的事情很多，忙得不可开交，没有空闲时间。例句 I'm really up to my neck in work. It's the end of the financial year and I have so many accounts to finish. Tony owes the bank a lot of money. He's up to his neck in debt. I'd love to join you this weekend but I really can't. I'm up to my neck in revision for my final exams. 请注意 A pain in the neck 字面上的意思是指脖子痛，实际上这个短语的意思一般指某人或某事很令人头痛或烦恼。 Your sister is a real pain in the neck. She's been playing that Rihanna song all afternoon.

Answer 178

当你看到一个杯子里有半杯水，你会说这个杯子是 half full 还是 half empty 呢？你的选择将显示你的性格取向和世界观。如果你说 the glass is half full, 那么你就是个乐观主义者；如果你选择 the glass is half empty, 那你应该是个相对比较悲观的人。例句 He's a glass half full kind of person, he always see challenges as opportunities. Is your glass half full or half empty? Billy never gives up. Even when he lost his shoemaking business he saw the glass as half full, and started a newer, more successful one. 请注意如果你透过 rose-tinted glasses 粉色墨镜来看一个人或物，这就意味着你只看到这个人或物好的一面，而没有看到不好的一面。 Anna's new boyfriend is good looking, but not a nice person. She can't see it, though, she just sees him through rose-tinted glasses.

Answer 179

如果说一件事情 goes down the pan 或者 goes down the toilet, 意思是说这件事情完蛋了，被搞砸了。例句 Mike had great dreams of becoming a rock guitarist, but they went down the pan when he injured his hand. I'm afraid all that careful preparation we did for Meerka's surprise birthday party went down the pan when her sister told her about it. He invested all his life's savings in a beautiful, antique car but everything went down the pan when he crashed it the next day. 请注意短语 out of the frying pan, into the fire “刚出油锅，又入火坑”可以用来表达某事从不好的情况进入到更糟的状态。 Studying for my MA was really difficult and stressful, but then I really went out of the frying pan into the fire when I graduated and realised there were no good jobs available.

Answer 180

短语 to keep it under your hat 意思就是保密，千万别告诉别人。例句 I'll tell you, but you must promise to keep it under your hat. Doug didn't tell anyone about his new job, he kept it under his hat. Now I've told you my little secret, keep it under your hat. 请注意另一个短语 hats off to someone 的意思是向某人致敬，因为他们做了值得赞扬的事情或者他们通过不懈的努力获得了成功。如果你想称赞某物，可以用短语 hats off to something. Hats off to Jenny for organising the office party!

Answer 181

如果有人说你是个 big mouth 或者有一张 big mouth, 那就是说你管不住自己的嘴，不能保守秘密。例句 Fran's got such a big mouth. She's been telling everyone that I'm engaged. I wanted to tell them myself. Oh no, me and my big mouth! I made Alex feel upset when I mentioned his dead cat. Don't be such a big mouth. You should learn to keep other people's problems to yourself. 请注意短语 to bad-mouth 某人的意思就是在背后说人坏话。 She's always bad-mouthing her friends. I really don't like it.

Answer 182

短语 to skate on thin ice 的意思是描述某人身处危险境地或是有惹祸上身的可能。例句 You're skating on thin ice when you ask me what I think of you. You're skating on thin ice by always coming in late. By introducing these reforms before the election, the Prime Minister is skating on thin ice. 请注意另一个短语 to get your skates on 把滑冰鞋穿上，意思就是动作快点儿。 Come on! Get your skates on, we have to leave in ten minutes.

Answer 183

当什么事情或人 drive you up the wall 的时候，就是说这件事情或人快把你给逼疯了，让你非常烦恼和生气。例句 This computer is really driving me up the wall; it keeps crashing! Shopping for jeans drives her up the wall. She can never find a pair that fit her. You are driving me up the wall! Will you stop singing that awful song now? 请注意另一个字面上很相似的短语是 climbing the walls, 此短语用来形容某人非常紧张，担心或者是感到无聊。 I've been sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring all day - I'm climbing the walls.

Answer 184

I'll eat my hat 我会吃了我的帽子这个表达的实际意思是说一件事情绝对不可能发生。例句 If Arsenal win the Champions League, I'll eat my hat! I don't think I'll make it past the interview stage for this job. If I do, I'll eat my hat! If the government survives this latest scandal, I'll eat my hat! 请注意 Eat your words 这个短语的字面意思是你不得以得把自己说的话吃了，其实际意思是你承认自己对某件事情的判断产生错误。 I advised Suzanne against setting up her own business, because I didn't think it would be successful. Well, I've had to eat my words - she's now a multi-millionaire!

Answer 185

A bad hair day 头发特别糟糕的一天，无论你怎么打扮，样子就是不好看。这个短语也常被用来形容非常不顺的一天，什么事情都办不好。例句 I've been brushing my hair for 20 minutes but it still looks awful. I guess I'm just having a bad hair day. I'm having a real bad hair day. I woke up late, burnt my breakfast, crashed my car and lost my phone. When I have a bad hair day, all I want to do is stay in bed and sleep. 请注意另一个和头发有关的短语是 to tear your hair out 把头发都拔下来了。这个短语的实际含义是你被某件事情搞得非常烦恼，失去耐心了。 I've been trying to get my car to start for 15 minutes. I'm really tearing my hair out!

Answer 186

我们常用短语 licking their lips 来形容人们正要吃好吃的东西。这个短语也可以用来形容人们对即将发生的事情非常期待和盼望的心情。例句 My children were licking their lips when they entered the sweet shop. You'll be licking your lips when you see the roast dinner I've made! Dave was licking his lips ahead of the crucial football game. 请注意短语 lick your wounds 舔自己的伤口是说一个人正在从失败中恢复过来。这个短语来自动物世界，因为许多动物们在受伤后会自己舔伤口。 That was an incredible cricket match! The winning team is celebrating on the pitch, whilst the losers have gone to lick their wounds in the clubhouse.

Answer 187

To roll out the red carpet 铺上红地毯的意思就是隆重热烈欢迎某人，给与最高待遇。例句 When my in-laws came to stay we really rolled out the red carpet. We made a full roast dinner and had some fine Colombian wine. Tom rolled out the red carpet for his girlfriend on her birthday. He bought her a beautiful necklace and made her a Thai curry with fresh spices. When the new clients come next week let's roll out the red carpet. Why not take them to that amazing five-star burrito restaurant? 请注意另一个短语 to sweep something under the carpet 把什么东西扫到地毯下面, 意思就是逃避或者想隐瞒什么问题。 If you make a mistake don't just sweep it under the carpet. It's always better to admit it.

Answer 188

如果形容某人是 over the moon, 那就表示此人对某事心满意足, 非常高兴。例句 My husband and I are expecting our first baby next summer – we're absolutely over the moon! Sarah was over the moon when she found out she'd got the job. If England win the World Cup, I'll be over the moon! 请注意如果形容某人是 over the hill, 意思是此人年迈力衰身不由己了。 Mum's bought Granddad a smartphone for Christmas. To be honest, I think he's a bit over the hill for new technology like that.