现代英语口语表示法500例.doc

现代英语口语表示法500例
1——60

· One’s brain child某人的主意，某人想出来的
等同于one’s original idea
one’s brain children（复数）

The new ways of teaching which have been proved very effective are brain children of all teaching staff of our department.

· Have a chip on one’s shoulder叫阵，叫板

He is not popular among his peers. He always seems ti have a chip on his shoulder.

此外该语还有“不满”，“对抗”的意思

Mary has got a chip on her shoulder about not having obtained the scholarship.

· Clam up守口如瓶，拒不开口，沉默不语

I don’t understand why my students are quite talkative during the break but all clam up in class.

· Take someone to the cleaners使人囊中如洗，一贫如洗

Don’t ask me to play in a crap game. I don’t want to be the cleaners.

· A cliff-hanger扣人心玄的事情

Peter was nearly involved in a car accident. He called it a narrow escape. But it was really a cliff-hanger.

· Fight the clock争分夺秒，与时间赛跑
等同于work against the clock

If you don’t fight the clock to enrich yourself, you will surely be lagged behind soon.

· A clotheshorse讲究穿戴的人

Princess Diana was a real clotheshorse. It’s hard to imagine how much she had spent on clothes.

· Get hot under the collar发怒，怒气冲天
Make someone hot under the collar

He got hot under the collar when he found his bicycle was missing.

· Come through with flying colors干得出色，大获成功

In the 13th Asian Games, Chinese athletic team came through with flying colors

· Show (reveal) one’s true colors原形毕露

He always appears polite and gentle. But his quarrelling with others in dirty words show his true colors.

· Come up with找出，想出，弄出，提出
等同于to produce, to find out, to think out

After three days’ of deep thinking, the manager came up with an idea of promoting the products.

· Jump to conclusions仓促的下结论

Being a teacher, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions that a student is not worth teaching simply because he fails one exam.

· To one’s heart’s content心满意足

Today is weekend. The lights won’t go off after 11 o’clock. We can chat to our heart’s content.

此外该语还有“随心所欲”的意思
Mary loves keeping diary. She can express her emotion to her heart’s content.

· Lose one’s cool沉不住气
反义词keep one’s cool

In the boxing match. Tyson lost his cool and bit Hollyfield’s ear.

· Play it cool不露声色，沉着冷静

Sampras, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, always plays it cool when he wins in the match.

· e rotten to the core坏透了、烂透了

Keep away from that boy. He is rotten to the core.

· cut corners偷工减料、走捷径、图省事、节约

Student is a serious thing. You can't expect to cut corners.

cut corners并不是都是贬义的，还表示节约，节省
With only $100 left, he had to cut corners to make his journey back home.

· have a crush on someone迷恋某人

Some teenager girls got a crush on the film star

· be a far cry from...与……相差甚远（一般用来表示水平或程度等的差距）

Though Dick has tried hard, it is still a far cry from what his father expects of him.

· chew the cud好好琢磨琢磨

I don't want to jump to conclusions, I have to chew the cud on it for a few days.

· be cut out for...天生适合于……（用于否定句中）

Thank you for your kindness, but I can't accept it. You know, I'm not cut for a manager.

· be completely in the dark一无所知，仍蒙在鼓里
keep someone in the dark; be left(kept) in the dark

He is a dictator. Though I'm the production manager, I'm completely in the dark as what to do next.

· a blind date初次约会

James was too excited to have dinner. He was having a blind date with Sue in the evening.

· have seen better days今非昔比

Look at our dean, He has seen better days.

· be out of one's depth力所不及

Liu was extremely happy to have been admitted to Oxford, but soon he found he was out of his depth in his major.

· give someone a dose of his own medicine以其人之道还制其人之身

On April Fool's Day, my classmates made me an April Fool. Next year, I'll give him a dose of his own medicine.

· a drop in the bucket沧海一粟

He has suffered a lot in his life. Losing his job this time was only a drop in the bucket.

· play dumb with someone装聋作哑

It's no use playing dumb with teachers. They know very well their students.
· be down in dumps垂头丧气，深情沮丧

I burned midnight oil yesterday. So I feel down in the dumps today.

· make the dust fly干得很起劲

Many volunteers are helping in the Olympic Games. They are making the dust fly without getting pay.

· go easy on...酌情处理……；节约使用……；对……手下留情

I hope the teacher will go easy on me. Otherwise, I'll have no chance to pass the exam.

当介词oin的后面跟得是something的时候，此语用来是“节约使用”或“小心对待”
Go easy on salt. We have to save some for the next meal.

· egg someone on to do something怂恿，鼓动某人干某事

Haven't you seen him through? He can help you nothing but egg you on to do illegal things.

· rub elbows with someone和某人没有很深的交情

I suppose Jack doesn't know me well. We have only rubbed elbows with other for several times.

· ba at the end of one's tether山穷水尽

Mark feels worried because he can't write any new books. He is afraid that he is at the end of his tether.

· be at one's wits' end不知如何是好

My boy is such a mischief-maker. I am at my wits' end with him.

· be at loose ends心里没有着落

Many old people feel at loose ends after their retirement.

· make both ends meet收支平衡

The newly-wed couple found it hard to make both ends meet.

· be green with envy羡慕极了

Don't be green with envy. He deserves the prize, since he has spent a whole month on that paper.

· be of the essence绝对不可少，关键的

As for study, diligence is of the essence.

· a poor apology for...蹩脚货，名不副实

That travel agency was first-class, but it offered a poor apology for its service

· make an exhibition of oneself出洋相

如果表示总出洋相可以在exhibition一词前加上形容词， regular
She is a bit insane. She always makes a regular exhibition of herself by raging at almost everybody.

· keep an eye open密切注视

Keep an eye open for anyone who arouses your suspicion.

· see eye to eye with...与……意见一致

Though they are twins, they never see eye to eye with each other on anything.

· turn a blind eye on装做没看见

It is not right for teachers to turn a blind eye to those who cheat in the exam.

· feast one's eyes on...观赏……，一饱眼福

Yesterday we went to a fashion show. We really feasted our eyes on beauties and fancy clothes.

· have a face would stop a clock奇丑无比

The old lady has a face that would stop a clock, but she is the helpful person I have ever met

· keep a straight face板着脸

He likes telling jokes . But alwaya keeps a straight face when others are shaking their sides with laughter.

· be fed up with...对……烦透了

My roommates are too noisy. I''m really fed up with them.

· fall for...迷恋上……

She fell for that guy simply because he behaved quite differently from others.

· be riding for a fall自讨苦吃

That big country is riding for a fall if it keeps interfering with others'' internal affairs.

· play fast and loose with...敷衍了事，不正经干

You are not vlever enough to play fast and loose with Susan.

· play favorites with...对……有偏心眼

The girl isn't on good terms with her parents. They play favorites with her little brother.

· put out a feeler to do...试探……的反应

The chairman put out a feeler to see people''s reactions to his election speech.

· be dead on one's feet筋疲力尽

Our boss regards us his slaves. Everyday after work.

· land on one's feet安全摆脱困境

With the loan from the bank, the company landed on its feet.

· stand on one's feet自食其力

The Chinese Communist Party decided to stand on their feet during the Liberation Campaign. People in Naniwan were called upon to develop agriculture.

· sit on the fence保持中立

Who would you vote for? You bet I won't vote for him. He likes sitting on the fence on important issues.

· play the field不正经干

He is really a playboy, He likes to play the field and is never serious with any one girl.

· burn one's fingers因管闲事而吃苦头

I always tell you to keep away from the scoundrels. Now you are burning your fingers.

· have sticky fingers手不老实。有小偷小摸的陋习

The old lady fired the maid because she had sticky fingers.

61——121

· keep one's fingers crossed祈求成功

The leader was guilty of a serious dereliction of duty. He kept his fingers crossed that he could escape severe punishment.

· let something slip through one's fingers眼睁睁地看着……跑掉

The lawyer studied the case very carefully. He wouldn't let something slip through his fingers.

· build a fire under someone紧催促某人……

That guy is a slowpoke. I wish there were some way to build a fire under him.

put a fire under someone其主语一般是物，而不是人。

· have other fish to fry有其他要紧事要做

Come on out! Forget about the exam, You're got other fish to fry.

· a flash in the pan昙花一现

He used to be called a young entrepreneur. But soon he was forgotten by the public. He was a flash in the pan.

· a fly in the ointment美中不足

Mobile phone are quite popular nowadays, but they ring at any time in the public areas. It is a fly in the ointment.

· be nobody's fool不傻，精明

You can not easily take him in. It is obvious that he is nobody's fool.

· get off on the right foot开门红

Everything will go smoothly if we get off on the right foot.

· put one's foot down气愤的表示反对

The boy wanted to quit school, but his father put his foot down.

· play footsy with...与……调情

Jack was so in love with Mary that he couldn't help playing footsie with her while having dinner.

· marry a fortune嫁给了有钱人

Scariet was in trouble, She wanted to marry a fortune and save the whole family.

· as sly as a fox非常狡猾

Though the suspect was as sly as fox, he had to admit his crime in front of solid evidence.

· a dime a dozen数不清，很多

Pagers were rare ten years ago. Now they are a dime a dozen.

· make free with...擅自使用……

Do you think I'm a millionaire? Don't make free with my things.

· a freeloader白吃白喝，爱占便宜的人

In America, even if you live with your relative, you can't be a freeloader.

· a fair-weather friend不能同患难的朋友

I have searched my conscience, and believe I have never mistreated you. But you turned out to be a fair-weather friend.

· get stage fright怯场，紧张

The student got stage fright when he stepped into exam room.

· add fuel to the flames火上浇油

The boy refused to make an apology to his father, which added fuel to the flames.

· have a barrel of fun极开心

Children had a barrel of fun in the masquerade.

· make fun of someone取笑某人

It is not right to make fun of the disabled.

· play to the gallery哗众取宠，收买人心

He's so good at playing to the gallery, especially in front of girls.

· gang up on someone结伙对付某人

The local ruffians ganged up on the policemen.

· be in high gear全力进行，快速进行

Construction on the subway is in high gear.

· get away with...逃脱惩罚

Law offenders can't get away with their offence.

· have the gimmies患伸手病（来自小孩子give me的说法，后来就说成gimmies）

Don't you know you have grown up? How shameful of you7 to have the gimmes.

· give as good as one gets不服输，不示弱

He is a small boy, but he gives as good as he gets in chess match.

· fit like a glove恰倒好处，非常适合

A: How do you like the frame? B: It fits like a glove. It well matches with the room decoration.

· handle...with kid gloves小心，谨慎对待……

The antique is very precious. You'd better handle it with kid gloves.

· get someone's goat使人恼怒，惹人生气

The way he boasted that he was an authority got my goat.

· for good永远地

I hope war will disappear for good in the world.

· be too good to be true好的令人难以置信

Yesterday Joe received a letter saying that the company decides to offer her a job with a salary which was too good to be true.

· have the goods on someone有某人犯罪的证据

Fred was sure that he would win the case. He had the goods on the culprit.

· goof off偷懒耍滑

Williams has been goofing off at school and his report card shows it.

· through the grapevine道听途说，小道消息

I hear through the grapevine that Jim has been dismissed from his post.

· The grass is always greener on the other hill这山望着那山高

He wrofe to his brother, persuading him to keep his mind on his work and not to think the grass is always greener on the other hill.

· use elbow grease费很大的劲头

How long haven't you cleaned your kitchen? It'll use elbow grease to get it shine again.

elbow-grease常指“费劲儿的体力活儿”
You have to use a bit of elbow-grease to clean all windows.

· get the green light得到批准

We're got the green light from our dean that we can have some changes on teaching curriculum.

give the green light给予批准，准许某人干……
The employees can have a day off. The director has given them the green light.

· grin and bear it一笑忍之，相当于汉语的“逆来顺受”

You have had enough insults from your boss. How can you grin and bear it?

· catch someone off guard乘虚而入

Within three days, the run-away was exhausted. He fell asleep in a basement. The police caught him off guard.

· hate somebody's guts恨之入骨

He dismissed my for no reason at all. I hate his guts.

· kick the habit戒除恶习

You are doomed to be broke one day if you don't kick the drug habit.

· get in somebody's hair若恼某人

Every day, salesmen come to my door. I can't concentrate on studied. They do get in my hair.

· let one's hair down无拘无束

Our supervisor is a stone-faced young lady. In front of her, you can't let your hair down and do what you desire.

· without turning a hair保持冷静的态度，不动声色

The president talked about the international situation without turning a hair.

· a half-wit弱智者

Do you think it is a good idea to send a half-wit to a normal school?

· bite the hand that feeds one恩将仇报

Sorry, I can tell you nothing about my master. Otherwise, I will be biting the hand that feeds me.

· gain the upper hand占上风

In strength, their team gain the upper hand; but in skill, we can have a chip on our shoulder.

· have someone eating out of one's hand使人完全服从某人的摆布

Money can let him eating out of your hand.

· live from hand to mouth勉强糊口

With three children to support, the window had to live from hand to mouth.

· overplay one's hand做的过火了，做得过头了

We may have overplayed our hand by urging him to give us an early reply.

· tip one's hand无意中亮底

Our rival was drunk. He tipped his hand by murmuring that his company will cut down the price of its products.

· try one's hand at...试着干……

Michael Jordan is a great basketball player, and he has ever tried his hand at baseball.

· fly off the handle大发雷霆

It's no use flying off the handle. You can reason with us.

· play into someone's hand正中某人下怀

Think it over. If we reduce the price, I'm sure we're playing into his hand.

· wash one's hands off something洗手不干某事

Mr. Butcher, with a long family history of gambling, decided to wash his hand off gambling.

· get the hang of something掌握某事的窍门

I've got the hang of the new computer system pretty soon.

· go haywire乱了套

The computer opposes me. Everything goes haywire when I use it.

· bury one's head in the sand逃避现实

The environmental pollution is getting worse and worse. We can't bury our head in the sand, or the nature will punish us.

· make neither head nor tail of...对……摸不着头脑

Tim scribbled a note to me