习语.docx

习语.docx

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习语

Stuffedshirt

Meaning:

Apersonwhobehavesinaveryformalwayandisoftenself-important.Averyconservativeperson.

Ifsomeoneisastuffedshirt,his/herbehaviorisveryformal,andhe/shethinkshe/sheisaveryimportantperson.

Speakofthedevil

Meaning:

Yousay"Speakofthedevil"whensomeoneyouhavebeentalkingaboutcomesintheroomunexpectedly.

Shakealeg

Meaning:

Hurryordosomethingnow.

Ifyousay"Shakealeg"tosomeone,youtellhim/hertohurry,dosomethingmorequickly,orstarttodosomethingrightnow.

Seethelight

Meaning:

Understandorbelievesomethingthatyoudidn'tbefore

Whenitrains,itpours.

Meaning:

Whenonethinggoeswrong,manyotherthingsalsogowrong.

Yousay,"Whenitrains,itpours"whenseveralsimilar,especiallybadorannoyingthingshappenatthesametime.

Youcansaythatagain.

Meaning:

Stronglyagreewithsomeone.

Ifyousay"Youcansaythatagain,"youexpressyourstrongagreementwithwhatsomeonehasjustsaid.

Thisexpressionisusedespeciallywhenyouarecomplainingaboutsomething.

Beupintheair

Meaning:

Benotdecidedyet

Ifsomethingisupintheair,itisuncertainbecausenodecisionhasbeenmadeaboutityet.

Wearone'sheartonone'ssleeve

Meaning:

Showemotionsorfeelingsopenly.

Ifyouwearyourheartonyoursleeve,youopenlyexpressyourfeelingsoremotionstoothers.

Turnyourbackon

Meaning:

Totellpeoplethatyouwillnothelpthemeventhoughtheyneedyourhelpverybadly

Betongue-tied

Meaning:

Unabletospeak.

Ifyouaretongue-tied,youcannotspeakandexpressyourselfeasilybecauseyouareshy,nervous,orembarrassed.

Throwinthetowel

Meaning:

Giveupdoingsomethingbecauseitistoodifficulttocontinue.

Ifyouthrowinthetowel,youstoptryingtodosomethingbecauseyouhavefoundthatyouwon'tsucceed.

That'sthat

Meaning:

Yousay"That'sthat"whenyouwanttosay:

    1.somethingisendedandyoucannotchangeit.

    2.yourefusetodosomethingandnothingwillnotpersuadeyoutodoit.

Thatmakestwoofus.

Meaning:

Agreewithyou.Iunderstandwhatyoufeel.

Ifyousay"Thatmakestwoofus,"youtellsomeonethatyouagreewithhim/herorthatyouareinthesamesituation,

orunderstandhis/hersituationorfeeling.

Putyourselfinsomeone'sshoes

Meaning:

Trytounderstandsomeone'ssituation.

Ifyouputyourselfinsomeone'sshoes,youtrytounderstandwhathis/hersituationislikeandthinkaboutitasifyouwereinthesamesituation.

Pullsomeone'sleg

Meaning:

Teasesomeonebysayingsomethingshockingasajoke.

Ifyoupullsomeone'sleg,youtellhim/hersomethingthatisnottrueasajoke.

Popthequestion

Meaning:

Toasksomeonetomarryyou

Culturally,itisusuallythemanwhopopsthequestiontoawoman.

Outofthefryingpanandintothefire

Meaning:

Thisidiomisusedtosaythatsomeonegetsoutofadifficultorbadsituation,buteventuallygoesintoamoredifficultorworseone.

Ifyousay"Outofthefryingpanandintothefire",youmeansomeonehasmovedfromabadordifficultsituationtoaworseone.

Onceinabluemoon

Meaning:

Rarely,almostnever

Ifyousaysomethinghappensonceinabluemoon,youmeanithappensveryrarely.

Beonthetipofsomeone'stongue

Meaning:

Cannotremembersomethingsuchasawordorthenameofapersonalthoughyouthinkyouknowitandyouwillrememberitsoon.

Ifyousaysomethingisonthetipofyourtongue,youmeanyoucanalmostrememberitbutnotrightaway.

Notholdwater

Meaning:

Notseemreasonableorcorrect.

Ifsomethingsuchasanargumentsorastatementdoesnotholdwater,itisnotreasonableortrue.

Feel/Looklikeamilliondollars

Meaning:

Feelveryhappy.

Lookveryattractive.

Ifyoufeellikeamilliondollars,youfeelextremelygood,oftenbecauseyouaredoingsomethingluxurious.

Hitthesack/hay

Meaning:

Gotobed

Ifyouhitthesack,yougotobedinordertogetsomesleep.

Hittheceiling/Hittheroof

Meaning:

Becomeextremelyangry.

Ifyouhittheceiling/roof,yougetveryangry.

Beinapickle

Meaning:

Beinadifficultsituation.

Ifyouareinapickle,youareinasituationthatisawkwardand/ordifficulttosolve.

It'sabouttime.

Meaning:

Yousay"It'sabouttime"whenyouthink

     1.somethingshouldhappenorshouldhavehappened.（Ithasn'thappenedyet.）or

     2.somethingshouldhavehappenedearlierthanitactuallyhappened.

Youoftenusethisexpressionwhenyouareannoyed.

Getup（Wakeup）onthewrongsideofthebed

Meaning:

Feelalittleangryandannoyed.

Ifyougotup（wokeup）onthewrongsideofthebed,youfeelabitangryandirritatedfornoparticularreasonrightfromthestartoftheday.

Afroginthethroat

Meaning:

Ifyouhaveafroginyourthroat,youhaveasorethroat,oryourthroatisdry,andhavedifficultyspeaking

becauseyouwanttocough.

Befishy

Meaning:

Seemnottobetrue/honest;besuspicioius

Ifasituationorsomething/someoneisfishy,youmeanitseemssomeoneisnotcompletelyhonestorsomeethingisnottrue.

Drivesomeoneupthewall

Meaning:

1.Annoyorirritatesomeoneverymuch.

2.Putsomeoneintoanextremepositionorsituation.（=forcesomeoneupthewall）

Ifsomeoneorsomethingdrivesyouupthewall,he/she/itannoysyouverymuchor

pushesyoutoanawkwardorextremeposition.

Don'tletthegrassgrowunderyourfeet.

（Notletthegrassgrowundersomeone'sfeet）

Meaning:

Actnowwithoutanydelay.

Ifyousay"Don'tletthegrassgrowunderyourfeet"tosomeone,youtellhim/hernottowastetimeandtodosomethingimmediately.

Ifsomeonedoesn'tletthegrassgrowunderhis/herfeet,he/shedoessomethingrightnowwithoutwaiting.

Coolsomeone'sheels

Meaning:

Waitforalongtime.

Ifyoucoolyourheels,someonemakesyouwaitforalongtimewithnothingtodo,soyougetboredorimpatient.

Be（as）coolasacucumber

Meaning:

verycalmandrelaxedeveninadifficultsituation

Ifsomeoneis（as）coolasacucumber,he/sheisveryrelaxedand/orcalmwhenyouexpecthim/hertobenervousorupset.

Bechicken

Meaning:

Coward.

Ifyouarechicken,youarenotbraveenoughtodosomething.

Castpearlsbeforeswine

Meaning:

Offerorshowsomethingvaluable,good,orbeautifultosomeonewhodoesnotunderstanditsvalue

Ifyouarecastingpearlsbeforeswine,youarewastingyourtimeshowingorofferingsomethingveryhelpfulorvaluabletosomeonewhodoesnotunderstandorappreciateit.

TheBottomLine

Meaning:

Themostimportantfactorinasituationoradecisiontoconsider.

Ifyousaythebottomlineisxxxx,youmeanxxxxisthemostimportantorcriticalfactyouwantotherstoconsider.

Beallears

Meaning:

Beveryinterstedinwhatsomeoneisabouttosay.

Ifyouareallears,youareeagerandreadytolistentowhatsomeoneisgoingtosay.

Abadapple

Meaning:

A（morally）badpersonwhomakesawholegroupbad.

Abadappleissomeonewhohasabadeffectonawholegrouporsystem.

Peoplealsosay,"Onebad/rottenapplespoilsthe（whole）bushel/barrel."

Betheappleofsomeone'seye

Meaning:

Belovedverymuchbysomeone.

Ifsomeoneistheappleofyoureye,youthinkhe/sheisveryimportanttoyou,andyoulovehim/herverymuch.

Thisidiomisusedespeciallywhensomeoneislovedbyanoldermemberofhis/herfamily.