现代英语口语表示法500例(一）
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’ brain children（复数）
The new ways of teaching which have been proved very effectivearebrain 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 to have achipon 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 obtainedthescholarship.
· Clam up守口如瓶，拒不开口，沉默不语
I don’t understand why my students are quite talkative duringthebreak 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 bethecleaners.
· A cliff-hanger扣人心玄的事情
Peter was nearly involved in a car accident. He called it anarrowescape. 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 willsurelybe lagged behind soon.
· A clotheshorse讲究穿戴的人
Princess Diana was a real clotheshorse. It’s hard to imaginehowmuch 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 bicyclewasmissing.
· Come through with flying colors干得出色，大获成功
In the 13th Asian Games, Chinese athletic team came throughwithflying colors
· Show (reveal) one’s true colors原形毕露
He always appears polite and gentle. But his quarrellingwithothers 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 withanidea of promoting the products.
· Jump to conclusions仓促的下结论
Being a teacher, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions that astudentis 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. Wecanchat 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 toherheart’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 bitHollyfield’sear.
· Play
it cool不露声色，沉着冷静
Sampras, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, always playsitcool 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 cant expect to cut corners.
cut corners并不是都是贬义的，还表示节约，节省
With only $100 center, he had to cut corners to make hisjourneyback 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 whathisfather expects of him.
· chew the cud好好琢磨琢磨
I dont want to jump to conclusions, I have to chew the cud onitfor 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 cant accept it. You know,Imnot cut for a manager.
· be completely in the dark一无所知，仍蒙在鼓里
keep someone in the dark; be center (kept) in the dark
He is a dictator. Though Im the production manager,Imcompletely 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 blinddatewith Sue in the evening.
· have seen better days今非昔比
Look at our dean, He has seen better days.
· be out of ones depth力所不及
Liu was extremely happy to have been admitted to Oxford, butsoonhe 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 Fools Day, my classmates made me an April Fool.Nextyear, Ill 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 timewasonly a drop in the bucket.
· play dumb with someone装聋作哑
Its no use playing dumb with teachers. They know very welltheirstudents.
· be down in dumps垂头丧气，深情沮丧
I burned midnight oil yesterday. So I feel down in thedumpstoday.
· make the dust fly干得很起劲
Many volunteers are helping in the Olympic Games. They aremakingthe 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, Ill havenochance to pass the exam.
当介词on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
Havent you seen him through He can help you nothing but eggyouon to do illegal things.
· rub elbows with someone和某人没有很深的交情
I suppose Jack doesnt know me well. We have only rubbedelbowswith other for several times.
· be at the end of ones tether山穷水尽
Mark feels worried because he cant write any new books. Heisafraid that he is at the end of his tether.
· be at ones wits end不知如何是好
My boy is such a mischief-maker. I am at my wits endwithhim.
· 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
Dont be green with envy. He deserves the prize, since hehasspent 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 poorapologyfor 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 exhibitionofherself 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 eachotheron anything.
· turn a blind eye on装做没看见
It is not center for teachers to turn a blind eye to thosewhocheat in the exam.
· feast ones eyes on...观赏……，一饱眼福
Yesterday we went to a fashion show. We really feasted our eyesonbeauties 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 isthehelpful person I have ever met.
· keep a straight face板着脸
He likes telling jokes . But always keeps a straight facewhenothers are shaking their sides with laughter.
· be fed up with...对……烦透了
My roommates are too noisy. Im really fed up with them.
· fall for...迷恋上……
She fell for that guy simply because he behaved quitedifferentlyfrom others.
· be riding for a fall自讨苦吃
That big country is riding for a fall if it keeps interferingwithothers internal affairs.
· play fast and loose with...敷衍
了事，不正经干
You are not clever enough to play fast and loose with Susan.
· play favorites with...对……有偏心眼
The girl isnt on good terms with her parents. They playfavoriteswith her little brother.
· put out a feeler to do...试探……的反应
The chairman put out a feeler to see peoples reactions tohiselection speech.
· be dead on ones feet筋疲力尽
Our boss regards us his slaves. Everyday after work.
· land on ones feet安全摆脱困境
With the loan from the bank, the company landed on its feet.
· stand on ones feet自食其力
The Chinese Communist Party decided to stand on their feetduringthe Liberation Campaign. People in Naniwan were called upontodevelop agriculture.
· sit on the fence保持中立
Who would you vote for You bet I wont vote for him. Helikessitting 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 isneverserious with any one girl.
· burn ones fingers因管闲事而吃苦头
I always tell you to keep away from the scoundrels. Now youareburning 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.