美国2003流行成语

            2.a class act
            （在运动或演艺方面）很出色的人
            I have been tracking Neil for a year,he is a class act and I have
            got a lot respect for his ability.
            我已跟踪尼尔一年，他是个出色的家伙，我很崇拜他的能力。

            3.break one’s back
            努力地工作
            When you’re breaking your back to make an enterprise work,it’s going
            to cut into your time with family.
            当你全身心投入工作的时候，回侵占到家庭生活的时间。

            4.get someone’s back up (American)
            put someone’s back up (British)
            激怒某人
            What does get my back up is a girlfriend who gets too jealous if
            someone else finds me attractive.

            5.cap in hand (British)
            hat in hand (American)
            求助，乞讨
            He ended up going hat in hand to the neighbours.
            他沦落到向邻居乞讨。

            6.in the cards(American)
            on the cards(British)
            可能发生
            He believes an invasion was never in the cards.
            他相信入侵永不会发生。

            7.a change of heart
            态度的改变

            8.get no change out of someone
            从某人处没有得到任何帮助
            You won’t get any change out of him,so don’t expect it .
            你不会从他那儿得到任何帮助，别指望了。

            9.chapter and verse
            所有细节
            The instruction gives you chapter and verse
            使用说明给出了所有细节。

            10.cut to the chase
            言归正传
            He talked about the need to see all points of view,then he cut to
            the chase.

            11.cut a dash
            （外表）给人留下深刻印象
            Tania cut a daring dash with a dress slashed almost to the waist .

            12.in the dark
            一无所知；蒙在鼓里
            keep somebody in the dark
            不让某人知道

            13.out of one’s depth
            力所不能及
            He felt out of his depth on a diploma course.

            14.get one’s just deserts
            活该

            15.die like a dog
            凄苦地死去（古）

            16.every dog has its day
            风水轮流转

            17.It’s a dog’s life
            （抱怨生活或工作不如意）

            18.in the doghouse
            四面楚歌
            Insurance companies are already in the doghouse over poor advice on
            pensions which has left hundreds of thousands of people worse off.

            19.do the donkey work
            做乏味的工作

            20.do something like a dream
            做的很出色
            The first stages of installation worked like a dream.

            21.all dressed up with nowhere to go
            准备充分，但没机会去做
            If funding dries up ,the opera houses will be all dressed up ,but
            with nowhere to go .

            22.do something at the drop of a hat
            卤莽行事

            23.a drop in the ocean/bucket
            微不足道，沧海一粟
            The size of the grants have been attacked by groups as merely a drop
            in the ocean.

            24.be all ears
            洗耳恭听
            Now you can say ,I am all ears.

            25.down to earth
            现实，实际
            He is blunt,outspoken,practical and down to earth.

            26.get egg on one’s face
            感到窘迫，羞耻
            Steve didn’t expect to win .He just didn’t want to get egg on his
            face .

            27.a white elephant
            （形容新的建筑，计划）是浪费的，无用的
            This project is completely a white elephant

            28.a big fish
            大人物，重要角色
            The four who were arrested here last September were described as
            really big fish by the U.S.Drug Enforement Agency.

            29.drink like a fish
            酒量很大
            When I was young I could drink like a fish and eat like a pig.
            我年轻时酒量和食量都很惊人。

            30.a fool and his money are soon parted
            （形容花钱不理智）

            31.free as the air
            自由自在，无拘无束

            32.run out of gas
            （突然感到）疲倦和厌倦

            33.the heat is on
            压力大
            To perform well when the heat is on ,all you have to do is let it
            happen.
            要在大的压力下表现出色，你要做的是任之发生。

            34. bring someone to heel
            使某人臣服，服从
            In practice it’s still not clear how the president will use his
            power to bring the republics to heel.
            实际上，总统将如何使用权利使公众服从还不清楚。

            35.cross my heart
            发自内心
            I promise,cross my heart.
            我对天发誓。

            36.in seventh heaven
            十分高兴
            After I was given my first camera,I was in seventh heaven.

            37.break a leg
            祝演出成功，（注意是祝福语而不是诅咒）

            38.live like a king
            生活奢华

            39.break the ice
            打破僵局
            I was about to speak when someone broke the ice.
            我正要说话，有人打破了僵局。

            40.get down to
            开始做，处理
            The task wasn’t so difficult when I got down to it.
            我开始处理这件事的时候，发现并不困难。

            41.hold back
            抑制，控制
            We could not hold ourselves back.
            我们没法控制自己。

            42.keep one’s word
            遵守约定

            43.lay aside / set aside
            储蓄，积蓄
            We must lay something aside for our child’s education.

            44.keep an eye on
            监视，注视
            I don’t know what would happen if I weren’t here to keep an eye on
            children.
            如果我不在这儿监视孩子们，真不知道会发生什么。

            45.pull one’s leg
            取笑，看不起人

            46.pull through
            恢复，克服
            The patient is pulling through.

            47.stand for
            代表，象征
            What does your first letter stand for?

            48.take in
            欺骗
            She must have been taken in by a salesman.

            49.make a point of
            重视
            Do you make a point of being on time for work.

            50.help out
            帮忙，协助。
            Jerry hurried to help out zhenzhen