Glossary of Idiomatic Phrases

An English-Chinese Glossary of Idiomatic Phrases
50句老外常說的俚語
 
1、Be in the air 將要發生的事情
The feeling or idea that something new is about to happen or is going to change.
Example: From the arguments going on at the meeting, it seems that a change in policy is in the air.
2、Clear the air 消除誤會
To settle a dispute and restore good relations
Example: We had a meeting with the workers, and I think we’ve cleared the air now.
3、Cost an arm and a leg 極其昂貴
To be very expensive
Example: I love that fur coat. However, I don’t think I’m going to buy it because it costs an arm and a leg.
4、A bad egg 缺乏道德的人
Somebody who has no moral principles and should be avoided
Example: You mustn’t lend Tim money, he’s a bad egg. You’ll never see him or your money again!
5、In the Bag 穩操勝券
Said of an achievement which is secure
Example: We have the deal in the bag. The client came in this morning to sign the agreement.
6、In the balance 未知的,不可預測的
Said when the outcome of a situation is unknown or unpredictable
Example: His career as a pilot is in the balance, as his eyesight does not seem good enough.
7、Drive a hard bargain 極力討價還價
To have the negotiating strength and skills to get the most advantageous price and conditions
Example: Amanda is negotiating the best price from the suppliers. She drives a hard bargain.
8、Ring a bell 看上去或聽起來非常熟悉
To look, sound or seem familiar
Example: That face rings a bell, where have I seen him before?
9、Tighten one’s belt 節衣縮食
To cut down on spending because there is less income than before
Example: Now you are out of work, you’ll have to tighten your belt and give up buying new clothes and going out so often.
10、Kill two birds with one stone 一石二鳥
To complete two tasks together, with less effort than doing them separately
Example: Since I’d gone to the store to buy some bread, I thought of killing two birds with one stone and invited Mr. Biggs to the party.
11、Be in a black mood 情緒極差
To be so negative about everything that it is impossible for anyone to reason with him/her
Example: My father has been in a black mood for days, we dare not say anything to him.
12、New blood 新成員
New people brought into an organization to introduce different and original ideas
Example: It was decided to bring new blood into the school by employing teachers with the latest training.
13、Feeling blue 感到無精打采
Feeling sad or depressed
Example: She’s feeling blue, because the man she loves is far away.
14、Get to the bottom of something 弄清真相
To find out the truth about something
Example: I’m trying to get to the bottom of why David left without saying goodbye.
15、A piece of cake 輕鬆的事
Something which is very easy to do
Example: Here…let me put the batteries in for you. It’s a piece of cake.
16、Pay a call 拜訪
To visit somebody
Example: As we’re in this neighborhood, we might as well pay the Jacksons a call, we haven’t seen them for ages.
17、By chance 偶然, 意外的
Unexpectedly; with no prior planning
Example: By chance, I bumped into my wife in the shopping mall
18、Round the clock 夜以繼日的
To do something continuously, without a break or pause
Example: The ambulance services worked round the clock hauling people trapped in the building to safety.
19、Keep one’s cool 保持冷靜
To stay calm in a difficult situation
Example: If the traffic is jamed, the only thing to do is keep your cool, or get out of the car and walk!
20、In a tight corner 處於困境
In an extremely difficult situation
Example: Whenever I get into a tight corner, I try to rely on quick thinking to get out of it.
21、Keep in the dark 隱瞞
To keep something secret
Example: We know my brother has a new girlfriend, but he's keeping her name in the dark.
22、Fall on deaf ears 不加理睬的, 不聽取
Not to take any notice of what is said
Example: The city council’s order that garbage should be put in the bins fell on deaf ears; the sidewalks are still littered with trash!
23、Take things easy 放輕鬆
To relax
Example: It's better for our health to take things easy than to worry about problems all the time.
24、Eat like a horse 吃得很多
To at a lot; to have a very big appetite
Example: Fred eats like a horse. When I was a growing lad like him, I used to eat a lot, too.
25、Catch one’s eye 吸引某人注意
To attract somebody’s attention
Example: A movement behind the curtain caught my eye – I thought it was a burglar and rushed out of the room!
26、Have an eye for something 對某事(某物體)瞭解得非常清楚
To be very good at doing something, or have a great understanding of something.
Example: As a botanist, he has to describe and draw plants accurately, so he must have an eye for detail.
27、Turn a blind eye .熟視無睹
To ignore an action, even though one should do something about it
Example: Parents will spoil their children if they constantly turn a blind eye to their bad behavior.
28、Keep an eye on 照看, 密切注視
To watch carefully; to look after
Example: Keep an eye on my purse – I'm just going to the bathroom.
29、Lose face 丟臉
To have one's reputation spoiled; to be embarrassed
Example: The large drug houses have lost face, because smaller companies are selling similar products at a cheaper price!
30、Lead the field 處於領頭地位
To be the most successful person or group in an activity
Example: For decades, the House of Dior led the field in elegant fashion design.
31、Get out of hand 失去控制
To be out of control
Example: The problem of suicide bombings is getting out of hand; there seems to be no way to stop them.
32、Give a hand 提供幫助
To help somebody with something
Example: Please give me a hand and hold this board while I paint it.
33、Learn by heart 牢記
To memorize something; to have learned something word for word or very precisely.
Example: At school we often learned Shakespeare’s sonnets by heart and recited them in front of the class.
34、On hold 尚未辦理的事情
Something set aside and waiting to be dealt with
Example: Our vacation plans are on hold right now; because my Dad’s just been admitted to hospital with a stomach ulcer.
35、A dark horse 出乎意料的嬴家
An unexpected winner.
Example: A dark horse in this year’s basketball cup was Japan!
36、The bottom line 本質內容
The most essential part of something
Example: We’ve talked a lot about taxation and immigration, but the bottom line is that we have to create more jobs.
37、Live it up 狂歡一場
To enjoy a high standard of living and lead a carefree life
Example: The neighbors having been living it up ever since they won the sweepstakes.
38、Look forward to 期待著
To relish some future prospect; to eagerly await meeting somebody.
Example: You can tell Jake is looking forward to his vacation – he keeps telling us how many days there are left until he finishes college.
39、Bear in mind 記住
To remember something which can be of help in the future.
Example: Before you start your perspective drawing, bear in mind you should first establish a vanishing point.
40、Have a mind to 想做某事, 計畫做某事
To be decided on ; to intend to
Example: The service in our hotel was terrible. I have a mind to write a letter of complaint.
41、Be in the mood 想要做某事
To feel like doing something
Example: She is not in the mood for playing cards and says she should really be preparing her lecture notes.
42、Over the moon 欣喜若狂
Extremely happy
Example: She’s over the moon about her promotion – she really wasn’t expecting it.
43 、Get a move on 趕快
To hurry up
Example: Get a move on! The train is about to leave.
44、Over and above 除…這外, 額外的
In addition to
Example: Over and above our salary, we are getting a large bonus, because business has been very profitable this year.
45、Get the picture 瞭解某事
To understand something, to grasp some meaning
Example: When they started cutting back and laying people off at work, I got the picture and starting looking for another job.
46、Be out of pocket 花光了錢的
To be without money
Example: He’s complaining because he spent all of his money on slot machines and now he’s out of pocket.
47、Keep somebody posted 傳達消息
To regularly give somebody up-to-date information or details of the progress being made.
Example: I phoned in at the end of each working day to keep my boss posted about developments at the trade conference.
48、In the long run 最終, 最後
Over a long period of time, once a process has matured
Example: The grocery store is making a loss right now. In the long run, however, we hope to achieve a situation of stable profit.
49、On a shoestring 生活拮据
In a thrifty manner; with costs or spending down to a bare minimum
Example: She lives on a shoestring – she gets a tiny pension and has to budget very tightly.
50、Lose track of 失去消息, 失去線索
To lose contact with somebody to not know where something is
Example: I lost track of Fran when she moved to Boston. I’ve even tried to locate her on the Internet.