| 美国人平时所用的许多短语，看似普通，但有的会有特別意义，究竟是俚语、口语或俗语，没有绝对的定义。其实名称不重要，最重要的是懂得意义和用法，不是吗？ |
| 1. to have(many) irons in the fire: to have a lot of activities going on at the same time（同时有许多事，想马上全部做完，但又不知从何开始，似乎忙得不可开交) |
| Don't bother him because he has many irons in the fire. (別打扰他，他事情太多，忙得很！) |
| Some people even like to have many irons in the fire. (有些人喜欢有很多事忙忙碌碌。) |
| 2. to talk over (one's) head(s): to use large or big words so that audience will not understand exact meaning （指所谈论的内容过于专业或高深，非一般人可以理解；也指有人为了表現自己才学非凡，故意谈些高深理论或用些难字，吓唬別人） |
| Dr. Lee's lecture was so specialized that he almost talked over our heads. (李博士的演讲太专业了，几乎使我们无法理解。) |
| In order to show his profound knowledge he talks over my head. (为了表現他的学问高深，他故弄玄虚。) |
| 3. to put (something) back into (in) its cage: to put something under control (可以控制某件事情,多半指政治,健康等) |
| We are trying to put inflation back into its cage and our economy is on the mend.(我们正在设法控制通货膨胀,同时改善我们得经济.) |
| Diplomats and politicians need to put aggression and hostility back into its cage. (外交官和政客应该收敛攻击和敌对的行为。) |
| 4. to keep (one's) fingers crossed: to hope something good will happen (祝福某人好运或一切顺利。把食指与中指交叉，祈求好运，是老外的迷信，但在写信或正式场合，多半是用 "I wish you best (good) luck!"或 "Good (best) luck to you!") |
| He keeps his fingers crossed hoping his father will send him more money. (他盼望有好运，老爸能多寄点钱给他。) |
| Many people have been keeping their fingers crossed that we can live in a peaceful world.(许多人都在祈求好运,盼能在和平的世界里生活.) |
| 5. to stretch (one's) legs: to relax or to take a short break (久坐后，把腿舒展一下，或稍微休息一下) |
| Let's take ten minutes to stretch our legs. （让我们先休息十分钟。） |
| May I take a break so that I can stretch my legs？ (我可以休息一会儿伸伸腿吗？) |
| During the a long flight from the US to Taiwan, I normally stretch my legs every two hours. (在从美国到台湾的长途飞行中，我通常每两个小时起身走走。) |
| 6. to read between the lines：to interpret the hidden meaning or a hidden message; to discern the true fact (从字里行间体会隐含的意义；领会言外之意或能了解其中的真正意义) |
| As you look at this poem, be sure to read between the lines. (读这首诗的时候，要从字里行间去体会它的含义。) |
| After he re-read the love letter between the lines, he realized that he was dumped by his sweetheart. (重读情书之后，他终于明白他已经被情人抛弃了。) |
| 7. to let off steam：to give vent to one's anger （发泄、出气，像放掉蒸汽以减少压力似的。这与"to fly off the handle"意思相近，但比"to lose temper"委婉客气些 ） |
| What will you do if your wife lets off steam?（假如你太太大发脾气的话，你该怎么办呢？) (因为谈论的对象使对方的太太，所以语气要委婉客气些)。 |
| 但是谈到第三者，就可不必太委婉，可用 lose temper: |
| What will you do if one of your staff lose temper? （如果你的同事冲你发脾气你该怎么办呢？） |
| Occasionally we should be given a chance to let off steam.（我们应该不时的发泄一下情绪。） |
| 8. to pay through the nose: to pay too much for something or excessively expensive （花费太多，代价过高，与" to cost an arm and a leg" 意义相近） |
| Don't pay through the nose when you buy the furniture. (不要花太多的钱买家具。) |
| Some women paid through the noses for their jewelry. (有些女人花大把的钱购买珠宝首饰。) |
| 9. to take center stage：to be in the spotlight (引人注目的中心人物；以某人为公众瞩目的对象) |
| Mrs. Lin always takes center stage at a party. (林太太总能成为宴会上的焦点。) |
| President Bush takes center stage wherever he goes. (布什总统不论走到哪里，都是公众瞩目的焦点。) |
| His constant taking center stage could deprive him of his privacy. (他好出风头的毛病让他毫无隐私可言。) |
| 10. to drag（one's）feet：to procrastinate or postpone（慢慢的拖延，行动迟缓，拖拖拉拉） |
| It is not a good idea to drag your feet when the work needs to be done. (拖延工作是不好的。) |
| No employers like for their employees to drag their feet on any project. (工作拖拖拉拉的员工总是不受欢迎的。) |
| 10. to drag（one's）feet：to procrastinate or postpone（慢慢的拖延，行动迟缓，拖拖拉拉） |
| It is not a good idea to drag your feet when the work needs to be done. (拖延工作是不好的。) |
| No employers like for their employees to drag their feet on any project. (工作拖拖拉拉的员工总是不受欢迎的。) |
| 11. to paint（someone or oneself）into a corner：to trap oneself or someone; to be in trouble （使自己或某人陷入困境, 应该注意的是即使主语是复数形式，corner 仍然用单数） |
| Don't try to paint yourself into a corner. (不要让自己身陷困境，无法脱身。) |
| After a heated debate with his boss, Mr. Chen has painted himself into a corner. (和老板激烈的争辩之后，陈先生处境十分不妙。) |
| 12. to ask (someone) for (one's) hand: to ask girl's parents for marriage approval （指男人请求女方家长应允将女儿嫁给他， 这里的"someone"是指女方的家长，"one"则是指要求婚的对象，hand 只能用单数形式） |
| Mr. Su asked me for my daughter's hand. (苏先生到我家来向我女儿提亲。) |
| He has asked her parents for their daughter's hand. (他请求她的父母应允他们的婚事。) |
| 13. to move onward and upward：to be promoted; from good to better situation（情况得以改善，或往更好的情況发展） |
| He hopes to move onward and upward with his current company. (他希望能在现在就职的公司里顺利发展，步步高升。) |
| Many young couples try to move onward and upward during their marriage. (许多年轻夫妇都希望能够婚姻美满幸福。) |
| 14. to call a spade a spade: to be honest, blunt or frank（直言不讳，有啥说啥） |
| My wife always calls a spade a spade about her work situation. (我妻子对别人谈起她的工作时，总是直言不讳。) |
| Calling a spade a spade on foreign affairs sometimes seems difficult for diplomats. (外交官在处理外交事务的时候很难做到直言不讳。) |
| 15. to play cat and mouse：to play games with aggressive and passive attitude（玩猫戏老鼠的把戏，欲擒故纵) |
| In business negotiations, there are always cat-and-mouse games. (在商业谈判中，常会有一些猫戏老鼠的把戏。） |
| The police have played cat and mouse with the murderer. (警察对凶犯采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。) |
| 16. to go on the dole：(of the unemployed) to live on public welfare（失业人员依靠政府救济金生活。) |
| Thousands of Americans are out of jobs and may go on the dole. (美国成千上万的失业者靠领取政局救济金生活。) |
| Some people have gone on the dole for years. (有些人多年来就是靠政府救济生活的。) |
| 17. to be in the hot seat：to be under lots of pressure or in a difficult position（处于困境，面对很多压力） |
| He has resigned from his job because he has been in the hot seat for years. (由于不堪多年的工作压力，他终于辞职了。) |
| When testifies before Congress, he will be in the hot seat. (在国会作证的时候，他将面临巨大的压力。) |
| 18. to make waves：to make trouble （惹是生非， 与"rock the boat"意思相近） |
| Many politicians like to make waves in order to be kept in the media. (许多政客为了能在媒体上路脸儿而不惜哗众取宠。) |
| Teenagers tend to make waves with their parents and teachers. (一些青少年总是会给父母和老师惹麻烦。) |
| 19. to keep (one's) nose clean：to keep away from trouble（远离是非，少惹麻烦） |
| The newly released inmates are trying to keep their noses clean. (刚刚获释的犯人总是尽量少惹是非。) |
| A law-abiding person needs to keep his (her) nose clean. (奉公守法的人应该避免制造麻烦。) |
| 20. to drive (someone) up the wall：to annoy or upset someone（惹人生气或者不高兴) |
| The boy is driving his mother up the wall because of his ill behavior. (这个不听话的孩子让他妈妈大为头痛。) |
| If you ask too many questions, you may drive your boss up the wall. (假如你的问题太多也会让你的老板很反感。) |
| 21. to write （someone or something）off：to throw away or to discard（抛弃或者丢弃)； to deduct a business loss（在经商失败时，也用于报销、注销或扣除损失的数额中） |
| After a hot argument, she wrote off her boyfriend. (她和男朋友大吵了一架之后，就把他甩了。) |
| He will write off the charitable contributions from his income taxes. (他从所得税中扣除了慈善募捐的金额。) |
| 22. to take up with (someone)：to date someone or to fall in love with someone（对某人产生兴趣，或与某人开始亲密交往） |
| After he met her at the bar, he took up with her. (自从在酒吧见过一面之后，他对她产生了兴趣。) |
| As she is such a pretty woman, many men would like to take up with her. (像她这么漂亮的女人，许多男人都对她有兴趣。) |
| 24. to pave the way to (or for)：to make the path or to lay a groundwork of something （为…… 铺平道路或为……做好准备） |
| A good education will pave the way to finding a decent job. （好的教育是好的工作的基础。） |
| Early space exploration has paved the way for the current space station. （早期的太空探索为如今的太空站建设奠定了基础。） |
| 25. to paint the town red：to enjoy oneself; to have a good time（尽情享受） |
| He is going out tonight to paint the town red. （他今天晚上要玩个痛快。） |
| Miss Chen really painted the town red last week with her friends. （陈小姐上周和朋友玩得很尽兴。） |
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