idioms

acid test 严峻的考验

add spice to 增添情趣

a drop in the bucket 沧海一粟，九牛一毛

a fish out of water 感到生疏；不适应

afraid of one’s own shadow 胆小如鼠

all at sea 不知所措

another pair of shoes 另外一回事，另当别论

a pie in the sky 渺茫的幸福；空头支票

a snake in the grass 暗藏的敌人

as much as to say 等于说

as the case stands 事实上

at one’s fingers’ tips 了如指掌

at one’s wits’ end 智穷计尽

a white lie 没有恶意的谎言

bear and grin 逆来顺受

beat the air 徒劳

be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth 含着金钥匙出生；生在富贵人家

believe it or not 信不信由你

be packed like sardines 挤得水泄不通

be tarred with the same brush 一丘之貉；一路货色

be torn between 左右为难，无所适从

between the devil and the deep sea 进退维谷

bite more than one can chew 贪多嚼不烂

bite the hand that feeds one 恩将仇报

black sheep 败家子

bread and butter 生计；生活来源

break a fly upon the wheel 小题大作

break the ice 打破沉默

brief and to the point 言简意赅的

bring down the house 博得满堂喝彩

bring/call all positive factors into full play 调动一切积极因素

bring one’s pigs to the wrong market 做亏本生意

burn the midnight oil 开夜车

burn one’s boats/bridges 破釜沉舟

bury one’s head in the sand 闭目不顾困难

by and large 总的来说；基本上

by hook and by crook 不择手段

by the book 照章办事,循规蹈矩

by guess and by god 凭瞎猜；凭粗略估计

call a spade a spade 直言不讳

cannot see beyond the length of one’s nose 鼠目寸光

cast pearls before swine 明珠暗投；对牛弹琴

come to light 真相大白

come to terms 达成协议

cry wolf 发假警报

cut no ice 不起作用

do the trick 达到预期目的

do’s and don’ts 注意事项；该做与不该做的事

down and out 山穷水尽

drink like a fish 牛饮

eat/swallow one’s words 食言

ebb and flow 涨落；盛衰

end (up) in smoke 一无结果；到头来一场空

esprit de corps 团结精神；集体精神

every Tom, Dick, and Harry 不论张三李四

face the music 勇于承担后果；临危不惧

far and wide 到处；广泛地

fall/sit between two stools 脚踏两头船

fall on one’s feet 化险为夷

few and far between 寥寥无几

fish in troubled waters 混水摸鱼

fit the cap on 指桑骂槐

flash in the pan 昙花一现

flood(s) of words 千言万语，口若悬河

fly off the handle 大发雷霆,怒发冲冠

follow suit 仿效

follow the fashion 赶时髦

for all that 尽管如此

forgive and forget 不念旧恶

free and easy 自由自在的；随便的

from the foregoing 综上所述

give and take 互相让步；互相迁就

give sb. the bird 喝某人的倒彩

give sb. the cold shoulder 给某人白眼

give sb. the sack 解雇某人

get the key of the street 无家可归

get the sack 遭到解雇

give sb. a free hand 让某人放手干

give sb. enough rope 让某人自食其果

give sb. the air 与某人一刀两断

give sb. the dose of his own medicine 以其人之道还治其人之身

go through the fire and water 赴汤蹈火

go to the length of saying 甚至说

go to the wall 陷入绝境

go without saying 不言而喻

grin and bear it 逆来顺受

hand and foot 完完全全地

hang by one’s eyelids/hair/thread 千钧一发

have got ants in one’s pants 坐立不安

have the ball on one’s feet 稳操胜券

have the face 恬不知耻

have an old head on young shoulders 少年老成

have one’s head screwed on the right way 头脑清醒明智；有判断力

have one’s own way 随心所欲

high and low 各种身份的人们

high and mighty 有权有势的（人）

highway and byway 各种道路

hit the ceiling/raise the roof 勃然大怒

hold one’s peace 保持沉默

hold water 有说服力；站得住脚

hustle and bustle 熙熙攘攘；繁忙的活动

ifs and buts 遁词；借口；推托

in clover 养尊处优

in other words 换句话说

in one’s heart of hearts 在某人的内心深处

in one’s salad days 处于没有经验的少年时代,乳臭未干

in sb’s place 站在某人的立场

in the long run 从长远的观点来看；归根结底

in the swim 追逐潮流

in word and in deed 真正地；不只是口头上地

keep a straight face 板着脸

keep one’s countenance 忍住不笑，泰然自若

keep one’s distance 不即不离，保持疏远

keep one’s memory green 不糊涂；记忆犹新

keep one’s nose clean 明哲保身

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs 杀鸡取卵

kill two birds with one stone 一箭双雕

kiss the hare’s feet 迟到

know all the answers 自命不凡

know sth. like the palm of one’s hand 对某事了如指掌

know the ropes 熟悉内幕；深得窍门

laugh on the wrong side of one’s mouth 转喜为忧

law and order 社会治安

lead sb. by the nose 牵着某人的鼻子走

leap in the dark 轻举妄动

leaps and bounds 急速地

learn a lesson 吸取教训

leave much to be desired 还有许多有待改进之处

leave no stone unturned 千方百计

leave nothing to be desired 完美无缺

leave the decision up to sb. 留给某人作决定

let the cat out of the bag 露马脚

let the grass grow under one’s feet 游手好闲

let sleeping dogs lie 莫惹是非

lick the boots/feet of sb. 奉承某人；拍某人马屁

life and death 生死攸关的

like a bull in a china shop 笨拙卤莽

like a cat on hot bricks 象热锅上的蚂蚁

like a drowned rat （湿得）象落汤鸡

live from hand to mouth 现挣现吃；贫穷

loaves and fishes 物质利益

lock the stable after the horse is stolen 亡羊补牢；贼走关门

look for a needle in a haystack 大海捞针

look on the bright side of sth. 对某事抱乐观态度

look on the dark side of sth. 对某事抱悲观态度

look one way and row another 声东击西

lose face 丢脸

lose the thread 乱了头绪

lose heart 失去信心

lose one’s heart 失去心上人

lose one’s shirt 输得精光

loud enough to wake the dead 震耳欲聋

lucky dog 幸运儿

make an omelet without breaking eggs 不劳而获

make both ends meet 量入为出，收支平衡

make hay while the sun shines 抓紧时机

make one’s debut 首次登台亮相，初进社交界

make out one’s case 证明自己有理由

measure another’s feet by one’s own last 以己度人

meet trouble half way 杞人忧天

nothing of the kind 决非如此的事物

on cloud nine 得意忘形

on the face of it 乍看起来；从表面判断

on the knees of the gods 尚未可知的

on the spur of the moment 一时冲动之下

on the whole 总而言之

once in a blue moon 千载难逢

one way and another 以某种方式

pass the hat 募捐

pat sb. on the back 对某人表示赞许或鼓励

pave the way for 为某事铺平道路

pin/lay one’s hope on sth. 把希望寄托在某事上

prick up one’s ears 侧耳倾听

pro and con 从正反两方面

pros and cons 赞成者和反对者；正反两方面的理由

pull up one’s socks 提心吊胆

put all one’s eggs in one basket孤注一掷

put on airs 摆架子；装腔作势

put the fat in the fire 闯祸

ram sth. into sb’s head （填鸭式地）反复对某人灌输某事

read sb. a lecture 训斥某人一顿

run in a grove 墨守成规

run with the hare and hunt with the hounds 两面讨好；耍两面手法

round the clock 昼夜不停

save one’s face 保全面子

see eye to eye with sb. 与某人看法一致

shut one’s eyes to 置之不理

skate on the thin ice 从事风险很大的事

so to speak 譬如说，可以说

sour grapes 聊以自慰

spring up like mushrooms 如雨后春笋般地出现

such being the case 事实既然如此

stand on one’s own feet 自立

stand up for 拥护，支持

swear black is white （帮人）颠倒黑白,指鹿为马

take French leave 不辞而别

take through one’s own hat 信口雌黄

teach fish to swim /teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs班门弄斧

that is (to say) 也就是说

the last straw 使人不堪忍受的最后一击

the naked truth 赤裸裸的事实

the reverse side of the medal 问题的另一面；事情的反面

through fair and foul 在任何情况下；不论处于顺境或逆境

throw cold water on 泼冷水

tie the knot 喜结伉俪

to all intents and purposes 实际上；实质上

to be exact 确切地说

to one’s heart’s content 尽情地；心满意足地

turn a deaf ear to sb. 拒绝听从某人（的劝告）

turn the tables 改变局势                          

twist sb. around one’s little finger 将某人玩弄于鼓掌之上

up in the air 悬而未决

waste one’s breath 白费口舌