美语常用口语.doc

A1 If something is A1, it is the very best or finest. Ace up your sleeve If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people dont know about. Achilles heel A persons weak spot is their Achilles heel. A pretty penny If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive. Alike as two peas If people or things are as alike as two peas, they are identical. Ants in your pants If someone has ants in their pants, they are agitated or excited about something.As cool as a cucumber If someone is as cool as a cucumber, they dont get worried by anything. Bad Apple A person who is bad and makes other bad is a bad apple. Bakers dozen A Bakers dozen is 13 rather than 12. Barrel of laughs If someones a barrel of laughs, they are always joking and you find them funny. Be all ears If you are all ears, you are very eager to hear what someone has to say. Beat your brains out If you beat your brains out, you think hard about something but cannot solve, understand or remember it. Bees Knees If something is the bees knees, its outstanding or the best in its class. Belly up If things go belly up, they go badly wrong. Big cheese The big cheese is the boss. Bird-brain Someone who has a bird-brain, or is bird-brained, is stupid. Busy as a beaver If youre as busy as a beaver, youre very busy indeed. Butter someone up To “butter someone up” means to flatter them, or praise them in order to get something from them. Caught with your hand in the cookie jar If someone is caught with his or her hand in the cookie jar, he or she is caught doing something wrong. Chill out To “chill out” means to relax. You can also tell someone to “chill out” which means that they should “calm down.”Clean break If you make a clean break, you break away completely from something. Clean up your act A person needs to start behaving correctlyClose shave If you have a close shave, you very nearly have a serious accident or get into trouble. Cold feet If you get cold feet about something, you lose the courage to do it. Cost an arm and a leg If something costs an “arm and a leg,” then it means that the item is very expensive.Deep pockets If someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy. To “dog”someone To “dog” a person means to berate them and harass them unmercifully.Dirty dog A dirty dog is an untrustworthy person. Doormat A person who doesnt stand up for themselves and gets treated badly is a doormat. Drive someone up the wall - To irritate someone until they reach a level of insanity and angerDucks in a row (USA) If you have your ducks in a row, you are well-organized. Eager beaver A person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver. Easy as pie If something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed. Egg on your face If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed. Fat chance! This idiom is a way of telling someone they have no chance. Fish out of water If you are placed in a situation that is completely new to you and confuses you, you are like a fish out of water. Fit to be tied If someone is fit to be tied, they are extremely angry. Full as a tick If you are as full as a tick, you have eaten too much. Get a grip If you get a grip, you control your emotions so that they dont overwhelm you. Get my drift If you get someones drift, you understand what they are trying to say. (Catch their drift is an alternative form.) Give a big hand Applaud by clapping hands. Lets give all the contestents a big hand. Go the whole hog If you go the whole hog, you do something completely or to its limits. Hang out to dry If you hang someone out to dry, you abandon them when they are in trouble. Have a ball If you have a ball, you have a great time, a lot of fun. Heart in your boots If youre heart is in your boots, you are very unhappy. High and low If you search high and low, you look everywhere for something or someone. Hit the books If you hit the books, you study or read hard. Hit the hay When you hit the hay, you go to bed. In a flash If something happens in a flash, it happens very quickly indeed. In a pickle If you are in a pickle, you are in some trouble or a mess. In the catbird seat If someone is in the catbird seat, they are in an advantageous or superior position. Jump the gun If you jump the gun, you start doing something before the appropriate time. Just what the doctor ordered If somethings just what the doctor ordered, it is precisely what is needed.Keep it on the Q T If you keep something on the Q T, you keep it quiet or secret.(Q-T is also used.) Kicks Another word for shoes or sneakers.Kick the bucket When someone kicks the bucket, they die. Kid gloves (To treat someone with kids gloves) You treat a person in a very gentle manner. Not to use force or anger in managing a situation.Learn the ropes If you are learning the ropes, you are learning how to do something. Lend an ear If you lend an ear, you listen to what someone has to say. (Lend me- your ear is an alternative form.) Lets call it a day This is used as a way of suggesting that it is time to stop working on something. Like two peas in a pod Things that are like two peas in a pod are very similar or identical.Long face Someone with a long face is sad or depressed about something. Make a killing If you make a killing, you do something that makes you a lot of money. Make ends meet If somebody finds it hard to make ends meet, they have problems living on the