IDIOMS IN THE NEWS英语中的常用习语

IDIOMSINTHENEWS15minutesoffameDEFINITION:Thisisaphrasesometimesusedasaninsult,accusingsomeoneofseekingpublicityforabadorselfishpurpose.Butinmostusesitisneutralinshowinghowpeoplewantalittlebitoffame.EXAMPLE:“Everythingthatheissayingisfalseandnonsense,”saysKardashian’slawyer,MartySinger.“Thisguyisinittopromotehimselfforhis15minutesoffame.”–NewYorkPost(11/14/2011)20-20hindsightDEFINITION:“Hindsightis20-20”isacommonexpression.Itmeansit’seasytoseethingsclearlywhentheyareinthepast.EXAMPLE:“Lookingback,ofcoursewith20-20hindsight,Iwishwewouldhavedonemoretoencouragecompetition.”–JillSommers,formermemberoftheCommodityFuturesTradingCommission,talkingaboutlargefinancialinstitutionsthatcontinuetodominatederivativestrading(9/4/2013)AbirdinthehandDEFINITION:Abirdinthehandisashortenedversionofanoldsaying:abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush.Itmeanshavingsomethingnowismorevaluablethanthepossibilityofhavingsomethinggreaterinthefuture.EXAMPLE:Barnes&Noble’sfutureremainsuncertain.SotheboardmayprefertotakethebirdinthehandintheformoftheLibertyMediabid,particularlysincetheriskofBarnes&Noble’sdigitalstrategyishigh.–TheNewYorkTimes(1/1/2011)Afarcry,farfromitDEFINITION:Afarcry(from)meansmuchdifferent.Farfromitmeansnotatall.EXAMPLEA:CarpeDiemCollegiateHighSchoolandMiddleSchoolisafarcryfromtheschoolsthattoday’sparentsattended.–TheArizonaRepublic(3/6/2011)EXAMPLEB:EPAhasseenoneofthemostproductivetimesintheagency’shistory…Itdoesn’tgetanybetterthanthat,butthatdoesn’tmeantheseactionswerewithoutcontroversy;farfromit.–GinaMcCarthy,administratoroftheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(7/30/2013)About-faceDEFINITION:About-faceisthecommandthatmakessoldiersturnandfaceintheoppositedirection.About-facealsomeansachangefromonedirectiontotheoppositeone.EXAMPLE:Inanabout-face,Navistarthismonthsaiditwouldpurchaseacompetitor’senginestomeetthestandards.–ChicagoTribune(8/28/2012)Aceinthehole

Ace(orcardortrick)upone’ssleeveDEFINITION:Anaceintheholeisapowerfuladvantagethatotherscannotsee,oriskeptsecret.Thephrasecomesfrompoker,inwhichcardsthatarekeptsecretfromotherplayersare“inthehole.”Theidiomissometimesalsousedtomeananadvantage,secretornot.EXAMPLE:However,Amazonhasanaceupitssleevethatothertabletmakersdonot,inthattheKindleFirewillofferAmazon’sfullspreadofdigitalcontent…–TheNewYorkTimes(9/28/2011)OTHERSAYINGS:Hiscardsareonthetable…Ifheplayshiscardsright…Achilles’heelDEFINITION:InGreekmythology,thewarriorAchillescouldonlybekilledifhewaswoundedintheheelofhisfoot,andthatishowhedied.Achilles’heelisusedasametaphormeaningfatalweakness,butoftenitsmeaningisweakness,notnecessarilyfatal.EXAMPLE:Forthefirsttimein14months,theWashingtonarealostmorejobsthanitgained…largelybecauseofjoblossesinthefederalgovernment…“Whatgaveusearlygrowthlastyearandmadeusthefastest-growingmetroarealookslikeourAchilles’heelthisyear.”–TheWashingtonPost(8/3/2011)Acidtest,litmustestDEFINITION:Anacidtestmakesasure,conclusivedetermination.Inotherwords,it’satesttoreachadefiniteconclusion.EXAMPLE:“Thisisanacidtest.Ifhedecidestosupportthesehorriblebills,thenweinNewHampshirearegoingtodoeverythingwecantotellourvotersnottovoteforhimintheNewHampshireprimary.”–SamCohen,officerofagun-rightssupportgroup,talkingaboutNewJerseyGovernorChrisChristie(8/2/2013)AcrosstheboardDEFINITION:Thisphrasemeansincludingallpartsorcategories,withnoexceptions.EXAMPLEA:“Thereasonwehavebeeninsuchanenormouseconomiccrisiswaspromptedbyrecklessbehavioracrosstheboard.”–BarackObama(presidentialdebate,10/3/2012)EXAMPLEB:“Ithinktherealestatemarketreallyhasbottomed…there’sdifferentsectorsinrealestatebutgenerallyIthinkacrosstheboardithasbottomed.”–HankMcLarty,president,GratusCapitalManagement(5/19/2012)ActoffaithDEFINITION:Ifsomethingyoudoisanactoffaith,youdoitbecauseyoubelieveinsomethingoryouaretestingyourbeliefinsomething—suchasreligion,anidea,apersonorgroup.Anactoffaithusuallyinvolvestakingariskordoingsomethingdifficult.EXAMPLE:AsanactoffaithtorestorerelationswithPakistan,U.S.intelligenceinrecentweekssharedthelocationoftwosuchcompounds[bomb-makingfacilities]inPakistan’stribalareas.–AssociatedPress(7/13/2011)ActofGod,actofnatureDEFINITION:AnactofGodisapowerfuleventthatcannotbeavoidedorcontrolled.Itoftenreferstosevereweather,floods,earthquakesandvolcaniceruptions,whichare