现代英语口语表示法500例
1——60· One’s brain child某人的主意，某人想出来的
等同于one’s original idea
one’ brain children（复数）
The new ways of teaching which have been proved very effective are brain children of all teaching staff of our department.
· Have a chip on one’s shoulder叫阵，叫板
He is not popular among his peers. He always seems to have a chip on his shoulder.
此外该语还有“不满”，“对抗”的意思
Mary has got a chip on her shoulder about not having obtained the scholarship.
· Clam up守口如瓶，拒不开口，沉默不语
I don’t understand why my students are quite talkative during the break but all clam up in class.
· Take someone to the cleaners使人囊中如洗，一贫如洗
Don’t ask me to play in a crap game. I don’t want to be the cleaners.
· A cliff-hanger扣人心玄的事情
Peter was nearly involved in a car accident. He called it a narrow escape. But it was really a cliff-hanger.
· Fight the clock争分夺秒，与时间赛跑
等同于work against the clock
If you don’t fight the clock to enrich yourself, you will surely be lagged behind soon.
· A clotheshorse讲究穿戴的人
Princess Diana was a real clotheshorse. It’s hard to imagine how much she had spent on clothes.
· Get hot under the collar发怒，怒气冲天
Make someone hot under the collar
He got hot under the collar when he found his bicycle was missing.
· Come through with flying colors干得出色，大获成功
In the 13th Asian Games, Chinese athletic team came through with flying colors
· Show (reveal) one’s true colors原形毕露
He always appears polite and gentle. But his quarrelling with others in dirty words show his true colors.
· Come up with找出，想出，弄出，提出
等同于to produce, to find out, to think out
After three days’of deep thinking, the manager came up with an idea of promoting the products.
· Jump to conclusions仓促的下结论
Being a teacher, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions that a student is not worth teaching simply because he fails one exam.
· To one’s heart’s content心满意足
Today is weekend. The lights won’t go off after 11 o’clock. We can chat to our heart’s content.
此外该语还有“随心所欲”的意思
Mary loves keeping diary. She can express her emotion to her heart’s content.
· Lose one’s cool沉不住气
反义词keep one’s cool
In the boxing match. Tyson lost his cool and bit Hollyfield’s ear.
· Play it cool不露声色，沉着冷静
Sampras, the No. 1 tennis player in the world, always plays it cool when he wins in the match.
· e rotten to the core坏透了、烂透了
Keep away from that boy. He is rotten to the core.
· cut corners偷工减料、走捷径、图省事、节约
Student is a serious thing. You can't expect to cut corners.
cut corners并不是都是贬义的，还表示节约，节省
With only $100 left, he had to cut corners to make his journey back home.
· have a crush on someone迷恋某人
Some teenager girls got a crush on the film star
· be a far cry from...与……相差甚远（一般用来表示水平或程度等的差距）
Though Dick has tried hard, it is still a far cry from what his father expects of him.
· chew the cud好好琢磨琢磨
I don't want to jump to conclusions, I have to chew the cud on it for a few days.
· be cut out for...天生适合于……（用于否定句中）
Thank you for your kindness, but I can't accept it. You know, I'm not cut for a manager.
· be completely in the dark一无所知，仍蒙在鼓里
keep someone in the dark; be left (kept) in the dark
He is a dictator. Though I'm the production manager, I'm completely in the dark as what to do next.
· a blind date初次约会
James was too excited to have dinner. He was having a blind date with Sue in the evening.
· have seen better days今非昔比
Look at our dean, He has seen better days.
· be out of one's depth力所不及
Liu was extremely happy to have been admitted to Oxford, but soon he found he was out of his depth in his major.
· give someone a dose of his own medicine以其人之道还制其人之身
On April Fool's Day, my classmates made me an April Fool. Next year, I'll give him a dose of his own medicine.
· a drop in the bucket沧海一粟
He has suffered a lot in his life. Losing his job this time was only a drop in the bucket.
· play dumb with someone装聋作哑
It's no use playing dumb with teachers. They know very well their students.
· be down in dumps垂头丧气，深情沮丧
I burned midnight oil yesterday. So I feel down in the dumps today.
· make the dust fly干得很起劲
Many volunteers are helping in the Olympic Games. They are making the dust fly without getting pay.
· go easy on...酌情处理……；节约使用……；对……手下留情
I hope the teacher will go easy on me. Otherwise, I'll have no chance to pass the exam.
当介词on的后面跟得是something的时候，此语用来是“节约使用”或“小心对待”
Go easy on salt. We have to save some for the next meal.
· egg someone on to do something怂恿，鼓动某人干某事
Haven't you seen him through? He can help you nothing but egg you on to do illegal things.
· rub elbows with someone和某人没有很深的交情
I suppose Jack doesn't know me well. We have only rubbed elbows with other for several times.
· be at the end of one's tether山穷水尽
Mark feels worried because he can't write any new books. He is afraid that he is at the end of his tether.
· be at one's wits' end不知如何是好
My boy is such a mischief-maker. I am at my wits' end with him.
· be at loose ends心里没有着落
Many old people feel at loose ends after their retirement.
· make both ends meet收支平衡
The newly-wed couple found it hard to make both ends meet.
· be green with envy羡慕极了
Don't be green with envy. He deserves the prize, since he has spent a whole month on that paper.
· be of the essence绝对不可少，关键的
As for study, diligence is of the essence.
· a poor apology for...蹩脚货，名不副实
That travel agency was first-class, but it offered a poor apology for its service
· make an exhibition of oneself出洋相
如果表示总出洋相可以在exhibition一词前加上形容词， regular
She is a bit insane. She always makes a regular exhibition of herself by raging at almost everybody.
· keep an eye open密切注视
Keep an eye open for anyone who arouses your suspicion.
· see eye to eye with...与……意见一致
Though they are twins, they never see eye to eye with each other on anything.
· turn a blind eye on装做没看见
It is not right for teachers to turn a blind eye to those who cheat in the exam.
· feast one's eyes on...观赏……，一饱眼福
Yesterday we went to a fashion show. We really feasted our eyes on beauties and fancy clothes.
· have a face would stop a clock奇丑无比
The old lady has a face that would stop a clock, but she is the helpful person I have ever met.
· keep a straight face板着脸
He likes telling jokes . But always keeps a straight face when others are shaking their sides with laughter.
· be fed up with...对……烦透了
My roommates are too noisy. I'm really fed up with them.