· Burn one’s bridges behind one悲水一战
He burnt his bridges behind him when he invested all his money in his project.
· Be as broad as it is long背着抱着一样沉
A: Which course do you think I should take? B: Well, it is about as broad as it is long. One course is interesting, but it is not easy to pass. The other is boring, but there will be no exam requires.
· Go for broke豁出去
We have to go for broke to meet the deadline.
· Give someone the brush off把某人打发
I’ll be with you in a moment,. I’ll brush the man out off.
· Buckle down鼓足干劲
He was determined to break the record of 100-meter-dash. So he buckled down and practiced hard every day.
· Bite the bullet下定决心；咬紧牙关
He always bites the bullet when others misunderstands him. He doesn’t want to argue. He believes that gold will glitter sooner or later.
· A country pumpkin乡巴佬
Your behavior is like a country pumpkin, Haven’t you ever come into an expensive restaurant?
· Give someone goose bumps让某人起鸡皮疙瘩
His sweet words gave me goose bumps.
· Beat around the bush说话兜圈子
You don’t have to beat around the bush. Tell us the truth.
· Do a land-office business生意大为兴隆
In recent years, land agents are really doing a land-office business.
· Mean business动真格的，正经地
I have already warned you not to come near my window. This time I mean business.
· Mind one’s own business少管闲事
Would you please mind your own business more? There’s nothing you can help here.
· Butter someone up巴结某人
The boy butters his teacher up in hopes of getting a pass for his course.
· Have butterflies in one’s stomach忐忑不安
The speaker had butterflies in his stomach when standing on the stage.
· A social butterfly交际花
A:It seems that Agatha knows a lot of men in power in his area. B: Sure. Don’t you know she is a social butterfly? Whenever there is a party, you will find her there.
436——450
· Push the panic button惊慌失措
When I heard the fire alarm, I pushed the panic button and rushed out of the building.
· Give somebody a buzz给某人挂个电话
I’ll give you a buzz this evening.
· Raise Cain大吵大闹
The couple were raising Cain last night.
· A piece of cake小菜一碟
She used to think that raising a cat was a piece of cake, but now she won’t say that again.
· Sell like hot cakes卖得很快
The manufacture didn’t except that the new product would sell like hot cake.
· You can’t eat your cake and have it.两者不可兼得
Do you want to work as a teacher and enjoy a stable but simple life or do you want to become a business who may have to put up with all kinds of stress? Of course, you can’t eat your cake and have it.
· Can’t hold a candle to someone不能跟某人比
The present Chicago Bull can’t hold a candle to the Chicago Bull with Michael Jordan.
· Go paddle one’s own canoe不管他人瓦上霜
You are new comer in the company. I suggested you go paddle your own canoe.
· Have one’s cap set for someone追求男人
Mary has had her cap set for Mike for some time, but Mike has never noticed her.
· Have the cards stacked against someone处于不利状况
His record of being a prisoner for two years has the cards stacked against him when he did job-hunting.
· Lay one’s cards on the table打开天窗说亮话
Let’s lay our cards on the table and tell me if you really want to cooperate with me.
· Play one’s cards close to the chest竭力不动声色
Play your cards close to the chest. Never let your rivals know your plans before you act.
· Have a card up one’s sleeve胸中有数，胸有成竹
Many managers are worried stiff in the competition, but John has a card up his sleeve and he knows what to do to survive the competition.
· Call someone on the carpet严厉批评、指责某人
The manager called the staff from the Sales Department on the carpet for the carpet for the low sales last month.
· The cat has someone’s tongue舌头不好使
Tell me, who’s smoked my cigarettes? Surely the cat hasn’t got your tongue.
451——465
· Let that cat out of the bag泄密
Don’t let the cat out of the bag. I’d like to give our mother a big surprise.
· Throw caution to the winds不顾一切
He threw caution to the winds and ran into the house on fire to save the baby.
· Be itching for a chance to do…很想找个机会试试……
In the Wimbledon Tennis Open, many new and old tennis players are itching for a chance to prove they are the best.
· An outside chance一线希望
Send him to hospital immediately. He’s got an outside chance of survival.
· Have a chance of heart改变心情
After seeing how they fought against natural disaster, he had a change of heart and decided to lend them the money to rebuild their families.
· A wild-goose chase徒劳的追求
You know there is no such an ancient treasure, why did you send me on a wild-goose chase?
· Chicken out由于胆怯而收兵
Don’t be chicken. Jump into the water.
· count one’s chicken before they are hatched如意算盘打得太早
Don’t count your chicken before they hatch. The police might be following us.
· A chow-hound嘴搀的人
You eat like a chow-hound. Haven’t you had any meat at school?
· Be on cloud nine高兴的飘飘然
He was on cloud nine after winning the competition.
· Be in the clover生活富裕，过的舒服
Old people are living in the clover in the Old People’s Homes.
· Weigh on someone’s conscience某人良心不安
Having blamed the boy wrongly weighed on my conscience.
· Too many cooks spoil the broth.厨师太多烧坏汤
We have to choose one as our head. Otherwise, too many cooks spoil the broth.
· Keep one’s own counsel不露心计
You never know what he is thinking about. He always keeps his own counsel.
· Till the cows come home直到猴年马月
If you expect to get support from me, you will have wait till the cows come home.
466——480
· Speak off the cuff即席讲话
The chairman got to bring his glasses, so he had to speak off the cuff.
· Be sb’s cup of tea爱好
I don’t want to invite her to my birthday party. She is not my cup of tea.
· Cut and run抛开一切逃跑
Facts show that the whole deal is nothing but a swindle. Our business partner has already cut and run with our money.
· Give somebody a dressing down严厉训斥
The teacher dressed the student down for being late.
· A drug on the market滞销产品
That wine used to sell like hot cakes,. But since the fake wine with the same name killed many people in Shanxi Province, it has become a drug on the market.
· As dry as dust枯燥无味
How can you live with him? He is dry as dust.
· Easier said than done说时容易做时难
A: We should make everybody know that white pollution is a big menace to our environment. B: What you said is right, but it is easier said than done.