IDIOMS IN THE NEWS英语中的常用习语
合集下载
相关主题
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
His cards are on the table… If he plays his cards right…
Achilles’ heel
DEFINITION: In Greek mythology, the warrior Achilles could only be killed if he was wounded in the heel of his foot, and that is how he died. Achilles’ heel is used as a metaphor meaning fatal weakness, but often its meaning is weakness, not necessarily fatal. EXAMPLE: For the first time in 14 months, the Washington area lost more jobs than it gained… largely because of job losses in the federal government… ―What gave us early growth last year and made us the fastest-growing metro area looks like our Achilles’ heel this year.‖ –The Washington Post (8/3/2011)
IDIOMS IN THE NEWS
15Fra Baidu bibliotekminutes of fame
DEFINITION: This is a phrase sometimes used as an insult, accusing someone of seeking publicity for a bad or selfish purpose. But in most uses it is neutral in showing how people want a little bit of fame. EXAMPLE: ―Everything that he is saying is false and nonsense,‖ says Kardashian’s lawyer, Marty Singer. ―This guy is in it to promote himself for his 15 minutes of fame.‖ –New York Post (11/14/2011)
20-20 hindsight
DEFINITION: “Hindsight is 20-20” is a common expression. It means it’s easy to see things clearly when they are in the past. EXAMPLE: ―Looking back, of course with 20-20 hindsight, I wish we would have done more to encourage competition.‖ –Jill Sommers, former member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, talking about large financial institutions that continue to dominate derivatives trading (9/4/2013)
A bird in the hand
DEFINITION: A bird in the hand is a shortened version of an old saying: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. It means having something now is more valuable than the possibility of having something greater in the future. EXAMPLE: Barnes & Noble’s future remains uncertain. So the board may prefer to take the bird in the hand in the form of the Liberty Media bid, particularly since the risk of Barnes & Noble’s digital strategy is high. –The New York Times (1/1/2011)
Act of God, act of nature
DEFINITION: An act of God is a powerful event that cannot be avoided or controlled. It often refers to severe weather, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which are also called acts of nature. EXAMPLE: Maryland Bankers Association President Kathleen Murphy says banks, too, are willing to work one-on-one with customers dealing with a financial crisis from an ―act of God or inactivity of Congress.‖ –The Baltimore Sun (8/1/2011)
Act of faith
DEFINITION: If something you do is an act of faith, you do it because you believe in something or you are testing your belief in something—such as religion, an idea, a person or group. An act of faith usually involves taking a risk or doing something difficult. EXAMPLE: As an act of faith to restore relations with Pakistan, U. S. intelligence in recent weeks shared the location of two such compounds [bomb-making facilities] in Pakistan’s tribal areas. –Associated Press (7/13/2011)
About-face
DEFINITION: About-face is the command that makes soldiers turn and face in the opposite direction. About-face also means a change from one direction to the opposite one. EXAMPLE: In an about-face, Navistar this month said it would purchase a competitor’s engines to meet the standards. –Chicago Tribune (8/28/2012)
Acid test, litmus test
DEFINITION: An acid test makes a sure, conclusive determination. In other words, it’s a test to reach a definite conclusion. EXAMPLE: ―This is an acid test. If he decides to support these horrible bills, then we in New Hampshire are going to do everything we can to tell our voters not to vote for him in the New Hampshire primary.‖ –Sam Cohen, officer of a gunrights support group, talking about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (8/2/2013)
A far cry, far from it
DEFINITION: A far cry (from) means much different. Far from it means not at all. EXAMPLE A: Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School is a far cry from the schools that today’s parents attended. –The Arizona Republic (3/6/2011) EXAMPLE B: EPA has seen one of the most productive times in the agency’s history… It doesn’t get any better than that, but that doesn’t mean these actions were without controversy; far from it. –Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (7/30/2013)
Across the board
DEFINITION: This phrase means including all parts or categories, with no exceptions. EXAMPLE A: ―The reason we have been in such an enormous economic crisis was prompted by reckless behavior across the board.‖ –Barack Obama (presidential debate, 10/3/2012) EXAMPLE B: ―I think the real estate market really has bottomed… there’s different sectors in real estate but generally I think across the board it has bottomed.‖ – Hank McLarty, president, Gratus Capital Management (5/19/2012)
Ace in the hole Ace (or card or trick) up one’s sleeve
DEFINITION: An ace in the hole is a powerful advantage that others cannot see, or is kept secret. The phrase comes from poker, in which cards that are kept secret from other players are ―in the hole.‖ The idiom is sometimes also used to mean an advantage, secret or not. EXAMPLE: However, Amazon has an ace up its sleeve that other tablet makers do not, in that the Kindle Fire will offer Amazon’s full spread of digital content… – The New York Times (9/28/2011) OTHER SAYINGS:
Achilles’ heel
DEFINITION: In Greek mythology, the warrior Achilles could only be killed if he was wounded in the heel of his foot, and that is how he died. Achilles’ heel is used as a metaphor meaning fatal weakness, but often its meaning is weakness, not necessarily fatal. EXAMPLE: For the first time in 14 months, the Washington area lost more jobs than it gained… largely because of job losses in the federal government… ―What gave us early growth last year and made us the fastest-growing metro area looks like our Achilles’ heel this year.‖ –The Washington Post (8/3/2011)
IDIOMS IN THE NEWS
15Fra Baidu bibliotekminutes of fame
DEFINITION: This is a phrase sometimes used as an insult, accusing someone of seeking publicity for a bad or selfish purpose. But in most uses it is neutral in showing how people want a little bit of fame. EXAMPLE: ―Everything that he is saying is false and nonsense,‖ says Kardashian’s lawyer, Marty Singer. ―This guy is in it to promote himself for his 15 minutes of fame.‖ –New York Post (11/14/2011)
20-20 hindsight
DEFINITION: “Hindsight is 20-20” is a common expression. It means it’s easy to see things clearly when they are in the past. EXAMPLE: ―Looking back, of course with 20-20 hindsight, I wish we would have done more to encourage competition.‖ –Jill Sommers, former member of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, talking about large financial institutions that continue to dominate derivatives trading (9/4/2013)
A bird in the hand
DEFINITION: A bird in the hand is a shortened version of an old saying: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. It means having something now is more valuable than the possibility of having something greater in the future. EXAMPLE: Barnes & Noble’s future remains uncertain. So the board may prefer to take the bird in the hand in the form of the Liberty Media bid, particularly since the risk of Barnes & Noble’s digital strategy is high. –The New York Times (1/1/2011)
Act of God, act of nature
DEFINITION: An act of God is a powerful event that cannot be avoided or controlled. It often refers to severe weather, floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which are also called acts of nature. EXAMPLE: Maryland Bankers Association President Kathleen Murphy says banks, too, are willing to work one-on-one with customers dealing with a financial crisis from an ―act of God or inactivity of Congress.‖ –The Baltimore Sun (8/1/2011)
Act of faith
DEFINITION: If something you do is an act of faith, you do it because you believe in something or you are testing your belief in something—such as religion, an idea, a person or group. An act of faith usually involves taking a risk or doing something difficult. EXAMPLE: As an act of faith to restore relations with Pakistan, U. S. intelligence in recent weeks shared the location of two such compounds [bomb-making facilities] in Pakistan’s tribal areas. –Associated Press (7/13/2011)
About-face
DEFINITION: About-face is the command that makes soldiers turn and face in the opposite direction. About-face also means a change from one direction to the opposite one. EXAMPLE: In an about-face, Navistar this month said it would purchase a competitor’s engines to meet the standards. –Chicago Tribune (8/28/2012)
Acid test, litmus test
DEFINITION: An acid test makes a sure, conclusive determination. In other words, it’s a test to reach a definite conclusion. EXAMPLE: ―This is an acid test. If he decides to support these horrible bills, then we in New Hampshire are going to do everything we can to tell our voters not to vote for him in the New Hampshire primary.‖ –Sam Cohen, officer of a gunrights support group, talking about New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (8/2/2013)
A far cry, far from it
DEFINITION: A far cry (from) means much different. Far from it means not at all. EXAMPLE A: Carpe Diem Collegiate High School and Middle School is a far cry from the schools that today’s parents attended. –The Arizona Republic (3/6/2011) EXAMPLE B: EPA has seen one of the most productive times in the agency’s history… It doesn’t get any better than that, but that doesn’t mean these actions were without controversy; far from it. –Gina McCarthy, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (7/30/2013)
Across the board
DEFINITION: This phrase means including all parts or categories, with no exceptions. EXAMPLE A: ―The reason we have been in such an enormous economic crisis was prompted by reckless behavior across the board.‖ –Barack Obama (presidential debate, 10/3/2012) EXAMPLE B: ―I think the real estate market really has bottomed… there’s different sectors in real estate but generally I think across the board it has bottomed.‖ – Hank McLarty, president, Gratus Capital Management (5/19/2012)
Ace in the hole Ace (or card or trick) up one’s sleeve
DEFINITION: An ace in the hole is a powerful advantage that others cannot see, or is kept secret. The phrase comes from poker, in which cards that are kept secret from other players are ―in the hole.‖ The idiom is sometimes also used to mean an advantage, secret or not. EXAMPLE: However, Amazon has an ace up its sleeve that other tablet makers do not, in that the Kindle Fire will offer Amazon’s full spread of digital content… – The New York Times (9/28/2011) OTHER SAYINGS: