13. across the board 全面地

该习语的意思是“包括一切的，全面的”。例如：We’re aiming to increase productivity across the board.（我们旨在全面提高产量。）该习语还可以用来指“（赛马、赛狗等打赌时）押前三名”。

A: Do you know the last news? 你知道最新消息吗？
B: No, what? 不知道，什么呀？
A: We asked for a pay increase of 5% across the board yesterday. 昨天我们要求全部加薪5%。
B: Did the boss agree with you? 老板同意了？
A: No. He said they’d discuss it at the board meeting. 没有。他说要在董事会上讨论。
B: That’s just an alibi¹. 那是他的借口。

14. add up to 合计达；总括起来意味着

此语本义指“合计为”，在日常生活中多用喻义，即“总括起来意味着”。有时为了进一步强调，亦作all add up to。在使用中应注意与“add up”一词的区别。“add up”本指“把 … 加起来”，如：add up a column of figures（把一栏数字加起来）；其喻义为“言之有理，说得通”，如：The facts just don’t add up.（这些事情合计起来不对头。）

A: The cashier said he had locked the safe before he left. 出纳说他走时把保险柜锁上了。
B: But how did the money disappear from it if it was locked? 如果锁上了那钱怎么没的？
A: I just wonder … 我只是奇怪 …
B: What do you think it all adds up to? 你想这一切意味着什么？
A: It adds up to the fact that we have been cheated. 意味着我们被骗了。

15. agree to differ 求同存异

agree to differ指的是“各自保留不同意见（不再说服对方）”，意即“求同存异”。

A: What do you mean? 你是什么意思？
B: Considering the major contracts they might give us, I overlooked the small loss. 考虑到他们可能与我们签订大宗合同，小小的损失我就忽略不计了。
A: So you agreed to differ? 所以你就求同存异？
B: That’s right. 没错。

16.all told 合计；总之

此语原义为“总计，合计”，引申为“总之”。如：All told，it was a great credit to them.（总之，这给他们大大增了光。）此语同in all同义。

A: How many people attended today’s meeting? 有多少人参加了今天的会议？
B: There were seventeen of us at the meeting, all told. 一共有十七个人。
A: Issue an announcement that if somebody doesn’t attend meeting next time, his or her bonus will be deducted². 发布一则通知，就说如果有人下一次不参加会议，他或她的奖金全扣。
B: Yes. 好的。

17.all wet 搞错了

wet原义为“湿的”，干活常把手弄湿，指某人“没经验的”。该习语多见于美国俚语，意为“大错特错，胡说，瞎扯”。

A: I made a reservation two days ago. My name is David Johnson. 我前天在这儿预订了房间，我叫戴维约翰逊。
B: Reservation? What do you mean? 预定？什么意思？
A: I booked a single room here for tonight. 我定了一间今晚的单人房。
B: Oh! You’re all wet, actually. This is not a hotel. The hotel is the building across the road. 哦，你搞错了。这不是旅馆，旅馆是路对过的那做楼。

18.an easy digging 轻而易举的事

dig做动词时有“集中精力于… 的意思”，往往用来指工作、学习。An easy digging指“学习轻松”，引申为“事情轻而易举”。

A: Do you think we can nurse our business back to life? 你说我们能让生意起死回生吗？
B: It’s not an easy digging. We’ll have to rack our brain and think of some effective measures. 这可不是件容易事。我们得绞尽脑汁想出一些行之有效的办法。
A: I seem to be at the end of my wits. I have got lost and don’t know where I’m going. 我可是黔驴技穷了。我有点茫然，不知道该干什么才好。
B: Never say die. The darkest hour is the nearest dawn. 别这么说，现在只是黎明前的黑暗。

19.any more 不再

此语用于否定句中，构成not … any more“不再”，与之同义的短语为not … any longer。与肯定句中的no more和no longer同义。区别在于not any longer和no longer都口语化。

A: I can’t take the job any longer. 我不能再干这份工作了。
B: If you need the money, you’ll just have to grin and bear it. 如果要想挣钱的话，你就得含笑忍辱。
A: I’d rather starve than suffer the torture of the beast! 我宁愿饿死也不受这份罪。
B: Don’t be childish and capricious. You want to change the world? No way, it is just the world that will change you. 别幼稚任性了。你想改变这个世界？决不可能的。只能是这世界改变你。
A: My God! The school life is really simple and free. But now I have it no more. 天呀！还是校园生活简单自由，可我不再拥有它了。

20.as easy as one’s eye 很容易

该习语是一种非正规的口语表达方式，类似的表达方式还有：as easy as anything/as ABC/as falling off a log/as winkling。这些短语指的是“很容易”。

A: Money is hard to earn these days. 这年头挣钱不容易。
B: To me, it’s as easy as my eye. 对我来说很容易。
A: You steal? Or rob? 去偷还是去抢？
B: Of course not. 当然不是。

21.as sure as eggs is eggs 毫无疑问，千真万确

此语与“蛋”可说没什么直接联系，其中eggs很可能系数学公式中x的讹误。它原作as sure as x is x，17世纪后始作（as）sure as eggs is eggs。有时亦作（as）sure as eggs are eggs。这条成语1699年在英国北部地区首先使用。

A: Do you think Peter will win this time? 你认为彼得这次会赢吗？
B: It’s impossible. 不大可能。
A: Why? 为什么？
B” He’s no match in force and skill. 体力和技巧上，他都不是对手。
A: You mean he’ll lose, as sure as eggs is eggs? 你是说他必定会输，确信无疑了？
B: Yeah, unless there is a miracle. 是这样，除非有奇迹发生。

22.as well 也，还，又；完全的，足够的

此语一指“也，还，又”；也可做副词短语，意义为“完全的，足够的”，如：Obviously she had been frightened out of wit, as well she might be.（显然她已经给吓得六神无主了，于她来说这也在情理之中。）与之相近的习语为as well as“（除 … 之外）也”，如：On Sundays, his landlady³ provided dinner as well as breakfast.（逢星期天，他的女房东除供应他早餐外，还供应他晚餐。）As well as 的另一意义为“和 … 一样”，如：He would like to go as well as you.（他和你一样想去。）

A: I’m going to ask the janitor⁴ to wash the floors in the halfway⁵. 我要让看门的把走廊的地板清洗一下。
B: Would you ask him to clear the lobby as well? 请你让他把大厅也清洗一下好吗？
A: Ok. Can he do it well? 好吧，他能做好吗？
B: Yes, if he’s glad to. 能，只要他肯干。

23.ask for it 自找麻烦，自找苦吃

该习语是ask for trouble的非正规的口语表达方式。如：Don’t be late again, or you’ll ask for it.（别再迟到了，要不然你会自找苦吃的。）

A: Do you know what happened? 你猜怎么着？
B: Not an inkling. What’s happened? 猜不着，怎么了？
A: My girlfriend gave her boss a good piece of her mind. 我女朋友狠狠教训了她老板一顿。
B: He asked for it, I suppose. 我猜他是自找的。
A: Yeah. She is really something. 可不是么，她真了不起。

24.ask no odds⁶ 不要求特殊照顾

odds作名词时指的是“奇特的事物，怪人或奇数”，而短语ask no odds的意思为“不要求特殊照顾”。

A: Mr. Green, may I have a talk with you? 格林先生，我可以和你谈谈吗？
B: Of course. Wait a minute. Ok, now, what can I do for you, Miss? 当然可以了。请稍等。好啦，小姐，有什么我可以为您效劳的吗？
A: I ask no odds, I just want you to be fair and square. 我不要求特殊照顾，我只要求您公正。
B: I think I’m always fair and square. 我觉得我一直都是很公正的。
A: But not this time. I’ve done the most of the sales but you spilt the profit among all of us. 但这次把不是。我完成了大部分销售额，而你给我们所有人分配利润。

25.at a loose end 无所事事，无所适从

此语可以追溯到19世纪中期。一说此语源自航海，原表示“（绳索的）一端末系住”。一说原指“（衣带）垂下”。该语常有“因没有事做而感到不满”的含义。此语亦可作at loose ends。

A: It seems that he is unhappy. 看起来他不很高兴。
B: You’re right. He has been out of work for a long time. 就是。他已有些日子没工作了。
A: Have no any chance to try again? 没有什么机会再来一次吗？
B: No. So he is in low spirits. Don’t talk about the matter of work with him. OK? 没有。所以他情绪低落。别和他谈论工作的事，好吗？
A: Yeah. I got it. 我明白。
B: Thank you for caring about him and coming to see him. 谢谢你关心他，还来看他。
A: You’re welcome. I know everyone of us will feel discomfortable when we’re at a loose end. 别客气，我知道一个人无事可干的时候很不舒服。