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.

Clam¹ 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 athletic² 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 Oxford³, 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 helping⁴ 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 Jack⁵ 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 retirement⁶.

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.

fall for...迷恋上……

She fell for that guy simply because he behaved quite differently from others.

be riding for a fall自讨苦吃

That big country is riding for a fall if it keeps interfering⁷ with others'' internal affairs.

play fast and loose with...敷衍了事，不正经干

You are not clever enough to play fast and loose with Susan.

play favorites with...对……有偏心眼

The girl isn't on good terms with her parents. They play favorites with her little brother.

put out a feeler to do...试探……的反应

The chairman put out a feeler to see people's reactions to his election speech.

be dead on one's feet筋疲力尽

Our boss regards us his slaves. Everyday after work.

land on one's feet安全摆脱困境

With the loan from the bank, the company landed on its feet.

stand on one's feet自食其力

The Chinese Communist Party decided⁸ to stand on their feet during the Liberation Campaign. People in Naniwan were called upon to develop agriculture.

sit on the fence保持中立

Who would you vote for? You bet I won't vote for him. He likes sitting on the fence on important issues.

play the field不正经干

He is really a playboy, He likes to play the field and is never serious with any one girl.

burn one's fingers因管闲事而吃苦头

I always tell you to keep away from the scoundrels. Now you are burning your fingers.

have sticky fingers手不老实。有小偷小摸的陋习

The old lady fired the maid because she had sticky fingers.

keep one's fingers crossed祈求成功

The leader was guilty of a serious dereliction of duty. He kept his fingers crossed that he could escape severe punishment.

let something slip through one's fingers眼睁睁地看着……跑掉

The lawyer studied the case very carefully. He wouldn't let something slip through his fingers.

build a fire under someone紧催促某人……

That guy is a slowpoke. I wish there were some way to build a fire under him.

put a fire under someone其主语一般是物，而不是人。

have other fish to fry有其他要紧事要做

Come on out! Forget about the exam, You're got other fish to fry.

a flash in the pan昙花一现

He used to be called a young entrepreneur. But soon he was forgotten by the public. He was a flash in the pan.

a fly in the ointment美中不足

Mobile phone are quite popular nowadays, but they ring at any time in the public areas. It is a fly in the ointment⁹.

be nobody's fool不傻，精明

You can not easily take him in. It is obvious that he is nobody's fool.

get off on the right foot开门红

Everything will go smoothly¹⁰ if we get off on the right foot.

put one's foot down气愤的表示反对

The boy wanted to quit school, but his father put his foot down.

play footsy with...与……调情

Jack was so in love with Mary that he couldn't help playing footsies with her while having dinner.

marry a fortune嫁给了有钱人

Scariet was in trouble, She wanted to marry a fortune and save the whole family.

as sly as a fox非常狡猾

Though the suspect was as sly as fox, he had to admit his crime in front of solid evidence.

a dime¹¹ a dozen数不清，很多

Pagers were rare ten years ago. Now they are a dime a dozen.

make free with...擅自使用……

Do you think I'm a millionaire? Don't make free with my things.

a freeloader白吃白喝，爱占便宜的人

In America, even if you live with your relative, you can't be a freeloader.

a fair-weather friend不能同患难的朋友

I have searched my conscience, and believe I have never mistreated you. But you turned out to be a fair-weather friend.

get stage fright怯场，紧张

The student got stage fright when he stepped into exam room.

add fuel to the flames火上浇油

The boy refused to make an apology to his father, which added fuel to the flames.

have a barrel of fun极开心

Children had a barrel of fun in the masquerade.

make fun of someone取笑某人

It is not right to make fun of the disabled.

play to the gallery哗众取宠，收买人心

He's so good at playing to the gallery, especially in front of girls.

gang up on someone结伙对付某人

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