使用英语

英语习语的分类和使用

分类：

一相当于名词。例如

whiteelephant:somethingulessandunwantedbutbigandcostly累赘

braintrust:agroupofpeoplewithspecialknowledgewhoanswerquestionsor

giveadvice)智囊团

fleshandblood:relativeorfamily骨肉亲情

anappleofdiscord:cauofdisagreementorargument,etc不和的种子，祸根

Jackofalltrades:apersonwhocandomanydifferentkindsofworkbutmay

notgoodatanyofthem门门懂，样样瘟；行行皆通,样样稀松

flyintheointment:somethingthatspoilstheperfectionofsomething.美中不足

二相当于形容词

cutanddried:alreadyttledandunlikelytobechanged

aspoorasachurchmou:having,orearning,barelyenoughmoneyforone's

needs

wideofthemark:notatallsuitable,correct,etc

beyondthepale:beyondthelimitofproperbehaviour

upintheair:uncertain.

三相当于动词

lookinto:investigate

goon:continue

putoff:discourage...from;cau...todislike,;makeexcusin

ordertoavoidaduty

turnon:switchon

getawaywith:dosomethingwrongwithoutbeingpunished

putdownto:statethatsomethingiscaudorexplainedby

makeit:arriveintime;succeedindoing

followone'sno:gostraightahead,gointhesamedirection

fallflat:failcompletelyinitsintendedorexpectedeffect

givesbthebag:fireordismisssomebody

singadifferenttune:changeone'sopinionorattitude

callitaday:decideoragreetostopeithertemporarilyorforgood

chopandchange:fluctuateorvaryconstantly;keepchangingone'sopinion

swimagainstthestream:dotheoppositeofwhatmostpeoplewanttodo

comebacktoearth:stopimaginingordreaming

makeendsmeet:earnwhatitcoststolive

keepthepotboiling:earnenoughtomaintainanadequatestandardofliving;

keepasituationactive,amusingetc.

letthedogetherabbit:donotgetinthewayofanotherwhowishestoeor

dosth.

bitethehandthatfeedsone:repaykindnesswithwrong;turnagainstahelper

orsupporter

四相当于副词

toothandnail:withgreatviolenceanddetermination

innothingflat:inaverylittletime;soon

throughthickandthin:throughalldifficultiesandtroubles

五相当于句子（谚语，口头禅等）

Abirdinthehandisworthtwointhebush.

Allisnotgoldthatglitters.

Killthegoothatlaidthegoldenegg.

使用：

一习语的文体特征：

习语十之八九是非正式的口头语，俚语，因此，不适合用于正式文体中。偶尔，在正式文体

中能见到及其正式的习语和老掉牙的说法。

1.口头语

hangin:nottogiveup

Hanginthere,oldbuddy;theworstisyettocome.

bigwheel:aninfluentialorimportantperson

UncleFerdinandisabigwheelinWashington,maybehecanhelpyouwithyour

problem.

makewaves:createadisturbance,ansation

Joeisthewrongmanforthejob;he'salwaystryingtomakewaves.

canofworms:acomplexproblemorcomplicatedsituation

Let'snotgetintobigcitypolitics-that'sadifferentcanofworms.

2.俚语

cancerstick:cigarette

Throwawaythatcancerstick!Smokingisbadforyou.

hitthesack:gotobed

I'msleepy;let'shitthesack.

dishthedirt:gossiporspreadrumoursaboutothers

Stopdishingthedirt,Sally,it'sreallyunbecoming!

feelnopain:bedrunk

Afterafewdrinks,themanfeltnopainandbegantoactfoolishly.

inthesoup:inrioustrouble;inconfusion

Whenhiswifeoverdrewtheirbankaccountwithouttellinghim,MrCook

suddenlyfoundhimlfreallyinthesoup.

3.文学表达

cometopass:takeplace;happen

Strangethingscometopassintroubledtimes.

beitthat:eventhough

AndbeitthatindeedthatIhaveerred,mineerrorremainethwithmylf.

inthewakeof:rightafter;following

Faminefollowedinthewakeofwar.

givethelieto:callsomebodyaliar

Thepolicegavethelietothemanwhosaidthathehadbeenathomeduringthe

robbery.

ofnote:notable;well-known

SahgalisanovelistofnoteinIndia.

crossswords:haveanargumentwith;fight

ThatwaswhereIcrosdswordswithWilfitinthediscussionoffinancingthe

newproject.

二习语的修辞特征

1.语音的使用

a.头韵：

chopandchange:fluctuateorvaryconstantly;keepchangingone'sopinion

mightandmain:allone'spowerandstrength

roughandready:acceptable,butnotverygood

partandparcel:mostimportantandesntialpart

tossandturn:keepturningfromsidetoside

bagandbaggage:withallone'sbelongings

sumandsubstance:thegistofsomething

neitherfish,fleshorfowl:difficulttoclassify

b.尾韵

kithandkin:relative

toilandmoil:workhardandlong

byhookandbycrook:byallmeansgoodandfoul

fairandsquare:just,honest;withoutdeceit

Alittlepotissoonhot.

Afriendinneedisafriendindeed.

There'smanyaslipbetweenthecupandthelip.杯到嘴边还会失手（指万事难以十

拿九稳，事情往往功败垂成）

2.词汇的使用

a.同义词复用

screamandshout;cutandcarve,

pickandchoo,hustleandbustle,

roughandtough,oddsandends,

bitsandpieces,pushandshove,

waysandmeans,byleapsandbounds

b.重复

byandby,outandout,

suchandsuch,neckandneck,

lotsandlots,roundandround,

daybyday,allinall,

facetoface,shouldertoshoulder,

handinhand,wordforword,

formtimetotime,yearinyearout.

c.反义词复用

hereandthere,upanddown,

hitormiss,rainorshine,

wealandwoe,firstandlast,

highandlow,backandforth,

rightandleft,soonerorlater,

playfastandloo,moveheavenandearth,

fromheadtofoot,fromstarttofinish

3.修辞手法的使用

a.明喻

asmuteasafish;asdeadasadoornail,

asgracefulasaswan,likearatinahole,

eatlikeahor,sleeplikealog,

Timeflieslikeanarrow,spendmoneylikewater.

b.暗喻

blacksheepadarkhor

snakeinthegrassthesaltoftheearth

awetblanket

c.转喻

inthecradlelivebyone'spen

fromcradletogravemakeupapur

d.借代

earnone'sbreadfallintogoodhands

twoheadsarebetterthanone

e.拟人

speakslouderthanwords.

dwateraregoodrvants,

butbadmasters.

f.委婉语

thecallofnaturepowderone'sno

kickthebucketabigchee

aworldoftroubleafloodoftears