CHAPTER X
ENGLISH IDIOMS
Tho who do not know idioms are just idiots.
Introduction
Definition:An English idiom is a group of words with special meaning different from the meanings of its constituent words.
Besides mantic opaqueness（晦涩、不透明）,many English idioms a re characteriz ed by structural invariability.Their form is often fixed.
honor,success,of which one can be proud.
A feather in one
one’’s cap:an anhonor,
To draw a blank：抽到空签，（忙乎半天）一无所获
Tom
Tom’’s success has stepped up(提升、走近enhanced)their social status. She sang a few lines off the cuff(without previous preparation).
即兴：improvi,impromptu,ad-lib,wing it,ad-libber,improvisational, Our policy is cut and dried（已成定局）.
My old man has kicked the bucket(死).
单复数、同义词均不可随意替换。pail
2.Source of English Idioms
Daily life:
one’’s shirts on不发脾气，忍耐
To keep one
To give sb the cold shoulder冷淡对待
To make(both)ends meet做到收支平衡/相抵
To go to ed结籽，退化，不修边幅起来
path
To lead someone up the garden
gardenpath
To put one
one’’s hand to the plough着手某项工作
with
boatwith
To be in the same boat
To be in deep waters陷入困境
追逐梦想作文600字To go against/with the stream逆/顺潮流而动
To cross swords with someone交锋，争论
one’’s gun固执己见
To stick to one
Rank and file普通一兵
To come under the hammer被拍卖
To talk shop满嘴行话，三句不离本行
To turn an honest penny用正当手段挣钱，做正行生意
To speak by the book说话确切有根据
To turn over a new leaf翻开新的一页，重新来过
To read between the lines体会言外之意
To flunk out不及格而退学
To keep the pot boiling谋生，维持生计
To be in the soup处于困境
To butter both sides of one
one’’s bread多此一举
To keep the ball rolling使正常运转，不使中断
To reach the first ba取得初步成功（开门红）
to play one
one’’s last card打出最后王牌，作最后一击
to follow suit效尤，学样，跟风
to turn up trumps（揭到好牌）交好运
to play into sb sb’’s hands放水（故意给好处）给某人
The Bible:
a thorn in the flesh肉中刺，眼中钉
to turn the other cheek打左脸送上右脸，一味忍让，
唾面自干
one’’s eye眼中的宝贝，掌上明珠
the apple of one
a drop in the bucket沧海一粟，九牛一毛
sheep’’s clothing
wolf in sheep
Pride goes before a fall骄兵必败
A living dog is better than a dead lion.
=A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.双鸟在林不如一鸟在手Do as you would be done by(others).己所不欲勿施于人。Shakespeare’’s plays:
Shakespeare
To flutter the dovecotes（扰乱鸽棚）使温顺者骚动起来，
To give the Devil his due公平对待，平心而论
one’’s sleeve心直口快，容易激动
To wear one
one’’s heart on one
The primro（樱草）path享乐之路
One
One’’s salad days少不更事时期
Fables,myths,legends:
Sour grapes（伊索寓言？）得不到而去诋毁的事物
Sweet lemon(mechanism)甜柠檬（作用）——一种心理补偿作用
自己的孩子好
lion’’s share
The lion
一门什么填空The sword of Damocles随时可能发生的危险，潜在的威胁Achilles’’heel
Achilles
labor
Herculean
Herculeanlabor
To work like a Trojan勤奋工作用骄傲造句
3.Classification of Idioms
Semantic criterion:（See notes on P296,297）
1).Standard word combination
2).Phraological unities:to come to the point涉及要点
3).Cast-iron（铸铁）idioms:to be on the carpet在被考虑（讨论）中Structural criterion:
Phrasal idioms:（短语）
A bed of ros称心如意的境遇，安乐窝
Easy on the eye悦目
In one piece完整，无缝，未受破坏
Clau idioms:（Subjectless无主小句/子句）
one’’s words食言
Eat one
Catch sb red-handed现场抓住
Deal sb a blow打击，给……一击
Sentence idioms:（完整句）
The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
inch and he he’’ll take a mile.得寸进尺
Give sb an aninch
A.Phra idioms
Cold comfort无用的安慰
1)Verb phra idiom:
adv.::look up,put aside
v.+adv.
v.+prep.:make for走向,get through
v.+adv.
away y adv.++prep.:come round to改变主意，经放弃后又回头做,do awa with废掉
blow,break,bring,call,catch,come,fall,get,give,go,hold,keep,lay,
look,make,put,run,t,stand,take,turn,work
about,across,at,away,back,by,down,for,in,into,off,on,out,over, (a)round,through,to,up
work out=figure out=calculate
turn down=reject
do away with=abolish
step up=提升
lay on=提供
take up=继续
break-in闯入
take-off起飞
run-through过一遍
chuangyeglance-through走马观花
go off=离开，爆炸
pull through=recover康复
smash-up=车祸collision
knock out击倒=floor
2)Noun phra idiom
hard cash现金、（硬通货）
a lame duck不中用的人，竞选连任失败等别人来继任的官员
the last/final straw失败前所受最后一击
light relief令人愉快的改变，调剂，松一口气-lev-=lift
red tape官样文章，繁文缛节，官僚作风
a bolt（闪电）from the sky/blue晴天霹雳，意外事件
the salt of the earth社会中坚
Adjective phra idiom
3)3)Adjective
all t(for sth/to do sth)万事俱备
发呆all square(with sb)势均力敌，不相上下，扯平（清账）
as cross as a bear with a sore head脾气暴躁
as broad as it it’’s long长宽相等，没有区别
(almost)bare of sth几乎没有
easy on the eye悦目
full of beans精神饱满，弄错
4)Prepositional phra idiom
one’’s station超越自己的的身份地位，僭越
above one
at the eleventh hour在最后时刻
in a word一句话，一言以蔽之
one’’s cups喝醉了
in one
in that ca如果那样
on a shoestring拮据，以极少资金，小本经营
steam自力更生
under one
ownsteam
one’’s own
Adverbial phra idiom:
5)5)Adverbial
all too briefly太过简洁
as straight as an arrow笔直
ever so非常
far from it远非
here below世界上，俗世，尘世
flesh and blood血肉之躯
free and easy随便的
toss and turn辗转反侧，翻腾
far and wide到处high and low
cloak-and-dagger film间谍片
属猪的名人bag and baggage带着行李
fair and square公平地
safe and sound毫发无损地
hustle and bustle嘈杂纷扰
B.Clau idioms(or Subjectless clau patterns)无主子句
支部党员大会记录
The criminal should come clean全盘招供.
George would get even with报复the gang.
The company went broke破产.
The schedule has gone haywire陷于混乱、发狂.形容狡猾的成语
My uncle came a cropper落马、倒台when his hor refud to jump th the e last fence.
The poor girl has to bear her cross忍受痛苦、背负十字架.
