idioms

IdiomsAchilles’ heel 致命弱点He was very brave, but fear of spider was his Achilles’ heelFill someone’s shoes接替某人的工作并做得很好I don’t know how we’ll able to do without you. No one can fill your shoes.Eat one’s cake and have it too 两者兼得，常用于否定Henry can;t make up his mind whether to go to college or get a full time job. You can’t eat your cake and have it too.A big frog (fish) in a small pond小范围里的头要人物I’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than the opposite.Get one’s feet wet初次经历It’s not so hard to dance once you get your feet wet.Lead someone up the garden path使某人相信错误的东西，蒙骗She made those confessions to lead the police up the garden path .Go like clockwork 有规律地，顺利滴进行The building project is progressing nicely .Everything is going like clockwork . Can’t see the forest for the trees一叶障目The solution is obvious .you missed it because you cant see the forest for the trees. Rob Peter to pay Paul挖肉补疮Trying to study a lesson for one class during another 1class is like robbing Peter to pay Paul .All thumbs 笨拙的Bob can’t play the piano at all .He is all thumbsBend someone’s ear 缠着某人说个不停I’m sorry .I didnt mean to bend your ear for such a long time .Build castles in the air /Spain制定不能实现的计划He liked build castle in the air but never succeeded in anything .Desert /leave a sinking ship 困难来临时逃之夭夭I hate to be the one to desert a sinking ship but I can’t stand it around here anymore . Every cloud has a sliver lining 黑暗中总有一线光明Well ,every cloud has a sliver lining .I may not be so well off now ,but I’ll have more time to enjoy my family .Get one’s fingers burned惹火烧身I’ve tried it before and got my fingers burned ,I wont try it again .In the hole 欠债After Christmas I am always in the hole for at least one mouth .Look like the cat that swallowed the canary(金丝雀)When she won the prize ,Susan went home looking like the cat that swallowed the canary .Promise the moon /earth to someone做无法兑现的承诺My boss promised the moon to me but only paid the minimum wage .Sink or swim 成败攸关，生死存亡We must cut rob our prices or be forced out of the market it’s a matter of sink or swimTake a leaf out of someone’s book效仿某人的做法You had better do it your your way .Don’t take a leaf out of my book ,I don’t do it well .Through thick and thin历尽甘苦Jack stayed at college through thick and thin because he wanted an education .Walk a tightrope如覆薄冰，身处险境Our business is about to fail ,We’ve been walking a tightrope for three month .Wild -goose chase寻找不可能找到的物或人John was angry because he was sent out on a wild -goose chase.To spank a crying child just adds fuel to the fire .At sixes and sevens乱七八糟Things are happening so fast that she’s at sixes and sevens about what to do next . Carry coals to Newcastle多此一举The man who waters his grass after a heavy rain is carrying coals to Newcastle . Fish in troubled /muddy waters 浑水摸鱼，趁火打劫All they wanted was to make a bad blood between them and fish in troubled waters . Tit for tat 一报还一报I told her if she did me any harm I would return tit for tat .Keep one’s fingers crossed 祈求好运I think the experiment will be turn out to be successful ,but I’m keeping my fingers Leave someone holding the back /parcel /bag 让某人承担不愿承担的责任When the firm started to loose money ,Jack resigned ,and I was left holding the baby . Mend one’s fences改善关系Sally called up her uncle to apologize and try to mend her fences .Once bitten twice shy一遭被咬，下次胆小I wont enter for that sweepstake on the horses .I lost 100dollar last year .once bitten twice shy .Open /open up a can of worms 引起麻烦How about cleaning up this mess before you open another can of worms.Save something for a rainy day 未雨绸缪I’ve saved a litter money for a rainy day .Stab someone in the back暗中伤人He stabbed his friend in the back by stealing from his store .Take the ball by the horns 不顾危险毅然采取行动If we are going to solve this problem ,someone is going to have to take the bull by the horns.The last strawWhen Ann was become sick that was the last straw that broke the camel’s back . White elephant 累赘，无用之物The car they bout last year was a white elephant ,it uses a lot of patrol and breaks down again and again .Any port in a storm危急时刻不择好坏，饥不择食I didnt want to live with my parents ,but it was a case of any port in a storm ,I couldn’t find an apartment .Birds of a feather flock together ，物以类聚，人以群分，同类的鸟一起飞（贬义）Bob and Tom are just alike .they like each other’s company because birds of a feather flock together .Burn one’s bridges /boats behind one破釜沉舟，自断退路，背水一战If your get mad and quit your job ,you’ll be burning your bridges behind you .Does /tasting of one’s own medicine以其人之道还治其人之身Jim was always playing tricks on other boys ,Finally they decided to give him a does of his own medicine .Everything from soup to nuts无所不包In college I studied everything from soup to nuts .Foul one’s own nest损害自己的利益，做蚕自缚He tried to discredit a fellow worker but just succeeded in fouling his own nest . Short end of the stick 所得少于别人，吃亏的事Again they ended up with the short end of the stick because the terms of the trade are against them .Have one’s fingers in the pie参与某事，插手于某事As long as John has his fingers in the pie ,things will go slowly .Be hoist with /by one’s own petard 自食恶果，害人反害自己The criminal was hoist with his own petard when he tried to kill his wife ,because he accidentally drank the poison intend for her .Bolt from /out of the blue出人意料而令人又不快Like a bolt out of the blue ,the boss came and fired us all .Make hay while the sun shines晒草要趁阳光好，把握时机Go to school and get a good education while you’re young .Make hay while the sun shines.Off the cuff 不做准备地Ben hadn’t prepared a speech ,so he had to speak off the cuff .Play both ends (against the middle)脚踏两只船以从中获利If you try to play both ends ,you’re likely to get in trouble with both sides .Put one’s foot in it蠢话When I told Ann that her hair was more beautiful than I had ever seen it ,I really put my foot in it .It was a wig .Spread oneself too thin 试图同时做很多事而过于分散精力It’s a good idea to get involved in many activities ,but don’t spread yourself too thin . Still waters run deep静水流深She’s never show any sign of having a mind of her own before .Perhaps she’s never needed to ,still waters run deep .Tilt at windmills 与风车作战I’m not going to fight this issue .I’ve wasted too much of my time tilting at windmills .Watched pot /kettle never boils 心急锅不开Billy weighed himself four times a day while he was trying to lose weight .His mother said “Relax ! A watched pot never boils .”Turn the other cheek 一味忍让When Bob got mad at Mary and yelled at her ,she just turned the other cheek . Where there’s smoke ,there’s fire 无烟不起火，无风不起浪There is a lot of noise coming from the room .There’s probably something wrong .where there’s a smoke there’s a fire .。