跟李笑来学美式俚语（Most Common American Idioms）: Part 14

Most Common American Idioms: Part 14

前言

本文是学习李笑来的Most Common American Idioms这本书的学习笔记，自用。

Github仓库链接：https://github.com/xiaolai/most-common-american-idioms

使用方法: 直接下载下来（或者clone到本地），使用浏览器打开Most_Common_American_Idioms.html文件即可，可以听到例句发音，学习效果很好，推荐给想学习美式俚语的同学。

261. Come alive

“活跃起来” 或 “变得生机勃勃”。

这个短语可以追溯到 19 世纪末，用于表达人或事物从沉闷、死气沉沉的状态中转变为充满活力和生机的状态。在很多场合，它可以描述人突然变得精神振奋，也可以描绘地方在特定时间或者场合变得非常活跃。

• The city comes alive during the festival with music and dancing everywhere.在节日期间，城市因到处都是音乐和舞蹈而变得生机勃勃。

• She really comes alive when talking about her passion for painting.她在谈论自己对绘画的激情时真正变得活跃起来。

• The garden comes alive in spring with all the blooming flowers.春天时，花园里所有的花朵盛开，变得生机盎然。

262. Come clean

坦白或承认错误。

这个短语起源于 19 世纪末，最早用来描述人们从困境中 “洁净” 或 清白出来的状态。后来逐渐发展成为坦白或承认错误的意思，尤其是在涉及到不诚实行为或者误导行为时。

This phrase originated in the late 19th century, initially used to describe someone coming out “clean” or innocent from a predicament. Over time, it has evolved to mean confessing or admitting to wrongdoing, especially when it involves dishonest or misleading behavior.

• After months of lying, he decided to come clean about his mistakes.在撒谎了几个月后，他决定坦白他的错误。

• It’s always better to come clean than to keep hiding the truth.比起一直隐瞒真相，坦白总是更好。

263. Come down with a cold

“染上感冒” 或 “得了感冒”。

这个短语的字面意思是 “染上” 或 “患上” 某种疾病，“come down with” 特指生病，尤其是指轻微疾病。这个 idiom 最常用于表示某人开始有感冒或类似的小病症状。

• She missed the meeting because she came down with a cold.她没来开会，因为她得了感冒。

• I think I’m coming down with a cold; my throat is sore.我觉得自己要感冒了；我的喉咙很疼。

264. Come hell or high water

“不管发生什么事” 或 “无论如何”。

这个短语的起源可以追溯到 19 世纪，其字面意思涉及到地狱（hell）和洪水（high water），象征着极端的逆境或困难。在现代英语中，“Come hell or high water” 通常被用来表示不管遇到多大的困难或障碍，也要坚决完成某事或实现某个目标。

This idiom can be traced back to the 19th century and its literal meaning involves “hell” and “high water,” symbolizing extreme adversities or difficulties. In modern English, “Come hell or high water” is commonly used to denote a strong determination to achieve something or fulfill a commitment despite any obstacles or challenges that might arise.

• I’ll be at your wedding, come hell or high water.无论发生什么事，我都会去参加你的婚礼。

• They promised to deliver the project on time, come hell or high water.他们承诺，无论如何都要按时交付项目。

• She’s determined to finish this marathon, come hell or high water.无论如何，她都决心完成这场马拉松。

265. Come in handy

“派上用场” 或 “有用”。

这个短语起源于讲话者认为某个物品或人的技能在未来某一时刻会非常有用的场合。日常生活中，人们经常用它来表示某个物品或技能即将或将来会帮助解决某些问题或麻烦。

This phrase originates from discussions where the speaker believes that an item or skill will be very useful at some point in the future. In everyday life, it’s often used to indicate that something or someone’s skill will help resolve some issues or problems eventually.

• Keep this tool in your bag, it might come in handy one day.把这个工具放在包里，它将来可能会派上用场。

• Her sewing skills really came in handy during the costume party.她的缝纫技巧在化妆舞会上确实派上了用场。

• This guide will come in handy for your trip to Japan.这本指南会在你去日本时派上用场。

266. Come out of your shell

“走出你的壳” 或 “打开心扉”。

这个短语源自于乌龟或蜗牛的壳，意指摆脱保护自己的外壳，变得更加主动和开放。用在形容一个人在社交或情感方面变得更为自信和外向。

• After joining the drama club, she’s really come out of her shell.加入戏剧社后，她真的变得开朗了很多。

• He used to be very shy, but he came out of his shell at university.他以前非常害羞，但在大学时他变得开朗了。

267. Come out smelling like roses/a rose

“完美地脱身” 或 “完美无缺地摆脱困境”。

这个短语源自玫瑰花的香气，总是与美好和愉悦联系在一起。“Come out smelling like roses” 意味着在不利的局面中完美脱身或回避了负面的结果。例如，一个人在复杂或糟糕的情况中以无损的身份走出来。这种情形下，此人通常会被视为聪明和幸运的。

This idiom originates from the pleasant fragrance of roses, which is always associated with beauty and delight. “Come out smelling like roses” means to emerge from a difficult situation perfectly, or to avoid negative outcomes. For instance, a person comes out of a complex or lousy situation unscathed. In such cases, the person is often seen as clever and fortunate.

• John’s mistake didn’t affect him, and he came out of it smelling like roses.约翰的错误并没有对他造成影响，他完美无缺地摆脱了困境。

• After the investigation, the company came out smelling like roses and even gained more trust from the public.在调查之后，公司完美无缺地摆脱了困境，甚至赢得了更多公众的信任。

268. Come rain or shine

“不论晴雨” 或 “无论如何都”。

这个短语起源于气象条件，不管是下雨还是晴天，都表示一定会做某件事，即无论遇到什么情况都不会改变计划或决定。现代社会中，在各种承诺、安排和决定中经常使用这一表达，强调坚定性和可靠性。

• I’ll be there to support you, come rain or shine.无论如何，我都会在那儿支持你。

• He jogs every morning, come rain or shine.无论晴雨，他每天早晨都跑步。

269. Comfort food

“安慰食品” 或 “慰藉食品”。

“Comfort food” 是指那些食物，在我们情绪低落或需要安慰时，能够带来温暖和满足感。这些食物通常具有怀旧的意义或能够唤起美好回忆。舒适食物通常与个体的童年或特别的情感联系在一起。

“Comfort food” refers to those foods that bring warmth and satisfaction when we’re feeling down or need comfort. These foods often have nostalgic significance or can evoke pleasant memories. Comfort food is usually associated with one’s childhood or particular emotional connections.

• When I’m stressed, I turn to macaroni and cheese as my comfort food.当我感到压力时，我会吃奶酪通心粉作为我的安慰食品。

• Chicken soup is classic comfort food for many people.鸡汤是许多人经典的慰藉食品。

• Ice cream has always been my go-to comfort food after a bad day.在糟糕的一天之后，冰淇淋一直是我的首选安慰食品。

270. Comparing apples to oranges

“将苹果和橙子作比较” 或 “风马牛不相及的比较”。

这个成语的起源主要源自于苹果和橙子虽然都是水果，但在本质上有很大的不同，不能直接进行比较。这个表达用来说明两个事物本质上不同，无法进行公平的比较。

The idiom originates from the fact that apples and oranges, while both fruits, are fundamentally different in many ways, making them incomparable. It is used to indicate that two things are being compared that are so different that the comparison is not valid.

• Comparing the two jobs is like comparing apples to oranges; they require completely different skill sets.将这两份工作作比较就像比较苹果和橙子；它们所需的技能完全不同。

• You can’t say one is better without the context; that’s like comparing apples to oranges.没有具体背景你不能说哪个更好，这就像拿苹果和橙子作比较一样。

• Assessing a student and a teacher’s performance is comparing apples to oranges; their roles are too different.评估一位学生和老师的表现如同比较苹果和橙子；他们的角色差异太大了。

271. Computer crashed

“电脑死机” 或 “电脑崩溃”。

这个短语描述的是计算机或系统突然停止工作，通常由于软件故障、硬件问题或其他突发原因。在现代生活中，因病毒、系统漏洞或硬件故障导致的电脑崩溃是一个常见的问题，也因此我们会频繁用到这个短语。

This phrase describes the sudden stop of a computer or system functioning, typically due to software glitches, hardware issues, or some unexpected events. In modern life, computer crashes resulting from viruses, system bugs, or hardware failures are common, thereby the frequent use of this expression.

• My computer crashed right before I could save my work.就在我保存工作之前，电脑崩溃了。

• I had to restart because my computer crashed unexpectedly.因为电脑突然崩溃，我不得不重新启动。

272. Cook someone’s goose

“毁了某人的计划” 或 “搞砸某人的事情”。

这个短语起源于 16 世纪，流行于英国和欧陆。当时如果某人的鹅被宰杀煮熟，象征着他们的美好愿望或计划被破坏。类似表达已延伸至现代，用以表示破坏别人的计划或冒犯别人。

This phrase originated in the 16th century in Britain and on the continent. Back then, if someone’s goose was killed and cooked, it symbolized that their good wishes or plans were ruined. This expression has carried over to modern times, indicating spoiling someone’s plans or offending someone.

• When he revealed their secret, he really cooked their goose.当他揭露了他们的秘密时，他真的搞砸了他们的事情。

• Her chance at winning the competition was cooked when she missed her cue.当她错过了提示时，她赢得比赛的机会就被毁了。

273. Cook up

“虚构” 或 “捏造”。

这个短语的起源来自于烹饪的基本概念，即 “烹饪” 食物。随着时间的推移，“烹饪” 这一操作被借用于表示通过巧妙的手段来制造某物。在现代英语中，“cook up” 常用于捏造故事、借口或计划等。

This phrase originates from the basic concept of cooking food. Over time, the action of “cooking” something was metaphorically extended to mean creating something through clever means. In modern English, “cook up” is commonly used to refer to fabricating stories, excuses, or plans.

• He tried to cook up an excuse for being late to the meeting.他试图虚构一个迟到会议的理由。

• The kids cooked up a story to explain the broken vase.孩子们编了一个故事来解释花瓶破碎的原因。

• They cooked up a plan to surprise their friend on her birthday.他们捏造了一个计划，想在她生日时给她一个惊喜。

274. Cooked the books

“篡改账目” 或 “做假账”。

这个短语的起源是与厨师在厨房里准备食物相关的。所谓 “cook the books”，就像厨师煮饭那样，通过篡改或调整方式来达到目的。在企业或财务领域，这个短语指的是通过篡改金融记录或做假账来误导或欺骗他人，从而使账目看起来比实际情况更好或者达到特定目的。

The phrase originates from the idea of a chef “cooking” or preparing food in the kitchen. Similarly, to “cook the books” means to manipulate or alter information purposely to achieve a desired outcome. In the context of business and finance, it refers to the fraudulent act of altering financial records to present a misleadingly favorable picture or to attain certain goals.

• The finance manager was fired for cooking the books to cover up losses.财务经理因为做假账掩盖亏损而被解雇。

• They couldn’t believe that the company had been cooking the books for years.他们无法相信这家公司已经做假账多年了。

275. Cool as a cucumber

cucumber：美 [ˈkjuːkʌmbər] 黄瓜； 注意发音

“非常冷静” 或 “泰然自若”。

这个短语据说源自于黄瓜在炎热的天气里仍能保持凉爽和湿润的特性。因此，用黄瓜来形容一个人在紧张或压力下依然显得冷静自如是一种形象的比喻。

This phrase is said to originate from the fact that cucumbers can remain cool and moist even in hot weather. Therefore, using a cucumber to describe someone who stays calm and composed under stress or pressure is an apt metaphor.

• Even during the intense meeting, she remained as cool as a cucumber.即使在紧张的会议期间，她依然显得非常冷静。

• He handled the crisis cool as a cucumber.他泰然自若地应对了危机。

276. Cool your jets

“冷静一下” 或 “放慢脚步”。

这个短语源于航空航天领域，指冷却引擎，以防过热。在现代语境中，这个短语被用作提醒某人冷静下来或放慢他们的行动和情绪，以免过于激动或急躁。

• Hey, cool your jets; we’ll get there in time.嘿，冷静一下；我们会准时到的。

• You need to cool your jets and think this through.你需要冷静一下，好好思考这件事。

277. Copycat

“抄袭者” 或 “模仿者”。

这个短语起源于儿童之间用来形容那些总是模仿他们行为的人的词语。“copycat” 源自 “copy” 和 “cat” 两个词的组合，表示一个像猫一样模仿动作的人。后来，这个短语被广泛使用，适用于任何没有自己想法，只是模仿别人的人或行为。

• Stop being a copycat and come up with your own ideas.别做个抄袭者，想一些你自己的主意吧。

• Kids often call each other copycat when they mimic actions.孩子们模仿动作时经常会互相叫对方抄袭者。

278. Cost me a mint

mint：铸币厂；造币厂；巨款

“花了我一大笔钱” 或 “非常昂贵”。

这个短语的起源要追溯到古代，“mint” 指的是造币厂，在造币厂里会生产大量的硬币，因此 “a mint” 隐喻着大量的钱财。“Cost me a mint” 这一表达方式便用来形容某物价格极高，远超过一般人所能负担的范围。

• The new car cost me a mint, but it’s worth every penny.这辆新车花了我一大笔钱，但非常值得。

• Renovating the house cost me a mint, but it looks amazing now.翻新房子花了我一大笔钱，但现在看起来很棒。

• That designer handbag cost me a mint; I had to save for months.那个设计师手提包花了我一大笔钱，我存了好几个月的钱。

279. Costs an arm and a leg

“昂贵得离谱” 或 “花费巨大”。

这个短语的起源可以追溯到 18 世纪，可能与一战或二战时期士兵的经历有关。失去手臂和腿代表了非常惨重的代价，于是这个表达逐渐演变为指某物极其昂贵或代价高昂。在现代英语中，这个短语常用来形容价格高得让人难以承受的商品或服务。

• That luxury car costs an arm and a leg.那辆豪车的价格简直昂贵得离谱。

• My college tuition costs an arm and a leg.我的大学学费花费巨大。

• The new smartphone costs an arm and a leg, but it’s totally worth it.这款新智能手机价格昂贵，但完全值得。

280. Couch potato

couch：美 [kaʊtʃ] 长沙发；沙发；

“电视迷” 或 “懒惰的人”。

这个短语起源于 20 世纪 70 年代的美国，一个叫汤姆·伊塞尔（Tom Isern）的卡通画家创造了这个词，指那些整天坐在沙发上看电视、缺乏运动的人。字面意思就是 “沙发上的土豆”，形象地描绘出这些人长期呆在一个地方，不愿动弹的样子。

This phrase originated in the United States in the 1970s when a cartoonist named Tom Isern coined the term to describe people who spend a lot of time sitting on a couch and watching TV, thereby lacking physical activity. Literally, it means “a potato on the couch,” vividly illustrating those who remain in one place for an extended period, unwilling to move.

• He became a couch potato after retiring from work.退休后，他变成了一个电视迷。

• Instead of being a couch potato all weekend, let’s go for a hike.别整周末都当个电视迷了，咱们去远足吧。

• My brother is such a couch potato; he watches TV for hours every day.我哥哥真是个电视迷，他每天能看电视好几个小时。

后记

2024年11月18日19点59分于上海。