跟李笑来学美式俚语（Most Common American Idioms）: Part 16

本文链接：https://blog.csdn.net/shizheng_Li/article/details/143880765

Most Common American Idioms: Part 16

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。

301. Cut to the chase

“直奔主题” 或 “切入正题”。

这个短语起源于早期的好莱坞默片时代，观众往往在观看电影时更喜欢直接看到精彩的动作场面而不耐烦冗长的铺垫，因此 “cut to the chase” 实际是指在电影制作时跳过不必要的情节直接进入追逐戏。后来，这个短语逐渐演变为指在任何情况下直接切入核心议题或主题，避免不必要的铺垫或引言。

This phrase originated from the early days of Hollywood silent films, where viewers often preferred to see exciting action scenes instead of long-winded setups. Hence, “cut to the chase” literally meant to skip straight to the chase scenes in movies. Over time, the phrase has evolved to mean getting to the main point in any context, avoiding unnecessary preamble or delays.

Let’s cut to the chase — how much is this going to cost?我们直奔主题吧 —— 这要花多少钱？
We don’t have much time, so I’ll cut to the chase.我们时间不多，所以我就切入正题了。

302. Cut to the quick

quick：（指甲下的）活肉；敏感部位；要害；

“伤害到痛处” 或 “深深地伤害”。

这个短语源自中世纪英语，其中 “quick” 一词指的是指甲下面柔嫩的皮肤。切到 “quick” 会带来非常强烈的疼痛，因此这个表达用来形容某事对某人造成了深深的伤害或触动了他们的痛处。

The phrase originates from Middle English, where “quick” referred to the tender flesh under the fingernail. Cutting the “quick” would cause intense pain, hence the expression is used to describe something that causes deep emotional hurt or strikes a sensitive nerve.

His harsh words really cut her to the quick.他严厉的话语确实深深伤害了她。
The criticism cut him to the quick and left him feeling devastated.批评深深刺痛了他，让他感到毁灭般的痛苦。
It cut me to the quick when she said she didn’t care about me.当她说她不在乎我时，这深深地伤了我的心。

303. Cute as a bug

“像虫子一样可爱” 或 “非常可爱”。

这个短语似乎起源于美国南方，对小孩或者小动物的可爱形象做出一种夸张的、带有乡村风味的形容。在这些地区，“bug” 并不以虫子本身的形象来理解，而更多的是指那些小巧、天真、讨人喜欢的生物。

This phrase appears to have originated in the Southern United States, where it is used as an exaggerated and folksy way to describe the cuteness of children or small animals. In these regions, “bug” is not understood in its literal sense but rather as a term for tiny, innocent, and charming creatures.

Her baby is cute as a bug, everyone loves to hold him.她的宝宝非常可爱，人人都喜欢抱他。
The puppy is cute as a bug when it chases its tail.小狗追着自己的尾巴时简直太可爱了。
She dressed her daughter in a cute as a bug costume for Halloween.她为女儿打扮了一身非常可爱的万圣节服装。

304. Cutting corners

“走捷径” 或 “偷工减料”。

这个成语源于建筑与制造业，意指为了节省时间或成本而不按照正常或标准的步骤进行工作，避免麻烦的部分。在日常对话中，它经常用来形容为了快速完成工作而牺牲质量，或者在不遵守规定的情况下达到目的。

If you keep cutting corners, the project will not meet the quality standards.如果你一直偷工减料，这个项目将无法达到质量标准。
They finished it quickly by cutting corners, but there were many flaws.他们通过走捷径很快完成了这项工作，但有很多缺陷。
We can’t afford to cut corners on safety regulations.我们不能在安全规定上偷工减料。

305. Damn someone with faint praise

“用轻微的赞美来贬低某人” 或 “明褒实贬”。

这个短语起源于古希腊和罗马的文学传统，当时作家们常常用微不足道的赞美来讽刺或贬低他人。给予某人非常轻微的赞美，会让人觉得这个人并不值得更多的认可，从而起到贬低的效果。

This phrase originates from the literary traditions of ancient Greece and Rome, where writers would use slight praise as a tool for satire or to demean someone. By giving someone only faint praise, it implies that the person is not worthy of significant recognition, thereby having a diminishing effect.

He said her singing was “not bad,” faintly damning her with faint praise.他说她唱得 “还不错”，用轻微的赞美贬低了她。
The review called it “a decent effort,” which seemed like faint praise damning the work.评论称它为 “一次不错的尝试”，这听上去像是明褒实贬。
When he complimented her cooking as “edible,” he was clearly damning her with faint praise.当他说她的菜 “还可以吃” 时，他显然是在用轻微的赞美贬低她。

306. Dark horse

“黑马”，指的是一位在比赛或竞争中出人意料取得佳绩的选手或团体。

这个短语起源于赛马比赛。当一匹不被看好的马（即黑马）在比赛中出人意料地胜出时，人们便用 “黑马” 来形容其表现。如今，这个短语被广泛运用于各种竞赛、体育比赛及政治选举中，用来形容那些不被看好但最终脱颖而出的选手或团体。

Nobody expected him to win the election; he was a true dark horse 没人预料到他会赢得选举，他真是一匹黑马。

307. Dawned on me

“突然意识到” 或 “恍然大悟”。

这个短语起源于 “破晓” 这个意象，就像太阳升起，照亮大地一样。“Dawned on me” 表示某种理解或启示突然出现在你的脑海中，带来了清晰的认知或意识。

This phrase originates from the imagery of “dawn,” where the sun rises and illuminates the earth. “Dawned on me” denotes a moment when understanding or realization suddenly springs to mind, bringing clarity or awareness.

It finally dawned on me that I had left my keys at home.我终于意识到我把钥匙落在家里了。
As she explained the problem, it dawned on me that I had misunderstood the instructions.当她解释这个问题时，我突然意识到我误解了指示。
It dawned on me that we were heading in the wrong direction.我突然意识到我们正朝着错误的方向前进。

308. Dead from the neck up

“头脑简单” 或 “愚蠢”。

这个短语的字面意思是从脖子以上已经死去，暗喻一个人缺乏智力、无知或愚蠢的行为。其起源可能与这样一个理念有关：身体虽然存在，但大脑却毫无作用，类似于行尸走肉。

This phrase literally means being dead from the neck upwards, metaphorically implying that a person is lacking intelligence, ignorant, or behaving foolishly. Its origin might be related to the idea of a body existing without effective brain function, similar to a walking dead.

He’s so careless with his work; he’s practically dead from the neck up.他工作马虎，简直就是头脑简单。
Asking him to solve this problem is like asking someone dead from the neck up.让他解决这个问题就像在问一个愚蠢的人。

309. Dead in the water

（中国成语使用频率较少的表达） “陷入困境” 或 “已经不再有任何进展可能”。该成语通常用来描述计划、项目或人处于停滞状态，无法继续前进或改善。

这个短语来源于航海术语，当船失去动力而不能移动时，就像死鱼一样漂浮在水面上。后来，这个表达又被引申到形容其他事情完全停滞不前、完全没戏了的状态。

This phrase originates from maritime terminology where a boat is said to be “dead in the water” when it has lost power and cannot move, essentially floating like a dead fish. This term has since been expanded to describe any situation, plan, or person that is completely stalled and has no chance of progressing.

The project is dead in the water without additional funding.如果没有额外资金，项目就完全没戏了。
Our business proposal is dead in the water after the main investor backed out.自从主要投资者退出后，我们的商业提案就陷入困境了。

310. Dead quiet

“鸦雀无声” 或 “非常安静”。

在这个短语中，“dead” 用来形容一种极端的状态，而 “quiet” 则表示安静。所以 “dead quiet” 就是形容极度安静，有时甚至让人感到压抑或异样的静谧。

The classroom was dead quiet during the exam.考试期间，教室里鸦雀无声。
It was dead quiet in the woods at night.晚上，树林里非常安静。

311. Dead ringer

ringer：（以冒名顶替等手段）非法参赛的马（或人）；替身；

“极为相似的人或物” 或 “替身”。

“Dead ringer” 这个短语起源于十九世纪美国的赛马文化。当时，为了迷惑观众和获取不正当的利益，有些人会用长相非常相似的马来替换原本参赛的马匹。这个短语后来被引申为形容两个事物之间高度的相似性，尤其是外貌上的相似。

The phrase “dead ringer” originates from the 19th-century American horse racing culture. At that time, to deceive spectators and gain unfair profits, some people would replace the original racehorse with another horse that looked very similar. This phrase later evolved to describe a high degree of similarity between two things, especially in terms of appearance.

She’s a dead ringer for her mother.她和她妈妈简直一模一样。
That actor is a dead ringer for a young Al Pacino.那个演员和年轻时的阿尔·帕西诺简直一个模子刻出来的。

312. Dead tired

“累得像死了一样” 或 “筋疲力尽”。

这个短语的来源并没有具体的文献记录，但其直接的表达非常形象，“dead” 表示死去，“tired” 表示疲劳，合起来就表示疲惫到极限的状态。形容一个人感到非常，非常地累，好像已经没有力气再做任何事情了。

Though there’s no specific documented origin, the phrase is quite illustrative. “Dead” implies lifelessness, and “tired” indicates fatigue, combined to describe someone who is extremely exhausted, akin to having no energy left to do anything.

After hiking all day, I was completely dead tired.在徒步了一整天之后，我累得像死了一样。
I’m dead tired after working a double shift.在连着上了两个班之后，我筋疲力尽。
She looked dead tired after the long flight.长途飞行后她看起来累得像死了一样。

313. Dead to the world

“睡得很沉” 或 “完全不省人事”。

这个短语用来描述一个人深度睡眠或者完全失去意识的状态。它的起源可以追溯到几个世纪前，当时人们用 “死了” 来形容完全失去知觉或沉睡的状态，因为这两者在外观上是相似的。这种表达通常用在描述一个人因为极度疲倦或者其他原因而进入非常深的睡眠状态。

This phrase is used to describe someone who is in a deep sleep or completely unconscious. Its origins can be traced back centuries when people used “dead” to describe a state of complete insensibility or deep sleep, as both appear similar in appearance. This expression is often used to describe someone who falls into a very deep sleep due to extreme tiredness or other reasons.

After the long hike, he was dead to the world as soon as he hit the bed.长途跋涉后，他一躺到床上就睡得很沉。
I tried to wake him up, but he was dead to the world.我试图叫醒他，但他完全不省人事。
When the kids are dead to the world, the parents finally get some peace and quiet.孩子们睡得很沉时，父母终于能享受片刻宁静。

314. Dead-end job

“没有前途的工作” 或 “毫无发展前景的工作”。

这个短语的起源与一种工作类别有关，这类工作基本上没有升迁机会或职业发展的前景。通常用来形容个人在职业生涯中很难看到未来发展的工作，虽然可以提供短期的经济保障，但不具备长期的发展回报。

This phrase originates from certain types of jobs that essentially offer no opportunities for advancement or career growth. It is often used to describe jobs where individuals cannot see future development in their career, even though it may provide short-term financial stability, it lacks long-term development returns.

Tom felt stuck in a dead-end job with no hope of promotion.汤姆觉得自己被困在一份没有升迁希望的没有前途的工作中。
She decided to quit her dead-end job and go back to school.她决定辞掉自己的没有前途的工作，回到学校继续深造。
A dead-end job might pay the bills, but it won’t lead to a fulfilling career.一份没有前途的工作可能能支付账单，但不会带来有意义的职业生涯。

315. Deep down

“内心深处”，指的是某人真实的感受或想法，通常是在表面上无法察觉的情绪或态度。

这个短语来源于表示情感或态度在心理上深层次的位置。人们常用它来表达那些不容易显露出来的真实感受或根本观点，甚至是个人内心最隐秘、最真诚的部分。

She seems happy, but deep down, she’s struggling.她表面上看起来很开心，但内心深处却在挣扎。
I think deep down, he still has feelings for her.我觉得内心深处，他还是对她有感情的。

316. Diamond in the rough

rough：美 [rʌf] 粗糙的；粗略的；粗加工；粗略处理；

in the rough：未经加工；未雕琢；粗糙状态；天然状态

“未经雕琢的钻石” 或 “有待磨练的人或事物”。

这个成语源自于挖出来的钻石的外观：刚被挖掘出来的钻石看起来并不美丽，需要经过精心的切割和打磨，才能展现其真正的光辉。用于形容那些表面看似普通甚至粗糙，但内在潜力巨大、经过培养和磨练可以显露出非凡价值的人或事物。

This idiom originates from the appearance of a freshly mined diamond: it doesn’t look beautiful at first and requires careful cutting and polishing to reveal its true brilliance. It is used to describe people or things that appear rough on the surface but have great potential and, with proper development and refinement, can show extraordinary value.

The new intern is a real diamond in the rough; with some training, he could become a great asset to the team.新来的实习生真是未经雕琢的钻石；经过一些培训，他可能会成为团队的重要资产。
This old building might look shabby, but it’s a diamond in the rough. With some renovation, it could be transformed into a stylish boutique.这栋老建筑看起来可能很破旧，但它是未经雕琢的钻石。经过一些翻新，可以变成一个时尚的精品店。
She may not have a lot of experience, but she’s definitely a diamond in the rough with her natural talent and enthusiasm.她可能经验不足，但她的天赋和热情令人惊讶，绝对是未经雕琢的钻石。

317. Different strokes for different folks

strokes：中风；敲；打；击；打击

“各有所好” 或 “人各有志”。

这个短语起源于美国，在 20 世纪 60 年代首次被广泛使用，通常用来表示不同的人有不同的喜好、需求或兴趣。它强调了个体之间的差异，并认可每个人都有独特的选择和偏好。

This phrase originated in the U.S. and became widely used in the 1960s. It’s typically used to express that different people have different likes, needs, or interests. It emphasizes individual differences and acknowledges that everyone has their own unique choices and preferences.

Some people like hiking, while others prefer reading. Different strokes for different folks.有些人喜欢徒步旅行，而另一些人更喜欢阅读。各有所好。
He enjoys spicy food, but his friend can’t stand it. Different strokes for different folks.他喜欢吃辣，但他的朋友却受不了。人各有志。
They choose to live in the city, yet we love the countryside. Different strokes for different folks.他们选择住在城市里，而我们喜欢乡村生活。各有所好。

318. Dig in your heels

“顽固坚持” 或 “固执己见”。

这个短语的来源与形象化的动作有关，即把脚跟牢牢地踩进土里，表示某人拒绝改变立场或让步。因此，“dig in your heels” 表示在面对困境或反对时，坚持自己的立场或决定，不愿意妥协或改变。

This phrase originates from the imagery of someone literally digging their heels into the ground to resist moving or being pushed. Metaphorically, it represents someone standing firm in their position or decision, especially in the face of opposition or difficulty, refusing to compromise or change.

Despite the criticism, she decided to dig in her heels and stick to her plan.尽管受到批评，她还是决定顽固坚持自己的计划。
When it comes to his principles, he always digs in his heels.在原则问题上，他总是固执己见。

319. Dirt cheap

“便宜得像泥土一样” 或 “非常便宜”。

这个短语来源于 “泥土（dirt）” 这一物质在人们心目中的廉价感，因为泥土基本上是无价的且随处可得。因此，当某物 “dirt cheap” 时，意味着它的价格非常低廉，几乎像泥土一样不值钱。

This phrase originates from the concept of “dirt” being incredibly cheap because dirt is essentially free and readily available. Therefore, when something is “dirt cheap,” it implies that its price is extremely low, almost as if it has no value, like dirt.

I found this shirt at the market, and it was dirt cheap.我在市场上找到这件衬衫，它非常便宜。
During the clearance sale, all the items were dirt cheap.在清仓大甩卖期间，所有商品都非常便宜。
Renting a room here is dirt cheap compared to the city center.与市中心相比，在这里租房非常便宜。

320. Dish the dirt

“揭别人的短” 或 “说别人的闲话”。

这个短语来源于美国俚语，其中 “dish” 是一个动词，意思是 “分发或透露”，而 “dirt” 在这里指的是负面信息或丑闻。因此，“dish the dirt” 就是指传播某人的负面信息或秘密，通常带有八卦的性质。这个表达常用于非正式的场合，例如朋友间的对话。

This phrase originates from American slang, where “dish” is a verb meaning “to distribute or reveal,” and “dirt” refers to negative information or scandals. Thus, “dish the dirt” means to spread someone’s negative information or secrets, often with a gossiping nature. This expression is commonly used in informal settings, such as conversations among friends.

She loves to dish the dirt about her coworkers.她喜欢揭露同事们的短。
They always gather for coffee and dish the dirt about their neighbors.她们总是聚在一起喝咖啡，聊聊邻居们的闲话。