跟李笑来学美式俚语（Most Common American Idioms）: Part 40

Most Common American Idioms: Part 40

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。

781. Long time no see!

“好久不见！”

这个短语来源于对英语不熟悉的人最早用英语说话时的字面翻译，尤其是亚洲移民们在 19 世纪使用的带有其母语语法结构的英语表达方式。如今，它已成为见到长期未见的朋友或熟人时常用的表达方式。

This phrase originates from the literal translation used by people not fluent in English, especially Asian immigrants, in the 19th century who spoke English with the grammar structure of their native languages. Nowadays, it is commonly used as a greeting when encountering friends or acquaintances after a long time.

• Long time no see! How have you been?好久不见了！你最近怎么样？

• When I met him at the reunion, I said, “Long time no see!”在聚会上见到他时，我说：“好久不见！”

• Long time no see! Let’s catch up soon.好久不见了！我们找时间叙叙旧吧。

782. Look before you leap

“三思而后行”。

这个短语源自古老的智慧，强调在做出重要决策或采取行动之前，要仔细考虑和评估潜在的风险和后果。最早的记录可以追溯到 14 世纪，由英国作家约翰·海伍德（John Heywood）在他的谚语和箴言集中提出。在现代，它被广泛用于提醒人们在采取行动之前要慎重权衡。

This phrase originates from ancient wisdom, emphasizing the importance of carefully considering and evaluating potential risks and consequences before making important decisions or taking action. The earliest recorded use dates back to the 14th century, by the English writer John Heywood in his collection of proverbs and sayings. In contemporary use, it serves as a common reminder for people to deliberate thoroughly before acting.

• Look before you leap when investing in stocks.在投资股票时一定要三思而后行。

• Before quitting your job, remember to look before you leap.在辞职之前，记得三思而后行。

• It’s always wise to look before you leap in new relationships.在新关系中，总是要三思而后行才是明智的。

783. Look like a million bucks/dollars

“看起来神采奕奕” 或 “看起来非常出色”。

这个短语起源于早期二十世纪，当时一百万美元被认为是一笔巨款。用这个短语形容一个人，通常是表示这个人看起来非常好，打扮得体、精神饱满、令人印象深刻。在现代社会，这个短语广泛用于夸赞别人的外表或状态。

This phrase originated in the early 20th century when one million dollars was considered a substantial amount of money. Using this phrase to describe a person typically means they look exceptionally good, well-dressed, spirited, and impressive. In modern society, it’s widely used to compliment someone’s appearance or condition.

• You look like a million bucks in that dress!你穿那条裙子看起来真是神采奕奕！

• After his vacation, he came back looking like a million dollars.度假回来后，他看起来精神焕发。

• With that new haircut, you look like a million bucks!你这个新发型让你看起来精神饱满！

784. Look like the cat that swallowed the canary/got the cream

canary：美 [kəˈnɛri] 金丝雀；

“像吃了金丝雀的猫” 或 “像吃了奶油的猫”。

这个短语源于猫捉到或偷吃到金丝雀或奶油后的满足和得意神态，常用于形容一个人做了某件事后非常得意或自信满满，就像猫偷吃到了美味食物一样，这是从视觉上的形象进行的比喻。

This idiom originates from the visual image of a cat that has caught or stolen a canary or cream and looks extremely satisfied or smug. It’s often used to describe someone who appears very pleased or confident after doing something, akin to a cat after consuming a delightful treat.

• He walked in looking like the cat that swallowed the canary after closing the big deal.他进来时一副得意洋洋的样子，因为刚刚完成了一笔大交易。

• When she won the game, she looked like the cat that got the cream.她赢了比赛后，脸上满是满足和得意的神色。

• He had that look like the cat that swallowed the canary when his idea was accepted.他的主意被采纳后，他有一种像吃了金丝雀的猫的得意样子。

785. Loose cannon

loose：美 [luːs] 未固定牢的；未系在一起的；未捆在一起的；宽松的；疏松的

cannon：美 [ˈkænən] 大炮；火炮；重炮

“不可控的人” 或 “危险分子”。

这个短语起源于帆船时代，那时大炮被固定在甲板上，如果大炮松动，就会在狂风暴雨或战斗中到处乱滚，威胁到船员和船只的安全。因此，“loose cannon” 用来形容那些不可预测且可能带来危险的人。

This phrase originates from the age of sailing ships when cannons were fixed on deck. If a cannon became loose, it would roll around unpredictably during storms or battles, endangering the crew and the vessel. Therefore, “loose cannon” is used to describe someone who is unpredictable and potentially dangerous.

• He’s a loose cannon and often makes impulsive decisions that get the company in trouble.他是个不可控的人，经常做出冲动的决定，从而给公司带来麻烦。

• We can’t afford a loose cannon on our team; it could jeopardize our project.我们的团队不能承受一个危险分子；这可能会危及我们的项目。

• Although talented, his tendency to act like a loose cannon makes him hard to work with.尽管他很有才华，但他如同危险分子的行为倾向使得与他共事非常困难。

786. Lose one’s shirt

lose： 美 [luːz] 丢失；失去；输掉

“赔光所有财产” 或 “损失惨重”。

这个短语起源于赌博或投资失败的情形，比如某人在赌桌上或市场投资中把身上的钱和财产全部输掉，甚而连自己的衣服也输掉了。这种表达通常用于描述某人在某次冒险或决策中的巨大经济损失。

This phrase originates from situations involving gambling or failed investments where a person loses all their money and assets, to the point that they metaphorically lose the shirt off their back. It is commonly used to describe someone experiencing a significant financial loss due to risky ventures or poor decisions.

• He almost lost his shirt betting on that horse race.他几乎在那场赛马赌局中赔光了所有财产。

• Invest carefully, or you might lose your shirt in the stock market.投资需谨慎，否则你可能会在股市中损失惨重。

• Many people lost their shirts during the economic downturn.在经济衰退期间，许多人损失惨重。

787. Lose touch

“失去联系” 或 “脱离联系”。

这个短语来源于字面上的意思，即失去与某人的直接接触或联系。在现代社会，随着科技的发展，人们可以通过多种途径保持联系，但有时由于时间久远、地理距离或其他原因，关系会逐渐疏远，最终失去联系。这一表达不仅限于人与人的关系，还可以用于描述一个人失去对某事物或状况的认知或了解。

This phrase originates from its literal meaning, namely losing direct contact with someone. In modern society, despite technological advancements allowing multiple ways to stay in touch, sometimes due to the passage of time, geographical distance, or other reasons, relationships can become distant and eventually result in lost contact. This expression not only applies to interpersonal relationships but can also describe a person losing awareness or familiarity with something.

• We used to be close friends, but we lost touch after college.我们曾是亲密的朋友，但大学毕业后我们就失去了联系。

• It’s easy to lose touch with reality when you’re always busy.当你总是忙碌的时候，很容易脱离现实。

• They lost touch with their traditions over generations.他们在几代人的时间里失去了与传统的联系。

788. Lose your marbles

marbles：美 [ˈmɑ:blz] 大理石；（marble的复数）

“失去理智” 或 “发疯”。

这个短语源于 19 世纪末， “marbles” 一词指的是玻璃弹珠，而这些弹珠是当时受儿童欢迎的玩具。 “Lose your marbles” 本意为丧失了这些弹珠，而后作为一个比喻用语，逐渐演变为表示一个人失去了理智或精神错乱。

This phrase originated in the late 19th century, where “marbles” referred to the popular children’s toy made of glass. Originally meaning to lose those toy marbles, it evolved as a metaphorical expression to indicate that someone has lost their sanity or is acting irrationally.

• After working 12 hours straight, he seemed to have lost his marbles.连续工作了 12 小时后，他看起来好像失去了理智。

• She’s been so stressed she feels like she’s losing her marbles.她压力太大了，感觉快要发疯了。

• When he started talking to his plants, I thought he had lost his marbles.当他开始对植物说话时，我以为他已经疯了。

789. Lose your touch

失去能力、不再擅长某方面的工作。

这个短语来源于 “身手” 或 “技能” 的概念。如果一个人 “失去 touch”，意味着他们在某个领域或方面不再像以前那样擅长或有技巧。常常用于描述那些原本在某个活动或职业中表现出色的人，但由于某些原因，现在已经不再那么优秀。

This phrase originates from the concept of “skill” or “touch.” If someone “loses their touch,” it means they are no longer as skilled or adept in a particular area or activity as they once were. It is often used to describe those who were once very good at something but have seen a decline in their abilities for some reason.

• I can’t seem to bake cookies like I used to; I must have lost my touch.我似乎再也做不出以前那样的饼干了，我肯定是失去了能力。

• He was a great pianist, but after the long break, he has lost his touch.他曾是个很棒的钢琴家，但长时间的休息之后，他已经失去了以前的技艺。

• After taking a year off from painting, she feels she has lost her touch.在休息一年没有画画后，她觉得自己已经失去了技艺。

790. Lost at sea

“迷失在海上” 或 “茫然不知所措”。

这个短语源自于实际的航海过程中迷失方向的情景，常被用来比喻在某个情境或任务中毫无头绪、不知该如何进行。在现代语言中，这个短语广泛用于表达一个人对某件事感到完全迷茫，不知道从何下手的状态。

This phrase originates from the literal situation of being lost at sea, a scenario where one has no sense of direction. It is often used metaphorically to describe a situation where someone feels completely clueless or unsure about how to proceed. In modern usage, “lost at sea” broadly conveys a sense of bewilderment and uncertainty in the face of complex tasks or situations.

• Without proper guidance, many new employees feel lost at sea in their first week.没有适当的指导，很多新员工在第一周都会感到茫然不知所措。

• When she moved to a new city, she often felt lost at sea.当她搬到一个新城市时，她经常感到不知所措。

• After the sudden change in project guidelines, the team was lost at sea.项目指南突然改变后，团队感到完全迷失了方向。

791. Lost my head

失去理智、发怒或慌乱。

“Lost my head” 这个短语起源于人们在极端情绪下（如愤怒、恐惧或紧张）的行为方式，此时他们会表现得难以自控，好像 “失去了头脑” 一样。现代社会中，人们使用这个短语来描述在情绪激动或压力下失去冷静的情况。

This phrase originates from the way people behave under extreme emotions like anger, fear, or anxiety, where they seem to lose control, as if they “lost their head.” In modern society, this idiom is used to describe situations where someone becomes overly emotional or upset under pressure.

• I’m sorry I shouted at you. I just lost my head for a moment.对不起，我刚才对你大喊大叫了。我只是一下子失去了理智。

• When he saw the mess in the kitchen, he completely lost his head.当他看到厨房里的乱象时，他完全失控了。

• She tends to lose her head under stress, so try to be patient with her.她在压力下容易失去理智，所以请对她多点耐心。

792. Low-hanging fruit

“唾手可得的东西” 或 “容易实现的目标”。

这个短语来源于水果种植的比喻，指那些生长在树上较低地方、容易够到并采摘的水果。比喻那些容易实现的目标或容易完成的任务。在工作和生活中，它通常用来指那些最轻易就能取得成功或解决的问题。

This phrase comes from a metaphor in fruit picking, referring to fruits that grow in lower, easily reachable places on trees. It is used to denote tasks or goals that are the easiest to achieve. In both work and life, it commonly refers to the simplest or most straightforward problems to tackle first.

• Let’s focus on the low-hanging fruit before tackling the bigger issues.让我们先集中注意力在唾手可得的事情上，然后再处理更大的问题。

• For quick wins, we should identify the low-hanging fruit in our project.为了快速取得胜利，我们应该在项目中找出那些唾手可得的目标。

• In the initial phase, going after the low-hanging fruit is a smart strategy.在初期阶段，追求唾手可得的目标是一个明智的策略。

793. Luck out

“运气好” 或 “碰巧走运”。

这个短语在美国英语中使用较多，指的是某人意外地走好运或者在一个情况中非常幸运。这个表达的来源并不明确，但通常理解为一个人忽然发现自己在某个情境中获得了好运或达到了意外的好结果。

This idiom is frequently used in American English and means that someone unexpectedly gets lucky or very fortunate in a situation. The origin of the phrase is not clear, but it’s generally understood to describe a situation where one suddenly finds themselves with good luck or a fortunate outcome.

• We really lucked out with the weather during our trip.我们旅行期间的天气真是意外地好。

• She lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the store.她运气好，正好在商店前找到了一个停车位。

• They lucked out when their flight was delayed, but they were upgraded to first class.他们的航班延误了，但他们幸运地被升舱到头等舱。

794. Lucky break

“幸运的机会” 或 “好运”。指的是不期而遇的好事或机会，使人事态好转或取得成功。

这个短语源于 20 世纪早期。关于 “break” 一词，从 19 世纪开始就有 “机会” 的含义。如同一个演员突然收到一份重要的角色，或者一个企业家意外得到一份大订单，这类偶然的、积极的转变被称为 “lucky break”。

The phrase originates from the early 20th century. The word “break” has carried the meaning of “opportunity” since the 19th century. It’s similar to an actor unexpectedly getting a significant role or an entrepreneur suddenly landing a major contract. These kinds of unexpected, positive turns are referred to as a “lucky break.”

• She got a lucky break when she was offered a big role in a new movie.她获得了幸运的机会，在一部新电影中被分配了一个大角色。

• After years of hard work, he finally got a lucky break in his career.在多年的努力之后，他终于在事业上得到了一个幸运的机会。

• Winning the lottery was a lucky break that changed her life.中彩票是一个改变她生活的幸运机会。

795. Lucky dog

“幸运儿” 或 “走运的人”。

“Lucky dog” 这个短语最早出现在 1800 年代，最初使用狗来表示 “家伙” 或 “人” 的含义，加上 “幸运” 一词，就用来形容那些特别走运或幸运的人。在这个短语中，狗并没有贬义，而是配合 “幸运” 的含义，表示某人非常幸运或得到了特别的好处。

This idiom originated in the early 1800s. The word “dog” was used colloquially to refer to a “fellow” or “person” and, coupled with “lucky,” it highlights someone who is especially fortunate. In this context, “dog” does not carry a negative connotation; rather, it complements the idea of “lucky” to describe someone who is very fortunate or has received a special benefit.

• He won the lottery again! What a lucky dog!他又中彩票了！真是个幸运儿！

• You got an extra day off work? You lucky dog!你额外多了一天假？你这幸运儿！

• She managed to get the last ticket to the concert, talk about a lucky dog!她竟然买到了最后一张演唱会门票，真是个幸运儿！

796. Mad as a hornet

hornet：美 [ˈhɔrnət] 大黄蜂；马蜂；独角蜂

“非常生气” 或 “怒不可遏”。

这个短语来源于黄蜂（hornet）的行为特征。黄蜂是一种攻击性很强的昆虫，当它们受惊或被激怒时会非常狂暴和具有威胁性。因而，“mad as a hornet” 用来形容一个人非常愤怒，像被激怒的黄蜂一样愤怒和不可理喻。

This phrase comes from the behavior traits of hornets. Hornets are highly aggressive insects that become very violent and threatening when disturbed or provoked. Therefore, “mad as a hornet” is used to describe someone who is extremely angry, as angry and irrational as a provoked hornet.

• He was mad as a hornet when he found out someone had scratched his new car.当他发现有人划了他的新车时，他气得怒不可遏。

• She got mad as a hornet when her coworker took credit for her idea.当她的同事把她的主意据为己有时，她非常生气。

• You better apologize quickly, or he’ll be mad as a hornet.你最好快点道歉，否则他会非常生气的。

797. Made for each other

“天作之合” 或 “天生一对”。

这个短语常用于描述两个人（通常是情侣或夫妻）非常适合彼此，似乎是命中注定在一起的。这个短语可以追溯到许多浪漫主义文学和文化作品中，表达了理想中的完美伴侣关系。

This phrase is often used to describe two people (usually romantic partners) who are perfectly suited for each other and seem destined to be together. It can be traced back to numerous romantic literature and cultural works, expressing the ideal of a perfect partner relationship.

• Everyone says that John and Mary are made for each other.大家都说约翰和玛丽是天生一对。

• The way they understand each other makes it clear they are truly made for each other.他们彼此的理解方式清楚地表明他们真的是天作之合。

• After seeing how well they get along, it’s obvious they are made for each other.在看到他们相处得如此融洽之后，很明显他们是天作之合。

798. Made my hair stand on end

“令人毛骨悚然” 或 “让人毛发直立”。

这个短语起源于一种生理反应，即当人感到极度惊恐或害怕时，身体会产生一种 “立毛反应”，这时人的汗毛会竖起来。从字面上看，这就是 “made my hair stand on end” 的意思。这种表达通常用于形容那些特别恐怖或令人害怕的事物或经历。

This idiom originates from a physiological reaction known as piloerection or the “goosebumps” effect, which occurs when someone feels extreme fear or shock, causing the tiny muscles at the base of hairs to contract and the hairs to stand upright. Literally, “made my hair stand on end” refers to this phenomenon, and it is typically used to describe things or experiences that are especially frightening or startling.

• The horror movie I watched last night made my hair stand on end.昨晚看的恐怖电影让我的毛发直立。

• Hearing the eerie noise in the dark forest made my hair stand on end.在黑暗的森林里听到那个怪异的声音让我毛骨悚然。

• The ghost story she told us made my hair stand on end.她给我们讲的鬼故事让我头发都竖起来了。

799. Make a beeline for

beeline： 英 [ˈbiːlʌɪn] 最短直线路径；（两地之间的）直线；笔直的路线

“直奔” 或 “径直走向”。

这个短语来自蜜蜂的行为。蜜蜂在找到花蜜后，会直线飞回蜂巢，把找到的食物分享给其他蜜蜂。因此，这个短语用来形容人们快速且直接地朝某个目标前进，像蜜蜂一样不绕弯路。

This phrase originates from the behavior of bees. When bees find nectar, they will fly straight back to the hive to share the food they found with other bees. Thus, the phrase is used to describe someone moving quickly and directly towards a target, just like bees without detours.

• As soon as the meeting was over, she made a beeline for the exit.会议一结束，她就直奔出口。

• The kids made a beeline for the ice cream truck as soon as they saw it.孩子们一看到冰淇淋车就直奔了过去。

• He made a beeline for the door the moment the bell rang.铃声一响，他立刻直奔门口。

800. Make a big stink

stink：美 [stɪŋk] 恶臭；难闻的气味；

“大张旗鼓地抱怨” 或 “过分嚷嚷”。

这个短语源自于 “臭味”，用来形容一个人通过抱怨或抗议引发混乱或引起他人注意。“Make a big stink” 的意思是通过表达不满或激烈的反应来引起广泛关注、制造出很大的动静。这个短语常常用于描述那些通过夸张化表达来传递不满的人或行为。

This phrase originates from the idea of a “stink,” something unpleasant that draws attention. “Make a big stink” means to cause a commotion or attract a lot of attention by complaining or protesting loudly. It is often used to describe actions meant to express strong dissatisfaction and make others aware of an issue.

• If they refuse to refund you, you have every right to make a big stink about it.如果他们拒绝退款，你完全有权大张旗鼓地抱怨。

• She made a big stink when her order was wrong, insisting on speaking to the manager.她的订单弄错了，因此她大吵大闹，坚持要和经理对话。

• There’s no need to make a big stink about every little mistake.没有必要对每一个小错误都大惊小怪。

后记

2024年11月28日21点47分于上海。