The English We Speak 笔记

最近在听BBC介绍地道表达的教学节目“The English We Speak”，记录一下每期节目里学的Word&Phrase。对于一些很常见或很常用的表达，我在条目后面加了★号，因为个人经验有限，所以可能会少标，但肯定不会错标。另外，部分例句中大写的词汇是重要的使用搭配。
1. Use Your Loaf
= Use your brain (before you do something stupid). / Think about things before you do them otherwise you will make silly mistakes.
e.g. Use your loaf, son! Don't ride your bike on the motorway at night without lights. You'll get yourself killed.
2. Under One's Belt ★
= Having a particular experience already -- something that might help them in the future.
e.g. After the new football manager HAD a few wins under his belt, he felt more confident.
3. Take the Weight off Your Feet / Put Your Feet Up
= It's a way of saying, relax, sit down, especially after standing up for a long time.
e.g. Don't walk to work today. Go on the bus and take the weight off your feet.
= It means rest and relax and literally put your feet up on something like a sofa.
e.g. After working for the company for 30 years, Jim's decided it's time to put his feet up and retire.
4. Treading on Eggshells
= Being nice. Being sensitive to the situation. Being very careful about what you say.
e.g. Since my friend's father died, I don't know what to say to him: it's LIKE treading on eggshells.
5. Take a Rain Check ★
= If someone takes a rain check on something, he won't do it immediately but he would like to do it at another time.
e.g. If you don't mind, I'll take a rain check ON the drinks tonight. Can we make it next week?
6. Strings Attached / No Strings Attached ★
= When something has strings attached, it often means there are hidden commitments and you should find out what they are. It can also be based on personal relationships too.
e.g. Make sure you read all of the contract before you sign it, THERE could BE strings attached. / My brother said I could use his car this weekend, no strings attached.
7. Go the Extra Mile ★
= To make more effort than usual to achieve objectives.
e.g. If you want to succeed in business, you have to work harder than your competitors. You've got to go the extra mile.
8. Crystal Clear ★
= Simple and clear to understand; absolutely clear.
e.g. Mum made it crystal clear that we wouldn't be going to the party.
9. A Rabbit in the Headlights
= To describe someone who is so nervous that they can't move or speak.
e.g. I think Timmy was nervous speaking in front of everyone here just now. He was LIKE a rabbit in the headlights.
10. To Have a Word ★
= To have a short, serious discussion about sensitive topics.
e.g. Woman: The noise from the upstairs flat is so loud. It's late now and I can't sleep!
      Man: I'll have a word WITH them in the morning. This can't carry on.
11. Wake up and Smell the Coffee
= When we say 'wake up and smell the coffee' in English, it means that you need to pay attention because you're missing something that's really obvious.
e.g. Wake up and smell the coffee -- she doesn't want to go out with you!
12. On the Tip of My Tongue ★
= If something is on 'the tip of your tongue', it means there is some information you can't quite remember, but hopefully will soon.
e.g. The name will come to me soon. It's on the tip of my tongue ... Oh yes, his name is Paul.
13. Chew the Fat
= It means to talk in a friendly way, socially, without actually exchanging too much serious information.
e.g. I don't want arguments at the dinner table! Let's not talk about football or politics. Let's just chew the fat about other things.
14. What's the Damage? ★
= The phrase "what's the damage?" can be used to ask how much money you owe someone for something. You might use it amongst friends when you get a bill, or you might hear it if you are paying a workman to do something.
e.g. What a lovely meal! I think we should split the bill two ways though, so what's the damage?
15. Easy Tiger!
= We say "easy tiger" when we want someone to calm down, to not get over-emotional, or not to rush into something. It's an expression that's usually used in informal situations, between friends.
e.g. Girl 1: I've just met the perfect man -- he is tall, handsome, kind... I'm going to marry him and have children. We'll live together in a house by the sea, we'll ...
      Girl 2: Easy tiger! Do you even know his name?
16. Not Give Someone the Time of Day
= Long ago, in Shakespeare's time, the phrase 'good time of day' was a greeting often used, so to say that you wouldn't give someone the time of day means you wouldn't want to greet them or say hello. Therefore, it means you refuse to give someone your attention.
e.g. After the way Dave talked about me during the meeting, I wouldn't give him the time of day.
17. Fishing for Compliments
= When people say you are 'fishing for compliments' it means you try to make people say good things about you.
e.g. John kept saying he couldn't run very fast but he still won the race. I think he was just fishing for compliments.
18. I've Nailed it! ★
= We say someone nailed something when they've achieved something or performed a task successfully.
e.g. The final exam was not easy but my cousin nailed it and got a place at university.
19. Take the Mickey (out of Somebody)
= In English, the expression 'taking the mickey', or 'taking the mickey out of somebody' means to laugh at them or make fun of them.
e.g. When you asked me to lend you $2,000, I thought you were taking the mickey. You know I don't have much money.
20. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
= It means to stop just talking about something and to take action.
e.g. A: If we played a game of tennis I would easily win!
      B: Why don't you put your money where your mouth is? I challenge you to a game!
21. Bits and Bobs
= In English,we use' bits and bobs' to mean small things,or many different types of little jobs.
e.g. Alex, can you tidy up all your bits and bobs?
22. Don't Make Me Laugh ★
= In English, this is something you can say when you think something is not going to happen.
e.g. A: Do you think that the Scotland football team could win the World Cup one day?
      B: Don't make me laugh - they've never won anything!
23. Out of the Picture ★
= In English, when we say someone is" out of the picture" we mean we do not count on them anymore. They are no longer involved in a particular situation.
e.g. Divorce was good for Mrs Jones. She looks very happy with her husband out of the picture.
24. It's Doing My head In
= If something is doing your head in, it means it is frustrating or annoying. You can also say that people are doing your head in, if they annoy you in some way.
e.g. Can you please turn that music down? It's so loud and it's really doing my head in!
25. Joe Bloggs / Any Tom, Dick or Harry
= In English, when we want to refer to the average person we can use the name 'Joe Bloggs'. Also, 'Any Tom, Dick or Harry' is another expression we use when we want to talk about lots of people in general.
e.g. A: Bright purple jacket? Sparkly blue skirt? Who wears such outrageous clothes?
      B. Well, this fashion designer is popular among the very trendy. These clothes are not for Joe Bloggs!
26. John Doe / Jane Doe
= In American English, John Doe is a name often used when referring to the victim of a crime whose body hasn't been identified. They use John Doe when the victim is male and Jane Doe when the victim is female.
e.g. The John Doe found at the scene is in the morgue right now. We're waiting for the DNA test results to identify the body.
27. Make A Scene ★
= It is an expression we use in English to describe when somebody causes a disturbance or is loud in public, which is often embarrassing.
e.g. I will never go back to the restaurant again. Last night Jane made a scene when the waiter brought fish instead of the beef she had ordered! It was very embarrassing.
28. Hold Your Horses ★
= Be patient.
e.g. A: I've just gone online to order us some new computers. What's our charge code again?
      B: Ah, well you're going to have to hold your horses! I haven't agreed a budget yet with the management team.
29. Cheesed Off
= In English, 'to be cheesed off' means to be really annoyed.
e.g. My sister cheeses me off. She borrows all my clothes and never returns them! / No need to be cheesed off, Finn. I can help you with your report.
30. Cold Feet ★
= In English, when we say we've got cold feet we mean we lack the confidence or courage to do something.
e.g. Mary knew Tony had bought her engagement ring and was planning to propose on Valentine's Day. She just hoped he wouldn't GET cold feet before then.
31. Face the Music
= To face the music is another way of saying you have to accept the consequence of your mistakes.
e.g. Whoever keeps missing these deadlines will have to face the music.
32. To Downsize
= That's the word companies use to describe cutting a number of jobs and making employees redundant. Also, individuals can use it to describe selling things to cut down the cost.
e.g. The growth of online sales in the UK has forced many retail businesses to downsize. / Now that I am going to university, my parents have decided to downsize. They are selling the house, moving to a flat and using some of the money to travel the world.
33. Killing Time ★
= It's an expression which means to do something which isn't really important just to keep you occupied until the start of your next plan or arrangement.
e.g. I turned up an hour early for my flight, so I just looked at the duty free to kill SOME time.
34. Eat Humble Pie
= In English, when we say someone has to eat humble pie, we mean they have to admit they can't do something they boasted about. That person then has to act in an apologetic way.
e.g. Peter is so arrogant. He said he could finish the work much quicker than anybody else in the office. I hope he HAS to eat humble pie.
35. Food for Thought
= In English, when you say 'food for thought' you mean serious ideas or topics for us to think about.
e.g. Mary's divorce gave her food for thought. She decided to go back to university, get a diploma, and change her life around.
36. Game Changer / Game-changing ★
= 'Game changer' means something that is so new and different, it changes the rules of the game. It could be technology or a person with new ideas, or a new direction in music or fashion. Any new innovation that changes the current situation is 'game-changing'.
e.g. The Beatles' album Sergeant Pepper was a real game changer — it transformed pop music forever.
37. Give the Cold Shoulder
= In English, someone giving you the cold shoulder means they're behaving in a way that is not friendly at all. It means they are rejecting you or ignoring you.
e.g. After Mary divorced her rich husband all their friends gave HER the cold shoulder.
38. Butter Up ★
= In English, when you say you'll 'butter SOMEONE up', you mean you'll be especially nice to them in the hope they'll do something good for you in return.
e.g. The director was always ready to butter up Angelina Jolie. He knew she was looking for her next role and he wanted her in his movie.
39. Beat Around the Bush ★
= In English, when you tell someone NOT to 'beat around the bush' you're telling them to stop avoiding saying things directly.
e.g. Dinner, cinema... Peter couldn't find the words to tell Kelly he wanted to break up. He spent the whole date beating around the bush. In the end, he broke up with her by text.
40. Mind-boggling
= 'Mind-boggling' describes something overwhelming and amazing, like really impressive numbers or facts.
e.g. I really want to learn more about the universe. It's a fascinating subject. Well, astronomy, the study of stars, has lots of mind-boggling theories.
41. Bounce ★
= To bounce means to leave. This verb is usually used by young people.
e.g. A: Hey Tom-where are you going? The party's just getting started!
      B: Ah sorry dude, I gotta bounce. I'm on an early shift tomorrow.
42. The Proof is in the Pudding
= It means that you can only judge the quality of something after you've tried it or used it.
e.g. A: I don't believe this new flash washing machine can save water and energy.
      B: But you haven't used it yet. The proof is the pudding.
43. Stab in the Back ★
= To stab SOMEONE in the back means to betray someone. If SOMEONE stabs you in the back, it means that he did something bad to you even though you thought you were friends.
e.g. She told me she was in love with me, but then she stabbed me in the back and went out with Dave.
44. Smell a Rat ★
= In English, when we say we 'smell a rat' we mean we're suspicious of someone: we feel there's something wrong.
e.g. A: I read an article about a diet which makes you lose six kilos in one week. It says there is no need for exercise.
      B: Six kilos in one week?! That's impossible! I smell a rat!
45. Jump the Gun
= If someone jumps the gun, it means they start too soon, before the starting pistol. More often nowadays, people use this phrase when someone says something or does something too soon, especially without thinking carefully about it.
e.g. He shouted at me before I had time to explain, but later he apologised for jumping the gun.
46. Cook the Books
= If you 'cook the books', you change the numbers in a company's financial records so you can take some of the money for yourself illegally.
e.g. Did you hear Dave the accountant got fired for stealing from the company?! Yeah, he'd been cooking the books for years.
47. Have A Lot on My Plate ★
= In English, when you say you 'have a lot on your plate' or 'too much on your plate', you mean you have a lot of work to do or a lot of problems to deal with.
e.g. Ann has a lot on her plate at the moment. She's just had twins!
48. Head over Heels
= This is an expression we use in English to say that you had such a dramatic fall that your head was over your feet and we use it when we want to say that someone fell madly in love.
e.g. She is a hopeless romantic: she IS always head over heels in love with somebody.
49. Call It A Day ★
= In English, if you're ready to call it a day, it means that you want to finish whatever you're doing and usually go home.
e.g. We're getting nowhere with this – shall we call it a day and start again tomorrow?
50. To Go Bananas ★
= 'To go bananas' has nothing to do with food; It's an expression in English we use when we are so excited that we act almost out of control!
e.g. I'm so happy that I finally got my promotion. Yesterday I went bananas!
「一起听节目点这里」
备考GRE，暂停更新。
（结果还是烂尾了 怪我咯 Orz）