17.常见英语习语English idioms1.As ... as ... 结构as blind as a bat 视力很差as cool as a cucumber 冷静as easy as pie 非常容易as proud as a peacock 像孔雀一样骄傲as slippery as an eel 滑的像鳗鱼；指狡猾不好对付as sly as a fox 像狐狸一样奸诈有欺骗性as stubborn as a mule 象骡子一样顽固2.动物有关：have ants in one's pants 坐立不安(have a) bee in one's bonnet 有只蜜蜂在帽子里嗡嗡叫，指有个挥之不去的奇怪主意a social butterfly 善于交际的人have butterflies in your stomach 心里非常紧张、慌神= feel very nervousbirds of a feather 长同一种羽毛的鸟；指特性相同的人chicken feed 微不足道的小钱like the cat that ate the canary = very satisfied非常满足，就像猫吃了金丝雀一样满足。

fight (or argue) like cat and dog 吵得不可开交= have violent arguments(shed) crocodile tears (留下了)鳄鱼的眼泪；假慈悲dog eat dog 狗咬狗；指社会或者竞争激烈let sleeping dogs lie 直译:别惊动睡着的狗。

引申义:莫惹是非。

big fish in a small pond 小池塘的大鱼，指小地方的重要人物drink like a fish 酒量大如海, 牛饮= drink a lot.have other fish to fry 有更重要的事情要做like a fish out of water 在陌生的环境中感到不自在fish in troubled waters 浑水摸鱼a guinea pig 豚鼠；指实验的对象back the wrong horse 支持了错误的人support the wrong person.can eat a horse 可以吃下一匹马，指非常饿= very hungryget on your high horse 摆架子，自大自负put the cart before the horse 把马车放到马前面，引申为“本末倒置”the lion's share 狮子的那一份，指最大的一份a night owl 猫头鹰；指夜猫子, 喜欢熬夜的人pigs might fly 猪都会飞；指不可能的事; 异想天开a black sheep 形容群体中声名狼藉的成员；害群之马；家里的败家子be packed like sardines挤得像沙丁鱼; 拥挤不堪a wolf in sheep's clothing 披着羊皮的狼3.植物、蔬菜和水果：the apple of your eye 掌上明珠a rotten apple 烂苹果；指害群之马go bananas 发疯= become crazybe full of beans 精力充沛=lively, healthy and active.get a second bite at the cherry 获得了第二次做某事的机会old chestnut 老栗子；指老掉牙的话(或故事、笑话)bear fruit 结果；产生回报，取得收获sour grapes 吃不到葡萄就说葡萄酸（心理）buy a lemon 买了一个质量差的东西；买了一个令你后悔的东西a hot potato 棘手的问题(或情况等); 烫手山芋a couch potato 一天到晚看电视的人small potatoes 小人物,小角色barking up the wrong tree 搞错了问题的方向，骂错了人4.人体部位：cost (sb) an arm and a leg 让某人付出高安的代价；很贵= very expensive.keep stab someone you in the back 背后捅刀子；指背后伤害信任你的人beat one's brain out 绞尽脑汁(be) all ears 洗耳恭听in one ear and out the other 左耳进，右耳出; 听过即忘make your ears burn （背后议论）使某人耳根发烫=make sb embarrassed turn a deaf ear 充耳不闻fall on deaf ears （建议）未受到重视,不被听取grin from ear to ear 咧嘴大笑，笑得合不拢嘴(in the) blink of an eye 一眨眼功夫，形容很快catch someone's eye 吸引注意eyes in the back of one's head 后脑勺长了眼睛，比喻非常警觉feast your eyes on sth. 大饱眼福，尽情观赏...see eye to eye 看法一致have stars in your eyes 眼睛里有星光；指非常高兴before your very eyes 就在眼皮下，眼看着raise eyebrows竖起眉毛（表示吃惊或反对）=shows surprise or disapprovala poker face 毫无表情的脸(not) lift a finger 连手指都不愿动一下；袖手旁观a green fingers 擅长园艺的人have sticky fingers 喜欢偷东西work your fingers to the bone 非常努力；拼命工作keep your fingers crossed 祈求好运keep one's feet on the ground 脚踏实地vote with one's feet用脚投票；用离开表明自己的反对get cold feet 临阵退缩; 害怕have the world at your feet 世界在你脚下,被你牢牢把握Achilles heel 阿喀琉斯之踵，指唯一的致命的弱点bury your head in the sand 逃避；不愿面对现实have a swollen head 头脑膨胀；得意自满laugh off one’s head 笑掉大牙a hair's breadth 一根头发的宽度，指间不容发的距离let your hair down 放轻松，别紧张= to relax and enjoy yourselfmake your hair stand on end 使人毛骨悚然= make sb terrifiedhave your heart in your mouth 心悬在嗓子眼上；十分紧张have a heart of stone 铁石心肠heart sinks 心一沉(感到失望或绝望)bite the hand that feeds you 咬那双喂你的手；指恩将仇报，忘恩负义live from hand to mouth 挣的钱仅够糊口one’s jaw drops 下巴掉了，比喻非常吃惊= show great amazement.break a leg! 祝你好运= wish you good luckpull someone's leg 开某人玩笑risk life and limb 不顾摔断手脚,冒着生命at the top of your lungs 以最大嗓门，最大声(something) makes your mouth water 让你流口水(be) led by the nose 牵着某人的鼻子走send a shiver down your spine 令某人脊背一抖；指令人紧张、焦虑或兴奋give someone the cold shoulder 不理睬，给人冷遇bite one's tongue “咬紧舌头”,引申为“强迫自己保持沉默”hold your tongue 不说话；保持沉默have a sweet tooth 喜欢吃甜食be armed to teeth 武装到牙齿，全副武装(have a) frog in one's throat 因嗓音嘶哑）失声，很难发声step on someone's toes 踩人脚趾头；指触犯或得罪某人5.时间和金钱：(do sth) against the clock 争分夺秒地（做事）like clockwork 像钟表一样精准或分秒不差wise for one's years/wise beyond your years 比大多数同龄人更有经验time is ticking away 时间正在一分一秒地流逝stand the test of time 经受了时间的考验(at the) eleventh hour 在最后时刻behind the times 思想老套跟不上时代race against time与时间赛跑lose track of time 忘记了时间money burns a hole in your pocket 花钱如流水，大手大脚花钱have money to burn 有的是钱；不差钱money talks 钱说了算good value for money 物有所值= worth the money spent on it.from rags to riches从一无所有到什么都有，由穷到富6.天气状况：a breeze 一阵微风；指很容易办到的事情= a piece of cakecome rain or shine 无论晴雨; 不管情况好坏in the eye of the storm 处在暴风眼上，比喻深陷一个难缠的局面a fair-weather friend 好天气时的朋友，指只可共安乐、不能共患难的朋友;it never rains but it pours 不鸣则已，一鸣惊人a storm is brewing 一场暴风雨正在酝酿当中under the weather身体感觉不舒服= don’t feel wellweather the storm 扛过了风暴；指熬过艰难的时刻7.工具：at the bottom of the ladder 在底层；职场上的入门菜鸟in the same boat 在同一条船上；面临一样的不妙处境kick the bucket （诙谐的说法）某人挂掉；翘辫子call a spade a spade 直言不讳=speaks openly and truthfully about something burn the candle at both ends 一根蜡烛两头烧; 起早摸黑地干; 过度耗费精力put all your eggs in one basket 把一切希望寄托在一件事上hit the nail on the head 敲钉子敲在它的头上；指击中问题的要害learn the ropes 学会做事的窍门burn the midnight oil 开夜车；熬夜hold out an olive branch 伸出橄榄枝;主动表达和解的愿望(on) pins and needles 如坐针毡；紧张不安get the short end of the stick 在一件事上吃了亏；受到不公平待遇think outside the box 创造性思考,跳出思想框框8.日月、江海、山川、星星：a drop in the ocean 海里的一滴水，指微不足道The dust has settled 尘埃落定,当一切都平静feel on top of the world 感觉站在世界之巅，欣喜若狂go against the tide 不随大流；反潮流，特立独行go downhill 走下坡路，变得更差= become worsemake hay while the sun shines 晒草要趁太阳好; 抓住时机(not) hold water （说法）站不住脚，缺乏事实依据break the ice 打破沉默(或僵局); 使气氛轻松make a mountain out of a molehill 小题大做over the moon 欣喜若狂once in a blue moon 千载难逢；十分罕见swim against the tide 逆着潮流而行，不随大流throw caution to the wind 将警告抛在脑后；不顾一切豁出去the tip of the iceberg 冰山的一角；指一个很大问题的一小部分9.水火：in hot water 有麻烦;陷于困境add fuel to the flames 使事情更糟= make matters worseplay with fire 玩火；引申为做一些很危险事情There is no smoke without fire 无火哪有烟？指无风不起浪。