英语习语的分类和使用分类：一相当于名词。

例如white elephant:something useless and unwanted but big and costly累赘brain trust:a group of people with special knowledge who answer questions or give advice)智囊团flesh and blood:relative or family骨肉亲情an apple of discord:cause of disagreement or argument,etc不和的种子，祸根Jack of all trades:a person who can do many different kinds of work but may not good at any of them门门懂，样样瘟；行行皆通,样样稀松fly in the ointment:something that spoils the perfection of something.美中不足二相当于形容词cut and dried:already settled and unlikely to be changedas poor as a church mouse:having,or earning,barely enough money for one's needswide of the mark:not at all suitable,correct,etcbeyond the pale:beyond the limit of proper behaviourup in the air:uncertain.三相当于动词look into:investigatego on:continueput off:discourage...from;cause...to dislike,etc.delay;make excuses in order to avoid a dutyturn on:switch onget away with:do something wrong without being punishedput down to:state that something is caused or explained bymake it:arrive in time;succeed in doingfollow one's nose:go straight ahead,go in the same directionfall flat:fail completely in its intended or expected effectgive sb the bag:fire or dismiss somebodysing a different tune:change one's opinion or attitudecall it a day:decide or agree to stop either temporarily or for goodchop and change:fluctuate or vary constantly;keep changing one's opinion swim against the stream:do the opposite of what most people want to do come back to earth:stop imagining or dreamingmake ends meet:earn what it costs to livekeep the pot boiling:earn enough to maintain an adequate standard of living; keep a situation active,amusing etc.let the dog see the rabbit:do not get in the way of another who wishes to see or do sth.bite the hand that feeds one:repay kindness with wrong;turn against a helper or supporter四相当于副词tooth and nail:with great violence and determinationin nothing flat:in a very little time;soonthrough thick and thin:through all difficulties and troubles五相当于句子（谚语，口头禅等）A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.All is not gold that glitters.Kill the goose that laid the golden egg.使用：一习语的文体特征：习语十之八九是非正式的口头语，俚语，因此，不适合用于正式文体中。

偶尔，在正式文体中能见到及其正式的习语和老掉牙的说法。

1.口头语hang in:not to give upHang in there,old buddy;the worst is yet to come.big wheel:an influential or important personUncle Ferdinand is a big wheel inWashington,maybe he can help you with your problem.make waves:create a disturbance,a sensationJoe is the wrong man for the job;he's always trying to make waves.can of worms:a complex problem or complicated situationLet's not get into big city politics-that's a different can of worms.2.俚语cancer stick:cigaretteThrow away that cancer stick!Smoking is bad for you.hit the sack:go to bedI'm sleepy;let's hit the sack.dish the dirt:gossip or spread rumours about othersStop dishing the dirt,Sally,it's really unbecoming!feel no pain:be drunkAfter a few drinks,the man felt no pain and began to act foolishly.in the soup:in serious trouble;in confusionWhen his wife overdrew their bank account without telling him,Mr Cook suddenly found himself really in the soup.3.文学表达come to pass:take place;happenStrange things come to pass in troubled times.be it that:even thoughAnd be it that indeed that I have erred,mine error remaineth with myself.in the wake of:right after;followingFamine followed in the wake of war.give the lie to:call somebody a liarThe police gave the lie to the man who said that he had been at home during the robbery.of note:notable;well-knownSahgal is a novelist of note in India.cross swords:have an argument with;fightThat was where I crossed swords with Wilfit in the discussion of financing the new project.二习语的修辞特征1.语音的使用a.头韵：chop and change:fluctuate or vary constantly;keep changing one's opinion might and main:all one's power and strengthrough and ready:acceptable,but not very goodpart and parcel:most important and essential parttoss and turn:keep turning from side to sidebag and baggage:with all one's belongingssum and substance:the gist of somethingneither fish,flesh or fowl:difficult to classifyb.尾韵kith and kin:relativetoil and moil:work hard and longby hook and by crook:by all means good and foulfair and square:just,honest;without deceitA little pot is soon hot.A friend in need is a friend indeed.There's many a slip between the cup and the lip.杯到嘴边还会失手（指万事难以十拿九稳，事情往往功败垂成）2.词汇的使用a.同义词复用scream and shout;cut and carve,pick and choose,hustle and bustle,rough and tough,odds and ends,bits and pieces,push and shove,ways and means,by leaps and boundsb.重复by and by,out and out,such and such,neck and neck,lots and lots,round and round,day by day,all in all,face to face,shoulder to shoulder,hand in hand,word for word,form time to time,year in year out.c.反义词复用here and there,up and down,hit or miss,rain or shine,weal and woe,first and last,high and low,back and forth,right and left,sooner or later,play fast and loose,move heaven and earth,from head to foot,from start to finish3.修辞手法的使用a.明喻as mute as a fish;as dead as a doornail,as graceful as a swan,like a rat in a hole,eat like a horse,sleep like a log,Time flies like an arrow,spend money like water.b.暗喻black sheep a dark horsesnake in the grass the salt of the eartha wet blanketc.转喻in the cradle live by one's penfrom cradle to grave make up a pursed.借代earn one's bread fall into good handstwo heads are better than onee.拟人Failure is the mother of success.Action speaks louder than words. The pot calls the kettle black.Fire and water are good servants, but bad masters.f.委婉语the call of nature powder one's nosekick the bucket a big cheesea world of trouble a flood of tears。