C
CaII it a day到此为止
You've been working on that history report since before breakfast. Why don't you call it a day?
从早饭前到现在你一直在做那份历史报告。为什么不就到此为止呢？
Meaning：to stop work for the day; bring a project to an end for the time being
语义：结束一天的工作；暂时停止一个项目、工程或计划
►Origin: The idea expressed in this idiom is that a certain amount of work is enough for one day. When you've done that amount, you should“call it a day,”meaning to declare that you've done a full day's work and that you're stopping.
►语源：该习语所要表达的语义是：就一天而言，一定数量的工作是足够的。当你已经完成了足够量的工作，就可以结束当天的工作，意指你宣称已经完成了一整天的工作，要收工了。
CaII the shots发号施令
You may know all about glassblowing, but here in the gym, I call the shots.
你可能是吹制玻璃器皿的行家，但在体育馆（健身房）这里，我说了算。
Meaning：to make the decisions; be in charge; give orders
语义：做决定；负责；下命令
►Origin: The origin of this expression is unclear, but it might refer to the officer in charge of soldiers in a battle. He gives the commands and calls the (gun) shots. The phrase also suggests the role of a coach of a basketball team who tells the players what plays to make and what (basketball) shots to take. Today we say that the person in charge of any kind of activity“calls the shots.”A related saying is“in the driver's seat.”
►语源：该表达的来源是不清楚的，但它可能与在战役中指挥士兵作战的军官有关。指挥官发出（准备）命令，并下令开战。该短语也使人联想到在球场上指导队员们比赛（如策略的设计、投法的选择等）的篮球教练。现在我们用这个短语来形容发号施令的活动负责人。一个相关的习语为“in the driver's seat”。
CaII you on the carpet谴责、训斥某人
My piano teacher called me on the carpet today. He could tell I hadn't practiced all week.
今天我被钢琴老师训斥了一顿。他能看出我整整一周都没有练习。
Meaning：to call a person before an authority for a scolding
语义：（当权者、有权威的人或能发号施令的人）传唤某人并对其加以斥责
►Origin: There was an expression in Britain in the early 1800s,“to walk the carpet.”That referred to a servant's being called into the parlor (which was always carpeted, unlike the servants' quarters) to be scolded by the master or mistress of the house. Later the saying was applied to an unlucky employee being called to the boss's office (also carpeted) to be bawled out. Today, if anyone in authority scolds you, you are being“called on the carpet”no matter how the floor is actually covered.
►语源：19世纪初，英国有这样一种表达方式，“to walk the carpet”。该表达指的是一个仆人被其主人召唤到客厅谴责或训斥（与仆人的宿舍不同，主人的客厅里面都铺着地毯）。后来，此习语被应用于一个不幸的雇员被老板传唤到（铺着地毯的）办公室痛骂一顿。现今，不管地板上是否被地毯覆盖，只要任何一个当权者、有权威的人或能发号施令的人斥责你，你就是“called on the carpet（被训斥）”。
CaII your bIuff诱使某人交底、摊牌
They're bragging they can beat us badly. C'mon. Let's call their bluff.
他们夸口能狠狠地打败我们。来吧。让他们在我们跟前亮亮吧。
Meaning：to demand that someone prove a claim; challenge someone to carry out a threat
语义：要求某人证明其声称；挑战某人实施其威胁
►Origin: This early 19th-century American saying comes from card playing. In poker, a player bets according to what his hand is, compared with what he thinks others' are. When you bluff, you pretend you have a great hand of cards even when you don't, and you raise the bet to fake out the other players. If someone“calls your bluff,”he or she challenges you by meeting or raising your bet (“to call”means to match a bet) to make you show the cards you really have.
►语源：这个19世纪初的美国习语来自扑克牌游戏。在纸牌戏中，打牌的人根据他手中的牌下注，并与他所认为的其他人手中的牌比较。当你虚张声势时，即使你没有一手好牌，你也假装有，且你会增加赌注来迷惑其他人。如果有人“calls your bluff”，他/她就是通过跟注或提高赌注向你发出挑战，迫使你摊牌。
CaIm before the storm暴风雨前的宁静
The meeting may be peaceful now, but this is only the calm before the storm.
这个会议现在可能是平静的，但这仅仅是暴风雨前的宁静。
Meaning：a period of peace before a disturbance or crisis; an unnatural or false calm before a storm
语义：混乱、动乱或危机前的一段和平时期；暴风雨前反常或虚假的平静
►Origin: There was an ancient Greek proverb that said“Fair weather brings on cloudy weather.”Though that's not always true, people have noticed since the 1500s that there often was a period of stillness before a big storm. Over centuries the meaning of this saying has been broadened to include any time of false peacefulness right before a violent outburst.
►语源：古希腊有这样一条谚语：“Fair weather brings on cloudy weather.”尽管它不总是准确，但自16世纪以来人们已经注意到在大的暴风雨来临之前总有一段静寂时期。数个世纪过去了，该习语的语义已经扩展到包括任何猛烈骚动前的虚假的平静时期。
Can't fight city haII官府难抗
The school board is determined to make the school year last longer. You can't fight city hall.
教育委员会下决心延长学年。你是无法与他们抗争的。
Meaning：An ordinary person cannot win a struggle against an administrative system.
语义：一个普通人是不可能在反抗行政制度的斗争中取得胜利的。
►Origin: In the United States,“city hall”represents the local government:the mayor, the legislative body, as well as the various agencies and departments. Today when we say“city hall”we mean any large organization such as a government, school system, or corporation. This expression claims that you can't fight city hall, but that's not always true. You can protest, picket, circulate petitions, make speeches, write letters, support candidates who express your views, or even run for mayor yourself!
►语源：在美国，市政厅是地方政府的代表，包括市长、立法机关和各种各样的行政管理机构和部门。现今我们说的市政厅是指任何大的组织机构，如政府、学校或公司。该短语宣称你的斗争是徒劳的，但它也不总是正确的。你可以抗议，担任纠察，分发请愿书，做演讲，写信，支持与你观点、看法相似的候选人，甚至亲自去竞选市长。
Can't get bIood from a stone水中捞月；与虎谋皮
Don't ask her for a cookie. She never shares her food, and you can't get blood from a stone.
不要向她要小甜点。她从不和别人分享她的食物，你这是无异于与虎谋皮。
Meaning：You cannot ask for or do the impossible.
语义：你不能要求不存在的东西或做办不到的事。
►Origin: A stone is a solid rock and has no blood in it, of course. And that's just the point of this saying. Just as you can't get blood out of a stone, you can't accomplish something that's hopeless or impossible. You can't borrow money from someone who's broke. You can't expect mercy from someone who is hard-hearted. Xenophanes, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 6th century B.C., used a phrase similar to this that meant“from nothing comes nothing.”Charles Dickens, the great British author, liked this idiom so much he used it several times in his books in the mid-1800s.
►语源：石头是一块坚固的岩石，它里面当然没有血液。这正是此习语的主旨所在。正如不可能从石块中抽出血液一样，你不可能完成没有希望或不可能的事，如向一个破产的人借钱，或期望从一个铁石心肠的人那里得到怜悯。生活在公元前6世纪的希腊哲学家色诺芬尼曾用过一个与之相似的短语，“from nothing comes nothing”。英国伟大作家查尔斯·狄更斯对该习语特别偏爱，以至于在他19世纪中期的著作中此习语被提到过许多次。
Can't hit the side of a barn瞄不准
Don't worry about being the target in the booth at the school carnival. These kids can't hit the side of a barn.
别担心你在学校嘉年华会的摊点上成为被攻击的目标。这些孩子投掷的准头很差。
Meaning：to have terrible aim; not be able to throw well enough to hit even a large target
语义：瞄准能力极差；投掷不准，以至于连比较大的目标都会错过
►Origin: The side of a barn is a large area, and if you can't hit something as big as that, your pitching arm must be terrible. This idiom became popular in the United States in the early 1900s. It described baseball pitchers who couldn't throw a ball into the strike zone. Variations on this expression are“can't hit the broad side of a barn”and“can't hit a barn door.”
►语源：谷仓的一侧是一个比较大的范围，如果像这么大的目标都未被击中，那么你的投掷水平必定特别糟糕。20世纪初该习语开始在美国流行。它描述的是棒球投手不能把球投入好球区。这种表达的变体有“can't hit the broad side of a barn”和“can't hit a barn door”。
Can't hoId a candIe to与某些人比望尘莫及，水平很差
Anita can't hold a candle to Jon when it comes to tap dancing.
就踢踏舞而言，与乔恩相比，安妮塔望尘莫及。
Meaning：to be second-rate in a certain skill; be greatly inferior
语义：在某种技能方面处于二流水平；非常差
►Origin: In the 1500s, long before the days of good lighting, a servant called a“linkboy”held candles for people. This was considered a lowly job done by those who were thought to be inferior. If a linkboy did not know the roads or the layout of a theater, then he was said to be“not worthy to hold a candle to someone.”Thus, the expression“can't hold a candle to”came to mean lower in order, rank, quality, or value.
►语源：16世纪时，照明条件很差，人们在夜间一般由叫“火炬手”的仆人手持蜡烛照明引路。它被看做由下等人做的卑贱的工作。如果一个火炬手不认识路或不了解一个剧场的布局，他就被认为连为人们引路都不配。因此，这种表达表示在社会地位、质量和价值方面都处于底层。
Can't see the forest for the trees只见树木，不见森林
My teacher catches all my grammar mistakes, but he misses my brilliant writing. He can't see the forest for the trees.
老师捕捉到了我所有的语法错误，但他忽略了我杰出的写作能力。他这是只见树木，不见森林。
Meaning：to overlook the overall situation because of a focus on small details; be so involved in details that you miss the whole picture
语义：由于把焦点集中于小细节而忽视了大局；太关注细节而忽略了整个蓝图
►Origin: This idiom, which has been popular for many years, created this picture in the mind of the writer who invented it: a person in the country focused so intently on each individual tree, leaf, branch, and twig, that she misses the splendor of the huge forest she's in. Afterward, if someone asks her,“How did you like the forest?”she might answer,“What forest? All I saw were some trees.”This saying means to be unable to understand the whole situation because you pay too much attention to the small parts.
►语源：该习语已经流行了许多年，在发明它的作家的脑海里创造了这样一幅图画：乡下的一个人太全神贯注地注视着单棵树、叶子、树枝以及嫩枝，以至于忽略了她所处的大森林的壮观。后来，如果有人问她，“你喜欢那片森林吗？”她可能回答说，“什么森林？我看到的只是一些树木。”这个习语意味着因为过度关注细节，所以你不能了解整体的情况。
Carry coaIs to NewcastIe多此一举；白费力气
Taking flowers to the florist's daughter is like carrying coals to Newcastle.
给花商的女儿送花纯属多此一举。
Meaning：to do something unnecessary; bring something to a place where it is already plentiful
语义：做不必要的事；把某物带到一个盛产（富含）该物或该物已充足的地方
►Origin: There are many coal mines in the English city of Newcastle. Coal is shipped out from this port to other places. Newcastle definitely doesn't need extra coal, so if you carry coals there, you are doing something totally unnecessary. Today the meaning of this expression includes similar situations like taking snowballs to people living near the North Pole.
►语源：在英国港市纽卡斯尔有许多煤矿。煤炭由此港口被运往外地。明显地，纽卡斯尔不需要额外的煤炭，因此，如果你把煤炭运往那儿，你就是在做完全没必要的事。现今，该短语的含义包括类似的情况，如将雪球带给住在北极附近的人。
Carry the baII承担责任；担当要职
As for organizing the ski trip, Susan will carry the ball.
关于组织去滑雪，苏珊将全权负责。
Meaning：to be in charge or be responsible; make sure that a job gets done right
语义：对……负责（任）；确保工作万无一失
►Origin: This idiom comes from the world of sports, especially football. In many ball games, the most important person is the one who has the ball at the moment. This phrase expanded to include other areas of life, such as school, business, or government. The person holding the ball is the one responsible for the task.
►语源：该习语来自体育世界，特别是足球。在许多球类运动中，最重要的人是当时拿到球的那个人。该短语的含义延伸扩张到了生活的其他方面，如在教育、商业领域或政府部门，担当要职的人就是对其工作负责任的那个人。
Carry the weight of the worId on your shouIders不堪重负
Since Jennifer became head of the art department, she looks as if she's carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
自从珍妮弗成为艺术系的头儿，她看起来似乎不堪重负。
Meaning：to be burdened by all the problems in the world
语义：肩负解决世界上所有问题的重担
►Origin: In ancient Greek mythology there was a family of giants called Titans who wanted to rule heaven, but they were beaten out by Zeus (called Jupiter in Roman mythology). Zeus became king of the Olympian gods and punished Atlas, one of the Titans, by forcing him to support all the heavens on his shoulders. Maybe you've seen a statue of Atlas, bent over, struggling to carry the world. Today when we see a person who looks really worried, tired, and overworked with responsibilities, we say that he looks as if he were“carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
►语源：在古希腊神话中有一名为泰坦的巨人族。泰坦族想要统治天堂，但他们被宙斯（在罗马神话中称作朱庇特）击败了。宙斯成为奥林匹斯诸神的统治者，并强制泰坦族的阿特拉斯以双肩掮天作为惩戒。你可能已看过一个阿特拉斯俯身用肩扛着世界的雕像。现今，当我们看到一个看起来因忧虑、疲惫、为担负的责任过度劳累的人，我们就说那个人看起来似乎不堪重负。
Carved in stone板上钉钉
The teacher's rule about no cell phones in class is carved in stone. Don't even think about making a call here.
老师所制定的在课堂上禁止携带手机的规定是板上钉钉的。更别想着在这儿打电话。
Meaning：not able to be changed in any way; permanent and unalterable
语义：无论如何都不能够改变的；永恒的，不能改变的
►Origin: If something is written in pencil, it can be erased. If something is written in ink, it can be whited out. If something is written on a computer, it can be deleted. But if something is written or carved in stone, it cannot be changed. This expression may have been suggested by the story of Moses in the Old Testament in the Bible. He came down from Mount Sinai carrying the Ten Commandments, which were carved in stone so that not one word, not one syllable, not one letter could be altered. Today when we say that a rule, law, or pronouncement from an authority is“carved in stone,”we mean it's permanent.
►语源：如果某些东西是用铅笔记写下的，它可以被抹去；如果是用钢笔记下的，它可以被修正液掩盖；如果是用电脑记录下来的，它可以被删除。但如果是被镌刻在岩石上，那么它就不能被改变。该习语的形成可能受到了《圣经·旧约》中摩西故事的启发。摩西带着十诫从西奈山下山。十诫是被镌刻在岩石上的，这样连一个单词、一个音节甚至一个字母也不会被改变。现今，当我们说权威部门制定的规则、法律，发布的声明、公告是“carved in stone”，意思就是它是永久的、不可改变的。
Cast pearIs before swine明珠暗投，对牛弹琴
Serving gourmet food to Marc is like casting pearls before swine. He likes fast food and jelly sandwiches.
为马克准备丰盛大餐真是对牛弹琴。他喜欢快餐和果酱三明治。
Meaning：to waste something good or valuable on someone who won't appreciate or understand it
语义：在不懂得欣赏的人身上浪费好的、有价值的东西
►Origin: This expression comes from the Bible ( Matthew 7:6 ) and was later used by famous writers such as William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. Giving pearls to swine, or pigs, would be foolish. The pig wants mud and food, not precious jewels. In a similar way, wasting something good on someone who won't be thankful for it is like“cast pearls before swine.”
►语源：这则习语来源于《圣经》《马太福音》7:6），后被一些著名作家引用，如威廉 ·莎士比亚和查尔斯·狄更斯。给猪珍珠是很愚蠢的事。猪需要的是泥土、食物，而非名贵珠宝。同样，把好的东西浪费在不懂得感恩的人身上也就是对牛弹琴。
Cast the first stone首先攻击；挑衅
Don't criticize. You've done it yourself, so you shouldn't cast the first stone.
别埋怨了，你自作自受，别再恶人先告状了。
Meaning：to be the first to attack, blame, or criticize someone
语义：首先攻击、责怪或者训斥某人
►Origin: This is another saying that comes from the Bible. The apostle John writes that when people wanted to stone to death a woman accused of something immoral, Jesus said,“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”In other words, you shouldn't criticize how others behave unless you're perfect yourself.
►语源：这则习语同样源于《圣经》。使徒约翰写道：当有人想朝那个做了不道德的事的女人扔石头时，耶稣说：“让那个从来没犯过错误的人先拿起石头。”也就是说，如果自己不够完美就不要对别人指手画脚。
Cat got your tongue无言以对，瞠目结舌
Why don't you answer me? Cat got your tongue?
为什么不回答我？无话可说了吗？
Meaning：Is there a reason that you're not speaking?
语义：你不说话有原因吗？
►Origin: By the mid-1800s this expression was popular in both the United States and Britain. No one is sure where it came from, but you can imagine that if a cat really got hold of your tongue, you wouldn't be able to say a word. Probably someone thought up this saying to say“Why don't you talk?”in a clever way, and it caught on.
►语源：19世纪中期，这则习语在英美都很流行。没人知道它到底起源于哪里，但可以想象如果一只猫真的抓住你的舌头，你一个字也说不出来。或许发明这句话的人是想要委婉地说：“你为什么不说话？”，之后一直被沿用。
Cat that swaIIowed the canary沾沾自喜，自鸣得意
When Ashley found out she was the only one who had gotten 100 on the big test, she looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.
当阿什利发现自己是唯一在测试中得100分的人，便开始沾沾自喜。
Meaning：a very self-satisfied person
语义：非常自满的人
►Origin: This idiom comes from the second half of the 1800s. Pity the poor canary who lives in the same house as a cat. That cat would just love to have that canary for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. (Think of the cartoon character Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird, the canary he'd love to gobble up.) A canary is usually protected by its cage, so if by chance the cat does manage to swallow the canary one day, it would be very happy with itself because it got exactly what it wanted. Cats are also popular in other idioms:“copycat,”“curiosity killed the cat,”“scaredy-cat,”“let the cat out of the bag,”“play cat and mouse,”and“it's raining cats and dogs.”
►语源：这则习语源于19世纪中后期。可怜的金丝雀和猫住在同一间屋子里。猫总在想把金丝雀变成早餐、午餐或晚餐的美食。（回忆一下卡通人物斯尔维斯特猫和那只它想一口吞下的翠娣鸟。）金丝雀通常有鸟笼的保护，因此如果猫吞吃了金丝雀，猫会特别为自己高兴，因为它得到了想要的。猫在其他习语中也很常见：“copycat（盲目模仿者）”,“curiosity killed the cat（好奇害死猫）”,“scaredy-cat（胆小鬼）”,“let the cat out of the bag（真相大白）”,“play cat and mouse（欲擒故纵）”,“it's raining cats and dogs（下倾盆大雨）”。
Catch more flies with honey than with vinegar投其所好
Ask her nicely. Remember, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
态度好点跟她说话。记住，用蜜比用醋能捉到更多的苍蝇。
Meaning：More can be accomplished by being pleasant than by being disagreeable.
语义：好的态度比不友善的态度能收获更多。
►Origin: As early as the 1600s people were using different versions of this expression in many European languages. If you've ever had a fly buzzing around your house, you know that it is attracted to sweet things like honey. It doesn't like sour things like vinegar. In the same way, you' re more likely to get what you want from people (“catch more flies”) by being sweet and agreeable (like honey), rather than bitter and sharp (like vinegar).
►语源：早在17世纪的欧洲，已出现这则习语的不同版本。如果屋子里有苍蝇乱飞，你知道是蜂蜜这样的甜的东西引来了苍蝇，而不是像醋这样的酸的东西。同样道理，要想从别人那里得到你想要的东西（“抓到苍蝇”）你就必须态度和善（像蜂蜜一样），而非态度恶劣（像醋一样）。
Catch someone red-handed逮个正着
Lorraine's brother was caught red-handed at the scene of the crime.
洛兰的哥哥在犯罪现场被当场抓获。
Meaning：to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
语义：在某人正在做坏事的时候将其抓个正着
►Origin: At first this expression referred to someone caught in the middle of a murder with blood on his or her hands (“red-handed”). Later the saying grew to mean any kind of wrongdoing, not just a criminal action. If you were nabbed sneaking one of your grandmother's freshly baked brownies, for instance, your fingers might be covered with chocolate, but you'd still be caught“red-handed.”
►语源：最初这则习语指的是行凶的人在谋杀现场被抓，手上还沾满鲜血（“鲜红的手”）。后来被广泛应用到各种不道德的行为，不仅仅是犯罪行为。例如，如果你在偷吃奶奶新烤的巧克力蛋糕时被逮着，你的手上沾满了巧克力，但是你仍是被抓到“red handed”。
Catch you Iater回头见；以后再聊
I've got to get right home to babysit my sister. I'll catch you later.
我得赶快回家照顾我妹妹，有空再聊。
Meaning：good-bye; I'll see or speak to you at another time
语义：再见；回头再聊
►Origin: The verb“catch”has many meanings, including to capture, to trap, and to grasp or take hold of forcibly. In this late 20th century African-American expression,“catch”means to see or hear from you at a later time.
►语源：动词“catch”有很多个意思，包括“捕获”、“设圈套”或“强制性抓住某物”。这则20世纪末非裔美国人的习语中的“catch”指“再见”、“再联系”。
Champ at the bit急不可待，躁动不安
Steve couldn't wait to go into sixth grade. On the first day of school, he was champing at the bit at 6:00 A.M.
史蒂夫迫不及待地想上六年级。开学的第一天他激动得早晨6点就睡不着了。
Meaning：to be impatient to start; be ready and enthusiastic to do something
语义：按捺不住想要开始；准备好并积极地做某事
►Origin: This saying, which has been used for at least 200 years, comes from horse racing. An eager racehorse champs, or bites, on the bit in its mouth at the start of a race. That shows that it is impatient with any delay and wants to be off and running. Today the meaning has been broadened to include not only horses at the starting gate but also anyone eager to start doing something.
►语源：这则习语至少被沿用了200年，起源于赛马。一只迫不及待的赛马不停地嚼嘴里的马嚼子，这是马焦急地想要冲出围栏赛跑的表现。如今它的语义有所延伸，不仅仅指起跑线上的赛马，也指迫不及待做什么事的人。
Cheek by jowI并肩地；紧密地
I thought that Omar and Mike had a fight, but I saw them today in the gym, cheek by jowl.
我还以为奥马尔和迈克闹翻了，但今天看见两个人在体育馆打得火热。
Meaning：very close together; side by side
语义：靠得非常近；肩并肩
►Origin: William Shakespeare used a similar expression,“cheek by cheek,”in his famous romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, written in about 1595.“Cheek by jowl”was a variation invented two centuries later.“Jowl”is another word for the jaw or cheek. So if two people are together with one person's cheek right by another person's jowl, they're pretty close indeed.
►语源：威廉·莎士比亚在他1595年所著的著名浪漫喜剧《仲夏夜之梦》中曾用过类似的词“形影不离”。“cheek by jowl”是两个世纪后它的一个变体。“jowl”、“jaw”、“cheek”三者是同义词。如果两个人脸颊贴脸颊，那他们肯定靠得非常近。
Chew someone out严厉斥责，臭骂某人
When Laurie's parents saw her report card, they really chewed her out.
当劳里的父母看到她的成绩单，便狠狠地训斥了她一通。
Meaning：to scold severely or roughly; bawl someone out
语义：非常严厉或粗暴地斥责；大叫着赶某人出去
►Origin: Did you ever watch someone's mouth and lips moving furiously when they were harshly scolding you? Perhaps it reminded a writer years ago of fast chewing, and that's how this expression was born.
►语源：当有人严厉斥责你的时候，你注意过他们的嘴唇部位猛烈的动作吗？也许在多年前一位作家由此想起快速咀嚼的动作，因而发明了这个短语。
Chew the fat闲聊
My friend and I sat up half the night just chewing the fat.
我和朋友闲聊到深夜。
Meaning：to have friendly, informal talk; chat in a relaxed way
语义：友好地、随意地闲聊；轻松地谈话
►Origin: In the late 1800s this expression was popular in the British army, and then it came to the United States. One possible origin might be that military and naval people were given tough meat to eat and they had to chew the fat of the meat as they talked. The action of chewing is like the action of speaking (see“chew someone out”). At any rate, if you're just hanging out, talking with your friends in an easy, relaxed way, you're“chewing the fat”(or“rag”). A similar expression is to“shoot the breeze.”
►语源：19世纪末这则习语在英国军营里非常流行，后流传到美国。可能性最大的说法是：陆军和海军战士经常在吃生肉的时候闲聊。咀嚼的动作像是在说话（见“呵斥某人”）。无论如何，如果你和朋友出来小聚，随意放松地聊天，那么你们是在“闲聊（嚼脂肪或破衣服）”。类似习语：“shoot the breeze”。
Chew up the scenery过于夸张；矫揉造作；假惺惺
Stan was chewing up the scenery in the principal's office, crying and screaming that he didn't do it.
斯坦在校长办公室演戏演过头了，哭着嚷着为自己喊冤。
Meaning：to overact; exaggerate your emotions
语义：过火地表演；夸大自己的情绪
►Origin: This idiom comes from show business. Some actors carry on wildly, and in exaggerated, overemotional ways. A critic once wrote that this kind of uncontrolled theatrical behavior was like chewing up the scenery, and the criticism soon became a popular phrase. Today people can“chew up the scenery”whenever they show too much emotion to achieve a special effect.
►语源：这是个戏剧表演中兴起的习语。有些演员太入戏，表演过于夸张，矫揉造作。曾有评论家定义这种没有控制的戏剧表演像是把精力放在了舞台背景上，这句评论很快流行起来。如今，当有人为了达到某种效果而释放了过多的情绪，就成了“chew up the scenery”。
Chew your cud反复思量，再三考虑
Don't bother your father right now. He's in the den chewing his cud over problems at work.
不要打扰你爸爸。他在深思工作上的事。
Meaning：to think deeply to oneself; turn a matter over and over in your mind
语义：独自沉思；反复思考一个问题
►Origin: In the mid-1500s a lot of people owned cows, sheep, and goats. These are animals that chew their cud (food that is spit up from the stomach to the mouth and chewed again). It's a long process. A person lost in deep thought—pondering, reflecting, speculating—made a clever 16th century writer think of an animal chewing its cud, and this saying was born. Sometimes it's shortened just to“chew over”a matter.
►语源：16世纪中期，很多人养奶牛、绵羊、山羊。这些都是反刍动物（第一胃的食物逆入口腔并再次进行咀嚼的动物）。这是个漫长的过程。16世纪一位聪明的作家看到有人在沉思，这使他想到了反刍的动物，这则习语也就应运而生。有时缩写为“chew over”。
Chicken feed低微的薪水，零钱
Mr. Tan loves his job at the museum, even though they pay only chicken feed.
坦先生热爱他在图书馆的这份工作，尽管薪水微不足道。
Meaning：a very small or insignificant amount of money
语义：小量的微不足道的金额
►Origin: This American barnyard saying came from the pioneer days.The grain for the chickens to eat had to be inexpensive. At one point in the history,“chicken feed”came to mean small coins. Today people use“chicken feed”when something costs only a little bit of money or they're getting low pay at work.“chicken feed”sometimes means misleading information that is given to throw someone off the track.
►语源：这则美国习语源于开拓年代仓房周围的空地。喂鸡的谷物非常廉价。“chicken feed”也曾指小额硬币。如今，人们用“chicken feed”指代廉价的东西，或是微不足道的工资。“chicken feed”还有将某人引入歧途的误导信息的意思。
Chickens come home to roost．害人反害己，咒人反咒己。
You'd better be careful what you say when you're angry. Chickens come home to roost.
你生气的时候最好管住你的嘴，咒人反咒己。
Meaning：Words or actions come back to haunt a person; evil acts will return to plague the doer.
语义：有些话或者行为会报应在说这句话或做这件事的人身上；邪恶的行为会危及做错事的人。
►Origin: In 1810 the English poet Robert South wrote,“Curses are like young chickens; they always come home to roost.”If you live on a farm, you'll know that chickens allowed to run around the barnyard come back to the chicken coop to sleep. In this expression the“chickens”are angry words or thoughtless actions. When they“come home to roost,”they come back to cause trouble. In other words, everyone has to deal with the results of his or her own actions.
►语源：1810年，英国诗人罗伯特·索斯写道：“咒语就像是小鸡；它们总会回窝里休息。”住在农场的人都知道鸡群白天在仓院里活动，晚上回鸡笼里睡觉。在这则习语当中，“chicken”代表咒骂的话，或者粗鲁的行为。当这些话或行为“come home to roost”，它们会招致麻烦。换句话说，每个人都应该为自己的行为负责。
ChiII out放松，冷静
When Chris threw down the paddle after he lost the ping-pong game, the counselor told him to chill out.
克里斯输了乒乓球赛后把球拍摔在地上，他的教练劝他放松心情。
Meaning：to relax; calm down
语义：放松，冷静
►Origin: When a person starts to get angry, we often use expressions like“steamed up”and“hot under the collar”to describe his or her emotions. If being heated up suggests being overly excited, then it's easy to see how the opposite means calm.“Chill out”is a recent African-American idiom, and so are other similar expressions like“take a chill pill”and“cool it.”
►语源：我们常用“怒火中烧”和“心烦意乱”来形容某人生气时的情绪。如果生气比作升温，那么很容易想到它的反义词降温就是冷静。“chill out”是非裔美国人新兴的习语，类似的还有“take a chill pill”和“cool it”。
Chip off the oId bIock酷似双亲
I never realized how much Felix looks like his father. He's a real chip off the old block.
我从来没有意识到费利克斯跟他爸爸长得那么像，简直一模一样。
Meaning：a child who resembles a parent in behavior, looks, or abilities
语义：孩子遗传了父母的行为、长相或者能力。
►Origin: This is an old expression. It's been popular for hundreds of years, and it may go back as far as the ancient Greek. A“block”can be of wood or stone. If you chipped off a little piece of it, the chip would resemble the big block—for instance, in color and texture. In the same way, a child (“chip”) might act or look like the parent (“the old block”).
►语源：这是个可追溯到古希腊时代、流行了几百年的古老的说法。如果从大的木块或石块上砍下一小块，小木块/石块就具有和大块同样的特征，例如颜色、质地。同样，孩子（“小块”）的行为举止或长相往往酷似父母（“大块”）。
Chips are down情况危急
Girls, the chips are down. If we don't win this game, we're out of the playoffs.
姑娘们，情况紧急！如果不能赢得这次比赛，我们就出局了。
Meaning：The situation is urgent and has to be dealt with now.
语义：情况紧急，需要立刻解决。
►Origin: This saying appeared in the United States in the early 19th century and comes from gambling, probably poker. Chips are small plastic disks used like money for betting. A gambler puts his chips in front of him to show that he is willing to risk a certain amount of money on a bet. When his pile of chips is down (that is, his money is low), his situation is bad, maybe even desperate. Today the expression“chips are down”refers to any critical situation in life, such as in sports, business, or politics, and not just card playing.
►语源：这个说法出现在美国19世纪早期的赌场，很可能是扑克牌游戏中。赌博的筹码是小的塑料薄片（chip）。赌博的人把筹码放到赌台上，表示他们为这场输赢押上了多少钱的赌注。当他的筹码落下去（也就是钱少了），那么他的情况不佳，甚至很危险。如今，“chips are down”指任何人生中的紧要关头，例如体育竞技场上、生意场上或者政治领域，不仅仅是在玩牌过程中。
CIam up沉默不语
When the boss asked who had left the copy machine on all night, Caitlin clammed up.
老板问是谁晚上走的时候忘了关打印机，凯特林沉默不语。
Meaning：to refuse to talk; become silent
语义：不说话，保持沉默
►Origin: An imaginative writer once thought that a person's lips were like the two halves of a clamshell. When it wants to, a clam can shut its shell tightly. That's what gave that writer the idea to write“clam up”to mean“to shut your lips, and keep information to yourself.”Other similar idioms are“button it up,”“button your lip”and“zip your lips.”
►语源：一位想象力丰富的作家曾把人的双唇比作蛤壳。蛤能够紧紧地关闭蛤壳。这使那位作家突发奇想用“clam up”来指“沉默不语”、“严守秘密”的意思。类似习语有“button it up”、“button your lip”和“zip your lips”。
CIean as a whistIe一尘不染
The science lab is as clean as a whistle.
这个实验室特别的干净。
Meaning：completely free from dirt; perfectly neat
语义：完全没有灰尘；分外洁净
►Origin: In one of his poems in the late 1700s, Robert Burns, a great Scottish poet, used a similar phrase,“as toom as whistle”(“toom”meant“empty”then). The idea is that you can get the best, clearest, purest sound out of a whistle or any other wind instrument if you keep the reed (the part that makes the sound when you blow into it) completely free of dust and dirt. A similar expression is“clean as a hound's tooth.”
►语源：伟大的苏格兰诗人罗伯特·彭斯18世纪晚期的一首诗中用到过类似的表达“as toom as whistle”（“toom”是“空荡”的意思）。意思是说要保持哨子中簧片的清洁，才能使哨子或是其他乐器发出最好、最清晰、最纯正的声音。类似习语为“clean as a hound's tooth（像猎狗的牙齿一样干净）”。
CIean biII of heaIth免检疫报告；合格健康证书
The gas station that inspected Dad's old car gave it a clean bill of health.
为爸爸的旧车检修的加油站给了他一张车子的合格证明。
Meaning：declaration of satisfactory, healthy condition, or proven innocence
语义：满意度、健康状况或无罪的证明
►Origin: In the 19th century people were often fearful that there might be diseases on ships that would dock in their cities. So health authorities had to inspect each ship before it could come near the wharf. If a ship was found to be free of disease, an official document called a“bill of health”was handed to the captain. Then the ship could dock. Today the expression refers to more than just medical health. If you've been accused of a crime, and then, after an investigation, were found not guilty, you're said to have been given a“clean bill of health.”
►语源：19世纪人们担心停靠在他们城市境内的船舶会携带有病菌。因此卫生部门在船靠岸之前对其进行检测，并发给船长一张“健康证”作为官方文件，船方可靠岸。如今这个词组不仅指医学语义上的健康。如果你被指控犯罪，经查证你是无辜的，我们就说你得到了一张“无罪证明”。
CIear as a beII非常清楚
When Stephen asked Mary to the school prom, her answer was as clear as a bell.“Yes!”
当史蒂芬邀请玛丽参加学校的舞会，玛丽的回答清晰爽快。“好的！”
Meaning：easily and clearly understood with no confusion whatsoever
语义：轻易而清晰地明白
►Origin: Bells have been ringing for thousands of years to celebrate happy occasions like weddings or to warn people of impeding dangers like an enemy attack or a fire. In order to be effective, a bell has to have a clear, loud sound that can be heard and understood without question from long distances. That's why we say that anything—an explanation, a message, or an answer to a question—that can be comprehended with absolute certainty is as“clear as a bell.”People have been using this saying for over 400 years. It became especially well known when it became the slogan of a phonograph company in the 1910s. There is an expression that means just the opposite:“clear as mud.”
►语源：几千年来响铃被用来庆祝像婚礼这样愉快的时刻，或者告诫人们防御敌人来袭或火灾等危害。为了达到这些效果，响铃声音应当清脆响亮以便远处的人也能听得清楚。因此人们说任何能够毫无异议理解的东西（解释、留言、答案）都是“clear as a bell”。这则习语流行了400年。20世纪前十年间这则习语被一家留声机公司引用为企业口号之后变得更为有名。反义习语为“clear as mud（一点也不清楚）”。
CIear the decks准备行动，蓄势待发
Before we can build our model for the science fair, we have to clear the decks of other homework.
在做出科技展模型之前，我们必须把其他问题都解决。
Meaning：to get all of the minor details out of the way in order to focus on a major project
语义：先处理所有的小问题，从而专心于大的工程
►Origin: This is another of the many idioms that began at sea. In the times of wooden sailing ships, before the 1700s, crews got ready for a battle at sea by fastening down all loose objects on the cluttered deck that might get in the way or cause injuries. By the 18th century the expression had a broader meaning: to deal with and get rid of all small matters that might stand in the way of getting a big job done.
►语源：这又是一则源于航海的习语。在18世纪之前木制帆船的年代，船员们为海战做准备时要固定好甲板上所有松动凌乱的东西，以免挡道或是造成伤亡。到了18世纪，这则习语的语义有所延伸：解决或处理掉所有影响大工程进行的小问题。
CIimb the waIIs坐立不安，心情焦躁；（因厌烦而）离开
The assembly was so dull that all the kids were climbing the walls.
那次集会太无聊了，所有的小孩都显得很焦躁。
Meaning：to be frustrated or anxious during a challenging situation; be unable to endure
语义：在具有挑战性的情境下有挫败感，焦虑；不能忍受
►Origin: Perhaps this expression came from the days when soldiers attacking a castle climbed the walls of the stronghold. They wanted to get out of the situation they were in and get on with the battle. Today we say that any person can be“climbing the walls”when he or she feels the need for relief from a frustrating situation.
►语源：这则习语或许源于战争年代，战士们要攻克某座城堡或要塞必须爬上城墙。如今，如果有人想要摆脱令人烦躁的环境就是在“climbing the walls”。
CIip your wings剪断你的翅膀；控制你的自由
My father said that if I didn't start behaving, he was going to clip my wings.
爸爸说如果我还不行动，他就要剥夺我的自由。
Meaning：to end a person's privileges; take away someone's power or freedom to do something
语义：终止某人的特权；剥夺某人做某事的权利或自由
►Origin: In ancient Rome thousands of years ago, people clipped the wings of pet birds so that they couldn't fly away. For centuries people have used the idiom“clip someone's wings”to mean bringing a person under control.
►语源：几千年前的古罗马时代，人们剪下鸟儿的翅膀，让它们没办法飞翔。几个世纪以来，人们用这则习语来形容掌控某人。
CIoak-and-dagger秘密行动，间谍
Dad reads books on gardening, while Mom loves a good cloak-and-dagger story.
爸爸喜欢读园艺方面的书，而妈妈超爱读精彩的间谍小说。
Meaning：concerning or involving spies, secret agents, intrigue and mystery; involving plotting and scheming
语义：与间谍、特工、阴谋诡计、疑案小说有关的；包含阴谋与计划的
►Origin: As early as the 1600s theatergoers in Spain and other countries loved seeing melodramas filled with exciting adventures, especially daring sword fights. Many of the characters in these dramas hid daggers or swords under their cloaks. After a while, these shows were called“cloak-and-dagger”plays. Now the term is used to describe any kind of entertainment that involves espionage, suspense, or other dramatic adventures.
►语源：早在17世纪，西班牙和其他国家的戏剧爱好者们喜欢到剧院看充满刺激的冒险，尤其是勇敢的击剑场面的情节剧。剧中很多演员把匕首或剑藏在披风后面。后来，这些表演被称为“披风和匕首”剧。如今，这些名词被用来描述所有涉及间谍、悬案或其他戏剧性冒险活动的娱乐方式。
CIose shave幸免于难，九死一生；千钧一发
Roberto had a close shave. His coach almost caught him sneaking out of practice.
罗伯托侥幸逃脱。他的教练差点儿逮到他溜出训练场。
Meaning：a very narrow escape from danger
语义：侥幸逃脱险境
►Origin: This American idiom comes from the early 19th century. The writer who coined this phrase saw the similarity between a close shave and a narrow escape from hazard. A close shave left your skin smooth, but if the blade came just a tiny bit closer, you'd be cut. Today“close shave”implies a slender margin between safety and danger.
►语源：这则美国习语源于19世纪早期。发明这句话的人意识到了刮脸时刀片紧贴皮肤和幸免于难之间存在相似之处。紧贴肌肤滑过的刀片使皮肤光滑，可一旦刀片再贴近一点点，你会被划破。如今“close shave”指平安与危难之间微小的界线。
CIothing Idioms关于服饰的成语
Everybody wears clothes, from a small shoestring to a humongous hat, Many idioms contain the names of clothing items. Some clothing idioms in this book are：
每个人都要着装打扮，大到帽子小到鞋带。很多成语都包含了服饰中的名词。本书中关于服饰的成语有：
Air you dirty laundry in public把秘密公布于众
Ants in your pants坐立不安，热锅上的蚂蚁
At the drop of a hat刻不容缓
Eat your hat食言
Feather in your cap荣耀的事，荣誉
Fly by the seat of your pants临时起意
Give someone the shirt off your back竭尽所能地帮助某人；慷慨
Goody Two-shoes伪善者
Handle with kid gloves小心应付
Hat in hand毕恭毕敬
Hit below the belt暗箭伤人
Hot under the collar发怒，怒气冲天
If the shoe fits, wear it.
1．能凑合就凑合。
2．如果认为别人批评得有道理，就该接受。
3．若这话说对了就接受它吧。
4．如果责备有道理，就该接受。
Keep something under your hat保密
Keep your shirt on保持冷静，沉住气
Lose your shirt损失惨重，失去一切
Old hat老掉牙的东西
On a shoestring白手起家
Pass the hat募捐
Pull a rabbit out of a hat变戏法
Shoe is on the other foot今非昔比
Stuffed shirt妄自尊大，自命不凡
Take off your hat to someone崇拜某人
Talk through your hat信口开河，说大话
Throw your hat into the ring宣布参加竞赛
Tied to someone's apron strings受某人支配，过分依赖某人
Tighten your belt省吃俭用，节俭，节约
Too big for your britches狂妄自大
Waiting for the other shoe to drop等最后的结果
Wear your heart on your sleeve感情外露，不要太情绪化
Wolf in sheep's clothing披着羊皮的狼，假好人
CoId feet临阵脱逃
Gerry wanted to ask Lynette to the party, but he got cold feet.
格里想约莉娜特参加聚会，但他临阵退缩了。
Meaning：a fear of doing something; a loss of nerve or confidence; second thoughts
语义：害怕做某事；丧失勇气和信心；改变主意
►Origin: Since the early 1800s people have been saying that someone who lost his courage had cold feet. Maybe it came from the idea of soldiers running away from battle. Fear can cause a person to feel quickly chilled, especially in the feet. Also,“hot”has always suggested eagerness to do something. A“hot- blooded”person, for instance, is always ready for a fight or an adventure. So, it's easy to see how“cold feet”can suggest cowardice and fear.
►语源：19世纪早期以来人们常说没有勇气的人脚是冰冷的。这或许源于从战场上潜逃的战士的心理。胆怯会使人立刻觉得体寒，尤其是脚。同时，“热”总暗示着对某件事的热忱。例如，一个“热血”的人时刻准备着应付斗争与冒险。因此，显而易见，“cold feet”暗示着胆怯与恐惧。
CoId shouIder冷眼；轻视
After Frank refused to take Jitka to the dance, she gave him the cold shoulder every time they met.
自从弗兰克拒绝了带伊特卡去参加舞会，伊特卡每次见到他都冷眼相对。
Meaning：unfriendly treatment of a person by ignoring him or her
语义：无视某人或不友好地对待某人
►Origin: If you ignore someone, turn your back on him, or refuse to answer his questions, you are giving him the“cold shoulder.”You might think that this expression came from being cold and unwelcoming when you turn your shoulder and snub someone. But that's not the origin at all. Hundreds of year ago in Europe, when a knight in shining armor knocked on a castle door looking for a little hospitality, he was usually given a nice hot meal. But when a common traveler came knocking, he was often given a cold shoulder of sheep (called mutton). It was the unfriendly host's way of saying that the traveler's visit was unwelcome and he should be gone as soon as possible. For that reason, a snub today is called a“cold shoulder.”
►语源：如果你无视某人，对他不理不睬，或者拒绝回答他的问题，那你就给了他“cold shoulder（冷眼）”。你也许推测这个词组来源于对某人爱答不理时冷漠、不热情的样子，但是你错了。几百年前，在欧洲，如果身着耀眼盔甲的骑士敲门投宿，他就会享受热腾腾的美食；但平民百姓路过借宿，就只有凉了的羊肉（cold shoulder of sheep）可以吃。这个不友好的主人是在用这样的方式告诉来访者他很不受欢迎，最好赶快离开这里。因此，“cold shoulder”就是“冷眼相对”、“故意怠慢”的意思。
CoId turkey断然改掉嗜好
I kicked the TV habit cold turkey. I took five books out of the library and covered my set with a blanket.
我毅然决然地戒掉了电视瘾。在图书馆借了五本书，又拿毯子把电视机盖住。
Meaning：the sudden stopping of any habit
语义：突然改掉某个嗜好
►Origin: This 20th century American expression describes an instant withdrawal from any kind of habit, such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, or high-fat foods. If you totally quit your harmful behavior without any help, then you've quit“cold turkey.”No one is quite sure why the words“cold”and“turkey”were joined this way. Since“cold”sometimes describes something unpleasant (“She gave me a cold stare,”or“A cold chill ran down my spine,”for example), then suddenly ending your bad, but pleasurable, habit could leave you cold. How the“turkey”gobbled its way into this idiom is anybody's guess.
►语源：这个20世纪的美国习语指的是瞬间摒弃任何嗜好，例如抽烟、酗酒、吸毒或者吃高热量食品。如果能不借助外力完全戒掉坏毛病，那你就告别了“cold turkey（冷火鸡）”。没人能解释清楚为什么用cold和turkey这两个词。“冷”有时候代表“不高兴”的意思（如“她冷冷地盯着我”或“我浑身发冷”），因此突然戒掉对你有害但令你舒适的习惯会让你觉得冷（不适）。至于“火鸡”是怎么飞进这个习语里的还有待考究。
CoIor Idioms
People like color, from a little“green thumb”to a humongous“red-letter day.”Many idioms contain the names of colors. Some color idioms in this book are:
人们喜欢颜色，从小小的“green thumb（绿色拇指，即园艺技能）”到盛大的“red-letter day（红色字母日，即重大纪念日）”都有人喜欢。许多习语包括各种颜色。本书里包含的与颜色有关的习语有：
Between the devil and the deep blue sea进退维谷，左右为难
Black sheep of the family害群之马
Blue blood贵族血统
Bolt from the blue突如其来的事件（消息），晴天霹雳
Catch someone red-handed当场抓住，现场捕获
Green thumb园艺技能，种植技能
Green with envy妒忌的，嫉妒的
In the pink满面红光，容光焕发
Red herring转移注意力的次要事实
Red tape繁文缛节，官僚作风
Red-carpet treatment贵宾待遇
Show your true colors露出真面目
Tickled pink高兴极了，非常开心
True blue忠贞不渝的，坚定不移的，典型的
With flying colors凯旋，成功
Come again再说一遍，请重复
He had a heavy accent, so when he told me his name, I had to say,“Come again?”
他口音很重，所以当他告诉我他的名字时我不得不说：“请您再说一遍好吗？”
Meaning：I don't understand what you're saying, so please repeat yourself.
语义：我不明白你的话，请再说一遍。
►Origin: The verb“to come”has always meant to arrive or appear. In this 20th century African-American expression,“come”takes on the meaning of“speak.”
►语源：动词“to come”一般都是“到达”或“显现”的意思。而在这个20世纪非裔美国人的习语当中，“come”意译为“说”的意思。
Come apart at the seams失去理智，不能控制，精神失常
When Miriam found out that she wasn't going back to camp this summer, she came apart at the seams.
米丽娅姆意识到她这次暑假不能去夏令营的时候她都快疯了。
Meaning：to become so upset that all self-control is gone
语义：极其难过以至于不能自控
►Origin: A person doesn't actually have seams, of course, but think of a piece of clothing under great strain. Imagine a person trying to squeeze into a suit that was smaller than his or her size. The garment might come apart at the seams and rip open. Similarly, a nervous person under stress could“come apart at the seams,”or fall apart and break down.
►语源：人当然不会有裂缝，但是想象一下承受很强拉力的布料。如果一个人要挤进一件比他/她的尺码小得多的衣服里，那么衣服很可能会被撑破。同样的道理，如果有人精神紧张、压力很大，他也会“come apart at the seams”或是完全的垮掉、崩溃。
Come out of your sheII放松戒备，与人交往
At first Mr. Greenblatt was shy, but when he felt more comfortable at his new job, he came out of his shell.
格林布赖特先生过去很害羞，但是当他熟悉了新的工作环境后，他变得开朗了。
Meaning：to stop being so shy; become more friendly
语义：不再害羞；更加友好
►Origin: Tortoises hide from dangers by withdrawing their heads, legs, and tails into their shells. Snails also retreat into their shells for safety when they feel threatened. Newly hatched birds have to come out of their protective shells in order to grow up in the outside world. Human beings don't have shells, of course. But if you're shy or easily frightened and don't feel comfortable with other people, and then you overcome your shyness, lose your inhibitions, and become more sociable, you've“come out of your shell.”
►语源：乌龟遇到危险时把头、四肢、尾巴都缩进龟壳内。蜗牛受到威胁时也会缩回壳里。刚孵化的小鸟要从保护它的蛋壳里出来到外面的世界。当然，人类没有保护壳。但如果你原本害羞，很易受到惊吓，和其他人相处很不自在，后来克服了胆怯，消除了顾虑，变得较善于社交，那么你就“come out of your shell（走出了你的壳，善于与人交往）”。
Come up smeIIing Iike a rose做事不当但仍能幸运地敷衍过去；假装无辜，面不改色心不跳
Even though my sister forgot to do her chores last week, she still came up smelling like a rose.
我妹妹上周忘了干家务，她居然还是一副面不改色心不跳的样子。
Meaning：to get out of a possibly embarrassing or disgraceful situation without hurting your reputation, and maybe even improving it
语义：在不影响自己荣誉，甚至能塑造更好的形象的情况下走出尴尬处境
►Origin: This is a colorful 20th century American expression. The writer who created it had in mind the image of a person who falls into a pile of garbage but manages to become up“smelling like a rose.”Symbolically, this means the person gets into some kind of trouble, and through good fortune or cleverness, gets out again without damaging his or her good name.
►语源：这是20世纪美国一则很具有感情色彩的习语。创造这个习语的人脑中浮现这样一个形象：摔倒在垃圾堆里的人试图让自己闻起来像玫瑰一样芳香。这象征着一个遇到麻烦的人，能够幸运地或通过某种手段在不损害自己名誉的情况下走出困境。
Cook your goose从中作梗；坏你的好事；要你的小命
When Sandra's brother wouldn't let her join his team, she cooked his goose by letting the air out of the basketballs before the game.
桑德拉的哥哥不让她加入他的篮球队，于是桑德拉从中作梗，开赛前放了篮球的气。
Meaning：to wreck someone's plans; ruin someone's project; spoil someone's happiness
语义：破坏某人的计划；毁掉某人的工程；破坏某人的幸福
►Origin: This saying, which today has nothing to do with cooking, comes from an old story. In the mid-1500s, Eric , the Mad King of Sweden, came to a town with his soldiers. To insult him, the townspeople hung a goose (the symbol of stupidity) outside the town's gates so it would be the first thing the king saw. That made the mad king even madder than his regular mad self, so he ordered his soldiers to burn the town down. When the townspeople asked what was happening, the king said that he was cooking their goose. Today if you spoil someone's plans, projects, hopes, or expectations, often in spite or for revenge or punishment, you can say that his“goose is cooked.”
►语源：这则习语和做饭完全没有关系，它来源于一个古老的故事。15世纪中期，瑞典暴君埃里克十四世带着他的军队来到一个城镇。城里的人为了羞辱这个暴君，挂了一只鹅（也就是愚蠢的象征）在城门上，使得国王一进城就看得到。这使得国王大怒，于是下令烧毁城镇。城里的人们问起这是怎么回事，国王说他在烤那只鹅。如今，你若想在毁掉某人的计划、工程或期望，达到报复或惩罚的效果，你可以说他的“goose is cooked”。
Cooking with gas如火如荼，干得起劲
Yesterday, he didn't score a single point. But in tonight's game, he was really cooking with gas.
昨天他一分也没得，而今晚比赛他表现得真的很出色。
Meaning：performing with skill, energy, enthusiasm, and excellence
语义：娴熟、卖力、积极、出色地表现
►Origin: Years ago when people wanted to cook food, they first had to gather wood and get a fire going. When gas cooking became popular in the 20th century, so did this African-American expression. Today all you have to do is turn a dial. It's fast, clean, and effortless. The same idea can be applied to people's actions. When someone says you're“cooking with gas,”he or she is complimenting you about whatever you're doing. You're getting the job done with great expertise and energy.
►语源：很多年前，人们做饭之前要用柴烧火。当20世纪用燃气做饭越来越普及，这则非裔美国人的习语也变得更常用。如今，做饭只要打开炉灶，快捷、干净、便利。该习语可用于描述人的行为。如果有人说你在“cooking with gas”，她/他是在夸奖你在很专业、很用心地做事。
CooI as a cucumber沉着冷静
Roslyn was as cool as a cucumber when she got the award from the President of the United States.
罗斯林从美国总统手中接过大奖的时候很沉着冷静。
Meaning：very calm; not nervous or emotional
语义：非常冷静，不紧张，情绪稳定
►Origin: As early as the 1500s this expression was used to describe calm and composed people. When thermometers were invented, scientists showed that cucumbers are often 20 degrees cooler inside than the outside air.
►语源：早在16世纪，这个词组就被用来形容冷静沉着的人。温度计问世之后，科学家们发现黄瓜内部的温度比外部温度低20度。
CooI it放松；冷静下来
I told Meryl and Micki to cool it and stop arguing.
我劝说梅丽尔和米基都冷静下来，别再吵了。
Meaning：to relax; calm down; stop being so excited or angry
语义：放松；冷静下来；控制激动、恼怒的情绪
►Origin: This example of American slang, usually spoken as an irritated command, originated in the 1950s. When a person starts getting angry, a good piece of advice is to“cool it.”Get control of yourself and relax. A similar expression is“chill out.”
►语源：这句美国俚语常用作口头命令，起源于20世纪50年代。劝说动怒的人冷静下来的很好用的一句话就是“cool it”。控制自己的情绪，放松下来。类似的习语为“chill out”。
CooI your heeIs安静会儿；耐心等待
Poor Damien. I just saw him cooling his heels outside the principal's office.
可怜的达米尔，我刚看到他站在校长室门外反省呢。
Meaning：to be kept waiting for a long time, usually by someone in power or authority
语义：被迫等很久，通常是受有权力的人的指使
►Origin: Your feet become warm or hot when you run or walk. But when you are forced to sit for a long time or stand in one place, the heels of your feet stay cool. That's why, since the early 1600s, the saying is that when someone keeps you waiting, you're“cooling your heels.”
►语源：当你跑步或走路之后，你的脚通常会变暖。但是如果你被迫一直坐/站在同一个地方不动，你的脚会变得很凉。因此，17世纪以来人们用“cool your heels”这则习语来表达“被迫等待某人”的意思。
Cost an arm and a Ieg价格不菲
It cost him an arm and a leg to go to Hawaii, but Mr. Wang really needed the vacation.
王先生的夏威夷之旅虽然昂贵，但是他确实需要这个假期。
Meaning：very expensive; high-priced, though possibly not worth the cost
语义：非常昂贵；价钱高，但并非值得
►Origin: This popular mid-20th-century American expression gets a lot of use as things get more expensive. Naturally, one's arms and legs are priceless, so what this saying implies is that if something is really expensive, then it's like paying for it with one of your limbs. A similar saying is“pay through the nose.”
►语源：这则流行于20世纪中期的美国习语随着物价的提高更为常用。人的四肢当然是无价的，所以这则习语是在暗示有些东西贵得似乎你要押上你的四肢才能买得起。类似习语为“pay through the nose”。
Couch potato电视迷
He won't come out to play because he's a couch potato.
他不会出来玩的，因为他是个电视迷。
Meaning：a person who spends a lot of time watching television
语义：花费大量时间看电视的人
►Origin: People started buying television sets in the late 1940s, and by the mid-1970s practically every household in America had at least one. That's when this phrase was invented. It describes a person who doesn't do much in his or her free time except watch television. Why“couch”? Because that's where a lot of people sit when they're watching TV (especially if they want to lie down). Why“potato”? Because to the person who coined this description, a person who lies around all day and night in front of the television set reminded him of a potato—a dull, lumpy vegetable with“eyes.”
►语源：20世纪40年代，人们开始购买电视机，到了70年代中期，几乎每个美国家庭都拥有至少一台电视机。这则习语也就应运而生。它描述了一个业余时间除了看电视什么也不做的人。为什么用“couch （沙发）”？因为很多人看电视都坐在沙发上（躺着看就更形象了）。为什么用“potato（土豆）”？因为创造这个词的人认为一天到晚躺在沙发上看电视的人让他联想到了土豆——迟钝的、笨重的、长着“眼睛”的蔬菜。
Cream of the crop精英，尖子
As a cook and hostess, Audrey is the cream of the crop.
作为女主人兼厨师，奥德丽是最出色的一个。
Meaning：the best person or thing of all; the top choice; the best part
语义：最好的人或物；最佳选择；最优良的部分
►Origin: The first bottle of homogenized milk was sold in 1919. The fat particles were made smaller and dispersed so the cream didn't separate as it does in milk that comes straight from a cow. But in the 1600s, when people first started using this idiom, the cream, the richest, thickest part of the milk, always rose to the top. It was considered the best part. So why didn't“cream of the milk”become the phrase to describe anything that's the best? Because people like the sound of alliteration in their sayings (like“bee in your bonnet”and“fit as a fiddle”).“Cream”and“crop”sound good together because they both begin with“cr.”In France people say“la crme de la crme”(“the cream of the cream”). Same thing.
►语源：在1919年，第一瓶全脂牛奶被出售。脂肪颗粒变得更小、更均匀，使得奶油不会结成块状，像刚挤出的牛奶一样。但在17世纪，人们起初用这则习语的时候，牛奶中最营养、最厚的一层奶油总是漂在上面，被人视为牛奶中最优质的部分。那为什么不用“cream of the milk”呢？因为人们喜欢压头韵的说法（像“bee in your bonnet”和“fit as a fiddle”）。“cream”和“crop”放在一起听起来更顺畅，因为它们都以“cr”开头。
CrocodiIe tears鳄鱼的眼泪；假惺惺的眼泪
I begged and cried to go to the party, but Dad said I was crying crocodile tears.
我哭着喊着求爸爸允许我参加聚会，但是爸爸说我那是鳄鱼的眼泪。
Meaning：fake tears; false grief
语义：假惺惺的眼泪；假慈悲
►Origin: Way back in ancient Rome (about A.D.300), people were using this expression. About 1,000 years later, people enjoyed listening to a popular folktale about how crocodiles make loud weeping sounds to trap innocent prey who come close to see what all the wailing is about. The crocodiles supposedly weep fake tears even as they eat their victims. Later, British writers such as Shakespeare, Bacon, and Tennyson used“crocodile tears”to suggest insincere sympathy and pretended sorrow.
►语源：这则习语追溯到古罗马时期（约公元300年）。大约1000年以后，有个民间传说讲述一只鳄鱼捕食猎物的故事。鳄鱼发出响亮的哭声，无辜的猎物闻声而来中了鳄鱼的圈套。据说鳄鱼在吃捉到的猎物时同样会掉眼泪。后来，英国作家莎士比亚、培根、丁尼生等用“crocodile tears”来形容不真诚的怜悯、伪装的悲伤。
Cross that bridge when you come to it．船到桥头自然直。
How do you know they won't let you into the concert? Cross that bridge when you come to it.
你怎么知道他们不让你进音乐厅，船到桥头自然直。
Meaning：Don't predict problems until they actually happen; don't worry about future events now; don't deal with a difficulty until you have to.
语义：不要预测麻烦直到它真的发生了；不要考虑以后的事；不到迫不得已不要去处理麻烦事。
►Origin: This expression is old, and no one today is sure of exactly when or where it originated. However, it's easy to see the idea behind it. If a bridge is ten miles down the road, you can't worry about whether it is dangerous to cross until you get there. In the same way, there's no sense worrying about something ahead of time. Wait until it happens and then deal with it.
►语源：这则习语历史悠久，没人说得清楚它的年代和出处。然而，很容易理解它的含义。如果桥离脚下的路还有十英里远，在没有到达桥上之前你不能够预测桥上是否危险。同样道理，担心未知的事情也是无济于事。等事情发生之后再解决也不迟。
Cry over spiIIed miIk于事无补
I'm sorry your wallet fell over board, but there's no use crying over spilled milk.
钱包丢了我也替你难过，但是哭也无济于事。
Meaning：to cry or complain about an event that has already taken place and can't be changed
语义：为已经发生的事或者没法补救的事难过、争辩
►Origin: This famous saying was first used by writers in the mid-1600s and popularized by Canadian humorist Thomas Haliburton around 1836. The idea behind it is that if milk spills out of a container, you can't get it back in again, so you might as well not cry over it. Note: sometimes you'll see“spilled”spelled as“split.”That's because this is an old idiom and“split”is an old spelling.
►语源：早在17世纪中期就有作家用到这则习语。1836年前后，它被加拿大幽默大师汤姆斯·哈利伯顿推广。如果牛奶洒在了容器外，谁也不能把它再收回瓶子，因此哭也没用。注：有时“spilled”会被写作“split”。“split”是比较古老的写法。
Cry woIf狼来了；谎报军情
Don't worry if my little brother starts screaming that there's a ghost in his room. He always cries wolf.
当我弟弟喊着说他屋里有鬼的时候别搭理他，他总爱玩“狼来了”的把戏。
Meaning：to give a false alarm of danger; warn of a peril that you know is not real
语义：提供假的危险信号；警告你明知不可能的险情
►Origin: One of Aesop's most famous fables tells of a bored shepherd boy who falsely cried that a wolf was killing his sheep. When people came and found out there was no wolf threatening the sheep, they were annoyed. The shepherd did this once too often; one day when a real wolf came, no one came when he called out, and the wolf ate the sheep.
►语源：伊索寓言最有名的故事之一讲述了一个无聊的牧童，哭喊着欺骗大人说狼来了，吃了他的羊。当人们急忙赶来发现并没有威胁羊群的狼，大家都很生气。牧童经常这样恶作剧。结果有一天，狼真的来了，没有人愿意来救他，结果狼吃掉了他的羊。
Cut off your nose to spite your face搬起石头砸自己的脚；自讨苦吃
Don't stay home because your ex-girlfriend is going to the dance with Juan. Why cut off your nose to spite your face?
别因为你前女友要和胡安一起参加舞会就老在家待着。干吗跟自己过不去呢？
Meaning：to injure yourself out of anger toward another; make a situation worse for yourself when angry with someone
语义：生某人的气却伤害了自己；和某人闹别扭却让自己陷入僵局
►Origin: Some people were using this proverb in Latin as early as 1200. There may have been a story about cutting off part of a long, ugly nose, only to succeed in disfiguring the whole face. Apply that same idea to any spiteful action you commit against another person that ends up harming only you.
►语源：早在1200年，拉丁人就开始用到这则习语。有这么一个故事：人们为了漂亮切下部分又长又难看的鼻子，结果反而把整张脸都毁了容。在为人处世中也是这个道理，你对别人心存不满，最后受伤害的还是你自己。
Cut the mustard大获成功，符合条件
He was forty and many people thought he was too old to cut the mustard, but he hit over fifty home runs.
很多人认为40岁的他太老了，肯定打不了棒球了，但是他竟然创造了50支的本垒打。
Meaning：to be able to handle a job or fulfill the requirements
语义：有能力胜任某项任务或完成某种要求
►Origin: This is an example of late 19th century American slang.“Mustard”meant the main attraction. If you could“cut the mustard,”you could do something well. Why is it“cut”the mustard? Perhaps because mustard grows as a plant that has to be cut down, and if you can cut the mustard plant down, you must be a capable person. Another theory is that this expression comes from the military. There,“to pass muster”means to pass inspection, which may have changed over the years to“cut the mustard.”
►语源：这是一句19世纪末的美国俚语。“芥末”具有吸引力。如果你能“cut the mustard”，那么你就能很好地胜任某项工作。为什么是“切”芥末呢？或许因为芥末像植物一样生长，需要切下来，能切下芥末就是能干的人。另一种说法是这句俚语源于军队。“to pass muster”意思是“通过检测”，许多年后转变成“cut the mustard”。
Cut to the quick刺痛某人的心
The chef was cut to the quick when the food critic said his steak stunk, his fish flopped, and his omelet laid an egg.
美食家点评这个厨师做的牛排很难闻，鱼很失败，煎蛋饼很难吃，这深深地刺痛了厨师的心。
Meaning：to hurt someone's feeling very deeply; be extremely unkind or nasty
语义：深深地伤害了某人的感情；极其不友好，令人讨厌
►Origin: Many centuries ago there was an Old English word, cwicu (today it's“quick”), which meant“living.”(Another old expression, the“quick and the dead,”means the living and the dead.) Cwicu referred to the most sensitive flesh on your body, right under the nails on your fingers and toes. If you trim these nails too short, you can pierce the skin underneath, and that can be really painful. A long time ago, people started using this expression to mean more than just cutting someone with a knife or sword. It meant offending a person so deeply with a cutting remark that he felt sharp inner pain, as if he had been emotionally stabbed.
►语源：很多世纪之前，英语中有个古老的词“cwicu”（也就是今天的“quick”），意思是“存活”（另一个古习语“quick and the dead”意思是“生存和死亡”）。“cwicu”指的是人的身体上最敏感的部位，即手指甲和脚趾甲覆盖保护着的部位。如果你剪指甲剪得太短，你会刺痛指甲覆盖下的那层肉。很久以前，这个习语不仅指用刀或剑刺伤某人。它指尖刻的话语深深地伤害了某人，使得他内心痛苦，就好像被捅了刀子一样。
Cut your eyeteeth on something幼年习得
Shana's been fooling around with cars since she was a kid. She cut her eyeteeth on them.
当莎娜还是个孩子的时候就酷爱玩车，她从打出生就喜欢它们。
Meaning：to acquire wisdom; gain valuable experience, often at a young age
语义：获得智慧；获取宝贵经验，尤指小时候
►Origin: When a baby's first teeth start growing in, the teeth are actually cutting through the gums. Children also chew on things in order to help new teeth break through the gums. Years ago the analogy of cutting teeth and having experiences early in life probably led a writer to create this expression. We think eyeteeth got their name because they are right under the eyes in the upper jaw. But no one knows why eyeteeth are mentioned in this expression since they're not the first teeth to grow in. Sometimes the saying is shortened to“cut your teeth”on something.
►语源：婴儿的牙齿是从牙龈里长出来的。他们喜欢咬东西来帮助其牙齿的生长。多年以后，有人把婴儿长牙的道理和幼年学习本领这两件事联系在一起，这则习语也应运而生。“eyeteeth”指“上犬齿”，但没有人知道为什么它会被用在这则习语里，因为它并不是最初长出的牙。有时这则习语会被缩写成“cut your teeth on something”。
Cutting edge最尖端，最前沿
My brother works in nuclear physics. He's on the cutting edge of some pretty amazing discoveries.
我哥哥从事核物理研究。他一直处在那些高科技发现的前沿。
Meaning：the forefront; the most advanced or important position, usually in science and technology
语义：前沿；最先进或最重要的地位，通常是在科技领域
►Origin: Scientific discoveries and technology advances throughout the 20th century have been incredible. Just as the cutting edge of a sharp knife makes contact before the rest of the knife when slicing through objects, a highly advanced discovery is said to be on the“cutting edge.”
►语源：20世纪以来，科学发现和技术进步发展得让人难以置信。就像是锋利的刀刃，切东西的时候总比刀的其他部位先接触到这个东西，高科技发明就是处在“cutting edge（刀刃、前沿）”上。