1) take a rain check 改天吧
Model: [1998.8.北美(29)]
-- Can you come over for dinner tonight? (今天晚上来吃饭好吗？)
-- I'm up to my ears in work, so I'll have to take a rain check.(我工作很忙，改日吧。
2) lost count 弄不清楚
Model: [2000.1.(21)]
-- Ever since your girlfriend moved to Bridgeport, you are always driving there. How many trips a week do you make anyway?(自从你的女友搬到Bridgeport，你老是开车去看她。一周去几次啊？)
--I have lost count, but I can do it with my eyes closed.(搞不清楚了，但我闭着眼也能摸过去。)
3) be in another world 精神恍惚；魂不守舍
Model: [1996.5.(25)]
-- Pete's really out of it these days.(Pete 这几天有点心不在焉。)
-- Yeah, I know. Ever since he met Ann, he's been in another world.(我同意。自从他遇见Ann, 他就魂不守舍了。)
4) make yourself at home 随意，随便
Model: [1999.8.(7)]
-- Do you mind if I take off my jacket?(你介意我脱下夹克吗？)
-- Of course not, make yourself at home.(当然不介意，随意一点！)
5) save your breath 省口气吧；别白费口舌了
Model: [1995.10.(14)]
-- Hey? John! John!(嘿，John! John!)
-- Save your breath. He"s out of earshot.(省口气吧。他已经听不到了。)
6) make sense 有意义，理解
Model: [1999.1.(29)]
-- The plot of that movie is hard to follow.(那部电影的情节很难跟得上。)
-- It makes more sense the second time.(再看一遍就理解了。)
7) cost sb. an arm and a leg 非常昂贵
Model: [1999。1。(4)]
--Did you see the diamond ring Bill gave to Linda?(你看到Bill送给Linda的钻戒了吗？)
--I sure did. It must have cost him an arm and a leg.(当然了。那一定很昂贵。)
8) burn a hole in one's pocket 很快地被花光
Model: [1997.10 ]
--Have you saved enough to buy that new printer for your computer yet? (你攒足钱给你的电脑买一台新打印机了吗？)
--You know money seems to be burning a hole in my pocket lately . Maybe next month. (这几个月我花钱如流水。也许下个月吧。)
9)fill one's shoes 很好地顶替；令人满意地替代
Model: [1997.8.]
--Have you heard that Professor Jones is retiring? (你听说Jones教授要退休了吗？)
--Yes. The faculty won't find anyone to fill her shoes. (是的。学校将很难找到合适的人来代替她。)
10)is ice cold 表示理所当然
Model: [1995.10.]
--Does Prof. Ford always come to class? (Ford教授总是来上课吗？)
--Is ice cold? (当然了。)
11)like apples and oranges 用来表示无法相比的事物
Model: [1997.1.]
--Which game do you think is more difficult to learn, chess or bridge? (你认为桥牌和象棋哪个更难学?)
--They are like apples and oranges. (它俩没法比较。)
12)look for a needle in a hay stack 大海捞针
Model: [1990.1.]
--We are supposed to meet John here at the train station. (我们要在火车站接John。)
--That's like looking for a needle in a hay stack . (那可真是大海捞针。)
13)lose one's train of 忘记
Model: [1995.1.]
--When you interrupted me, you made me lose my train of thought. (你打断了我的思考，我忘记我在想什么了。)
14)meet each other half way 相互妥协，让步
Model: [1992.8.]
--My chemistry project is in trouble because my partner and I had totally different ideas about how to proceed. (我的化学课题出问题了。在进展问题上，我与我的合作者意见完全不同。)
--You should try to meet each other half way. (你们应该相互妥协。)
15)on the dot 准时；正点
Model: [1992.8.]
--Did you and Amanda really meet exactly five minutes to two in front of the theatre? (你和Amanda确实在差5分两点的时候到达剧院门口了吗？)
--Yes, we were both there on the dot. (是的，我俩都准点到达。)
16)once and for all 最后一次；干脆
Model: [1996.1.]
--I am going to tell that neighbor of mine to turn down that music once and for all.(我要最后一次告诉我那个邻居把音乐声关小。)
--I see why you are angry. But I've always found that the polite route is the most effective. (我明白你为什么恼火。但我总觉得礼貌的方式是最有效的。)
17)out of earshot 不在听力所及范围
Model: [1995.10.]
--Hey? John! John! (嗨! John! John! )
--Save your breath. He's out of earshot. (省口气吧，他听不见。)
18)out of this world 非常好
Model: [1995.10.]
--Have you tried Susan's apple pie? (你试过Susan的苹果派吗？)
--I got the last piece. And it was out of this world. (我拿到最后一块。好吃极了。)
19)play by ear 随机应变，视情形而定
Model: [1989.8.]
--Marty, are you doing anything special for your presentation in political science tomorrow? (Marty，你在为明天的政治学演讲准备与众不同的材料吗？)
--Not really, because the class so often turns into a discussion, I've decided to play it by ear. (不。那门课常常最后变成讨论。我决定视情形而定。)
20) ring a bell 令人想起某件事；听起来耳熟
Model: [1992.10.]
--That name just doesn't ring a bell with me. (那个名字我一点也不熟。)
21)share a common outlook 有共同的观点
Model: [1991.1.]
--Jeff and Alan share a common outlook on life. (Jeff 和Alan对于生活有共同的观点。)
22)six of one and half-a-dozen of the other 半斤八两；没什么区别
Model: [1989.1.]
--I can't decide whether to take anthropology or geology this term. (我决定不了这学期是选人类学还是地理课。)
--It's six of one and half-a-dozen of the other. (两门无甚差别。)
23)stick around 在附近逗留或等待
Model: [1995.5.]
--Leaving the party so soon? We're just getting ready to cut the cake. (这么早就要走？我们刚准备要切蛋糕。)
--Sorry, I can't stick around. (对不起，我不能继续待在这儿了。)
24)stick with 继续做，坚持
Model: [1996.8.]
--I wonder what this new flavor of ice cream tastes like? (我想知道这种新的冰激凌是什么味道？)
--I tried it last week. If I were you, I would stick with an old favorite. (上周我吃过，若我是你，我会继续吃以前爱吃的那种。)
25)straighten out 扯平；结清
Model: [1996.1.]
--I almost forgot. I still owe you ten dollars from the other night. Do you have change for a twenty? (我差点忘了。不久前的一个晚上我借了你10块钱，到现在还没还呢，你现在能找开20元的吗？)
--Oh, not at the moment. Let's just straighten it out some other time. (哦，现在不能。以后再结清吧。)
26)toss and turn (身体)翻来覆去(通常表示难以入睡)
Model: [1993.1.]
--Last night I tossed and turned in bed, too exhausted to sleep. (昨晚我辗转反侧，怎么也睡不着)
27)turn one's back (在别人遇到困难时)不愿帮助
Model: [1990.10.]
--He'll turn his back on me if I ask for money. (我若向他借钱，他就会不理我。)
28)under the weather 身体不适，生病
Model: [1996.10.(26)]
--It's good to see you, Mary. How have you been? (看见你真高兴，Mary。你好吗？)
--Actually I have been feeling under the weather recently. (其实这两天我身子不大舒服。)
29)bite off more than one can chew 贪多嚼不烂；心有余而力不足；不自量力；力不从心
Model:
--I hear you've been taking an advanced physics course this semester. How's it going? (我听说这学期你在上高等物理课。这门课怎么样？)
--I think I've bitten off more than I can chew. (我是心有余而力不足啊。)
30)break new ground 创新
Model:
--His architectural design broke new ground in the field. (他的建筑设计是这个领域里的创新。)
31)do the trick 做成功；达到理想的结果
Model:
--I've been trying to get the furnace started, but I can't find the right switch. (我尽力想让炉子燃起来，可不知道该按哪个键。)
--Here, I believe this one in the back will do the trick. (这里，我相信后面按这个键，可以让炉子燃起来。)
32)drag one's feet 行动缓慢；磨磨蹭蹭不情愿
Model:
--How's Bob coming along on his dissertation proposal? (Bob的论文计划进展地怎么样了？)
--He's really been dragging his feet. (他很磨蹭的。)
33)draw the line 拒绝，拒不容忍
Model:
--Paul expects me to clean the room every week. (Paul想让我每周打扫房间。)
--That's where I draw the line. (可是我绝对不会答应的。
34)feel down in the dumps 心情不好；情绪低落
Model:
--Kate was really feeling down in the dumps about her latest chemistry assignment. (Kate为最近的化学作业成绩感到很沮丧。)
35)few and far between 不多；少而分散的；不常碰到或发现的；稀少的
Model:
--Steve is really a terrific guy. (Steve真是不简单。)
--He sure is. Ones like him are few and far between. (当然。像他那样的人可不多见。)
36)fit as a fiddle 身体很健康
Model:
-- Harry! How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages. (Harry，你好吗？好久没看见你了。)
--I'm fit as a fiddle. This exercise program I'm following is terrific. (我身体好极了。我正进行的这个锻炼计划太棒了。)
37)grin and bear 任劳任怨；毫无怨言地忍受
Model:
--Carla,I can't take this job any longer. (Carla，我不能再做这份工作了。)
--If you need the money, you'll just have to grin and bear it. ( 如果你需要钱，你就得忍耐。) 38)hit the spot (特指吃了食物，喝了饮料之后)精神完全恢复过来或感到满足；恢复精力；提精神
Model:
--This Lemonade sure hits the spot.(柠檬汁太提神了。)
--And how! (当然了！)
39)keep between the two of us 不让第三者知道，保密
Model:
--What I'm going to say is rather personal, so let's keep between the two of us. (我要讲的纯属私事，所以希望你能保密。)
40)know a thing or two about 略知一二
Model:
--Do you think Andy could help us plan the camping trip to West Virginia? (你认为Andy会帮我们计划去西弗吉尼亚州野营吗？)
--Well, since he spends every summer there, he might know a thing or two about it. (可能吧。他每个夏天都去那儿，应该知道一些事儿。)
41)leave no stone unturned 不遗余力；全力以赴
Model:
--Lynn left no stone unturned in her research, and handed in an excellent paper. (Lynn全力以赴做她的研究，交了一篇优秀的论文。)
42)on cloud nine 沉浸在幸福之中；非常高兴
Model:
--Marcia looks like she's on cloud nine. Do you know what made her so happy? (Marcia好象沉浸在幸福之中。你知道她为什么这么高兴吗？)
--She just had a paper accepted for publication. (她有一篇文章要发表了。)
43)on the tip of one's tongue 一时想不起来，话到嘴边又忘记
Model:
--Are you sure you can't remember the name of that record? (你肯定记不起来那张唱片的名字吗？)
--It's just on the tip of my tongue! (我就是一时想不起来了。
44)reach the bottom of the barrel 用完，弹尽粮绝
Model:
--Don't you have any other clean shirts? (你还有其它干净衬衫吗？)
--I guess I've reached the bottom of the barrel. (我想我已经用完了。)
45)rub sb. the wrong way 使(某人)有点恼火；惹怒；引起反感；烦扰，打搅
Model:
--What do you think of our new economics instructor? (你觉得新经济学老师怎么样？)
--I don't know. Something about him rubs me the wrong way. (不知怎么的，他有点让我反感。)
46)scratch the surface 只懂皮毛，很不了解(通常和限制性副词如only, hardly等词连用)
Model:
--You've certainly done a lot of research for your project. (你显然对你的课题做了不少研究。)
--It seems like a lot, but actually I've only scratched the surface. (看上去不少，但事实上我只懂一些毛皮。)
47)up in the air 尚未决定的；捉摸不定的；悬而未决的
Model:
--Her plans for the weekend are still up in the air. (她尚未决定如何度过这个周末。)
48)wear and tear 磨损；消耗
Model:
--Why do you always put on slippers when you go into your apartment? (为什么你老是一进公寓就穿上拖鞋？)
--It saves wear and tear on the carpet. (拖鞋不磨损地毯。)
49)with flying colors 大获全胜；胜利地
Model:
--How did Ellen do on her Ancient History exam? (Ellen古代史考得怎么样？)
--She passed with flying colors. (她考得好极了。)
50)get off on the wrong foot 开始就不顺利；一开始就犯了个错误
Model: [1995.5.]
--I hate to get off on the wrong foot. (我讨厌一开始就犯错误。)
51)get on someone's nerves 使人不安，使人心烦
Model: [1996.8.]
--Why did you come to the meeting late? I left a message with your roommate about the time change. (为什么你开会迟到？我让你的同屋告诉你改时间的事了。)
--She has a very short memory and it really gets on my nerves sometimes. (她记性不好，有时真让我心烦。)
52)give someone a break 不要去管，饶了某人吧
Model: [1994.5.]
--Give me a break. I'm nervous enough as it is. (不要管我，我已经够紧张了。)
53)head and shoulders above (在…方面)强于某人
Model: [1991.10.]
--In computer programming, Susan is head and shoulders above the rest of us.(在计算机编程上，Susan比我们强。)
54)in the red 赤字，负债
Model: [1996.5.]
--So far the clubs are about three hundred dollars in the red, and we still have four months to go before membership renewal. ( 到目前为止，俱乐部有300元赤字，然而还有4个月才到交会员费的时间。)
--Well, we may have to raise our dues.(那么，我们必须提高会员费了。)
55)in the dark 一无所知；不了解情况
Model: [1994.1.]
--Do you have any idea what this notice is about? (你知道这通知讲的是什么吗？)
--I'm as in the dark as you are. (我也跟你一样不了解情况。)
