February 20, 2010

Useful English Idioms

Expressions you may want to know

cut me some slack 饒了我吧! 放過我吧!

To cut someone some slack means to relax the usual rules, to give them a second chance, or to allow for some latitude in enforcing the general guidelines or attitudes.

 

註解slack 有懶散、偷懶的意思. Cut some slack 也有點放水、點到為止的意思.

期中考後不妨跟老師說: We had just finished so many mid-term exams last week, please cut us some slack and let us go earlier today. 說不定老師會同意哦!

 

Examples—

A: How was your date with Earl last night?

B: Oh, cut me some slack, it seems like the whole class wants to know how about it.

   Why?

A: Because everybody thinks you’re the last person Earl would go out with.

B:……

 

The meaning is the same as ---"Don't be so hard on me."

 

 

hidden agenda : the secret intention behind what somebody says or does

暗藏玄機;不宜之情;別有企圖

If you say that someone has a hidden agenda, you are criticizing them because you think they are secretly trying to achieve or cause a particular thing, while they appear to be doing something else.

 

註解agenda 是開會的議程或是工作事項列表,hidden agenda 字面上是隱藏的議程,表示是沒有放在抬面上的行程,是進行到一半再突然拿出來的項目。通常被用來指「不愉快的驚喜」。

 

Examples—

A: Why is Mr. Black carrying a stack of paper?

B: I don’t know .He didn’t mention anything about a quiz.

A: Oh, I don’t like hidden agenda.

 

 

happy as a clam(at high tide) : contended; very happy 笑得合不攏嘴;喜悅

happy as a clam (in butter sauce)

happy as a lark / happy as can be

 

註解happy as a clam 源自於 as happy as a clam in mud at high tide, 挖過蚌的人都知道,躲在泥土裡的蛤蠣只有在低潮時候才能被找到,若是漲潮是挖不到蛤蜊的。因此漲潮時是蛤蜊最快樂的時候,因為不會被挖出來吃掉。

 

 

Examples—

I am happy as a clam living all by myself in this little house by the sea.

 

(*Also: as ~.) I've been as happy as a clam since I moved to the country. I don't need much. Just somewhere to live, some work to do, and a TV to watch, and I'm happy as a clam at high tide.

 

Matthew was happy as a lark throughout his whole vacation.

 

Bob was happy as can be when he won the lottery.

 

That’s a given/ it’s a given: Uttered when someone says something that is obviously true. A way of telling someone that you’re going to do something, or agreeing with a comment they made.  眾所皆知的事實;理所當然

 

When something is characterized by "that's a given" or "it's a given" you'll know that whatever the something is, it's so obvious that no one really needs to point it out. It's already accepted as fact:

註解that’s a given 是形容大家都知道的事。”given” “give” 的過去完成式,既是被給予的就表示是事實,理所當然的。

 

Examples—

A: Paying all my bills used up most of my paycheck.
B: Why are you surprised? That's a given at my house.

A: Take along an extra raincoat - that's a given if you want to stay dry in Seattle .

A: I'm surprised more people didn't show up for the party.

  Usually when word gets around that there's free food, it's a given that the place will

  be packed.

A: Man, I’m broke this week.

B: Why is that?

A: This new girl I started dating last week likes to eat and shop!

B: Hey, that’s a given. You spend money on her before you can call her yours. Savvy?

(* savvy= know, understand 可作動詞或名詞使用。在西班牙文口語中也常用這個字

表「了解嗎?」,電影中的「神鬼奇航」的Jack Sparrow 不就常說 “Savvy? ?)


整理:Josie Lai


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