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: Examples— A: Paying all my bills used up most of my paycheck. Usually when word gets around that there's free food, it's a given that the place will be packed. 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? 嗎?) 整理:Josie Lai
註解:that’s a given 是形容大家都知道的事。”given” 是 “give” 的過去完成式,既是被給予的就表示是事實,理所當然的。
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.
A: Man, I’m broke this week.
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