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。)