Idioms
Lecture 9
At sixes and sevens
 On
the day before wedding, the whole
house was at sixes and sevens.
At the eleventh hour
 The
child was saved from the kidnappers
at the eleventh hour.
Bark up the wrong tree
 认错目标，错怪了人
 They
were looking for a tall thin man, but
were barking up the wrong tree; the thief
was short and fat.
Be on the carpet
 挨骂，受申斥
 His
boss had had him on the carpet for
arriving late at work.
Beat about the bush
 旁敲侧击，拐弯抹角
 If
you’d got bad news, don’t beat about
the bush; come straight to the point.
Behind the eight ball
 受挫，处境不妙
 Not
having a car puts Bill behind the eight
ball; he cannot get to work.
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
 进退两难
I
was between the devil and the deep
blue sea and didn’t know what to do next.
Bite (on) the bullet
 咬紧牙关，顶住
 Bite
on the bullet, old man, and don’t let
them think you are afraid.
Blow hot and cold
 摇摆不定，反复无常
 He
blows hot and cold on the plan so that
I don’t know whether he will eventually
help us or not.
Can not hold a candle to someone
 远不如某人
 Marina
can’t hold a candle to her mother
as far as cooking is concerned.
Carry/take coals to Newcastle
 多此一举
 Taking
her flowers is taking coals to
Newcastle.
Cook someone’s goose
 挫败某人的计划
 He
knew his goose was cooked when he
read the story.
Cool one’s heels
 久等
I
had to kick my heels for nearly two hours
before I could see the boss.
The die is cast
 事已定局，木已成舟
 I’m
not sure that I want to leave the job
after all but the die is cast – I’ve handed
in my resignation.
Draw/pull in one’s horns
 退缩，节制
 He
said he could beat any man there
single-handed, but he pulled in his horns
when Tom came forward.
Eat humble pie
 忍辱含垢，认错道歉
I
proved that he had cheated me and
made him eat humble pie.
Face the music
 面对麻烦，接受处罚
 Mary
broke a dining-room window and
had to face the music when her father
got home.
Follow one’s nose
 凭直觉行事
 Oh,
I don’t know just where I want to go.
I’ll just follow my nose and see what
happens.
Get cold feet
 畏缩，害怕
 After
weeks of preparations he suddenly
got cold feet on the day of departure.