Lesson 4 DIOMS英文釋義

? Beats me:?I don’t know. I have no idea.

? To have something covered:?To be responsible for something, to handle something.

? To slip someone’s mind:?To be forgotten by someone.

? Look who’s talking!:?An expression of disbelief or irony meaning that someone is guilty of something he or she is blaming someone else for.

? To not give a damn:?To not care. Note that some people consider the word “damn” to be harsh and impolite, so an alternate expression is to not give a darn.

? To fly off the handle:?To become extremely agitated, excited, or angry. To react too strongly to a situation.

? To make a mountain out of a molehill:?To exaggerate a situation, to turn a relatively minor situation into something much bigger or more important than it should be.

? To have a bone to pick with someone:?To have a problem or complaint about someone.

? To get something out in the open:?To air a complaint or a grievance, to discuss something openly.

? Slacker:?A lazy or irresponsible person. This expression is related to the verb “to slack off.”

? To be eating someone:?To bother, aggravate, or frustrate someone over a period of time.

? Bent out of shape:?Annoyed or bothered by something. Upset. Note that this expression suggests that the reason behind the emotion is insignificant or not worth being upset about.

? To lighten up:?To take a more casual or relaxed attitude. To not be overly upset or angry about something.

? To lean on:?To rely or count on, to be dependent on someone else instead of being self-sufficient.

? To pick up someone’s slack:?To compensate for someone else’s shortcomings.

? To pass the buck:?To put the blame or responsibility on someone else.

? To hook someone up with something:?To arrange for someone to have something. To help someone obtain something or to give someone something.

? To screw up:?To make mistakes, to perform poorly.

? To give someone a bad name:?To give someone a bad reputation.

? To work your tail off:?To work very hard. To put forth great effort.

? To twiddle your thumbs:?To do nothing. Literally, to have your hands clasped and to move your thumbs in circles around each other.

? Bull:?Nonsense. Something untrue or unbelievable. Note that this is a shortened, more polite form of an expression containing a four-letter word.“Bull” on its own is not considered vulgar, though.

? To chat someone up:?To talk to someone, to show interest in someone by making conversation.

? To lift a finger:?To offer help. To put forth effort to do some sort of physical work.

? To look like a train wreck:?To be very messy or in terrible condition. To appear as if destroyed in some kind of accident.

? To pitch in:?To assist, to share in a responsibility, such as housework or bill paying.

? To get off your high horse:?To stop acting superior or self righteous.

? To show someone up:?To try to appear better or more competent than other people.

? Goody-goody:?An unflattering name for someone who behaves very well, is very responsible, and never gets into any kind of trouble. An expression that suggests that someone is afraid to do anything wrong.

? To be at someone’s throat:?To be fighting with someone. To be aggressively attacking someone.

? To give something a rest:?To stop doing something, to pause or take a break from some kind of activity.