跟李笑来学美式俚语（Most Common American Idioms）: Part 56

Most Common American Idioms: Part 56

前言

本文是学习李笑来的Most Common American Idioms这本书的学习笔记，自用。

Github仓库链接：https://github.com/xiaolai/most-common-american-idioms

使用方法: 直接下载下来（或者clone到本地），使用浏览器打开Most_Common_American_Idioms.html文件即可，可以听到例句发音，学习效果很好，推荐给想学习美式俚语的同学。

1101. Take something by storm

“横扫” 或 “迅速成功”。

这个短语源自军事行动，意指通过突然和迅猛的攻击来夺取某地。在现代使用中，“take something by storm” 常用于描述某人或某事迅速而彻底地风靡某个领域或社区。

This phrase originates from military actions, where it referred to capturing a place quickly and forcefully through a sudden attack. In modern usage, “take something by storm” describes someone or something rapidly and completely taking over a field or community with great success and impact.

• The new singer took the music industry by storm.这位新歌手横扫了音乐业。

• Her latest book has taken the literary world by storm.她的新书在文学界引起了轰动。

• The new tech gadget took the market by storm.这款新科技产品迅速占领了市场。

1102. Take something in stride

stride: 美 [straɪd] 大步；一步（的距离）；步幅；

泰然处之，从容应对。

“Take something in stride” 这个短语起源于马术和赛跑中从容应对各种障碍的能力。它用来形象地表达人们面对困难或挑战时保持冷静和镇定的态度。这个短语表示在困难发生时，不因其而感到沮丧或被干扰，依然能够平稳前行。

This phrase originates from horsemanship and running, where it refers to the ability to handle various obstacles smoothly. It illustratively expresses people’s calm and composed attitude when facing difficulties or challenges. It means not getting upset or disrupted by problems, but continuing smoothly.

• She took the bad news in stride and continued to focus on her work.她泰然处之地接受了坏消息，继续专注于她的工作。

• Even when he faced criticism, he took it all in stride.即使面对批评，他也泰然处之。

• They took the unexpected changes in stride and adapted quickly.他们从容应对了突如其来的变化，并迅速适应了。

1103. Take the cake

“出乎意料” 或 “最了不起” 或 “糟糕透顶”。

这个短语源自于 19 世纪美国的选美比赛，优胜者会获得一个蛋糕作为奖品。在现代英语中，“take the cake” 则被用来表示某事非常出色或令人震惊，有时也带有讽刺意味，用来指某事极其糟糕。

This idiom originates from 19th-century American beauty contests where the winner would receive a cake as a prize. In modern English, “take the cake” is used to denote something outstanding or surprising, sometimes with a sarcastic tone to indicate something is extremely bad.

• Her performance truly takes the cake; it was amazing!她的表演真的太了不起了；简直令人惊叹！

• Out of all the mistakes, that one really takes the cake.在所有的错误中，那一个真是最糟糕的。

• I’ve heard some excuses before, but this one takes the cake.我以前听过一些借口，但这个真是出乎意料。

1104. Take the floor

“发言” 或 “开始讲话”。

这个短语最初用于正式会议或辩论中，指一个人从座位上站起来，正式开始发言或发表意见。“Take the floor” 意味着这个人被允许或指定为主要的发言者，控制会议或讨论的进程。在现代用法中，它可以应用于任何需要正式发言的场合。

This phrase originated from formal meetings or debates, where a person would stand up and begin speaking or presenting their opinion. “Take the floor” means that the person is allowed or designated as the main speaker, controlling the proceedings of the meeting or discussion. In modern usage, it can be applied to any situation requiring formal speaking.

• After the chairman’s introduction, she was invited to take the floor and present her ideas.在主席的介绍之后，她被邀请上台发言并展示她的想法。

• The CEO will take the floor to address the company’s financial performance.CEO 将会发言，说明公司的财务表现。

• When he took the floor, everyone listened attentively to his proposal.当他发言时，所有人都专心聆听他的提议。

1105. Take the plunge

plunge： 美 [plʌndʒ] 跳入；跳水；投身入水

“冒险一试” 或 “果断行动”。

这个短语源于跳水或者潜水的动作，表示从高处跳入水中的决定。引申意义上，这个表达表述了跳入新体验或冒险的决心和勇气，通常在面对不确定或具有挑战性的情况时使用。现代人也用它来形容做重大决策，比如换工作、搬家或开始新项目。

This phrase comes from the action of diving or plunging into water, signifying the decision to jump from a height into the water. By extension, it describes the resolve and bravery needed to dive into new experiences or adventures, especially in situations fraught with uncertainty or challenges. In contemporary usage, it often relates to making significant decisions, such as changing jobs, relocating, or starting a new project.

• After years of working in a corporate job, she finally decided to take the plunge and start her own business.在公司工作多年之后，她终于决定冒险一试，创业开了自己的公司。

• They had been dating for five years, so they decided it was time to take the plunge and get married.他们已经约会五年了，所以决定该是时候勇敢迈出一步结婚了。

• Moving to a new city alone can be daunting, but sometimes you just have to take the plunge.一个人搬到一个新城市可能会让人望而生畏，但有时你就是需要果断行动。

1106. Take the wind out of your sails

“让你泄气” 或 “使你气馁”。

这个短语源自航海术语。当一艘船被其他船只阻挡风力时，它的速度会减慢，失去动力。“Take the wind out of your sails” 被用来比喻一个人被打击，失去了动力或信心。

This phrase originates from sailing. When one ship blocks the wind of another ship, the latter loses speed and momentum. “Take the wind out of your sails” is used metaphorically to describe situations where someone is discouraged or loses confidence or motivation.

• Her criticism really took the wind out of my sails.她的批评真的让我很泄气。

• When I found out I didn’t get the job, it took the wind out of my sails.当我知道自己没得到那份工作时，真的很泄气。

• The unexpected death of his mentor took the wind out of his sails.导师的意外去世让他倍感失落。

1107. Taken for a ride

“被欺骗” 或 “受骗上当”。

这个短语起源于美国 20 世纪 20 年代的俚语，原指犯罪分子把受害者带到偏僻地方。如今它广泛用于描述一个人被某人欺骗或者利用的情形。

This phrase originated in American slang from the 1920s, originally referring to criminals taking victims to isolated places. Nowadays, it is widely used to describe situations where someone has been deceived or taken advantage of by another person.

• He realized he’d been taken for a ride when the car he bought broke down the next day.当他买的车第二天就坏了时，他意识到自己被骗了。

• I can’t believe she took us for a ride; the tickets she sold us were fake.我真不敢相信她骗了我们，她卖给我们的票是假的。

• The investors felt they were taken for a ride when the company’s CEO vanished with all the funds.当那家公司的 CEO 带着所有资金消失时，投资者们觉得自己被骗了。

1108. Talk a blue streak

streak：美 [striːk] 条纹；斑纹；条痕；线条；

“滔滔不绝” 或 “说话特别快”。

这个成语来源于美国，最早出现在 19 世纪。它把说话的速度比作闪电的速度，因为 “blue streak” 字面意思为高速的蓝色光线，象征速度极快。因此，“talk a blue streak” 意指以极快的速度说话，通常伴随着很强的激情和兴奋。

This idiom originates from the United States and first appeared in the 19th century. It compares the speed of talking to lightning because “blue streak” literally means a high-speed blue line, symbolizing great speed. Therefore, “talk a blue streak” means to talk very fast, often with strong passion and excitement.

• When she gets nervous, she tends to talk a blue streak.她一紧张就会滔滔不绝地说话。

• He can talk a blue streak about his favorite hobby for hours.他可以滔滔不绝地谈论他最喜欢的爱好好几个小时。

• At the meeting, he was so excited that he started to talk a blue streak.在会议上，他非常兴奋，开始滔滔不绝地讲话。

1109. Talk of the town

“谈论的热点” 或 “城中话题”。

这个短语起源于古老的城镇环境，在那里，新闻和有趣的事情会迅速传播并成为人们茶余饭后的谈资。“Talk of the town” 用来形容某事或某人引起了广泛关注和讨论，成为当前的热门话题。

This phrase originates from old town settings where news and interesting events would quickly spread and become the subject of everyone’s conversations. “Talk of the town” is used to describe something or someone that has attracted a lot of attention and is the current popular topic.

• The new restaurant in town is the talk of the town.城里那家新开的餐馆成了大家谈论的热点。

• Her amazing performance made her the talk of the town.她的精彩表演使她成了城中的话题。

• The scandal quickly became the talk of the town.那个丑闻很快就成了大家议论的话题。

1110. Talk someone’s ear off

“说得某人耳朵都快掉了” 或 “喋喋不休地说话”。

这个短语起源于对某人进行过度和冗长的说话，直到对方感到厌烦或疲惫。它形象地描绘了说话者不停地说话，以至于听者感觉自己的耳朵都快掉了。在使用时，通常带有轻微的幽默和夸张意味，适用于描述某人的 Gesprächigkeit 或在特定谈话中的冗长。

This idiom originates from the idea of someone talking excessively and lengthily to the point where the listener feels overwhelmed or exhausted. It vividly illustrates a situation where the speaker continues to talk incessantly, making the listener feel as if their ears might fall off. It’s often used humorously or exaggeratedly to describe someone who talks a lot or at length in a particular conversation.

• He can really talk your ear off about his new hobby.他可以滔滔不绝地讲他的新爱好，说得你耳朵都快掉了。

• I like Sarah, but she will talk your ear off if you ask about her pets.我喜欢莎拉，但如果你问起她的宠物，她会一直说个没完，让你耳朵都快掉了。

• After the meeting, Bob talked my ear off about his weekend plans.会议结束后，鲍勃一直在谈论他的周末计划，说得我耳朵都快掉了。

1111. Talk through one’s hat

“胡说八道” 或 “不懂装懂”。

这个短语源自 19 世纪美国，最初的意思是指某人空谈或说一些没根据的话。它通常带有贬义，表示某人说话时缺乏知识或经验，完全是在瞎说。

This phrase originated in 19th-century America and initially meant someone was speaking nonsensically or without foundation. It usually has a pejorative connotation, indicating that someone is speaking without knowledge or experience, essentially talking nonsense.

• He doesn’t know anything about cars; he’s just talking through his hat.他对汽车一无所知，他只是在胡说八道。

• I wouldn’t believe him, I think he’s talking through his hat.我不会相信他，我认为他在不懂装懂。

• Stop talking through your hat and do some research before making such claims.别再胡说八道了，在做出这样的声明之前先做些研究。

1112. Talk to someone like a Dutch uncle

“像荷兰叔叔一样对某人谈话” 或 “严厉地批评或劝导”。

这个短语的起源带有一些争议，但普遍认为是源自荷兰文化中的亲属关系中，叔叔通常被认为是家庭中能给予严厉但是公正的批评和劝导的角色。因此，当有人 “像荷兰叔叔一样对你说话” 时，意味着他们正直言不讳、严厉但诚恳地以你的利益为出发点进行劝告或批评。

This idiom has a somewhat debated origin but is generally believed to come from Dutch culture, where an uncle is often seen as a family member who can provide stern yet fair criticism and guidance. Therefore, when someone “talks to you like a Dutch uncle,” it means they are giving you frank, stern advice or criticism, intended for your own good.

• When I was slacking off, my mentor sat me down and talked to me like a Dutch uncle.当我松懈时，我的导师严厉地批评了我，就像荷兰叔叔一样。

• She talked to him like a Dutch uncle about the importance of being responsible.她就责任的重要性严厉地劝导了他，就像荷兰叔叔一样。

• Sometimes you need someone who will talk to you like a Dutch uncle to keep you on track.有时候你需要一个像荷兰叔叔一样的人来让你保持正轨。

1113. Talk to the hand

“别跟我说” 或 “我不想听”。

这个短语起源于上世纪 90 年代的美国俚语，通常是作为一种表示不耐烦或不愿意听某人说话的手势动作。在说这句话时，人们会将手掌向外平伸，表示拒绝交流和不满。随着时间的推移，这个短语渐渐成为一种口头表达，用来表示某人对他人的话语不感兴趣且不愿意听。

This phrase originates from the slang of the 1990s in the United States, typically accompanied by a hand gesture with the palm facing outward, symbolizing a refusal to listen or impatience. Over time, “Talk to the hand” became a verbal expression used to indicate that someone is uninterested and does not want to hear what the other person is saying.

• When he started arguing, she just said, “Talk to the hand.”当他开始争论时，她只说了一句，“别跟我说。”

• If you’re going to complain again, just talk to the hand.如果你又要抱怨，那就别跟我说。

• I tried to explain, but he just told me, “Talk to the hand.”我试图解释，但他只是对我说，“我不想听。”

1114. Talk turkey

“直截了当” 或 “开门见山”。

这个短语起源于美国，在 19 世纪初非常流行。当时，欧洲定居者和印第安人之间经常进行火鸡贸易。最初，它意味着严肃而认真地讨论交易，因此带有直接和诚实的对话的意味。如今，“talk turkey” 用于表示在谈话中直奔主题、直接了当。

This phrase originated in the United States and became popular in the early 19th century. Initially, it referred to serious and earnest discussions about trading turkeys between European settlers and Native Americans. It now signifies getting straight to the point in conversations.

• Let’s talk turkey about the deal and see if we can agree.让我们开门见山地谈谈这个交易，看能否达成一致。

• We should talk turkey instead of avoiding the real issues.我们应该直截了当地讨论，而不是避开真正的问题。

• It’s time to talk turkey about how to improve our project efficiency.是时候开门见山地讨论如何提高我们的项目效率了。

1115. Talking shop

“谈论工作” 或 “谈论行业内的事情”。

这个短语起源于商店掌柜和工匠在铺子关门后聚在一起讨论生意和手艺问题。因此，它用来描述人在社交场合下只谈论与工作或行业相关的话题，而不是更广泛的或更休闲的讨论。

This phrase originates from shopkeepers and artisans gathering after shop hours to discuss business and craft matters. Hence, it is used to describe people discussing work or industry-specific topics in a social setting, rather than broader or more recreational discussions.

• Whenever those two get together, they can’t help but start talking shop.每次那两个人坐在一起，他们都会忍不住开始谈论工作。

• I wanted to catch up with old friends, but all they did was talk shop.我本想和老朋友叙旧，但他们只是一直在谈论工作。

• Can we avoid talking shop during dinner? Let’s enjoy the meal.我们晚餐时能不谈工作吗？让我们享受饭菜吧。

1116. Tall order

“艰难的任务” 或 “难以实现的请求”。

这个短语的起源可以追溯到 19 世纪末。原本是一个体育术语，用来描述那些非常高难度的任务或要求。随着时间的推移，“tall order” 被广泛应用于各种场合，形容那些超过常规难度的任务或请求。

This phrase can be traced back to the late 19th century and was originally a sports term used to describe particularly challenging tasks or demands. Over time, “tall order” has come to be used in general contexts to refer to tasks or requests that are exceptionally difficult.

• Convincing him to change his mind is a tall order.要说服他改变主意是一个艰难的任务。

• Finishing this project by next week is a tall order.要在下周之前完成这个项目是一个难以实现的请求。

• Getting everyone to agree on the new plan will be a tall order.要让所有人都同意这个新计划将会是一个艰难的任务。

1117. Tall story

“夸张的故事” 或 “荒诞的故事”。

这个短语源自于 “tall tale” 这个短语，描述高度夸张或难以置信的故事。这样的故事通常是虚构的，往往通过夸大的细节来吸引听众的注意力。这类故事在西方文化中有时被用于娱乐，特别是在口头讲述传统中。

This idiom originates from the phrase “tall tale,” which describes a highly exaggerated or hard-to-believe story. Such stories are usually fictional, often using exaggerated details to capture the audience’s attention. In Western culture, these stories are sometimes used for entertainment, particularly in the tradition of oral storytelling.

• He told us a tall story about how he once wrestled a bear.他给我们讲了一个关于他曾经与熊摔跤的夸张故事。

• That’s just a tall story. I don’t believe a word of it.那只是一个夸张的故事，我一个字都不相信。

• Kids love to hear tall stories around the campfire.孩子们喜欢在篝火旁听夸张的故事。

1118. Tar someone with the same brush

tar：涂柏油；给…铺设沥青

“同一枚刷子刷所有人” 或 “一概而论”。

这个词组源自古代，早期形容在海运中给船只刷沥青以防腐蚀。然而，逐渐演变为一种隐喻，用来描述将个人特质或行为推广到整个群体或其他个体上，即对某人集团或某类事物持有相同的负面看法，不分具体情况。

This phrase originates from maritime practices where tar was used to coat and protect ships. Over time, it has evolved into a metaphor indicating treating everyone the same way, often negatively, based on the actions or characteristics of a few individuals.

• Just because he made a mistake doesn’t mean you should tar everyone with the same brush.仅仅因为他犯了错误，并不意味着你应该一概而论。

• It’s not fair to tar all teenagers with the same brush for the actions of a few.因为少数青少年的行为就一概而论所有青少年是不公平的。

• You can’t tar the entire team with the same brush because of one person’s failure.因为一个人的失败就把整个团队一概而论是不对的。

1119. Tell me about it

“就是啊” 或 “可不是嘛”。

这个短语通常用来表示对他人的陈述完全同意或感同身受。虽然短语字面上看似在要求对方提供更多信息，但实际上它表达的是说话者与对方有相似的经历或感受。

This phrase is often used to convey complete agreement or empathy with someone else’s statement. Though the phrase literally seems to be asking for more information, it actually expresses that the speaker has similar experiences or feelings as the other person.

• “The traffic this morning was terrible.” “Tell me about it.”“今天早上的交通糟透了。”“就是啊。”

• “I can’t believe how expensive groceries are getting.” “Tell me about it.”“我真不敢相信食品杂货越来越贵了。”“可不是嘛。”

• “I’ve been so busy with work lately.” “Tell me about it.”“我最近工作太忙了。”“就是啊。”

1120. Test the waters

“试探” 或 “摸底”。

这个短语起源于人们在进入未知的水域时，通常会先用脚去试探水温和深浅，确保安全后才会进入水中。在现代生活中，“test the waters” 用来描述在做重要决定之前先进行少量的尝试或调查，以判断是否可行或合适。

This phrase originates from the act of people testing the water with their foot before fully stepping into it, ensuring it’s safe. In modern life, “test the waters” is used to describe making small attempts or investigations before making a significant decision to determine if it’s viable or suitable.

• We should test the waters before committing to the new project.我们应该在对新项目做出承诺之前试探一下。

• She decided to test the waters by pitching her idea to a few investors first.她决定通过先向几位投资人提出她的想法来试探一下。

• Before launching the product nationwide, the company plans to test the waters in a few select markets.在全国范围内推出产品之前，公司计划在几个选择的市场中试探一下。

后记

2024年12月10日20点59分于上海。