242--285

· the black sheep of the family有辱门楣的人
He lost everything in gabling and was called the black sheep of the family by this relatives.

· take a shine to someone一见就中意
She is an animal-lover. She takes a shine to whatever animal she meets.

· give someone the shirt off one's back为某人慷慨解囊，毫不吝啬的接济某人
He works in the charity organization and strongly believes that he who gives others the shirt off his back will be blessed by the God.

· lose one's shirt输得精光
The man didn't leave Las Vegas until he lost his shirt.

· know where the shoe pinches知道问题所在
A wise leader should be one who knows where the shoe pinches and knows what to do with it.

· a shot in the dark瞎猜
I didn't know which button was for TV. I pushed one, and TV was turned on. It was mere a shot in the dark.

· give someone the cold shoulder冷待某人
I hate going to expensive hotels. The receptionist always gives me the cold shoulder when she sees my plain clothes.

· steal the show喧宾夺主
Cinderalla stole the show in the Prince's party.

· side with someone与某人站在一起，支持某人
I'm your friend, but I'm afraid I won't side with you on that issue.

· have a memory like a sieve记性太差
I think a computer notebook will be of great help for me, since I've got a memory like a sieve.

· out of clear blue sky意料不到
Yesterday, out of a clear blue sky, My landlady gave me a one-day notice, asking me to move out.

· .make a slip of the tongue说走嘴
The class burst into laughter when the teacher made a slip of the tongue. He meant to say "Good morning" to students, but he said "Good afternoon".

· be on the sly办事狡猾
The boy was smoking in the corner when his father caught him on the sly.

· for a song以级低的价钱，廉价地
I got the rare edition of the book for a song in the flea market.

· sound someone out试探某人的意见
Have you sounded the principal out on postponing the final examination?

· call a spade a spade有什么就说什么
We are good friends. Call a spade a spade. Don't tell me in a round-about way.

· spick and span干干净净
The housewife always keeps her kitchen spick and span.

· go for a spin出去兜风
The city dwellers like going for a spin to the country on weekends.

· spine-chilling令人毛骨悚然
He likes horrible films. Those spine-chilling pictures to us are pleasant to his eyes.

· The spirit is willing; but the flesh is weak.心有余而力不足
A: How many times have you tried quitting smoking? B: It's not that the spirit is not willing, but that the flesh is weak.

· win one's spurs受到奖赏
She won her spurs as a popular writer immediately after her first book became a best-seller.

· put the squeeze on someone对某人施加压力
The new situation is putting the squeeze on all companies engaged in this business.

· stand up to someone与某人大胆对抗
The soldier stood up to the officer and was place in confinement.

· thank one's lucky stars感到万幸
I should thank your lucky stars that you missed the plane which crashed into the sea.

· get off to a flying start来了开门红
Our kindergarten got off to a flying start by having 100 children to sign up in the first month.

· go steady with someone 与异性稳步发展关系
Mary and Tim got married after going steady with each other for two years.

· watch one's step当心
You're better watch your step when you go out with John. He is a trouble-maker.

· a stick-in the-mud老古董
He is a stick=in-the-mud and will never invest his money in stock.

· be a stickler吹毛皮的人
I don't like to go to her home. She is a stickler for neatness.

· turn someone's stomach令人作呕
Her sweet voice turned my stomach.

· fall between two stools鸡飞蛋打
Tying to straddle two boats, he took up two jobs with two salaries. At last, unable to do either well.

· weather the storm度过难关
The wooden house weathered the storm.

· harp on the same old string老调重弹
He really gets on my nerves. He always harps on the same old string by promising us a paid holiday., but he never keeps it.

· have someone dancing on a string任意摆布某人
Betty is a housewife and no income. Her husband has her dancing on a string.

· pull strings for someone为某人走后门，幕后操作
In the material world, money pulls the strings.

· be stuck on someone迷恋上某人
Tom was stuck on the girl at the first meeting although it was a blind date.

· to sweet-talk someone into (out of ) doing...甜言蜜语地让某人做（不做）......
The accountant sweet-talked the boss out of checking her account.

· be in full swing达到高潮，全面展开
China has opened its door to the outside world for twenty years. Reforms in every walks of life are in full swing.

· be asleep at the switch玩忽职守
The goal-keeper was asleep at the switch and let the rival team goal at the last minute.

· suit...to a T对......再适合不过了
This new job suits me to a T.

· turn the tables扭转局势
Don't worry, your husband knows how to turn the tables and crack down on those guys.

· drink someone under the table把某人灌醉
He has a hollow leg. He can drink all of us here under the table.

· keep tabs on something/someone掌握情况,密切关注

He has subscribed ten newspapers in order to keep tabs on the new developments in market management.

· keep someone down a notch挫某人的傲气

The monitor likes to order us around. He needs to be kept down a notch.

286--300

· Take it out on someone拿别人出气
The boy was reprimanded by his father. He took it out on his ball.

· An old wives' tale无稽之谈
Do you think the existence of life on Mars is an old wives'tale?

· Be the talk of the town满城风雨
The death of the Princess Diana has been the talk of the town.

· Leave a bad taste in someone's mouth给人留下坏印象
Once I went to a famous university. But the untidy campus left a bad taste in my mouth.

· Crocodile tears假惺惺的眼泪
Some of my business partners came to comfort me when I lost almost everything in one bad deal.

· Lose one's temper发脾气
You don't have to lose your temper about trifle things.

· Through thick and thin有甘也有苦
The couple have gone through thick and thin for many years.

· Have another think coming大错特错
If you think I'm easily taken in, you are having another think coming.

· Thin-skinned神经过敏
She is so thin-skinned that, whenever we talk about something in a low voice, she will think we are referring to her.

· Jump down someone's throat严厉训斥某人
The boy saved a girl from the river and went back home. Seeing him all through, his mother jumped down his throat.

· Stick out like a sore thumb特别扎眼
I hate my big nose. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

· Be all thumbs笨手笨脚
I just learned to type. I was all thumbs.

· Turn thumbs down on...不赞成......，反对......
The boss turned thumbs down on the new on promotion scheme.

· Twiddle one's thumbs无所事事
Why do we have to work overtime while people in PR department are twiddling their thumbs?

· Beat someone's time with someone勾引别人的女朋友
He is strange. He doesn't go steady with any girl, but enjoys beating others' time with their girlfriend.

301--315

· On the tip of someone's tongue就早嘴边上
A man in black came to ask about my son's whereabouts. My words were on the tip of someone's tongue when I found the man had a gun inside his pocket.

· Hold one's tongue保持沉默
I can no longer hold my tongue when I see so many wild animals have become extinct.

· Keep a civil tongue in one's head说话有礼貌
A child is taught to keep a civil tongue in his head when he is small.

· Blow one's top勃然大怒
My neighbor blew his top when he saw his hedges were cut by someone.

· Carry a torch for someone单方想念某人
Though Jane has been engaged with Mr. Hall, Jimmy still carries a torch for her.

· Have the Midas touch有生财的运气，手气好
You'd better find Rogers as you stock broker. He has the Midas touch.

· Be touch and go万分危险
The patient is out of danger now, but it was touch and go for a while.

· Throw in the towel认输
She tried to save their marriage by talking her husband out of taking drugs. But she finally threw in the towel.

· Have the inside track for something处于有利的地位
I'm an Art student. I don't have the inside track for applying for that job.

· Keep track of someone/something掌握......的情况
He is keeping track of all my old friends.

· Be on a gravy train走运，有赚钱的机会
You will be on a gravy train if you can get that antique. It is worth more money than it is offered.

· Have a mind like a steel trap头脑特别快
He has a mind like a steel trap. He can remember a new word even if he meets it once.

· Bark up the wrong tree弄错目标
The detective has been following the man for a week. But it turns out that he has barked up the wrong tree.

· Be too quick on the trigger操之过急，行动过于仓促
You are always too quick on the trigger. You jump into his throat before he can explain.

· Ask for trouble自找麻烦
Are you asking for trouble by challenging the emphasis on qualities education. You are asking for trouble if you cheat in the exam.

316--330

· blow one's own trumpet自吹自擂
If you want to sell more, you should learn to blow your own trumpet.

· Not give someone a tumble不理睬某人
Though Jackson has asked May to marry him for many times, she just won't give him a tumble.

· Talk turkey打开天窗说亮话
Let's talk turkey, see if you agree. I'll get 55%of the share, and you'll get the rest.

· Not say uncle拒不认错，不服输
I don't know when he has ever said uncle to anyone.

· Take a dim view of...对......抱悲观态度；不赞同
Teachers in middle schools usually take a dim view of students' talking up too many after-class activities.

· Walk all over someone任意欺负某人
My neighbor walked all over me. He left rubbish in my door, stamped on my grass and wax my windows. I decided to fight back.

· Drive someone to the wall把某人逼得走投无路
He hates learning foreign languages. But the challenging situation drives him to the wall. He decides to go to an evening class.

· Drive someone up the wall把某人搞得心烦意乱
Would you please turn down that Rap music? It has driven me up the wall.

· Be in hot water陷入困境
I'm sorry I can't lend you money. I myself am in hot water.

· Like water off a duck's back满不在乎，不起作用
I can do nothing about him. Criticism rolls off like water off a duck's back. It goes into his one ear and comes out of the other.

· Meet one's Waterloo惨败
The famous lawyer met his Waterloo at the hands of a fledgling lawyer.

· Fish in troubled waters浑水摸鱼
Don't tell him that we need that material badly, He is good at fishing in troubled waters and will take advantage of it.

· Make waves兴风作浪
Everything went smoothly in her wedding ceremony, when her formal boyfriend came to make waves by drinking the bridegroom under the table.

· Have a way with something/someone有应付......的办法
She will make a good teacher. She seems to have a way with even the most disobedient boy.

· Pave the way for...为......铺平道路
Donation from every walks of life has paved the way for the Hope Project to proceed.