پنجاه و یک اصطلاح رایج و کاربردی در زبان انگلیسی آمریکایی

پنجاه و یک اصطلاح رایج و کاربردی در زبان انگلیسی آمریکایی۱. CRUNCH TIME: the period of time just before a project has to be completed and everyone has to work hardI’m not getting enough sleep these days. It’s crunch time at work.۲. LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY: to let others see your uniquenessMy colleagues were surprised at the Christmas party- I let my freak flag fly and showed them a break dance routine.۳. GET OUT OF HAND: when you lose control of things, they get out of handThe party got out of hand and the guests started to throw bottles at each other.۴. GET YOUR HEAD AROUND IT: to understand somethingI just can’t get my head around the fact that Joe is leaving us.۵. DIG IN YOUR HEELS / STICK TO YOUR GUNS: to refuse to compromise or change your mindMy parents wanted me to give up writing, but I dug in my heels and went on to become a famous writer.My parents wanted me to give up writing, but I stuck to my guns and went on to become a famous writer.۶. POUND THE PAVEMENT: to walk the streets looking for a jobI’d been pounding the pavement for months before I found a job in a fast food restaurant.۷. PULL A RABBIT OUT OF A HAT: to do something unexpected that may have seemed impossibleI thought we were going bankrupt, but my partner pulled a rabbit out of his hat and we landed a major contract.۸. LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED: to do everything you can to achieve your goalI’ll leave no stone unturned until I find out who did this.۹. GET IT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM: to do something you’ve wanted to do for a long time and don’t want to postpone any longerI wasn’t sure how she was going to react, but I had to get it out of my system, so I told her I had found another woman.۱۰. STEP UP YOUR GAME: to start performing betterIf you want to win this competition, you’ll have to step up your game.۱۱. PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER: to calm down and behave normallyI understand you’ve had a bad day, but pull yourself together and get on with your job, will you?۱۲. SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT: either start performing better or leaveThis is the last time I’m telling you to arrive on time. Shape up or ship out.۱۳. CUT SOMEBODY SOME SLACK: to give somebody a break/ not to judge somebody severelyI was extremely busy last week. Cut me some slack and I’ll finish the report by tomorrow morning.۱۴. BY THE SKIN OF YOUR TEETH: when you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just succeed/ nearly failI hadn’t studied much, but passed the test by the skin of my teeth.۱۵. ONCE IN A BLUE MOON: when something rarely ever happensWe used to see him all the time, but now he just visits us once in a blue moon.۱۶. GO DOWN IN FLAMES: to end or fail suddenly and spectacularlyShe’d wanted to become Managing Director, but her career went down in flames when they found out she’d been leaking information to our competitors.۱۷. TAR SOMEONE WITH THE SAME BRUSH: to believe that someone has the same bad qualities as others in a groupI don’t think much of that band, but the singer shouldn’t be tarred with the same brush. She’s got a fantastic voice.۱۸. COME OUT SWINGING: to be confrontational and strongly defend yourself at the beginning of a debateOur local MP came out swinging against the current leadership and demanded that the government resign.۱۹. HANG IN THERE: wait and be patientI know you’d really like to call him, but I don’t think that’s the right thing to do now. Just hang in there and he will call you.۲۰. SHOOT FROM THE HIP: to speak directlyIf you want to get on well with your boss, try not to shoot from the hip next time. You don’t want to offend him, do you?۲۱. GO THE EXTRA MILE: to make a special effort/try very hard to achieve your goalIf you want to become proficient in English, you’ll have to go the extra mile and start learning idioms.My English class was great, we learnt so much because our teacher was the best, she always went the extra mile for us.۲۲. RUNNING ON FUMES: to continue to stay awake when feeling exhaustedI’m sorry, but I’ve got to go home now. I haven’t slept for twenty hours and I’m running on fumes.۲۳. SOLD ME OUT: to snitch on someone, or let their secret outI asked you to keep it to yourself! I can’t believe you sold me out, I trusted you!۲۴. YOU SOLD ME (ON SOMETHING): you convinced me of something, because you were persuasiveOK, you’ve sold me. I’ll go to the match with you.۲۵. BLEW ME AWAY: when something blows you away, you’re extremely impressed by itThe exhibition just blew me away. I’d never seen so many beautiful paintings before.۲۶. BLOW SMOKE: to exaggerate or say things that aren’t true to make you seem better/ more knowledgeable than in realityI’m not blowing smoke. I have honestly read War and Peace by Tolstoy.۲۷. CRY WOLF: to call for help when you don’t need itDo you think Peter is in trouble or is he just crying wolf?۲۸. COULDN’T CARE LESS: used to express total lack of interest in somethingThat man stole a bottle of wine from the shop.Oh, really? I couldn’t care less.۲۹. BE CHUFFED TO BITS: to be pleased and happyHey, thanks for the present! I’m chuffed to bits.۳۰. FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER: to be ill or unable to do regular activitiesI think I’m going to have to take the day off work. I feel quite under the weather today.۳۱. BE TICKLED PINK: to be excited and happyShe was tickled pink by all the compliments she’d received.۳۲. A BAKER’S DOZEN: thirteenCheck out our baker’s dozen language learning tips.۳۳. COMFORT FOOD: food that makes you feel better, because it reminds you of your childhoodAfter a tiring day, it’s so nice to make some comfort food and settle down with a good book.۳۴. SKELETON CREW: the minimum number of people needed to keep a service/office operatingCan you come back after the holidays? We’re operating with a skeleton crew at the moment.۳۵. LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY: to let something happen, no matter what happens nextI must tell John how I feel about him, let the chips fall where they may.۳۶. NO-BRAINER: an easy decisionDo you think I should propose to Judy?Come on, it’s a no-brainer. She’s such a fantastic woman!۳۷. A STONE’S THROW: very nearThe hotel was a stone’s throw from the beach. I loved it.۳۸. HEAR ON THE GRAPEVINE: to hear a rumour or unconfirmed storyI heard on the grapevine that Charlie and Sarah are dating at the moment.۳۹. SIT ON THE FENCE: to stay neutral and not take sidesWell don’t you think I’m right, he’s been acting differently hasn’t he?I’m sitting on the fence with this one, you’re both my good friends.۴۰. TAKE WHAT SOMEONE SAYS WITH A PINCH OF SALT: regard something as exaggerated, or only believe a part of somethingDid you hear what Tina said happened in the office yesterday?Oh, I would take anything she says with a pinch of salt.۴۱. FREAK OUT: to become very angry, scared or excitedMum, don’t freak out! I married a guy in Las Vegas.۴۲. BE A CATCH: be someone worth marrying/havingJohn is taking me out tonight. He’s such a catch, I hope he’ll propose.۴۳. PIECE OF CAKE: when something is extremely easy to doDo you think you could beat him in a race?Yeah, piece of cake. I’m definitely a lot faster than him.۴۴. HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD: used if something someone says, is precisely correctMy doctor hit the nail on the head. He knew exactly what was wrong with me!۴۵. COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG: when something is very expensiveMy son wants that mountain bike for his birthday, but it’ll cost an arm and a leg!۴۶. HIT THE BOOKS: to study very hardDo you want to go for lunch somewhere nice?No thanks, I’m going to hit the books. I have an exam coming up soon.۴۷. BITE OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW: to take on something that is too much for you to handleHe recently got promoted and took on some new responsibilities, but he’s just too busy. He bit off more than he could chew, and I don’t think he can handle it anymore.۴۸. WHEN PIGS FLY: this means that something will never happenAren’t you going to buy that dream house you told me about?Ugh, I will when pigs fly. It’s just so expensive, I don’t think it’ll happen.۴۹. DON’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER: this means don’t make a decision based on a brief impression or outward appearanceI don’t like our new neighbours very much, they’re quite strange.Hey, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Give them a chance, I think they’re just a bit quirky but really nice!۵۰. YOU ROCK: you are greatThanks for the tickets, Rob. You rock!۵۱. MISS THE BOAT: when someone has missed their opportunity to do somethingHave you applied for that job yet?No, I think I may have missed the boat. I should’ve done it last week.منبع:وبسایت کاردوآنلاین