Learning English isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (learning English is difficult). First, grammar muddies the waters (makes things unclear), and idiomatic expressions only add fuel to the fire (make things worse).
學習英語并不是人們所說的一切(學習英語很困難)。首先，語法使一切都變得模糊不清(使事情變得模糊不清)，慣用的表達方式只會火上澆油(使事情變得更糟)。
If you’re taking the TOEFL or the TOEIC, or just want to know more common idioms, read this list of 40 common idiomatic expressions before you take the test. They may just help your English language acquisition soar (get much better).
如果你正在參加托福或托業考試，或者只是想了解更多的常用習語，那么在考試前，請閱讀這40個常用習語表達的列表。他們可能只是幫助你的英語學習飆升(變得更好)。
Common English Idioms
常見的英文習語
24/7: Twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly. My little sister irritates me 24/7!
24/7：一天二十四小時;一周七天;時時刻刻;時時刻刻。我妹妹24小時不停地惹我生氣!
A short fuse: A quick temper. Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play.
導火索：急躁的脾氣。杰米以他的短發聞名;就在幾天前，他因為教練不讓他上場而大喊大叫。
A taste of your own medicine: Bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people badly. After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juan’s house.
自食其果：對別人不好，理應受到不好的待遇。朱利安不斷地被人惡作劇，他決定讓胡安自食其果，并點了二十七個比薩餅送到胡安家。
Butterflies in my stomach: To be nervous. Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin.
我心里七上八下：緊張。利亞姆上臺拉小提琴前，心里七上八下。
By the skin of your teeth: To just barely get by or make it. Lester made the dance team by the skin of his teeth; you can tell he hasn’t been dancing jazz for very long.
僥幸成功：勉強通過或完成它。萊斯特生硬地組成了這支舞蹈隊;你可以看出他已經很久沒有跳爵士樂了。
Cat got your tongue?: Can’t you speak? (Usually said to embarrass the other person). I just saw you kissing my boyfriend. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?
一言不發?你不能說話嗎?(通常是說讓對方難堪)。我剛看見你在吻我男朋友。怎么了?你怎么一句話也不說?
Crying wolf: To ask for help when you don’t need it. You have cried wolf so many times that no one believes you when you’re really hurt.
虛張聲勢的人：在你不需要的時候尋求幫助。你虛張聲勢了很多次，當你真的受傷的時候，沒有人相信你。
Cut someone some slack: To not judge someone too harshly. Hey. Cut me some slack. I was really busy with my frog hunting business last week and forgot to call. I’m sorry!
讓某人松懈：不要過于嚴厲地評判某人。嘿。讓我放松一下。上周我真的很忙我的獵蛙生意，忘了打電話。我很抱歉!
Down for the count: Tired; giving up; unable or unwilling to participate any longer. No, you can’t take my dog for a walk—she’s down for the count after chasing cats all day.
倒數：累了;放棄了;不能或不愿再參加。不，你不能帶我的狗去散步。她整天追貓，現在要被數到。
Draw the line: To stop; to know the point where something goes from okay to not okay. Now I draw the line at speaking in front of 34,000 people.
劃清界限：停下來;知道某物從好到不好的位置。現在我在3.4萬人面前發言時劃清界限。
Easier said than done: Not as easy as it appears to be. You want me to come to work at 6:00 AM? Easier said than done!
說起來容易做起來難：不像看上去那么容易。你要我早上6點來上班嗎?說起來容易做起來難!
Every cloud has a silver lining: You can find good in every bad situation. Even though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining—at least you don’t have to work for that grouchy boss anymore!
烏云背后就是陽光：你可以在每一個糟糕的情況下找到好的一面。即使你剛被炒魷魚，記住烏云背后就是陽光，至少你不必再為那個脾氣暴躁的老板工作了!
Finding a needle in a haystack: Virtually impossible to find. Trying to get a new job these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
大海撈針：幾乎找不到。這些天想找一份新工作就像大海撈針。
Fish out of water: To be out of place. Tom felt like a fish out of water at the Star Trek convention his new girlfriend begged him to attend.
格格不入：出其不意。湯姆在《星際迷航》大會上感到格格不入，他的新女友求他參加。
