執筆者 Modern English | 2014年12月17日 | Idioms
“When the boat sank, their investment went up in smoke.” When something goes up in smoke, it is completely lost, as if it had burned up in a fire. It is especially fitting if it actually was lost in a fire. However, the fire is just a metaphor, so it could be lost in...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年12月10日 | Idioms
“I’m going to quit my job and become a professional ostrich trainer.” “What? Do you have a screw loose?” To have a screw loose is to be crazy. A machine whose parts are held together by screws doesn’t work quite right if one of the screws is loose. In this metaphor,...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年12月03日 | Idioms
“What’s this black stuff?” “It’s seaweed.” “Oh, okay. I’ll try it. Wow, it tastes kind of fishy!” “I can’t believe you ate that.” “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. You should try it too. It’s not bad!” This phrase can be generalized to any place, such as another...
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年11月26日 | Idioms
“What did I tell you? It’s not as easy as it looks, is it?” “Yeah, I had no idea! Now that I’ve walked a mile in your shoes, I really appreciate all the work you do around here.” To “walk in someone’s shoes” is to experience their life and the difficulties they face....
執筆者 Modern English | 2014年11月19日 | Idioms
“I’ve been working so much overtime to finish this project that it’s hard to spend any quality time with my family, even on the weekends.” “Quality time” is special time spent together with people you love. We usually think of quality time as time spent doing...
