執筆者 Modern English | 2012年10月20日 | Phrases
Newscaster A: In a Dickensian twist, the orphan child turned out to be a long lost princess and is now living in the lap of luxury. Newscaster B: She’s really gone from rags to riches. A “rags to riches” story tells about someone who starts out very poor and ends up...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年10月13日 | Phrases
Ian: Can I borrow your car, man? Phillip: No, dude. Last time I let you drive it, you crashed into a tree. Ian: Come on, man. That was five years ago. It’s water under the bridge. Phillip: No. “Water under the bridge” is a problem between people that happened in the...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年10月06日 | Phrases
Sports commentator: No one thought they could beat the Bobcats, but they pulled it off! They won! Pulling something off means achieving something difficult, like a skateboard trick or a jewel heist. Of course, it can also just mean pulling something off of something...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年09月29日 | Phrases
“This is the last straw! I’ve had it!” The last straw is the straw that broke the camel’s back. A camel can carry a lot, but if you keep adding straw it will eventually become too heavy. The last straw is the difference between a load of straw the camel can just...
執筆者 Modern English | 2012年09月15日 | Phrases
Phil: You’ve been working for three hours. Come take a break with us. Steve: Okay. I guess I could use a breather. When we say we “could use” something, it means we would like it, although we may not actually really need it. After working for three hours, a break...