任何一种语言都有习语(idiom),英语也不例外。习语包括俗语(colloquialism)、谚语(proverb)和俚语(slang)。习语源自于日常生活、社会活动及生产实践,是人类经过长期使用而提炼出的固定表达一定意义的短语或短句。有些习语意思明显,易于理解记忆,有些含蓄深刻,妙趣横生,是语言中的精华,常被用在口语中。积累并掌握一些习语,有益于口头交流,使语言更丰富、交流更地道。

　　与动物有关的习语

　　1. a cat-and-dog life(在一起居住者)经常吵架的生活

　　eg. He can't get along well with his neighbors. He is living a cat-and-dog life.他与邻居相处不好,过着一种经常吵架的生活。

　　2. (be) the cat's paws 上当,被人利用

　　eg. Be careful. Don't be the cat's paws.小心,不要被人利用。

　　3. a cock-and-bull story 无稽之谈(尤指用作借口或解释)

　　eg. She couldn't pay her debt, instead she told me a cock-and-bull story.她还不了债,反而鬼话连篇。

　　4. a dark horse 黑马(有本事而深藏不露的人)

　　eg. That player is really a dark horse；he kicked three goals all by himself.那个运动员真是一匹"黑马",他深藏不露,自己就进了三个球。

　　5. a sitting duck 容易攻击或击中的人,瓮中之鳖

　　eg. Without our help, you would be a sitting duck.要不是我们帮忙,你早成瓮中之鳖了。

　　6. a paper tiger 纸老虎(外强中干的人或物)

　　eg. Don't be afraid of him. He's no more than a paper tiger.不用怕他,他只不过是个纸老虎而已。

　　7. a home bird喜欢待在家里的人

　　eg. Mrs Black seldom goes to the public places. She is a home bird.布莱克夫人很少出入于公共场所,她喜欢待在家里。

　　8. kiss ass 拍马屁

　　eg. Look, that guy is saying something to the boss. He must kiss ass again.看,那小子在跟老板说什么,他肯定又在拍马屁。

　　9. dog days极无聊的日子,八月中很热的天气

　　eg. That year I left school, idling about to kill the dog days.那一年我辍学了,到处游荡,打发着无聊的日子。

　　10. a fish out of water 因环境不熟悉而感到不舒服或尴尬的人

　　eg. At the party, I felt like a fish out of water in my shabby clothes.晚会上,我穿着寒酸的衣服感到很不自在。

　　11. a lucky dog/ bird 幸运的人,幸运的家伙

　　eg. You won a lottery and got $5000? You're

　　really a lucky dog. 你中奖了,得了五千美金?真是个幸运的家伙。

　　12. spring chicken (比喻、谑)年轻人

　　eg. She's no spring chicken； she can deal with such things.她已经不是黄毛丫头了,她会处理好这些事情的。

　　13. a lone wolf 好孤独自处,独自工作的人

　　eg. I don't like working with others； I prefer to be a lone wolf.我不喜欢和别人合作,我宁愿自己干。

　　14. a dead duck (口)被放弃的或将失败的计划等

　　eg. The project to establish a new school is a dead duck-there's no money.要建一所新学校的计划告吹了,没有资金。

　　15. a bird's eye view (of ) 俯视,鸟瞰

　　eg. We had a bird's eye view of the city from the top of the skyscraper.我们从摩天楼顶上鸟瞰整个城市。

　　16. a snake in the grass 伪装成朋友的阴险的人

　　eg. That snake in the grass cheated me of my money.那个口蜜腹剑的家伙骗了我的钱。

　　17. crocodile tears 假慈悲

　　eg."Lucy, I'm sorry about your failing.""You are shedding your crocodile tears for me?"露西,对你的失败我感到很惋惜。你不是在猫哭耗子假慈悲吧?

　　18. a cold fish (贬)冷漠的人

　　eg. You'd better not ask Jack for help. He is a cold fish indeed.你最好不要向杰克求助,他是个冷漠的人。

　　19. on (one's) high horse 道貌岸然

　　eg. I don't want to talk to her； she's always on her high horse.我不想跟她讲话,她总是一副道貌岸然的样子。

　　20. for the birds 无意义,没意思

　　eg. The film we saw last night was just for the birds.我们昨晚看的那场电影真没意思。

　　与动物有关的谚语:

　　1. The wolf may lose his teeth, but never his nature.

　　江山易改,本性难移。

　　2. A good dog deserves a good bone.

　　有功者受奖。

　　3. Every bird likes its own nest best.

　　金窝银窝,不如自己的草窝。

　　4. When the fish is caught the net is laid aside.

　　过河拆桥。

　　5. Love me, love my dog.

　　爱屋及乌。

　　6. Never offer to teach fish to swim.

　　不要班门弄斧。

　　7. Birds of a feather flock together.

　　物以类聚,人以群分。

　　8. Don't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.

　　不要杀鸡取卵。 (不要自绝财源。)

　　9. Rats desert a sinking ship.

　　船沉鼠先逃,家败亲友疏。

　　10. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.

　　老牛不喝水,不能强按头。

　　11. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

　　不要挑剔别人送的礼物。

　　12. Every dog has his / its day.

　　人人皆有得意之日。

　　13. Let sleeping dogs lie.

　　少管闲事。

　　14. Fine feathers make fine birds.

　　佛要金装,人要衣装。

　　15. Venture a small fish to catch a great one.

　　欲钓大鱼,先舍小鱼。

　　16. When the cat is away, the mice will play.

　　猫儿不在,老鼠自在。

　　17. It's the early bird that catches the worm.

　　捷足先登。

　　18. The bird is known by his note, the man by his words.

　　鸟听其声,人闻其言。

　　19. Eagles do not breed doves.

　　龙生龙,凤生凤,老鼠生来会打洞。

　　20. A lion at home, a mouse abroad.

　　在家是英雄,在外是狗熊。

　　与食品有关的习语

　　1. as easy as cake/pie 易如反掌,很容易

　　eg. The examination is as easy as cake.这次考试很容易。

　　2. a piece of cake 真容易,简单

　　eg. "Could you help me to repair my bike?" "Certainly. It's a piece of cake." "你可以帮我修修自行车吗?"" 当然可以,小菜一碟。"

　　3. apple polisher 马屁精

　　eg. That man has been promoted because he is a real apple polisher.那人得到了提升因为他会拍马屁。

　　4. a big cheese 大老板

　　eg. The woman is a big cheese. She owns three factories. 这个女人是个大老板,她拥有三个工厂。

　　5. apples and oranges 两码事(不可混为一谈)

　　eg. Let's focus on this topic. You can't add apples and oranges.让我们谈这个话题。这是两码事,你不可以混为一谈。

　　6. cool as a cucumber 极其冷静,不惊慌

　　eg. When I told him about it, he wasn't surprised. Instead, he was cool as a cucumber.我告诉他此事时,他没有吃惊,反而很镇静。

　　7. a hot potato 棘手的问题,令人敏感的东西

　　eg. That issue is a hot potato. None of us want to discuss it. 那是个难题,我们都不愿谈论此事。

　　8. a small potato 无足轻重的人或物

　　eg. I'm sorry I can't help you. I'm a small potato after all. 对不起,我帮不上你。我毕竟只是个小人物。

　　9. the big apple (=New York City) (专指)纽约市

　　eg. "Where are you from?" "The big apple.""你从哪儿来?""纽约。"

　　10. have a beef (=complain) 抱怨

　　eg. Mrs Smith always has a beef about housework.史密斯夫人总是抱怨家务活太多。

　　11. salad days 大好的青春时光

　　eg. I often look back to my salad days when I was in the university.我经常怀念我大学时期的快乐时光。

　　12. tread/ walk on eggs 如履薄冰

　　eg. These days there are enemies everywhere； we are walking on eggs every day. 这些日子到处都是敌人,我们天天是如履薄冰。

　　13. lay an egg (演出等)完全失败

　　eg. He is such a famous actor. But it's a pity he laid an egg in the performance this time.他是个那么著名的演员。这次真可惜,他彻底演砸了。

　　14. put all one's eggs in one basket 孤注一掷

　　eg. Here is all the money. This time I put all my eggs in one basket.钱都在这儿。这次我可是孤注一掷了。

　　15. egg sb on (to do sth) 怂恿或鼓励某人做某事

　　eg. Don't egg him on to play a trick on others.不要怂恿他捉弄别人。

　　16. apple of one's eye 极珍爱之人或物

　　eg. The baby is apple of her father's eye.这个孩子可是她父亲的心肝宝贝。

　　17. meat and drink to sb 快乐的源泉；生活的目的

　　eg. Talking about other's privacy is meat and drink to her. 谈论别人的隐私是她最感兴趣的事。

　　18. a bread-and-butter letter 感谢款待的信

　　eg. You must write a bread-and-butter letter to the Whites when you arrive home.你到家以后,一定要给怀特夫妇写封信,感谢他们对你的款待。

　　19. chicken out (of sth) (贬义,俚) 因害怕而决定不做某事

　　eg. He made a promise to go swimming with me but he chickened out (of it) at the last moment.他答应跟我一起去游泳,但到时候却不敢去了。

　　20. bread and butter (口)生活；生计；谋生之道

　　eg. "How do you earn your bread and butter?" "Acting is my bread and butter.""你怎样谋生?""演戏就是我的饭碗。"

　　与食品有关的谚语

　　1. The proof of pudding is in the eating.要知布丁的滋味就得自己亲口尝。

　　2. Forbidden fruit is sweet.禁果最香甜。

　　3. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.一天一苹果,医生不找我。

　　4. No pains, no gains. 不劳无获。

　　5. Don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs.不要班门弄斧。

　　6. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.今天一个蛋,胜过明天一只鸡。

　　(文/李萍；英语辅导报大学教师版2003-2004学年第37、38、39期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。