1. Take the bull by the horns----抓住牛角. 意思是遇到困难情形,果断做出决定,当机立断.
We'll have to take the bull by the horns and tackle the Medicare question. 2. be like a bull in a china shop----瓷器店里的牛.意思是因为动作笨拙,鲁盲,常常摔破或碰坏东西,也可引深为因为鲁盲,得罪人的人,粗线条.
Rob'slike a bull in a china shop- don't let him near those plants. She's like a bull in a china shop when it comes to dealing with people's feelings. (= behaves in a way that offends people)
3. be like a red rag to a bull---牛眼前的红布.表示非常愤怒, 勃然大怒. For Claire, the suggestion of a women-only committee waslike a red rag to a bull.
4.bull-headed ---牛脑. 意思是犟,倔.一意孤行,或是广东话的死牛一片颈 He's completely bull-headed. I asked him not to throw out that old table, but he did it anyway.
5. a cock-and-bull story ----鸡和牛的故事.意思根本站不脚的故事,说法或解释.错漏百出,胡说八道.
She told me some cock-and-bull story about her car breaking down.
6.hit the bulls-eye----击中牛眼.意思是切入主题, 单刀直入.打开天窗说亮话. I think that our manager hit the bulls-eye when he talked about the real problems in the company.
7. John Bull (old-fashioned)----约翰牛. 代表典型的英国人,也就是我们说的英国佬.
In the cartoon,John Bullappears as a short, stocky figure wearing a waistcoat with the British flag on.
8. like a bull at a gate ----大门旁的牛.意思是做事情做得很快.雷厉风行,快刀斩
乱麻,
Al wants to finish the shelves today so he's going at them like a bull at a gate. 9. shoot the bull -----射牛.意思是惬意轻松聊天.瞎聊,随聊, We sat out on the porch until late, just shooting the bull.
10. A cash cow-----现金牛.意思是某种产品或是某种产业能带来固定的收入.也就是我们说的摇钱树,下蛋鸡.
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11.Till the cows come home-----直到牛群都回到家.意思是某人一直做某事.坚持不懈, 锲而不舍, 持续不断.
\You can ask till the cows come home, but I'm not buying you a scooter.
12. have a cow (American)-----拥有一头母牛意思是担心,不开心,或是生气. I thought he was going to have a cow when I told him I'd lost his key.
13. a sacred cow ------神圣牛.意指某种信仰或制度是至高无上的,被奉为神明. The British legal system remains a sacred cow, despite increasing evidence that serious mistakes have been made.
14. holy cow ----圣牛.对某事表示惊讶,惊奇,愤怒等.
“I was paying 23 percent interest on that credit card.” “Holy cow!”
\must be so cool.\
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15. as awkward as a cow on roller skates------跟穿上旱冰鞋的牛一样笨拙.意思就是非常笨拙,笨手笨脚.
The little girl was as awkward as a cow on roller skates when she first began riding her bicycle.