英語成語園地-衣服篇

Back to The Garden of English Idioms
a bee in one's bonnet
與眾不同的想法；奇怪或瘋狂的點子
She has a bee in her bonnet about going to live on an island and starting a herb farm.

(have/keep) a card/an ace up one's sleeve
暗藏錦囊妙計，不到最後關頭不使出來的絕招或王牌。
I don't know what he is planning to say at the meeting but I think that he has another card up his sleeve and will make an important announcement.
a feather in one's cap
榮譽；成就；值得自豪的事。
Winning the speech contest was a feather in his cap and the greatest honor that he has ever won.
air (or wash) one's dirty linen in public
當眾公開隱私或不足為人道的事情；家醜外揚。
His personal problems are nobody else's business and he doesn't like his wife to air his dirty linen in public when they go out with friends.
at the drop of a hat
一有機會就...；立即。
He will stop working and help you at the drop of a hat if you ask him politely.
below the belt
(指評論、攻擊等) 不公平地：不正當地；不合規矩地 (按照拳擊規則，不能攻擊腰帶以下的部位)。這成語前面的動詞通常使用 hit 或 strike。
I think that he was hitting below the belt when he began to criticize me after I told him my true feelings on the matter.
bet one's boots
敢說；確信。
I will bet my boots that he is not able to save up enough money to come with us to Greece this winter.
(in one's) birthday suit
一絲不掛；裸體。
The little boy was running around the picnic site in his birthday suit.
bore the pants off of someone
使 (某人) 煩得要命；使 (某人) 感到乏味至極。
Rachel bores the pants off of me! (瑞秋把我煩得要死!)
The lecture bored the pants off of everybody. (這一演講讓每個人都感到乏味極了)
burn a hole in one's pocket
有錢就花光；錢燒口袋漏，一有就不留。
The money that he made at his part-time job is burning a hole in his pocket and he will probably spend it quickly.
burst at the seams
太擁擠；擠得水泄不通。
The train station was bursting at the seams as everyone was waiting to go away for their holidays.
catch with one's pants/trousers down
冷不防抓住...；乘 (某人) 不備令其困窘。
He was caught with his pants down when he was asked for the figures but was unable to produce them.
come into fashion
變得流行。
Recently in some areas the mini-skirt has come into fashion again.
die with one's boots on
在工作中死亡；殉職；陣亡。
He worked hard all his life and died with his boots on when he had a heart attack and died in the factory.

dressed to kill
打扮得花枝招展；穿著入時。
She was dressed to kill when I saw her at the sales convention.

dressed (up) to the nines
穿著最美麗的衣服；盛裝打扮。
They were dressed to the nines when they went to the opening of the new theater production.

fill one's shoes
取代某人的位置而且同樣做得很好。
It will be difficult for him to fill the shoes of the previous supervisor.
fit like a glove
非常合身，合適。
Her new dress fit like a glove so she was very happy.
fly by the seat of one's pants
憑直覺 (不是憑知識或邏輯) 做事。
He was forced to fly by the seat of his pants when nobody was in the office to help him fix the computer.
frighten/scare the pants off (of) someone
把某人嚇得要命，嚇得半死。(of 若在代名詞前面有時會保留)
He frightened the pants off his sister by talking about ghost all night. (他整夜談鬼，把他妹妹嚇得要命)
The zombie game can scare the pants off most players. (這款殭屍遊戲可能把大多數玩家嚇得半死)
The explosion scared the pants off of everyone. (爆炸把大家嚇得半死)
give someone the boot / get the boot or be given the boot
解雇 (某人)；拋棄或甩掉 (某人) / 被解雇；被拋棄或被甩。
Anna has given her latest boyfriend the boot. (安娜已甩掉她最近的那個男友)
Anthony was given the boot by his girlfriend yesterday. (安東尼昨天被他女友甩了)
Tony was useless and soon got the boot. (東尼毫無用處，很快就被炒魷魚了)
go over/through something with a fine-tooth comb
徹底搜查；仔細檢查。
We went over the room with a fine-tooth comb but were unable to find the missing credit card.
handle with kid gloves
小心處理；謹慎將事；溫和對待。
You must handle the new computer with kid gloves as it is very fragile.
have/keep an ace (or a card) up one's sleeve
有不為人知的絕招；暗藏錦囊妙計。(參見下面的 up one's sleeve)
I thought that the negotiations would be unsuccessful but my boss had another card up his sleeve that we didn't know about.
have ants in one's pants
焦躁緊張；坐立不安。
You are moving around as if you have ants in your pants the teacher said to the little boy.
have one's collar felt
被逮捕了；被抓起來了。
The man had had his collar felt so often that he knew all the policemen in the area. (那傢伙經常被抓進去，所以他認識這地區的所有警察)
A friend of mine had his collar felt yesterday for murdering his wife. (我一位朋友因殺妻昨天被捕)
hot under the collar
怒氣沖沖的；火冒三丈的。(指因憤怒、激動等而臉紅脖子粗)
He got very hot under the collar when I suggested that he might be mistaken. (當我指出他可能弄錯時，他就大發雷霆)
Don't get all hot under the collar -- I'm only suggesting some minor changes to our plans! (別發那麼大的脾氣，我只是建議對我們的計畫做些小小的修改而已)
if the shoe/cap fits, wear it
如果這話說對了，就接受意見吧。
You shouldn't criticize others for something that you would do yourself. Remember, if the shoe fits, wear it.
in one's shoes
處於某人的地位或境遇。
I would hate to be in his shoes now that he has lost his job.
keep one's shirt/wig/hair on
保持冷靜；沈住氣；不激動；不發怒。
Keep your shirt on. You shouldn't get so excited about small problems.
keep (something) under one's hat
保密。
I plan to keep my plans to apply for a new job under my hat.
lose one's shirt
(尤指賭博) 失去所有或大部分錢財。
He lost his shirt gambling and now is in serious financial difficulty.
off the cuff
無準備地；即席。
He made a very interesting off-the-cuff speech at the party last night. (off-the-cuff 為形容詞：an off-the-cuff speech 即席演說或致詞)
old hat
老式的；不合時尚的。
We have been going to that restaurant for many months. It is old hat now.
on a shoestring
以極少的金錢；小本經營地；預算極低地。
We went to Mainland China and Japan on a shoestring and enjoyed it very much.
on someone's coat tails (or coat-tails)
沾某人的光；憑與某人的私人關係。
She was elected to city council by running on her well-known husband's coat-tails.
pull up one's socks
鼓起勁來，更加努力；提高工作效率；改善行為舉止。
It is time that you pull up your socks and begin to work hard and take this job seriously.
put on one's thinking cap
仔細思考；認真考慮 (問題、困難等)。
I will put on my thinking cap and try to find a solution to the problem by next week.
roll up one's sleeves
捲起袖子準備行動；動手幹活。
Let's roll up our sleeves and begin to work so that we can finish early.
take one's hat off to someone
(對某人) 敬佩；致敬；讚賞。
You have to take your hat off to him. He has started a small business and now it is very successful.
talk through one's hat
信口開河；胡說八道。
He is talking through his hat again and doesn't really know what he is talking about.
the shoe is on the other foot
情勢反轉，相同的情況發生或出現在對方身上。
For a long time my friend laughed at my problems at work. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he also has serious problems.
tighten (or pull in) one's belt
勒緊腰帶；過苦日子；節儉。
If we want to go on a holiday to Europe this year we will have to tighten our belts and begin to save some money.
too big for one's breeches/boots
妄自尊大；自傲自大。
He is too big for his breeches and needs someone to make him realize that he is not very important.
under one's belt
有經驗。
Now that you have experience working for an international company under your belt you will have more chances to apply for a better job.
up one's sleeve
秘密保留著，準備在適當時機或有需要的時候才講出來或做出來。
I don't know what he has up his sleeve but I am sure that he is planning to say something at the meeting.
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
流露感情。
She is wearing her heart on her sleeve and everyone knows that she is having problems with her boyfriend again.
wear the pants in one's family
一家之主。
Sandy seems to wear the pants in her family and is always telling her husband what to do. (珊蒂似乎是她家的一家之主，她老是對她先生頤指氣使)
I don't think there's any doubt about who wears the trousers in their house. (我認為他們家裡誰是一家之主已無庸置疑)
wrap sb (up) in cotton wool
悉心照護；呵護備至。
Bonnie wraps that child up in cotton wool as if he's some precious jewel. (邦妮像對待寶石一樣地悉心照護那小孩)
Austin's mother has wrapped him in cotton wool for most of his life. (奧斯汀的母親呵護備至地照料了他大半輩子)
you (can) bet your boots/shirt
非常確定，非常肯定；確信，確有把握。(這是一句美式成語，其後接以 that 引導的名詞子句)。
You can bet your boots that I am going to go and apply for my passport as early as possible.

[回到英語成語園地]