每日英语

icky
Definition: Displeasing, disgusting, unappealing.
Example:    1) Your kitchen is so icky! Why don't you bother to clean it up?

Etymology:  
The word may be dervied from 'sticky', which describes something that attaches itself to you in an unwanted and unpleasant way.
Synonyms:   gross 

 

climb the corporate ladder
Definition  To move up in the hierarchy of a corporation.
Example     1) You have to work very hard if you want to climb the corporate ladder.
Etymology  
   A 'ladder' is a device with steps used to 'climb' (or move) up and down, so the 'corporate ladder' is the series of steps people go through as they gain more power in a corporation and 'rise to the top' - from file clerk up to president.  

 

D'oh

Definition 
   An exclamation that usually follows the sudden realization that you did something stupid.
Example 
   1) Two plus two is five. D'oh! I mean four!
Etymology
   Homer Simpson, the notorious cartoon family man, is given credit for popularizing this expression. Feel free to use it any time you do something dumb.


 

quick buck

 

 

Definition  
   Fast and easy profit; money made in a short period of time.
Example
   1) He doesn't care about you -- all he wants is to make a quick buck.
Etymology
   'Quick' means fast, and 'buck' is slang for a dollar bill.
Synonyms
   easy money 

  

 bite the hand that feeds you

Definition  
   To be ungrateful; to turn against your family or employer or other supporters.
Example
   1) Always try to get along with your boss, and be careful not to bite the hand that feeds you.
   2) Don't bite the hand that feeds you - your parents may not be perfect, but without them you never would have gotten this far in life.
Etymology
   'The hand that feeds you' refers to the person who takes care of you, and to 'bite' or attack that person shows that you are ungrateful. 

jerk

Definition  
   A mean or unlikeable person.
Example
   1) Tony is such a jerk--he stole my lunch money! 

 

all of your eggs in one basket
Definition  
  Having all of your resources in one place; putting your money or hopes or future into one thing
Example
  1) You don't want to keep all of your eggs in one basket. You might lose everything!

 

2) Tom had all of his eggs in one basket -- Yoyodyne.com stock -- and when the stock market crashed he was bankrupt 

Etymology ：

'Eggs' are delicate, and if all of your eggs were in one container, and that container was damaged, you might lose all of your eggs in one quick and painful moment

pack heat

Definition  
  To carry a gun
Example
  1) Be careful when you're out late at night -- you never know who might be packing heat.

2) You never had to tell Dirty Harry to pack heat - he was always carrying a .44 Magnum
Etymology
  "Heater" is slang for a gun, and "pack" means 'a container' or 'to fold up' or 'to put away'. So when you "pack heat" you become a container for a gun - or put a gun on your body, in your clothes.  

roll out the red carpet
Definition  
  To treat a visitor very well; to give someone a grand, elaborate welcome
Example
  1) The city rolled out the red carpet for the visiting royalty
Etymology
  In England, the Queen walks on a 'red carpet' (or rug) whenever she attends a formal event. The carpet is temporary, and is literally rolled out onto the ground just for the occasion  

 

easy as pie

Definition   Very simple; extremely easy
Example  

 1) The job was easy as pie, and we finished up an hour early.

2) You want Mom to give you fifty dollars? Easy as pie. Just tell her you need to buy some new shoes
Etymology
  'Pie' is a tasty, sweet dish that is easy to make, and even easier to eat

Synonyms  piece of cake

 

Sitting Duck

Definition  
  1) The sweet old lady was a sitting duck for the aggressive salesman.

2) Out in the open field, the soldiers were sitting ducks for enemy snipers.
Example
  This phrase was first used by soldiers in World War Two.
Etymology
  dead meat

 

bean counter

Definition  
An accountant; someone who monitors the flow of money very carefully

Example  

1)            We wanted to buy some new furniture for the office but the bean counters wouldn't let us

Etymology
 This phrase comes from a comedy routine that was popular in New York in the 1880s. In the routine, a man would order some pork and beans and then would yell "And don't stop to count the beans!" The idea is that it is not necessary to count each and every bean, and that anyone who does is a little bit crazy -- and cheap.

 

bells and whistles

Definition  
  Excessive or unnecessary features on something; showy or flashy parts
Example
  1) My father bought a new computer with all the bells and whistles. I think it even makes toast.

2) I like the original model, without all the bells and whistles the second version has
Etymology
  'Bells' and 'whistles' make noise and attract attention, but they are not a necessary part of most things.

 

la la land

Definition  
  An unreal place; a fantastic dreamworld
Example
  1) Most celebrities live in a la la land of luxury hotels, expensive cars and exotic travel.

2) Going to school is fun, but eventually you have to leave the la la land of the university and start working for a living.
Etymology
  'La la' sounds childlike and dreamy, so 'la la land' is a dream world without adult problems and concerns.

 

Definition  
  
Example
  
Etymology