CONTENTSPREFACE 3TO THE READERS 5

AAWOL 15Achilles’ heel 15acquired taste 16across the board 16not know someone from Adam 16ad-lib 17agenda 17ahead of the game 17akin 17albatross around one’s neck 18aka 18apple-polish 18apple-poblisher 19all wet 19arguably 19around the block 19asleep at the switch 20attaboy 20with attitude 20awesome 20

Bback to square one 21bad-mouth 21not half-bad 21ball-park figure 22go ballistic 22banana republic 23bankable 23banter 23bark up the wrong tree 24basket case 24bear the brunt 24Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder 25become 25beef up 25“Where’s the beef*?” 25beef 26beg, steal or borrow 26bell the cat 26on bended knees 27beyond the pale 27big time 27big-timer 27

big-time/small-time 28on a binge 28blackball 28blanket denial 28blind-side 29bloom is off the rose 29bluff 29bravado 30Brevity is the soul of wit 30a bridge too far 30burn one’s bridges behind one 30cross the bridge when one comes to it 31buff 31bully pulpit 31bull in a china shop 32bum rap 32button-hole 32hot-button issue 33buyer’s remorse 33buzzword 33byword 33

C(open up) a can of worms 34make a case 34set a cat among the pigeons 35catch-as-catch-can 35catch-22 36cherry-pick 36(when the) chips are down 36chomping at the bit 37clock-watcher 37close ranks 37(play) close to one’s chest/vest 38on cloud nine 38clueless 38cold comfort 39cold shoulder 39comeuppance 39con man/artist 39connect the dots 40that’s how the cookie crumbles 40cop out 40couch potato 40count one’s blessings 41(not) all it’s cracked up to be 41cronyism 41crash course 41cross one’s mind 42

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at cross purposes 42when it comes to the crunch 42culture shock 43culture vulture* 43cut someone some slack* 43

Ddamn with/by faint praise 44dawn on 44dawn 45that will be the day 45DOA 45deadpan 46debrief 46debris 46debunk 46decent 47de facto 47defeat one’s own purpose 47third degree 48déjà vu 48devil’s advocate 48different strokes for different folks 49dime a dozen 49dish the dirt 49diss 50doctor 50doomsayer 50drag one’s feet 51drift 51drive 51driven 51driven to distractio 52DUI, DWI 52dumb down 52Dutch treat/go Dutch 52

Ego easy on someone/something 53eat one’s heart out 53edge 53cutting edge 54educated guess 54ego-trip 54elephant in the room 54end justifies the means 55get even 55go the extra mile 55

Ffad 56fair-weather friend 56fait accompli 56fall foul of 57fathom 57to a fault 57faux pas 57feather one’s own nest 58make a federal case out of something 58feeding frenzy 58fend for oneself 59to have a field day 59Fifth amendment, take the fifth 59not give/care a fig 59can’t fight city hall 60figment of one’s imagination 60go figure 60it figures 60fire in the belly 61catch fire 61fish in troubled waters 61either fish or cut bait 61like a fish out of water 62have not the foggiest 62living in a fool’s paradise 62footloose and fancy free 62foul play 63frame 63freak accident 63freak out 63full of hot air 64full of oneself 64

Ggaffe 65gainsay 65game 65name of the game 66a whole new ball game/game change 66garden variety 66-gate 67gate-crasher 67genie out of the bottle 67get one’s goat 68gift of (the) gab 68gild the lily 68

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give me a break 69from the word go 69goes to show 69go for broke 69go with the flow 70glass ceiling 70to treat someone with kid gloves 70move the goalposts 70gofer 71at one go 71goody two shoes 71goof off 71cook one’s goose 72gotcha 72There, but for the Grace of God, go I 72against one’s grain, against the grain 72gravitas 72ground 73grounds 73ground 73ground 73groupie 74grudge match 74guru 74

Hcan’t hack it 75hack 75to meet one halfway 76hand in glove 76hang-up 76by happenstance 76happy medium 76heckle 77hell 77hell/heck of a 77going through hell 77all hell broke loose 78come hell or high water 78herd instinct 78hiccup 78high-brow 78high horse 79verb + to the hilt 79hit the ground running 79hitch a ride 79hobby horse 80hog 80be hoisted by/with one’s own petard 80

hold water 81hold one’s own 81hold someone’s feet to the fire 81hook, line, and sinker 81holier than thou 82(to eat) humble pie 82hype 82hype up 82hyped-up 82

Iicing on the cake 83if you will 83Ignorance is bliss 83impasse 84impromptu 84improvise 84incognito 84incommunicado 85indefensible 85infra dig 85

JJack of all trades (but master of none) 86jaundiced 86all that jazz 87je ne sais quoi 87jihad 87don’t quit your day job; keep your day job 87jock 88Joe Six-pack 88John Doe 88Johnny-come-lately 88Johnny-one-note 89keep up withthe Joneses 89judgmental 89go for the jugular 90jump the gun 90jury is still out 90poetic justice 90

Kfor keeps 91get a kick out of 91kick start 91killjoy 92in kind 92

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It takes all kinds (of people to make the world) 92kiss of death 93knock someone/them dead 93kosher 93kowtow 94kudos 94

La labour of love 95ladies’ man 95laidback 95rest on one’s laurels 96lame excuse 96leading light 96take a leaf out of someone’s book 97out of one’s league 97take French leave 97left-handed compliment 97Can a leopard change its spots? 98level playing field 98get a life! 98life of the party 99life in the fast lane 99lionize 99pay lip-service 100Live and let live 100live it up 100live down 100loaded 101at loggerheads 101loose cannon 101luck out 101

Mmake nice 102make one’s day 102MCP 102a poor man’s (something/somebody) 103all manner of 103in a manner of speaking 103mantra 103marvel at 104MC 104for that matter 104max out 104meet someone halfway 105not to mince words 105make mince meat of 105

MIA 105MO 106Monday morning quarterbacking 106moonlight 106moonshine 107over the moon 107morph 107go through the motions 107movers and shakers 108moxie 108muck-raking 108

Nnag 109call (someone) names 109drop name(s) (or name drop) 110give someone/something a bad name 110nanny state 110go native 110natch 111nay 111naysayer 111nerve 111new kid on the block 112niche 112nickel and dime 112noblesse oblige 112nom de plume 113non-plussed 113non-U 113nook and cranny 113nothing if not 114novel 114novelty 114null and void 114have someone’s number 115crunch numbers 115nutshell 115

Oodd man out 116of all people/thing, etc 116off colour 116off the cuff 117off the top of one’s head 117off the wall 117olive branch 117101 118

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one-upmanship 118option 119order of the day 119out on a limb 119out of the loop 119out-and-out 120out of sorts 120out of the woods 120outfox 120standing ovation 121(go) overboard 121 (go into) overdrive 121overplay one’s hand 121

Ppage-turner 122on the same page 122pain 122pain 123pained 123at (great) pains to 123palpable 123pal around 123pan out (v phr) 124par for the course 124party animal 124party pooper 124Pavlovian 125pecking order 125take someone down a peg or two 125per se 126period 126perish the thought 126perp-walk 126pet peeve 127pet project 127Plain Jane 127too much on one’s plate 127play to the gallery 128plug 128not touch someone with a 10-foot pole 128poles apart 129Is the Pope Catholic? 129pork (pork barrel) 129polarize 129take no prisoners 130pros and cons 130proverbial 130pull off 130

pull the plug on 131pull one’s punch 131pull rank on someone 131pump iron 132pumped up 132push the envelope 132push one’s luck 133pushover 133pussyfoot 133

Qquack 134at close quarters 134quarter 134jump the queue 135cut to the quick 135quid pro quo 135quip 135quintessential 136quote unquote 136

Rthe three r’s 137rabble-rouser 137all the rage 137rain-cheque 138rain on one’s parade 138raison d’etre 138raking it in 139raw deal 139rein in 139give free rein 140resonate 140revert 140without rhyme or reason 141rich 141richly 141right stuff 141highway robbery 142robust 142rogue 142on a roll 143roll in the aisle 143roll with the punch 143rub someone the wrong way 143rub shoulders with 144ruffle someone’s feathers 144run of the mill 144

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running joke 144

Ssanitize 145savvy 145savour 145say 146sayso 146sceptic 146schmooze 146scrape through 147scrape the bottom of the barrel 147scuffle 147second guess 147second nature 148second opinion 148second string 148second thought(s) 148second wind 149sensitize 149shoo-in 149a shot in the arm 149to give one’s best shot 150shy of 150silver bullet 150silver lining 150born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth 151SNAFU 151skirt the issue 151go slumming 151smart-aleck 152smoking gun 152sober up 152soft-pedal 153soft-touch 153and then some 153sore point/subject 154soul-searching 154sound 154sound off 154sound out 155go south 155spin a yarn 155south paw 156square 156square off 156start from scratch 156stake 157stakeholder 157

stomping ground 157stonewall 157street cred 158street-smart 158

Ttake 159take issue with someone 159take someone to task 159take a page from 159take a toll on 160take it in stride 160to have what it takes 160tall order 160tall story 161tar with the same brush 161tell me about it 161TLC 161it comes/goes with the territory 162TGIF! 162thinking man’s 162throwaway remark/comment 162throwback 163Throw the baby out with the bathwater 163throw the book at 163throw somebody/thing under the bus 164be tickled pink 164not to give someone the time time of day 164tongue-in-cheek 165touch-and-go 165a touch of 166touché 166trial balloon 166Two’s company, three’s a crowd 167

Uubiquitous 168ulterior 168take umbrage 168umpteen 169unbecoming 169unbend 169unconscionable 169under a cloud 170under the sun 170under one’s own steam 170unerring 170unmitigated disaster 171

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unnerve 171unravel 171unsavory 172untenable 172untimely 172unvarnished truth 172unveil 173unwind 173unworthy 173up the ante 173up to scratch 174(to bring) up to speed 174drive (someone) up the wall 174upstage 174

Vvalue judgment 175Variety is the spice of life 175vegan 175veiled threat 176vein 176with a vengeance 176vested interest 176vibes 177vicious cycle 177shrinking violet 177Virtue is its own reward 178vis-à-vis 178visceral 178volte face 179speak volumes 179vote with one’s feet 179

Wwake-up call 180walking contradiction 180walking dictionary 180walking embarrassment 180wannabee 181warts and all 181wash 181wash out, wash-out 181washed-up 182water down 182

water under the bridge 182watering hole 182wedge issue 183wet blanket 183What in the world 183whatever 183whatnot 184wheels coming off 184whiz kid 184whodunit 184whys and wherefores 185wimp 185wimp out 185wing it 185wise crack 185wise up 186wither on the vine 186coming out of the woodwork 186nasty piece of work 187working stiff 187workaholic 187in the works 187working knowledge 188work up 188the whole works 188wow 188wriggle room 189nothing to write home about 189

XX-rated 190

Yyuppies 190

Zzero in 191zilch 191

SOURCES 192

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AWOL (adj)

無故缺席

to be absent when duty demands one tobe present; now often means shirking one’s duty

E.G. The senator had been championing for years the improvement of the terms of employment for teachers. But when the bill was being voted on, he went AWOL.

ORIG fr: U.S. Army lingo*, World War II, stands for Absent Without Leave

NOTE *lingo(n): special words or expressions used by a particular group（術語）

Achilles’ heel (n)

致命傷

a weakness or fault not apparent to others, but which, if uncovered, can destroy one

E.G. He is at the height of his career and destined for even greater things, but his Achilles’ heel of periodic bouts of excessive drinking may eventually bring him down.

ORIG Greek myth: Achilles was an invincible hero but with a small unprotected spot on his heel which eventually caused his death.

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acquired taste (n phr)

逐漸培養的愛好

a taste (usu for some delicacy*) that does notcome naturally; a taste that one needs towork at before eventually learning to like or love it

E.G. One of the most famous local delicacies is snake soup. Many people recoil at the idea eventhough its main ingredients are chicken and mushrooms with a small portion of shredded snake meat. Some find this an acquired taste.

NOTE *delicacy(n): delicious food（佳餚）

across the board (adj/adv, phr)

全面的

equal(ly) for everyone

E.G. The government refused to give an across-the-board pay increase for civil servants, the reason being that it may fuel the inflation.

not know someone from Adam (idi)

完全不認識某人

do not have any idea who that someone is

E.G. I think this fellow is taking too much forgranted. Why should I help him? I don’t know him from Adam.

ORIG Adam is the f i rs t person on earth, so how could anybody have known him?

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ad-lib (v)

臨時（即席）講話或表演

to say something or make a speech without having planned or a written script

E.G. Having forgotten to bring his prepared speech, he was able to ad-lib and articulated his agenda clearly and intelligently at his town-hall meeting with the voters.

agenda (n)

隱藏動機

Lit: formal list of items to be discussed at a meetingFig: issues / ideas pushed by someone. A politician is often described to have an agenda (things he wishes to accomplish).

E.G. Very often, under cover of the ‘common good’, he may fight for some measures that will benefit him personally. This is known as a hidden agenda.

ahead of the game (adv phr)

佔了優勢

having an advantage over a situation

E.G. Why worry so much about the promotion interview? Be polite, dress well, look the boss in the eye, speak respectfully, and you will be ahead of the game.

akin (adj)

近似

something close to, of similar character

E.G. This meditation therapy soothes and calms your tension. It is an experience akin to being in a deep sleep but your mind is still alert.

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albatross around one’s neck (n phr)

不可抹掉的罪過

a burden that obstructs, hinders and checks one’s effort or plan to achieve what one wants

E.G. His past relationship with a radical labour union has come up time and again during the election campaign. This proves to be the albatross around his neck for he is heading towards defeat.

ORIG An albatross（信天翁）is a large bird that can hover endlessly above the ships at seas. For this reason, myth has it that such birds are souls of lost sailors, and possess magical powers. Sailors believed that disasters would befall anyone who killed or harmed them. A famous poem related the story of a ship which could not reach port to get fresh water for the lack of wind because a sailor had killed an albatross for no apparent reason. As a punishment the crew hung the dead albatross around the culprit’s neck.

aka 又稱

also known as

E.G. Michael Jackson, aka the King of Pop, died of a drug overdose in 2009.

apple-polish (v phr)

奉承

to flatter one’s superior (e.g. boss) so as to gain favour

E.G. It is a belief among our colleagues that John apple-polished his way up the corporate ladder and became a vice-president within two years.

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apple-poblisher (n)

俗稱“擦鞋者”

a person who practices the art of apple-polishing

NOTE Hong Kong version: shoe-shiner,Picture the image of a student who brings his teacher a shiny

apple

all wet (adj phr)

完全錯誤

completely wrong

E.G. If you think he will apologise, you are all wet. He will never admit that he is wrong.

arguably (adv)

可爭辯地

probably; can be so argued, claimed, based on argument

E.G. Bill Clinton can arguably be described as the most articulate and bright politician to hold the position of presidency in recent history.

around the block (adj phr)

老於世故

not naïve, experienced and clever

E.G. You can’t expect him to believe everything you say. You know, he’s been around the block.

NOTE *block(n): a prison block. A person who has been through this experience can’t be naïve

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asleep at the switch (adj phr)

疏忽

inattentive to one’s duties

E.G. How could question papers for the public examination be leaked year after year? Clearly, officials at the Examination Board have been asleep at the switch.

attaboy (exclam)

你真棒

an exclamation to express approval and admiration

E.G. “Atta boy, that’s the way to beat them!”, shouted the coach as his team had just scored a goal.

ORIG fr:‘That’s the boy’ NOTE Sim:‘Way to go!’

with attitude (n phr)

不開心的態度

the manner one holds oneself; a feeling towards something; one’s facial expression, etc.Now ‘with attitude’ usually means a hostile and resentful manner.

E.G. A sales clerk with attitude? Why didn’t you just leave and go to another store, or complain to the manager?

awesome (adj)

妙極

used to mean something that inspires respect and fear. Now means all manner of approval /appreciation, especially by the young.syn: excellent, wonderful, great, neat, cool, etc

E.G. A: I’ve got tickets for the Madonna concert. B: Awesome!

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back to square one (adv phr)

重頭再開始

to return to starting place after having wasted much time without achieving any result

E.G. After so many proposals and counter proposals have been made, we are still unable to reach a consensus. Now we are back to square one.

ORIG square is referred to a square on board games played by throwing dice

bad-mouth (v phr)

惡意中傷（某人）

to speak ill of somebody behind his back; disparage an idea/project, etc

E.G. Why is he bad-mouthing the commit tee and the proposed project? It is just at the planning stage and nothing concrete has been decided yet.

not half-bad (slg)

不錯

ironic understatement for ‘quite good’

E.G. Considering the amount of time already wasted and the chance of winning is about 50-50, it is not a half-bad idea to settle the case.

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ball-park figure (Amer)

大概的數字

an approximation

E.G. It takes time to reach an accurate estimate at the moment. I’ll just give you a ball-park figure.

ORIG ball-park is one where soft-ball games are played. There is a sense of limit because a ball is seldom sent flying out of the park when hit

go ballistic (Amer v phr)

勃然大怒

to become very angry suddenly

E.G. When the interviewer once again brought up the movie star’s past scandals, she went ballistic and stomped out of the studio.

Picture the scene of a ballistic missile shooting up into the sky

Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

American Slang, Robert Chapman, HarperCollins

American Idiom Dictionary, Rickard Spears, NTC’s Dictionary of British Slang, Ewart James, NTC’s Chambers English Dictionary of Idioms

Concise Dictionary of Foreign Expressions, B.A. Phythian, Headway Hodder & Stoughto Dictionary of Idioms and their Origins, Linda & Roger Flavell, Kyle Cathie Ltd

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

Oxford Advanced Dictionary of Current English

Oxford Advanced Learners’s English-Chinese Dictionary

Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, A.P. Cowie

Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang, John Ayto

Oxford Essential Dictionary of Foreign Terms

International Herald Tribune

TIME Magazine

Newsweek

Economist

Readers’ Digest

SOURCES