几个特殊意义的动词短语

几个特殊意义的动词短语（不收藏后悔啊！）美国人平时所用的许多短语，看似普通，但有的会有特別意义，究竟是俚语、口语或俗语，没有绝对的定义。其实名称不重要，最重要的是懂得意义和用法，不是吗?1.tohave(many)ironsinthefire:tohavealotofactivitiesgoingonatthesametime(同时有许多事，想马上全部做完，但又不知从何开始，似乎忙得不可开交)Dontbotherhimbecausehehasmanyironsinthefire.(別打扰他，他事情太多，忙得很!)Somepeopleevenliketohavemanyironsinthefire.(有些人喜欢有很多事忙忙碌碌。)2.totalkover(ones)head(s):touselargeorbigwordssothataudiencewillnotunderstandexactmeaning(指所谈论的内容过于专业或高深，非一般人可以理解;也指有人为了表現自己才学非凡，故意谈些高深理论或用些难字，吓唬別人)Dr.Leeslecturewassospecializedthathealmosttalkedoverourheads.(李博士的演讲太专业了，几乎使我们无法理解。)Inordertoshowhisprofoundknowledgehetalksovermyhead.(为了表現他的学问高深，他故弄玄虚。)3.toput(something)backinto(in)itscage:toputsomethingundercontrol(可以控制某件事情，多半指政治、健康等)Wearetryingtoputinflationbackintoitscageandoureconomyisonthemend.(我们正在设法控制通货膨胀，同时改善我们得经济。)Diplomatsandpoliticiansneedtoputaggressionandhostilitybackintoitscage.(外交官和政客应该收敛攻击和敌对的行为。)4.tokeep(ones)fingerscrossed:tohopesomethinggoodwillhappen(祝福某人好运或一切顺利。把食指与中指交叉，祈求好运，是老外的迷信，但在写信或正式场合，多半是用Iwishyoubest(good)luck!或Good(best)lucktoyou!)Hekeepshisfingerscrossedhopinghisfatherwillsendhimmoremoney.(他盼望有好运，老爸能多寄点钱给他。)Manypeoplehavebeenkeepingtheirfingerscrossedthatwecanliveinapeacefulworld.(许多人都在祈求好运，盼能在和平的世界里生活。)5.tostretch(ones)legs:torelaxortotakeashortbreak(久坐后，把腿舒展一下，或稍微休息一下)Letstaketenminutestostretchourlegs.(让我们先休息十分钟。)MayItakeabreaksothatIcanstretchmylegs?(我可以休息一会儿伸伸腿吗?)DuringthealongflightfromtheUStoTaiwan,Inormallystretchmylegseverytwohours.(在从美国到台湾的长途飞行中，我通常每两个小时起身走走。)6.toreadbetweenthelines：tointerpretthehiddenmeaningorahiddenmessage;todiscernthetruefact(从字里行间体会隐含的意义;领会言外之意或能了解其中的真正意义)Asyoulookatthispoem,besuretoreadbetweenthelines.(读这首诗的时候，要从字里行间去体会它的含义。)Afterhere-readtheloveletterbetweenthelines,herealizedthathewasdumpedbyhissweetheart.(重读情书之后，他终于明白他已经被情人抛弃了。)7.toletoffsteam：togiveventtoonesanger(发泄、出气，像放掉蒸汽以减少压力似的。这与toflyoffthehandle意思相近，但比tolosetemper委婉客气些)Whatwillyoudoifyourwifeletsoffsteam?(假如你太太大发脾气的话，你该怎么办呢?)(因为谈论的对象使对方的太太，所以语气要委婉客气些)。但是谈到第三者，就可不必太委婉，可用losetemper:Whatwillyoudoifoneofyourstafflosetemper?(如果你的同事冲你发脾气你该怎么办呢?)Occasionallyweshouldbegivenachancetoletoffsteam.(我们应该不时的发泄一下情绪。)8.topaythroughthenose:topaytoomuchforsomethingorexcessivelyexpensive(花费太多，代价过高，与tocostanarmandaleg意义相近)Dontpaythroughthenosewhenyoubuythefurniture.(不要花太多的钱买家具。)Somewomenpaidthroughthenosesfortheirjewelry.(有些女人花大把的钱购买珠宝首饰。)9.totakecenterstage：tobeinthespotlight(引人注目的中心人物;以某人为公众瞩目的对象)Mrs.Linalwaystakescenterstageataparty.(林太太总能成为宴会上的焦点。)PresidentBushtakescenterstagewhereverhegoes.(布什总统不论走到哪里，都是公众瞩目的焦点。)Hisconstanttakingcenterstagecoulddeprivehimofhisprivacy.(他好出风头的毛病让他毫无隐私可言。)10.todrag(ones)feet：toprocrastinateorpostpone(慢慢的拖延，行动迟缓，拖拖拉拉)Itisnotagoodideatodragyourfeetwhentheworkneedstobedone.(拖延工作是不好的。)Noemployerslikefortheiremployeestodragtheirfeetonanyproject.(工作拖拖拉拉的员工总是不受欢迎的。)11.topaint(someoneoroneself)intoacorner：totraponeselforsomeone;tobeintrouble(使自己或某人陷入困境,应该注意的是即使主语是复数形式，corner仍然用单数)Donttrytopaintyourselfintoacorner.(不要让自己身陷困境，无法脱身。)Afteraheateddebatewithhisboss,Mr.Chenhaspaintedhimselfintoacorner.(和老板激烈的争辩之后，陈先生处境十分不妙。)12.toask(someone)for(ones)hand:toaskgirlsparentsformarriageapproval(指男人请求女方家长应允将女儿嫁给他，这里的someone是指女方的家长，one则是指要求婚的对象，hand只能用单数形式)Mr.Suaskedmeformydaughtershand.(苏先生到我家来向我女儿提亲。)Hehasaskedherparentsfortheirdaughtershand.(他请求她的父母应允他们的婚事。)13.tomoveonwardandupward：tobepromoted;fromgoodtobettersituation(情况得以改善，或往更好的情況发展)Hehopestomoveonwardandupwardwithhiscurrentcompany.(他希望能在现在就职的公司里顺利发展，步步高升。)Manyyoungcouplestrytomoveonwardandupwardduringtheirmarriage.(许多年轻夫妇都希望能够婚姻美满幸福。)14.tocallaspadeaspade:tobehonest,bluntorfrank(直言不讳，有啥说啥)Mywifealwayscallsaspadeaspadeaboutherworksituation.(我妻子对别人谈起她的工作时，总是直言不讳。)Callingaspadeaspadeonforeignaffairssometimesseemsdifficultfordiplomats.(外交官在处理外交事务的时候很难做到直言不讳。)15.toplaycatandmouse：toplaygameswithaggressiveandpassiveattitude(玩猫戏老鼠的把戏，欲擒故纵)Inbusinessnegotiations,therearealwayscat-and-mousegames.(在商业谈判中，常会有一些猫戏老鼠的把戏。)Thepolicehaveplayedcatandmousewiththemurderer.(警察对凶犯采用的是欲擒故纵的策略。)16.togoonthedole：(oftheunemployed)toliveonpublicwelfare(失业人员依靠政府救济金生活。)ThousandsofAmericansareoutofjobsandmaygoonthedole.(美国成千上万的失业者靠领取政局救济金生活。)Somepeoplehavegoneonthedoleforyears.(有些人多年来就是靠政府救济生活的。)17.tobeinthehotseat：tobeunderlotsofpressureorinadifficultposition(处于困境，面对很多压力)Hehasresignedfromhisjobbecausehehasbeeninthehotseatforyears.(由于不堪多年的工作压力，他终于辞职了。)WhentestifiesbeforeCongress,hewillbeinthehotseat.(在国会作证的时候，他将面临巨大的压力。)18.tomakewaves：tomaketrouble(惹是生非，与rocktheboat意思相近)Manypoliticiansliketomakewavesinordertobekeptinthemedia.(许多政客为了能在媒体上路脸儿而不惜哗众取宠。)Teenagerstendtomakewaveswiththeirparentsandteachers.(一些青少年总是会给父母和老师惹麻烦。)19.tokeep(ones)noseclean：tokeepawayfromtrouble(远离是非，少惹麻烦)Thenewlyreleasedinmatesaretryingtokeeptheirnosesclean.(刚刚获释的犯人总是尽量少惹是非。)Alaw-abidingpersonneedstokeephis(her)noseclean.(奉公守法的人应该避免制造麻烦。)20.todrive(someone)upthewall：toannoyorupsetsomeone(惹人生气或者不高兴)Theboyisdrivinghismotherupthewallbecauseofhisillbehavior.(这个不听话的孩子让他妈妈大为头痛。)Ifyouasktoomanyquestions,youmaydriveyourbossupthewall.(假如