1，I have a fire in my belly to do something for this village. 我有一股强烈的愿望，能为这个村庄做点什么。特别注意，这个成语与“一肚子火”没有关系，是表示有一种正面的强烈愿望。
I love this desire which comes from a fire in my belly.
2，Digital cameras are cheap now, you can get one for peanuts. 最便宜的东西莫过于花生，用买花生的钱就能买的东西，那当然是很便宜了。以前美国南部产棉花，但棉花对土地有结板块的作用。后来农民发现棉花收割后种花生对土地有帮助，于是开始种花生。那时花生不过像杂草一样，农民任其烂在田里。直到发明了花生酱后，花生才渐渐地成为人们喜欢的食物。
3，Blow out 与 blow away
With this dress, you are going to blow away everybody at your party.
I am blown out to find out that she would not come.
4．You are so jumpy. 你真是有点神经质。一个人兴奋得乱蹦乱跳,所以显得有点神经质.
5．Are you getting the picture You are going to get the whole picture.
6．Tough, 这个词是口语中使用频率比较高的，a tough guy,
It is pretty tough to get a reservation. 这里的tough就是difficult得意思。You just have to tough it out.
7．Rough, 注意，rough与touch意思不同，容易混淆。
I have some rough patches with my wife. 我有好些地方得与老婆去磨合磨合了。
8．I am here now, I need to get in a swing of it. 我已经到了，该投入行动了。
9．More brawn than brain 四肢发达，头脑简单 Nowadays, pop-culture icons are more brawn than brain. 现在流行文化中的偶像都是些四肢发达，头脑简单的家伙。
10．Once you get to the meat of the subject, you will start to enjoy it. Meat肉，这里做“精髓”解。Nub也有这个意思：the nub of the story
11．Watch out for bait-and-switch tactics. 街头骗子常用的手法就是快速地掉包，先用一个诱饵，乘你不注意掉包。
12．Ball这个词人人都识，就是球的意思。但在口语里，还有三个其他的含义。The little girl had a ball at school today. 这个小女孩今天在学校参加了一个舞会。
另外on the ball 的含义是，有知识，有才华，懂行，办事利索。
He is a teacher who is really on the ball. 他是个了不起的老师。a manager who has a lot on the ball很懂行的经理; a student who has nothing on the ball 学得一塌糊涂的学生
另一个说法表示一个人“能干”，可以说hot-shot：The boss would like to hire a hot-shot employee 能干的职员 a hot-shot teacher, 能干的老师，
13．Blur 模糊，Taiwan talk is just a blur. 台湾问题的讨论不过是在搅混水。The next hour is a blur to me.接下来的一个小时我就稀里糊涂了。
14．I have worked my butt out.我干活干得筋疲力尽了。中国人“我干这活都掉了两斤肉。”英语里是累得屁股都掉了。
15．Snake oil 江湖郎中开的药 a snake oil salesman, 一个骗子推销商，传销卖的东西基本上都是snake oil。中国的保健品基本上也都是snake oil，中国最有名的snake oil恐怕是脑白金了。
16．I saw several old geezers walking in the street. old geezer 老人，老头子（有幽默味道，并不含贬义），表示老头子还有另两种说法：old chap, old stick，这只能熟人之间用，
17． She is angry with me, but I stick to my guns.她对我很愤怒，但我决不让步。stick to one’s guns 表示坚持原则。坚守原则的另一说法是：You need to hold your ground even if some people oppose you. 就算有人攻击你，你也一定要坚守立场。
18．A night owl 熬夜的人 He is a night owl. 相当于He likes to burn night oil.
19．Mr. Li never throws anything away, he is a pack rat. 李先生从不扔掉任何东西,他简直是垃圾收藏家。
20． He has been my sidekick for several years.他是我多年的好友。Sidekick 可以是老朋友，也指在关系中处于小弟的位置：I have been his sidekick for many years, now it is time that I break into my own business. 我作他的跟班已经好些年了，现在我该自己创业了。
21. Close but no cigar. 差不多就答对了，但尚不能获奖。（大概是答对了就会奖励一支雪茄吧）同样的结构有Thanks but no thanks.如果你谢绝别人要给你提供的帮助或东西时，你可以这么说，“谢谢，但不需要。”
22. three strikes, you are out. 这是一句棒球语，但也开始用在日常生活中，往往意思为：“如果你犯三次，就把你开除。”好些年前，美国曾讨论一个叫“three strikes law”，又叫“habitual offender laws”，该法律主要是针对那些刑事犯罪惯犯，如果一连犯了三次重罪，刑期就得自动延长，甚至是终生监禁，有点中国“严-打”的味道，但也有人指出这法律不合宪法，因为宪法中规定，一罪不二罚。
23. The returns are good but the stakes are high. 回报诱人，但风险极高。
24. Every year, four hundred Americans die from heat stroke. Heat stroke就是中暑，今年中暑的人特别多。
25. I need some back-up from you. 我需要你的支持。Support是书面语，backup是口语。Police: I need backup, I need backup.请求支援，请求支援。Back off, 让开。
26. get out of here. 直接的意思是，滚到一边去吧。也可以意为：得了吧。如果你不同别人的话，也可这么说。
27. I am pulling an all-nighter. 熬夜
28. Let me get my head around this. 让我把这件事想清楚。
29. you need to get your head straight. 你得头脑清醒清醒。
30. the sticks，这里的sticks 是“树林，深林”的意思。He is a guy in the sticks, how could you expect him to know that? 他住深山老林，他怎么可能知道这事？stick-thin, 或者 as thin as a stick 骨瘦如柴 I remember her as a stick-thin teenager. 我的记忆里，她是个骨瘦如柴的青少年。比较：out of the woods脱离深林，意即“脱离危险”。
