现代英语习惯用语500例

1-10
· Be taken aback大吃一惊
The manager was taken aback at the news that some company had already launched the product into the market.
· Be above oneself趾高气扬
Sally was quite above when she learned the news that she was the only one on the company that had been promoted.
· Keep abreast of (with)…紧跟……，与……保持并进
As a multinational corporation, we must keep abreast with the latest development of the international market.
· Gain acceptance with (among)…得到……认可；被……接受
Some of the American culture has gained wide acceptance with the Japanese, especially among those young people.
· Have access to…有接近……的机会
Even today many people in the remote mountainous areas have no access to free medical treatment.
· By accident偶然的
She discovered the medicine solely by accident.
· Gain wide acclaim from…受到……的普遍称赞
The new policy gained wide acclaim from Chinese farmers all over the country.
· Accommodate oneself to…使自己适应与……
He knows how to accommodate himself to situations in which he is involved and how to deal with intricate matters.
· In accord (with)与……保持一致
I was glad to learn that their views were in general accord with ours.
· Of one’s own accord自愿地，主动地
He contributed such a large sum of money to charity solely of his own accord.

11-20  
· give a bad/poor account of oneself表现不佳
frank did not want to give a bad account of himself by talking about things that he is not familiar with.
· make much little account of…十分重视/不很重视……
the government makes much account of children’s education and their health.
· acquaint oneself with…使自己熟悉……
since the day when he arrived in the united states, she had always given much heed to acquainting herself with the local culture and the american way of life.
· scrape (up) an acquaintance with…设法接近（结识）
sandra is trendy lady and she knows how to scrape up acquaintance with social notables of chicago.
· put on an act装腔作势
some professors are always putting on an act, either speaking like a book or being playful with words.
· go into action付诸实施，开始行动
the police made a perfect plan of the cracking down on the gang. but it didn’t go into action until a week later when they thought the time was ripe for the action.
· put…into action使……付诸实施
you can’t decide whether a plan is good or bad until it is put into action.
· address oneself to…专心从事……；对……讲话
if i had an opportunity to address myself to all company managers in china, i would advise them to address themselves to both their business and upgrading their levels of education.
· give one’s adhesion to…表示接受……，拥护……
the president of the corporation seemed to have given his adhesion to the requests of counterpart, though he was not so happy about it.
· make much ado about nothing无中生有，无事生非
don’t be fooled by his babbling. he was only making much ado about nothing.
21-30
· in advance (of)… 在……之前
in most western countries, if you cannot, for one reason or another, come to a dinner party as agreed, you will have to phone the host in advance and excuse yourself for not being able to come.
· take advantage of…利用……
some big powers take advantage of the inferiority of some smaller countries and use their power as a political leverage to interfere in their internal affairs.
· act 0n/upon somebody’s advice按照某人的建议去做
in the old days, many chinese children were willingly acting on their parents’ advice, but things have taken a different look these days.
· have an affair with…与……有暧昧关系
the president was forced to resign, for his having an affair with a film star like a time-bomb that would sooner or later ruin his fame.
· be after doing something刚刚做完某事
a: could we go and have a talk with jack?
b: i’m after talking with him.
· pile on the agony小苦大诉，一苦百诉
some divorced men know how to take advantage of women’s sympathy: they would pile on the agony, pretending that they were the most saddened men in the world.
· agree to disagree同意保持不同意见
considering that we have been cooperating for many years, i now agree to disagree with the attached conditions.
· get ahead (of)… 超过……、领先于……
in the rat race, there are always guys that get ahead of the game than most others do.
· come/go to someone’s aid赶来/去帮助某人
knowing that the ship was badly leaking, several ships and fishing boats hurriedly came to their aid.
· aim high胸怀大志
frank aimed high, but achieved little.

31-40
· airs and graces装腔作势
when she speaks to social notables, she always talks with them with airs and graces.
· get the air被解雇，被抛弃
soon after frank’s boss gave him the bag, he got the air from his gf.
· give air to…倾诉……，说出……
the workers in this factory are encouraged by the boss to give air to their opitions about the factory’s management.
· put on airs装腔作势，摆架子
i get sick of those who are always putting on airs.
· tread/walk on air得意洋洋的
i don’t know why she has been walking on air these days.
· roll in the aisles使某人捧腹大笑
jos’s humorous story rolled all the children in the aisles.
· give the alarm敲警钟
this phenomenon in the strange change of weather has given the alarm to many scientists and biologists.
· be on the alert for…对……处于警备状态
after the tv news, most of the farmers were on the alert for the disaster.
· all in all总而言之
all in all, modern scientist does help push human history forward.
· once (and) for all永远地
let’s call it quit once and for all.
41-50
· make allowance(s) for…考虑到……
we must make allowance for the traffic, so let’s start half an hour earlier.
· there is no alternative but…除……别无选择
for us at this moment, there is no alternative but to obey their order.
· run/go amuck 失去控制
since the beginning of the 1990s, environmental pollution has run amuck, almost beyond our control.
· in the final analysis说到底，归根结底
in the final analysis, it is almost impossible to avoid miSUNderstanding in communicating with each other between people from different cultural backgrounds.
· in answer to…应……之请求
in answer to your request, we enclosed our latest catalogue together with some samples for your reference.
· in anticipation of…期待着……，预计……
sandra could hardly wait any longer in anticipation of the examination result.
· for anything someone cares与某人没什么相干
what’s the matter? you got conned for anything i care.
· apart from…除……之外
apart from his divorce, he has had other misfortunes.
· go ape神魂颠倒，发疯
he went ape as soon as he learned that he got the first prize.
· argue someone down驳倒某人
he has a glib tongue. few people can argue him down.
51-60
· cost an arm and a leg付出过高代价
eating in the restaurants in this street will cost you an arm and a leg.
· keep someone at arm’s length与某人保持距离
she said that she couldn’t put he finger on why everyone in the company should keep her at arm’s length.
· touch someone on the raw触机某人的痛处
the question asked by the japanese lady seemed to have touched the president on the raw, and it had almost driven him on the wall.
· sell someone down the river（在紧要关头）出卖某人
watch out on him! he may sell you down the river any time.
· put…aside把……放一边
the manager asked us to put aside what we are doing and have a look at the memo prepared by the sales manager.
· fall asleep at the switch玩忽职守
joe was dismissed by the boss for falling asleep at the switch.
· make an ass of someone作弄某人，使某人出洋相
one of the students intended to make an ass of the professor. but consequently, he made an ass of himself.
· avail oneself of…利用（时机等）
i would avail myself of this opportunity to express my great appreciation and gratitude for your close cooperation, understanding and assistance that you had shown in the past ten years.
· dance attendance on someone奉承某人
sandra is good at dancing attendance on her superiors and marvelous at cultivating notables in her field.
· kick up a row大吵大闹
as soon as the news that the boss was to dismiss lucy was known by the workers, most of them gathered around the boss’s Office and kicked up a row, shouting indignation against the boss’s decision.
61-70
· hold the baby干苦差事
why should i be left alone holding the baby while all the boys are sitting around and twiddling their thumbs?
· pour the baby out with the bath-water坏的丢掉了，好的也丢掉了
it is important for you to discard the irrelevance in the writing. but take care not to pour the baby out with the bath-water.
· keep bach过单身生活
he would rather keep bach and without company than marry a husband-eating tiger who will treat him like dirt.
· a pat on the back赞扬，鼓励
at a time this, what she needs is a pat on the back rather than a blame.
· behind someone’s back在……背后，背着……
sandra has never done anything wrong behind your back. why should you bear her a grudge and come down on her like anything?
· get someone’s back up惹某人生气
what did you do to get nancy’s back up? she is not the sort of person who is quick to take offense.
· know… like the back of one’s hand对……了如指掌
you may ask frank to work in that city. he knows the place like the back of his hand.
· stab someone in the back暗箭伤人
it never came to me that frank would stab me in the back.
· turn one’s back on/upon…背弃……，抛弃……，拒绝……
we requested that he look into the matter, but he just seemed to turn his back on our request.
· by the back door通过后门，用不正当途径
it is said that he got many of the spare parts into china by the back door.

71-80
· bend over backward(s) to do…竭尽全力去……
if you ask her to help in the project, she is certain to bend over backwards to do whatever she can.
· bring home the bacon养家糊口
in every country and regardless of their social systems, there must be someone in the house who will to bring home the bacon.
· go from bad to worse每况愈下，越来越糟
the president hoped that the measures his government had taken would bring the economic crisis under control. but as a result, the situation is going from bad to worse.
· rub someone the wrong way触犯某人，惹恼某人
monica tried to butter frank up by singing his praises, but out of her expectation she had rubbed him the wrong way.
· hold the bag背黑锅
although the four of them robbed the bank with joined efforts, it was joe who had been left holding the bag.
· be in the bag已到手的，十拿九稳的
the general manager was excited BECause he knew he had already had several major contracts in the bag.
· go bail for…为……做保释人；解救
i know they are now cooperating well with joe, but if the cat is out of the bag and joe gets caught, you can be assured that nobody will stand up and go bail for him.
· rise to a (the) bait中圈套，上钩
your trick might work ten years ago, but nowadays few are prone to rise to a bait as easily as you think.
· ball up…把……搞得一团糟
joe had balled up the business, but it was jack who was blamed for the mess.
· have something on the ball有干某事的能耐
when it comes to speech eloquence, some under-educated people also have something on the ball.
all that about take(1)
26) take sth apart (separate)
to separate something into its different parts:
we took the engine apart to see what the problem was.