今天要讲的两个习惯用语里面都有这个词 :lick。Lick这个词大家也许都很熟。它最普遍应用的意思是“舔,”但是lick在习惯用语里可以表示不同的意思,而且lick既是动词又是名词,在今天要学的第一个习惯用语里lick是动词:lick the habit。Habit也是个常用的词,解释为习惯。
那么这里的lick是什么意思呢?整个习惯用语又表示什么呢?我们听个例子来体会吧。说话的人刚看了医生,医生说他的血压升高了,而且慢性咳嗽不但没好,反而更严重了。医生劝他得尽一切努力戒烟,因为抽烟确实对他的健康有害。他一回家就赶紧把医生的意见告诉太太,并表示自己戒烟的决心,注意他话里用了习惯用语lick the habit:
例句-1:Honey, I know I've tried to stop before and I didn't have the willpower to stop for more than a month or two. But this time I'm going to lick the habit even if it kills me!
例句-2:Okay, listen to me, men, if we use our heads and hit those guys as hard as we can every play, we'll lick them good today and get even for the way they beat us last year.
例如, 在今天要学的第二个习惯用语里:not worth a lick。在not worth a lick这个习惯用语里,显然lick是当名词用了。我们听个例子来体会它的意思吧。说话的人在数落他的内弟Joe,请注意他话里的习惯用语not worth a lick:
例句-3:I hate to say it but Joe isn't worth a lick. He can't hold a job, so he just lies around home all day drinking beer, watching TV and complaining about the rest of the world.
例句-4:Sure, Oscar has all this education. But he doesn't have a lick of common sense - he can't change a flat tire on his car or drive a nail straight in a board to save his life.