Foreword 4
To The Readers 6
Notation 9
比喻 22
an axe to grind 22
to ambush 22
to keep someone at arm’s length 22
backlash 22
half-baked 23
to charge one’s batteries 23
to beaver away 23
in bed with / go to bed with 24
strange bedfellows 24
to beggar 24
to give a wide berth 25
to bite one’s bullet 25
on board 26
to boggle one’s mind 26
to breeze through 26
to bring down the house 27
to bring home the bacon 27
to bristle 27
to bruise one’s ego 28
to clear the air 28
to clear the decks 28
one’s true colours 29
to colour 29
creeping 29
a rainy day 30
to make / put a dent on 30
out of one’s depth 30
at the end of the rainbow 30
to fence 31
on the fence 31
to mend fences 31
fishing expedition 32
to go down in flames 32
to flex one’s muscles 32
last fling 33
to fly 33
above the fray 33
green light 34
to come to grips with 34
to hammer sth home 34
to get a handle on 35
heavy lifting 35
to hedge one’s bets 35
to hijack 36
to hit one’s stride 36
joust 36
knee-deep 37
knee-jerk 37
to know the ropes 37
to knuckle under 38
to labour under 38
to take / make a leap of faith 38
not a leg to stand on 38
new lease on life 39
on a short leash 39
length to which one goes 39
leverage 39
to see the light 40
light at the end of the tunnel 40
linchpin 40
line in the sand 40
litmus / acid test 41
lone wolf 41
lotus eater 41
to massage one’s ego 42
to get the measure of sb 42
mecca 42
meltdown 43
mileage 43
to mothball 43
mud-slinging 44
to muscle in on 44
nail biter 44
final nail in the coffin 45
neanderthal 45
an open book 45
open season 46
to ratchet up 46
to sail close to the wind 46
to separate the wheat from the cha 46
close shave 47
to skate on thin ice 47
to sour 47
soft spot 47
squeaky clean 48
to take a stab at 48
to steal the thunder 48
to stew in one’s own juice 48
strut one’s stu 49
to take the wind out of someone’s sails 49
in the trenches 50
to trim one’s sails 50
成语 52
all and sund 52
to take sth amiss 52
bane of existence 52
to be over a barrel 53
to batten down the hatches 53
without batting an eyelid 53
saved by the bell 54
to bend over backward 54
to bite off more than one can chew 54
blessing in disguise 55
mixed blessing 55
to boot 55
bone of contention 56
to make no bones about 56
to be / stay in one’s good books 56
in cahoots with 56
to call the shots 57
all choked up 57
cannon fodder 57
to put the cart before the horse 57
to case a joint 58
no room to swing a cat 58
fat chance 58
chapter and verse 59
chest thumping 59
chink in the armour 59
welcome to the club 60
in good company 60
have a crush on 60
a far cry from 61
to cut to the chase 61
sweetheart deal 61
left to one’s devices 62
talk / speak of the devil 62
dirty little secret 62
to hit pay di 63
to go the distance 63
hard done by 63
what’s eating sb 64
at one’s wits’ end 64
at the end of the day 64
to reach the end of the line 65
one’s own worst enemy 65
every man for himself 65
to face the music 65
straight face 66
to fall between two stools 66
fly-by-night 66
on the fly 67
a fool’s errand 67
free-for-all 67
to get it 68
to give sb a piece of one’s mind 68
to get under one’s skin 68
God willing 68
with good grace 69
all Greek to one 69
to grin and bear it 69
to ham it up 70
one’s heart in the right place 70
to hem / hum and haw 70
to hit it o 70
no-holds-barred 71
to hope against hope 71
to flog a dead horse 71
the jig / game is up 72
to jump on the band- wagon 72
to jump on someone 72
to do justice to sb / sth 72
to kick （someone） around 73
to kick （sth） around 73
to kick around 73
to kick in 73
for the life of me 74
not on your life 74
to look someone in the eye 74
I should be so lucky 74
lull before the storm 75
to make hay 75
to make strides 75
matters of the hea 76
the real McCoy 76
to miss the boat 76
to miss the point 76
in mixed company 77
mixed feelings 77
the Nth 77
object of one’s affection 77
off the beaten track 78
one day at a time 78
not a patch on 78
pregnant pause 78
pearl（s） of wisdom 79
penny for your thoughts 79
promises， promises 79
to rib 79
right as rain 80
right and le 80
to rise to the occasion 80
to root for 80
on the ropes 81
to rule the roost 81
it runs in the family 81
to pull someone’s 81
to pull strings 82
if/when push comes to shove 82
would not put it past sb to do sth 82
raring to go 82
to read someone like a book 83
smooth / plain sailing 83
sleight of hand 83
to call a spade a spade 83
spoilt for choice 84
spoiled rotten 84
at one stroke 84
from the sublime to the ridiculous 84
suspension of disbelief 85
on the table 85
on the take 85
to talk turkey 85
to talk past each other 86
look who’s talking？ 86
not for all the tea in China 86
to tempt fate 87
to come to terms with 87
thorn in the side of someone 87
just one of those things 88
to throw the bums out 88
Young Turk 88
that makes two of us 89
take sth at face value 89
on the verge of 89
to wag one’s finger at 89
to walk all over 90
on the wane 90
of the first water 90
to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve 90
to weigh in 91
to weigh on 91
well and truly 91
whipping boy 91
to whistle in the dark 92
worth one’s salt 92
writing on the wall 92
格言 94
damned if you do， damned if you don’t 94
no good deeds go unpunished 94
to err is human， （to forgive is divine） 94
fools rush in （where angels fear to tread） 95
the grass is greener （on the other side of the fence） 95
hope springs eternal 96
don’t look a gift horse in the mouth 96
it’s an ill wind （that blows nobody any good） 97
let bygones be bygones 97
a little sth goes a long way 98
to live and learn 98
Man proposes， God disposes 98
be thankful for small mercies 99
misery seeks company 99
a miss is as good as a mile 99
nothing succeeds like success 100
he who pays the piper calls the tune 100
penny wise， pound foolish 100
美式英语 102
an ace up one’s sleeve 102
not about to 102
plan B 102
baby boomer 103
checks and balances 103
to bankroll 103
to go to bat for 103
right off the bat 104
birther 104
boot camp 104
Bronx cheer 104
spear carrier 105
to carry a torch 105
cheap shot 105
chick-lit /chick flick 105
poster child 106
to clean up one’s act 106
clout 106
collision course 107
comfort zone 107
good cop， bad cop 107
in the dog house 108
have no dog in that fight 108
to drop the ball 108
Hollywood ending 109
exit strategy 109
to pull a fast one 109
full Monty 110
friendly fire 110
to go ga ga 110
blame game 111
goon 111
GOP 111
till hell freezes over 111
hey 112
to hit on 112
hoopla 112
hullubaloo 112
last hurrah 113
item 113
Ivy League 113
jam session 113
jet set 114
just the right ticket 114
lark 114
A-list 115
bucket list 115
legit 115
silent majority 116
media circus 116
moxie 116
Murphy’s Law 117
bad news 117
beautiful people 117
peftect storm 118
to play the field 118
in the pocket of someone 118
tipping point 119
press the flesh 119
to railroad 119
to go off the rails 120
to read someone the Riot Act 120
reality check 120
R＆R 121
right off the bat 121
shellacking 121
shenanigan 121
to shoot from the hip 122
shoulda， coulda， woulda 122
slam dunk 122
to step up the plate 123
now you are talking！ 123
to tank 123
turkey 124
ville 124
WASP 124
third wheel 124
witch-hunt 125
to work the room / crowd 125
to get up the wrong side of the bed 125
外来语 128
bete noire 128
blase 128
bonanza 128
caveat 129
c’est la vie 129
chutzpah 129
cliche 130
detente 130
fest 130
head honcho 131
idee fixe 131
du jour 131
kaput 131
to kibitz 132
laissez-faire 132
maven 132
meister 132
non-sequitur 133
par excellence 133
passe 133
piece de resistance 134
rappo 134
rare avis 134
savoire faire 135
simpatico 135
sine qua non 135