get cold feet

We were going to take part in the dancing competition， but my partner got cold feet at the last minute. get cold feet源自民間傳說。一對夫婦晚上睡覺后，妻子聽到屋里有奇怪的聲音，便叫丈夫起床看看。但是丈夫睡意正濃，又怕冷，就借口說：“我的腳很冷，外面又涼，即使我起床，腳也會凍僵，恐怕連老鼠也逮不??！”后此語即指“膽小怕事”“臨陣退縮”。上句可譯為：我們正準(zhǔn)備參加舞蹈比賽，可是我的舞伴在最后一刻退縮了。

get (one‘s) feet wet

After you‘ve gotten your feet wet， we‘ll give you more responsibility. get (one‘s) feet wet原指初學(xué)游泳者小心翼翼，先把腳放入水中試探，再慢慢下水。后此語指“初次嘗試”、“獲得初步經(jīng)驗”。上句可譯為：你獲得一些經(jīng)驗后，我們會讓你負(fù)更多的責(zé)任。

land/fall on one‘s feet

No matter what trouble he gets into， he always seems to land on his feet. land on one‘s feet據(jù)說源于貓反應(yīng)迅速、敏捷的特性。貓從高處摔下時總是能夠四腳著地（land on one‘s feet），不致摔傷。此語引伸為“運氣不錯”、“化險為夷”。上句可譯為：不管陷入什么困境，他好像總是能夠化險為夷。

put one‘s foot in it / in one‘s mouth

I really put my foot in my mouth by asking her when the baby was due and she wasn‘t even pregnant. put one‘s foot in it原指某人不注意踩上了動物的糞便，后喻指“做錯事”“說錯話”“搞得下不來臺”。美國人更喜歡用“put one‘s foot in one‘s mouth”。上句可譯為：她還沒有懷孕我就問她什么時候生小孩，真是搞得我下不來臺。

stand on one‘s own feet

You got to learn to stand on your own two feet， because your daddy‘s not always going to be there to help. 用自己的雙腳站立（stand on one‘s own two feet），喻指“自食其力”。上句可譯為：你應(yīng)該學(xué)會自食其力，因為你爸爸總不能隨時隨地地幫助你。

咬文嚼字

kickback：回扣，酬金

常指不合法的回扣、酬金（money that you pay for someone‘s help， often illegally）That crooked city manager‘s made a bundle of money from contractor kickbacks over the years. 那個狡詐的城市管理員幾年來從承包商那里得到了大筆回扣。

longhair：知識分子，藝術(shù)家

知識分子、藝術(shù)家，尤指古典音樂家(person devoted to intellectual or artistic pursuits， especially classic music) You can bet all the longhairs are going to that concert. 當(dāng)然，所有的音樂家都會去參加那場音樂會。

hot potato：難題，棘手的問題

燙手山芋，難題，棘手的問題（something that is difficult or dangerous to deal with）The abortion issue is a political hot potato in the United States. 在美國墮胎是個棘手的政治問題。

flea market：跳蚤市場

廉價出售舊物品的露天市場，跳蚤市場（an open-air market where old or used goods are sold）I bought this coat at our local flea market. 這件外套我是在本地跳蚤市場上買的。

easy street/Easy Street：安定富足，豐裕

安定富足，豐裕（to be in a situation in which you have plenty of money）。If the wine sells， they will be on easy street next year. 如果這酒銷路好，他們明年的日子就好過了。

[河谷]