有說有笑學做貼

一大潛艇潛五年,兼存並納,好快活!一日忽得了一怪病:不能浮出水麵了。覓得一良醫開方曰:此乃消化不良,快發貼吧,清除累積,就好了。
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(2005-06-27 13:22:54) 下一個

006. [All Ears]

 

You said you had something important to tell me.  I am all ears.

 

Meaning: eager to listen; sharply attentive; curious

 

Origin: The ear is the organ by which a person hears. So if we figuratively say that you’re “all ears”, it means that at that moment you’re keenly listening to whatever is being said.  It’s as if no other part of your body mattered except your ears.  This idiom is about three centuries old.


 

007. [All Thumbs]

 

Marco can not build the model of the atom for the science project. He is all thumbs.

 

Meaning: awkward and clumsy, especially with the hands

 

Origin:  Human beings and apes have thumbs; other animals don’t.  A thumbs helps the other fingers pick things up, turn dials, and do other fine motor tasks.  But what if all your fingers were thumbs?  You’d have a hard time picking up small objects, keyboarding a computer, doing art projects, and so on.  That’s why this expression means clumsy at doing physical tasks with your hands. 

 

008. [Ants in Your Pants]

 

You never sit still.  You must have ants in your pants.

 

Meaning: extreme restlessness; overactivity.

 

Origin:  We can easily imagine where this saying come from.  What if you actually had ants in your pants.  You’d find it difficult to settle down.  You’d keep squirming to get rid of the ants. 

 

009. [Apple of your Eye]

 

Kareem is the apple of my eye.  (某某是我的眼珠子 )

 

Meaning: a person or thing that is greatly loved, treasured, and adored.  

 

Origin:  This saying is used in the Bible.  Ancient people thought that the pupil of the eyes was solid and shaped like an apple.  The pupil (“apple of the eye”) was precious because without it, you could not see. 

 

010. [As the Crow Flies]

 

Jennifer lives only a few blocks from school as the crow flies.  

 

Meaning: by the shortest and most direct route; measured in a straight, direct line between two places

 

Origin: Most birds, including crows, fky to their destinations in a straight, direct line.  They don’t zigzag or take detours.  Therefore they get where they’re going by the most direct route.  People can’t always travel as directly as a croe flying through the air.  They must walk, drive, or ride following the twists and turns.  Measuring distance “as the crow flies” is often unrealistic because five miles between two points in a straight line might be ten miles of twists and turns, hills, and obstacles. 

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englishtongue 回複 悄悄話 Very informative. hope to see more. Here is mine to share ---- Englishtongue
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