butterfingers

用法学习: 1. butterfingers 拿东西不稳的人, 漏勺手 a person who drops things they are carrying or trying to catch. a person who drops things inadvertently or fails to catch things. A butterfingers is someone with a clumsy tendency to drop things they're holding. Being a butterfingers is considered a particularly bad trait in baseball, for obvious reasons. "Butterfingers!" she called as I dropped the hot plates. note: The common use of this term by sportscasters in the 1920s inspired the name for the newly-invented candy known as Butterfinger. Before that, many people credited Charles Dickens with coining the word in The Pickwick Papers, in the mouth of a character watching an athlete drop a ball. However, word sleuths have traced butterfingers back at least as far as a 1615 book that described a "good housewife" this way: "she must not be butter-fingered."  The plastic also a little slippery, so hopefully you don't have butterfingers, because that screen will shatter. Maybe you want something smaller, or with a rubberized backing to combat your butterfingers. You have just permitted the cleverest rascal in the state to slip through your butterfingers. She was no "butterfingers" now. 2. head in the game If someone has their head in the game, they are paying very careful attention to what they are doing: have your head in the game It is important for all the jurors to have their heads in the game. Get your head in the game! Come on - get your head in the game! keep your head in the game He was a ferocious competitor, keeping his head in the game and ignoring the insults that were thrown his way. To focus on and put one's best effort into the athletic match currently underway. By extension, to focus on and put one's best effort into some task or endeavor at hand. I know you've got some issues at home right now, but you've got to get your head in the game. If we don't close this deal today, the whole company goes under! Did you see all the evidence the defense attorneys produced? If you don't get your head in the game, we're going to lose this case! Even as an intern, I knew I needed to get my head in the game and impress the head of the department. We're down by two points, and you're having trouble remembering the plays I'm calling? You need to get your head in the game, Jenkins! I was so distracted by seeing my ex-girlfriend in the bleachers that I just couldn't get my head in the game. If you're a professional athlete, you need to be able to get your head in the game no matter what is going on in your personal life. keep your eye on the ball ( take your eye off the ball. ) to give your attention to what you are doing at the time. to continue thinking about or giving attention to something important. to stay focused. to continue to pay close attention to what you are doing. She won widespread praise for her innovation, her tough negotiating skills and her ability to keep things moving, keep her eye on the ball. She really needs to keep her eye on the ball if she wants to win the election. You have to keep your eye on the ball in business. "Labor members must be wondering if their captain has his head in the game and his eye on the ball," they told Markson. 3. beaut [bjuːt] I. [mainly US, or Australian, informal] a particularly fine example of something. You describe someone or something as a beaut when you think they are very good. something that, or someone who, is very good or noticeable: She's a beaut, that one. Let me have a look at that bruise. Oh, that's a beaut! His third goal was a beaut. "the idea was a beaut". II. a beautiful person. adj. very good or beautiful. "a beaut view". deadwood 废物, 废木, 朽木 I. the dead branches on a tree; dead branches or trees. II. 没用的废物. a useless person; encumbrance. useless or burdensome persons or things. people or things that are no longer useful. people, esp. employees, who are no longer useful: When she took over the agency, she streamlined the operation by getting rid of a lot of dead wood. She cleared out the dead wood as soon as she took over the company. He cut the deadwood from his staff. CEO Wentworth said in a statement that the "turnaround will take time, but we are confident it will yield significant financial and consumer benefits over the long term." For Saunders, Walgreens' eliminating the "dead wood will help the company strengthen its financials over time, but it is a huge admission of failure."  II. (in writing) unnecessary words, phrases, or exposition; expendable verbiage: This could be a thoughtful and incisive essay if you get rid of the deadwood.

deceitful (dishonest), deceptive = deceiving; Hurricane (=cyclone, typhoon) VS tornado

用法学习: 1. keto diet [ˈkiː.təʊ ˌdaɪ.ət] = ketogenic diet a type of eating plan in which someone aims to lose body weight by eating a lot of foods that are high in fat, but few carbohydrates (= foods such as bread and potatoes), with the result that the body is forced to burn fats rather than carbohydrates: The keto diet is a very low-carb and high-fat diet. I have now been on a keto diet for the last 3-4 weeks. keto- = before a vowel ket- 酮 indicating that a chemical compound is a ketone or is derived from a ketone 酮. ketose. ketoxime. Keto basics: The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, high fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low carb diets. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain. Ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has some health benefits. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. It occurs when you significantly reduce your consumption of carbohydrates, limiting your body's supply of glucose (sugar), which is the main source of energy for the cells. Following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. Generally, this involves limiting carb consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils. It's also important to moderate your protein consumption. This is because protein can be converted into glucose if consumed in high amounts, which may slow your transition into ketosis. 2. neuropath [ˈnjʊərəpaθ] (患者) a person affected by nervous disease, or with an abnormally sensitive nervous system. a person having or predisposed to a disorder of the nervous system. neuropathy [njʊˈrɒpəθɪ] ( peripheral neuropathy 周围神经病变) damage to or disease affecting the nerves: Patients may have optic neuropathy. neuropathic [ˌnjʊə.rəˈpæθ.ɪk] relating to diseases of the nervous system: neuropathic pain. to win the day, to lose the day If a particular person, group, or thing wins the day, they win a battle, struggle, or competition. If they lose the day, they are defeated. to persuade people to support your ideas or opinions. His determination and refusal to back down had won the day. Few in Westminster doubt that the government will win the day. Ranting and raving takes effort, but only action will win the day. save the day find or provide a solution to a difficulty or disaster. to do something that prevents a likely defeat or failure: The team seemed to be heading for disaster until a late goal saved the day. no great shakes as something/at doing something not very good or significant. "it is no great shakes as a piece of cinema". I'm afraid I am no great shakes as a cook/at cooking! If you say that someone or something is no great shakes, you mean that they are not very skilful or effective. I'm no great shakes as a detective. The protests have failed partly because the opposition politicians are no great shakes. suggestible 好说话的, 耳根软, 好劝服的 ( = impressionable, manipulable) adjective open to suggestion; easily swayed. A suggestible person is easily influenced by other people's opinions: The success of advertising proves that we are all highly suggestible. "a suggestible client would comply". Someone who is suggestible can be easily influenced by other people. ...highly suggestible and compliant individuals. 3. Kristen Bell: "I think there's a math to it," Bell continued, when explaining the secrets of achieving such realistic 跟真的一样的 chemistry on screen. "You have two actors that know how to stare dopily ( dopey 睡眼惺忪的 I. wanting to sleep, because or as if you have taken a drug: He had taken a sleeping tablet the night before and still felt dopey. II. silly or stupid: He's nice, but a bit dopey. dopily [ˈdəʊpɪli] I. 似睡非醒的, 半睡半醒的. in a stupefied or sleepy manner. in a tired way, because or as if you have taken a drug: She opened her eyes and looked around dopily. The lions were lounging dopily in their enclosure. "I started my day very dopily and was woken abruptly". II. 傻傻的 in a foolish manner. in a silly or stupid way: He grinned dopily at my joke. Don't just stand there dopily. "the boy looked up and grinned dopily". ) into each other's eyes, and you have to have the confidence to expand that and really sit ( sit I. If you sit someone somewhere, you tell them to sit there or put them in a sitting position. He used to sit me on his lap. He'll sit you in front of his computer and give you a glimpse of the problem. II. To sit someone down somewhere means to sit them there. She helped him out of the water and sat him down on the rock. They sat me down and had a serious discussion about sex. III. If you sit for an artist or photographer, you place yourself in a sitting position so you can be painted or photographed. A person may well have been sitting for the artist for eight hours at a stretch. IV. If you sit an examination, you do it. June and July are the traditional months for sitting exams 参加考试(take exam US). V. If you sit on a committee or other official group, you are a member of it. He was asked to sit on numerous committees. I know of no professional person who has ever sat on a jury. The party's three MPs will continue to sit in parliament. VI. When a parliament, legislature, court, or other official body sits, it officially carries out its work. Parliament sits for only 28 weeks out of 52. The court would sit all night. VII. If a building or object sits in a particular place, it is in that place. Our new house sat next to a stream. On the table sat a box decorated with little pearl triangles. VIII. To sit for someone means the same as to babysit for them. I've asked Mum to sit for us next Saturday. ) the anticipatory value 期待值, 期望值 (数学和统计学上的期望值是expected value = expectation, expectancy, expectation operator, mathematical expectation, mean, expectation value, or first moment) ( anticipatory 期望的 happening, performed, or felt in anticipation of something. An anticipatory feeling or action is one that you have or do because you are expecting something to happen soon. ...an anticipatory smile. "an anticipatory flash of excitement". anticipatory bail an instruction to release someone on bail (= to release an arrested person after they have paid an amount of money, which they will lose if they do not return for trial) that is given before a person has been arrested: Anticipatory bail cannot be granted as a matter of right. Anticipatory bail becomes effective from the moment of arrest. in anticipation of expecting that (something will happen or that someone will arrive). If something is done in anticipation of an event, it is done because people believe that event is going to happen. in preparation for something happening: Troops in the Philippines have been put on full alert in anticipation of trouble during a planned general strike. They hired extra police officers in anticipation of a big crowd at the concert. She's even decorated the spare room in anticipation of your visit. The CEO stepped up to the podium, and the room fell silent in anticipation. The government has hired a major law firm in anticipation of a protracted legal battle. The company has increased its reserves in anticipation of bad times ahead. With bad weather on the way, we boarded up our windows in anticipation. ) before the kiss - which I think is really important." She continued: "Whether or not people want to see you end up with someone is a crap shoot, and we just kind of got lightning in a bottle." catch/capture lightning in a bottle to succeed in a way that is very lucky or unlikely. to accomplish something extraordinarily difficult; achieve rare success. That which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging feat. A very difficult, unlikely or lucky achievement or period of success. So far we're underdogs this season, and will have to catch lightning in a bottle to make the playoffs. The network is seeking to catch lightning in a bottle twice by rebooting the popular series. Etymology: Originally (19th century) a literal reference to Benjamin Franklin's kite experiment, capturing electricity from lightning and storing it in a Leyden jar, along with variants such as bottled lightning. Later used in baseball context in sense "difficult feat", from circa 1941, attributed to Leo Durocher. Wider use grew in 1980s and 1990s, particularly in sense "great, fleeting success", and popular since 2000s. He caught lightning in a bottle with the success of his very first book. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'catch/capture lightning in a bottle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples. reductive 简单化, 化繁就简的 说的很简单 [formal, disapproval] considering or presenting something in a simple way, especially a way that is too simple. If you describe something such as a theory or a work of art as reductive, you disapprove of it because it reduces complex things to simple elements. reductive explanations of the origin of life. ...a cynical, reductive interpretation. crapshoot 碰运气, 偶然事件, 碰巧的事件, 凑巧的时间, 偶然性的, 偶然的, 谁也说不准的 a risky or uncertain matter. something whose result could be good or bad but is impossible to predict or control, because so much chance is involved: "skiing here can be a bit of a crapshoot at any time". Almost every aspect of the music business is a crapshoot. It's hard to accept that life can be a crapshoot, where bad things happen to good people for no reason. Starting up a new magazine is a crap shoot at the best of times. Predicting the outcome of the tournament is pretty much a crap-shoot. If you describe something as a crapshoot, you mean that what happens depends entirely on luck or chance. Is buying a computer always a crapshoot? doubly [dʌbli] I. You use doubly to indicate that there are two aspects or features that are having an influence on a particular situation. She now felt doubly guilty; she had embarrassed Franklin and she had cost her partner money. The new tax and the drop in house values make homeowners feel doubly penalised. II. You use doubly to emphasize that something exists or happens to a greater degree than usual. In pregnancy a high fibre diet is doubly important. Babies ' needs are very physical, doubly so with twins. 4. writhing [ˈrʌɪðɪŋ] adjective making twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body. "a writhing heap of maggots". writhe [raɪð] 蜷缩 verb I. If you writhe, your body twists and turns violently backwards and forwards, usually because you are in great pain or discomfort. to make large twisting movements with the body: He was writhing in agony. The subject makes her writhe with embarrassment. The shark was writhing around wildly, trying to get free. The pain was so unbearable that he was writhing in agony. She was writhing around/about on the ground. to make twisting movements with the body, esp. because you are feeling strong emotion: He writhed in agony at the thought. II. informal to experience a very difficult or unpleasant situation or emotion, such as extreme embarrassment: He and four other senators were writhing in the glare of unfavourable publicity. A year later, when Moore moved into the men's house in Grandview, "things got crazy," says Herrington. The Holy Spirit continually overpowered the worshippers, knocking them down and inspiriting ( inspiriting [ɪnˈspɪrɪtɪŋ] adj. encouraging and enlivening. "the inspiriting beauty of Gothic architecture". inspirit [ɪnˈspɪrɪt] to fill with spirit. encourage and enliven (someone). "the photograph, published in a newspaper, was meant to inspirit the troops". ) tongues. Moore was on his knees, yelling and experiencing head convulsions, and he "shook all the time," says Herrington. One night during worship, the Spirit descended with unusual strength. Everyone was "screaming and rolling around and writhing like the demons in Pandemonium," he says. After the worship, Deaton informed Herrington that his "immunity to the movement of the Holy Spirit" evidenced a hardened heart. 5. fib 胡说八道 informal to tell a small lie that does not cause any harm. A fib is a small, unimportant lie. She told innocent fibs like anyone else. I can tell he's fibbing because he's smiling! tell a fib Don't believe him - he's telling fibs again. In order from the least likely to be comprehensible to the most likely to be at least partly comprehensible: To babble = burble, (also, to burble, with the nuance of "somewhat more softly"). To jabber (usually, with the nuance of 'quickly/rapidly'). To gabble (usually, but not always, with the nuance of 'quickly/rapidly'). talk rapidly and unintelligibly. If you gabble, you say things so quickly that it is difficult for people to understand you. Marcello sat on his knee and gabbled excitedly. Jacub gabbled on about computer games. One of the soldiers gabbled something and pointed at the front door. "he gabbled on in a panicky way until he was dismissed". To prattle [informal, disapproval] to talk in a silly way or like a child for a long time about things that are not important or without saying anything important: She'd have prattled on about her new job for the whole afternoon if I'd let her. Stop your prattling and go to sleep! If you say that someone prattles on about something, you are criticizing them because they are talking a great deal without saying anything important. Lou prattled on about various trivialities till I wanted to scream. She prattled on as she drove out to the Highway. Archie, shut up. You're prattling. What a bore it was to listen to the woman's prattle! 6. Ganoderma 灵芝 is a genus of polypore fungi in the family Ganodermataceae that includes about 80 species, many from tropical regions. They have a high genetic diversity and are used in traditional Asian medicines. Ganoderma can be differentiated from other polypores because they have a double-walled basidiospore. They may be called shelf mushrooms or bracket fungi. Although various Ganoderma species are used in traditional medicine for supposed benefits and have been investigated for their potential effects in humans, there is no evidence from high-quality clinical research that Ganoderma as a whole mushroom or its phytochemicals has effects in humans, such as in treating cancer. something has teeth 有权限, 有权, 有权威 said to mean that something, such as an organization or a law, has the necessary authority or power to make people obey it. if a law or an organization has teeth, it has the power to force people to obey it. To have enough power or support of authority to compel obedience or punish offenders, as of a law. This new law against littering has teeth, so if you don't pick up your trash, you'll get a hefty fine. It's a good idea, but it simply doesn't have teeth—there's no way to enforce it. We need an Environment Agency that really has teeth. The prison operates under a contract service level agreement which has teeth – financial penalties can be imposed and it's independently monitored. get/put one's teeth into to become fully involved in (something, such as a new activity). to do or deal with (something) with a lot of energy, interest, etc. to deal with something or become involved in something with great energy and enthusiasm: I'm so bored at work, I wish they'd give me something I could really get my teeth into. He finally has a project he can get his teeth into. 7. Have some teeth to it 说得通, 有一定道理, 合乎逻辑, 有道理, 有可信度: refers to something that cuts and/or takes hold of something. It's used a lot in arguments / discussion of topics where serious / good counterpoints are used. If a law or organization has teeth, it has the power to make people obey it [Example:] The committee can make recommendations but it has no real teeth. In U.S. legal settings, a law or regulation that is promulgated without including a meaningful enforcement mechanism is commonly referred to as being toothless. For example, from American Seed Trade Association, Year Book and Proceedings of the Annual Convention (1950): If there is any need for certification of garden seeds, it is nice to know that out of the fog of toothless regulation, one dim ray of light emerges, certification in the State of Florida. Handled by the State Department of Agriculture, and begun as toothless in regulation as any other, it has emerged the one complete seed certification service on the North American continent. Conversely, the act of strengthening a statute or regulation with appropriate enforcement powers is often referred to as "giving [the law] teeth." From Jessica Warner, All or Nothing: A Short History of Abstinence in America (2010): The Maine legislature had already voted for prohibition five years earlier, but it had deliberately neglected to give the law teeth. In 1851, the legislature again voted for prohibition. This time there was someone committed to its enforcement. The new law, moreover, did have teeth — crippling fines for first-time offenders, jail time recidivists, a mechanism for obtaining search warrants, and a provision for seizing black market liquor. The expression "has some teeth to it" follows the same contours as the wordings cited above, whether it happens to be used in a fundamentally legal context or in a context not centrally concerned with laws and their enforcement. From Daniel Dombrowski, Rawls and Religion: The Case for Political Liberalism (2014): Let us now move to the difference principle or the maximin rule ("maximin" means maximimum minimorum, to maximize the status of the least members). This principle has some teeth to it in that it is not intended to allow someone to gain a billion dollars provided he increases the situation of the least favored by one penny. Disparities in wealth result, however, because some people are obviously more talented than others and it would be unjust not to encourage them as best we can to develop their talents. In this last example, the metaphorical teeth being described are not measures to compel obedience (as to a law), but the force of logic that makes a principle something to be reckoned with in a philosophical argument. 8. 

 The 'dagger to the heart' that comes from being delisted from the AFL and AFLW, and navigating the next stage in life: While his peers were determining the next stage of their lives — university, jobs, whether to take a gap year or what degree to study — everything was basically laid out for him to fulfil his childhood dream. "I had a structure, I had a routine. I was moving to Sydney. I knew what I was doing day-to-day, and then even when I was away from the club, on a Christmas break or something, I knew exactly what I was doing each day," Hamilton said. "It was very structured 有条理的, 安排妥当的, 井井有条的, 按部就班的, 井然有序的 ( I. having structure; organized. planned in broad outline; organized. organized so that the parts relate well to each other; having a clear structure: In today's competitive climate, success is most likely to come to those who understand the need for a structured approach to job hunting. The course provides hands-on experience within a structured programme of study. These product reviews are highly structured so that it is easy to make comparisons. structured play for preschoolers. II. having a definite predetermined pattern; rigid structured hierarchy. Structured clothes have a definite shape and do not hang loosely: Update your wardrobe with a structured jacket. They slim the body and look great over dresses. Structured clothes have a distinct shape, and will help you look elegant. III. Structured financial products are designed to be suitable for the particular needs of the person or organization lending or borrowing money, and usually consist of a range of different choices: The company did not insure complicated structured products such as bonds backed by mortgages and credit card receipts. Until the crisis at least half of the lending in the market consisted of structured credit. ) and you follow the structure to a tee. And then my first year flew by. I loved it. It was great … we underperformed as a club, but I was just loving being in Sydney and sort of experiencing the whole being an AFL player." A stress injury of the navicular bone then sidelined him for the majority of his second and third years, which led him to not being offered a contract beyond 2024. In fact, he wasn't sure he would get one for the 2024 season. He had to wait to the end of that year's trade period to sign his new one-year deal. After the anxiety of that experience and the mental toll it took, he asked GWS football manager Jason McCartney in round 22 this year for a coffee. The now 21-year-old said it was a weird position to be in, albeit a common one for most AFL players. You go from getting paid a good amount of money to play the game you love, to then having it "ripped away from you" and needing to find out what to do next. "It almost feels if the rug's pulled out from underneath you 釜底抽薪, or a bit of a safety net removed from you, and you're just free falling and you've got to figure out how to pull the pin on the parachute as quickly as you can," Hamilton said. "You sort of go, 'shit, now I have to enter the real world'. The last couple of weeks have been, especially since the AFL finished, since after the grand final, it's been really tough, sort of trying to get the terms of that and realising that you really have got to actively look at life after football." "Potentially for some boys, if they've been in the system a really long time, and they haven't set themselves up for outside, or they're a young boy who gets delisted in their second or third season, that would be something that they would really find hard, because you kind of put all your eggs in one basket, right? "You're like, 'oh, I can make a career of this', or 'this is the area that I want to work in'. But when it's all gone, you're kind of like, 'holy shit, what now?'" It's why so many past players stick around clubs in some capacity, or go into AFL media roles: "They'll grab any opportunity and give a crack. Because I think for a lot of us, you want to stay involved in the sport." McKenzie now works in finance, and being in Melbourne, is still around plenty of people who want to talk AFL at the water cooler. There are not a lot of people who are lucky enough to play AFL, McKenzie said, so the privilege of being able to do so isn't lost on him. "When you do get those words, [that] you're not getting another contact and you're getting delisted, it does make it really hard. [The] last seven years is a long time. It's probably all you know for that sort of period," McKenzie said. "And it's something you love doing. So to get that taken away from you, even though that is the reality of the industry and the profession, it definitely does make it really tough. "As much as it was a dagger in the heart, I was able to move on because I wasn't blindsided by it, and I still had a lot I wanted to give, you know, in the world in general … from outside of footy with study and work but also I was excited about still playing footy at a state league level, and seeing how much I could continue to get out of myself from a football perspective." As for Cooper, he's documenting his newly unemployed, post-AFL life via his social media. He wants to show that, despite what fans might think when players are in the system, they do go through an identity crisis like the majority of us. "A large majority of them don't know what they're doing next, and it's a very daunting experience," he said. "And I just want to sort of relay that it's relatable to, especially people my age, who are coming out of uni and don't really know what they want to do. We're not superhuman at all, especially someone who has been in the system for three years, so it's very relatable." And if nothing else, it'll keep him busy for a while.

floppy VS sloppy VS soppy, soggy VS saggy: floppy 软塌塌的. 支棱不起来的 soft and not able to keep a firm shape or position: a floppy hat. a dog with big floppy ears. He's got floppy blond hair that's always falling in his eyes. sloppy 湿哒哒的 I. very wet or liquid, often in a way that is unpleasant: The batter was a bit sloppy so I added some more flour. She covered his face with sloppy kisses. II. (of ground, especially a track for racing) very wet and soft: In the show-jumping, accuracy was difficult on the rain-soaked, sloppy ground. Maybe it will rain and the track will be sloppy. III. 不经心的. 不够努力的. 做事不认真的. [disapproval] not taking care or making an effort. If you describe someone's work or activities as sloppy, you mean they have been done in a careless and lazy way. He has little patience for sloppy work from colleagues. His language is disjointed and sloppy. They lost because they played sloppily. Miss Furniss could not abide sloppiness. Spelling mistakes always look sloppy in a formal letter. Another sloppy pass like that might lose them the whole game. IV. Sloppy clothes are large, loose, and do not look neat: At home I tend to wear big sloppy sweaters and jeans. V. If you describe someone or something as sloppy, you mean that they are sentimental and romantic. It's ideal for people who like a sloppy movie. ...some sloppy love-story. soppy 感性的 informal disapproving If you describe someone or something as soppy, you mean that they are foolishly sentimental. showing or feeling too much of emotions such as love or sympathy, rather than being reasonable or practical: He's constantly on the phone to his girlfriend being soppy. She loves soppy love stories, old films, that sort of thing. a film with a soppy ending. That's one of the soppiest stories I've ever heard! Some people are really soppy about their pets. saggy 下垂的 If you describe something as saggy, you mean that it has become less firm over a period of time and become unattractive. hanging or dropping down to a lower level I have a lot of saggy skin on my stomach since I lost weight. Is the mattress lumpy and saggy? Exercise for just 20 minutes a day to firm up even the saggiest bottom. soggy 湿漉漉的 (of things that can absorb water, especially food) unpleasantly wet and soft. Something that is soggy is unpleasantly wet. ...soggy cheese sandwiches. ...a gray and soggy afternoon. soggy ground. I hate it when cereal goes soggy. Unless it's far gone (very shriveled or turning slimy), you can place the lettuce leaves in a large bowl or salad spinner filled with ice water for 20 to 30 minutes. The ice water will help rehydrate and crisp the leaves. After soaking, dry the lettuce as you normally would, and make sure to use it as soon as possible. saturated [sætʃʊreɪtɪd] I. Saturated fats are types of fat that are found in some foods, especially meat, eggs, and things such as butter and cheese. They are believed to cause heart disease and some other illnesses if eaten too often. ...foods rich in cholesterol and saturated fats. II. completely wet: It's pouring down outside - I'm absolutely saturated! The drainage system prevents the soil from becoming saturated. III. completely filled with something so that no more can be added: Even with 10,000 users, the server is not saturated. The airwaves are saturated with advertising. IV. If the market for a product is saturated, there is more of the product available than there are people who want to buy it. With western markets more or less saturated, international phone companies are looking to the developing world. The company operated in a competitive and heavily saturated environment. V. (of colours in photographs, films, or paintings) bright or deep: He covered large canvases with vigorous brushstrokes and blooms of saturated colour.

hurricane (=cyclone, typhoon) VS tornado: Hurricanes (which Australians call "cyclones" and are called "typhoons" in most of Asia) are large rotating low pressure systems formed over tropical or subtropical waters with maximum sustained wind speeds approaching or greatly exceeding 100 km/h. Hurricanes only form at sea, but as we know, their winds, rainfall, and storm surges can be devastating as they cross land. Even when a hurricane remains at sea, the storm surge from its winds can be devastating to coastal communities and can inundate low-lying land 地势低的 many kilometres inland. Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air that reach the ground, usually attached to the base of a thunderstorm from which they are spawned. While often centred over a very small area no bigger than a football field, their winds can come close to 500 km/h – much more powerful than the strongest hurricane or tropical cyclone. Tornadoes, unlike hurricanes, can develop and dissipate [ˈdɪsɪpeɪt] extremely quickly. Also unlike hurricanes, they often form above land, and frequently form in temperate ( temperate [tempərət] I. 气候温和的 Temperate is used to describe a climate or a place which is never extremely hot or extremely cold. The Nile Valley keeps a temperate climate throughout the year. II. 脾气温和 If a person's behaviour is temperate, it is calm and reasonable, so that they do not get angry or lose their temper easily. His final report to the President was far more temperate and balanced than the earlier memorandum. ) zones well beyond the tropics. They are particularly common in so-called "Tornado Alley" in America's midwest.

deceitful (dishonest), deceptive = deceiving (有欺骗性的, 容易误导的): Normally, "deceitful" applies to individuals who, often by by nature, deceive others by intent. Think of "deceiving" to mean "not what you think it is or as it appears." For example: The cute appearance of a raccoon (mapache) is deceiving, but the animals cannot be deceitful, because they are not human and cannot form intent. We use deceitful when we describe someone's actions. It implies that it is morally wrong because it is done on purpose. Our intention is to deceive someone. Let's consider some examples. "Pretending you didn't know anything about the theft was deceitful." "He convinced her with his deceitful manners and she finally accepted." "Her deceitful explanations made us buy something we didn’t really need." Deceptive is not as bad as deceitful because it means misleading, tending to deceive, but not necessarily on purpose. Maybe with some examples things get clear. "Appearances may be deceptive."( Judging people at first sight may make us get a false impression.) "Be careful with this highway, it is deceptive" ( It is not as safe and easy as it seems.) "The deceptive resemblance of these two flowers may lead us to think they are the same species, but they are not." They used a clever piece of deception to pull off their plan. BUT: His deceit 欺骗, though successful, was deplorable. Deception is more neutral. Though deception in general is often connected to negative activities it does not, on its own, suggest wickedness. There is deception involved in magic tricks, for example. Deceit, on the other hand, is mostly used for something will bad intent. If you described as magician’s act as using deceit, you would be suggesting it was a bad thing. Not that he simply performed tricks but that his tricks were somehow unwelcome. The magician employed a careful deception to make the car disappear. The magician employed a careful deceit to make the car disappear. The first sounds like an innocent trick, the second sounds like he stole it. As with many of the subtly different words in English, this difference won't always be relevant or interpreted this way – but in some cases it may be very important. looks/appearances can be deceiving/deceptive used to say that something can be very different from how it seems or appears to be. ppearances do not always convey accurate information about a person or thing. That house sure looks beautiful on the outside, but appearances are deceptive. What did the inspector say about the foundation? Sure, she seems nice, but appearances are deceptive. I don't trust anyone who acts happy all the time. I just can't shake the notion that appearances are deceptive, you know? The restaurant doesn't look very appealing, but looks can be deceiving/deceptive. Appearances do not always convey accurate information about a person or thing. That house sure looks beautiful on the outside, but appearances can be deceiving. What did the inspector say about the foundation? Sure, she seems nice, but appearances can be deceiving. I don't trust anyone who acts happy all the time. I just can't shake the notion that appearances can be deceiving, you know? Something that's deceptive 具有欺骗性误导性的 is not what it seems. A deceptive person will lead you to believe something other than the truth. Of course, I would never be deceptive when explaining the word deceptive. If you deceive someone, you are being deceptive. Is it ok to be deceptive when you're planning a surprise party. In general, the noun-derived form (such as 'deceptive') implies a characteristic: that is, a typical attitude, behaviour or property, whereas the verb-derived form (such as 'deceiving') does not.

knack = aptitude = flair 天分; wheezing呼吸哨声; wary vs cautious;

用法学习: 1. canonical [kə'nɒnɪkəl] I. If something has canonical status, it is accepted as having all the qualities that a thing of its kind should have. ...Ballard's status as a canonical writer. II. related to or according to a rule, principle, or law, especially in the Christian Church: a canonical rule. The Pope indicated that he would not consider any applications for canonical pardon. III. considered to be among the best and most important, and worth studying: The space will allow canonical works by these artists to be always on view. the canonical writers of American literature. His reworked version of the score became the canonic version. IV. 正统的, 官方的. relating to the book, TV show, film, etc. that its fans like and base their own stories, activities, etc. on: Some ideas in fandom deviate a long way from the canonical material. Canonical works are those that are considered authoritative by the fan community. A canonical URL is the URL of the best representative page from a group of duplicate pages, according to Google. For example, if you have two URLs for the same page (such as example.com? dress=1234 and example.com/dresses/1234 ), Google chooses one as canonical. 2. Penny: Oh hey, guys, where're you headed? Sheldon: To the comic book store. You're probably thinking, the comic book store? On a Thursday? Why, I've fallen down the rabbit hole and into a land of madness. What you have failed to take into account, Penny, is that this is Anything Can Happen Thursday. Penny: You got me. While you're there, could pick me up a few comics for my nephew's birthday? Sheldon: I think you mean comic books. Comics are feeble attempts 蹩脚的尝试 at humour featuring talking babies and anthropomorphized ( anthropomorphize = anthropomorphise [ˌænθrəpəˈmɔːfaɪz] 拟人化的 to attribute or ascribe human form or behaviour to (a god, animal, object, etc). to show or treat an animal, god, or object as if it is human in appearance, character, or behaviour: Problems can develop when people anthropomorphize their pets. These ancient trees have a great impact because of our tendency to anthropomorphize, seeing them as surrogates for venerable humans. ) pets found traditionally in the optimistically named funny pages. Penny: Leonard, could you pick me up a few comics for my nephew's birthday? Leonard: Sure. What does he like? Penny: I don't know, he's 13. Just pick out anything. Sheldon: Just pick out anything? Maybe at the same time we can pick out a new suit for him without knowing his size, or pick out his career for him without knowing his aptitude ( Someone's aptitude for a particular kind of work or activity is their ability to learn it quickly and to do it well. An aptitude for computing is beneficial for students taking this degree. Some students have more aptitude for academic work than others. a natural ability or skill: My son has no/little aptitude for sport. We will take your personal aptitudes and abilities into account. aptitude for sth Discovering that he had an aptitude for finance, he got a job as a commercial-credit analyst. display/have/show an aptitude 天生的才能, 天分 He has been studying for A-levels and has shown an aptitude for computer studies, art, and design.), or pick out a new breakfast cereal without knowing his fibre requirements or his feelings about little marshmallows. knack 天生的本领, 天分 a skill or an ability to do something easily and well. an ability or special method for doing something easily and well. A knack is a particularly clever or skilful way of doing something successfully, especially something which most people find difficult. He's got the knack of getting people to listen. There's a knack to using this quick-drying paint. a knack for remembering faces. She has the knack of making people feel comfortable. There's a knack to using this corkscrew. have a knack of doing something informal British English to have a tendency to do something  He has a knack of saying the wrong thing. Friends: Phoebe: What if I had taken that job at Merrill Lynch? Ross: What?! Rachel: Merrill Lynch? Phoebe: Yeah, I had a massage client who worked there and-and he said I had a knack for stocks. Rachel: Well why didn't you take the job? Phoebe: Because at that time you see, I thought everything that rhymed was true. So I thought y'know that if I'd work with stocks, I'd have to live in a box, and only eat lox ( Lox is salmon that has been smoked and is eaten raw.  salmon (= a type of fish) that has been preserved with smoke: a bagel with lox and cream cheese. ), and have a pet fox. Ross: Hey, do you guys think that if all those things happened, we'd still hang out? flair (flɛə) I. A natural talent or aptitude; a knack. If you have a flair for a particular thing, you have a natural ability to do it well. ...a friend who has a flair for languages. a flair for interior decorating. II. Instinctive discernment; keenness: a flair for the exotica. III. Distinctive elegance or style: served us with flair 从容地, 优雅地, 不慌不忙的. If you have flair 优雅的, you do things in an original, interesting, and stylish way. Their work has all the usual punch 威力, panache [pəˈnæʃ] 娴熟, 游刃有余 and flair 优雅, 从容 you'd expect. I hear the beta crew had a good run. Everybody pulled their weight 各尽其职. 12 shills, hundred-count each. Almost 40 grand. Go out with a flair 闲庭信步似的 从容地, 优雅地, 不慌不忙的. have a flair for something to have a talent for doing something; to have a special ability in some area. Alice has quite a flair for designing. I have a flair for fixing clocks. panache [pəˈnæʃ] 娴熟, 游刃有余 an impressive way of doing something that shows great skill and confidence. The first few songs are played with typical panache. If you do something with panache, you do it in a confident, stylish, and elegant way. The BBC Symphony Orchestra played with great panache. Her panache at dealing with the world's media is quite astonishing. 2. tumble verb I. if a price or value tumbles 狂跌, it suddenly becomes much lower. If prices or levels of something are tumbling, they are decreasing rapidly. Oil prices took a tumble yesterday. House prices have tumbled by almost 30 per cent in real terms since mid-1989. Share prices continued to tumble today on the stock market. ...tumbling inflation. Unemployment tumbled to 5.6% in November. II. tumble or tumble down 坍塌, 轰然倒塌 if a building or other structure tumbles, it falls to the ground. It seemed that the walls had tumbled from the inside. a. if someone tumbles, they fall to the ground (tumble 是平地上跌到, 摔倒在地, slip 滑倒, trip 绊倒, stub 撞脚指头, pinch 夹到手. fall 是从高处跌落. 跌下去. ). If someone or something tumbles somewhere, they fall there with a rolling or bouncing movement. A small boy tumbled off a third floor fire escape. The dog had tumbled down the cliff. He fell to the ground, and the gun tumbled out of his hand. He injured his ribs in a tumble from his horse. III. if water tumbles somewhere, a lot of it flows there. If water tumbles, it flows quickly over an uneven surface. Waterfalls crash and tumble over rocks. ...the aromatic pines and tumbling streams of the Zonba Plateau. a. used about large amounts of other things that move. Great white clouds tumbled over the mountain peaks above us. IV. if an organization or system tumbles, it suddenly stops existing. V. to do gymnastic movements in which you roll your body over on the floor. VI. If you say that someone tumbles into a situation or place 跌跌撞撞的, you mean that they get into it without being fully in control of themselves or knowing what they are doing. [mainly British] The whole region seemed to be tumbling into crisis. They tumble into bed 安顿上床 at eight o'clock, too tired to take their clothes off. VII. Slang 忽然明白. 忽然意识到, 一下子明白. 明白过味来. To come to a sudden understanding; catch on: tumbled to the reality 跌进现实 that he had been cheated. tumble noun. I. a sudden fall in something such as a price or a value. take a tumble 狂跌, 大跌: The dollar took its biggest tumble in over two years. II. an occasion when someone falls to the ground. III. singular a large amount of long hair that hangs down. her red hair flashing in a tumble of angry waves. rough-and-tumble the rough way in which a particular activity is usually done, especially one in which there are no rules. You can use rough and tumble to refer to a situation in which the people involved try hard to get what they want, and do not worry about upsetting or harming others, and you think this is acceptable and normal. ...the rough-and-tumble of political combat. Rough and tumble is physical playing that involves noisy and slightly violent behaviour. He enjoys rough and tumble play. rough-and-tumble of: It's all part of the rough-and-tumble of a political campaign. tumble into if you tumble into a situation, you get into it without really trying to or without knowing what you are doing. I never studied acting – I just kind of tumbled into it 偶然撞上. tumble down 轰然倒塌 I. If a building tumbles down, it collapses or parts of it fall off, usually because it is old and no-one has taken care of it. The outer walls looked likely to tumble down in a stiff wind. If the foundations are flawed the house will come tumbling down. The scaffolding tumbled down, burying him under it. Communism came tumbling down all over Eastern Europe. II. if long hair tumbles down, it hangs down in large amounts Long dark hair tumbled down her back. tumble to I. to realize or understand something. II. if you tumble to something such as a solution, you discover it suddenly. tumble over If someone or something tumbles over, they fall, often with a rolling or bouncing movement. The man tumbled over backwards. tumble dry to dry (clothes, fabrics, etc.) by tumbling in a dryer. to dry ( laundry) in a tumble dryer. 3. vexed [ˈvɛkst] 棘手的, 伤脑筋的, 引起争议的 I. (of a problem or issue) difficult and much debated; problematic. A vexed problem or question is very difficult and causes people a lot of trouble. Ministers have begun work on the vexed issue of economic union. ...the vexed question of whether it was acceptable for players to be paid for their performances. "the relationship is becoming strained over the vexed question of money". II. annoyed, frustrated, or worried. "I'm very vexed with you!" vex verb. 伤脑筋 If someone or something vexes you, they make you feel annoyed, puzzled, and frustrated. to cause difficulty to someone, or to cause someone to feel angry, annoyed, or upset: This issue looks likely to continue to vex the government. It vexed me to think of others gossiping behind my back. Everything about her vexed him. Exporters, farmers and industrialists alike are vexed and blame the government. There remains, however, another and more vexing problem. incisive 头脑清楚的 expressing an idea or opinion in a clear and direct way that shows good understanding of what is important. expressing an idea or opinion clearly and in a persuasive manner: An incisive producer, who expressed vehement disapproval with my pitch upon my first sentence. The guide's incisive comments give us a new perspective on the painting. incisive questions/comments. You use incisive to describe a person, their thoughts, or their speech when you approve of their ability to think and express their ideas clearly, briefly, and forcefully. ...a shrewd operator with an incisive mind. She's incredibly incisive, incredibly intelligent. 4. meet your match 碰上硬茬了, 棋逢对手将遇良才, 遇到对手了 to compete unsuccessfully with someone. If you meet your match, you find that you are competing or fighting against someone who you cannot beat because they are as good as you, or better than you. to be opposed by someone as good as one is and who could defeat one She knew after the first game that she had met her match. I had finally met my match in power and intellect. meet your match in someone/something He was a good player, but he met his match in Peter. Phoebe: All right, wait just one more second. Hi, it's Phoebe and Rachel's. Please leave a message, thanks! Rachel: Now wait a minute. You just took all the words! Phoebe: Uh-huh. You've met your match Rachel Green. 6. rake noun. I. A rake is a garden tool consisting of a row of metal or wooden teeth attached to a long handle. You can use a rake to make the earth smooth and level before you put plants in, or to gather leaves together. II. [old-fashioned, disapproval] If you call a man a rake, you mean that he is rather immoral, for example because he gambles, drinks, or has many sexual relationships. a man, especially one who is rich or with a high social position, who lives in an immoral way, especially having sex with a lot of women. verb. I. If you rake a surface, you move a rake across it in order to make it smooth and level. Rake 犁地, 爬犁 the soil, press the seed into it, then cover it lightly. The beach is raked and cleaned daily. rake (over) Rake (over) the soil before planting the seeds. II. If you rake leaves or ashes, you move them somewhere using a rake or a similar tool. I watched the men rake leaves into heaps. She raked out the ashes from the boiler. rake something (up) In the autumn I rake (up) the dead leaves. III. If someone rakes an area with gunfire or with light, they cover it thoroughly by moving the gun or the light across from one side of the area to another. Planes dropped bombs and raked the beach with machine gun fire. The caravan was raked with bullets. The headlights raked across a painted sign. IV. If branches or someone's finger nails rake your skin, they scrape across it. Ragged fingernails raked her skin. He found the man's cheeks and raked them with his nails. V. If you rake through a pile of objects or rubbish, you search through it thoroughly with your hands. to search in a container by moving the contents around quickly: rake about in 翻找 He raked about in the drawer looking for his passport. rake through I've raked through the cupboard but I can't find my blue mug. Many can survive only by raking through dustbins. rake/haul sb over the coals to criticize someone severely for something they have done: Top ministers were hauled over the coals by the select committee for failing to disclose vital information in the inquiry. haul verb. I. to pull something heavy or transport something over long distances. to pull something heavy slowly and with difficulty: They hauled the boat out of the water. haul yourself up She hauled herself up into the tree. They use these trucks to haul freight! II. to take something or someone somewhere, especially by force. A person who is hauled somewhere is forced to go there: She was arrested, fingerprinted, and hauled before a judge. If you even mention my name in public, I'll haul you right into court. haul something away to take someone or something somewhere: Most of the buildings are simply flattened and hauled away to local dumps. The police hauled him off to jail right in front of his whole family. FBI agents hauled away boxes of records. haul someone off The police hauled him off to jail in front of his whole family. III. to transport something, usually by road: The roomy 宽敞的 wagon has plenty of space for hauling the sports equipment she uses as coach of her son's soccer team. The product loses its economic advantage when it must be hauled farther than 80 miles. IV. to make someone go to a person in authority to answer questions about something they have done: haul sb (up) before/in front of sb/sth The EU gave the government two months to come up with a good case or be hauled up before the European Court of Justice. noun. I. 赃物. a usually large amount of something that has been stolen or is illegal. an amount of something that was obtained illegally, esp. after it has been taken by the authorities: Police say it is the largest haul of stolen art in years. a haul of arms/drugs. II. all the things someone buys on an occasion when they go shopping: shopping haul 扫货 Check out the Ucinek family shopping haul. haul video I saw those gloves in a haul video. .III the amount of fish caught: Fishermen have been complaining of poor hauls all year. IV. a journey, often a difficult one: a long/short haul From there it was a long haul/only a short haul back to our camp. a long haul something that takes effort over a long time, rather than just a few days, weeks, etc.: The business will not recover quickly; this is the beginning of a long haul. It's been a long haul, but people appreciate what we've managed to do. You need to prepare for the long haul. be in something for the long haul = be there/here for the long haul, be around for the long haul to be involved or willing to be involved in an activity or situation for a long time, rather than just a few days, weeks, etc.: Successful investors have to be in it for the long haul. He insists he is in the relationship for the long haul. The question is whether the new manager will stick around for the long haul. Activists have become more organized and that probably means the controversy is here for the long haul. 7. pearl-clutcher (idiomatic, derogatory) A prim, prudish, or easily offended person. Someone who reacts in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. Parents should try not to become pearl-clutchers every time their teenagers come out of their room dressed outrageously—it only makes them want to push the envelope even further. My mother would always be a pearl-clutcher whenever I began telling her about a new boyfriend, so eventually I stopped filling her in altogether. clutch one's pearls To react with consternation to someone or something that violates the usual norms. Etymology: From the stereotype of a woman who wears pearls and is easily offended. From the image of a genteel woman clutching her pearl necklace in shock. pearl-clutchy (idiomatic, informal, derogatory) Prim, prudish, or easily offended. pearl-clutching outrage or dramatic protest, especially from a woman, caused by something the person perceives as vulgar, in bad taste, or morally wrong but that does not elicit a similarly strong reaction from most other people: pearl-clutching over sexual jokes; so much fake pearl-clutching by the candidates. pearl-clutch To react in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. Parents should try not to pearl-clutch every time their teenagers come out of their room dressed outrageously—it only makes them want to push the envelope even further. My mother would always pearl-clutch whenever I began telling her about a new boyfriend, so eventually I stopped filling her in altogether. clutch (one's)/the pearls To react in a scandalized or mortified manner to once-salacious but now relatively common things, events, situations, etc. Parents should try not to clutch the pearls every time their teenagers come out of their room dressed outrageously—it only makes them want to push the envelope even further. My mother would always clutch her pearls whenever I began telling her about a new boyfriend, so eventually I stopped filling her in altogether. You do know that Grandma is going to clutch her pearls when you show up at Thanksgiving with pink hair, right? 8. gratuitous [ɡrəˈtuɪtəs] adj I. 不必要的, 没来由的. 没头没脑的. 无缘无故的. not called for by the circumstances. not necessary, appropriate, or justified. unwarranted. done or shown without any good reason. If you describe something as gratuitous, you mean that it is unnecessary, and often harmful or upsetting. There's too much crime and gratuitous violence on TV. ...his insistence on offering gratuitous advice. They wanted me to change the title to something less gratuitously offensive. There's too much gratuitous violence in the movie. a gratuitous insult. a gratuitous assumption. a movie criticized for gratuitous violence. Ellen comes out on TV: The writers had some requests for ABC: It had to be an hour long, and it had to air after "sweeps week," the period when networks set advertising rates for their series based on viewership. Episodes that air during sweeps were known for staging publicity stunts to attract larger-than-average ratings — Ellen's coming out couldn't come off as "gratuitous 白白浪费的, 莫名其妙的," Savel said. II. given unearned or without recompense We mistake the gratuitous blessings of Heaven for the fruits of our own industry. III. costing nothing. It was printed in France at the author's expense, for gratuitous distribution to educators and others. III. not involving a return benefit, compensation, or consideration has gratuitous permission to pass over private land. entail 使成为必要, 使成为必需, 使成为必须(entrails [ˈentrəlz] 肠子, 内脏 the organs inside the body of a person or animal, especially the intestines. The entrails of people or animals are their inside parts, especially their intestines.) I. involve (something) as a necessary or inevitable part or consequence. If one thing entails another, it involves it or causes it. Such a decision would entail a huge political risk. The changed outlook entails higher economic growth than was previously assumed. The job of a choreologist entails teaching the performance of dance movements. I'll never accept parole because that entails me accepting guilt. "a situation which entails considerable risks". II. limit the inheritance of (property) over a number of generations so that ownership remains within a particular family or group. to create a legal condition that property can only be passed to particular people, for example, only to an oldest son: entail sth to sb 传男不传女 Due to a restrictive clause in an ancestor's will, the property was entailed to male-line descendants. "her father's estate was entailed on a cousin". a limitation of the inheritance of property to certain heirs over a number of generations. "the damage being done in England by entails". a property bequeathed under an entail. "the spinning mills were not part of the entail". III.  cause to experience or possess (something) permanently or inescapably. "I cannot get rid of the disgrace which you have entailed upon us". necessitate [nəˈsesɪˌteɪt] to make something necessary. If something necessitates an event, action, or situation, it makes it necessary. A prolonged drought had necessitated the introduction of water rationing. Frank was carrying out fuel-system tests which necessitated turning the booster pumps off. New laws will necessitate rethinking our retirement policy. to give rise to 引起, 引发, 导致 If something gives rise to an event or situation, it causes that event or situation to happen. Low levels of choline in the body can give rise to high blood-pressure. The picture gave rise to speculation that the three were still alive and being held captive. indispensable [ˌɪndɪˈspensəb(ə)l] 必备的, 必有的, 必要的, 不可缺少的, 必不可少的, 不可或缺的 difficult or impossible to exist without or to do something without. Something or someone that is indispensable is so good or important that you could not manage without it, him, or her: This book is an indispensable resource for researchers. His long experience at the United Nations makes him indispensable to the talks. International cooperation is indispensable to resolving the problem of the drug trade. Barack Obama Offers Trump Advice In Inauguration Letter: 'American Leadership in This World Really is Indispensable. dispensable 可有可无的, 可替换的(expendable) more than you need and therefore not necessary; that can be got rid of. If someone or something is dispensable they are not really needed. All those people in the middle are dispensable. It seemed the soldiers were regarded as dispensable - their deaths just didn't matter. dispense 分发 I. If someone dispenses something that they own or control, they give or provide it to a number of people. The Union had already dispensed £40,000 in grants. The local welfare office is where government dispenses many of its services. I thought of myself as a patriarch, dispensing words of wisdom to all my children. to provide something such as a service, especially officially. dispense justice 维护正义: the failure of the country's authorities to dispense justice. II. If you obtain a product by getting it out of a machine, you can say that the machine dispenses the product. if a machine dispenses something such as food, drink, or money, it gives it to you. For two weeks, the cash machine was unable to dispense 吐钱 出钱 money. The lotion is dispensed by a handy pump action spray. III. When a chemist dispenses medicine 备药, he or she prepares it, and gives or sells it to the patient or customer. Some shops gave wrong or inadequate advice when dispensing homeopathic medicines. Four out of five prescriptions are dispensed free to people who are exempt. Doctors confine themselves to prescribing rather than dispensing. dispense with去除, 祛除, 取消, 去掉 If you dispense with something, you stop using it or get rid of it completely, especially because you no longer need it. Now supermarkets are dispensing with checkouts, making you scan your own groceries. to no longer use someone or something because you no longer want or need them. dispense with the formalities (=to not do things usually done in a social situation in order to do something more important immediately): I think we all know each other, so we can dispense with the formalities. dispense with someone's services (=stop employing them): We have reluctantly decided to dispense with Porter's services after a series of poor results. 9. wheezing adj. breathing with a whistling or rattling sound in the chest. When the nose is congested, it can produce some whistling sounds. This can happen during a cold or with nasal allergies. Call emergency if you have severe trouble breathing (struggling for each breath, very tight wheezing, can barely cry). "his wheezing old father". wheeze verb I. breathe with a whistling or rattling sound in the chest, as a result of obstruction in the air passages. "the illness often leaves her wheezing". II. say (something) with a wheezing sound. "he could barely wheeze out his pleas for a handout". III. walk or move slowly making a wheezing sound. "she wheezed up the hill towards them". IV. (of a device) make an irregular rattling or spluttering sound. "the engine coughed, wheezed, and shrieked into life". wheezy 呼吸不畅的 adjective I. making a high, rough noise while breathing because of some breathing difficulty: He took a few wheezy breaths. She's stopped coughing but is still a little bit wheezy. "a wheezy laugh". II. (of a machine, musical instrument, etc.) making a high, rough noise similar to that of a person who is breathing with difficulty: I was sometimes allowed to drive my dad's wheezy old car. She accompanied the singer on a wheezy harmonium. As the boy was being wheeled through the hospital doors, James told the paramedics he was "wheezy" and used his asthma puffer. He was placed in an isolation room while Hammond engaged in a handover with the nurses, which has been a subject of contention over whether the nurses were told about the wheezing symptom. 10. chirp = UK chirrup 鸟叫, 鸟鸣(bird call, bird noise) verb. I. When a bird or an insect such as a cricket or grasshopper chirps, it makes short high-pitched sounds. The crickets chirped faster and louder. The chirps of the small garden birds sounded distant. ...the chirping of birds. II. 欢快的说. You say that a person chirps when they say something in a cheerful, high-pitched voice. to say something with a high, happy voice: "Morning!" she chirped.  'See you soon, I hope!' chirped my mother. You can identify birds by their calls 鸟叫. [bend over and] grab one's ankles 撅起屁股, 屁股撅起来 To grab one's ankles is essentially to bend over and prepare for what's coming. It is a reference to getting fucked in the ass (usually in a figurative sense). Sometimes the person grabbing their ankles is at fault, and sometimes it is the result of some new organizational policy. The company just laid a bunch of people off and is requiring mandatory overtime for all salary-paid employees, so get ready to grab your ankles. fantastical 恍若梦境的, 虚幻的, 魔幻的, 不真实的 (= fantastic) strange and wonderful, like something out of a story. so strange or extreme that it does not seem to be true or reasonable: Nobody knew what to make of the fantastical claims she had made to police. Fantastical Buddhist temples and medieval castles cling to Bhutan's misty valleys. fantastic I. A fantastic amount or quantity is an extremely large one. ...fantastic amounts of money. II. You describe something as fantastic or fantastical when it seems strange and wonderful or unlikely. Unlikely and fantastic legends grew up around a great many figures, both real and fictitious. The book has many fantastical aspects. shape up or ship out INFORMAL NORTH AMERICAN used as an ultimatum to someone to improve their performance or behaviour or face being made to leave. said to mean that someone should start behaving in a more reasonable or responsible way, or else they should leave the place where they are or give up what they are doing The message to every player in the team is clear – shape up or ship out. cut a check = cut (somebody) a check 开支票 American English informal to write a check and give it to someone The company cut him a check and he cashed it. to write a check for a particular amount of money and give it to someone When the damage assessor called, he cut a check for $139. upholstered
[ʌpˈhəʊlstə] adj. Upholstered chairs and seats have a soft covering that makes them comfortable to sit on. All of their furniture was upholstered in flowery materials. Ada was a devout Catholic and a devoted wife and mother, as well as a kind and quiet woman who worked as a teacher's aide at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School in Elkhart, Indiana. Ed Haradine, a successful businessman in the Elkhart area, was the president of Carlton Manufacturing Inc., which specialized in upholstered furniture. (of a chair or other seat) covered with cloth and filled with a soft substance: a nicely upholstered sofa. We were lounging in beautifully upholstered armchairs. upholster verb to cover a chair or other type of seat with cloth and fill it with a soft substance. to fill a seat, chair, or sofa with a suitable material and cover it with cloth. to fit (chairs, sofas, etc) with padding, springs, webbing, and covering. wiki: Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. 11. pomade [pəˈmɑːd] [pəˈmeid] 发蜡, 发胶, 定型发胶 noun. a substance containing oil or wax, used to make hair shine or to give it a particular style. a perfumed oil or ointment put on the hair, as to make it smooth and shiny. verb. to apply pomade to. to dress with pomade; apply pomade to. wiki: Pomade is a greasy, waxy, or water-based substance that is used to style hair. It generally gives the user's hair a shiny, slick appearance. It lasts longer than most hair-care products, and often requires repeated washes for complete removal. The hold of pomades makes sculptured hairstyles such as the pompadour waves (hairstyle) possible.

wary (因为不相信某人或者不确定情况而保持警惕的) VS cautious (因为害怕危险而小心谨慎的, 小心翼翼的): wariness 警惕 [ˈwɛrinɪs] the quality or state of being wary. the state or quality of being wary (= not completely trusting or certain): They eyed each other with wariness and suspicion. Investor wariness was evident in the company's share price. US regarding Israel: "I think we tried to underscore our support for some of the actions that Israel has taken," he added. "We have a real wariness about an extended or substantial ground set of operations in Lebanon." wary [weəri] (因为不信任或者不了解而)保持警惕的, 警惕的是人和危险, 麻烦 If you are wary of something or someone, you are cautious because you do not know much about them and you believe they may be dangerous or cause problems. careful because you do not completely trust someone or something or are not certain about what you should do: Teachers are often wary of standardized tests. People did not teach their children to be wary of strangers. They were very wary about giving him a contract. She studied me warily, as if I might turn violent. a wary eye If you keep a wary eye on something or someone, you are cautious about them and watch them to see what they will do or what will happen to them. I'm a little wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well. Bankers are keeping a wary eye on the outcome. caution (因为可能的危险和问题)加倍小心. 万分小心 noun. I. Caution is great care which you take in order to avoid possible danger. Extreme caution should be exercised when buying part-worn tyres. The Chancellor is a man of caution. proceed with caution 小心前进 We need to proceed with caution (= be careful in taking action, making decisions, etc.). exercise caution You should exercise caution when swimming in places where there are submerged rocks. treat something with caution They treated the story of his escape with (some/great/extreme) caution (= thought that it might not be true). Those keen on investing in small companies should proceed with caution. great/extreme caution The letter outlines that customers should treat any email appearing to be from their bank with great caution.
exercise/use caution Investors are urged to exercise caution to avoid the less reputable companies. advise/urge caution. II. 口头警告. a spoken warning given by a police officer or official to someone who has broken the law: As it was her first offence, she was only given a caution. III. advice or a warning: word of caution Just a word of caution - the cheaper models probably aren't worth buying. IV. (booking 黄牌警告) a punishment for breaking the rules in a football game in which the referee writes the player's name in a book and holds up a yellow card. verb. I. If someone cautions you, they warn you about problems or danger. caution someone against something/doing something The newspaper cautioned its readers against buying shares without getting good advice first. Tony cautioned against misrepresenting the situation. The statement clearly was intended to caution Seoul against attempting to block the council's action again. But experts caution that instant gratification comes at a price. There was a note of caution for the Treasury in the figures. II. If someone who has broken the law is cautioned by the police 警告, they are warned that if they break the law again official action will be taken against them. The two men were cautioned but police say they will not be charged. Liam was eventually let off with a caution. III. If someone who has been arrested is cautioned, the police warn them that anything they say may be used as evidence in a trial. Nobody was cautioned after arrest. IV. 黄牌警告 (be booked) If a football referee cautions a player, he punishes them for breaking the rules by writing their name in a book and holding up a yellow card. to throw caution to the wind If you throw caution to the wind, you behave in a way that is not considered sensible or careful. I threw caution to the wind and rode as fast as I could. to err on the side of something = to err on the side of caution If you err on the side of caution, for example, you decide to act in a cautious way, rather than take risks. They may be wise to err on the side of caution. He probably erred on the conservative rather than the generous side. sound/strike a note of caution to warn someone about something: The Committee sounded a note of caution, saying the extra money entering the economy may push up inflation. cautious 小心翼翼的, 小心谨慎的 (wary 是因为不相信别人而警惕的, 保持警惕心的) I. Someone who is cautious acts very carefully in order to avoid possible danger. The scientists are cautious about using enzyme therapy on humans. He is a very cautious man. David moved cautiously forward and looked over the edge. Cautiously, he moved himself into an upright position. II. If you describe someone's attitude or reaction as cautious, you mean that it is limited or careful. He has been seen as a champion of a more cautious approach to economic reform. Cook was cautiously optimistic that he would finally solve the problem. Rebel sources have so far reacted cautiously to the threat. cautionary 警示, 警世故事 Some saw the fatal crash as a cautionary tale about the use of cell phones while driving. booking 黄牌警告 a punishment for breaking the rules in a football game in which the referee writes the player's name in a book: When a defender gets a booking, he has to be careful not to get another and be sent off.

 Modern Family: Hi! You came 你来了! Of course we did. We wanted to see you work. Oh. We're so proud of you, sweetheart. Yeah, we're all proud. So where's our table 我们坐那里? Actually, bad news. We're totally booked (full up 客满, 都订满了). We have a ton of reservations. Yeah, one's ours. I called. Here it is! Hey. Uh, so, your table is right here. Oh, honey, would you mind getting us a couple drinks? I would love an iced tea. Same, please. I'll have a mango-kiwi smoothie, yogurt instead of ice cream, and make it low-fat. I want to look good when I'm riding in your new car. Honey, I got to say, I like this haircut. Hey, we're all just playing for second in this family. Hmm. Were you all done 你吃完了吗 here? Uh, actually, no. Um, I will have more iced tea, another iced tea, and a mango-kiwi smoothie, all ice cream. I'm pregnant. Well, this is nice. Me, my gals, and my beautiful, beautiful wife. Just so you know, I rescheduled with Carla. I penciled her in for the 12th... of never. That's too bad. I was kind of looking forward to hearing about that one. Oh. By the way, no one called for you 给你打电话 while you were out. Thank you? I just want to make sure you get any messages from any friends who might call, which none of them did. Isn't it weird that Haley's the only one here not wearing a name tag? If your mother had a name tag, it would say "good driver." Phil... Here you go. I want to hear the specials. Uh, we're out of specials. What were they? Popular, which you wouldn't understand. Well, what could be better than drinks with a beautiful woman? And every beautiful woman deserves flowers. Cauliflowers. Okay. What's going on? Is this about last night? Yeah, I just want you to know how important to me you are. Sweetie, I know that. I know that. I still feel bad about, you know what I... did. Listen to me. You and I are fine. Okay? I'm just really hungry. What looks good 吃什么好呢? Oh, gosh. Oh, here's something that jumps right off the page 秀色可餐, 太诱人了. Uh-huh. I tried this yesterday, thanks to my good friend Skip Woosnum. Claire, do yourself a favor and join me in 和我点一样的 a wedge salad. You have got to be kidding me! Just try it. You will thank me. Did you learn nothing from last night? Whoa. It was about the salad? I have been recommending wedge salads to you, Amongst other things, for years, and you never listen to me. And then some idiot suggests it, and you can't wait to try a wedge salad?! It makes me feel like I don't matter. Thanks a lot, dad! Mom's little outburst just got me fired! Okay, I got to talk to your mom. You comfort your sister. She never worked here! So, Mitchell called you, too. Mm-hmm. I take it you haven't had your conversation with Gloria yet? It's getting worse. She sang all the way here. We passed two cars... the dogs stuck their heads back inside the window. Wow. What are we gonna do? I could start a fire. No. Keep that in your back pocket.