core strength

用法学习: 1. core strength 核心力量 the strength of the underlying muscles of the torso, which help determine posture. Core strength is the power and control of the muscles in your torso, pelvis, and lower back. It involves deep muscles working together like a natural corset to support your spine and keep your body steady during movement. the strength of the underlying muscles of the torso, which help determine posture Working with athletes, he started to notice a link between cruciate injuries, core strength and pelvic control, and so devised a rehabilitation process based on this. The article suggests warming up, protecting the spine with hip mobility and core strength, and addressing early pain to prevent injury progression. note: In kinesiology, core stability is a person's ability to stabilize their core (all parts of the body that are not limbs). Stability, in this context, should be considered as an ability to control the tone, position and movement of the core. Thus, if a person has greater core stability, they have a greater level of control over the position and movement of this area of their body. The body's core is frequently involved in aiding other movements of the body, such as running; thus, it is known that improving core stability also improves a person's ability to perform these other movements. The body's core region consists of the head, neck and torso (or trunk), although there are some differences in the muscles identified as constituting them. The major muscles involved in core stability, i.e. core muscles, include the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae (sacrospinalis) especially the longissimus thoracis, and the diaphragm. Notably, breathing, including the action of the diaphragm, can significantly influence the posture and movement of the core; this is especially apparent in regard to extreme ranges of inhalation and exhalation. On this basis, how a person is breathing may influence their ability to control their core. 2. in a manner of speaking 差不多, 差不离, 算是吧(not far off, not far out, not far wrong) You say in a manner of speaking to indicate that what you have just said is true, but not absolutely or exactly true. An attorney is your employee, in a manner of speaking. TBBT: Hello, Sheldon. Hello Tam. Thank you for coming. I just want you to know that, um... I forgive you. I didn't do anything. And yet, here I am, still being the bigger man. Look, I was in love with Beth, and she made me happy. Really? Did she let you play with her train set? In a manner of speaking. Sheldon, I needed to stay in Texas. And you needed to come here. I knew you were gonna do amazing things, and meet amazing people who were gonna respect you, because you're brilliant. And because they never had to fish you out of a dumpster. Well, they have, but it was during my short-lived parkour phase. I didn't mean to upset you. And I want you to know I'm really proud of everything you've done. Thank you. It did work out for me. 3. clinical [ˈklɪn.ɪ.kəl] I. 医学的, 门诊的 used to refer to medical work or teaching that relates to the examination and treatment of ill people. (of medical work or teaching) relating to examining and treating someone who is ill. Clinical means involving or relating to the direct medical treatment or testing of patients. The first clinical trials were expected to begin next year. ...a clinical psychologist. She was diagnosed as being clinically depressed. It has been clinically proved that it is better to stretch the tight muscles first. Clinical tests have so far failed to show the cause of her illness. clinical tests/training. She recently underwent a clinical evaluation in hospital. the Department of Clinical Medicine. II. disapproving 没有表情的. 没有感情的. expressing no emotion or feelings. Clinical also means considering a situation without showing or feeling any emotion. You use clinical to describe thought or behaviour which is very logical and does not involve any emotion. All this questioning is so analytical and clinical–it kills romance. Mac's air of clinical disinterest did not always sit well with his associates. She seems to have a very clinical attitude towards her children. III. showing no character and warmth: We were going to paint our kitchen white, but we decided that would look too clinical. TBBT: Arranged marriages have been working for thousands of years. Anu and I come from similar backgrounds, our families get along and we each filled out questionnaires, so we know we're not wasting our time with someone who's not compatible. Oh, that sounds so dry and clinical. You lucky duck. I just don't think you can truly know someone until you've spent a lot of time with them. Really? What's Penny's dream vacation? Uh, Malibu beach house. That's Barbie's dream vacation. Maybe you should send us that questionnaire. 4. under your own steam 自己一个人, 靠自己的力量, 独力 If you do something under your own steam, you do it without any help from anyone else. On one's own; with no assistance from anyone else. The injured player was fortunately able to walk off the field under his own steam. Look, Mom, I can finish this book report under my own steam, OK? I don't need you hovering over me correcting my spelling! ...patients who are well enough to visit the doctor under their own steam. Do you want a lift or will you get there under your own steam? The ship was damaged but was able to return to port under its own steam. He became a success under his own steam. "We're seeing far more contract criminals who are being tasked and providing services to a larger serious and organised crime network that's operating not just in New South Wales, but now globally," he said. "They're operating under their own steam and they're committing offences under their own steam, providing services to others." He said police will continue attempts to disrupt organised crime networks, and issued a warning to active criminals." People who engage with serious and organised crime or enable or facilitate that crime need to understand that we will not ease up on you," Cook said. 5. melodious [məˈləʊ.di.əs] 悦耳动听的. very pleasant to listen to. She spoke in a quietly melodious voice. TBBT: You don't think I have an annoying high-pitched voice? No, not at all. In fact, I find your voice quite melodious 音乐似的. show one's work = show one's workings 推导过程, 给出思路来, 解析步骤, 写出步骤来 (education) to write down every step, calculation, or thought process used to reach a final answer or conclusion, rather than just providing the final result. To write out the individual steps that lead to an induction or deduction, especially leading to the solution to a mathematics problem. The teacher dinged me for not showing my work. TBBT: Leonard: 57, 58, 59, that's one minute. Amy: Long division, long division. Go, go, go. Leonard: Remember, show your work. Sheldon: I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm not okay. Leonard: Get up, we can't lose at math. TBBT: Sheldon: All right. 12 minutes and 17 seconds. Penny: Pretty good, right? Sheldon: That's 4.9 Penny Blossoms per hour. Based on your cost of materials and your wholesale selling price, you'll effectively be paying yourself… $5.19 a day. Penny: A day? Sheldon: There are children in a sneaker factory in Indonesia who outearn you. Penny: That just can't be right. Sheldon: You're questioning my math? Penny: No, sorry. Sheldon: Want me to show my work? Penny: Oh, God, no, no. Just please tell me what to do about it. TBBT: You're up early. Huh? Yes. I wanted to get a jump on planning a day of fun for you. Oh, that's sweet. What are we doing? Oh, no. Just you. I have other plans. Now, would you prefer to see The Grinch in 2-D or 3-D? I don't want to see it at all. Well, let's go 2-D. No sense 没意义,  说不通 没道理 in spending extra money 花额外的钱. What are you gonna be doing? Being a great husband. Yeah, you're gonna need to show your work on that. After last night, I got to thinking that I should have a better relationship with your family. I think the one you have with them is perfect. I hardly have one at all. Which is perfect. workings I. the system of holes that has been dug in the ground in order to remove metal, coal, etc.: disused mine workings. II. the calculations you do in order to reach an answer to a mathematical problem: show your workings = show one's work If you show your workings, you make it clear and obvious how you did something. She is a scholar who believes in showing all her workings. I'm drawn to artists who don't pretend they're magicians but show their workings. Lay out numerical solutions clearly, spacing out each stage and showing your workings. III. the workings of something the way that an organization, machine, or organism operates. the way something, such as an organization or machine, does what it is intended to do: Powerful microscopes reveal the inner workings of cells. the workings 机制, 机理 of government. work (someone or something) I. informal To manipulate or exploit someone or something to one's own advantage. I learned from a young age how to work the system to suit my needs. He's been working the boss for months in order to gain access to the financial records. II. informal To arouse, gratify, or enchant someone, especially a group, in an artful manner meant to influence them in a particular way. As a comedian, you have to know how to work the audience, no matter what they're like. My daughter knows how cute she is, and she is now a master at working the people around her for attention. show one's stuff 露两手, 显露本事 to show what one is able to do. to show one's skills. To demonstrate or display one's ability (to do something) in front of or for the benefit of someone. I've been training really hard all year, so I can't wait to go to tryouts and show my stuff. We're very excited to see what you have in store for us, Jen. Whenever you're ready, go ahead and show your stuff! We'll audition Kate now. Okay, Kate, show us your stuff. The competition gives young performers a chance to show their stuff. show (someone) what (one's) made of To demonstrate one's true talent, fortitude, ability, courage, or worth (to someone). No one thinks you stand a chance in this match, but you go out there and show them what you're made of! This could be the biggest trial of my career. Time to go show what I'm made of! have something to show for something 有成果, 有成绩, 有结果 (idiomatic) To have (some profit, reward, benefit, etc.) as a result of (one's work, expenditure, etc.) I've been panning for gold for two years, and this tiny speck is all I have to show for it. 6. TBBT: Why didn't you invite me? You don't want to float weightless in an airplane. What are you talking about? I love doing crazy stuff like that. Bernie, you got sick from the teacup ride at Disneyland. Lots of people do. We were still in line. So you don't want me to go? No, I want you to go if you're gonna have fun. I don't want you to go if you're gonna be miserable and ruin it for everyone. Which is a long way of saying I want you to go ( a long way of doing something 兜圈子, 绕远, 绕一大圈 Using a complicated, slow, or round-about process to achieve a simple result instead of taking a direct shortcut. Typing every address by hand is a long way of doing a mail merge. a long way to go a lot of work to do or improvements to make. a large amount of time and effort: We've done a lot of work already, but we have a long way to go. You've got a long way to go before you're ready to compete at the national level. He has a long way to go before he can present the plans to the public. a long way I. very much, far, or a great amount or degree We're still a long way from achieving our sales targets.  Psychiatry has come a long way (=developed a lot) since the 1920s. These changes will go a long way toward/towards making the system more efficient. Your contributions will go a long way towards helping children in need (=will help to reach a goal). by a long way/shot informal (also by a long chalk British English) (=used when something is much better, quicker, cheaper etc). You can use by a long way to emphasize that something is, for example, much better, worse, or bigger than any other thing of that kind. It was, by a long way, the worst meeting I have ever attended. Our favourite by a long way was the supermarkets' own brand. It was his best performance this year, by a long way. not by a long way/shot informal (also not by a long chalk British English) (=not at all or not nearly) He had not told Rory everything, not by a long shot. a long way off doing something If you are a long way off doing something, you will not be able to do it or complete it very soon: We are still a long way off finding a cure for this form of cancer. The committee stressed that it was a long way off producing its final recommendations. a long way from/some way from 差多了, 差得远了 If you say that something is a long way from being true, you are emphasizing that it is definitely not true. She is a long way from being the richest person in Britain. That's a long way from the truth. ). 7. boys in blue Police officers, or the police force in general. We've got the thief pinned down, we're just waiting for the boys in blue to come arrest him. The mayor is planning a parade to honor the boys in blue who protect our community day in, day out. For days after the robbery, I was expecting the boys in blue to come bust down our door and take us away in handcuffs. Johnny Law 警察 slang One or more police officers or the police in general. (Though the term is gendered, it does not necessarily refer to a male officer.). a law officer. John Law showed up with a piece of paper that says you are in trouble. The guy was trying to break into the store in broad daylight, and he was completely unfazed when Johnny Law rolled up to arrest him. The company's CEO was taken away by Johnny Law on charges of embezzlement and money laundering. TBBT: They're rule breakers, Amy. And you know what we do with rule breakers? Complain about them to our spouse until she's ready to drive into oncoming traffic?You can't cross a double yellow line. What is this, the Purge? So, I guess you're not gonna help them? Oh, I'm gonna help them-- help them get on the right side of Johnny Law. Oh, you can't turn them in. The city's gonna make them rip out all the work they've done and do it over. It would be the end of your friendship. 8. TBBT: You're having a bad dream. Oh, thank God. I was eating my friends. Well, one friend and one acquaintance. You know what, Bert's okay. Two friends. Let me see if you're running a fever 发高烧. Yeah. Oh, yeah, you're burning up ( burn up 发烧 to have a bad fever: "You're burning up!" she said, touching his forehead. Feel his forehead – he's burning up. burn up 燃烧起来 I. If something burns up or if fire burns it up, it is completely destroyed by fire or strong heat. The satellite re-entered the atmosphere and burned up. Fires have burned up 180,000 acres of timber. II. If something burns up fuel or energy, it uses it. Brisk walking burns up more calories 燃烧卡路里 than slow jogging. As we get older, our body becomes less efficient at burning up calories. burn sb up to make someone angry: The way he treats her really burns me up. I was really burned up by her comment. burn (something) up 烧毁, 烧成灰 to destroy something completely with fire or heat, or to be destroyed completely by fire or heat: Meteorites often burn up in the atmosphere before they reach the ground. II. to use a lot of something in a careless way Most household appliances burn up 太耗电 loads of electricity (drains battery fast, eat up battery, batter hog). He just burns up money (burn through) 烧钱! ). 9. TBBT: Why does she even want to have scientists on? Uh, silly question. Who else will give her audience causal explanations 因果解释, 阐述因果关系, 解释前因后果 ( Within evolutionary biology, the highest level of causal explanation involves adaptation by means of natural selection. This theory focuses on identifying how an observer uses information in his/her social environment in order to create a causal explanation for events. Statistical analysis will not, then, be able meaningfully to confirm any causal explanation for the number of customers at any moment in time. causal relationship, link, etc. 因果关系, 因果关联 a relationship, link, etc. between two things in which one causes the other. If there is a causal relationship between two things, one thing is responsible for causing the other thing. Rawlins stresses that it is impossible to prove a causal link between the drug and the deaths. He would dearly love to show a causal relationship between culture and imperialism, but cannot. Is there a causal relationship between violence on television and violent behaviour? causal I. of, relating to, or constituting a cause. the causal agent of a disease. II. arising from a cause. a causal development. Causal analysis is the field of experimental design and statistics pertaining to establishing cause and effect. Typically it involves establishing four elements: correlation, sequence in time (that is, causes must occur before their proposed effect), a plausible physical or information-theoretical mechanism for an observed effect to follow from a possible cause, and eliminating the possibility of common and alternative ("special") causes. Such analysis usually involves one or more controlled or natural experiments. ) of natural phenomena? I love you, honey, but think. 10. go for the jugular = go straight for the jugular 干死他, 一招毙命, 一剑封喉, 给他致命一击, 来个狠的 If you say that someone went for the jugular, you mean that they strongly attacked another person's weakest points in order to harm them. to make a serious effort to defeat someone, usually by criticizing or harming them in a cruel way: Cunningham went straight for the jugular, telling him that his work was a complete disaster. Mr Black went for the jugular, asking intimate sexual questions. TBBT: Uh, this may be pushing it, but I have to ask. Would you mind singing one of those for us right now? Oh, why not? All right. Come on, Ellen, they're right there. Go for the jugular. unmoored [ʌnˈmɔːd] I. (of a boat) no longer tied in place: The unmoored boat was drifting off to sea. II. 乱了方寸(I'm completely flustered 方寸大乱, 心慌意乱. I'm totally rattled 搞懵了. I'm thrown off balance. I've lost my composure. My mind is in a complete mess.  I'm all over the place. My head is spinning. I can't think straight. I've lost my head.). 失魂落魄, 不知所措. having little confidence and being uncertain about how you should feel or behave, or what you should do: Paul is unmoored by his parents' divorce. Was he crazy or just temporarily unmoored by jealousy? TBBT: What kind of tea is appropriate for winning a Nobel Prize and now everything is changing and you feel unmoored from reality 脱离了现实? I don't know. Earl Grey? You know, this is something I've wanted my whole life. But I guess I never considered how everything would be different. Buddy, I know it all feels overwhelming right now, but I promise you, things will settle down. 10. TBBT: Bernadette: He's never gonna stop doing that, is he? Amy: I don't mind. I'm hoping to put his love of repetition to good use someday. Sheldon: Hi. Um, I've reconsidered. Uh, you can't work where I work. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Amy: Sheldon. I already signed the contract. I cashed a cheque. Sheldon: Mmm, you are not going to come out of this looking good. Penny: Sheldon, I don't understand. I thought you said you were fine with it. Sheldon: Well, I was. But that was before Howard explained to me how awful it would be if he had to work with his significant other. Bernadette: He said what? Sheldon: Now, don't be insulted. He just thinks too much of you would be mind-numbingly tedious. Bernadette: Excuse me, I need to have a chat with my husband. Sheldon: Yeah, well, now, well, keep it short. From what I gather, brevity is your friend ( brevity [ˈbrev.ə.ti] using only a few words or lasting only a short time. The brevity of something is the fact that it is short or lasts for only a short time. The bonus of this homely soup is the brevity of its cooking time. The brevity of the letter concerned me. His essays are models of clarity and brevity. Brevity is, in almost everything, a virtue. a. 简洁, 简短. the use of few words: The essays were written with admirable brevity. b. 匆匆, 短促. 短暂. Brevity can also mean a short time: the brevity of life. ). So, are we good here? 11. A break-glass lever (or break-glass unit) is a safety device with a physical switch or pull lever covered by a thin piece of glass or plastic. To use it in an emergency, you crack the cover and pull or press the hidden lever to trigger a fire alarm or unlock an emergency exit door. "Under Attack Mode" on cloudflare is not a change to make, just a switch to know exists. It's your break-glass lever if a flood ever overwhelms things: Cloudflare → Security → Settings → Security Level → "I'm Under Attack." Leave it off; just remember it's there. No action now. TBBT: Leonard: Listen, can I talk to you about your girlfriend? Sheldon: She's not my girlfriend. She's a girl and she's my friend, but there's no touching or unsanitary exchange of saliva. Leonard: Got it. Sheldon: Although, for the record, on one occasion, she licked her thumb to remove raspberry jelly from the corner of my mouth. It's an action we both regret to this day. Leonard: Uh-huh. Anyway, I'm not sure she's the best fit for our little, how should we call it, rebel alliance. Sheldon: Oh, I never identified with the rebel alliance. Despite their tendency to build Death Stars, I've always been more of an empire man. Leonard: Yeah, not my point. Sheldon: I know what your point is. You're intimidated by Amy's intellect ( Use "intellect [ˈɪntɪlɛkt] 睿智, 思想深邃" if you mean their depth of thinking: Intellect refers to their ability to reason, analyze, grasp abstract concepts, and think philosophically or theoretically. If you say someone is intimidated by another's intellect, you mean they feel small next to that person's brainpower—how deeply they process the world, their wisdom, or their capacity for complex thought. Intelligence 头脑聪明, 聪明劲 is broader and more practical. It encompasses problem-solving, quick learning, memory, adaptability, and general "smarts" in everyday situations. If you say someone is intimidated by another's intelligence, you mean they feel inferior when it comes to IQ, quick wit, test scores, or the ability to figure things out rapidly. intellect [ˈɪn.təl.ekt] noun. I. the ability to understand and to think in an intelligent way. a person's ability to think and understand esp. ideas at a high level: The stroke left her partially paralyzed, but her intellect was not affected. Her energy and intellect are respected all over the world. He is a man more noted for his intellect than his charm. II. a very educated person whose interests are studying and other activities that involve careful thinking. ). To that I say, buck up. Leonard: Okay, let me just get right to it. Amy is judgmental, sanctimonious and frankly just obnoxious( sanctimonious acting as if you are morally better, holier, or more pious than other people, often in a way that feels fake or hypocritical. Key related concepts include self-righteousness, a holier-than-thou attitude, and insincere virtue.). Sheldon: So? Leonard: So we already have you for all that. 12. Top-of-funnel (often called TOFU) 品牌初始阶段 (marketing funnel from top to bottom: awareness, interest, consideration, intent, evaluation purchase. funnel 漏斗, 虹吸漏斗 I. a cone-shaped tool with a narrow tube, a ship's smokestack, or a business process that guides people from a large group down to a small group. an object that has a wide round opening at the top, sloping sides, and a narrow tube at the bottom, used for pouring liquids or powders into containers with narrow necks: After you grind the coffee, use a funnel to pour it into the jar. II. (US also smokestack) a vertical metal pipe on the top of a ship or steam train through which smoke comes out. III. (also conversion funnel, marketing funnel, sales funnel) especially in e-commerce (= the business of selling things on the internet), the process that a customer goes through from first hearing about a product, for example through an internet search or advertisement, to buying the product, with a smaller number of customers at each stage of the process: At the top of the funnel the user is just starting to do research about a product and might spend time investigating different brands. The funnel helps marketing teams plan and measure efforts to attract, engage, and convert prospects. The conversion funnel is the cornerstone of all e-commerce business models. A marketing funnel describes your customer's journey with you, from first becoming aware of your brand to buying goods and services. There are several steps to a sales funnel, usually known as the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel. verb. I. to put something or to travel through a funnel or something that acts like a funnel:
funnel down The wind funnels down these narrow streets. The children funnelled along the corridor into the school hall. funnel back The team were content to play defensively, with midfielders and forwards funnelling back to support the defence. funnel something into something If you funnel the oil into the engine, you're less likely to spill it. II. to send something directly and intentionally: funnel something to someone/something No one knows who has been funnelling weapons to the terrorists. funnel something into something These laws ensure that local revenue for education is funnelled into schemes overseen by the local education authority. ) refers to the very first stage of the buyer's journey. At this point, potential customers are looking for answers, learning about a general problem, or discovering a brand for the first time. The main goal here is awareness and education, not making an immediate sale. The top of the funnel (TOFU) is the initial awareness stage of the customer journey. The main goal is to introduce your brand, educate a broad audience, and spark curiosity about problems you solve, rather than pushing for an immediate sale. Top-of-funnel (TOFU) behavior describes how potential customers act when they first discover a problem or learn about a brand. Users at this stage are exploring, researching, and seeking answers rather than looking to buy. Their focus is on broad education and identifying their own needs.  a comparison shopper from Google Shopping, evaluating two HMI models, bounced without buying. Normal top-of-funnel behavior — but it confirms the Shopping listings are pulling real buyers. 13. pitfall 坑, 陷马坑, 天坑 The pitfalls involved in a particular activity or situation are the things that may go wrong or may cause problems. a likely mistake or problem in a situation: fall into a pitfall 掉坑里 The store fell into one of the major pitfalls of small business, borrowing from suppliers by paying bills late. avoid a pitfall 避坑 There's a video that tells new students about pitfalls to avoid. The pitfalls of working abroad are numerous. He also points out that forward planning can help avoid stressful pitfalls. Pitfalls (Danger, Trap, Hazard, Snag, Drawback) means hidden dangers, unexpected problems, or unseen difficulties that can happen during an activity or plan. A hidden hole in the ground covered with leaves or branches to catch people or animals. Hidden problem: A figurative trap or risk that is not obvious when you start something. The pitfalls of buying a house: Hidden repair costs or bad contract terms. The pitfalls of dieting: Temptation to quit or sudden weight regain. 14. the earth moved 床都塌了, 天摇地动, 达到性高潮 If someone says the earth moved, they are joking about how good a sexual experience was. feel the earth move euphemism To have a profoundly pleasurable sexual experience. To have an extremely good sexual experience.  I was with Jesse last night, and, oh my goodness, I felt the earth move. A: "I know you went home with Bill last night, so how was it? Did you feel the earth move?" B: "Eh, not exactly. It was fine." I didn't know I could feel that good! Like, wow, I really felt the earth move in bed with him. This hyperbole first appeared in Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), "But did thee feel the earth move?" It has been repeated, usually in humorous fashion, ever since. TBBT: Howard: So, how did it go with Lesley? Leonard: Oh, we tried kissing, but the earth didn't move. I mean any more than the 383 miles that it was going to move anyway. Sheldon: Oh, I've seen that look before. This is just going to be two weeks of moping and tedious emo songs, and calling me to come down to pet stores to look at cats. I don't know if I can take it. Raj: You could power down. move the needle = move the dial =  budge the needle 管用, 改变现状, 取得进展 To change a situation to a noticeable degree; to make an appreciable difference. to cause a clearly discernible change. To cause a noticeable change in something. The imagery refers to the pointer ("needle") on a measuring instrument, which moves to indicate the level that has been reached. It seems all my efforts to get in good with the CEO have done little to move the needle in my favor. Is any other department working as hard as we are to move the needle on environmental conservation? 15. see daylight I. 恍然大悟. 领悟. 忽然明白. 一下子明白了. To begin to understand or make sense of something that was previously confusing, convoluted, or ambiguous. I was so focused on the problem that I couldn't think about it clearly, so I finally took a break, worked on something else for a while, and saw daylight as soon as I came back to it again. As a tutor, you want to help your students see daylight for themselves, not just get them to parrot back information. II. 看见终点, 看到终点. 看到头了. To near the conclusion of a project or activity, or come to a point where the end of a project is conceivable. For a while it felt like I would never get this book done, but I'm finally starting to see daylight. After four hours of intense negotiation, we can see daylight on the merger deal. TBBT: Mrs Cooper: Sheldon, he's just doodling, get in here. Sheldon: Dr Gablehouser. Gablehouser: Dr Cooper. Mrs Cooper: Let's go, baby, we're losing daylight ( lose daylight 时候不早了, 天快黑了 Figuratively, it can mean running out of time to complete a task or losing clarity and hope. ). 16. go the distance 坚持到比赛结束, 持续很长时间, 坚持的久, 长久 To persist with some activity or goal until its completion.  to do the whole amount; to play the entire game; to run the whole race. to manage to continue until the end of a competition That horse runs fast. I hope it can go the distance. This is going to be a long, hard project. I hope I can go the distance. I think this team is good enough to go the distance and win the championship, don't you? You need a lot of determination and confidence to go the distance in an industry like this. I would have gone the distance this season, had I not broken my ankle in the last month. If you go the distance in a race or sports competition, you continue running or playing until the end of the race or match. More riders than ever are now determined to go the distance. 17. Monday morning quarterback 放马后炮的人, 事后诸葛亮 A person who acts like they have all the answers to a problem, especially in hindsight, usually without having any experience in that area. Likened to fans and commentators who criticize a football team after a Sunday game. A person who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight. A Monday morning quarterback, is someone who criticizes others after something has happened by saying that they should have dealt with it differently, although the people involved could not have known what would happen. Some Monday-morning quarterbacks said the initial lower bid, without junk bonds, was a factor in his losing the company. Social media seems to have turned everyone into a Monday morning quarterback whenever political issues are discussed. Ethel was a Monday-morning quarterback about all the personnel changes in her department-she always claimed to have known what was going to happen.  It is very easy to play Monday morning quarterback, and I do not envy the choices put before a great many of the world's leaders.  Note: This expression, first recorded in 1932, alludes to fans who verbally "replay" Sunday's football game the next day, the quarterback being the team member who calls the plays. You can also accuse someone of Monday morning quarterbacking. The Attorney rejects such Monday-morning quarterbacking, insisting that his lawyers did, quote, 'an excellent job'. Note: In American football, the quarterback is usually the player who calls out signals which tell the team which moves to make. In the United States, most professional football games are played on Sunday. A 'Monday morning quarterback' is someone, usually a man, who tells people what the coach should have done to win the game. benefit of hindsight the help of knowledge learned later: Of course, when we look back now at how things turned out, we have the benefit of hindsight. with the benefit of hindsight Anyone can make good decisions with the benefit of hindsight. without the benefit of hindsight It would be difficult to have done any better without the benefit of hindsight. 18. dichotomy [daɪˈkɒt.ə.mi] 大不同, 完全不同 a difference between two completely opposite ideas or things. the division of two things that are completely different: I try to examine the dichotomy between what people think they are and what they do. dichotomy between There is often a dichotomy between what politicians say and what they do. There is a dichotomy between the academic world and the industrial world. 

runout

用法学习: 1. runout: I. In the context of the automotive industry, "in runout" means a car model is in its final phase of production and sales before being permanently discontinued or replaced by a new generation. When a vehicle line enters "runout," dealerships are actively clearing out remaining factory stock to make room for future models. The current-generation Renault Koleos is in runout after a stellar run as one of Renault Australia's most popular models, with more than 21,000 examples sold. II. an act or instance of expiring or becoming depleted the runout of a union contract. a runout in office supplies. III. Something that has been run out. The landslide had a long runout. note: In geology and natural hazard engineering, runout means the total distance a landslide travels from its source to its final resting place. A "long runout" means the falling rock, mud, or debris moved exceptionally far horizontally, often defying standard friction model. The freeway guardrail runout around this object is shorter than recommended. note: In civil and highway engineering, runout length refers to the theoretical distance needed for an errant vehicle that has veered off the highway to come to a safe stop. When a report states that the guardrail runout is "shorter than recommended," it means the barrier does not extend far enough upstream (in front of the object) to capture a car drifting off the road at high speeds. The runout length is defined as the distance from the hazard to the point where a vehicle is assumed to leave the road. Obviously, the longer the runout length, the longer the guardrail. III. The end portion of the groove of a phonographic record, after the recorded sound. 2. rubric [ˈruː.brɪk] I. 规则. 准则. a set of instructions, especially on an exam paper, usually printed in a different style or colour. A rubric is a set of rules or instructions, for example the rules at the beginning of an examination paper. Either she had been poorly prepared by her teachers or the exam rubric was unclear. Read/Follow the rubric carefully. Essay writing is a core part of American high school, mainly in English and history classes. It's drilled 练习, 训练 heavily because it's also the format for timed writing on exams like AP tests.  Teachers grade with rubrics 打分规则 covering thesis, evidence, organization, and grammar, and often require drafts and revisions. Grammar, spelling, and sentence variety count toward the grade — most teachers grade on a rubric splitting points among thesis, evidence, organization, and mechanics. II. A rubric is a title or heading under which something operates or is studied. The aid comes under the rubric of technical co-operation between governments. 3. Balkanisation is the process of breaking a larger region, state, or system into smaller, mutually hostile, and independent entities. balkanization = balkanisation [ˌbɔːl.kə.naɪˈzeɪ.ʃən] disapproving I. the process of dividing a region or group into smaller regions, groups, etc., especially ones that are unfriendly to or fight with each other, or the process of becoming divided like this. If you disapprove of the division of a country into separate independent states, you can refer to the Balkanization of the country. We can't accept the fragmentation or balkanization of the country. He insists that America is different because it does not have the same type of balkanization as seen in the history of Europe. Some fear the government's concessions to a rebel organization will lead to a Balkanisation of the nation. The ABC presenter asked Mr Joyce whether he agreed with Senator Hanson's characterisation of Muslims after Senator Hanson said in the program: "Muslims breed, and the taxpayer pays". Mr Joyce responded by saying problems arose when communities failed to assimilate, arguing "Balkanisation" created divisions that were "at odds with the egalitarian ethos of Australia". II. the process of causing or allowing a system or culture to become divided between different groups or areas of interest, especially ones that compete or disagree with each other, or the process of it becoming divided like this: The poll confirms how deeply the balkanization of the media is, he said. What we are seeing is the Balkanization of the Internet, she claims. balkanize [ˈbɔːl.kə.naɪz] I. to divide a region or group into smaller regions, groups, etc., especially ones that are unfriendly to or fight with each other, or to become divided like this: He stated that the assassination was part of a conspiracy to balkanize the country and the region. "I'm afraid we are going to either balkanize or become a fascist dictatorship," she says. II. to cause or allow a system or culture to become divided between different groups or areas of interest, especially ones that compete or disagree with each other, or to become divided like this: He wanted to break the barriers of specialization that he felt were balkanizing Western education. They divided the company into several independent operating businesses, which served to further Balkanise the sports group. 4. repeal: 废止法律(立法行为). abolish: 彻底废除制度/体系, 废止制度, 习俗或系统性的事物. 彻底消灭. Revoke: 撤销许可/决定/命令, 用于具体授权或裁决. overturn: 推翻(法院)判决, 司法专用. Nullify: 宣告无效, 强调法律上失效. rescind [rɪˈsɪnd]: 撤销, 废除. 常用于撤销法令,决议或协议. 语气较为正式. The board decided to rescind its earlier resolution. repeal [rɪˈpiːl] 废止法律条文, 废除(法律) If a government repeals a law, it causes that law no longer to have any legal force. If the government repeals a law, it officially ends it, so that it is no longer valid. The government has just repealed the law segregating public facilities. That year was the 60th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. The official insisted on anonymity on a call with reporters to preview the president's actions and said Mr Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic politicians last year proposed repealing the section because they said Mr Trump could use it to destabilise the economy. 6. preamble [ˈpriː.æm.bəl] 前言 I. publishing specialized an introduction to a speech or piece of writing. an introduction to a speech or piece of writing. an introductory statement in a document—such as a law, constitution, or resolution—that explains its purpose and underlying philosophy. Derived from Latin, it acts as a "preface" that outlines goals or historical context. A preamble is an introduction that comes before something you say or write. The controversy has arisen over the text of the preamble to the unification treaty. II. colloquially used to describe an action that precedes or introduces another event. something that happens before or leads to something else: 'I would like you to return to the villa as soon as possible,' she said without preamble. The agreement between the warring parties to talk may be a preamble to peace. III. A preamble is an introductory statement in a document—such as a law, constitution, or resolution—that explains its purpose and underlying philosophy. the preamble to the Constitution. 7. under lock and key 锁的好好的 I. locked away safely. If something or someone is kept under lock and key, they are in a container or room which has been securely locked. The books were normally kept under lock and key in the library vault. He is currently under lock and key at Eastmoor secure unit in Leeds. Her jewellery is securely under lock and key at the bank. II. If a person, especially a criminal, is under lock and key, they are being kept in a place from which they cannot escape, usually a prison. be/get in on the ground floor 从一开始就参与 involved in something from its beginning. If you get in on the ground floor, you become involved in a business or plan in the early stages, in order to gain an advantage. A supplier wants to get in on the ground floor and grow with the business. He was able to get in on the ground floor of the computer industry. He was sure that he was getting in on the ground floor with the next big thing. Can someone tell me how you get in on the ground floor of a deal like that? acute [əˈkjuːt] I. If a bad situation is acute, it causes severe problems or damage. You can use acute to indicate that an undesirable situation or feeling is very severe or intense. The war has aggravated an acute economic crisis. The report has caused acute embarrassment to the government. The labour shortage is becoming acute. She felt acute 非常糟糕的 embarrassment/anxiety/concern at his behaviour. The problem of poverty is particularly acute in rural areas. Acute disappointment is the intense, often physical sensation that hits when reality clashes sharply with your expectations. II. An acute pain or illness is one that quickly becomes very severe. An acute illness is one that becomes severe very quickly but does not last very long. Compare chronic. ...a patient with acute rheumatoid arthritis. ...an acute case of dysentery. acute abdominal pains. an acute attack of appendicitis. III. used to describe intelligence, senses, etc. that are very good, accurate, and able to notice very small differences: acute eyesight/hearing. an acute sense of smell. a woman of acute intelligence/judgment. IV. If a person's or animal's sight, hearing, or sense of smell is acute, it is sensitive and powerful. In the dark my sense of hearing becomes so acute. V. If you say that someone is acute or has an acute mind, you mean that they are quick to notice things and are able to understand them clearly. Into her nineties, her thinking remained acute and her character forceful. His relaxed exterior hides an extremely acute mind. Everything he writes demonstrates the acuteness of his intelligence. 8. TBBT: Raj: Oh, my pleasure, and don't worry about your presentation today. You're gonna be great. Howard: Yeah, you're gonna knock it out of the park. TBBT: Bernadette: Want to pause the video game and help me clean up? Howard: I am cleaning up. Look at the mess the Joker made of Gotham City. Bernadette: Come on, it's your friend who's coming to stay here. Howard: Raj grew up in India. Trust me, he's seen worse. Bernadette: Howie. Howard: I promise I'll help out the rest of the week. Bernadette: The rest of the week? You said it was just gonna be a night or two. Howard: Yeah, but if I told you a week, would you have said yes? Bernadette: No. Howard: Then you left me no choice. Bernadette: I love Raj, but that's a long time for a house guest. Howard: I know, but they're tenting his building. He can't find a hotel he likes that allows dogs. Bernadette: He's bringing Cinnamon? Howard: For a whole week, the nerve of some people. The nerve of (someone) 臭不要脸的, 真不要脸啊, 无耻, 真是无耻啊! An exclamation of shocked disapproval regarding something someone said or did. They thought I would just go along with their plan to cut my pay while giving me more responsibility. The nerve of them! The nerve of you—how dare you suggest something so horrible! 9. cantilever [ˈkæn.tə.liː.vər] I. (engineering, construction) 斜臂支撑. a projecting beam or member supported at only one end. A beam anchored at one end and projecting into space, such as a long bracket projecting from a wall to support a balcony. A cantilever is a long piece of metal or wood used in a structure such as a bridge. One end is fastened to something and the other end is used to support part of the structure. ...the old steel cantilever bridge. cantilever arch, cantilever arm, cantilever armchair, cantilever beam, cantilever bracket, cantilever brake, cantilever bridge, cantilever crane, cantilever fin, cantilever frame, cantilever girder, cantilever landing gear, cantilever moment, cantilever monoplane, cantilever mounting, cantilever roof, cantilever roof bar, cantilever sheet-piles, cantilever single-strut landing gear, cantilever span, cantilever spring, cantilever timbering, cantilever tower crane, cantilever truss, cantilever-type, drilling mast, cantilever wall, cantilever wing. II. 单点支撑的. 单边支撑的. a long bar that is fixed at only one end to a vertical support and is used to hold a structure such as an arch, bridge, or shelf in position: a cantilever bridge. III. A beam anchored at one end and used as a lever within a microelectromechanical system. cantilever circuit. cantilevered [kæntɪliːvərd] 悬空的 A cantilevered structure is constructed using cantilevers. Fitted with, or constituting, a cantilever; projecting out laterally from a wall or similar support and thus hanging without other supports. ...a cantilevered balcony. Miami's skyline is rapidly changing, with a downtown skyscraper boom that was set in motion a decade ago after the Federal Aviation Authority began approving projects set at a new maximum allowable height of 1,049 feet. But that's not the only reason the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, long known as a lively metropolis of late nights and ocean views, have become a developer's playground. Hospitality, automobile and fashion brands — and confusingly, even Frida Kahlo' estate — are all vying to build luxurious branded condos and hotels in Miami's low-tax, little-unionized and business-friendly environment. Some other splashy projects include billionaire Ken Griffin's new global headquarters for the financial firm Citadel Group and Delano Residences, which will offer the Southeast's first cantilevered observation deck. wiki: A cantilever is a structural element that is firmly attached to a fixed structure at one end and is unsupported at the other end. Sometimes it projects from a vertical surface such as a wall. A cantilever can be in the form of a beam, plate, truss, or slab. When subjected to a structural load at its far, unsupported end, the cantilever carries the load to the support where it applies a shear stress and a bending moment. Cantilever construction allows overhanging structures without external support. "To be someone's playground 娱乐场" is an idiom meaning one person freely uses, manipulates, or toys with another person or situation, often without restraint. It can also literally refer to an outdoor area where someone—such as a child or a pet—plays. a place where a particular group of people enjoy themselves: This area of the coast is the playground of the rich and famous. But that's not the only reason the city and its surrounding neighborhoods, long known as a lively metropolis of late nights and ocean views, have become a developer's playground. an idle mind is the devil's playground 人闲是非多 proverb When one has nothing to do, one is more likely to get into trouble. Whenever I'm off from school for the summer, my grandmother tries to get me to sign up for group camps and activities, always reminding me that an idle mind is the devil's playground. Well, it's no surprise to me the boy is doing drugs and stealing. He dropped out of high school and didn't do anything with his life! An idle mind is the devil's playground, after all. An idle mind is the devil's playground, so is it any surprise they started causing mischief after being left to their own devices for so long? 10. champagne taste and a beer wallet = champagne taste on a beer budget 心比天高命比纸薄 Expensive or extravagant tastes or preferences that are beyond one's economic means. I only earn minimum wage, but I can't stop buying designer clothes and eating at the best restaurants—I guess I've got champagne taste and a beer wallet! A: "Of course Ralph wants to stay at a lavish hotel. How exactly does he plan to pay for it, though?" B: "Good question. You know he's always had champagne taste and a beer wallet." When you have champagne taste and a beer wallet, you really need to look out for and take advantage of sales. stump up [British, informal] If you stump up a sum of money, you pay it, often unwillingly. to pay an amount or type of money for something, especially unwillingly: stump up (something) for something It can be cheaper to stump up for a new washing machine than to get your old one repaired. stump up the cash (尤指不情愿地)掏腰包, 付钱 Chissano said Western governments should stump up the cash to fund land redistribution. Customers do not have to stump up any cash for at least four weeks. 11. Two and a half men: I'm ready to order. Of course. Apologies for the frivolity. What would you like? My ex is going to be out of town, so I'll have the kids. Whoa, whoa, whoa, Lydia, no one loves the little ones more than old Uncle Charlie, but don't you think it might be a bit soon for me to meet your kids? Oh, I don't want you to meet them. Why not? Because I'm very careful about who I expose them to. What's that supposed to mean? Charlie, please. Why can't I expose myself to your kids? I mean, why can't I meet your kids? Please don't make me hurt your feelings. You can't hurt my feelings. All right, fine. You're a professional boy toy, a perpetual adolescent 永远长不大 ( A "perpetual adolescent" describes an adult who exhibits prolonged immaturity, avoiding the responsibilities and emotional weight typically associated with adulthood. Also known as the puer aeternus (eternal youth) in Jungian psychology, this behavioral pattern often stems from a reluctance to embrace structural life milestones. ) leading a dissolute ( dissolute [dɪs.ə.luːt] 腐化的, 堕落的, 放纵的, 放荡的 (of a person) living in a way that other people strongly disapprove of. showing a lack of good character and morals; immoral: a dissolute life. He led a dissolute life, drinking, and womanizing till his death.) life. You may have your uses, but you're not the kind of man I want around my children. 12. fallow [ˈfæl.əʊ] 休养生息 adj. I. Fallow land is not planted with crops, in order to improve the quality of the soil. Fallow land has been dug or ploughed but nothing has been planted in it, especially so that its quality or strength has a chance to improve. ...great red barns in empty fallow fields. The fields lay fallow. lie fallow Farmers are eligible for government support if they let a certain amount of land lie fallow. Chemicals and heavy metals used in decades past have built up in the fjords too. "We've been measuring pesticides at a site that has been fallow for 20 years and it was still there," he says. "It doesn't dissolve. It doesn't just disappear. There's no magic here. What's thrown into the water stays in the water. It's quite simple." II. A fallow period of time is one in which very little happens. used to describe a period of time in which there is not much business activity: fallow period 静养期, 安静期 After a long fallow period, the author has brought out a new book. There followed something of a fallow period professionally, until a job came up in the summer. The corporation has gained market share recently, but only after a long fallow period. 13. TBBT: Can I interest you in a cappuccino (interest someone in something Someone might ask if they can interest you in something when that person is trying to persuade you to buy something or is offering you something: Can I interest you in our new range of kitchen fittings, madam? I don't suppose I can interest you in a quick drink after work, can I?)? When did you start selling those? Oh, someone left it here, but it's still warm. Want to say four bucks? No, thank you. Oh. Everything okay? Well... I secretly experimented on my friends, and now none of them want to be my best man. So, you know, normal wedding drama. Sorry. Probably have to use my stupid brother. So get ready for a wedding toast delivered by his armpit. Well, if you really don't want to use your brother, I'd be your best man. Really? Yeah, we're friends. Plus, it'd be nice. Never really been called the best before. Or a man, for that matter. Okay, well, uh, thank you, Stuart. That's a very generous offer. My pleasure. I understand the best man usually receives a present. That's true. Can never have too much clarity 再多都不算多(too much of a good thing 好的东西太多了也会厌倦, 再好的东西也会厌 the fact that something pleasant becomes unpleasant because you have or do too much of it. A warning against excess. Ugh, I definitely ate too much candy last night. Believe me, you can have too much of a good thing! How many times have you been to the spa this month? You can have too much of a good thing, you know! have too much of a good thing You can have too much of a good thing.). 14. component noun. The components of something are the parts that it is made of. Enriched uranium is a key component of a nuclear weapon. The management plan has four main components. They were automotive component suppliers to motor manufacturers. adj. The component parts of something are the parts that make it up. First we have to break the system down into its component parts. They manufacture component parts 组成部件 for engines. Component parts are the individual pieces, elements, or modules that combine to build a larger, working whole. When you look at any system, machine, or object, its component parts are the specific items you can separate, identify, and put together to make the entire thing work. TBBT: Well, what if we take emotion out of the process, and base it on empirical metrics ( Empirical metrics are standards of measurement based on direct observation, real-world data, and experimentation rather than theory or pure logic. They quantify practical outcomes by tracking actual behavior or performance in a system. empirical [ɪmˈpɪr.ɪ.kəl] 实践的, 基于实际的, 基于实践的 (不是基于理论的) Empirical evidence or study relies on practical experience rather than theories. based on what is experienced or seen rather than on theory. empirical data. empirical evidence. This theory needs to be backed up with solid empirical evidence. empirical study Empirical studies show that some forms of alternative medicine are extremely effective. There is no empirical evidence to support his thesis. ...empirically based research. They approached this part of their task empirically. empirical analysis/research/study The diagnosis of a business problem should be based both on empirical analysis and on theoretical analysis. empirical evidence/data/finding. Empirical research 实践研究 is research using empirical evidence. It is also a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empiricism values some research more than other kinds. Empirical evidence (the record of one's direct observations or experiences) can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively. )? Then we aren't really making the decision; the data is. So we can hurt our friends' feelings without taking any responsibility? Me likey. But how do we apply quantitative metrics to something as subjective as choosing a wedding party? That decision only seems subjective. In reality, people in a wedding party perform very specific functions, and some will perform those better than others. If I may use a superhero analogy... You may not. Okay, I'll use real people. Um, if a certain dog-like loyalty is useful, then it's Leonard, hmm? If, uh, having a PEZ dispenser filled with TUMS is an advantage, Wolowitz, yeah. If a best man with fake testicles hanging from his truck is important, well, then, my brother's back in the running. Okay, I see your point. So we break down each of the roles into their component parts, and then design specialized tests for each. Exactly. Boy, if I had known getting married was going to involve so much science, I'd have proposed years ago. 15. munitions [mjʊˈnɪʃ·ənz] 军火, 武器 Munitions are military weapons, ammunition, and equipment used in war, such as guns, bombs, and missiles. military weapons such as guns and bombs. Munitions are military equipment and supplies, especially bombs, shells, and guns. ...the shortage of men and munitions. ...a munitions factory. The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets. a munitions depot. a munitions factory. Ammunition 弹药: Bullets, shells, and explosives fired from weapons. Weapons: Guns, rockets, missiles, and larger systems. Military Gear 军需品, 军事装备: Specialized equipment and supplies used for combat. 16. waxy I. 蜡样的. slightly shiny; looking or feeling like wax: ...the waxy coating on the insect's body. He had a waxy complexion and looked ill. The plant has thick waxy leaves. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance that circulates in the bloodstream. II. Waxy potatoes (starchy, floury) are firm inside and do not break into pieces when they are cooked (Floury potatoes are dry and break into small pieces when they are cooked.): Waxy potatoes are the best for salads. Peel and slice some waxy red potatoes. Choose small waxy potatoes for the salad. 

 Angus Taylor took a minute to figure parliament out: The horror of finding out that one's competitor is quite so richly endowed with natural advantages is a common and unifying human experience. And when Angus Taylor in 2012 walked away from an absurdly successful and remunerative ( remunerative [rɪˈmjuː.nər.ə.tɪv] I. paying a lot of money: a highly remunerative (= well paid) job. Charity work is not very remunerative. highly/less/more remunerative. The deficits could lead central banks to move funds from the US to more stable and remunerative markets. II. 付薪水的. 带薪的. providing payment for work. Remunerative work is work that you are paid for. A doctor advised her to seek remunerative employment. This policy preserves the option of remunerative work for workers with disabilities. remunerate [rɪmjuːnəreɪt] If you are remunerated for work that you do, you are paid for it. He is poorly remunerated for all the work he does. You will be remunerated and so will your staff. ...an adequately remunerated job. ) consulting career to contest the seat of Hume for the Liberal Party, the headlines didn't exactly say, "Rich. Handsome. Rhodes scholarship. Your basic nightmare." But they weren't all that far off( not far off/out/wrong 差不离, 差不多 Partially or nearly correct; close to the truth. A: "What did that TV cost you? $3,500?" B: "Not far off—$3,750." A: "I've always suspected that he was stealing money from the company." B: "You're not far off. He's been using its offshore accounts to hide his earnings from the IRS." ). The Liberal Party certainly welcomed him as a great recruit. But some in the deeper end of the party's talent pool viewed this new entrant with interest grading into ( grade into to pass or change slowly from one thing, state, or color into another without a sudden break. It describes a smooth, continuous shift where the end of one thing blends gently into the start of the next. grade verb. I. If something is graded, its quality is judged, and it is often given a number or a name that indicates how good or bad it is. to separate people or things into different levels of quality, size, importance, etc.: be graded by 分级 The fruit is washed and then graded by size. The books are graded according to the difficulty of the language. Dust masks are graded according to the protection they offer. South Point College does not grade the students' work. ...a three-tier grading system. The fibre is graded and packed into bales for transport to factories for spinning, dying, and milling. be graded on sth He said that principals and superintendents would be graded on leadership and school performance. be graded for sth Inside the world's largest covered building, the flowers are graded for quality and catalogued by computer. II. (UK mark 打分, 评分) to give a score to a student's piece of work: to grade work/papers. noun. I. 级别. The grade of a product is its quality, especially when this has been officially judged. ...a good grade of plywood. ...a grade II listed building. ...weapons-grade plutonium. ...aviation fuel and high-grade oil. low-grade He's suffering from some kind of low-grade (= slight) infection, which he can't seem to get rid of. high-grade There's some really high-grade (= high quality) musicianship on this recording. on a grade 同样的级别 UK Bill has been on the same grade (= his job has been of the same level of importance, or he has had the same level of pay) for several years now. aircraft/human/weapons, etc. grade The scooters are made from aircraft grade aluminium alloy and weigh just 2.76kg. II. Your grade in an examination or piece of written work is the mark you get, usually in the form of a letter or number, that indicates your level of achievement. What grade are you hoping to get? There was a lot of pressure on you to obtain good grades. III. Your grade in a company or organization is your level of importance or your rank. Staff turnover is particularly high among junior grades. a pay/salary grade 职级. IV. In the United States, a grade is a group of classes in which all the children are of a similar age. When you are six years old you go into the first grade and you leave school after the twelfth grade. Mr White teaches first grade in south Georgia. V. [US] (uk = gradient) A grade is a slope. steep grade 陡坡 The next hill has a really steep grade. She drove up a steep grade and then began the long descent into the desert. VI. Someone's grade is their military rank. I was a naval officer, lieutenant junior grade. make the grade If someone makes the grade, they succeed, especially by reaching a particular standard. She had a strong desire to be a dancer but failed to make the grade. ) caution. The party room at the time already had two Rhodes scholars: Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. And the propensity ( propensity [prəˈpensəti] 嗜好, 倾向, 爱好 a natural tendency to behave in a particular way. A propensity to do something or a propensity for something is a natural tendency that you have to behave in a particular way. Mr Bint has a propensity to put off decisions to the last minute. She hasn't reckoned on his propensity for violence. propensity to something: ways of reducing children's propensity to aggression. propensity for something: Their propensity for violence is virtually limitless. Mr Iddles told the inquest Father O'Keeffe was responsible for sexual assaults on young boys, many of whom had relayed his propensity for violence. propense [prəˈpɛns] = propensive [prəˈpɛnsɪv] adjective inclining forward. vocabulary: A propensity is a natural tendency to behave in a certain way. We all have propensities — things we tend to do. Dogs have a propensity to bark, and many people have a propensity for getting annoyed by it. If you have a propensity for something, then it's something that comes naturally to you or something you just do a lot. Some people have a propensity to laugh. Other people have a propensity for making others laugh, or for being generous, or for getting angry. It's hard to change your propensities. Sometimes a propensity is a bad thing, as in a criminal with a propensity for theft or murder. ) for Oxford blue-on-blue violence ( blue-on-blue 拔刀相向, 自相残杀 relating to an attack in which soldiers, etc. are injured or killed by their own army or by soldiers on the same side as them. Describing an instance of accidental violence between members of the same group. Primarily heard in UK. I don't think Joe was shot by our enemies—I think it was blue on blue. A: Miscommunication between the two military units meant each was unaware of the other's presence in the area of conflict." B: "So these soldiers' deaths were blue on blue?" Sure, we occasionally have injuries that are blue on blue, but you all are blowing this into a bigger problem than it really is. The number of blue-on-blue deaths has risen steadily during the present campaign. friendly fire 自己人的炮火 during a war, shooting that is hitting you from your own side, not from the enemy: Three soldiers were killed by friendly fire when a mortar bomb hit their truck. ) was well established between them. Suspicion of the triple-threat Taylor existed across both camps; Abbott at various points fancied that Taylor was plotting with Turnbull, while Turnbull thought Taylor was aligned with Abbott. Taylor had never experienced a leadership coup before. In the Liberal Party, these are crepuscular ( crepuscular [krɪˈpʌs.kjə.lər] I. 曙光的, 暮光的 relating to or like the time of day just before the sun goes down, when the light is not bright. Crepuscular means relating to twilight. ...peering through the crepuscular gloom. II. (of animals) active or appearing at the time of day just before the sun goes down, or just after the sun rises, when the light is not bright: Deer are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dawn and at dusk. ) affairs, ungoverned by the cleaner factional lines that dictate loyalty in the Australian Labor Party. "I realise now I got overtures ( overture I. a communication made to someone in order to offer something: peace overture. friendly overture. diplomatic overture. The country has rejected U.S. diplomatic overtures numerous times in the past. sexual overture. romantic overture. overture of Jack seemed to be unaware of the other boys' overtures of friendship. peace overture Neither side in the conflict seems willing to make peace overtures. make an overture If you make overtures to someone 向某人暗示, you behave in a friendly or romantic way towards them. He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. If only the West had been more responsive to his peace overtures in the fifties. Her invitation should not be understood as making a romantic overture. informal So he's been making overtures (= showing a sexual interest), has he? II. 序曲, 前奏曲 a piece of music that is intended as an introduction to an opera or play, or as a short piece to be played as part of a concert. Rossini's "William Tell" overture is often performed as an independent concert piece. The orchestra kicked off the fireworks show with the ever-popular "1812" overture by Tchaikovsky. opera overture. concert overture. overture to The concert began with the overture to "The Magic Flute". )," he says. "It was not always obvious. So, people would sound you out to see if you had a grievance or you're unhappy with something … And I thought, 'That's very nice of them to ask!' The deposed Abbott rang Taylor to commiserate(commiserate [kəˈmɪzəreɪt] 深表同情 (when: intr, usually foll by with) to feel or express sympathy or compassion (for). to express sympathy to someone who is unhappy about something. To feel or express sympathy: commiserated over their failure. to commiserate with someone over a loss. When I lost, he commiserated with me. Friends called to commiserate when they found out I hadn't got the job. "I know how you feel," he commiserated. commiserate with someone to share one's misery with another person who is also miserable. I stopped by Bruce's house to commiserate with him on being laid off. ), observing with characteristic joviality ( joviality [ˌdʒəʊ.viˈæl.ə.ti] the quality in a person of being friendly and in a good mood, or of a situation being enjoyable, friendly and pleasant: There was an air of joviality in the room. She had a forced joviality that made us suspicious. jovial [ˈdʒəʊ.vi.əl] 开心的, 好心情的 adj. (of a person) friendly and in a good mood, or (of a situation) enjoyable because of being friendly and pleasant. If you describe a person as jovial, you mean that they are happy and behave in a cheerful way. Father Whittaker appeared to be in a jovial mood. ...his old expansive joviality. 'No problem,' he said jovially. He seemed a very jovial guy. a jovial time/evening/chat. ) that at least he now was convinced Taylor was not among the plotters. Which I wasn't," recalls Taylor, dryly. "So yeah, that was pretty much the sum of it." One of his early triumphs — as a junior burger ( The term "junior burger" is used in political slang as a minor derogatory jab meaning a lightweight, insignificant, or junior-grade person. It gained notable attention when Australian politician Anthony Albanese used it during a 2022 election debate to dismiss a rival minister. Is "junior burger" an Australianism? The question arose after the first leaders' debate, tweeted by ABC's own language pulse-checker, Tiger Webb. What did it mean? Who first cooked it? Anthony Albanese used the term during the showdown, deploring the Coalition's handling of the Solomon Islands issue. After news of China signing a security pact with our neighbours, Albo aimed for the ScoMo schnoz: "This isn't so much a Pacific step-up, it's a Pacific stuff-up." Bang – a strong blow. Rhetorical. Vernacular. He then garnished the snub by calling Senator Zed Seselja, the Pacific Minister, a junior burger. Kapow, I think. Was it a hit? Like Tiger, the audience wasn't sure. Evidently no compliment, the hamburger dig erred on the esoteric 小众的 (exoteric 大众都理解都明白的) side. As for being a federal first, the phrase debuted as a homophone in 2021, where NSW Senator Tim Ayres described former WA Liberal Senator Ben Small as "the junior burgher from Bunbury". Though arguably Ayres meant burger the snack, not burgher the citizen, Hansard had to take a punt.) at consulting giant McKinsey — was his assignment to assist the divided New Zealand dairy industry establish a better system for pricing milk. He assisted 10,000 sometimes cantankerous ( [ˌkænˈtæŋ.kər.əs] arguing and complaining a lot: He's getting a bit cantankerous in his old age. ) dairy farmers to form Fonterra, now responsible for about a third of the world's dairy exports. The factional warfare in some hotspots (Victoria, NSW, South Australia) is starting to resemble the tobacco wars. In Taylor's home state of NSW, his own right-wing grouping is enmeshed ( enmesh [enˈmeʃ] 陷入, 卷入, 深陷 to catch or involve someone in something unpleasant or dangerous from which it is difficult to escape: be enmeshed in The whales are caught by being enmeshed in nets. She has become enmeshed in a tangle of drugs and petty crime.) in an ICAC inquiry, Operation Rosny, which has made no allegations against Taylor, but is singeing ( singe [sɪndʒ] I. 闷烧 to burn slightly on the surface, without producing flames. to burn something slightly, or to be burned slightly. If you singe something or if it singes, it burns very slightly and changes colour but does not catch fire. The electric fire had begun to singe the bottoms of his trousers.Her hair was singed and her anorak was burnt. Toast the dried chillies in a hot pan until they start to singe. The candle singed his arm hairs. My sweater started to singe when I leaned over a burning candle. noun. I. a slight burn mark: The marks are burns and singes caused by molten silver in a fire that broke out on the night of 24 December, 1622. singe mark The hot iron left a singe mark on my dress. ) party operatives close to him. None of this is building or producing anything. Clegg, who is possessed of (be possessed of something 具有 拥有 to own something or have something as a quality: He was possessed of a large fortune, but sadly no brains to speak of. He was possessed of a dazzling 让人目眩神迷的, 让人意乱情迷的, 摄人心魄的 smile and brooding good looks. She was possessed of a voice of rare beauty. Even his friends would admit that he was possessed of an enormous ego. She is possessed of an exceptional talent for capturing the nuances of daily life and turning them into novels of searing honesty. possess I. If you possess something, you have it or own it. He was then arrested and charged with possessing an offensive weapon. He is said to possess a fortune of more than two-and-a-half-thousand million dollars. II. If someone or something possesses a particular quality, ability, or feature, they have it. possess knowledge/qualities/skills 具备知识, 具备技能 Sales managers must possess strong leadership qualities. ...individuals who are deemed to possess the qualities of sense, loyalty and discretion [dɪˈskrɛʃn]. This figure has long been held to possess miraculous power. III. If a feeling or belief possesses you, it strongly influences your thinking or behaviour. Absolute terror possessed her. Tsvetayeva was possessed by a frenzied urge to get out of Moscow. possessed I. If someone is described as being possessed by an evil spirit, it is believed that their mind and body are controlled by an evil spirit. She even claimed the couple's daughter was possessed by the devil. He behaved like someone possessed. II. If someone or something is possessed of a particular quality, ability, or feature, they have that quality, ability, or feature. If someone is possessed of a particular feeling or belief, they have that feeling or belief. He is possessed of the most brilliant talents. She was possessed of a terrifying sensation that the life was being squeezed slowly out of her. what possessed you to do something (what has to break inside your brain for you to do something) 发了什么疯, 中了什么邪, 怎么会? 哪股劲儿, 是什么风? If you ask what possessed someone to do something, you are emphasizing your great surprise that they have done something which you consider foolish or dangerous. (of a wish or an idea) to take control over a person's mind, making that person behave in a very strange way: Whatever possessed him to wear that appalling jacket! What on earth had possessed her to agree to marry him? enter into and control, as of emotions or ideas. (of a desire or an idea) to take control over a person's mind, making that person behave in a strange way: I don't know what possessed me to start yelling like that. What possessed you to buy this house? TBBT4: Sheldon: Mmm, all right. It would appear as if alcohol is playing keep-away with your intelligence. Good night. Please note, it is now past ten p.m. Per our roommate agreement, kindly refrain from raucous laughter, clinking of glasses, and celebratory gunfire. Penny: Okay, explain something to me. You watch Leonard put up with that guy for years and years. What has to break inside your brain for you to think (what possessed you to do something) 中邪, 发疯, 发神经, 脑子坏掉了, 吃了什么药, 中了什么邪, Oh, Krishna, I've got to get me some of that? play-away: Keep Away, also called Monkey in the Middle, Piggy in the Middle, Pickle in a Dish, or Pickle in the Middle, or Monkey, is a children's game in which two or more players must pass a ball to one another, while another player (in the middle) attempts to intercept it. The game could be considered a reverse form of circle dodgeball, because instead of trying to hit people in the middle with the ball, players attempt to keep the ball away from them. The game is played worldwide.) a quick brain and a deep interest in conservative politics, pens a regular column in The Spectator. It would be an error to conflate her views always with those of her spouse, but the glimpses we get of him periodically in her writing are instructive. On social media, he's still lampooned (lampoon ( [læmpuːn] I. If you lampoon someone or something, you criticize them very strongly, using humorous means. He entertained his readers by lampooning the pretensions of the rich. He was lampooned for his short stature and political views. II. A lampoon is a piece of writing or speech which criticizes someone or something very strongly, using humorous means. ...his scathing lampoons of consumer culture. The style Shelley is using here is that of popular lampoon.) for a Facebook blooper in the 2019 election campaign, in which "Angus Taylor MP" commented admiringly on his own post announcing a new commuter car park: "Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus." It seemed fairly clear to any observer familiar with the functioning of electorate offices that the most likely explanation was an inexperienced staffer forgetting to log out of the boss's account and into their own before administering praise. But Taylor — who has since made an effort to embrace the gag, going so far as to produce mugs and stubbie holders featuring the infamous meme — clammed up about the precise circumstances for so long that it began to seem possible that the error was, in fact, his. "No. No, it wasn't," he clarifies. "But that fact that it wasn't is neither here nor there ( neither here nor there 无关紧要的 not important, or not connected with the subject being discussed. If you say that something is neither here nor there, you mean that it does not matter because it is not a relevant point. 'I'd never heard of her before I came here.'—'That is neither here nor there.' Whether or not he realised the fact was neither here nor there. Her age is neither here nor there – the real question is, can she do the job? ). It was my account. I'm accountable for it. And I'm gonna wear it." A fortnight ago, for instance, Clegg wrote an item canvassing the varied responses to One Nation within the Coalition, ranging from party president Abbott's openness to some sort of deal with the resurgent protest party ( resurgent [rɪsɜːʳdʒənt] 又冒出来的, 重新崛起的 adj. You use resurgent to say that something is becoming stronger and more popular after a period when it has been weak and unimportant. increasing again, or becoming popular again: resurgent inflation. Many people were critical of the resurgent militarism in the country. ...the threat from the resurgent nationalist movement. ) to Andrew Hastie's Shakespearean preference to die — if necessary — a bloody death on this political battlefield.  Clegg, in her analysis, is generous about Abbott's response (it derived from "genuine respect" for Hanson, she said), and also about Hastie's ("Given One Nation declared war on him first, that seems a fair response too"). But her description of her husband's response to these twin outliers on his own side is instructive; in her telling, Taylor heard the flights of rhetoric ( "Flights of rhetoric" refers to passages of language that are highly stylized, passionate, and designed to move or persuade an audience. The phrase combines the idea of soaring, elevated language ("flights") with the art of persuasive speaking or writing ("rhetoric"). While powerful, the phrase can sometimes carry a negative connotation in modern political commentary. Critics might dismiss a speech as "mere flights of rhetoric," implying that the speaker is using beautiful, dramatic language to mask a lack of substance, realistic policies, or concrete action. flight noun. I. an occasion when something flies or moves through the air: an eagle in flight. take flight 起飞 a. (of a bird or an aircraft) to leave the ground and begin to fly: He was flapping his arms like a bird taking flight. b. to run away or leave a place:The burglars took flight when the alarm sounded. Suddenly the whole flock of geese took flight (= started flying). Modern missiles are so accurate because their flight is controlled by computer. II. a group of birds, aircraft, etc. flying together: a flight 一群 of geese/swans. III. sports specialized in cricket, the movement of the ball through the air when bowled (= thrown to the batter) by a slow bowler: He deceived the batsman with flight and dip and had him stumped. IV. (an act or example of) escape, running away, or avoiding something: flight from 逃离 They lost all their possessions during their flight from the invading army. put someone to flight 打跑 UK old-fashioned to defeat someone and force them to run away: The rebels were put to flight by the small regiment. V. a set of steps or stairs, usually between two floors of a building: We live up three flights of stairs. VI. a number of different types of wine, beer, etc. for tasting: Wine bar patrons can sample flights of wine. A wine flight is available to accompany the tasting menu at £ 35 per person. flight of fancy 天马行空的想法 an idea that shows a lot of imagination but is not practical: He was talking about cycling across the US or was that just another flight of fancy? the top flight = top-flight I. 顶级的. 高级的. of superior or excellent quality; outstanding. Stellar; excellent; of the highest level of quality or worth. of the highest caliber. We are looking for a top-flight manager for our new division. That restaurant is top-flight—you'll definitely get a good meal there. This is not a case of nepotism—Astrid won the award because her project was top flight. He's a top-flight salesmen. He always exceeds his quotas. II. the highest level in a job or sport: The Sheffield Eagles move down to the second division after two seasons in the top flight.  ), but chose another way. "The always patient Angus did something much less exciting — and very Angus," she wrote. "He reached for the calculator. While thoroughly dismantling Labor's economic management, he observed that One Nation's policies simply did not add up."