用法学习: 1. Carpooling (also known as car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing and covoiturage), is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car. By having more people using one vehicle, carpooling reduces each person's travel costs such as fuel costs, tolls, and the stress of driving. 电影The First Time: A romantic comedy centered on the two high schoolers: Dave, who until now has pined for a girl he can't have, and Aubrey, a creative type who's dating a guy who doesn't quite understand her. bashful I. Shy, self-conscious, and awkward in the presence of others. II. characterized by, showing, or resulting from shyness, self-consciousness, or awkwardness. shy, bashful, diffident, modest, coy, demure: These adjectives mean not forward but marked by a retiring nature, reticence, or a reserve of manner. One who is shy draws back from others, either because of a withdrawn nature or out of timidity: "The poor man was shy and hated society" (George Bernard Shaw). Bashful suggests self-consciousness or awkwardness in the presence of others: "I never laughed, being bashful. /Lowering my head, I looked at the wall" (Ezra Pound). Diffident implies lack of self-confidence: He was too diffident to express his opinion. Modest is associated with an unassertive nature and absence of vanity or pretension: Despite her fame she remained a modest, unassuming person. Coy usually implies feigned, often flirtatious shyness: "yielded with coy submission" (John Milton). Demure( [di'mjuə] adj I. sedate; decorous; reserved. II. affectedly modest or prim; coy.) often denotes an affected shyness or modesty: Her assistant nodded in agreement, flashing a demure smile. shy I. Easily startled; timid. II. a. Drawing back from contact or familiarity with others; retiring or reserved. b. Marked by reserve or diffidence: a shy glance. III. Distrustful; wary: shy of strangers. IV. Not having paid an amount due, as one's ante in poker. V. Short; lacking: Eleven is one shy of a dozen. shy of something having less of something than is needed or expected. The bill was four votes shy of a majority. He was a large man, just shy of six feet tall. short of something I. not having enough of something. I wanted to bake a cake, but I was short of eggs. Usually at the end of the month, I'm short of money. Men, women, and children were forced from their homes and were desperately short of food and water. II. not including something. There has to be some sort of punishment, short of execution. shy away from somebody to avoid someone. She shied away from reporters during her brief visit to this country. I tend to shy away from big guitar solos on records. At first, some
companies shied away from selling merchandise on the Internet, but not
for long. 2. contradiction in terms a statement containing a seeming contradiction. a phrase that is confusing because it contains words that seem to have opposite meanings. A wealthy pauper is a contradiction in terms. A straight-talking politician may seem to be a contradiction in terms. A British summer is a bit of a contradiction in terms. Euro Disney always seems to me a contradiction in terms because Disney is so typically American. speaking/talking out of both sides of your mouth 见人说人话, 见鬼说鬼话, 和什么人说什么话 (American) to say different things about the same subject when you are with different people in order to always please the people you are with. How can we trust any politicians when we know they're speaking out of both sides of their mouths? in glowing terms Fig. using words of praise; using complimentary expressions. The college president described his accomplishments in glowing terms and awarded him with an honorary degree. in no uncertain terms Cliché in very specific and direct language. in no uncertain terms if someone tells you something in no uncertain terms, they say it in a strong and direct way. I was so mad. I told her in no uncertain terms to leave and never come back. I told him in no uncertain terms to stop calling me. We were told in no uncertain terms that dishonesty would not be tolerated. in the long/medium/short term a long, medium, or short time in the future Cuts in company spending now should lead to profits in the long term. In the short term, temporary housing will be provided for all of the flood victims. on good terms (with someone) friendly with someone; able to interact well and be friends with someone. Bill is on good terms with the people he works with. We are not on very good terms and don't speak to each other much. on speaking terms (with someone) on friendly terms with someone. (Often with the negative.) I'm not on speaking terms with Mary. We had a serious disagreement. We're not on speaking terms. She's not on speaking terms with her ex-husband. Jeanette and her mother haven't been on speaking terms since the wedding. 3. sook I. A crybaby, a complainer, a whinger; a shy or timid person, a wimp; a coward. Don′t be such a sook. You're suck a sook. II. (Australia, Atlantic Canada, New Zealand, slang) A sulk or complaint; an act of sulking. I was so upset that I went home and had a sook about it. 4. square I. Approximately rectangular and equilateral in cross section: a square house. II. Characterized by blocklike solidity or sturdiness. III. Honest; direct: a square answer. IV. Just; equitable: a square deal. V. Having all accounts settled; even. VI. Sports Even; tied. VII. Slang Rigidly conventional; dull. Blurred lines Lyric: So hit me up when you passing through, I'll give you something big enough to tear your ass in two, Swag on, even when you dress casual, I mean it's almost unbearable, In a hundred years not dare, would I, Pull a Pharside let you pass me by, Nothing like your last guy, he too square老实, 太正统, 太规矩 for you, He don't smack that ass and pull your hair like that, So I just watch and wait for you to salute. call something square to pronounce a debt or obligation to have been paid, balanced, or ended. Thanks for the hundred bucks. I think we can call it square now. square (meal) a good and nutritious meal. (Always with quantifier when square is used without meal.) I need three squares a day—at least. The old beggar looks like he could use a square meal. three squares (a day) three nourishing meals a day. (With breakfast, lunch, and dinner considered the usual three meals.) I was glad to get back home to three squares. If I could limit myself to three squares, I could lose some weight. square someone away 安置好, 安顿好, 安顿下来 to get someone or something arranged or properly taken care of. See if you can square Bob away in his new office. When you are squared away, come back and we'll talk. square something off 扯平 to make something square; to trim something until it is square. You will have to square this corner off a bit so it will match the part it will be attached to. Please square off this corner. square something up to cause something to have right angles. Please square the door frames up better before you nail them in. Can you square up this box a little better? square something with someone to make certain that something is approved by a particular person. I am sure I can square this matter with Sally. Sam intended to square everything with Henry when he had time. square up (for fighting) to get ready for an argument or a fight. John was angry and appeared to be squaring up for a fight. When those two square up, everyone gets out of the way. square up to someone or something to face someone or something bravely; to tackle someone or something. You'll have to square up to the bully or he'll make your life miserable. It's time to square up to your financial problems. You can't just ignore them. square up with someone 算账, 结账 to pay someone what one owes; to pay one's share of something to someone. I'll square up with you later if you pay the whole bill now. Bob said he would square up with Tom for his share of the gas. square your shoulders to show determination and a lack of fear When the judge asked her if she was guilty or not guilty, she squared her shoulders, looked the judge in the eye, and said, "Not guilty.". square the circle to solve an unusually difficult problem To get both sides to agree to anything at all meant we had to square the circle. Etymology: from the problem in geometry (a branch of mathematics) of constructing a square that is equal in area to a circle.
摆脱, 甩脱: shake I. 动摇. To cause to lose stability or waver: a crisis that shook my deepest beliefs. shake the foundations of something to cause a person or organization to question the truth of something it strongly believed. For a time his grief over his son's death shook the foundations of his religious faith. II. 摇落. To remove or dislodge by jerky movements: shook the dust from the cushions. III. a. To bring to a specified condition by or as if by shaking: "It is not easy to shake one's heart free of the impression" (John Middleton Murry). b. Slang 摆脱. 甩掉 To get rid of: couldn't shake the man who was following us. IV. To disturb or agitate; unnerve: She was shaken by the news of the disaster. V. To brandish or wave, especially in anger: shake one's fist. shake off break away from , cast off , extricate oneself. He slipped his pursuers. Shake
off one's tail 摆脱追踪 comes from detective slang: to tail someone is to follow
him (usually surreptitiously); the tail is the person who follows. To
shake off the tail is to evade the follower. give (someone) the shake/slip Slang 逃脱. 摆脱, 甩掉, 甩脱. To escape from or get rid of: We managed to give our pursuers the shake. give somebody the slip (informal) to escape from someone who is with you, following you, or watching you. Reporters kept trying to follow the agents, and the agents drove in circles trying to give them the slip. There was a man following me when I left the office, but I gave him the slip on the crowded main street. let something slip through your fingers 逃不出五指山, 指缝间溜走 I. to waste an opportunity to achieve something. This is my big chance to make a career in journalism and I can't let it slip through my fingers. Usage notes: sometimes used without let: He has seen the world championship slip through his fingers白白溜走, 眼睁睁错过 twice. II. to fail to get or keep something. The team lost one of their star players to Seattle last year, and didn't want to let another slip through their fingers. let something slide/slip by I. Lit to permit something to move quickly by oneself. He let the ball slip by and he knew he had better get the next one. The careless cashier let the leaky milk carton slide by. II. Fig. to forget or miss an important time or date. I'm sorry I just let your birthday slip by. I let it slide by accidentally. slip between the cracks Fig. [for someone or something] to be forgotten or neglected. (Fig. on something being lost by falling between floorboards.) Where is Alice? I guess we neglected her and she slipped between the cracks, This issue seems to have slipped between the cracks and become forgotten. III. Fig. to waste a period of time. You wasted the whole day by letting it slip by. We were having fun, and we let the time slide by. let the chance slip by让机会溜走, 让机遇溜走 Fig. to lose the opportunity (to do something). When I was younger, I wanted to become a doctor, but I let the chance slip by. Don't let the chance slip by. Do it now! let something slip (out) 顺嘴说出, 说顺嘴了, 说漏嘴了 Fig. to reveal a secret carelessly or by accident. to say something that you did not intend to say because you wanted to keep it secret. Pam let slip an interesting bit of gossip yesterday. (often + that ) Stupidly, I let it slip that they'd decided not to give him the job. I didn't let it slip out on purpose. It was an accident. John let the plans slip when he was talking to Bill. a pink slip (American) a letter from your employer which tells you that you do not have a job any more It was Christmas time when Miller got his pink slip from the company. slip one/sth over (on someone or something) to deceive someone. Are you trying to slip something over on me? I think he tried to slip one over on me. no great shakes Slang Unexceptional; ordinary. someone or something that is not very good. (There is no affirmative version of this.) Your idea is no great shakes, but we'll try it anyway. Ted is no great shakes when it comes to brains. shake (another's) tree Slang To arouse to action or reaction; disturb: He really shook Hollywood's tree. "[He] so shook Hollywood's tree that . . . all manner of . . . people called me unsolicited to itemize ( to put on a list or make a list of ) his mistakes or praise his courage" (Tina Brown). more someone or something than one can shake a stick at Slang too many to count. a very large number of something. There
were more snakes than you could shake a stick at. There are lots of
flowers in the field—more than one can shake a stick at. Let's shake on it. Let us mark this agreement by shaking hands on it. Bob:
Do you agree? Mary: I agree. Let's shake on it. Bob: Okay. Bill: Good
idea. Sounds fine. Bob (extending his hand): Okay, let's shake on it.
Bill (shaking hands with Bob): Great! shake a disease/illness off Fig. [for the body] to fight off a disease or illness. I thought I was catching a cold, but I guess I shook it off. I hope I can shake off this flu pretty soon. shake down somebody I. to blackmail someone. (Underworld.) Fred
was trying to shake Jane down, but she got the cops in on it. The
police chief was trying to shake down just about everybody in town. II. to put pressure on someone to lend one money. We tried to shake down Max for a few hundred, but no deal. If you're trying to shake me down, forget it. I have no cash.
VMAS 2013: Miley Cyrus uses foam hand泡沫塑料手 as sexual prop, Justin Timberlake reunites with *NSYNC at MTV Video Awards. Lady Gaga kicks off the festivities, while Katy Perry, Kanye West among the other musical stars on hand for the show; Macklemore & Lewis take early lead with two awards. Brooklyn is enjoying a starring role at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. Not only do the VMAs, at the Barclays Center, serve as the first major awards show ever beamed from the borough - its stars, from Lady Gaga to Robin Thicke to Miley Cyrus, walked the red carpet past the iconic brownstones ( Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house (rowhouse) clad in this material. ) of the neighborhood and through a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge. Even the house ads had a local flavor, featuring the Bedford Avenue subway stop in Williamsburg and the grittier ( gritty ['griti] I. 沙砾的. Containing, covered with, or resembling grit. II. Showing resolution and fortitude; plucky: a gritty decision. get down to the nitty-gritty to get down to the basic facts. the most basic and important facts of something. We didn't actually get down to the nitty-gritty (= start to talk about the most important facts) until half way through the meeting. Stop messing around and get down to the nitty-gritty. If we could only get down to the nitty-gritty and stop wasting time. grit one's teeth 紧咬牙关, 咬紧牙关 Fig. to grind or clench one's teeth together in anger or determination. I was so mad, all I could do was stand there and grit my teeth. All through the race, Sally was gritting her teeth. She was really determined.) Brooklyn streets. The setting has no shortage of competition for attention this starry night. During its two-hour-plus-expanse(expanse [ikˈspæns] n I. an uninterrupted surface of something that spreads or extends, esp over a wide area; stretch. an expanse of water. II. expansion or extension.), the loud and proud show is skimming the cream of ( skim something off (of) something and skim something off I. Lit. 撇去. to scoop something off the surface of something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) The cook skimmed the fat off the stew. The cook skimmed off the fat. II. 去芜存菁. 挑去精英. 掐尖. Fig. to remove a portion of something of value, such as money, from an account. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) to take the best part of. the teacher skimmed off the able pupils for his class. The auditor was skimming a few dollars a day off the bank's cash flow. Kelly skimmed off a few dollars each day. Cream skimming 掐尖 is a pejorative conceptual metaphor used to refer to the perceived business practice of a company providing a product or a service to only the high-value or low-cost customers 优质客户 of that product or service. The term derives from the practice of extracting cream from fresh milk at a dairy, in which a separator draws off the cream (which is lighter, and floats) from fresh or raw milk. The cream has now been "skimmed" or captured separately from the fresh milk. The idea behind the concept of cream skimming in business is that the "cream" - high value or low-cost customers, who are more profitable to serve - would be captured by some suppliers (typically by charging less than the previous higher prices, but still making a profit), leaving the more expensive or harder to service customers without the desired product or service at all or "dumping" them on some default provider, who is left with less of the higher value customers whom, in some cases, would have provided extra revenue to subsidize or reduce the cost to service the higher-cost customers, and the loss of the higher value customers might actually require the default provider to have to raise prices to cover the lost revenue, thus making things worse. Whether or not the perceived negative effects of cream skimming actually do occur - or only occur in limited circumstances - is a matter of judgment and debate.) today's pop brand names, which kicked off with a highly theatrical performance from Gaga of her new single, "Applause." It serves as a tease for her upcoming album, "ARTPOP," out Nov. 11th. It's Gaga's first live display since undergoing hip surgery earlier this year. Appearing during the pre-show, Gaga revealed a brand new look, defined by a pitch-black ball gown with a tight train that made her look like a lost cousin to (separated at birth ) Morticia Adams. It took less than 20 minutes into the ceremony for the first real shocking moment of the evening, when Miley Cyrus stripped out of an already risque furry un piece into a plastic bikni for a duet with Robin Thicke on his hit, "Blurred Lines." At one point the former Disney star even gyrated 陀螺似的旋转, 回旋( [dʒi'reit, dʒai-] I. To revolve around a fixed point or axis. II. To move in spiral or spirallike course. III To oscillate or vary, especially in a repetitious pattern: Stock prices gyrated around last week's high. A gyroscope 螺旋仪, 陀螺仪 ( =gyro, gyrostate ['dʒairə,skəup]) is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum.[1] Mechanically, a gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disc in which the axle is free to assume any orientation. Although this orientation does not remain fixed, it changes in response to an external torque much less and in a different direction than it would without the large angular momentum associated with the disc's high rate of spin and moment of inertia. The device's orientation remains nearly fixed, regardless of the mounting platform's motion, because mounting the device in a gimbal minimizes external torque. A top 陀螺 (also called spinning top or spintop) is a toy designed to be spun rapidly on the ground, the motion of which causes it to remain precisely balanced on its tip because of inertia惯性. Such toys have existed since antiquity. Traditionally tops were constructed of wood, sometimes with an iron tip, and would be set in motion by aid of a string or rope coiled around its axis which, when pulled quickly, caused a rapid unwinding that would set the top in motion. Today they are often built of plastic, and modern materials and manufacturing processes allows tops to be constructed with such precise balance that they can be set in motion by a simple twirl of the wrist without need for string or rope. ) provacatively on a foam We're No. 1 hand. Kayne West was all business on ( be all business 没有任何花哨的东西, 不说废话, 直接开唱, no gimmick. 直奔主题, 直奔重点 When you describe a person as "all business" in English, it usually means they only think about work, they don't play around, they are totally serious about what they are doing. As Pirlo said "straight to the point". Eg. Jane is all business. You can trust her to do the job properly. Steel is strong. Steel is precise. Steel is beautiful. Steel is all business. ) his "Blood on the Leaves" which was punctuated by a rat-tat-tat of beeps to censor all the f-bombs in the bridge from the ears of impressionable ( impressionable I. Readily or easily influenced; suggestible. easily influenced or characterized by susceptibility to influence. an impressionable, child an impressionable age. impressionable young people. II. Capable of receiving an impression; plastic: impressionable plaster.) TV viewers. The Moonman for Best Female Video went to Taylor Swift for "Trouble," who dedicated the win to the cad ( cad [kæd] 不绅士的人, 不是男人, 不是男子汉, 不够男子汉大丈夫. n. Brit informal; old-fashioned a man who does not behave in a gentlemanly manner towards others. A man whose behavior is unprincipled or dishonorable.) who broke her heart and inspired the breakup tune. Macklemore and Lewisk's gay-rights anthem "Same Love" won a special award for Social Message Video. "It's a testament to ( I. 明证. Something that serves as tangible proof or evidence, a proof, attestation, or tribute: his success was a testament to his skills. The spacious plan of the city is a testament to the foresight of its founders. II. A statement of belief; a credo: my political testament. last will and testament 最终遗愿 a will; the last edition of someone's will. The lawyer read Uncle Charles's last will and testament to a group of expectant relatives. Fred dictated his last will and testament on his deathbed.) what is happening right now in America on the forefront of equality(at/in the forefront (of something) 站在前列的人, 先锋, 走在前列, 走在前沿 Fig. at the place of greatest activity; vital or important to some activity. I interviewed Max Brown, the director who is in the forefront of the movie industry. The university I go to is at the forefront of computer technology. forefront = foreground The position of most importance, prominence, or responsibility; the vanguard: in the forefront of the liberation movement. Notes: The correct phrase using 'forefront', meaning 'in front' or 'at the front of' is 'at the forefront', as in, 'They were at the forefront of technology in this field', or 'They are considered to be at the forefront of services to the homeless'. Also correct is 'in the forefront', as in, 'Their family was in the forefront of the rebellion', or 'The house was in the forefront of the painting'. You could also bring something 'to the forefront', as in, 'Recent events have brought these issues to the forefront of international debate.')," Professor Macklemore told the crowd. Justin Timberlake received the Michael Jackson "Video Vanguard Award," a body-of-work prize ( body of work: the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it); the total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it). BODY OF WORK used as a noun is very rare. "he studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre"; "Picasso's work can be divided into periods". oeuvre [œvrə] I. a work of art, literature, music, etc. II. the total output of a writer, painter, etc. 终身成就奖 lifetime achievement award. Grammy for lifetime achievement. ) bestowed upon him by his periodic ( periodic [,piəri'odik] adj I. happening or recurring at intervals; intermittent. periodic定期的, sporadic, intermittent, occasional, fitful. II. of, relating to, or resembling a period. Usage Note: In technical use, periodic means "at regular or predictable intervals," as in the Periodic Table of the Elements. Often, however, periodic is used to mean "occasional, intermittent." This usage can be confusing for readers who are accustomed to the narrower sense of the word. Thus the writer who says Parker's losses at the track were not covered by his periodic wins invites the (most likely unintended) inference that Parker has a system that enables him to win at regular intervals. The ambiguity can be avoided here by using occasional instead. ) comedy partner, Jimmy Fallon. "Half of the Moonman I ever won has been with those four guys," he said pointing towards his former bandmates. "I'll keep it at my house, but I share it with those guys." But before he accepted his statuette, Timberlake showed why he deserved it, reuniting with his NSYNC bandmates for a special performance after a lengthy medley of his solo hits. One surprise happened early on: The girl-group Dannity Kane - who'd been formed by P.Diddy - announced their reunion, taking a slight dig at ( take a dig/jab at someone; take digs at someone Fig. to insult or pester someone. to insult someone when other people are already saying negative things. Why did you take a jab at Sam? You're always taking digs at people who think they're your friends. Jane is always taking digs at Bob, but she never really means any harm. Mom: Son, you are too lazy. You must study harder. Dad: Yes son, if you don't study, you won't get a good job. You also need to clean your room more. You are so messy! Son: Okay. Don't take a dig at me! Leave me alone! Employee 1: Our boss is always late for meetings. That bothers me. Employee 2: Yeah and the meetings are always too long. He should make them shorter. Employee 3: And he should stop wearing those ugly ties. Employee 2: There's no reason to be taking a dig at the boss. My ex-girlfriend took a dig at me when she told my new girlfriend that I was lazy and unmotivated. I'll get my revenge, one day. ) their mentor. "We're on our own terms 靠自己 this time," one member said. Also, Daft Punk, who hadn't been set to appear, made a surprise appearance. Timberlake and Macklemore & Lewis dominated the nominations, commanding six each. Mars, Cyrus and Thicke commanded four apiece( apiece adv. To or for each one; each. (postpositive) for, to, or from each one. they were given two apples apiece. There is enough bread for everyone to have two slices apiece. ), while P!nk and Thirty Seconds to Mars (the rock band fronted by actor Jered Leto) each had three bids. The staging of the show at Barclays didn't fail to impress, including a 60-foot blow-up放大 of the famed Moonman prize. It was redesigned this year in a one-time only edition by the Brooklyn artist KAWS. With X's on its eyes, and larger than usual ears, it looked like a gigantic, drunk Mickey Mouse. This year's show didn't feature a host. The awards to be given out颁发 Sunday featured a new category this year, "Song of the Summer," voted on by fans, via social media, during the show. Yet, the most coveted prize remained the "Video of the Year" title. While MTV itself hardly ever shows videos anymore, music clips get great exposure these days through outlets like YouTube. In fact, they're now more pervasive than they were in their supposed heyday黄金时期, 颠峰时期. 其他报道: Miley, who earlier pleased her smilers by revealing the pink neon and '80s–inspired cover to her upcoming Bangerz album, had promised that she was out to pull off "the best VMA performance of all time" and that she was plotting a stunt to top the infamous moment when Madonna and Britney Spears puckered up ( pucker up I. Lit. to tighten one's lips together into a circle as if to kiss. He puckered up and kissed her once, and then again. II. Fig. 缩水. 起皱. [for something] to shrink up and get wrinkled. The material puckered up when I washed it. The top edge of the drapes puckered up and I don't know how to straighten it out抹平, 弄平. pucker something up to cause something to wrinkle up, especially the edges of the mouth, as when tasting something very sour. She puckered her lips up and pouted for a while. She puckered up her lips when she tasted the lemon juice. ) onstage. She bombarded the stage with an army of Boo bears and booty dancers and ripped through a rendition of "We Can't Stop," which was triple-nominated for awards on Sunday night (August 25). Miley embraced her role as the new twerk ( Twerking is a dance move that involves a person shaking the hips in an up-and-down bouncing motion, causing the dancer to shake, "wobble" and "jiggle." To "twerk" means to "dance in a sexually suggestive fashion by twisting the hips." The word "twerking" is of uncertain origin. Possibilities include: a contraction of "footwork", or a portmanteau of twist and jerk. ) queen as she stripped off 撕开 her bear-emblazoned leotard to cavort with ( cavort [kə'vɔ:t] I. To bound or prance about in a sprightly manner; caper. II. To have lively or boisterous fun; romp: The children cavorted in the water, splashing and ducking each other. ) Robin Thicke for a performance of the singer's Pharrell Williams-produced mega-hit "Blurred Lines," which is in the running for Video of the Year. With Thicke clad in a black-and-white-striped suit, Miley gave him an up close and personal private twerk show as the song climaxed. 表演的评论: Why is she making herself look like a cheap piece of trailer trash( White trash is a derogatory American English term referring to poor white people, especially in the rural South of the US, suggesting lower social class and degraded standards. The term suggests outcasts from respectable society living on the fringes of the social order who are seen as dangerous because they may be criminal, unpredictable, and without respect for authority whether it be political, legal, or moral. The term is usually a slur, but may also be used self-referentially by whites to jokingly describe their origins. Trailer trash (or trailer park trash) is a derogatory North American English term for poor people living in trailers or mobile homes, and especially people who live in trailer parks. It is particularly used with regard to white people living in such circumstances and can be considered to fall within the category of racial slurs.)? I'm sure none of her fans respect her anymore. I was expecting something way worse, but as usual it's just garden variety (garden-variety 普普通通的, 稀松平常的 (American & Australian) very ordinary (always before noun). Common; unremarkable: situation comedies and other garden-variety television fare. It's just a garden-variety shopping mall, large but not special in any way. ) fucking self-righteous ( 自以为是的, 自以为了不起的, 自以为自己很神圣的. 自以为高尚的. I. Piously sure of one's own righteousness; moralistic. having or showing an exaggerated awareness of one's own virtuousness or rights. confident of one's own righteousness, esp. when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others. II. Exhibiting pious self-assurance: self-righteous remarks. moralistic I. Characterized by or displaying a concern with morality. 说教的. 教训的. II. Marked by a narrow-minded morality. ) losers' puritanism( puritan 清教徒 ['pjuəritən] n. a person who adheres to strict moral or religious principles, esp one opposed to luxury and sensual enjoyment. puritanism I. The practices and doctrines of the Puritans. II. puritanism Scrupulous moral rigor, especially hostility to social pleasures and indulgences: "Puritanism is the source of our greatest hypocrisies and most crippling illusions" (Molly Haskell).). I
just watched the Blurred Lines video, heard the tune for the first
time, and noted the rip off ( A ripoff (or rip-off) is a bad financial transaction. Usually it refers to an incident in which a person overpays for something. A ripoff is distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as fraud; whether or not something is a ripoff, on the other hand, is a matter of opinion. In a related meaning, a ripoff 抄袭, 模仿 is a blatant or unscrupulous copy or imitation. This is also known as a knockoff. In both senses there is an associated verb "to rip off", but the location of the preposition differs between the two meanings: In one of his stand up comedy routines, Dennis Miller jokes about seeing an ad in the National Inquirer: "Learn how to avoid ripoffs - send $5.". lift I. Informal To steal; pilfer: A thief lifted my wallet. II. Informal To copy from something already published; plagiarize: lifted whole paragraphs from the encyclopedia. The line could have been lifted from a Woody Allen film. rip something off to tear something away from someone or something. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) [for something] to tear or peel off. My pocket ripped off, and my money is gone now! A piece of the bumper ripped off my car. I ripped the cover off of the book accidentally. I ripped off the book cover. rip off somebody I. to cheat or deceive someone. If your kids lie to you, you feel emotionally ripped off. She offers advice on how you can keep restaurants from ripping you off. II. to steal from someone. He admitted he had ripped off a drug smuggler and blown up his boat. I have a great idea for a book, but I don't want the publisher to rip me off. "剽窃, 盗版, 抄袭"的同义词: steal, take, copy,
appropriate, nick (slang, chiefly Brit.), pocket, trouser (slang), pinch
(informal), pirate, cabbage (Brit. slang), knock off (slang), crib
(informal), half-inch (old-fashioned slang), blag (slang), pilfer,
purloin, plagiarize, thieve. lift. knock something off I. to manufacture or make something, especially in haste. I'll see if I can knock another one off before lunch. They knocked off four window frames in an hour. II. 砍价. to knock off some amount from the price of something, lowering its price. The store manager knocked 30 percent off the price of the coat. Can't you knock something off on this damaged item? III. 剽窃. 抄袭. to copy or reproduce a product. The manufacturer knocked off a famous designer's coat. They are well known for knocking off cheap versions of expensive watches. IV. 撞掉. 碰掉. knock something off (of) someone or sth to remove something from someone or something by striking. (Of is usually retained before pronouns.) I knocked the hard hat off of Wally when I hit him accidentally with the ladder. My elbow knocked off the book. knock off (doing something) to stop doing something. Knock off shoveling snow now, and come in for a hot drink. I wish he would knock off practicing for a while. knock off (work) to quit work, for the day or for a break. What time do you knock off work? I knock off about five-thirty. knock somebody off their perch (British & Australian) to make someone fail or lose their leading position. Will Rovers win the European Cup and knock United off their perch? knock somebody off their feet = blow somebody away to cause someone great pleasure or surprise . Here's a film that knocks you off your feet with its first images. He was knocked off his feet when he heard those rumors. blow someone's mind I. Sl. to disturb or distract; to destroy the function of one's brain. It was a terrible experience. It nearly blew my mind. She blew her mind on drugs. II. Sl. to overwhelm someone; to excite someone. It was so beautiful, it nearly blew my mind. The loud guitar music was so wild. It blew my mind. crib I. (tr) to put or enclose in or as if in a crib; furnish with a crib. II. (tr) Informal to steal (another's writings or thoughts). III. (intr) Informal to copy either from a crib or from someone else during a lesson or examination. IV. (tr) to line (a construction hole) with timber beams, logs, or planks. V. (intr) Informal to grumble. crib something from someone or something to cheat by copying something from someone or something. It appears that you cribbed this directly from the person sitting next to you. take a page/leaf from someone's book Fig. to behave or to do something in a way that someone else would. When you act like that, you're taking a leaf out of your sister's book, and I don't like it! You had better do it your way. Don't take a leaf out of my book. I don't do it well. ) immediately. I couldn't believe how obvious
it was. From the commentary on the vid, no one seemed to be aware of the
lift. But then I came here and was grateful I wasn't the only one old
enough/aware of the obvious. Although he switched up
his style for Blurred Lines and some people don't really care for it I
know he has way more records like this and his countless other jams up
his sleeve ( jam something up I. to clog up something; to impede or block the movement of or through something. Rachel jammed traffic up when her car stalled. All the leaves and branches jammed up the sewer. II. Fig. to force something upwards in haste or anger. to thrust something up something. She poked the broom handle up the chimney, hoping to force the bird to fly out. She jammed it up a few times, but it had no effect. Who jammed the window up? Wally jammed up the window and nearly broke it. roll one's sleeves up I. Lit. to turn one's sleeves upward, exposing the arms. He rolled his sleeves up and began to wash the dishes. Don rolled up his sleeves so he would be cooler. II. Fig. to prepare to get to work. Let's roll our sleeves up and get this job done! Jane rolled up her sleeves and got to work. roll/trip off the tongue if a word or phrase trips off the tongue, it is very easy to say. The band is called 'Acquired Echoes'. It doesn't exactly trip off the tongue, does it? ). I believe in you Robin. 这次表演继续发酵: The singer's raunchy performance with Robin Thicke to hit Blurred lines was beamed around the world on Sunday. Sources claim it was somewhat embarrassing to the talented young Australian actor whose career is taking off 职业上升期 in the U.S. The former Hannah Montana star has shed 褪掉, 甩掉 her girl next door image褪掉邻家女孩的形象 and has taken the path of good girl gone bad path and 'twerks' wherever she can in skimpy clothes. Liam did not attend the music ceremony at the Barclay's Center but has been drawn in the furore surrounding his fiancée's wild antics ( antics ['æntiks] pl n. 怪异行径. absurd or grotesque acts or postures. antic ['æntik] I. A ludicrous or extravagant act or gesture; a caper. II. Archaic A buffoon, especially a performing clown. antique [æn'ti:k] n. a decorative object, piece of furniture, or other work of art created in an earlier period, that is collected and valued for its beauty, workmanship, and age. an antique shop. antique furniture. adj. Informal old-fashioned; out-of-date. archaic (ɑ:ˈkeiik) I. belonging to or characteristic of a much earlier period; ancient. II. out of date; antiquated: an archaic prison system. ) on and off the stage. According to website Radar Online, friends of the Australian actor are worried that Miley's inappropriate actions will have a negative effect on his flourishing career. One unnamed friend told gossip site: 'Liam really does care about Miley, but her racy new look色女形象 and sort of ghetto attitude( Being loud overly obnoxious and rude. This has NOTHING to do with race, trust me I live in a majority white area and there is a lot of trashy "ghetto" white people there. I'm white myself. A ghetto attitude is when someone acts like low-rent housing. Dressing ghetto is dressing like low-rent housing, complete with roaches. Ghetto to me means the kids on the subway who scream everything they wish to express. It's saying things like, "Baby Daddy," and "Holla" or the oh so two years ago, "Snap." People in the ghetto do not seem to appreciate being, "Dissed ( diss 鄙视 = belittle = to show disrespect for. To show disrespect to, often by insult or criticism. To put (someone) down, or show disrespect by the use of insulting language or dismissive behaviour: "[The network] is often dissed for going after older, less demographically desirable viewers" (Michael McWilliams). )," or "Disrespected," either. There are many MacDonalds restaurants in the ghetto, or in my neighborhood, which consists mostly of Dominican people, there are a lot of chicken and rice buffets. ATMs in the ghetto do not seem to stock pens or deposit envelopes as heartily as in non-ghetto areas, though I realize there are exceptions to this. Women in the ghetto wear clothes that are sized significantly smaller than their body types, and their fingernails are kept impractically long and are often painted with pictures. The ghetto attitude seems to be one of extreme defensiveness, thus the constant fear of being show disrespect. It is an interesting place and state of mind.) isn't exactly what he signed up for.' The source also added: 'It's not just Liam that Miley is pushing away…his entire team is urging him to part ways with her because she's nothing but negative for his reputation and career.' This is not the first time the pair have faced trouble in couple's paradise. However when Miley is asked about the status of their relationship, in a numerous of interviews she always insists that couple are dead set on getting married(dead set against/on someone or something totally opposed to someone or something. I'm dead set against the new tax proposal. Everyone is dead set against the mayor. She wanted to move to Los Angeles but her parents were dead set against it. dead set on 打定主意, 坚定无疑的, 坚决的 determined to do. Bert, then fifteen and dead set on becoming a fisherman, might nevertheless be able to lend a hand now… Matthew is dead set on keeping the house. If you really are dead set on staying to help, there is something you could do. ). 关于剽窃官司: Billboard has learned that Robin Thicke's team offered a six-figure sum to members of Marvin Gaye family in order to preempt a copyright infringement showdown, but the family turned it down. According to sources knowledgeable 知晓的 with the lawsuit, the settlement offer came after Gaye's family accused Thicke's "Blurred Lines" hit single of plagiarizing ( plagiarize, plagiarise ['pleidʒə,raiz] ) "Got To Give it Up," written and composed by Marvin Gaye, who died in 1984. In an interview with TMZ, Gaye's son, Marvin Gaye III said, "We're not happy with the way that he went about doing business let alone suing us for something where he clearly got his inspiration from at the least." During an interview with GQ magazine in May about his career and the making of "Blurred Lines," Thicke said, "one of my favorite songs of all time was Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up.' I was like, 'Damn, we should make something like that, something with that groove( n. I. A long narrow furrow or channel. II. The spiral track cut into a phonograph record for the stylus to follow. III. Slang A settled routine. a fixed routine. to get into a groove. got into the groove of a nine-to-five job. IV. Slang A situation or an activity that one enjoys or to which one is especially well suited: found his groove playing bass in a trio. V. Slang A very pleasurable experience. v. Slang I. a. To take great pleasure or satisfaction; enjoy oneself: just sitting around, grooving on the music. b. To be affected with pleasurable excitement. II. To react or interact harmoniously. in the groove Slang Performing exceptionally well. ).' Then he started playing a little something and we literally wrote the song in about a half hour and recorded it. The whole thing was done in a couple hours." In this key area of melodic content, there doesn't appear to be evidence that would suggest plagiarism on the part of Robin Thicke." When I first heard Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," my reaction was the same as millions of other R&B fans: "Hey, that's Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up.'" Thicke and company not only copped Gaye's distinct bass line, but the defining funk of the cowbell accents. I wasn't entirely surprised, since some years earlier Thicke's "Love After War" was a virtual lift of Marvin's "After the Dance" – just as his "Million Dolla Baby" shamelessly copied Gaye's "Trouble Man." The list of Marvin's musical children is long: R. Kelly, Maxwell, Usher, John Legend, Miguel, just to name a few. Marvin has become to soul singers what John Coltrane became to saxophonists: the undisputed master无可争议的大师. Yet the vast majority of those singers – with Thicke standing as the most recent example – are so eager to emulate Marvin's lush sensuality that they miss the single ingredient that lends Marvin's artistry its spiritual power: his nuanced sense of autobiographical storytelling. Take "Got to Give It Up." Like "Blurred Lines," it was an across-the-board Number One hit. Marvin wrote it in 1976 at the height of the disco craze. Rather than follow the craze, he fought the craze, crafting an idiosyncratic groove( idiosyncratic [,idiəusiŋ'krætik] adj. of or relating to idiosyncrasy; characteristic of a specific person. ) completely foreign from the four-on-the-floor beat that typified disco. Even more radical was the story he told on top of the beat – a tale of a man, much like Marvin, who's deadly afraid of dancing. Gaye paints the portrait of a wallflower墙角小花 "too nervous to really get down," a shy guy whose "body yearned to be free." The song becomes a vehicle to face his fear. And the infectious groove allows him to overcome the fear. Marvin's message is all about vulnerability and uncertainty. He uses the music to express his human frailty. That's why we love him so much. He's not afraid to say that he's afraid. So the song becomes a journey and the groove becomes a kind of prayer that allows him to move from trepidation to a triumphant conclusion – "Now I've gotten myself together, baby!". Yet even his triumph veers sharply from the usual boy-woos-and-wins-the-girl scenario. In Marvin's story, the woman is the aggressor. Too shy to pursue her, his hope is that she'll come after him. "I know what you're thinking," he sings, "You wanna turn me out . . . and I'm gonna let you." The fear of dancing becomes a metaphor for the fear of sex. Overcoming that fear requires not only the aid of the voluptuous groove, but a woman willing to lead the way(lead the way 领先, 带头, 带路 to lead (someone) along the proper pathway. You lead the way, and we'll follow. I feel better when you're leading the way. I get lost easily. lead the way (somewhere) to go first to show how to get somewhere. Joseph led the way to the nearest corner, away from the crowd of people. lead the way I. to be the best. That research group leads the way in developing new software. II. to be the most popular. For women, a natural look in hairstyles led the way this spring. ). In telling his truth, Marvin rips off the mask of machismo and allows us to see his fragile heart. In contrast, Thicke never removes that mask. "Blurred Lines" is all swag. The tired old "I know you want it" motif deadens any sense of subtlety or surprise. In the silly video, Thicke pushes the macho posture to the point of broadcasting, in huge letters above the topless dancers, his claim of being well-endowed. Robin might want to revisit Gaye's "Ego Tripping Out," written a couple of years after "Got To Give It Up." It's another journey song, beginning in self-absorption and ending in a cry for God. At the story's conclusion, we realize that Marvin has spoofed his own narcissism and come to see megalomania as a cold and cruel prison. Great artists like Marvin Gaye understand that irony and emotional complexity are necessary tools for making deep, enduring art. Marvin used music to figure out who he was and who he wanted to be. It was a lot more than a sexy groove; it was riding that groove to search within内心搜索 for a truth that's as confusing as it elusive. Miley Cyrus的We can't stop其他表演引起的评论: Daily Mail wrote she "danced suggestively with her female back up dancing. She shamelessly flaunted her physique and groped and grinded with a series of backing dancers as she tried to push her raunchy new image." Popdust described the performance as "exciting" and noted she had "pipes"有两下子, 有两把刷子( pipes Informal The vocal cords; the voice, especially as used in singing. set of pipes Fig. a very loud voice; a good singing voice. She has a nice set of pipes. With a set of pipes like that, she's a winner. ). PopCrush said that the singer "got raunchy" and that "she did bump and grind with her dancers in sultry, not-PG 少儿不宜的 fashion. We'll give it to her — the girl knows how to entertain when on stage." An article published in The Hollywood Reporter described the performance as "crass" and "reminiscent of a bad acid trip(A "psychedelic 引起幻觉的, 迷幻的, 产生迷幻效果的 experience (psychedelic = psychodelic [,saiki'dɛlik])" is an altered state of awareness induced by the consumption of certain psychotropics, holotropic breathwork, or sensory deprivation.)". Media attention of the performance largely overshadowed the attention that was given to other major events of the night, such as the reunion of 'N Sync and performances by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Cyrus' performance was described by XXL critic B. J. Steiner as a "trainwreck in the classic sense of the word as the audience reaction seemed to be a mix of confusion, dismay and horror in a cocktail of embarrassment", while the BBC said she stole the show with a "raunchy performance".
