用法学习: 1. camaraderie 兄弟情谊, 同志情谊 [ˌkom(ə)ˈrɑdəri] mutual trust and friendship among people who spend a lot of time together. "the enforced camaraderie of office life". 体育兄弟: THE Burgess brothers are all hot property 热门货, 抢手货 on the sporting field( hot property Stolen goods. A "hot property" is one that many people want to buy. It is highly desirable. A person who is a "hot property" is one that is at the peak of his career. An actor who is a hot property, for example, would be one that is highly sought after and well paid. hot check (US, Texas) A check with non-sufficient funds (not enough money in the bank to back it up), written fraudulently. And you don't go writing hot checks down in Mississippi. (check with insufficient funds, written fraudulently): bad check, bounced check, rubber check. Lost property 丢失财物 consists of things that people have lost or accidentally left in a public place, for example on a train or in a school. Lost property should be handed to the driver.) but despite their profiles, their wage differences mean they are buying up 购入, 入手 very different homes. While one brother lives in a modest Sydney unit, another has splashed out on a Maroubra mansion. snatch victory from the jaws of defeat 虎口夺食 (idiomatic) To suddenly win a contest when it appears that loss is a foregone conclusion 已成定局, to succeed in an endeavor through reversal of fortune, skill, effort, or good judgment. If someone snatches victory from the jaws of defeat, they win when it seems that they are certain to lose. If someone snatches defeat from the jaws of victory, they lose when it seems that they are certain to win. The good news in the economy is concentrated in areas vital to the tax take, whereas the bad news is in areas of secondary concern, thereby allowing the budget to snatch rising revenues from the jaws of a weakening economy. Etymology: The first recorded use of the phrase discovered to date is an article criticizing Representative James Seddon of Virginia for claiming that a regiment in the Mexican-American war had "snatched victory from the jaws of defeat." 2. 新西兰枪击案: This had no discernible [dɪˈsɜrnəb(ə)l] 看得见的, 明显的效果, 肉眼可见的, 看得出来的 effect on Australian policy. A few days earlier, at the start of November, Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne visited Saudi Arabia. His goal was to expand Australian military exports to Saudi Arabia. Wong has not called for an end to Australian military exports. Instead, she has urged the Australian government to "assure itself that any Australian military cooperation in the region, including defence equipment sales, does not inadvertently 不经意的, 一不小心的 contribute to the suffering of the Yemeni civilian population." This is vapid ([disapproval] If you describe someone or something as vapid, you are critical of them because they are dull and uninteresting. ...the Minister's young and rather vapid daughter. She made a vapid comment about the weather.) waffle – the government could assure itself of anything, and continue the military exports. Thus, the bipartisan political spectrum remains: continued military exports are legitimate. During Israel's war on Gaza from 2008-09, Israel destroyed 30 mosques, and seriously damaged another 15. Former United Nations rapporteur 特使 ( [ˌræpɔrˈtɜr] someone who is chosen to study a particular situation or subject and report what they learn to an organization or meeting. A rapporteur is a person who is officially appointed by an organization to investigate a problem or attend a meeting and to report on it. ...the United Nations special rapporteur on torture. ...U.N. human rights rapporteurs.) to the occupied Palestinian territories, Jon Dugard observed that "what was extraordinary was the number of minarets of the mosques that had been shot out. It was quite clear that members of the IDF were simply having fun targeting minarets because they serve no security purpose". This didn't register on the political spectrum 根本没有引起注意 either. Attacking mosques, or even Muslims gathered for prayers in a mosque didn't cause a blip ( I. A blip is a small spot of light, sometimes occurring with a short, high-pitched sound, which flashes on and off regularly on a piece of equipment such as a radar screen. II. A blip in a straight line, such as the line on a graph, is a point at which the line suddenly makes a sharp change of direction before returning to its original direction. III. A blip in a situation is a sudden but temporary change or interruption in it. ...a minor blip in the upward trajectory of the markets.) on either party's continued support for the Israeli government. Being complicit 幕后推手, 推波助澜的, 帮了一把手的, 从犯, 帮凶 ( "Do you, in any way, feel complicit with this atrocity?" Koch asked Senator Hanson. ) in the threatened murder of millions of Muslims is just business as usual in Australia. It is part of the normal political spectrum. As our record makes clear, a basic premise of our political mainstream is that Muslim lives do not have any value. That is, as Saudi Arabia's brutal war has threatened a famine 饥馑, 饥荒 on a scale that the world hasn't seen "for many decades, with millions of victims", the Australian government has sought to ramp up our support of two of the key invading armies. Yet the truth is, Australia is routinely complicit in the murder of vast numbers of Muslims across the world. It barely even rates as news 算不上新闻, 不配称新闻. When it does, it doesn't rate as outrageous. We may also be complicit in the worst famine in decades: we may be complicit in killing millions of people, overwhelmingly Muslim. And that too will hardly register as news 不算新闻. Criticism of our support for the Saudi blockade occasionally scrapes into the political spectrum, either via a few NGOs or the Greens. 3. put/hold a gun to somebody's head I. to put a gun very close to someone's head to shoot them or to force them to do something He put a gun to her head and told the cashier to hand over the money. II. to force someone to do something they do not want to do You chose to live here. Nobody put a gun to your head. to blackmail someone (=force them to do something by threatening to do something bad to them). gun to my head 枪逼着 Expression used to show that someone would agree to some sort of condition if highly pressured. It's usable in place of a "no." Would you sleep with Dave Grohl? I'm a dude and I'm not gay! I know you're a dude, but come on! Well, gun to my head, I guess he's not too ugly. Morden Family: Okay, gun to your head 二选一, 必须选一个. Which pair should I wear? Oh, gun to my head, I'd say pull the trigger. What's that supposed to mean? No Fizbo. But why? Cam Cam, the center of attention at Lily's party should be Lily, not Fizbo the needy clown. Love Island Contestant Died: A string of former Love Island contestants have rounded on ( If someone rounds on you 矛头对准, they criticize you fiercely and attack you with aggressive words. When she rounded on him furiously, he apologised. He says that he will stand by his men and he has rounded on his critics. ) the hit reality series for not helping them, with Thalassitis' co-star Dom Lever insisting: "Once you are done on the show you don't get any support." Contestant Malin Andersson, whose four-week-old daughter Consy died in January, also rounded on the program, writing: "WAKE UP @LoveIsland! I got flowers from the producers when my daughter died. No f***ing phone call. No support, or help. Enough is enough." 4. Two and a half man: I got to tell you, I am just crazy about your brother. Swell (adj very good). Hope it works out. How is a guy like that still single? Well, he's always been a bit of a butterfly 花蝴蝶似的, you know, Fluttering through life, hard to pin down 难以安定下来. And being a fall-down drunk ( falling-down drunk 醉鬼, 醉的站不起来 Severely intoxicated from alcohol, to the point of being unable to stand upright. Poor Fred is falling-down drunk and has no way to get home. One more falling-down drunk in this neighborhood will not be anything new. On his 21st birthday, Jeff's friends took him to every bar in town until he was falling-down drunk.) is kind of a speed bump for some of the ladies. You're such a jokester 你太爱开玩笑了, dr. harper. Either that or put a gun in my mouth. Oh, listen, on the way home tonight, We have to swing by 绕道 my apartment so I can get some clothes for the weekend. And I'm gonna need a little extra time for lunch today. I want to buy some sexy lingerie for you know. moot point I. 没有定论的. 值得争论, 值得探讨的事情. An issue that is subject to, or open for, discussion or debate, to which no satisfactory answer is found; originally, one to be definitively determined by an assembly of the people. Exactly which of the songs on Small Change originated in London is a moot point. II. An issue regarded as potentially debatable, but no longer practically applicable. Although the idea may still be worth debating and exploring academically, and such discussion may be useful for addressing similar issues in the future, the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue. Sony Mobile: A return of sorts for the Z line later in 2016 and radical redesign in 2018 didn't move the needle for Aussies, and it seems unlikely the tall screen and double-down on Sony camera and video tech in the Xperia 1 would have either. Though it's probably a moot point for now. Until we rebuild downtown, whether we build more parking spaces is a moot point 没有意义的, 毫无意义的. Usage notes: The first usage given above is the original meaning of the phrase. It remains the meaning most commonly understood in British English. The second usage given is modern and is the meaning more commonly understood in American English, possibly because of the association with moot court. Moot point VS mute point VS moo point: You may have heard coworkers or acquaintances refer to an inconsequential or irrelevant point as a moot point, or maybe you've heard mute point instead. Fans of the TV show Friends may have heard a third variation: moo point (because, according to Joey, a cow's opinion doesn't matter). But which expression is correct, and what exactly does it mean? The correct phrase is moot point. A moot point can be either an issue open for debate, or a matter of no practical value or importance because it's hypothetical. The latter is more common in modern American English. The term comes from British law where it describes a hypothetical point of discussion used as teaching exercise for law students. This finds its roots in an early noun sense of moot: "an assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers." The word mute means "silent; refraining from speech or utterance," and the pairing mute point has no canonized meaning in standard English. A moot point can be either an issue open for debate, or a matter of no practical value or importance because it's hypothetical. The latter is more common in modern American English. The term comes from British law where it describes a hypothetical point of discussion used as teaching exercise for law students. 5. move the needle 变化不大, 没有引起反响, 没有回响, 没有引起注意
(idiomatic) To change a situation to a noticeable degree. Etymology:
From the indicator needle of a measuring instrument such as the
speedometer. A sparkler 仙女棒, 烟花, 簇簇花 is a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting colored flames, sparks, and other effects. In the United Kingdom, a sparkler is often used by children at bonfire and fireworks displays on Guy Fawkes Night, the fifth of November, and in the United States on Independence Day. They are called Phool Jhadi in India and are popular during the Diwali festival. Sparkler bombs are constructed by binding together as many as 300 sparklers with tape, leaving one extended to use as a fuse. In 2008 three deaths were attributed to the devices, which can be ignited accidentally by heat or friction. Because they usually contain more than 50 milligrams of the same explosive powder found in firecrackers, they are illegal under U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations. check out I. (transitive, computing) To obtain source code from a repository. II. (intransitive) To become disinterested in an activity and cease to participate in more than a perfunctory manner; to become uncooperative. The purpose of this exercise was to ignite reactions from students, but over the few years I used it, it backfired, culminating in a situation where I lost a significant number of the white students, who just "checked out" for the rest of the semester. I'm so checked out of this conversation. III. (intransitive) To become catatonic or otherwise non-responsive. Even during those years, there would be a lot of times she just checked out. She would be sitting there looking at her nails and she'd just be gone. IV. (intransitive) 被证实 To prove (after an investigation) to be the case / in order. The first two leads check out; I'll assume the third one is also valid. Their stories checked out. finsta 小号: The "finsta" is a second Instagram account many users will maintain, and its content is quite different from their real ("rinsta") account. Think of the "rinsta" as a public persona, where users will share curated images, whereas a "finsta" is a more unfiltered experience. puff verb I. If someone puffs at a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they smoke it. He lit a cigar and puffed at it twice. [V + at/on] He nodded and puffed on a stubby pipe as he listened. She was taking quick puffs at her cigarette. II. If you puff smoke or moisture from your mouth or if it puffs from your mouth, you breathe it out. Richard puffed smoke towards the ceiling. The weather was dry and cold; wisps of steam puffed from their lips. Puff out means the same as puff. He puffed out a cloud of smoke. III. If an engine, chimney, or boiler puffs smoke or steam, clouds of smoke or steam come out of it. As I completed my 26th lap the Porsche puffed blue smoke. IV. 喘粗气. If you are puffing, you are breathing loudly and quickly with your mouth open because you are out of breath after a lot of physical effort. I know nothing about boxing, but I could see he was unfit, because he was puffing. puff noun I. A puff of something such as air or smoke is a small amount of it that is blown out from somewhere. Wind caught the sudden puff of dust and blew it inland. [+ of]. II. A puff for something such as a book, film, product, or organization is something that is done or said in order to attract people's attention and tell them how good it is. [mainly US, informal] Sometimes there is a gigantic puff for 促销, 宣传 a commercial show. He puffed the new system by showing how badly his existing system performed by comparison. III. [British, informal, offensive] A puff is the same as a poof. pouf (pʊf ) = pouffe = poof 脚蹬 a small soft piece of furniture that you can rest your feet on or sit on. loofah 浴巾 Any bathing sponge. A loofah is a long rough sponge-like piece of plant fibre which you use to scrub your body. a long rough object that you use for washing yourself. It is made from a dried tropical fruit. 6. Rodeo drive [roʊˈdeɪoʊ] to shop. 好莱坞的一条大街. redeo [ˈroʊdioʊ] a sports event in which people compete by riding wild horses or catching cattle with ropes. Someone who takes part in a rodeo is called a cowboy or a cowgirl. goat rodeo a situation that is a complete mess and very difficult or impossible to resolve. This is a total goat rodeo. Rodeo Drive [roʊˈdeɪ.oʊ] is a two-mile-long street, primarily in Beverly Hills, California, with its southern segment in the City of Los Angeles. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is at its intersection with Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The name is most commonly used metonymically to refer to the three-block stretch of the street north of Wilshire Boulevard and south of Little Santa Monica Boulevard, which is known for its luxury goods stores. The word rodeo as a term referring to the cowboy sports can be pronounced with the stress on either the first ([ˈroʊ.di.oʊ]) or second ([roʊˈdeɪ.oʊ]) syllable. For the street in Beverly Hills, however, only the latter pronunciation is commonly used. Big dog gotta eat: Like if you ask people if they want to get food and they are like yea you want to and you say "Big dog gotta eat" in a kinda deep but not obnoxiously deep voice. I seem to get mixed reactions. I think it's probably better to first introduce the nickname "Big dog" as an independent moniker for you first then it will seem more natural and your friends and family will appreciate your catchphrase more. broody [bruːdi] I. You say that someone is broody when they are thinking a lot about something in an unhappy way. Tim plays the role of a broody teenager. He became very withdrawn and broody. II. A broody hen is ready to lay or sit on eggs. III. 想生孩子了. If you describe a woman as broody, you mean that she wants to have a baby and she keeps thinking about it. The duchess told the proud father: "He's gorgeous. It makes me feel a little broody."
regalia [rɪgeɪliə] Regalia consists of all the traditional clothes and items which someone such as a king or a judge wears and carries on official occasions. ...officials in full regalia. Maces: Ceremonial maces in the United Kingdom. Beginning as lethal weapons of medieval knights, maces evolved into ceremonial objects carried by sergeants-at-arms and now represent a monarch's authority. The House of Commons can only operate lawfully when the royal mace – dating from the reign of Charles II – is present at the table. Two other maces dating from the reigns of Charles II and William III are used by the House of Lords: One is placed on the Woolsack before the house meets and is absent when a monarch is there in person. In the late 17th century, there were 16 maces, but only 13 survive, 10 of which are on display at the Tower of London. Two of these are carried in the royal procession at State Openings of Parliament and coronations. Each mace is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long and weighs an average of 10 kg (22 lb). They are silver-gilt and were made between 1660 and 1695. Orbs: Gold ball with a cross at the top and a band of gems around the equator. An orb, a type of globus cruciger, was first used at an English coronation by Henry VIII in 1509 and then by all subsequent monarchs apart from the early Stuart kings James I and Charles I, who opted for the medieval coronation order. The Tudor orb was deposited with St Edward's regalia at Westminster Abbey in 1625. Today the Sovereign's Orb is a hollow gold sphere about 16.5 cm (6.5 in) in diameter and weighing 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) (more than twice as heavy as the original ) made for Charles II in 1661. A band of gems and pearls runs along the equator and there is a half-band on the top hemisphere. Atop the orb is an amethyst surmounted by a jewelled cross, symbolising the Christian world, with a sapphire on one side and an emerald on the other. Altogether, the orb is decorated with 375 pearls, 365 diamonds, 18 rubies, 9 emeralds, 9 sapphires, 1 amethyst and 1 piece of glass. It is handed to the sovereign during the investiture rite of the coronation and is borne later in the left hand when leaving Westminster Abbey. A small version, originally set with hired gems, was made in 1689 for Mary II to hold at her joint coronation with William III; it was never used again at a coronation and is now set with imitation gems and cultured pearls. The orb is 14.6 cm (5.7 in) in diameter and weighs 1.07 kg (2.4 lb).[162] Both orbs were laid on Queen Victoria's coffin at her state funeral in 1901. Officially, no reason was given for using Mary II's orb, but it may have been intended to reflect Victoria's position as Empress of India. Sceptres: The sceptre, a symbolic ornamental rod held by the monarch at a coronation, is derived from the shepherd's staff via the crozier of a bishop. Two gold sceptres made in 1661 are part of the coronation regalia. The Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross is a token of his or her temporal power as head of state. The whole object is 92 cm (3 ft) long, weighs around 1.17 kg (2.6 lb), and is decorated with 333 diamonds, 31 rubies, 15 emeralds, 7 sapphires, 6 spinels and 1 composite amethyst. In 1910, it was redesigned to incorporate Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which, at over 530 carats (106 g), is still the largest clear cut diamond in the world. It was part of a rough diamond weighing 3,106 carats (621.2 g) found in South Africa in 1905 and was named after the chairman of the mining company, Thomas Cullinan. The gold clasps holding it can be opened and the stone removed to be worn as a pendant hanging from Cullinan II, which is set in the Imperial State Crown, to form a brooch – Queen Mary, wife of George V, often wore it like this. Above the pear-shaped diamond is the amethyst surmounted by a cross pattée encrusted with an emerald and small diamonds. The Sovereign's Sceptre with Dove, which also has been known as the Rod of Equity and Mercy, is emblematic of his or her spiritual role. It is a bit longer at 1.1 m (3.6 ft) but weighs about the same as the Sceptre with Cross. The sceptre is decorated with 285 gemstones, including 94 diamonds, 53 rubies, 10 emeralds, 4 sapphires and 3 spinels. Circling the rod are bands of precious stones. At the top is a gold monde set with diamonds and topped by a plain cross, upon which sits a white enamelled dove with its wings outspread, representing the Holy Ghost. A sceptre like this first appeared in the 11th century, and it was probably based on the German sceptre, which was topped by an Imperial Eagle. The Sceptre with Dove is the penultimate piece of regalia to be delivered. As the monarch holds both sceptres, he or she is crowned with St Edward's Crown. The Crown Jewels include two sceptres made for Mary of Modena, the wife of James II, in 1685: a gold sceptre with a cross known as the Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross and another topped by a dove known as the Queen Consort's Ivory Rod with Dove, which, as the name suggests, is made of ivory. Unlike the sovereign's dove, this one has folded wings and is relatively small. It was last used by Queen Elizabeth, later known as the Queen Mother, at the coronation of her husband George VI in 1937. For the coronation of Mary II, the wife and joint sovereign of William III, a more elaborate gold sceptre with dove was commissioned in 1689. It has not been used since, and went missing for several decades, only to be found in 1814 at the back of a cupboard in the Tower of London.
