用法学习: 1. dyed in the wool 死硬的, 固执的 unchanging in a particular belief or opinion; inveterate. If someone is dyed-in-the-wool, or has dyed-in-the-wool opinions, they hold those opinions strongly and will not change them: He's a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist where cooking is concerned - he doesn't allow any modern gadgets in the kitchen. "dyed-in-the-wool opera fans". While Australian English is generally close enough to the "mother tongue} to be intelligible to even the most dyed-in-the-wool Pom, we do occasionally get confused by the Australians' rather odd pronunciation. kick the tires to try something or examine it carefully before you buy it: Come and kick the tires on this latest version of the software. throw/shock someone for a loop INFORMAL NORTH AMERICAN surprise or astonish someone. to completely surprise someone: When she told me she was married, it really threw me for a loop. The banker was surprised to find Johnson in his usual high spirits. If Kravis's offer had thrown him for a loop, Johnson wasn't letting it show. "the emotional aspect of it all threw us for a loop". 2. flyover state The term flyover state describes the huge swath of the US that sits between the East and West Coasts. In the US, it can be used as an insult to talk about states that people prefer to fly over to reach the bright lights of New York City or Los Angeles. Flyover country and flyover states are American phrases describing the parts of the contiguous United States between the East and the West Coasts. The origins of the phrases and the attitudes of their supposed users are a source of debate in American culture; the terms are often regarded as pejoratives, but are sometimes "reclaimed" and used defensively. The terms refer to the interior regions of the country passed over during transcontinental flights, particularly flights between the nation's two most populous urban agglomerations: the Northeastern Megalopolis and Southern California. The term is also sometimes used more broadly to describe flights between all the heavily urbanized megaregions of the United States. The term is often used in reference to the general economic, developmental, cultural, and political differences between the urban coastal and rural central regions of the United States. "Flyover country" thus refers to the part of the country that some Americans—especially those of urban, wealthier, white-collar status—only view by air when traveling and never actually see in person at ground level. Although the term is most commonly associated with states located in the geographic center of the country, the states with the most planes flying over without taking off or landing are located on the East Coast, led by Virginia, then Maryland, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Others argue that a more effective analysis looks at a state's ratio of flyover flights to destination flights—this places West Virginia first, followed by Kansas, Mississippi, and Iowa. The circumstances surrounding alleged "flyover country" locations are prone to varying depending on changes related to urban development, business opportunity, and culture. 3. bator People who tend to enjoy masturbating with others over penetration. A term used to describe a person, edger, gooner, solosexual...someone that gets off on pleasuring themselves through masturbation/mutual masturbation and foreplay. Not necessarily circumscribing ( circumscribe I. 限制. If someone's power or freedom is circumscribed, it is limited or restricted. The army evidently fears that, under him, its activities would be severely circumscribed. There are laws circumscribing the right of individual citizens to cause bodily harm to others. Their movements have been severely circumscribed since the laws came into effect. There followed a series of tightly circumscribed visits to military installations. II. If you circumscribe a triangle, square, etc., you draw a circle that surrounds it and touches each of its corners. ) to 仅限于 penetration as a means of intimacy. Can be done alone or in a group (of other bators). Can be used to describe male or female/heterosexual and homosexual. He's not a top, nor a bottom...hes a total 'Bator'! Shes alone in her room tonight; shes 'Bating'.... territorial [terɪtɔːriəl] I. Territorial means concerned with the ownership of a particular area of land or water. It is the only republic which has no territorial disputes with the others. The two countries dispute each other's territorial claims to the islands. II. If you describe an animal or its behaviour as territorial, you mean that it has an area which it regards as its own, and which it defends when other animals try to enter it. Some animals are territorial (= they defend particular areas against other animals). Two cats or more in one house will also exhibit territorial behaviour. 4. dedicated I. You use dedicated to describe someone who enjoys a particular activity very much and spends a lot of time doing it. believing that something is very important and giving a lot of time and energy to it: a dedicated father/teacher. She's completely dedicated to her work. The Green Party is dedicated to protecting the environment. Her great-grandfather had clearly been a dedicated and stoical traveller. ...dedicated followers of classical music. believing that an activity or idea is important and giving a lot of energy and time to it: The Boy Scouts organization is dedicated to helping boys become moral and productive adults. II. You use dedicated to describe something that is made, built, or designed for one particular purpose or thing. designed to be used for one particular purpose: a dedicated computer. a dedicated sports channel. Such areas should also be served by dedicated cycle routes. ...the world's first museum dedicated to ecology. ...a microcomputer dedicated to playing chess. dedicate I. To open (a building, for example) to public use. II. To show to the public for the first time. dedicate 揭幕 a monument. III. To set apart for a special use. dedicated their money to scientific research. IV. (transitive) To commit (oneself) to a particular course of thought or action. If you say that someone has dedicated themselves to something, you approve of the fact that they have decided to give a lot of time and effort to it because they think that it is important. Back on the island, he dedicated himself to politics. Bessie has dedicated her life to caring for others. He's quite dedicated to his students. ...a company staffed by capable and dedicated people. We admire her dedication to the cause of humanity. To be successful takes hard work and dedication. dedicated ourselves to starting our own business. V. If someone dedicates something such as a book, play, or piece of music to you, they mention your name, for example in the front of a book or when a piece of music is performed, as a way of showing affection or respect for you. If you dedicate a book, play, performance, etc. to someone, you publicly say that it is in that person's honour: The book is dedicated to the author's husband. She dedicated 献给 her first album to Woody Allen. This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother. VI. If a building or church is dedicated to someone, a formal ceremony is held to show that the building will always be associated with them. When a building, especially a religious building, is dedicated, there is a ceremony at which it is formally opened for use and its particular purpose is stated: The church was dedicated on 1 March 1805 to the local Saint Jude. The church is dedicated to St Mary of Bec. ...the dedication of the Holocaust Museum. Some 250 guests attended the dedication ceremony. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over 100 lives. It was referred to as the Hoover Dam after President Herbert Hoover in bills passed by Congress during its construction; it was named the Boulder Dam by the Roosevelt administration. The Hoover Dam name was restored by Congress in 1947. With most work finished on the dam itself (the powerhouse remained uncompleted), a formal dedication ceremony 揭幕仪式 was arranged for September 30, 1935, to coincide with a western tour being made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The morning of the dedication, it was moved forward three hours from 2 p.m. Pacific time to 11 a.m.; this was done because Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes had reserved a radio slot for the President for 2 p.m. but officials did not realize until the day of the ceremony that the slot was for 2 p.m. Eastern Time. Despite the change in the ceremony time, and temperatures of 102 °F (39 °C), 10,000 people were present for the President's speech, in which he avoided mentioning the name of former President Hoover, who was not invited to the ceremony. To mark the occasion, a three-cent stamp was issued by the United States Post Office Department—bearing the name "Boulder Dam", the official name of the dam between 1933 and 1947. After the ceremony, Roosevelt made the first visit by any American president to Las Vegas. commission verb. I. If you commission something or commission someone to do something, you formally arrange for someone to do a piece of work for you. to formally choose someone to do a special piece of work, or to formally ask for a special piece of work from someone: The newspaper commissioned a series of articles on the worst excesses of the fashion industry. She's commissioned an artist to paint her portrait. The Ministry of Agriculture commissioned a study into low-input farming. You can commission them to paint something especially for you. ...specially commissioned reports. Our china can be bought off the shelf or by commission. Wilde left with a commission to write his novel ...Government-commissioned research. To send or officially charge someone or some group to do something. James Bond was commissioned with recovering the secret documents. II. If a member of the armed forces is commissioned, he or she is made an officer. to give someone the official authority to be an officer in the armed forces: Grandfather was commissioned as Group Captain in the RAF just before the war. He was commissioned as 任命为 second lieutenant in the Air Force. Only commissioned officers qualify for the Military Cross. III. To place an order for (often a piece of art). He commissioned a replica of the Mona Lisa for his living room, but the painter gave up after six months. IV. (transitive, especially of a ship or boat) To put into active service. The aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1944, during WWII. noun. I. 任务. A commission is a piece of work that someone is asked to do and is paid for. Just a few days ago, I finished a commission. a request to do a special piece of work: She's just got a commission to paint Sir Ellis Pike's wife. Do you do/take commissions? II. 销售提成 Commission is a sum of money paid to a salesperson for every sale that he or she makes. If a salesperson is paid on commission, the amount they receive depends on the amount they sell. Is she paid a regular wage or is it on/by commission only? She gets a 15 percent commission on every machine she sells. The salespeople work on commission only. He also got a commission for bringing in new clients. a reseller's commission. The real-estate broker charged a four percent commission for their knowledge on bidding for commercial properties; for their intellectual perspective on making a formal offer and the strategy to obtain a mutually satisfying deal with the seller in favour of the buyer. III. If a bank or other company charges commission, they charge a fee for providing a service, for example for exchanging money or issuing an insurance policy. Travel agents charge 1 per cent commission on sterling cheques. Sellers pay a fixed commission fee. IV. A commission is a group of people who have been appointed to find out about something or to control something. a group of people who have been formally chosen to discover information about a problem or examine the reasons why the problem exists: a commission on alcohol abuse/racial tension. The government has set up/established a commission to investigate the problem of inner city violence. The authorities have been asked to set up a commission to investigate the murders. ...the Press Complaints Commission. V. The commission of a crime is the act of committing a crime. Anyone using a gun in the commission of a crime should be given an additional penalty. VI. If a member of the armed forces receives a commission 任命, he or she becomes an officer. He accepted a commission as a naval officer. out of commission = in commission If something, such as a machine or a military ship, is out of commission it is broken or not available to be used. 5. feet of clay 弱点 a fundamental flaw or weakness in a person otherwise revered. Feet of clay is an idiom used to refer to a weakness or character flaw, especially in people of prominence and power. It can also be used to refer to larger groups, such as societies, businesses, and empires If you say that a person who is respected or admired has feet of clay or has clay feet, you mean that they have serious faults which you or other people did not know about before. When those idols are found to have feet of clay, the pain of disenchantment can be profound. titter 干笑. 尴尬的笑 to laugh quietly, especially because you are nervous or embarrassed. If someone titters, they give a short nervous laugh, especially when they are embarrassed about something. Mention sex therapy and most people will titter in embarrassment. Mollie gave an uneasy little titter. There was nervous tittering in the studio audience. He plasters on a smile 挤出笑容, 强颜欢笑 and does his best fake laugh as she asks, "It's hilarious, right?" Her displeasure was evident in her forced smile 强颜欢笑, 挤出来的笑容.". plastic smile 强颜欢笑, 假笑, 挤出来的笑容, 皮笑肉不笑.
When someone is wearing a plastic smile, they are appear to be happier
with a situation or events than they actually are. This is actually a
description of the forced smile you might see in many photographs. clay pigeon A flying target, usually a disc, made of a mixture of pitch
and pulverized limestone rock, used as moving target in sport shooting.
"They want vacant eyes and a small clay smile 僵笑, 假笑. They want a doll." Etymology: The term is a remnant of the history of trap shooting. Originally, live pigeons were used as targets, but they were gradually replaced with clay disks and ultimately banned. Later, clay was replaced with more suitable raw materials. skeet (skeet shooting) 飞碟射击 A form of trapshooting using clay targets to simulate birds in flight. sporting clays A sport where the player attempts to shoot clay pigeon targets at a series of stations along a course. 6. wherewithal [ˈwɛːwɪðɔːl] the money or other means needed for a particular purpose. "they lacked the wherewithal to pay". the wherewithal 资金 something such as money or a particular quality that is necessary in order to get or achieve something. If you have the wherewithal for something, you have the means, especially the money, that you need for it. She didn't have the financial wherewithal to do it. Some of the companies illegally sent the wherewithal for making chemical weapons. I'd like to buy a bigger house, but I don't have the wherewithal. Poor families lack the wherewithal to hire good lawyers. The new job has given her the financial wherewithal to support herself and her two children. Many life forms probably don't have the genetic wherewithal to adapt to a more acid ocean. Then there are the consequences for the smaller nations, such as the smaller Pacific Island and Caribbean countries, that do not have the wherewithal to viably compete at Olympic Games. The Commonwealth Games offer them a rare chance to step into the global spotlight. That also applies to crown protectorates such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the United Kingdom, as well as the constituent members of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Then there are the sports that don't get a look in at Olympic level such as squash and netball — and, given how large the Olympic Games have become, are unlikely to any time soon. The Commonwealth Games represents the pinnacle of those sports' calendars. The Crown Dependencies are three offshore island territories in the British Islands that are self-governing possessions of the British Crown: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, both located in the English Channel and together known as the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. They are not parts of the United Kingdom (UK) nor are they British Overseas Territories. They have the status of "territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible", rather than sovereign states. As a result, they are not member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. However, they do have relationships with the Commonwealth and other international organizations, and are members of the British–Irish Council. They have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games. 7. fell verb. I. If trees are felled 砍倒, they are cut down. A great number of trees were felled to provide space for grazing. Badly infected trees should be felled and burned. II. If you fell someone 撂倒, 干倒, 打倒, 撞倒, you knock them down, for example in a fight. to knock someone down, especially in sports: He eventually felled his opponent with a punch to the head. ...a blow on the forehead which felled him to the ground. in/at one fell swoop 一个回合, 一鼓作气, 一下子, 一口气, 一个动作 (idiomatic, proscribed) (Achieved or completed) with a single action; in a single stroke. a single hasty action or occurrence. all at once or all together, as if by one blow. If you do something at/in one fell swoop, you do it all at the same time: I got all my Christmas shopping done in one fell swoop. The quake flattened the houses at one fell swoop. Etymology: Mondegreen variant of in one fell swoop, where "fell" (of a
strong and cruel nature; eager and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless;
savage) is misheard as "foul" (disgusting) or "fowl" (a bird). A pergola ['pɜːrgələ] 回廊 ( pagoda [pəˈɡəʊdə] 塔 (in India and East Asia) a Hindu or Buddhist temple, typically in the form of a many-tiered tower. an ornamental imitation of a Hindu or Buddhist pagoda.) is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. The origin of the word is the Late Latin pergula, referring to a projecting eave. It also may be an extension of a building or serve as protection for an open terrace or a link between pavilions. They are different from green tunnels, with a green tunnel being a type of road under a canopy of trees. In a garden, a pergola is an arch or a structure with a roof over which climbing plants can be grown. a structure in a garden that climbing plants can grow over and that people can walk through. 8. immolate [ˈɪməʊˌleɪt] 牺牲, 祭祀, 作为祭品被杀死 to kill yourself or someone else, or to destroy something, usually by burning, in a formal ceremony. to kill or offer as a sacrifice, esp by fire. immolation the act of killing yourself or someone else, or of destroying something, usually by burning: A woman attempted suicide by self immolation. Fifteen homes were saved from immolation. The result was a legendary immolation, in which Geller offered up flustered excuses to his host as his abilities failed him again and again. This appearance on The Tonight Show, which Carson and Randi had orchestrated to debunk Geller's claimed abilities, backfired. talk shop 谈工作 discuss matters concerning one's work, especially at a social occasion when this is inappropriate. to talk about your job with those you work with when not at work. If you say that people are talking shop, you mean that they are talking about their work, and this is boring for other people who do not do the same work. If you hang around with colleagues all the time you just end up talking shop. Even at a party they have to talk shop! "he and his fellow workers would incessantly talk shop in the village pub". edifice [ˈedəfɪs] I. 大厦. 建筑. a large impressive building. An edifice is a large and impressive building. The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux. II. a complicated system or policy. You can describe a system of beliefs or a traditional institution as an edifice. ...an edifice of British constitutional tradition. vocabulary: Edifice means a building, but it doesn't mean just any building. To merit being called an edifice,
a building must be important. A mini temple can be an edifice, or a
towering sky scraper. The meaning of edifice has expanded to include a system of ideas––when it is complicated enough to be considered to have walls and a roof, then it is an edifice. You could say that basic facts of addition and subtraction are the foundation on which the edifice of higher math rests. edify [ˈɛdɪˌfaɪ] verb. (transitive) to improve the morality, intellect, etc, of, esp by instruction. To instruct or improve morally or intellectually. edifying 有教育意义的. 谆谆教导的, 醍醐灌顶的, 洗涤心灵的, 陶冶情操的, 提神醒脑的. 提高素质的 I. improving your mind. If you describe something as edifying, you mean that it benefits you in some way, for example by teaching you about something. Being left in a bar all afternoon with a load of football fans is not the most edifying of experiences. In the 18th century art was seen, along with music and poetry, as something edifying. II. [disapproval] You say that something is not very edifying when you want to express your disapproval or dislike of it, or to suggest that there is something unpleasant or unacceptable about it. It all brought back memories of a not very edifying past. unedifying [ʌnˈɛdɪfʌɪɪŋ] 丢人现眼的 ( abominable = abysmal ) adjective not having the result of improving morality, intellect, etc. (especially of an event taking place in public) distasteful; unpleasant. not having the result of improving morality, intellect, etc. unpleasant and causing people to feel no respect: We were treated to the unedifying spectacle of Congressmen fighting like children. "the unedifying sight of the two leaders screeching conflicting proposals". vocabulary: Anything edifying is enlightening. Edifying things uplift people intellectually or morally and help them learn. Good literature, art, and music are edifying. The original meaning of edify was "to build," and things that are edifying build up a person, especially in an intellectual or moral way. It's often used in the negative. If you say something is not edifying, you mean that it's unpleasant and unacceptable. Edifying applies to things that help you become a better person. A wise saying is edifying. A powerful documentary is edifying. The words of a good teacher are often edifying. Word definitions are definitely edifying! abysmal 地狱似的, 糟糕的. [əˈbɪz.məl] very bad: abysmal working conditions. The food was abysmal. The standard of the students' work is abysmal. 9. washout 惨败. 不成功 I. informal If an event or plan is a washout, it fails completely. a complete failure. The mission was a washout. The dance was a washout – only three people showed up. The party was a washout - hardly anyone came. II. an event or sports competition that is prevented from happening or stopped early because of heavy rain. A sporting fixture or other event that could not be completed because of rain. III. 淘汰的人. 刷掉的人. 失败者. A disappointment or total failure; an unsuccessful person. As an actor, he was a complete washout, so he went back to accounting. catch someone cold [mainly British, journalism] to score against someone in a sports game because they are not prepared for your attack They maintained their two-point lead at the top of the Third Division with a 29-14 win after Barrow had caught them cold to lead 8-4 at the interval. leave someone cold 没有燃气兴趣 to not interest or excite (someone). to not make you feel interested or excited: His movies leave me cold. I'm afraid opera leaves me cold. have (one) cold 操控, 操纵, 掌控 US informal To have one utterly under control, to the extent that their actions can be dictated. have someone at your mercy. Please don't report me to the headmaster. You have me cold! Once the gangsters were able to blackmail Susan, they had her cold. He waited in his office for news of violence, knowing that then he would have the troublemakers cold. call up I. to use the phone to talk to someone: My dad called me up to tell me the good news. I can't call her up in the middle of the night. Call me up any time. Call me up at home if you like. You can call up and leave a message if I'm out. I called her up twice already. II. to order someone to join a military organization or to ask someone to join an official, especially national, team: He was called up 征召 召唤. when the war began. Lucie Saint was called up for the final against Brazil. an order to join a military organization She was very upset when her boyfriend received his call-up (papers). an invitation to play in an official, especially national, team: Le Tissier was delighted when he received his England call-up. an order for a group of soldiers to become active in a military operation: December has been one of the heaviest months for call-ups 召集令, 集结令 of National Guard members. III. to find and show information on a computer screen. to find and show information on a computer screen: Airplane mechanics use laptops and a wireless network that can instantly call up repair manuals, parts lists, airplane records, etc. You can use the search facility to call up all the occurrences of a particular word in a document. I called up Google on my phone to search for that article. IV. To retrieve from personal or computer memory.
Word of 2023 Oxford Dictionary: Beige (米色) flag — "A character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality." It could be the particular way they do their laundry or their deep fear of astronauts. This tidbit of information is neither a dealbreaker nor a dealmaker, neither alarming nor alluring; it simply is. This, according to TikTok, is a beige flag. Beige flags are traits that, while not immediate cause for concern, are cause for pause. Of course this is subjective, making the exact definition of a beige flag hard to pin down. This is the one thing TikTok agrees on: A beige flag isn't a red flag, a clear dating dealbreaker. Beige flags also aren’t as off-putting as things that give you "the ick," which are different than red flags in that they are simply turn-offs that border on cringey and repulsive, not, I don’t know, moral failings. (Stay with me.) While beige flags might leave you momentarily confused, getting the ick changes how you look at someone forever. Maybe it's how their mouth smacks when they eat. Perhaps it's the awkward way they picked up their dog's poop once. The ick can be triggered when you least expect it. This, in part, gives it its power. It can also happen gradually, a once-endearing 可爱的 quirk becoming increasingly grating. In other words, the ick can cause a beige flag to become a red one. While not "bad," beige flags aren't necessarily attractive qualities. They aren't sought after 趋之若鹜的 like green flags (e.g., holding the door open for the person behind you, remembering people's names, liking Love Island). Still, as the New York Times pointed out, users sharing their partner's beige flags also serves as a sort of humblebrag. These videos "appear self-effacing while still serving as a flex of the poster's relationship status." Your partner treating you well should be a basic requirement, not a beige flag. De-influencing — "The practice of discouraging people from buying particular products". Heat dome — "A persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area, which traps a mass of hot air below it." Parasocial — "Designating a relationship characterised by the one-sided, unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, or follower for a well-known or prominent figure (typically a media celebrity), in which the follower or fan comes to feel (falsely) that they know the celebrity as a friend." a parasocial relationship. Prompt — "An instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content it generates." Situationship ( flirtationship 暧昧阶段: The word means the person is in relationship with the other largely based on flirting. He is in flirtationship with her. ) — "A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established." blue-sky floods: a flood in low-lying areas caused by water that has made its way from higher ground after the cessation [sɛˈseɪʃn,sɪˈseɪʃn] ( the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end. "the cessation of hostilities". secede [sɪˈsiːd] = Secession [sɪ'seʃən] withdraw formally from membership of a federal union, an alliance, or a political or religious organization. "the kingdom of Belgium seceded from the Netherlands in 1830". ) of substantial rainfall. These tidal floods are often called sunny-day or blue-sky floods, as they occur on an otherwise beautiful, calm day. Skimpflation: describes a reduction in the quality or quantity of a produce or service while the price remains the same. Cozzie livs: cost of living. algospeak: code words or expressions social media users have adopted to avoid being censored or taken down such as seggs for sex.
Novel: 1. Plenty of flesh was on display. Men dressed in mesh shirts to show off hours in the gym, others dressed in pants so tight I could measure their length and girth with a glance. Advertising. But I wasn't in the mood to buy. I gestured for another beer as the door opened and someone else came inside. My head jerked up as I scanned the area by the door. There. The newcomer was causing quite a stir 引起一阵骚动. And I could see why. He was a big bruiser ( bruiser [informal, disapproval] a big, strong, rough man. A bruiser is someone who is tough, strong, and aggressive, and enjoys a fight or argument. He's an ugly bruiser - I wouldn't like to meet him in a dark alley! He has a reputation as a political bruiser. ), but I probably had an inch or two on him in height ( give an inch 退一步, 让步 to partly agree to something. This is often used in the negative (not give an inch) to show that someone refuses to agree or compromise at all. I had to divorce my husband because he never gave an inch about anything. Sometimes if you give an inch, the other person also becomes more agreeable and you can find a solution to the problem. This time, we're not giving an inch with this client—that's exactly why we insisted he sign a contract after our last dispute. I'm willing to give an inch, if my opponent is willing to do the same. give someone an inch and they'll take a mile said to mean that if you do a small favour for someone, they will become greedy and ask you to do bigger and bigger favours for them and make you regret doing the first favour. Be tough and uncompromising – if you give colleagues an inch, they will take a mile. ). Unlike the other men here, he was dressed simply, in a relaxed pair of worn jeans and a gray t-shirt. He didn't need to gild the lily ( gild the lily 画蛇添足, 锦上添花, 多此一举 I. to adorn unnecessarily something already beautiful. to improve or decorate something that is already perfect and therefore spoil it: Should I add a scarf to this jacket or would it be gilding the lily? II. to praise someone inordinately. ). The body in those clothes was ripped. Not a guy who was content with an hour in the gym a few times a week. That kind of lean muscle and bulk took dedication. But I didn't get the vibe that he did it for vanity's sake.
