用法学习: 1. nub 核心, 实质, 根源 I. the crux or central point of a matter. The nub of a situation, problem, or argument is the central and most basic part of it. That, I think, is the nub of the problem. Here we reach the nub of the argument. What do you think is the nub of the problem? "the nub of the problem lies elsewhere". II. a small lump or protuberance. Let me see what I can do. Does she have a laptop case with her? Why? When you get a chance, check and see if one of the rubber nubs 凸起 on the bottom is missing. Any particular reason? The police think it was used to knock out the babysitter. "he pressed down on the two nubs on top of the phone". the nub The crux or central point of a matter. the most basic or essential part of something. The real nub of the problem is public indifference. the nub of the problem lies elsewhere. the crux [ˈkrʌks] 核心, 根本, 本质 the most important or serious part of a matter, problem, or argument. the central issue of the matter. (Crux is an old word meaning "cross."). The crux of a problem or argument is the most important or difficult part of it which affects everything else. He said the crux of the matter was economic policy. All right, this is the crux of the matter. It's about time that we got to the heart of the matter. The crux of the country's economic problems is its foreign debt. The issue of an arms embargo will be at the crux of the negotiations in Geneva. ( be at ~, get at ~, go to ~, look at ~ ) the heart of the matter = the crux [krʌks] of the matter 问题的关键, 问题的根源, 问题的核心 The most important, basic, or fundamental essence or elements of an issue, problem, or matter at hand. Thank you all for attending this staff meeting. Before we get to the heart of the matter, I'd like to assure each of you that your job is secure. Here's the heart of the matter, Bill. We feel like you're performance has been slipping recently. the crux of an argument. The crux of the issue will be in ascertaining 查明, 确定 how early "an early date" might be, but it's not completely out of the realm of reason to believe that Apple may already be cranking away on an LTE-capable iPhone 5. the crux/root of the matter = the heart/crux of the matter The focal, central, or most important element of a topic, problem, or issue. the most important aspect of a situation. As usual, money was at the heart of the matter Over the course of this trial, the prosecution intends to get to the crux of the matter regarding this company's shady financial dealings. 2. Gazumping [ɡəˈzʌmp] 先下手为强, 抢先机, 抢先一步, 抢单, 截胡(gazump [ɡəˈzʌmp] 截胡 [British, informal] I. to refuse to sell a house that you own to someone you have agreed to sell it to, and to sell it instead to someone who offers to pay more for it. If you are gazumped by someone, they agree to sell their house to you, but then sell it to someone else who offers to pay a higher price. While we carry out searches, we may be gazumped by someone offering a higher price. During the 1980s property boom, gazumping was common. Sally's offer for the house has been accepted, but she's worried she might be gazumped. II. 抢夺胜利果实. To trump or preempt; to reap the benefit underhandedly from a situation that someone else has worked to create. ) if you are gazumped, someone who had agreed to sell their house to you sells it to someone else for more money. It is the term used to refer to when a seller accepts an offer from one potential buyer, but then accepts a higher offer from someone else. The first buyer is left in the lurch, and either has to offer a higher price or accept that they have lost that home and continue looking. Gazumping occurs when a seller (especially of property) accepts an oral offer 口头报价 (a promise to purchase) on the property from one potential buyer, but then accepts a higher offer from someone else. It can also refer to the seller raising the asking price or asking for more money at the last minute, after previously orally agreeing to a lower one. In either case, the original buyer is left in a bad situation, and either has to offer a higher price or lose the purchase. The term gazumping is most commonly used in the UK and Australia, although similar practices can be found in some other jurisdictions. Gazumping: if another buyer makes a higher offer between the time you make yours and the time contracts are exchanged, the seller may accept their offer and you lose the house--you have been gazumped. Exchange of contracts交换合同: the date at which you and the seller enter into a contract for the sale of the property. The contract will contain lots of conditions, but the crux of it is you agree to give them money and they agree to give you the property. 3. Suddenly, the world was agog (agog [əˈɡɑɡ] 急切盼望, 激动万分, 激动不已, 兴奋不已 excited and interested. If you are agog, you are excited about something, and eager to know more about it. excited and eager to know or see more: We waited agog for news. The city was agog with rumours last night that the two had been executed. "I remember at one point being agog at Brad," Cox said of his time on the "Troy" set. vocabulary: The word agog means with great excitement and interest. When you're falling over yourself with excitement and curiosity to see who's coming up the red carpet next, you're agog about celebrities. At Christmas time, you are probably agog to see what's in all the beautifully wrapped boxes. An easy way to remember what agog means is to think of it as goggle-eyed, which it sounds a bit like. When you're agog, you're goggle-eyed with excitement about something, whatever that happens to be. In truth, the word has nothing to do with goggle-eyes, but instead relates to the Middle French word en gogues which means "full of mirth, good humor, and joyfulness." ) with equal parts 既是, 又是, 均衡的, 同等份的 wonderment and fear ( "The cake was made with equal parts flour, sugar, and eggs" means the recipe used the same amount of each ingredient. "The two teams were divided with equal parts of experienced and inexperienced players" means the teams had the same number of players in each category. In equal part, though, he wasn't sure if he was good enough. Both understand that each has an equal part to play in this music. They should be sharing an equal part of the savings they make with the customer.) about the future of AI. Tech stocks again headed for the stars in a tech boom Mach II that so far shows little sign of ending. On Thursday night, Tesla shares plunged almost 13 per cent as the erratic boss delivered what some analysts called a "train wreck of a conference call". The crux of the issue is the way Tesla has been valued. And it's a salient point 显而易见的点(salient [ˈseɪliənt] 明显的, 显而易见的 a salient fact, issue, or feature is one that is especially noticeable or relevant. The salient facts about something or qualities of something are the most important things about them: She began to summarize the salient features/points of the proposal. The article presented the salient facts of the dispute clearly and concisely. The report covered all the salient points of the case. valiant [væliənt] 勇敢的, 不懈的 A valiant action is very brave and determined, though it may lead to failure or defeat. very brave or bravely determined, especially when things are difficult or the situation gives no cause for hope: The company has made a valiant effort/attempt in the last two years to make itself more efficient. Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister, inflation rose to 36%. ...a valiant attempt to keep the business going. He suffered further heart attacks and strokes, all of which he fought valiantly. reticent 少言寡语的, 不怎么说话的, 谨言慎行的 unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings. Someone who is reticent does not tell people about things. She is so reticent about her achievements. As a reticent sort, the England defender was reluctant to hog the limelight. Pearl didn't mind his reticence; in fact she liked it. He is very reticent about his past. Most of the students were reticent about answering questions. ) for many other technology hopefuls. 4. vortex [ˈvɔːtɛks] 旋涡, 漩涡 旋风 (plural vortexes or vortices) noun. a whirling mass of fluid or air, especially a whirlpool or whirlwind. a mass of air or water that spins around very fast and pulls objects into its empty centre. A vortex is a mass of wind or water that spins round so fast that it pulls objects down into its empty centre. The polar vortex 北极旋风 is a system of wintertime winds. ...the spiralling vortex air-flow that slows the plane. "we were caught in a vortex of water". 煮荷包蛋, 荷包蛋做法 poached eggs: Using a whisk, vigorously swirl water until a vortex forms in the center. Slip 1 egg with vinegar into vortex and continue to swirl water with whisk around edges of pan until it returns to a boil. II. a dangerous or bad situation in which you become more and more involved and from which you cannot escape. If you refer to a situation as a vortex, you feel that you are being forced into it without being able to prevent it. This decision propelled her into a vortex from which there seemed no escape. His country is being dragged closer to the vortex of violence. I was sucked into a vortex of despair. vortex [ˈvɔː,teks] 漩涡, 旋涡 (暗流) (wormhole) I. a mass of air or water that spins around very fast and pulls objects into its empty centre. A vortex is a mass of wind or water that spins round so fast that it pulls objects down into its empty centre. The polar vortex is a system of wintertime winds. ...the spiralling vortex air-flow that slows the plane. II. a dangerous or bad situation in which you become more and more involved and from which you cannot escape, a feeling or situation that has so much power or influence over you that you feel you are not in control. If you refer to a situation as a vortex, you feel that you are being forced into it without being able to prevent it. This decision propelled her into a vortex from which there seemed no escape. His country is being dragged closer to the vortex of violence. caught up in a swirling vortex of emotions. I was sucked into a vortex of despair. The most common way to poach an egg is by creating a vortex in the water. You achieve this by stirring the water with a spoon in a vigorous circle once it is lightly simmering. All you do at this point is drop in the egg and wait for it to cook. wormhole In physics, a wormhole is a tunnel in space that is believed to connect different parts of the universe. ...the story of an astronaut who is sucked through a wormhole into the other side of the universe. nadir [ˈneɪdɪə] 最低点. 低潮, 低峰期. I. The nadir of something such as someone's career or the history of an organization is its worst time. the worst moment, or the moment of least hope and least achievement: The defeat was the nadir of her career. 1945 to 1946 was the nadir of Truman's presidency. If Jimmy's youth shielded him from the signs of their deteriorating marriage for a bit, the problem soon reached an obvious nadir. II. 最低点. In astronomy, the nadir is the point at which the sun or moon is directly below you, on the other side of the earth. The point directly below a particular place, or the lowest point reached by a heavenly body (= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body: The sun, or any celestial body, is said to be at its nadir when at its lowest point. The opposite, highest point is said to be its zenith. III. the point at which something is at its lowest value or level: At its nadir in the mid-1980s, the pound was almost at parity with the dollar. zenith [zɛnɪθ] 最高点, 高潮期. 高峰期 I. The zenith of something is the time when it is most successful or powerful. the best or most successful point or time: In the 1860s, Tolstoy was at the zenith of his achievement. His career reached its zenith in the 1960s. His career is now at its zenith. The zenith of Perugia's influence came with the defeat of Siena in 1358. II. The zenith is the point at which the sun or moon is directly above you and seems to be at its highest. The highest point reached by a heavenly body (= any object existing in space, especially a planet, or the sun) as it travels around, or appears to travel around, another body: The summer sun was at its zenith in a cloudless sky. The sun is well past its zenith when we cross paths with a mini-flotilla. The sun rises, reaches its zenith and sets. III. the point in the sky directly above you: The centre of the map is the zenith (straight overhead). A pall of cloud muffled the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon. 5. Tone Shift (tonal shift = a shift in tone 变强调): As humans, we learn to detect tonal shifts from infancy. The tone of our mother's voice had a particular meaning to us before we could even understand language. Because the tone of voice carries so much meaning, a shift in tone says a lot to us as well. A mother might shift the tone of her voice, telling us it's time to go to sleep, for example. In much the same way, a shift in tone communicates meaning in the written word. absorb I. to take something in, especially gradually: be absorbed into Our countryside is increasingly being absorbed into large cities. The drug is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Plants absorb carbon dioxide. In cold climates, houses need to have walls that will absorb heat. Vitamin D gets synthesized when the sun's ray get absorbed by the skin. II. to reduce the effect of a physical force, shock, or change: The barrier absorbed the main impact of the crash. III. to understand facts or ideas completely and remember them: It's hard to absorb so much information. IV. to take up someone's attention completely: The project has absorbed her for several years. V. if a business absorbs the cost of something, it pays that cost easily: The school has absorbed most of the expenses so far, but it may have to offer fewer places next year to reduce costs. Kowal says they're already seeing cautious consumers cut back even on staples like groceries, afraid of the impact tariffs will have on the family budget. "Unfortunately, it's very difficult to absorb all these kinds of costs, so that will have to eventually be reflected in some of our prices as well," she says. VI. if one company absorbs another company, it takes control of it and they become one company: Telecorp Holdings absorbed its Spanish subsidiary into its British headquarters. 6. prolific [prəˈlɪf.ɪk] 耕耘不辍的, 多产的, 勤奋的 adj. I. producing a great number or amount of something. A prolific writer, artist, or composer produces a large number of works. He was probably the most prolific songwriter of his generation. Rabbits and other rodents are prolific (= have a lot of babies). She is a prolific writer of novels and short stories. ...one of the most prolific composers for TV and film. II. A prolific sports player scores a lot of goals or wins a lot of matches or races. Another prolific scorer 进球多的 was Dean Saunders. III. An animal, person, or plant that is prolific produces a large number of babies, young plants, or fruit. They are prolific 能生的 breeders, with many hens laying up to six eggs. ...a prolific crop of creamy gold coloured pods. IV. If animals are prolific somewhere, there are a lot of them there. All the big game congregate here, and birdlife is particularly prolific 有很多的. proliferate [prəˈlɪf.ər.eɪt] 到处都是, 雨后春笋般的冒出 verb. to increase a lot and suddenly in number: Small businesses have proliferated in the last ten years. Amusement and theme parks are proliferating across the country. The proliferation of cell phones has changed how we communicate. Computerized data bases are proliferating fast. In recent years commercial, cultural, travel and other contacts have proliferated between Europe and China. ...the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Smoking triggers off cell proliferation. 7. curmudgeonly [kəˈmʌdʒ(ə)nli] adj (especially of an old person) bad-tempered and negative. often in a bad mood: a superb drama about a curmudgeonly old man. "I don't want to sound curmudgeonly, but I really deserve to win the prize," she complained. "a curmudgeonly old man". curmudgeon [kəˈmʌdʒ.ən] 脾气乖张的, 性格乖张的, 臭脾气的老人, 脾气乖戾的老人, 坏脾气的老人 an old person who is often in a bad mood. An ill-tempered person full of stubborn ideas or opinions, often an older man. There's a cranky curmudgeon working at the hospital who gives all the patients and other doctors flak. John Doe's old age and stubborn aversion to new ideas make him a curmudgeon of a candidate. churlish [ˈtʃɜː.lɪʃ] 粗鲁, 不礼貌的 rude, unfriendly, and unpleasant: I churlishly told him to go bother someone else. They invited me to dinner and I thought it would be churlish to refuse. "Boomerasking 回旋镖式问题" refers to a conversational tactic where someone asks a question, but primarily uses the response as an opportunity to talk about themselves, rather than genuinely engaging with the other person's answer. It involves someone asking a question, but then immediately diverting the conversation back to themselves, often using the other person's answer as a springboard for their own story or anecdote. Example: "How was your weekend?" (you respond) "Oh, mine was great! I went to...". 8. whip I. 鞭子抽打, 鞭打 To punish or chastise by repeated striking with a strap or rod; flog. to hit a person or animal with a whip: I don't like the way the drivers whip their horses. II. 搅拌...直至变稠 To beat (cream or eggs, for example) into a froth or foam. to beat food, especially cream, with a special piece of equipment in order to make it thick and firm: Could you whip the cream for me? Try whipping a little brandy or other liqueur into the cream. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of sugar. Whip the ingredients into a smooth paste. III. To wrap or bind (a rope, for example) with twine to prevent unraveling or fraying. IV. 打败, 击败, 横扫. Informal To defeat; outdo. to defeat a person or a team in a competition, especially in a sport: They beat us last time, but we whipped them in a rematch. He whipped him in their fight two years ago. Our team can whip your team. The bamboo whipped back and hit me in the face. Their team really whipped ours at football. V. to bring or take something quickly: She whipped a handkerchief out of her pocket 快速拿出, 快速取出, 快速拿来 and wiped his face. He whipped the covers off the bed. I was going to pay but before I knew it he'd whipped out his credit card. They whipped my plate away 取走 before I'd even finished. VI. to (cause something to) move quickly and forcefully: The wind whipped across the half-frozen lake. A fierce, freezing wind whipped 摔打, 甩打 torrential rain into their faces. VII. (of a whip of a political party) to make certain that other party members are present in a parliament, etc. to vote on a particular thing or to make certain that they vote in a particular way: Labour Party members were whipped to support the Bill. noun. I. a piece of leather or rope that is fastened to a stick, used for hitting animals or people: She lashed the horses mercilessly with her long whip. The lion-tamer cracked his whip. II. (in many elected political systems) a member of a political party in a parliament or in the legislature whose job is to make certain that other party members are present at voting time and also to make certain that they vote in a particular way: Hargreaves is the MP who got into trouble with his party's chief whip for opposing the tax reform. He is seen as a future party whip. III. in British politics, a written order that party members must be present in parliament when there is to be an important vote, or that they must vote in a particular way: In 1970 he defied a three-line (= the most urgent) whip against EC membership. the whip in British politics, the right of someone elected to a parliament to vote as an official member of a particular political party: Senior figures in the Labour Party said that they intend to withdraw the whip from the MP as the first step to him being thrown out of the party. He was one of the anti-European Tory MPs who lost the whip under Prime Minister John Major. She resigned the party whip in protest at the proposed legislation. have/hold the whip hand to be the person or group that has the most power in a situation: During the last decade the right wing of the party has held the whip hand. 成语或者词组: whip/knock/lick someone or something into shape to cause someone or something to be in a better condition. The coach was not able to whip the players into shape before the game. I think I can whip this proposal into shape quickly. Hey, Tom, whip yourself into shape. You look a mess. The prime minister's main aim is to knock the economy into shape. Little Sean is a bit wild but the teachers will soon lick him into shape when he starts school. His crew includes a bunch of misfits whom he whips into shape in time to win the contest. whip someone into a state/ doing sth. Fig. to excite, arouse, or foment someone into some state. (Based on whip someone into doing something.) The governor's speech whipped the audience into a frenzy. The angry cries from the audience whipped the speaker into a rage. 强迫, 逼着做某事 The cruel captain whipped his men into going on with the journey. You can't whip me into betraying my friends. crack the whip 打鞭子 to use your authority to make someone work harder, usually by threatening or punishing the. Usage notes: A whip is a piece of leather or rope fastened to a stick which you hit a horse with in order to make it go faster. We were already three months behind schedule so I thought it was time to crack the whip. whip something up I. to quickly prepare something to eat 快速准备 They got up at 3:30, Pete whipped up breakfast, and they left for the airport by 4:00. Usage notes: also used in the form whip someone up something: Let's ask Marion to whip us up a little snack. II. to cause something to increase in strength or violence. 加强 Huge waves, whipped up by the unusually strong winds, pounded the beaches. The press whipped up public opinion to the point where we were in danger of rioting in the streets. The crowd was pushing forward, and some people tried to whip things up even further. whipped 被管住了, 妻管严 being completely controlled by your girlfriend or boyfriend...in most cases a guy being completely controlled by his girlfriend. Being completely controlled by a woman to the point where you will do or say anything that she tells you to. In most cases the guy isn't getting any pussy. Damn! Joe is whipped. 9. "I think The White Lotus, as an anthology series( [anˈθɒlədʒi] I. 精选集. a published collection of poems or other pieces of writing. a collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject, often those considered to be the best: an anthology of modern quotations/American verse. This Bob Dylan anthology includes some rare recordings of his best songs. "an anthology of European poetry". II. a collection of songs or musical compositions issued in one album. "a double-CD anthology of Moby Grape, the legendary Sixties San Francisco band". III. 合集. a collection of stories, poems, etc., by different writers. anthologist 文选编者, 文集学家. 文选编辑 a person who collects artistic works into an anthology (= a collection of artistic works with a similar form or subject): He is a professional anthologist who compiles a yearly collection of the best new short stories. The project honours the work of American folk music anthologist Harry Smith. ), is amazing at how it talks about the frivolity ( behaviour that is silly and not serious, or things that are silly and not important. If you refer to an activity as a frivolity, you think that it is amusing and rather silly, rather than serious and sensible. There is a serious message at the core of all this frivolity. You shouldn't treat such a serious subject with frivolity. He was one of my most able pupils, but far too easily distracted by frivolities. You shouldn't treat such a serious subject with frivolity. I'm far too busy to waste time on frivolities like going to the cinema. ) of humans. "I always feel when I watch it, we're watching from the POV of the gods looking down at the frivolity of humanity and all of our silly little foibles ( foible [ˈfɔɪbl] (反义词: forte (strongpoint)) I. 弱项. 小弱点. 小缺点. a minor weakness or eccentricity in someone's character. a strange habit or characteristic that is seen as not important and not harming anyone: We all have our little foibles. We all have our little foibles."they have to tolerate each other's little foibles". II. [反义词: forte] in fencing, the weakest part of a sword, between the middle and the point of the blade: A parry should take the foible of the attacker's blade with the forte or guard of the defender's. forte 强项 I. in fencing, the strongest part of a sword, between the middle of the blade and the hilt (= the part you hold): The fencer forces the opponent's blade into the high or low line by taking it with the guard and forte of their own blade. II. a strong ability, something that a person can do well. a thing at which someone excels. "small talk was not his forte". Cooking was not exactly her forte. strongpoint I. a specially fortified defensive position. "his men wiped out a German strongpoint". II. something at which one excels; forte. A characteristic or ability at which one particularly excels. tactfulness was never his strong point. ), thinking, 'Oh, you think that you've got all the money so you think you're going to be all happy but you're not going to be happy'," she quipped. "I look forward to what that clever mind of Mike White's will thread into that conversation next time. 10. fiendish ['fiːn.dɪʃ] I. 邪恶的. evil and cruel. A fiendish person enjoys being cruel. This was a fiendish act of wickedness. "fiendish methods of torture". a fiendish attack. II. very difficult or complicated. clever and difficult, sometimes in a bad way: fiendishly clever/difficult. a fiendish crossword. a fiendish plot. extremely awkward or complex. A fiendish problem or task is very difficult and challenging. A rather neat option allows you to design your own fiendish puzzle. ...the fiendish difficulty of the questions. America's trade laws are fiendishly complex. "a fiendish 难搞的 problem". A fiendish plan, action, or device is very clever or imaginative. ...a fiendish plot. This figure is reached by a fiendishly clever equation. III. UK old-fashioned very great: a fiendish price. I'm in a fiendish hurry. fiend [fiːnd] I. A devil or demon; a malignant or diabolical being; an evil spirit. II. A very evil person. an evil and cruel person: Who was the fiend who designed such ugly clothes? He was portrayed in the media as a complete fiend. III. (obsolete) An enemy; a foe. We waited for our fiend to arrive. IV. (religious, archaic) The enemy of mankind, specifically, the Devil; Satan. V. (informal) An addict or fanatic. someone who likes something very much or is very interested in something: a health/sex/chocolate fiend. fiend for McCormack is a fiend for punctuality. dope fiend. He's been a jazz fiend since his teenage years. a chocolate fiend. Fiend can be used after a noun to refer to a person who is very interested in the thing mentioned, and enjoys having a lot of it or doing it often. ...if you're a heavy coffee drinker or strong-tea fiend. Columbus 发现新大陆 [kəˈlʌmbəs] I. (possibly dated, slang) To explore; to go around exploring, to go around as an explorer. II. (derogatory, slang, US) To appropriate; to lay claim to something, especially a discovery, which is perceived as belonging to someone else. When his black friend tells him that many people knew about the bar before he did, his white friend retorts by saying that he "Columbused it"; i.e., discovered it for white people before a gaggle of hip white people flooded in. Of course, there is no bouncer, but we can be careful not to Columbus other culture's traditions. He then lists other things that have been Columbused, such as twerking by Miley Cyrus and hummus by "health conscious whities." The White Lotus - Why are you with this middle-aged weirdo: Victoria doesn't know this woman or her life and in that way she is clearly crossing a line. She's also making a life changing offer without any real plan to implement it. But I think it is a reach to call her Columbus. She's offering an exit strategy to a woman who has obvious surface level reasons for wanting an exit. Keeping your mouth shut when you see someone in a sketchy situation isn't necessarily admirable. be a reach 过分, 夸张, 言过其实 To be an exaggeration of logic beyond what is true, likely, or possible. A: "Taxes are causing all our country's problems!" B: "Look, I don't like paying taxes either, but that's a reach!" A: "You didn't hear anything in the news about it because of a massive government coverup!" B: "Come on now, that's quite a reach, don't you think?" He still doesn't have the votes? Then I guess it was a reach for him to say he'd definitely get the bill passed this week. 11. punch I. a forceful hit with a fist (= closed hand): punch in He was knocked out by a punch in the face. She gave him a punch on the nose. throw a punch Some of the crowd started getting aggressive and threw a punch or two (= hit people). land a punch The former champion hardly landed a punch in rounds four and five. II. the power to be interesting and have a strong effect on people: A second novel often doesn't have the same punch as the debut. lack punch 冲击力 I felt the performance/speech/presentation lacked punch. III. a cold or hot drink made by mixing fruit juices, pieces of fruit, and often wine or other alcoholic drinks. IV. a piece of equipment that cuts holes in a material by pushing a piece of metal through it: a ticket punch. hole punch 打孔机 Have you seen the hole punch anywhere? sucker punch 突然袭击 I. a hard blow (= hit) to someone's body when they are not expecting it: He was knocked out by a sucker punch. sucker punch to He had taken a sucker punch to his chest, and was finding it difficult to breathe. II. an event that affects someone or something badly, often one that was not expected: For her it was an emotional sucker punch, learning she did not land any of three jobs for which she was a finalist. sucker punch to The decision was a sucker punch to our plans. The team was hit by a sucker punch when their opponents took the lead right on half-time. The real sucker-punch came later with the unexpected closure of the business. sucker-punch I. to hit someone hard when they are not expecting it: I held up my camera to record the moment and one of the thugs sucker punched me from behind. Another witness recalled being sucker-punched, then falling to the ground, where he was kicked in the head. II. to damage or affect someone or something badly, often when this was not expected: The company has been sucker punched in the past year, and morale has gone down and down. The hurricane sucker-punched the region with unexpectedly strong winds and local flooding. punch above your weight = bat above your weight I. If a country or business punches above its weight, it becomes involved in, or succeeds in, an activity that needs more power, money, etc. than it seems to have: Singapore punches above its weight in the world economy. II. to have a romantic relationship with someone who is considered to be more attractive, more successful, etc. than you. People say my boyfriend is punching above his weight being with me. Partners who are roughly equally attractive have a better chance of staying together, so don't try to punch above your weight! be punching = be batting to be in a romantic relationship with someone who is considered more attractive, more successful, etc. than you: Here's a photo of my girlfriend - do you think I'm punching? "Love Island" contestants are obsessed with who is and isn't punching. 12. amiable [ˈeɪmɪəbl] having or displaying a friendly and pleasant manner. "the amiable young man greeted me enthusiastically". amicable [ˈamɪkəbl] characterized by friendliness and absence of discord. "an amicable settlement of the dispute". amenable [əˈmiːnəbl] I. 耳根软的. 听劝的. 听话的. open and responsive to suggestion; easily persuaded or controlled. willing to accept or be influenced by a suggestion: He was amenable to suggestion, and really worked hard to improve himself. She might be more amenable to the idea if you explained how much money it would save. Do you think the new manager will prove more amenable to our proposals? "parents who have amenable children". Mazarin had been amenable to the idea. Sleyman seemed to be more amenable than his father. readily yielding, submitting, or cooperating a government not amenable to change. II. 管用的. 可以做点什么的. capable of being acted upon in a particular way; susceptible. able to be controlled, organized, or affected by something. The data is amenable to analysis. a disease amenable 有响应的 to treatment. The United States has … a higher rate of "mortality amenable to health care"—that's statistics-speak for people dying because they didn't see a doctor in time—than culturally and economically comparable nations … "cardiac failure not amenable to medical treatment". hospitable, suitable The three factors necessary to spread disease are a pathogen, a host, and an amenable environment. conditions amenable to life. III. Liable to be brought to account, to a charge or claim; responsible; accountable; answerable. After further review, DHS has determined that he/she is not amenable to deportation or exclusion proceedings. 13. kick something into the long grass UK informal I. ( = kick the can down the road 回头再说, 回头再管 To avoid or postpone a decision or action; to procrastinate. ) To postpone action on something. to delay dealing with something, especially because you want people to forget about it: It is disgraceful that the Treasury had kicked the task force's report into the long grass. We are not prepared to see this issue kicked into the long grass. II. ( = sweep under the rug, ostrich politics 眼不见心不烦 ) To hide or conceal a problem in the hope that it will be overlooked. longgrass I. Grasses that have been allowed to grow very high or that are from a species that grows very high. II. (colloquial) An area around Darwin, Australia populated by homeless indigenous people. Long grassers – as Darwin's homeless population are colloquially called. Long grassers live in conditions that are unimaginable to most Australians. They have little or no shelter and, during the Northern Territory's wet season, have to contend with monsoonal rains. There are no cooking or bathroom facilities around the popular campsites. Many have serious health conditions, which of course are only exacerbated by their living situation. The threat of violence is constant. It can be inter-familial violence, grog-fuelled fights between groups of long grassers, or vicious assaults from the non-Indigenous population, like the group of white boys a few years ago who attacked long grassers around town with sticks, stones and the occasional baseball bat to the face. 14. be in the wash 待洗, 需要洗 If you say that something such as an item of clothing is in the wash, you mean that it is being washed, is waiting to be washed, or has just been washed and should therefore not be worn or used. Your jeans are in the wash. it will (all) come out in the wash 一洗所有问题就都解决了 used to tell someone that problems will be solved in the end: We've certainly had some problems but I think, in the end, it will all come out in the wash. It doesn't really matter which one you choose: it'll all come out in the wash. bow up (Southern US) To become overtaken by impatience, anger or frustration; to reach one's limit; to square up or assert oneself. to reach the limit of one's patience and rebel. the chore of it fell to me until I finally bowed up.
The Fifth Estate is a socio-cultural reference to groupings of outlier viewpoints in contemporary society, and is most associated with bloggers, journalists publishing in non-mainstream media outlets, and online social networks. The "Fifth" Estate extends the sequence of the three classical estates of the democratic state, legislative, executive, judicial and the preceding Fourth Estate, essentially the common press. The use of "fifth estate" dates to the 1960s counterculture, and in particular the influential The Fifth Estate, an underground newspaper first published in Detroit in 1965. Web-based technologies have enhanced the scope and power of the Fifth Estate far beyond the modest and boutique conditions of its beginnings.
公共道德问题覆盖面: (Civility [sɪˈvɪlɪti] as public-mindedness has a broader meaning, and involves recognizing others as free and equal members of society. According to Richard Boyd, for example, civility involves 'the mutual recognition of others as our moral equals'. Civility [sɪˈvɪlɪti] (civil behaviour) politeness or a polite remark. the quality of being polite. formal politeness and courtesy in behaviour or speech. "I hope we can treat each other with civility and respect". I learned how much smoother the day goes when people act with civility (= behave in a polite way). She greeted them with civility, but not much warmth. After a few civilities, they got down to business. polite remarks used in formal conversation. "she was exchanging civilities with his mother". Civility 互相尊重, 礼貌 is defined as: demonstrating and maintaining, both in our words and actions, respective behavior toward one another when we disagree. Civility is not an issue when we agree with others; it only arises when we disagree. Civility is concerned with how to treat each other with respect when we do disagree. This fact sheet outlines effective strategies for local officials to apply in promoting civility and explains why the practice of civility and how modeling respectful processes and communication is critical for the overall health of our communities. ) Public morality (公共道德多是关于性方面的, 赌博, 饮酒, 吸毒, ) often means regulation of sexual matters, including prostitution and homosexuality, but also matters of dress and nudity, pornography, acceptability in social terms of cohabitation before marriage, and the protection of children. It is a main justification for censorship; it can lead to campaigns against profanity, and so be at odds with freedom of speech. Gambling is generally controlled: casinos have been considered much more of a threat than large-scale lotteries or football pools. Public drunkenness is quite unacceptable in some societies, and legal control of consumption of alcohol is often justified in terms of public morality, just as much as for medical reasons or to limit alcohol-related crime. Drug legislation, historically speaking, has sometimes followed on similar reasoning. Abortion is sometimes treated as an aspect of public morality, even if it is legally defined, regulated by medical professionals, and almost entirely hidden from public view. AIDS as a health policy issue is linked to public morality in a complicated manner. A famous remark on male homosexuality of Mrs Patrick Campbell, that she did not care what people did as long as they "didn't frighten the horses", shows that in some sense even high tolerance expects a public limitation on behaviour. At the opposite extreme a theocracy may equate public morality with religious instruction, and give both the equal force of law. Views on public morality do change over time. Public views on which things are acceptable often move towards wider tolerance. Rapid shifts the other way are often characterised by moral panics 道德危机, as in the shutting down of theatres a generation after Shakespeare's death by the English Puritans. It may also be applied to the morals of public life. Political corruption, or the telling of lies in public statements, tarnish not only individual politicians, but the entire conduct of political life, whether at local or national level. These are fairly universally regarded as blots on reputations, though in some cases there is a grey area between corruption and legitimate fund-raising. Whether the private lives of politicians are a public morals issue is not a matter of agreement, internationally speaking; the existence of an extramarital relationship of a prime minister or even a president would in some countries be considered a revelation well within the sphere of the public interest, while in other countries it would be considered quite irrelevant.
In criminology, public-order crime 违犯公共秩序罪, 违犯公序良俗 is defined by Siegel (2004) as "crime which involves acts that interfere with the operations of society and the ability of people to function efficiently", i.e., it is behaviour that has been labelled criminal because it is contrary to shared norms, social values, and customs. Robertson (1989:123) maintains a crime is nothing more than "an act that contravenes a law". Generally speaking, deviancy is criminalized when it is too disruptive and has proved uncontrollable through informal sanctions. Public-order crime should be distinguished from political crime. In the former, although the identity of the "victim" may be indirect and sometimes diffuse, it is cumulatively the community that suffers, whereas in a political crime, the state perceives itself to be the victim and criminalizes the behaviour it considers threatening. Thus, public-order crime includes consensual crime and victimless crime. It asserts the need to use the law to maintain order both in the legal and moral sense. Public-order crime is now the preferred term by proponents as against the use of the word "victimless" based on the idea that there are secondary victims (family, friends, acquaintances, and society at large) that can be identified. In criminology, a political crime or political offence is an offence that prejudices the interests of the state or its government. States may criminalise any behaviour perceived as a threat, real or imagined, to the state's survival, including both violent and non-violent opposition. A consequence of such criminalisation may be that a range of human rights, civil rights, and freedoms are curtailed, and conduct which would not normally be considered criminal per se (in other words, that is not antisocial according to those who engage in it) is criminalised at the convenience of the group holding power.
