1. Head Start：如果這兩個字開頭的字母是大寫，則連在一起是一個專有名詞，指的是美國政府為貧窮或弱智的兒童設(shè)立的一種訓(xùn)練機(jī)構(gòu)，幫助他們，希望他們在進(jìn)小學(xué)之前能趕上教學(xué)進(jìn)度。也就是：U.S. government tries to give extra － help for those underprivileged children before entering first grade. (underprivileged 比 poor 更委婉些)

例如： Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.

    但是如果head start的字母是小寫，那么就是普通名詞了，是指比別人早著手，或領(lǐng)先、 有利，即：advance start or advantage

    例如：In order to give his son a head start, the father decided to send him to a private kindergarten.（為了讓他的兒子有好的開始，他決定把兒子送到私立幼兒園去。)

         To know more colloquial expressions is a head start in  learning English. (了解更多的俗語對學(xué)習(xí)英語有好處。)

2. blue blood：是指有錢人或出身富家的人 (rich or wealthy people)

例如：He has blue blood.或He is blue blooded (person).

       Mr. Lin comes from a blue blooded family. (林先生出身豪門。)

       Some people do not want to admit that they have blue blood.

       (有些人不愿承認(rèn)自己是富家出身。)

        Many blue blooded children attend this private school.

       (許多有錢人家的孩子就讀這所私立學(xué)校。)

3. bed of roses：意思是稱心如意的境遇；美好、理想的'安樂窩'(everything seems to be wonderful)

例如：Life is not always a bed of roses. (生活未必都是稱心如意的。)

      Young people think that marriage will be a bed of roses.

       (年輕人都認(rèn)為婚姻是美好的。)

4. from soup to nuts：意思是從頭到尾，自始至終；或是一應(yīng)俱全，完整詳盡（多半是指物品方面）。

 例如：This store sells everything from soup to nuts.  

      (這家商店出售的貨品一應(yīng)俱全。)

      My office is supplied from soup to nuts. (我辦公室里的用品十分齊全。)

但是如果指知識豐富的話，則不用這個詞，而是通常用 from A to Z來表達(dá)，。

例如：Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z.

      (格林斯潘先生在經(jīng)濟(jì)方面的知識非常豐富。)

  5. real blast：blast 本來是指'一陣狂風(fēng)'。但在口語中則是指歡樂，或玩得愉快，很盡興  (have a good time; usually refers to a party or gathering.)

 例如：Miss Su had a (real) blast at the party.

       (蘇小姐在派對上玩得很痛快。)

      I hope our get-together will be a (real) blast.

         (我希望我們相聚的時光是愉快的。)

        注：blast 前面用 real 形容，是起到加強(qiáng)語氣的作用。

 6. off-limits：意思是禁止入內(nèi)；限制進(jìn)出或不準(zhǔn)使用，也就是關(guān)閉 (closed or not available)例如：The library will be off-limits to the public until re-carpeting project is completed.

       (新地毯鋪好之前，圖書館閉館。)

      The teachers have the use of a john that is off-limits  to students.

      （學(xué)生不得使用教師廁所。) (john小寫的時候才是指廁所。)

       或 This bathroom is off-limits to students.

7. next of kin：是指家人或者近親(closest relatives or anyone in the family)。 在美國，所謂'親人'也是依每個人的不同情況而定的，可能是夫婦、父母、兒女，或是叔叔嬸嬸、表兄弟姐妹。

例如：If a person has a serious car accident, his or her next of kin will be notified.

      (如果遭遇嚴(yán)重車禍，當(dāng)事人的親屬就會接到通知。)

      At the funeral all next of kin were in attendance.

        (所有的親屬都參加了葬禮。)

      The doctor should discuss the prognosis candidly with the next of kin.

        (醫(yī)生應(yīng)該把診斷結(jié)果坦白地告知病人家屬。)

      All his property will eventually go to his next of kin.

       (他的所有財(cái)產(chǎn)最終都給了他的親人。)

如果'kin'單獨(dú)使用，用作家屬或親屬的總稱，則通常后面不加 s。

例如：All my kin attended the family get-together.

      (我們?nèi)壹垡惶谩?/span>)

8. fair-weather friend：這是指一些只能同安樂而不能共患難'酒肉'朋友(being friend only during favorable time)

 例如：A fair-weather friend will not contact you during your time of hardship. (當(dāng)你陷入困境的時候，那些酒肉朋友是不會主動聯(lián)絡(luò)你的。)

       When she ignored him during his financial problem, he knew she was a fair-weather friend.

   (當(dāng)他經(jīng)濟(jì)緊張時，她對他根本不理不睬；他知道她只在他處于順境的時候才是'朋友'。)

9. real bomb：在口語里是指在公眾場所或舞臺上表演失敗或表現(xiàn)欠佳。通常與 real 用在一起。

例如：The show was a real bomb, so I cut out early.

      （這個劇很糟糕，所以我提前退場了。）（cut out = leave）

如果 bomb 作名詞用，意思就是炸彈；作動詞，則是轟炸，或失敗、極壞的意思。(very bad) 例如： A U.S. fighter dropped a bomb over Iraq.

      (一架美國轟炸機(jī)往伊拉克扔了一顆炸彈) （作名詞）= A U.S. fighter bombed Iraq. （作動詞）

        The play has bombed. （這場戲演砸了）

值得注意的是：'real bomb'有時也指'真正的炸彈'。

例如：The police found a real bomb in the building.

          （警察在建筑物中發(fā)現(xiàn)了一顆真炸彈）

 10. neck and neck：不相上下，難分高低。(remain tie in any competition)

 例如：The horses came in neck and neck across the finish line. （賽馬到達(dá)終點(diǎn)時難分上下）

       Last year George Bush and Al Gore almost remained neck and neck in the race for White House. （去年布什和戈?duì)栐诖筮x中幾乎不分上下） (注：也有人寫成：neck-and-neck)