1. flip-flop （观点，态度）大转弯
2. floating on air 欣喜若狂
3. flub 捅娄子
4. fluff someone off 不把某人放在眼里
5. follow through 坚持到底
6. follow-up 后续的；连续广告的
7. fool around 乱搞男女关系
8. play footsie 调情
9. for keeps 永远地
10. for the birds 劣等的，无聊的，没有价值的
11. free-wheeling 随心所欲的，放任自流的
12. from scratch 从头开始
13. front-door 正当的
14. full of beans 精力充沛
15. full of hot air 自以为是
16. go gaga 发疯
17. gear oneself up 做好思想准备
18. get a bang out of… 从……中得到乐趣
19. get something across 讲清楚
20. get a free ride 免费享受
------------------------------------------
习惯用语
1. get someone’s goat 惹某人生气
2. have a bone to pick with someone 对某人有意见
3. stand up for someone 挺身而出支持某人
4. take side with… 站在……一边
5. curry favor with… 巴结……
6. be prepared for… 对……有思想准备
7. be in favor of… 赞同……， 支持……
8. be two-faced 两面派
9. not take… too much to heart 别太在意……
10. What is done cannot be undone. 覆水难收
11. be on cloud nine 欣喜若狂
12. bring someone down a notch 灭某人的威风
13. take one’s revenge on… 报复
14. run with the hare and hunt with the hounds 两面讨好
15. take it out on… 拿……出气
16. bark up the wrong tree 找错对象
17. leave a bad taste in… 给……以不好的印象
18. have a big drag with… 和……关系特别好
19. a hodge-podge 大杂烩
20. have the final say 有做最后决定的权利
21. sing someone’s praises 赞扬某人
22. Easier said than done. 说起来容易做起来难。
23. be in someone’s favor 有利于某人
24. be neck and neck 相差无几
25. keep one’s fingers crossed 等待好消息
26. get the better of… 占……的便宜
27. not give someone a tumble 不理睬某人
28. ward off… 避开
29. turn a blind eye 装做没看见
30. bring…to perfection 使……尽善尽美
31. there’s still room for… 仍有……余地
32. Two heads are better than one. 两人的智慧胜一人。
33. Give someone a free hand. 让某人自由行事。
34. toe the line 守纪律
35. run-of-the-mill 没出息的，千篇一律的
36. make peanuts 挣钱不多
37. no picnic 不是轻松的事
38. the teething trouble 万事开头难
39. be in two minds 摇摆不定
40. take the plunge 断然决定
41. Nothing ventures, nothing have (gains). 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。
42. fly-by-night 非正经的
43. a sole agent 独家代理
44. catch-22 难以逾越的障碍
45. Pride goes before a fall. 骄兵必败
46. go to one’s head 冲昏头脑
47. be in high cotton 兴隆
48. a knowing card 机灵鬼
49. pave the way for… 为……铺平道路
50. pop up 突然出现
51. be sidetracked 被分心
52. keep cool 冷静
53. get a grip on oneself 把握自己
54. be in full swing 全面展开
55. would-be employees 将来的雇员
56. have a mind like a steel trap 脑子特别快
57. be in the chips 有钱
58. not go back on one’s words 不食言
-----------------------------------------
A: What did Jack do wrong to get your goat（惹你生气）? You always seem to have a bone to pick with him（对他有意见）.
B: He flip-flopped at the meeting（态度大转弯）. He said he would stand up for（支持）my proposal, but he change gear（改变方向）and took side with（站在……一边）Nancy.
A: He often curries favor with（巴结）her. You should have been prepared for（有思想准备）that.
B: But he did promise that he would be in favor（支持）of mine. I didn’t know he’s two-faced（两面派）.
A: You don’t have to take that too much to heart（别太在意）. What is done cannot be undone（覆水难收）.
B: I know. But Nancy has been floating on air since then. She is beside herself.
A: I understand why she has been on cloud nine（欣喜若狂）. But do you want to bring her down a notch（灭她的威风）to make yourself feel better?
B: I didn’t expect that you would think this way. I’m not taking my revenge on（报复）anyone. I just think that Jack should not run with the hare and hunt with the hounds（两面讨好）.
A: But don’t give other people the impression that you are going to take it out on（拿……出气）Nancy. If you want to take it out, take it out on Jack. You’re barking up the wrong tree（找错对象）if you try to find fault with Nancy. And, you may flub（捅娄子） the whole thing and leave a bad taste in（给人以不好的印象）other people.
B: I didn’t want to take it out on her, and I don’t want to blame her for（责怪）anything. But she shouldn’t be beside herself just because Jack backed her up.
A: But you must understand that it’s natural for Jack to take side with（站在某人一边）Nancy. Nancy has a big drag with（关系特别好）the boss while you often fluff her off and do not give the devil his due.
B: Why should I give the devil his due? Her proposal for the project is not practical. Besides, her ideas are simply a hodge-podge（大杂烩）.
A: But other people can make sound judgment（正确判断）of each of the proposals and come to their conclusions. Jack is not the person who will have the final say（最后决定权）.
B: I know he is not the decision-maker（决策人）, but the trouble is he was singing Nancy’s praises（为某人唱赞歌）at the meeting. That contributes to the final decision.
A: But that won’t contribute significantly, I bet. And, if I were you, I would follow through and try to convince the other committee members of the value of my proposal.
B: Easier said than done（说来容易做来难）. Insistence is one thing, but public support is another thing.
A: You’re being too sensitive about her. I would not take that too much to heart（别太在意）.
B: But the follow-up（连续广告） may be in her favor（有利于）, not in mine. You could understand me better if you were in my shoes（处在我的位置）.
A: I know. Now let’s talk like sensible people. What did other people say about her proposal? Did they all take side with（站在某人一边）her?
B: Well, the situation was not in my favor. Several members thought her proposal was neck and neck（相差无几）. They haven’t come to the conclusion yet.
A: Keep your fingers crossed（等待好消息）for the follow up of the discussion. Things might come up to you as a surprise.
B: That’s double Dutch（难懂的话）. There’s another thing that keeps making me feel sick. I know that Jack has been fooling around with Nancy and one or two other girls. And he wanted to get the better（占便宜）of me, but I didn’t give him a tumble（不理睬）. He stands no change（没机会）with me.
A: That’s enough. There’re many ways for girls to ward off（避开）trouble.
B: Another thing that gets me sick is Nancy’s playing footsie（调情） with Jack. They do so even at meetings.
A: Turn a blind eye（装作没看见）. You can take that for nonexistence. You don’t have to trouble yourself with that. By the way, could I have a look at your proposal? Maybe I can add some new ideas to it.
B: Well, here’s a copy of it. And I’ve been trying to bring it to perfection（使它尽善尽美）. I’ll be glad and grateful if you can add something to it.
A: Could I draft on the copy?
B: Sure. I give it to you for keeps. But I expect your comments and suggestions.
----------------------------------------------
B: Have you been through with（看完）the proposal?
A: Yeah. I’ve read it twice and I found it well organized. But there’s still room for（仍有余地）improvement.
B: Of course. But it’s not all for the birds, is it?
A; Oh, no! You have some very good ideas, though the suggested procedures and the presumed prospects need to be backed up（支持）with more details.
B: That’s exactly what I have been thinking over. But can you help me to perfect it? We are going to have a third round of（第三轮）discussion the coming Thursday.
A: I’ll try my best. But we’d better discuss the details together. Two heads are better than one（两人智慧胜一人）, you know?
B: All right. Give me a buzz when you have time. I’ll be available before next Wednesday.
A: Have a look at the modified parts of the paper. I think they help to make it sound more reasonable.
B: Let me read it through. Well, you have taken the words out of my mouth（你说出了我想说的话）. I like your modifications. They helped to make it sound more like a proposal. Thanks a lot.
A: It’s a pleasure. By the way, are you free-wheeling（随心所欲，放任自由的） about what you do?
B: Well, depends on what we do. Sometimes my boss give us a free hand（让我们自由行事）, and sometimes he demands that we toe the line（守纪律）. There’s no bargain（没有商量）in carrying out his policies, by the way. I hear that you want to quit your present job and set a business of your own. It’s a trendy practice（流行的做法）nowadays.
A: Well, I’m fed up with the run-of-the-mill（没有出息,千篇一律）job in the company. I have been working on the job for nearly six years and I’m still making peanuts（挣钱不多）. Nobody will be content with（满足）that.
B: But it’s no picnic（不是轻松的事）to start from scratch. Think about the capital and all the teething trouble（万事开头难）. They are enough to prevent an ordinary man from dreaming of doing.
A: I was thinking about them, too. And at first, I was in two minds（摇摆不定）and I didn’t have enough confidence. But finally I decided to take the plunge（断然决定）. Nothing ventures, nothing have（不入虎穴，焉得虎子）.
B: Are you thinking of managing a front-door business or a fly-by-night（非正经的）company?
A: Of course a front-door business. I’m aiming at acting as a sole agent for（独家代理）a medicine. It’s made of Chinese herbs and it words wonders for people who are suffering from（深受之苦）high blood pressure.
B: You seem to be full of beans in doing the business. And it sounds to be a very good choice.
A: Yeah. I’m stimulated. I’m confident that I will make it a hit（使成功）.
B: Confidence is the mother of success. It’s very important for the one who wants to star a business from scratch（从头开始）.
A: But I do anticipate difficulties. There might be catch-22（难以逾越的障碍）on my way.
B: But there’s one thing you should try and avoid. Don’t be full of hot air even I you’re one hundred percent sure of what you are doing. Pride goes before a fall（骄兵必败）.
A: Thanks for reminding me. I seem to be beside myself（忘乎所以）these days. I just can’t help it（控制不住）.
B: Play it cool. Don’t let anything go to your head（冲昏头脑）. People can’t achieve great things when they are beside themselves.
A: You bet I won’t go gaga even if my business is in high cotton（兴隆起来）. I know what prudence is meant for a successful businessman.
B: You’re indeed a knowing card（机灵鬼）. A clever man changes himself, but a fool never will. This personality of you will pave the way for（为……铺平道路）your success.
A: Thanks for your encouragement. I’m sure I’ll do a good job（好好干）in getting it going.
B: You must get well prepared for（有准备）the problems that might pop up（突然出现）on your way.
A: You’re right. I must gear myself up for unexpected things that might hinder the progress（阻止进步）of the operations.
B: And remember not to be sidetracked（被分心）by irrelevant things. You must concentrate on （集中精力干）the business.
A: Thanks again. When one person is on the gravy train（有了运气）, he can easily get a bang out of his success. And this is what I should avoid in my business.
B: That’s right. Keep cool（冷静）whatever happens and you will get a grip on yourself（把握自己）.
A: Right. I might need to pick your brains（向你请教）later on when my business is in full swing（全面展开）.
B: I’ll be glad if I can be helpful. And I hope I will be helpful.
A: One thing you are particularly good at is to communicate your ideas to（把思想传达给）other people, and that ability is what I need most. You will be able to be helpful.
B: I got it. Maybe you have some difficulty in getting your ideas across to other people, especially to your would-be employees（将来的雇员）.
A: You really have a mind like a steel trap（脑子特别快）.
B: Thanks for your compliment. By the way, you’ll give me a free ride when you’re in the chips（有钱了）, won’t you?
A: Certainly. When I’m in the chips, I’ll treat you to（款待）a trip abroad.
B: A trip abroad? I can’t believe my own ears.
A: Really. Promise is promise. I won’t go back on my words（不食言）.
B: I’ll be looking forward to（盼望）that day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------