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321.  Back-up system是指後備的設施，以便在主要的設備出現故障的時候發揮作用，使工作能夠正常地持續下去。 "On the second day of the flight, the space shuttle's main air-conditioning system broke down. But the astronauts switched on the back-up system and were able to continue the mission for another three days and land safely at Edwards Air Force Base."

322.  In the pink的意思是指一個人臉色看上去白裏透紅，氣色很好，身體很健康。I thought I was getting a cold yesterday so I went to bed a couple of hours early and I really feel in the pink now."

323.  Fit as a fiddle的意思也是指身體很好，就像一隻調好音的小提琴，準備演奏美麗動聽的音樂一樣。I eat lots of vegetables and fruit, and I do exercises three times a week. These things help to keep me fit as a fiddle."

324.  To play ball作為俗語的意思是和某人合作，或做出妥協，以便以後可以得到對方的幫助。 "You play ball with me and I'll play ball with you" 作為俗語的意思就是: 這次你跟我合作，下次我一定跟你合作。

325.  On the ball是指一個人很機靈，工作做得很出色。 "That reporter is about the best we have on the paper. He's always on the ball and brings back stories that most other reporters would miss."

326.  Now the ball is in your court作為俗語的意思是：現在該是你採取行動的時候了。"Here's a revised budget our people are ready to vote for. It's about the best I can do. Now the ball's in your court, my friend: see whether your people can agree to it."

327.  To start the ball rolling是開始一個行動。 "Okay, I've called this meeting to see what ideas we have for the new ad campaign. I'll start the ball rolling by telling you a few ideas I already have."

328.  Skin-deep是膚淺，表面的意思"Joe likes to brag about all the friends he has. But to tell the truth, his friendships are only skin-deep -- the only person he really cares about deep down in his heart is himself."

329.  that really gets under one's skin是令人感到討厭的意思。 "Jack is a nice guy but he has one habit that really gets under my skin: he sits there all day and cracks his knuckles.

330.  No skin off my nose是指對某件事不在乎，不會受到損害。"Hey, it's no skin off my nose if Susie's going out now with that guy!

331.  To save one's skin，這個習慣用語的意思是某人從一個大危機中被解救出來，或者是逃脫了一個危險的情況，沒有受到傷害。 It wrecked his car, but he was wearing his seat belt and that saved his skin -- he walked away without a scratch.

332.  " at the wheel有兩個意思：可以解釋為開車，也可以指負責或領導一個大型的組織。 "You not only came back home after midnight last night, but you also wrecked my car. Let me ask you something: How many people were in the car and who was at the wheel on your way home?"

333.  hell on wheels這個俗語有兩個截然不同的意思，一個是工作努力，有效率；另一個是指某人脾氣暴燥，對人苛刻和粗暴。 "Jane's dad is certainly hell on wheels with her and her brother. Nothing they do pleases him. He scolds them for this and that every day.

334.  Spinning one's wheel是指花了精力而沒有成果。"I've got to get out of this place and find another job somewhere. I'm just spinning my wheels here -- there's no chance to get a pay raise, much less a promotion."

335.  Re-inventing the wheel是指某人自以為想出了好方法，但是實際上這個方法別人早已在用了。 "Look, don't try to design your own computer system for handling our accounts. There are plenty of good systems already on the market, so let's not reinvent the wheel!"

336.  To jump right out of one's skin是指嚇一跳，它可以是由於高興而感到驚喜，也可能是因為危險或其他不幸的事而感到震驚。"When the door opened, I almost jumped right out of my skin.

337.  all skin and bones，就是皮包骨的意思，是指那些很瘦的人。"Have you seen Henry lately? For two months he's been on this special diet to lose weight. Well, he's taken off forty pounds and now he's all skin and bones."

338.  To skin someone alive是一個人生氣的時候說的氣話，意思是要把某人活活地剝皮。"Mary promised two weeks ago that she would stop seeing Bill. Today, my sister saw her with Bill in a restaurant kissing and hugging. I am going to skin her alive this time."

339.  Skin game是以不正當的手法通過賭博來騙取別人的錢。 : "Since I joined the majong team last summer, I've won only once for just $20. It suddenly dawned on me last week that I've been cheated by the other three in a skin game."

340.  One of a kind是指一個非常突出的人和物，他們非常出眾以致到了獨一無二的程度。Just imagine: he died at thirty-five and he wrote six hundred pieces of music. He was certainly one of a kind."

341.  Top-notch也是非常出眾的意思。 " When I'm in New York I always stay in this hotel. Everything here is top-notch: the rooms, the restaurants, the service. And it's close to most of the places I want to go."

342.  to crash the gate，意思是沒有門票偷偷溜進電影院或體育館去看電影或看球賽"When I was a kid, I'd crash the gate at baseball games.

343.  to crash the party，意思是沒有被邀請而混進去參加聚會。 "I have this friend who is an expert at crashing parties at foreign embassies.

344.  crash course就是指短期訓練班。 "When that young man was elected to congress, he went to Washington a month early to get a crash course from a retiring congressman on the important issues he'd have to vote on."

345.  set of wheels就是指汽車。"Hey Pete, come on over and take a look at my new set of wheels. Fire-engine red, real leather upholstery -- I tell you, the girls will go crazy over it!"

346.  Free-wheeler是指那些不願意按一個公司或一個機構的所定之規來行事的人，他們一般喜歡怎麼做就怎麼做。 "Other Congressmen call Mr. Blank a free-wheeler because he doesn't always vote the way the party wants.

347.  Wheeler-dealer是那種特別精明能幹，善於使用自己和有權勢的人的關係，不顧一切地掃除障礙，目的就是要做成大筆生意。 "Some people call my brother a wheeler-dealer because he's made so much money buying and selling real estate.

348.  fifth wheel是指：某人是多餘的，沒有必要的，甚至是不受歡迎的。 "My son asked me to come help at his school track meet but I felt like a fifth wheel when I got there: they already had enough people to help so I just stood there feeling useless." 這位家長說：“我的兒子要我在他學校開運動會的時候去幫忙。可是，我到了那裏覺得自己似乎是多餘的，因為他們已經有好多人在幫忙，我只好站在那裏沒事幹。”

349.  green thumb和all thumbs。 Green thumb是指那些很會種花養草的人。"I sure wish I had a green thumb like Mister Jones next door. Every year he grows the best tomatos and sweet corn in our whole neighborhood. And his roses are absolutely beautiful!"

350.  All thumbs是笨手笨腳的意思。"It's amazing you can knit so fast and finish a sweater in a week. Have you seen the way Julie knits? She's all thumbs, I'm afriad it's going to take her years to finish a sweater."

351.  Under the thumb是控制的意思。不管是主動地控制別人或是被人控制都可以用這一習慣用語。"My friend Pete Green is certainly under his wife's thumb. She handles all the money, buys his clothes, won't let him go out at night -- he's almost afraid to breathe without her permission."

352.  To stick out like a sore thumb是指由於某種情況使一個人很不合群，顯得很突出。 "Sarah went to the ball alone thinking she'd find someone to dance with. But everyone had a partner so she was all alone most of the time. She stuck out like a sore thumb and was very embarrassed."

353.  Everything from soup to nuts是指各式各樣的東西很多。I've never seen so many different things to buy in all my life -- they sell everything from soup to nuts."

354.  Everything but the kitchen sink也是指很多，幾乎包括所有的東西。 "Gee, honey, do you really need all that stuff for a three-day holiday -- it looks like you've brought along everything but the kitchen sink."

355.  to kiss someone or something goodbye，意思是“拒絕或放棄某人或某樣東西”。 "Jones, when are you going to have that bid ready for the big airport construction contract? I 'm telling you right now, if you don't have our bid ready in time, you can kiss your job goodbye!"

356.  kiss of death，指的是讓某件事失敗的因素。 "Go talk to Dad for me please. You know Mom always goes along with Dad's decisions. If she approaches Dad on my behalf that would be the kiss of death to my trip."

357.  Easy street 是由於財源豐富而生活得很舒服Now the money is rolling in and he’s living on easy street.“

358.  out on the street 是生活艱難的意思。 I work very hard to provide you with a good education. I don’t expect you to be a billionaire, but it’s up to you whether you want to live on easy street or to be out on the street in the future.“Street smarts 是在一些不安全的街道上懂得如何應付的能力和本領。“I never got a chance to go to college. My dad died when I was fourteen, and I had to go to work selling hotdogs out of a pushcart on a streetcorner. But this taught me lots of street smarts, and today I own a chain of fast-food restaurants in sixteen different cities.”

359.  Two-way street 就是人和人相互幫助和關心的關係,而不是單方面做出努力。 Pete, can you loan me a thousand bucks? We’ve been friends a long time, so you know that if you ever need money in a hurry, I’ll be glad to help you out. Like I always say, friendship is a two-way street.”

360.  Street smarts 是在一些不安全的街道上懂得如何應付的能力和本領。“I never got a chance to go to college. My dad died when I was fourteen, and I had to go to work selling hotdogs out of a pushcart on a streetcorner. But this taught me lots of street smarts, and today I own a chain of fast-food restaurants in sixteen different cities.”

361.  to knock off 這個常用語的五種不同解釋,它們包括:停止工作,不許出聲,降低價格,不顧質量地匆忙寫文章,以及謀殺。其實,我們今天講的並不是to knock off 的全部解釋,它還可以指:吃東西吃的非常快;沒有得到許可就模仿其他產品等。Say, Charlie, do you know it’s already six o’clock? Time to knock off. We can finish painting this room tomorrow.” “Sally, let me tell you, I got a great bargain on my new Ford Escort! I bought it from my brother-in-law so he knocked fifteen percent off the dealer list price.“

“All right, men! Knock off all the noise and turn the lights out right now! Any more noise out of you and you’ll be scrubbing latrines this weekend!”

“I’d love to go to the movies with you, but tonight I have to stay home and knock off a term paper for my English class. I won’t spend much time on it but I need to turn in something tomorrow to make sure I pass the course.” “Louie, we’ve got to do something quick about these guys from Chicago coming in here to sell dope in our territory. What do you think -- how about we knock off one of these guys as an example and scare the rest out of town?“