21. be a catch 值得追求的人，宜婚对象

John is taking me out tonight. He’s such a catch, I hope he’ll propose.

约翰今晚带我出去了。他是个靠谱的结婚对象，我希望他能向我求婚。

22. running on fumes¹ 非常疲惫，就快熬不住了

I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go home now. I haven’t slept for twenty hours and I’m running on fumes.

抱歉，我现在得回家。我已经有20个小时没睡了，快熬不住了。

23. sell (sb) out 背叛；出卖

French farmers feel they've been sold out by their government in the negotiations².

法国农场主感到在谈判中他们被政府出卖了。

24. sell sb (on sth) 说服某人（做某事）

OK, you’ve sold me. I’ll go with you.

好吧，你说服我了。我跟你一起去。

25. blow sb away 使（某人）大为惊讶；令（某人）非常高兴

The ending will blow you away.

结局会让你无比惊喜。

26. blow smoke 蒙人，骗人，放烟雾弹

I’m not blowing smoke. I have honestly read War and Peace by Tolstoy.

我没骗你，我真得读过托尔斯泰的《战争与和平》。

27. couldn't care less （表示强调）一点也不在乎

- That man stole a bottle of wine from the shop.

- 那人从商店偷了一瓶葡萄酒。

- Oh, really? I couldn’t care less.

- 是吗？管我P事。

28. chuffed to bits 高兴，兴奋

Hey, thanks for the present! I’m chuffed to bits.

嗨，谢谢你的礼物！我很喜欢。

29. feel under the weather 生病；觉得不舒服

I'm feeling a bit under the weather - I think I've caught a cold.

我觉得有点不舒服——可能是感冒了。

30. tickled³ pink 高兴极了

I was ​tickled ​pink to be ​invited.

能受到邀请我真是开心死了。

31. by the skin of your teeth 侥幸成功，勉强做成

I hadn’t studied much, but passed the test by the skin of my teeth.

我没怎么学，但侥幸过了，离挂科只差一点点。

32. comfort food （难过或焦虑时食用的）安慰食品，开心食品

Fat and sugar – the twin pillars of the best comfort food.

脂肪和糖类是安慰食品的两大支柱。

33. skeleton⁴ staff （企业或机构运转需要的）最基本的工作人员

The hospital has a skeleton staff at weekends.

该医院周末只有必需岗位上的工作人员会上班。

34. baker's dozen 十三

We had a baker's dozen of eggs for fourteen of us at the time. How could we even them out？

当时我们十四个人有十三个鸡蛋。怎么分得均呢？

35. let the chips fall where they may 随它去，不去管结果了

Kathy decided⁵ to risk her money on the investment, and let the chips fall where they may.

凯西决定冒险投资，不去管结果了。

36. no-brainer 不费脑筋之事；容易处理的问题

That last test question was a complete no-brainer.

最后那道测试题丝毫不费脑筋。

37. a stone's throw 很短的距离，掷石之遥

The cottage is just a stone's throw from the sea.

小屋离海只有一箭之遥。

38. hear (sth) on/through the grapevine 从传闻中听说；通过道听途说获悉；听小道消息知道

I heard on the grapevine that he was leaving - is it true?

我听到传闻说他要离开了——是真的吗？

39. sit on the fence 骑墙观望，犹豫不决

You can't sit on the fence any longer - you have decide whose side you're on.

你不能再骑墙观望了——你必须决定支持谁。

40. take sth with a pinch of salt 对……半信半疑，对……有所怀疑

You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, she does tend to exaggerate.

你不能完全相信她的话，她总是喜欢夸大其词。

From: http://www.hxen.com/oralenglish/cailiao/2016-03-11/418483_4.html31. by the skin of your teeth 侥幸成功，勉强做成

I hadn’t studied much, but passed the test by the skin of my teeth.

我没怎么学，但侥幸过了，离挂科只差一点点。

32. comfort food （难过或焦虑时食用的）安慰食品，开心食品

Fat and sugar – the twin pillars of the best comfort food.

脂肪和糖类是安慰食品的两大支柱。

33. skeleton staff （企业或机构运转需要的）最基本的工作人员

The hospital has a skeleton staff at weekends.

该医院周末只有必需岗位上的工作人员会上班。

34. baker's dozen 十三

We had a baker's dozen of eggs for fourteen of us at the time. How could we even them out？

当时我们十四个人有十三个鸡蛋。怎么分得均呢？

35. let the chips fall where they may 随它去，不去管结果了

Kathy decided to risk her money on the investment, and let the chips fall where they may.

凯西决定冒险投资，不去管结果了。

36. no-brainer 不费脑筋之事；容易处理的问题

That last test question was a complete no-brainer.

最后那道测试题丝毫不费脑筋。

37. a stone's throw 很短的距离，掷石之遥

The cottage is just a stone's throw from the sea.

小屋离海只有一箭之遥。

38. hear (sth) on/through the grapevine 从传闻中听说；通过道听途说获悉；听小道消息知道

I heard on the grapevine that he was leaving - is it true?

我听到传闻说他要离开了——是真的吗？

39. sit on the fence 骑墙观望，犹豫不决

You can't sit on the fence any longer - you have decide whose side you're on.

你不能再骑墙观望了——你必须决定支持谁。

40. take sth with a pinch of salt 对……半信半疑，对……有所怀疑

You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt, she does tend to exaggerate.

你不能完全相信她的话，她总是喜欢夸大其词。

41. freak (sb) out 气疯了，乐呆了，吓坏了

He ​freaked out when he ​heard he'd got the ​job.

得知自己被录用后，他乐坏了。

42. piece of cake 非常容易的事情

The exam was a piece of cake.

考试很简单。

43. hit the nail on the head 说中要害，说到点子上

I think Mick hit the nail on the head when he said that what's lacking from this company is a feeling of confidence.

米克说这家公司缺乏的是一种自信，我认为他说到点子上了。

44. cost an arm and a leg 花了一大笔钱

These shoes cost me an arm and a leg.

这双鞋花了我一大笔钱。

45. hit the books 学习；做功课

I can't go out tonight. I've got to hit the books.

我今晚不能出门，我得做功课。

46. bite off more than you can chew 承担力所不及的事；不自量力

Clinton conceded⁶, "We bit off more than we could chew in our original health care reform proposals."

克林顿承认，“我们最初的医疗改革计划超出了我们的能力。”

47. when pigs fly 永无可能；决不可能

- Aren’t you going to buy that house?

- 你不打算买那套房了吗？

- I will when pigs fly. It’s just so expensive, I don’t think it’ll happen.

- 除非猪会飞吧。太贵了，我是肯定买不起了。

48. judge a book by its cover 以貌取人

- I don’t like our new neighbours very much, they’re quite strange.

- 我不喜欢咱们的新邻居，他们看起来怪怪的。

- You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. I think they’re just a bit quirky but really nice!

- 不要以貌取人哦。我觉得他们虽然看起来有点怪，但性格很好。

49. miss the boat （因行动慢而）错过机会，坐失良机

There were tickets available last week, but he missed the boat by waiting till today to try to buy some.

上周还有些票，但他一直等到今天才想去买，错过了机会。

50. go the extra mile 付出比别人期望中还要大的努力

He's a nice guy, always ready to go the extra mile for his friends.

他是个好人，帮助朋友从来不怕麻烦。

再附赠一个：

51. shape up or ship out 行就行，不行滚（不改进就解雇你）

This is the last time I’m telling you to arrive on time. Shape up or ship out.

这是我最后一次跟你说：别再迟到了。你要是再迟到就卷铺盖走人吧。