載自<<每日英語.終生學習>> ~~Miss HO
Animal idioms
WHALE -- "a whale of time"
It means "an exceedingly good time."
e.g. The Chan's family had a whale of time when they were on vacation in Paris.
MONKEY -- "put somebody monkey up"
It means "make somebody angry".
e.g. Tom had put his mother monkey up because he kept monkeying around with this and that.
ELEPHANT -- "a memory like an elephant's"
It means "good memory".
e.g. She must have a memory like an elephant's because she is able to recall what the teacher has said back.
GOOSE -- "to cook one's goose"
It means "to put end to one's plan or chances".
e.g. You'll cook your goose if you mix with those bad guys.
Animal idioms (1)
CAT - "enough to make a cat laugh"
It means "veru funny".
e.g. His clumpsy movement is enough to make a cat laugh.
DOG - "underdog"
It means "being treated badly".
e.g. This girl is treated as an underdog by her stepmother.
PIG - "pigs might fly"
It means "it is almost unlikely".
e.g. If he could win the race, pigs might fly.
COW - "wait till the cows come home"
It means "waiting for a period of time".
e.g. In order to see her idol, she is willing to wait till the cow come home.
Vocabulary -- 水果 Fruits (2)
pear 梨
cherry 櫻桃
strawberry 草莓
lemon 檸檬
loquat 枇杷
pineapple 鳳梨
persimmon 柿子
grape 葡萄
banana 香蕉
muskmelon 香瓜
Vocabulary 花卉 Flowers
narcissus, daffodil 水仙花
hyacinth 風信子
tree-peony 牡丹花
sunflower 向日葵
cherry blossom 櫻花
orchid 胡姬花, 蘭花
canna 曇花
lilac 紫丁香
violet 紫羅蘭
sweet osmanthus 桂花
vocabulary -- 花卉 Flowers (2)
jasmine 茉莉花
carnation 康乃馨
Michelia alba 玉蘭花
balsamine 鳳仙花
Coreopsis tinctoria 波斯菊
African daisy 非洲菊
dandelion 蒲公英
caval vine 海棠
monthly rose 日日春
rose 薔薇, 玫瑰
Common errors -- desert vs dessert
Perhaps these two words are confused partly because “dessert” is one of the few words in English with a double “S” pronounced like “Z" ("brassiere” is another). That impoverished stretch of sand called a desert can only afford one “S.” In contrast, that rich gooey extra thing at the end of the meal called a dessert indulges in two of them. The word in the phrase “he got his just deserts” is confusingly pronounced just like “desserts.”
Common errors -- in spite of vs despite
Although “in spite of” is perfectly standard English, some people prefer “despite” because it is shorter. Be careful not to mix the two together by saying “despite of” except as part of the phrase “in despite of” meaning “in defiance of.”
Common errors -- born vs borne
This distinction is a bit tricky. When birth is being discussed, the past tense of “bear” is usually “born”: “I was born in a trailer—but it was an Airstream.” Note that the form used here is passive: you are the one somebody else—your mother—bore. But if the form is active, you need an “E” on the end, as in “Midnight has borne another litter of kittens in Dad’s old fishing hat” (Midnight did the bearing).
But in other meanings not having to do with birth, “borne” is always the past tense of “bear”: “My brother’s constant teasing about my green hair was more than could be borne.”
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