和谐英语

英语四级写作指导:英文常用三字短语

2008-05-21来源:
  black and white = something which is extremely clear(黑白分明的;绝对的)
  He told her in black and white that she couldn‘t leave the house while he was out.

  dos and don'ts = the rules (行为准则,须知,注意事项)
  There are various dos and don‘ts about driving in the UK.

  haves and have nots = people who are rich and those who are not (富人和穷人)
  In London you can find the haves and have nots of the population.

  ins and outs = the details (细节,始末,详情)
  I don‘t know the ins and outs of the situation, so I can‘t really advise you.

  kiss and tell = when someone sells a story of themselves and a famous person (泄漏秘密)
  The British tabloids are famous for publishing kiss and tell stories.

  odds and ends = small pieces of various items (零碎东西,零星杂物)
  She made a stew with the odds and ends she found in the fridge.

  P's and Q's = manners ( such as please and thank you ) (言行)
  Mind your P's and Q's when you visit them!

  pros and cons = advantages and disadvantages (赞成和反对)
  There are a few pros and cons that we should consider before buying a new house.

  rights and wrongs = all the good points and bad points of a situation (事情的真相、全部)
  Regardless of the rights and wrongs of company policy, you need to give a month‘s notice.

  tried and tested = something which has been well tested (经过反复考验的)
  Using salt is a tried and tested way of getting red wine out of a carpet.

  ups and downs = good and bad periods following one another in turn(盛衰,沉浮)
  They have a lot of ups and downs in their relationship.

  back and forth = not to stay still, but to keep traveling between two places (来回地,反复地)
  I'm so glad I'm moving. I was getting sick of going back and forth every day. Now my journey to work will be a lot quicker.

  dribs and drabs = small unimportant amounts (点滴、少量)
  The marathon runners finished in dribs and drabs.

  said and done = to have the final word on something (说到底,毕竟)
  When it's all said and done, the new reception area is going to be a credit to the company.

  cat and mouse = doing something in the same way that a cat plays with a mouse (猫鼠游戏,欲擒故纵)
  The guerillas played a cat and mouse game with the much better-equipped army.

  trial and error = to do something new by making experiments and occasionally falling 反复试验
  The new computer system has been installed. But it‘s a bit trial and error at the moment - nobody really knows how to use it.   flesh and blood = your family 家人
  I have to help him if I can - he‘s my flesh and blood.

  down and out = someone who has no money at all who has to live on the street (贫困的,贫病交迫的)
  There are too many young down and outs in London.

  by and large = generally (大体上,总的说来,一般的说)
  By and large, our customers prefer good service to low prices.

  bring and buy = a fair where people try to raise money for a cause by bringing something that other people might want to buy (慈善救济性自由集市)
  I‘m making a cake for the school's bring and buy next week.

  hide and seek = a children's game where one child hides and the others try to find him / her (捉迷藏)
  Someone's been playing hide and seek with the TV remote control again.

  to and fro = another way of saying ‘ back and forth ’(往返地,来回地)
  I’m exhausted - I've been going to and fro all week!

  over and out = something you say to show you have come to the end of your message (通话完毕)
  The last thing they heard from the pilot was ‘over and out'.

  done and dusted = properly finished (完毕,了结)
  Well, that's this project done and dusted. We need a holiday now.

  wine and dine = to entertain someone lavishly (以好酒好菜款待客人)
  He's well-known for winning and dining his business partners.

  bread and butter = your main source of income, or the most important issue (维持生活所需的)
  Health and education are the bread and butter issues facing the UK government.

  spick and span = ( of a room, house, etc.) completely clean and tidy again (房间、屋子等打扫得干干净净的;整洁的)
  Her house is spick and span at all times

  wheel and deal = to make deals in a skillful and perhaps dishonest way when buying and selling things (讨价还价,玩弄手段,投机取巧)
  If you need a new car, try speaking to John. He‘s a bit of a wheeler and dealer.