“home free”不是“全家免费”，理解错了很尴尬！

中文里面有一些字，我们可能偏旁部首都认识，但是合起来却不知道是什么。英文里面也有同样的情况，比如小编今天要和大家说的“home free”。

如果从字面上理解，这个表达是“全家免费”或者“家庭免费”的意思？其实，“home free”跟“家”和“免费”都没有关系，它的意思是“确信即将成功，胜利在望”。

home free 确信即将成功，胜利在望

home free: to be certain to succeed at something because you have done the most difficult part of it

Once you leave the main road and cross the bridge, you're home free - we live just three houses further on.
你一旦离开主路过了桥，就快到了——再过三座房子就是我们家了。

be home and dry 成功地完成

还有一个类似的表达是“be home and dry”，在澳大利亚英语中说成“be home and hosed”，意思是“成功地完成”。

be home and dry: to have successfully finished something

We just have to finish this section, then we're home and dry.
我们只需完成这个部分，然后就大功告成了。

很多人都知道，“home”除了有“家和故乡”的意思，还有“本国的”的意思。

His books were a success in his home country/market, but failed to find an audience abroad.
他的书在本国市场很畅销，可在国外却没有什么读者。

此外，“home”还有“在主场比赛的”的意思，也就是我们平时说的“东道主”。

the home team/side
主队/东道主
a home ground
主场
a home match/game
主场比赛
the home strip (= clothing worn by a team when they play a home match)
主场队服
home advantage (= the improved chance of success that playing at home gives to a team)
主场优势

home base = home plate （人的）住所；（机构的）总部

I've made that site my personal home base on the Web.
我已经将这个网站打造成了我自己的网络基地。

home from home 像家一样舒适的地方；宾至如归的地方

The hotel was a real home from home.
那家宾馆真的像家里一样舒服。

home help （做家庭清洁工作的）家务助手

She was thinking that she must reprimand her home help the next morning.
她心想明天上午一定要好好训斥那个干家务的帮手。

home in on sth/sb 瞄准，对准/集中注意力于

这里的home是动词，有两种意思。第一种是“瞄准，对准”。

The missile homed in on the ship.
导弹瞄准了那艘船。

第二种是“集中注意力于”。

The report homed in on the weaknesses in the management structure.
这篇报告重点论述了该管理体系的弱点。

home truth 令人不愉快的事实

He decided it was time to tell her a few home truths.
他觉得是时候告诉她一些坏消息了。

home run 本垒打

I hope he hits a home run.
我希望他击出本垒打。

hit home 使充分意识到（情况有多糟糕或困难）

The full horror of the war only hit home when we started seeing the television pictures of it in our living rooms.
在家中客厅里看到电视上的图片后，我们才充分意识到这场战争有多恐怖。

最后再给大家介绍一个小知识。“回家”到底是“come home”还是“go home”呢？

如果住在同一个地方，比如亲人或者室友，“回家”可以用“come home”。

It worries me that he hasn't come home yet.
他还没有回家，这叫我放心不下。

如果不住在一起，比如朋友，“回家”可以说“go home”。

Come on, it's time to go home.
快点，该回家了。

Much as I would like to stay, I really must go home.
尽管我想留下来，但我确实必须回家。