令美国人糊涂的英式短语 上

1. They're chalk and cheese.

 

“chalk and cheese”等同于美国人说的“apples and oranges”，形容两个事物或人是完全不同的或完全无法兼容的，通常的句式为“like / as different as chalk and cheese”，例如：we'll never get on—we're like chalk and cheese。

 

2. Bob's your uncle!

 

“Bob's your uncle”据说源于 Arthur Balfour，他曾被自己的首相叔叔 Robert Cecil（昵称为Bob）任命在多个颇有声望的职位上，现用于表示很轻松就能完成某项任务。例如，Put together a couple of kitchen fitments, buy a coffee machine and Bob's your uncle.

 

3. I've known¹ her for donkey's.

 

“Donkey's”通常是”donkey's years”的简写方式，最初可能写作 donkey's ears，指代某物长度上很长，现指很长一段时间。例如，we've been close friends for donkey's years.

 

4. Something for the weekend.

 

令人难以置信，“Something for the weekend”指避孕套，人们通常认为这是售卖避孕套的理发师向顾客推销时的委婉词语，例如”something for the weekend, sir?”

 

5. At Her Majesty's pleasure.

 

“His sharp² practice cost him a term at Her Majesty's pleasure”，如果有人 at Her Majesty's pleasure，那他就是关押在英国监狱里。形成这一词组是因为君主最初拥有自由裁决是否关押某人的权利。

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