Have you heard the phrase: "get on my nerves?"
What does it mean in American English? Let's find out.
A: It really irritates me when a person's cell phone goes off during a movie!
B: Yeah, me too. It really gets on my nerves.
The human nervous system is a collection of the nerves in our bodies that helps us feel things. When something affects those nerves in a bad way, we can feel strange or troubled. When that happens in a non-physical way, we can say it "gets on my nerves."
Someone else's actions or words can "get on my nerves," if they do it over and over, and you want them to stop.
If you listen to American English, you probably have heard this phrase: "Play it by ear."
What does it mean? let's find out by listening to an American English conversation.
A: Hey, what do you want to do this weekend?
B: I don't know. We could see a movie or have dinner. Why don't we play it by ear?
A: Sure.
"Play it by ear" means you aren't going to make a firm plan, but will decide what to do as you go along.
This idiom has a musical meaning too. When you don't have the written music for a song, but you play the notes that you think you've heard, you "play it by ear."
So when you are in a situation where you make a plan as you go, you're "playing it by ear".
Hear a pin drop
If you have heard American English or watched an American TV show, you probably have heard this:
"Hear a pin drop."
What does this phrase mean?
Let's see whether we can find out by listening to an American English conversation.
A: I can't believe he said that. And then the room was so quite. Nobody said a word.
B: Really?
A: Yeah, I mean it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Pins are small and don't make noise when they fall to the floor. So when you say you can "hear a pin drop," it means that the room is silent. Usually, that's because the people are surprised or excited about something.
off the top of my head
What would you think if you heard this: Off the top of my head.
There is nothing on her head. But let's see if we can find out what she means.
A: Do you know Tom's email address?
B: I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, but I have it in my contacts list on my computer. Can I send it to you later?
A: Sure. That would be great. Thanks.
"Off the top of my head" is a common phrase that means I am trying to remember something, and to give you a quick answer. But if a person's memory is bad, sometimes the information off the top of someone's head is wrong. So it's best to confirm it.
【off the top of one's head】
從字面上看，它是指在我頭腦里最先想到的
引申為“不假思索柬讨、馬上”。
1.I can't tell you the figures off the top of my head,I'll have to check it up.
我無法馬上告訴你具體數(shù)字，我還得查一下。
2.I can name two famous actors off the top of my head.
我可以隨便說出兩個有名的演員 厚棵。
3.I answered his question off the top of my head.
我沒有認真考慮就回答了他的問題蚪腐。
4.She recited the poem off the top of her head.
她即興背誦了詩歌。
Off the top of one's head這個習慣用語產(chǎn)生于20世紀50年代愈污， 已經(jīng)有五十多年歷史了。這個習慣用美國人比英國人用得更多轮傍。
很多人都喜歡開豪華車暂雹。這是一個人在租車公司打聽租一輛奔馳500系列的汽車要多少錢。
It's okay if you don't know exactly. I just want a reasonable estimate. So, just OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, how much would it cost to lease a Mercedes 500SL?
他對租車行的雇員說：你不知道確切價錢也不要緊创夜，我只想要一個大概的估價杭跪。 按你估計，租一輛奔馳500SL要多少錢呢驰吓？
Ears Are Burning
有人在談論你
Here's an example when two word used together can sound very painful.
A: Hey, I saw your friend Anna yesterday. She was telling me about your birthday party. And she said that it was the best party that she had been to all year.
B: Wow, that's why my ears were burning.
If people say "my ears were burning," it means someone was talking about them, but that they weren't there to hear it. Imagine a message being sent to you when people are talking about you.
This comes from Ancient Rome, when people believed "burning ears" and other sensations signaled current or future events.
If it was in the right ear, the person was praised. The left ear meant evil may come.
sensation英[sen?se??n]美[s?n?se??n]
n.感覺; 轟動; 知覺; 直覺;
[例句]Floating can be a very pleasantsensation
漂浮會是一種非常愜意的感覺涧尿。
[其他]復數(shù)：sensations
v.贊美; 稱贊( praise的過去式和過去分詞 ); 頌揚; 崇拜;
[例句]The American presidentpraisedTurkey for itscourage
美國總統(tǒng)贊揚了土耳其的勇氣。
[其他]原型：praise
under the weather
Sometimes American English doesn't seem to make sense, like this:
"I am under the weather."
Under the weather -- what could that mean?
A: Are you okay?
B: Um, not really. I think I'm a little bit under the weather.
A: You should go home and get some rest.
B: Yeah, I think that's a good idea.
If you stand "under the weather," you might have a dark storm cloud over your head, and you might not feel very well.
When you say you are "under the weather," it means you are sick or not feeling well. This phrase comes from sailors at sea. If a ship was in a bad weather and its sailors were sick, the crew would go below deck, to get out from "under the weather" to try to feel better.
crew英[kru:]美[kru]
n.全體船員; 全體乘務員; 一群檬贰，一幫;
vt.當（尤指船上的）工作人員; 當（尤指船上的）工作人員;
vi.當船員; 當機務人員;
[其他]第三人稱單數(shù)：crews復數(shù)：crews現(xiàn)在分詞：crewing過去式：crewed過去分詞：crewed
