homeBrE /həʊm/ NAmE /hoʊm/► SEE ALLat homebring home the baconbring sth home to sbcome home (to sb)drive/hammer sth home (to sb)hit/strike homehome and drya home birda home from homehome is where the heart ishome sweet homea home truthon the home fronton the home straight/stretchwhen he’s, it’s, etc. at home?charity begins at home(your/the) chickens come home to roostclose to hometill/until the cows come homeeat sb out of house and homean Englishman’s home is his castleset up house/home (with sb/together)the lights are on but nobody’s homepress sth homepress home your advantageram sth homeromp home/to victorybe sb’s spiritual homebe nothing, not much, etc. to write home about ●at ˈhome1.(feeling) comfortable or relaxed, as if you are in your own home随便的；舒适自在；无拘无束◆I like the city. I feel at home here. 我喜欢这座城市，在这里我像在家里一样惬意。◆Come in and make yourself at home while I finish cooking the dinner. 快进来，别拘束，我先把饭弄好。2. (of a sports event比赛) at your own ground, club, etc.在主场◆We’re at home to Oxford United on Saturday, and the week after we’re away to Luton. 本周六我们在主场对牛津联队，一周后去卢顿打客场。3. (of a subject, topic of conversation, etc.对学科、话题等) know about and feel confident discussing sth熟悉；精通◆I’m not really at home with French literature. My speciality is the language. 我对法国文学不太熟悉，我的专业是语言。●bring home the ˈbacon (informal) be successful in sth; be the person who earns money for a family, an organization, etc.如愿以偿；养家糊口◆The firm wants very much to get this contract, and we’re expecting you to bring home the bacon. 公司非常希望得到这份合同，希望你能做成此事。◆He’s the one who brings home the bacon, not his wife. 挣钱养家糊口的是他，不是他老婆。●bring sth ˈhome to sbmake sb realize how important, difficult or serious sth is使某人了解到，使深切地感到（某事的重要性、难度、严重程度）◆This documentary brought home the tragedy of the poor to many people. 这部纪实片让很多人深切了解到穷人的不幸。◆Visiting that hospital for the mentally ill really brought home to me how sad some people’s lives are. 探访那家精神病院使我深深体会到有些人的生活有多么不幸。●come ˈhome (to sb)become fully clear or understood（使某人）完全明白◆The danger of the situation we were in suddenly came home to me. 我突然意识到我们的处境非常危险。●drive/hammer sth ˈhome (to sb)make sure that sb understands sth completely, for example by repeating it often（通过重复等）让某人完全理解◆The instructor tried to drive home to us the need for safety precautions before diving. 教练让我们充分明白跳水前采取安全措施的必要性。◆Police used statistics to hammer home their warning about car theft. 警方用统计数据来警示人们盗车问题的严重性。●hit/strike ˈhome1. (of an insult, a remark, criticism, etc.辱骂、话语、批评等) affect or hurt sb in the intended way; make sb really understand sth正中要害；说到点子上；使某人真正理解◆His criticism of my work struck home. I knew he was right. 他对我工作的批评正中要害，我知道他说得对。◆My remarks last week obviously hit home because he has not been late for work since. 我上周的批评显然很管用，自那以后他就没有迟到过。2. (of a punch, a blow, an arrow, a bullet, etc.一拳、一击、箭、子弹等) hit sb/sth where you intended; hit the target击中目标◆The punch hit home and Ferguson fell to the floor. 那一拳打中要害，弗格森倒在地上。●home and ˈdry (BrE) (NAmEhome ˈfree) in a safe or good position because you have successfully completed or won sth平安无事；稳操胜券◆When we’ve won four out of six games, we’ll know that we’re home and dry. 我们六场比赛中要是能赢四场，就没有问题了。◆All they have to do is sign the contract and then we’ll be home free. 只要他们一签合同，我们就高枕无忧了。●a ˈhome birda person who spends most of the time at home because they are happiest there喜欢呆在家里的人；恋家的人◆Sheila’s a home bird really. She likes to spend her free time around the house or in the garden. 希拉真是恋家，闲暇时总是喜欢在房子或者花园里转。●a ˌhome from ˈhome (BrE) (NAmEa ˌhome away from ˈhome) a place where you feel as comfortable, happy, etc. as in your own home像家一样舒适自在的地方◆They used to stay in their aunt’s apartment in Brighton every summer. It was a real home from home. 他们过去每个假期都呆在姨妈在布赖顿的公寓里，在那儿就像在家里一样舒适。●ˌhome is where the ˈheart is (saying) a home is where the people you love are爱的人在哪儿，家就在哪儿◆When I ask him if he’s happy travelling around the world all the time, he just says, ‘Home is where the heart is. If my wife and children are with me, then I’m happy.’ 我问他总是在世界各地旅行是否快乐，他就会说：“爱的人在哪儿，家就在哪儿。只要妻子和孩子跟我在一起，我就很幸福。”●home sweet ˈhome (oftenironic) used to say how pleasant your home is (especially when you really mean that it is not pleasant at all)这个家真可爱（尤指家一点也不可爱温馨时说的反话）●a ˌhome ˈtruthan honest criticism of a person said directly to them当面说的诚实的批评；逆耳忠言◆It’s time someone told you a few home truths, my boy! 老兄，该有人跟你说些不顺耳的实话了！●on the ˈhome fronthappening at home, or in your own country, rather than in a foreign country发生在家乡（或国内）◆There will be heavy snow across most of France, while on the home front we can expect to see similar conditions at least until the weekend. 法国大部分地区将有大雪，我国则至少到周末才会有大范围降雪。●on the ˌhome ˈstraight/ˈstretchapproaching the end of a task, project, course, etc.接近终点；将要完成（任务、项目、课程等）◆Ten exams done and two more to do — you’re on the home straight now. 已考完十门，还剩两门，你马上就要解脱了。◆I never thought the prison sentence would end, but I feel I’m on the home straight now. 我一直觉得刑期漫长得没有尽头，现在却觉得马上就要熬出头了。NOTE This refers to the last part of a horse race when the horses are approaching the finishing line.这个表达法原指赛马中马匹接近终点线时的最后一段。●when he’s, it’s, etc. at home? (BrE, informal, humorous) used to emphasize a question about sb/sth他（或它）到底是谁呀◆‘Shirley Hills wants to meet you.’ ‘Who’s she when she’s at home?’ “雪莉 ∙ 希尔斯想见你。”“她是谁呀？”●ˌcharity begins at ˈhome (saying) people should look after their own family before they think about others仁爱从家里开始；慈善先惠及亲友●(your/the) chickens come home to ˈroostafter a long time you experience the unpleasant effects of sth bad or stupid that you have done in the past以往的恶果显现出来；自食恶果；报应◆For years he avoided paying tax. But now his chickens have come home to roost and he’s got a tax bill of $25 000.多年来他一直避税，现在报应来了，他的税额累积到了 2.5 万美元。NOTERoost is used about birds and means ‘to rest or go to sleep somewhere’. * roost 指鸟类栖息。●close to ˈhomeif a remark or topic of discussion is close to home, it is accurate or connected with you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or embarrassed（话语或讨论的话题）触及某人要害，使人局促不安（或尴尬）◆Her remarks about me were embarrassingly close to home.她对我的那些评论使我尴尬不已。●till/until the ˈcows come home (informal) for a long time, or for ever很长时间；永远◆You can talk till the cows come home, but you’ll never persuade me to go with you!随你怎么说，休想让我跟你一起去！●eat sb out of ˌhouse and ˈhome (informal, oftenhumorous) eat all the food that sb has把某人的食物吃个精光；把某人吃穷◆She eats us out of house and home every time she comes to stay.她每次来住都把我们的东西吃得一干二净。●an ˌEnglishman’s ˌhome is his ˈcastle (BrE) (NAmEa ˌman’s ˌhome is his ˈcastle) (saying) a person’s home is a place where they can be private and safe and do as they like英国人的家就是他的城堡（意即家是一个人的安全的私人领地）●set up ˈhouse/ˈhome (with sb/together)to make a place your home（同某人）一起生活，建立家庭◆They got married and set up home together in Hull.他们结婚了，一同在赫尔建立了家庭。●the lights are ˈon but nobody’s ˈhome (saying, humorous) used to describe sb who is stupid, not thinking clearly or not paying attention（形容某人愚蠢、思维混乱或不用心）毫无用处，毫无效果◆Don’t try discussing anything intelligent with Alice. The lights are on but nobody’s home, I’m afraid.不要和艾丽斯讨论需要动脑筋的问题，那恐怕是瞎子点灯 － 白费蜡。●ˌpress sth ˈhomemake a point in an argument or discussion with force坚持强调（某一论点）；争辩到底◆She kept pressing home the point that more money should be spent on education.她极力主张加大对教育的投资。●press ˌhome your adˈvantagemake good use of the fact that you are in a stronger position than your opponent, enemy, etc.充分利用有利时机；乘胜追击◆Once they realized that the management was so weak, the union leaders pressed home their advantage and asked for another three days’ holiday.工会领袖意识到管理层的软弱后就趁机加码，要求增加三天的假期。●ram sth ˈhome (especially BrE) force sb to understand sth important迫使…明白；使透彻理解◆The terrible injuries I saw in that accident really rammed home for me the importance of wearing seat belts.我看到了那场车祸中当事人受伤的惨状之后，真正明白了系安全带的重要性。●ˈromp home/to victory (informal) win easily, especially in a race, an election, etc.（尤指在赛跑、竞选等中）轻易获胜◆The Queen’s horse romped home in the first race.女王的马在第一场比赛中轻松胜出。◆The Democratic Party romped to victory in the recent elections.民主党在最近几次选举中轻而易举地获胜。●be sb’s ˌspiritual ˈhomebe a place where sb could be happy, because they like the people, customs, culture, etc. there是乐土；是精神家园◆I’ve always thought that Australia was his spiritual home.我一直认为澳大利亚是他的精神家园。●be nothing, not much, etc. to write ˈhome about ( be nothing, not much, etc. to ˈshout about) (informal) not be very good or special; be ordinary不是特别好；很普通；一般◆The play was OK, but it wasn’t anything to write home about.这个剧还算可以，但也没好到哪儿去。◆The food was nothing much to shout about.这食物没什么特别的。