| 词组 | people |
| 释义 | IDIOMSLANG PEOPLE dark horse someone or something whose abilities, plans, or feelings are little known to others. (From horse racing.)It's difficult to predict who will win the prize—there are two or three dark horses in the tournament.Everyone was surprised at the results of the election. The dark horse won. doubting Thomas someone who will not easily believe something without strong proof or evidence. (From the biblical account of the apostle Thomas, who would not believe that Christ had risen from the grave until he had touched Him.)Mary won't believe that I have a dog until she sees it. She's such a doubting Thomas.Bill's school is full of doubting Thomases. They want to see his new bike with their own eyes. Dutch uncle a man who gives frank and direct advice to someone in the manner of a parent or relative.I would not have to lecture you like a Dutch uncle if you were not so extravagant.He acts more like a Dutch uncle than a husband. He's forever telling her what to do in public. glutton for punishment someone who seems to like doing or seeking out difficult, unpleasant, or badly paid tasks.If you want to work for this charity, you'll have to be a glutton for punishment and work long hours for nothing.Jane must be a real glutton for punishment. She's typing Bill's manuscript free of charge, and he doesn't even thank her. highflier a person who is ambitious or who is very likely to be successful. (Informal.)Jack was one of the highfliers of our university year, and he is now in the foreign office.Tom is a highflier and has applied for the post of managing director. jack-of-all-trades someone who can do several different jobs instead of specializing in one.John can do plumbing, carpentry, and roofing—a real jack-of-all-trades. He isn't very good at any of them.Take your car to a trained mechanic, not a jack-of-all-trades. man-about-town a fashionable man who leads a sophisticated life.He prefers wine bars to pubs—quite a man-about-town.Jack's too much of a man-about-town to go to a football game. man in the street the ordinary person.Politicians rarely care what the man in the street thinks.The man in the street has little interest in literature. night owl someone who usually stays up very late.Anne's a real night owl. She never goes to bed before 2 a.m. and sleeps till noon.Jack's a night owl and is at his best after midnight. rank and file the members of a group, not the leaders. (Fixed order.)The rank and file will vote on the proposed contract tomorrow.The last contract was turned down by the rank and file last year. PEOPLE - NEGATIVE a cold fish a person who is distant and unfeeling. (Informal or slang.)Bob is so dull—a real cold fish.She hardly ever speaks to anyone. She's a cold fish. black sheep of the family the worst member of the family.Mary is the black sheep of the family. She's always in trouble with the police.He keeps making a nuisance of himself. What do you expect from the black sheep of the family? bull in a china shop a very clumsy person around breakable things; a thoughtless or tactless person. (China is fine crockery.)Look at Bill, as awkward as a bull in a china shop.Get that big dog out of my garden. It's like a bull in a china shop.Bob is so rude, a regular bull in a china shop. copycat a person who copies or mimics what someone else does. (Usually juvenile.)Sally wore a pink dress just like Mary's. Mary called Sally a copycat.Bill is such a copycat. He bought a coat just like mine. dirty old man an older man who is excessively interested in sex.Tell your daughter to stay away from him. He's a dirty old man and might attack her.There were several dirty old men looking at pornographic magazines in the park. dog in the manger one who prevents other people from doing or having what one does not wish them to do or have. (From one of Aesop's fables in which a dog—which cannot eat hay—lay in the hayrack [manger] and prevented the other animals from eating the hay.)Jane is a real dog in the manger. She cannot drive, but she will not lend anyone her car.If Martin were not such a dog in the manger, he would let his brother have that dinner jacket he never wears. good-for-nothing a worthless person.Tell that good-for-nothing to go home at once.Bob can't get a job. He's such a good-for-nothing. hail-fellow-well-met friendly to everyone; falsely friendly to everyone. (Usually said of males.)Yes, he's friendly, sort of hail-fellow-well-met.He's not a very sincere person. Hail-fellow-well-met— you know the type.What a pain he is. Good old Mr. Hail-fellow-well-met. What a phony! hard nut to crack and tough nut to crack a difficult person or thing to deal with. (Informal.)This problem is getting me down. It's a hard nut to crack.Tom sure is a hard nut to crack. I can't figure him out.He sure is a tough nut to crack. Jekyll and Hyde someone with both an evil and a good personality. (From the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Fixed order.)Bill thinks Mary is so soft and gentle, but she can be very cruel—she is a real Jekyll and Hyde.Jane doesn't know that Fred is a Jekyll and Hyde. She sees him only when he is being kind and generous, but he can be very cruel. small fry unimportant people.The police have only caught the small fry. The leader of the gang is still free.You people are just small fry! I want to talk to the boss. so-and-so a despised person. (Informal. This expression is used in place of other very insulting terms. Often modified, as in the examples.)You dirty so-and-so! I can't stand you!Don't you call me a so-and-so, you creep! son of a bitch a very horrible person. (Informal. Use with caution. Usually intended as a strong insult. Never used casually.)Bill called Bob a son of a bitch, and Bob punched Bill in the face.This guy's a son of a bitch. He treats everybody rotten. son of a gun a horrible person. (Informal.)When is that plumber going to show up and fix this leak? The stupid son of a gun!Bob is a rotten son of a gun if he thinks he can get away with that. square peg in a round hole a misfit.John can't seem to get along with the people he works with. He's just a square peg in a round hole.I'm not a square peg in a round hole. It's just that no one understands me. stick-in-the-mud someone who is stubbornly old-fashioned.Come on to the party with us and have some fun. Don't be an old stick-in-the-mud!Tom is no stick-in-the-mud. He's really up-to-date. villain of the piece someone or something that is responsible for something bad or wrong.I wondered who told the newspapers about the local scandal. I discovered that Joan was the villain of the piece.We couldn't think who had stolen the meat. The dog next door turned out to be the villain of the piece. wet blanket a dull or depressing person who spoils other people's enjoyment.Jack's fun at parties, but his brother's a wet blanket.I was with Anne and she was being a real wet blanket. PEOPLE - POSITIVE apple of someone's eye someone's favorite person or thing; a boyfriend or a girlfriend.Tom is the apple of Mary's eye. She thinks he's great.John's new stereo is the apple of his eye. ball of fire a very active and energetic person who always succeeds. (Usually considered slang.)Sally is a real ball of fire—she works late every night.Ann is no ball of fire, but she does get the job done. diamond in the rough a valuable or potentially excellent person or thing hidden by an unpolished or rough exterior.Ann looks like a stupid woman, but she's a fine person—a real diamond in the rough.That piece of property is a diamond in the rough. Someday it will be valuable. life of the party the type of person who is lively and helps make a party fun and exciting.Bill is always the life of the party. Be sure to invite him.Bob isn't exactly the life of the party, but he's polite. none other than someone the very person.The new building was opened by none other than the mayor.Jack's wife turned out to be none other than my cousin. prime mover prime mover the force that sets something going; someone or something that starts something off.The manager was the prime mover in getting the clerk fired.Discontent with his job was the prime mover in Johns deciding to go to Alaska. salt of the earth the most worthy of people; a very good or worthy person. (A biblical reference, Matthew 5:13.)Mrs. Jones is the salt of the earth. She is the first to help anyone in trouble.Frank's mother is the salt of the earth. She has five children of her own and yet fosters three others. (some) new blood new personnel; new members brought into a group to revive it.This company needs some new blood on its board to bring in new ideas.We're trying to get some new blood in the club. Our membership is falling.Our club needs new blood. It has become boring.The firm's management has at last got a little new blood. Things should improve now. PEOPLE - PROUD cock of the walk someone who acts more important than others in a group.The deputy manager was cock of the walk until the new manager arrived.He loved acting cock of the walk and ordering everyone about. people noun 1 narcotics police US, 1957. 2 a prisoner's closest friends and associates US, 1992 People noun► the Peoplethe masses, at least to the extent that the masses support the agenda advocated by the speaker. Egalitarian or communist undertones US, 1961
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