JoyChris每日习语

我们可以查到“rip”是撕、扯的意思，“off”可以被理解为离开，那么”rip off”可以是撕开、扯掉，但是这只是字面意思，口语中它还有其他的用法，我们生活中还有什么情况可以用到这个习语呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we’ll be looking at the idiom: a rip off. It means that something is not worth as much money as you have to pay for it. Usually you use it to express when something is very expensive. You can use it like this:
This is a rip off. / That was a rip off. / Those are rip offs.
 
C: Yup, when you rip something, it means that you are pulling it and tearing it apart suddenly and forcefully. So you can rip papers off of a notebook or you can rip the packaging off of a product. Here in this idiom: a rip off, we are talking about ripping money off of someone, which means it is so expensive that it’s just like they are taking the money away from you forcefully. You can also use it like this: They ripped me off with this new bike I bought. Maybe you just bought a second hand laptop from an online store yesterday. You begin using it but realize that it’s not as good as you thought it was. So you can tell your friend: I bought a laptop yesterday and now I really regret it cuz I think it was a total rip off.
 
J: You know what? I bought a dress online not very long ago. After I wore it for like one time, it started to fall apart already. It was absolutely a rip off.
 
C: Yeah you get what you pay for, right? Now, let’s see how we can use this idiom in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey Jay. I see you got a new phone. How’s it handling?
 
C: Oh don’t mention it. It’s really expensive but actually it’s just a rip off. It’s totally not worth it.
 

J: Have you ever been ripped off before? Sometimes it’s better to spend more money to buy quality.
 
C: I believe so. And don’t worry we are not a rip off! So if you need any help with your English, feel free to contact us for our classes. Talk to you next time! Bye!

you get what you pay for:   一分钱一分货

我们在和外国人聊天的时候，总会聊到现在和过去的不同，现如今手机已经是人手一部，现如今找工作不是一件容易的事情，我们总会用“nowadays”来表达，不免有点老掉牙了，那还有哪个表达方式可以让你的表达更地道呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. So today we are learning the idiom: in this day and age. It means the current time in history or at the present time. It’s often used to describe how something has changed and how it happens now.
 
C: Yes, so in this idiom, the words “day” and “age” both mean “now”. People use “in this day and age” to talk about things that happen in modern times. Let’s say you take the subway everyday to go back and forth between work and home. And you realize that everyone on the subway is looking down at their phones. You can talk about it with your friends like this: In this day and age, everyone’s always looking at their phones.
 
J: Maybe you haven’t paid any attention to your English skills in the past couple of years. Now you are applying for new jobs and all of them require a higher English level. You realize that in this day and age, being able to speak English is an essential ability especially in the business world.
 
C: OK, now let’s take a look at a conversation:

 

 
J: When is the group leaving for Japan, Paul?
 
C: Oh. We won't be traveling. We’ll just discuss the topics for this meeting through a video-conference.
 
J: Sounds great. It’s also more convenient this way and I’m sure it saves the company a lot of money as well.
 
C: Yeah, and in this day and age, I suppose travel is not necessary anymore.
 

J: Have you learned how to use today’s idiom? Don’t forget to practice your English everyday!
 
C: And if you need any help, feel free to contact us for our private English classes. Talk to you next time! Bye!

back and forth:   来回来去

I suppose:   我想，我觉得

我们可能经常会犯一些错误，有些错误可能直接影响到自己，比如本来想买一件便宜的衣服，结果发现质量超级差，中文里我们也有个比较贴切的俗语是：搬起石头砸自己的脚，英文中也有个非常类似的，我们看看Joy and Chris是怎么用的！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. So today we are learning the idiom: shoot yourself in the foot. It means you did or said something foolish that made a situation worse for yourself. You can use it like this:
I shot myself in the foot. / You are shooting yourself in the foot. / Don't shoot yourself in the foot.
 
C: So if someone was holding a gun, pointed at their own foot and shot themselves, then it’s their own fault for doing it. We all know about the celebrity Leonardo Dicaprio and his famous movie called Titanic. But he himself did not like the movie. After the movie came out, everyone remembered him as a romantic figure which made it difficult for him to play any other roles. It was after so many years of trying new roles that he was able to change the public opinion about him. So he kind of shot himself in the foot with the movie Titanic. Or sometimes companies try to come up with new products. But maybe the new one doesn’t have what the customers like in the beginning. So it turns out to be a failure and destroys their reputation at the same time. We can call that shooting themselves in the foot. Alright, now let’s take a look at an example:

 

 
J: Well, did you sell your house yet Jason?
 
C: No, not yet. I’ve had two offers so far but they were both pretty low. But I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot either by passing up these deals. Maybe I won’t get another offer. I’m really conflicted right now.
 

J: Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by just memorizing words and grammar. Just start speaking!
 
C: Exactly! Well guys, if you need our private English classes, feel free to contact us. Talk to you next time! Bye!

Titanic:   泰坦尼克号

reputation:   名声

passing the deals:   错过交易

conflicted：  纠结的，矛盾的

你有没有听过Adele的一首歌，叫做”Water Under the Bridge”呢？歌词里面是这样写的：
“If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently
Don't pretend that you don't want me
Our love ain't water under the bridge”
所以这个习语到底是什么意思呢？听一下Joy and Chris的解释吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are looking at the idiom: water under the bridge. It means that a past issue is not important anymore or already forgotten. Usually the event happened a long time ago and you don’t feel upset or worried about it now. You can use it like this:
It’s water under the bridge. / It’s all water under the bridge.
 
C: As the saying goes: you cannot step twice in the same river. It means that the water your feet touched has gone away. So the second time you step in it the water has already changed. We can say that once the water in the river flows away, it’s not coming back. Now if we desribe something as water under the bridge, it means that this thing is already in the past and is no longer a source of concern. Now maybe you and your friend had a disagreement one time. After a while you both feel that it’s just water under the bridge now.
 
J: Well, I think, after many years, this epidemic will be water under the bridge.
 
C: Yes, it probably will. OK, let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Do you think the huge mistake I made two years ago will affect this job interview?
 
C: No not at all. In fact, I think it plays into your advantage because it shows how it allowed you to improve further. It’s all water under the bridge anyways so don’t worry about it too much.
 

J: You know, I had a bad experience with a waitress at a coffee shop one time. But she apologized later and now it’s water under the bridge.  
 
C: Oh that’s good. Well guys, if you enjoy our channel remember to share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

a source of concern:   令人担忧/关注的事

epidemic：  疫情

play into your advantage:   刚好对你有利

你有没有过想做一件事，结果因为太晚了，所以没法完成呢？比如去超市购物，结果因为取得比较晚，你想买的东西已经售罄了，平时大家都会用比较简单的“It’s too late.”，那看看今天的习语是怎样更地道地表达的!

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.

J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: a day late and a dollar short. It means something is too late and too little. Usually it’s because you have waited too long to do something and you are not fully prepared. You can use it like this:
I am a day late and a dollar short. / They have always been a day late and a dollar short. / It came a day late and a dollar short.

C: Usually, we can say that apologies can come a day late and a dollar short. A day late means the apology came too late. And a dollar short means that you don’t have enough. So because the apology came so late, it is not enough effort to fix the problem. Let’s say, your team member made a huge mistake on a presentation. Your company lost the client because of that. Maybe he still wants to fix it but it’s already a day late and a dollar short. Another idiom that has the same meaning is: too little too late. For example: I wish we could have had this information yesterday but now it’s too little too late. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

J: Hey Mark. Does your company still give you free coffee and breakfast donuts everyday?

C: Yeah, they do. I tried to wake up early so I could get some before they are all gone but I was still a day late and a dollar short.

J: Actually, I was just a day late and a dollar short yesterday at the store. The cheese I liked was all sold out.

C: Oh you better go there early next time! Well guys, if you need our private English classes, feel free to contact us. Talk to you next time! Bye!

昨天我们学到的习语"busy beaver"，可以说"busy beaver"们的时间一定经常很紧张，有人可能觉得“时间紧张”也可以用“Time is tight”，这是比较简单的一种用法，那还有其他地道的表达方式吗？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we’ll be covering today is: pressed for time. It means that someone is in a hurry and has limited amount of time. You can use it like this:
I’m pressed for time. / She was pressed for time. / They are gonna be pressed for time.
 
C: So being pressed means that something is pushing on you, giving you pressure. We can understand this as not having enough of something. Maybe you are trying to finish a project. The deadline is tomorrow. But your colleagues ask you if you will be joining them for dinner after work. You might want to tell them: I would love to go but I’m really pressed for time. Or maybe you are in a rush to go to a class. And your friend messages you and wants to chat about something. You can reply: I can’t chat with you right now. I’m on my way to my class and I’m pressed for time. Another way to use this is to talk about money, like: I’m pressed for money right now, meaning that you don’t have enough money. So here’s an example of this idiom:

 

 
J: Hey Shawn. Could you give me a hand with this please?
 
C: Please make it quick. I’m a little pressed for time. My plane leaves in two hours.
 
J: Oh sure. I just need five minutes.
 

C: Yesterday, we learned the idiom busy beavers. I bet you guys out there who are busy beavers must be pressed for time quite often.
 
J: Yep, I believe so. No matter how busy you are, don’t forget to practice English everyday and follow our channel. Talk to you next time! Bye!

你的生活是不是开始忙碌起来了呢？很多人的工作上现在可能忙着开始新的项目，也有人可能忙着计划接下来该去哪里玩一玩，那在形容自己或者别人超级忙碌的时候，除了用”I’m so busy.”或者”You are so busy.”还有没有其他地道的表达方式呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. We’ll be talking about another idiom today that is: busy beaver or busy as a beaver. It means that someone is very busy, hardworking or really good at tackling many things at once. You can use it like this:
I’ve been a busy beaver. / You really are busy as a beaver. / They are gonna be busy beavers.
 
C: Well we all know that the animal: beaver is always working on building something for its home. They are famous for being extremely industrious. We can use it to describe people for being super busy with something. I’ve heard that some people go to work on weekdays and have a part time job on weekends. They are basically working 7 days a week. You can say: They are busy as beavers. Or when the weekend comes you want to go to a restaurant. You find out that it’s crowded with people. So you can say that the waitors and waitresses are busy beavers. Now we are gonna use the idiom in a conversation:

 

 
J: Have you finished your monthly report yet John?
 
C: Yeah. Everything’s ready to go. I’ve also reorganized the documents and sent all copies to the department managers.
 
J: That’s great. You’ve been busy as a beaver this month!
 

 

C: Have you been a busy beaver recently? Don’t forget to practice your English everyday.
 
J: Absolutely! And remember to share our channel with people you know. Talk to you next time! Bye!

今天的习语”put your heads together”，字面的意思看起来好像真的是“把头放在一起”，但是我们想一下如果几个人把头放在一起能产生什么效果呢？你们能猜到这个习语的意思吗？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are covering today is: put our heads together. It means to work together in order to come up with an idea or solution. It’s usually used for when you need to discuss or plan something with someone. You can use it like this:
Let’s put our heads together. / You need to put your heads together. / They are gonna have to put their heads together.
 
C: Yup, imagine that you have two heads thinking about something. That is two minds working towards it, so the solution would probably come way faster than just one person doing it. There is another idiom that has the same meaning: two heads are better than one.
 
J: Oh, there’s a Chinese equivalent saying to this. It’s 三个臭皮匠顶个诸葛亮. It literally means that three cobblers can be better than one mastermind.
 
C: Yup, so maybe your team needs to plan an event for the company. You feel like it’s better that your colleagues help you brainstorm some ideas. So you can say: Let’s put our heads together on this. Or: I need your help on this cuz two heads are better than one. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Looks like our project just lost the funding. I suppose we can arrange a meeting with the leaders tomorrow and discuss this issue.
 
C: Yeah, I’m sure if we all put our heads together, we can think of ways to find alternative funding sources.
 

 

J: Are you working on any important tasks? Maybe you need to ask someone for help. Two heads are better than one, you know.
 
C: Definitely! And if you need our private English classes, feel free to contact us. Talk to you next time! Bye!

equivalent:   对等的

cobblers： 工匠，鞋匠

alternative:   可代替的，另外的

在生活和工作中，我们可能会经常被问到自己的想法，尤其在西方文化中”opinions”尤其重要，英语里有很多方式可以表达一些特别强烈或者坚定的看法，我们看一下Joy and Chris是怎么在口语中运用的！

C: Hi guys I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about some useful business expressions: I’m absolutely certain that... / I’m convinced that... / I’m 100%(a hundred percent) positive that.... These expressions are usually used to give strong opinions.
 
C: Yup and this is essential for business meetings. Having an independent opinion about something is very important especially in business. So if your boss asks you for ideas or opinions, you can say: Well, I’m absolutely certain that we did better this quarter. Sometimes people like to wait for others to ask for their opinions. But the communication will become very passvie. We need to be more proactive in conversations. After other people have expressed an opinion, you should reply with your view right away, such as: I’m 100% positive that we can complete the tasks on time. Here’s an example of how it can be used in a conversation:

 

 
J: Well, the first shipment for the new product should arrive in 3 weeks.
 
C: Do you think we are gonna hit our sales target for the first quarter?
 
J: I’m convinced that once people hear about the new features. They’ll see how it’s better than the other products out there.
 
C: Yeah, you’re right. I’ll make sure that marketing will carry out their advertising strategy.
 

 

J: Well, I’m pretty postive that listening to our channel everyday will help with your English learning!
 
C: I agree. And if you are looking for private English classes, feel free to contact us! Talk to you next time! Bye!

this quarter:   这个季度

passive:   被动的

proactive:   主动的

carry out:   实行

你有没有过想要沉下心来，开始认真地做一件事呢？可能你想开始抛开一切，每天认真地听一听英语；或者全心投入去读完一本书；再或者全力以赴地学一项技能……我们听一听Joy and Chris是怎样用英语表达的吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are covering today is: buckle down. It means to put in a lot of effort toward something and begin to work very seriously at this thing. You can use it like this:
I’m buckling down. / She has buckled down. / They are gonna have to buckle down.
 
C: Well, buckling down can be used to express fastening a seat belt. So we can imagine that if you have fastened your seat belt, you are ready to start a journey. And you are taking it very seriously. For students who are in the last year of high school, an important college entrance exam is coming soon. So you really have to buckle down and study hard right now. Or there is a big project for you to complete this month and all of your leaders are very concerned about it. If you don’t buckle down you could lose the client. So you’d better start working on it right away. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Do you have the report ready for the meeting yet Harry?
 
C: I’m still working on it. I know it’s due the day after tomorrow. There’s just a lot of things to cover.
 
J: Well, you’d better buckle down and get it done before the meeting. Otherwise Larry’s gonna go bananas again.
 
C: Yeah, you’re right. I’ll put everything else aside and concentrate on it.
 

 

J: Are you buckling down to learn English? Feel free to contact us if you need any help!
 
C: And remember to follow our channel everyday and share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

go bananas：  发疯