你曾经有没有错过好的机会呢？很多人买东西的时候可能错过了超低价，或者错过了某个明星演唱会的票，又或者错过了某个绝佳的工作机会，你是不是很懊恼呢？我们来听一下Joy and Chris用的是哪个习语吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are talking about today is: miss the boat. It means missing a chance or being too slow to take advantage of an opportunity. Sometimes it can also be: miss the bus. You can use it like this:
I missed the boat. / She has missed the bus. / They are gonna miss the boat.
 
C: Well, if you missed the boat, you would have to wait for the next boat. But sometimes in life, there is no next boat. So you might have missed the opportunity for something. Maybe you are applying for a job at a company you really like. But when you are at the interview, you realize your English is not good enough for this job. So the company hired someone else that can communicate flunetly in English instead. You can say that you missed the boat for a good job opportunity.
 
J: Actually, the other day I went to the shopping mall, they had a huge sale going on at the shoe store. I tried on one pair that I really liked but I hesitated and didn’t buy it. The next day I went there and the sale was gone. I totally missed the bus on a great deal.
 
C: Oh that stinks. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey Scott. Are you still holding on to your stocks? I think the market is not looking too good right now.
 
C: Yeah, the price dropped so quickly that I missed the boat and didn’t break even. So I sold it at a loss.
 

 

J: Have you ever missed the boat for anything? I know I have many times.
 
C: Yeah me too. Well, remember to follow our channel and share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

that stinks:   糟透了

break even:   不赚不赔，损益平衡

生活中我们热爱的东西太多了，有人热爱美食，有人热爱健身，还有人热爱学英语，每次一说“热爱啥啥啥”就开始“I love to....”，还有没有更地道的表达方式呢？我们听一下Joy and Chris的对话吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we’ll be talking about the idiom: eat, sleep and breathe something. It’s used when someone is incredibly enthusiastic about something and they focus all of their energy on that one thing. You can use it like this:
I eat, sleep and breathe it. / She eats, sleeps and breathes it. / They ate, slept and breathed it.
 
C: Yup, so if you eat, sleep and breathe something, that means you don’t do anything else but this one thing. It shows that you are really obsessed with it. So some guys are super into watching soccer games, especially the World Cup. It doesn’t matter what time zone it’s held in. Whenever the World Cup starts, they will stay up all night to watch the games. And if they are not watching a game, they are reading some comments and news about it. So we can say that they really eat, sleep and breathe soccer games since the World Cup started.
 
J: They really go crazy for those soccer games. Well, this idiom also has a slightly different version: live and breathe something. You can say: My mom has lived and breathed baking. Here’s an example of the idiom for today:

 

 
C: Hey Allison. Is this your daughter?
 
J: Yeah, I’m dropping her off at her dance class. She’s been eating, sleeping and breathing ballet recently.
 

 

C: Well, do you eat, sleep and breathe English everyday? If you do, your English will certainly get better very quickly.
 
J: And don’t forget to follow our channel and share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

are super into:   特别喜欢做某事

drop her off:   送她（指送某人去某地）

很多景点已经在5月1日陆续开放了，这个五一节很多人都憋了好久，北京疫情也降级了，终于可以出去玩一玩，据说降级当天机票预定暴涨了15倍，你有没有心仪的旅行目的地呢？我们来听听Joy and Chris的对话来学习一下怎么用英语聊五一吧！

J: Hi guys. I’m Joy.
C: And I’m Chris.
J: Today is the May Day holiday. Did you know that Chris?
C: Oh yeah. What is this holiday all about?
J: Well, I think it’s celebrated as an international holiday because many countries in the world have the same holiday. You know, to celebrate for the labor people have done.
C: Yeah, there’s a Labor Day in America too. But it’s on the first Monday in September, not on May 1. I think one of the reasons to choose this day is to add a holiday in the long gap between Independence Day and Thanksgiving.
J: Right. Independence Day is on July 4 and Thanksgiving is in November. So people can have another holiday to take a break in September, right?
C: Yup. On Labor Day, people in America do a lot of Barbequeing, spend time with their family, take short trips and maybe go for a picnic in the park. There might also be fairs going on in town that a lot of people like to go to.
J: Sounds pretty cool.
C: So what do Chinese people do on this holiday?
J: Well, since this is not a traditional Chinese holiday. There’s nothing special that we need to do. Most people just go traveling during this time. This year, the May Day holiday is extended to 5 days including a weekend. So it’s a pretty long holiday if you want to take a trip somewhere.
C: The epidemic is getting better here and a lot of parks are open now right?
J: Yeah, like the Forbidden City and some other popular spots. You need to book the tickets ahead of time though because it’ll  run out probably really soon. Too many people have been stuck at home for so long, they are all looking for a place to go.
C: Oh there’ll be flocks of people everywhere for sure.
J: Yeah, but the attractions will control the flow of people. There’s a max of how many people can go in on one day. So it shouldn’t be too bad. Although I’m still gonna stay at home just to avoid crowds. I’ve never been big on that.
C: The weather has been getting warmer though. It is a really good time to get outside and do some outdoor activities.
J: Yeah it is. So guys, hope you are having a great May Day Holiday! And if you like to listen to our channel, remember to share it with your friends and family! Bye!

fairs:   市集，展览会（类似国内的庙会）

the Forbidden City:   故宫

be big on:   喜欢，热爱

生活往往不是完美的，我们身边坚强的人往往是拒绝放弃的，我们说一个人很坚强，可能是这个人几乎从不抱怨，或者选择不去担心，会选择尽力而为，那我们用英语怎样形容这样的人呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we’ll be covering the idiom: a tough cookie. It’s referring to a strong, confident person who is not easily influenced by other people. Sometimes it can also be: one tough cookie. You can use it like this:
I’m a tough cookie. / She was one tough cookie. / They have been tough cookies.
 
C: So when a cookie is very strong and difficult to break, it really is a tough cookie. But here we are using it to describe people. A tough cookie is usually someone who has experienced a hard life. Now, maybe someone has a terrible disease. He has suffered a lot from it but he doesn’t give up. Instead, he fights against it. So you can call this person a tough cookie. Or maybe you are in a negotiation and the other guy is difficult to persuade. So you have to keep trying to convince him of your proposal. You can say that he is one tough cookie. Here’s how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: I heard that Jenny has been going for her master’s degree. She’s working and studying seven days a week.
 
C: Yeah she told me about that. She doesn’t even have time to rest. I can’t imagine going through all that hard work. She really is one tough cookie!
 

 

J: Are you a tough cookie when it comes to your English learning? Don’t give up practicing everyday!
 
C: That’s right. And don’t forget to follow our channel and share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

我们中文里如果说别人是狗的话，是很难听的，别人听到会觉得受到侮辱，但是在英文中如果听到别人说你是“top dog”可千万不要骂回去，人家这其实是在夸你，那我们怎么用这个习语来称赞别人呢？让Joy and Chris来解释一下吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Our idiom for today is: top dog. It’s referring to a person or a group that is more powerful than others and has the most authority. You can use it like this:
I was the top dog. / She is the top dog. / They are gonna be the top dog.
 
C: From the literal meaning, we can see that it is the dog on top. So obviously, it’s talking about power or social level. If you meet someone very high up in your company, like your CEO, you can say that he’s the top dog of the company. Or maybe you have a friend. He is very ambitious and he always tells you about his goal of climbing the corporate ladder. You can say that he’s really determined to be the top dog of the corporation. There is also a word that has the exact opposite meaning which is: underdog. It’s talking about the person that has no money or power and is unlikely to win or succeed. For example: He’s always been the underdog in the family. Let’s take a look at a conversation:

 

 
J: Wow, did you notice that they are opening another Starbucks in the neighborhood?
 
C: Yeah, I heard about that. Well, Starbucks is the top dog when it comes to coffee shops. It’s not surprising that they are buying up all the good locations.
 

 

J: Are you trying to be the top dog in your industry? Learning English can be essential!
 
C: Exactly. So don’t forget to follow our channel every day and share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

climbing the corporate ladder:   攀登职场阶梯

面对困难时期，可能有很多公司倒闭了，也有很多人虽然可能与失败只有一步之遥，也还在继续坚持着，挺过难关，那我们如何用英语去表达这种岌岌可危的状态呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: hang on by your fingernails. It means doing something in a very difficult situation and you are almost gonna fail. You can use it like this:
I’m hanging on by my fingernails. / She was hanging on by her fingernails. / They have been hanging on by their fingernails.
 
C: Now, let’s imagine someone went over a cliff. And the only things that are stopping him from falling are his fingernails. That would be a very tough situation. So maybe you had been spending too much money last month on your credit card. You realize that this month you have to pay for the debt but you barely have enough to pay it back. You can say: I’m really hanging on by my fingernails this month. Another good example is that you are working on a project for your company, but you are falling behind on it and not being able to catch up. So you are just hanging on by your fingernails. Here’s an example of how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey Sam. Did you hear that the stock market has been declining recently?
 
C: Yeah, you are right. They really dropped a lot. The stocks I invested are not doing so well. I’m just barely hanging on by my fingernails.
 

 

J: Are you hanging on by your fingernails when it comes to your English? You can contact us for our private English classes!
 
C: And if you enjoy our channel remember to share our content with your friends and family! Talk to you next time! Bye!

falling behind:    落后，落下了（指不能按时完成）

想象一下，你来到一个新公司，周围的人和事都是你不熟悉的，刚开始的几天可能会有些小尴尬，或者因为不习惯新环境所以你感到不舒服，那么我们要怎么更地道地表达这种感觉呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: like a fish out of water. It means feeling uncomfortable in a new environment or an unfamiliar situation. You can use it like this:
I feel like a fish out of water. / She is like a fish out of water. / They were like fish out of water.
 
C: So, when a fish is out of water, it cannot survive for very long. Since they can’t get oxygen from dry air, you can say it’s something that they are not used to or not familiar with. So if you feel like a fish out of water, you are probably out of place and feel very awkward. Maybe you have just been transferred to a different department in your company. The first couple of days you have not adjusted to your new work yet. So maybe this is making you feel like a fish out of water. Or maybe you are at a party and you are under dressed. Everyone around you is wearing suits and dresses. You can say that you feel like a fish out of water in here. Ok here’s how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey Logan. How was your trip to Thailand?
 
C: Oh it was really good. At first I felt like a fish out of water because everything was so different down there. But I got used to it pretty quickly.
 

 

J: Do you feel like a fish out of water when you are learning English? We can help!
 
C: Yep, and as usual, if you enjoy our channel remember to share our content with your friends and family! Talk to you next time! Bye!

out of place:   不相称的，不在合适的位置上

在英语中，”sink”是下沉的意思，那么把牙“下沉”到某件东西里，其实是相当于用牙狠狠的咬上去，但是这只是字面的意思，我们说过很多时候不能用中文直译英语中的意思，那这个习语到底是想表达什么意思呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: sink your teeth into. It means to do something that needs a lot of energy and enthusiasm. You can use it like this:
I want to sink my teeth into this. / She really sank her teeth into it. / They are going to sink their teeth into it.
 
C: Well, the literal meaning of this idiom is to bite something. So imagine someone slowly biting into a burger with his teeth. We can call that: he’s sinking his teeth into that burger. This idiom was first used to describe animals that bite deeply and vigorously into food. So maybe recently you just bought a book that is talking about public speaking. You can tell your friend that it’s a great book to sink your teeth into. Or you have put on a little weight and decided to start working out regularly. So you can say: I’ve been sinking my teeth into loosing weight these days. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey Brian. You called me earlier today when I was in a meeting. So I couldn’t answer your call. What’s up?
 
C: Yeah, I just wanted to speak with you about the new app that I sank my teeth into developing recently. I was wondering if you were interested in joining me in the project.
 

 

J: Are you sinking your teeth into learning English? Well, practice makes perfect!
 
C: Yep, and if you like our channel remember to share our content with your friends and family! Talk to you next time! Bye!

vigorously:   猛地，起劲地，用力地

有很多事情是我们一心想要做的，比如想申请某所心仪的大学，或者一心想进入某家公司工作，又或者一直都想去某个国家旅行，我们特别想做的事太多太多了，那除了最老套的”I really want to do something”，还有没有其他表达方式呢？我们听听今天Joy and Chris介绍的习语吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are showing you today is: have one’s heart set on something. It means to want something very much. It’s usually used to express when you desire something or expect something to happen. You can use it like this:
I have my heart set on it. / She has had her heart set on it.
 
C: Yup. With this idiom, instead of saying “I really want something”, you can say “I have my heart set on something”. For example, you haven’t traveled for a long time so you’ve saved up some money to go traveling in Europe. You can say that you have your heart set on visiting Europe.
 
J: That’s right. This happens pretty often for me. Once I have my heart set on a new purse, I’ll never forget it until I have it in my closet.
 
C: That’s a good way to use the idiom. Now let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Whoa Aiden, when did you get the new laptop?
 
C: I just bought it on the internet last week. I’ve had my heart set on it for quite a while. They just had a crazy sale last week so I snatched it up.
 

 

J: Do you have your hearts set on learning English? We are here for you if you need any help!
 
C: Yep, and remember to share our content with your friends and family! Talk to you next time! Bye!

snatch it up:   一把抓住，抢购

你有没有过等不及想要去旅游，或者等不及想要去吃某种美食呢？有时候你越是等不及，生活偏偏要让你继续等，那我们可以怎么用更地道的英语描述这种心情呢？我们看看今天的习语吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are showing you today is: raring to go. It means being very eager, excited or anxious to go somewhere or do something. You can use it like this:
I’m raring to go. / She was raring to go. / They have been raring to go.
 
C: This idiom was first used to express a horse standing on its hind legs when it is anxious to get moving. So maybe you spoke in front of your team giving an inspirational speech to get everyone pumped about the new project. Now your whole team is raring to go. Or you see that your colleague has dressed up and got ready way before it’s time to get off work. You can ask: “You seem raring to go. What are you up to?” You can also use: raring to do something, like: I’m raring to get home after 8 hours of work. Or I’m raring to try out my new shoes. Now let’s look at an example in a conversation:

 

 
J: Hey James. I saw that you’ve just finished your training yesterday. So are you ready for the big day today?
 
C: Oh yeah, I’m totally raring to go!
 

 

J: Are you raring to get your English level higher? Follow our posts everyday and practice using them!
 
C: Definitely. And if you like our channel share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

get everyone pumped:   鼓励每个人/给每个人打气