JoyChris每日习语

平时和你身边的外国人聊天的时候，必不可少的聊天话题一定是去餐厅，聊美食，你可能会被问到：你最喜欢去哪家餐厅吃饭？你准备好了怎么回答吗？

J: Hi guys. I’m Joy.
C: And I’m Chris. So Joy, I think more restaurants have opened up recently. The lock down doesn’t seem as strict as before.
J: Yeah, they still need to check your temperature though and you have to leave your phone number at least. Just in case if there was a problem, they would be able to get in touch with you.
C: Right. Well, which restaurant do you like to go to the most Joy?
J: Umm...Normally, if I go out to eat, I like to have the food that I can’t make at home. So I feel like it’s worth going to the restaurant for, you know. There is a Chinese Barbeque restaurant which is a chain in Beijing. I really like their lamb kebabs. It’s the best I’ve had in restaurants so far.
C: Mmm. Sounds really good. I like lamb meat. But I know a lot of people actually don’t enjoy it because the flavor sometimes can be really gamey.
J: Yeah I know. Well, I think if you cook it correctly it won’t taste gamey. Or maybe it depends on the quality of the meat. One time, my family and I went to Inner Mongolia. We had the whole roasted lamb. It was so delicious and was not gamey at all.
C: Oh yeah it’s really fresh that way.
J: Exactly. So which restaurant is your favorite?
C: Wow, it’s really hard to say for me. I mean, can I say all of them are my favorite? I guess if I had to choose, I would say a Beijing Duck restaurant near by where I live. The duck skin is my absolute favorite part. At this restaurant, they make it so crispy and at the same time it just melts in your mouth.
J: Wow, sounds like you really know about your Beijing duck.
C: Oh most definitely. Also, because my mom is Italian. So I’ve always had theses cravings for pasta since I grew up eating my mom’s cooking and she always made those amazing pasta noodles. Every now and then, I will go out to an Italian restaurant for some pasta to get my cravings satisfied.
J: OK, now my mouth is watering.
C: I think we are making everyone hungry.
J: Well it is about lunch time. So guys, if you like to listen to our channel, remember to share it with your friends and family! Bye!

gamey:   膻味

crispy:   脆的

cravings:   想吃某种事物的渴望

很多人应该都很爱吃香蕉，但是banana这个词有时候不单单是香蕉的意思，英语的习语”go bananas”也不是香蕉去哪里了，更不是让香蕉走开，好吧不卖关子了，听听Joy and Chris的解释吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: go bananas. It means to become crazy about something. Usually this is to express that someone becomes very excited or angry. You can use it like this:
I went bananas. / She’ll go bananas. / They have gone bananas.
 
C: Ok, we all know monkeys love bananas. Now imagine a monkey sees some bananas in your hand. I think it would go crazy about that and try to take them from you. Right? So, that’s kinda what this idiom is about. So if you go to a concert of a singer or a band, you might see some fans getting really excited meeting the celebrity. You can say that they are going bananas.
 
J: Well, you know Chris. Just the other day, I went to the shopping mall and found that H&M was on super sale. You know what happened? All the women went bananas buying tons of clothes.
 
C: Sounds about right. So here’s an example in a conversation:

 

 
J: I heard something happened at the meeting. What’s going on?
 
C: Oh man. Luke went bananas about the last project because the cost went over the budget and we didn’t even turn a profit.
 

 

J: Do you go bananas over anything? Well, let’s hope it’s for something that makes you happy, not angry.
 
C: Definitely. And if you like our channel share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

the other day:  有一天
H&M:  服装品牌HM（发音：eh-chen-nem）
go over the Budget：超出预算
turn a profit:  获得盈利

有时候我们可以做一件事而达到两个目的，这样能够节省很多时间和精力，我们中文的成语中就有“一箭双雕”，形容一箭射中两只雕，英语中有一个习语有一模一样的意思，我们听听Joy and Chris说的是哪个习语吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna show you the idiom: kill two birds with one stone. It means to solve two problems with one action or solution. It’s usually used to express that someone can manage two things at the same time. You can use it like this:

I’ll kill two birds with one stone. / We can kill two birds with one stone. / He was killing two birds with one stone.

C: So killing two birds with one stone is obviously very difficult. But if you can do it, then it would save you a lot of time and energy. Joy, isn’t there a Chinese word for this English idiom?
 
J: Yeah that’s right. In Chinese, it’s 一箭双雕.
 
C: Yup, maybe for the summer vacation you want to find a part time job. This way you can gain some work experience and also make some pocket money. You can say you are killing two birds with one stone. OK, we are gonna show you an example in a conversation:

 

J: We are running out of time for our project. The deadline is next week. We gotta find a way to get it done.
 
C: I’ll go to Shanghai to meet up with our client and drop off the plan for Linda’s team on the same trip. So we can kill two birds with one stone. That’ll save us some time.
 

J: By following our channel, you can practice your listening and learn more idioms for your speaking. You can kill two birds with one stone!
 
C: Totally. And remember to share our channel with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

run out of time:  没时间了

在西方家庭中，人们经常会做烤土豆作为配菜，我们想象一下，刚出炉的烤土豆，如果你马上拿在手里是不是很烫手呢？今天的习语”hot potato”其实不关土豆什么事，那么是什么意思呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. The idiom we are talking about today is: a hot potato. It means that something is very difficult to handle. You can use it like this:

It’s a hot potato. / That was a hot potato. / This is gonna be a hot potato.

C: Hey Joy, have you ever played the game Hot Potato?
 
J: Oh yeah, isn’t that the game that you have to keep a ball moving and out of your hands, and if the music stops and it’s still in your hands, you’re out. Right?
 
C: Yeah that’s right. So the ball is like a potato that is too hot to touch. The idiom is talking about the same thing. If someone handed you a hot potato, you would have to try to get rid of it very quickly so that you don't get burned. Or maybe just avoid the potato altogether. Like talking about politics or religion with people. These topics are usually hot potatoes. So you should be careful talking about them with your friends. Otherwise you might end up arguing and destroy your friendship. Here’s an example of how we can use it in a conversation:

 
J: Hey Jason. Did you hear that Miranda is actually our boss’s niece?
 
C: What really? I didn’t know about that. Gosh. It’s gonna be a hot potato for whoever’s working with her in a team.
 

C: Have you had any hot potatoes in your hands before? Make sure you aren’t getting burned!
 
J: And don’t forget guys, if you like our channel share the words with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

我们偶尔都会做些不理智的事，可能我们不想再继续下去了，那我们会想告诉自己：该清醒一点了，是时候做出改变了，那么用英语该怎么说“清醒一点”呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.

J: And I’m Joy. Today we are gonna talk about the idiom: wake up and smell the coffee. It means to pay attention to what is going on. If you say that someone should wake up and smell the coffee, you mean that they must start to be more realistic and aware of what is happening around them.

C: Well, if you are telling someone to wake up, it obviously means that they are still sleeping. So hopefully by smelling the coffee, they will be able to realize it’s not sleepy time any more. Some people also use wake up and smell the beans. They have the same meaning. Maybe your have been spending a lot of money recently. You just checked your balance and it’s not looking good. So you think that it’s time to wake up and smell the coffee and start saving more money. Here’s how we can use it in a conversation:

J: Hey Collin. You’ve been working a lot recently. Are you doing ok?

C: Yeah, my company is cutting down expenses. So we have to do a lot of leg work nowadays. I’ve been working late until midnight for almost two weeks.

J: Wow, I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee. You are way more capable than what you are doing now. You deserve a better job.

C: Did you wake up and smell the coffee yet? Practicing English is not just memorizing vocabulary and grammar. Try using it in your work and life!

J: Absolutely. And don’t forget guys, if you like our channel share the words with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

我们之前说到过，在英语中很多时候是不能直接翻译成中文的，直译往往导致了中式英语Chenglish的出现，那这个冷火鸡cold turkey到底用来形容什么呢，我们来听听Joy and Chris的解读吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we are covering the idiom: cold turkey. It means to quit something suddenly. It’s often used for quitting or breaking a habit. You can use it like this: 

I went cold turkey. / He stopped cold turkey. / She quit cold turkey.

C: I’ve always thought that this idiom is a funny one because I’d always picture a turkey that is really cold. We don’t know where this saying came from exactly. Well, some people say when you quit something like alcohol or smoking, you won’t feel good. So maybe your skin color will turn pale and you’ll get goosebumps, just like a piece of cold turkey.
 
J: Wow, that is a really funny way of looking at it.
 
C: Yeah right? So maybe you always play video games for a long time and you feel like a lot of your time is wasted. And you want to stop this habit immediately without cutting down slowly. You can say: I’m quitting video games cold turkey. Ok, let’s see how we can use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Oh gosh, I think I’m addicted to social media. I’ve been on my phone for 2 hours straight already.
 
C: Yeah, that’s pretty common. I used to do the same until I just stopped cold turkey.
 

 

J: Do you have any bad habits that you would like to stop cold turkey? You can talk about it with your friends using this idiom.
 
C: Yep. And if you like our channel, remember to share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

pale：肤色苍白
goosebumps：鸡皮疙瘩

今天的习语里面虽然有shot这个单词，shot确实有开枪射击的意思，但是“a shot in the dark”在生活中却跟黑暗中射击没什么关系，而是用来表达另外一层意思的，那我们来听听这个习语到底是怎么用的呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Our idiom for today is: a shot in the dark. It means that you are taking a guess or making an estimate that could be wrong or an attempt with very little chance of success. You can use it like this:

It was just a shot in the dark. / I’m gonna take a shot in the dark.

C: No one can see in the dark. So if you are shooting in the dark, you are just taking a chance but you are not sure if you will hit the target or not. Some people like to buy lottery tickets. There is a very slim chance that they will win some money but they can never be sure of it. So buying the lottery ticket can be a shot in the dark. Maybe you are taking an exam and there is a question that you don’t really know anything about. So you decide to take a shot in the dark because it’s better to not leave it empty. At least this way you will have a chance of getting it right. So now let’s use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Wow Jim, my laptop works great now. I didn’t know you were good at fixing computers.
 
C: Yeah well, it was just a shot in the dark. I actually had no idea it would work.
 

 

J: Don’t take a shot in the dark with your English though. Make sure you are practicing with these idioms everyday.
 
C: And remember to share our channel with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

你有没有感觉市场上的很多新生产品有时候其实都差不多呢？或者某些你很爱吃的甜点你朋友觉得其实味道都差不多？这个习语其实和土豆有点关系，我们来看看为什么吧！

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Our idiom for today is: potato potato and tomato tomato. It means that some things may seem different but they are actually the same thing. You can use it to express when you think the differences about something don’t matter.
 
C: This is a pretty interesting idiom. So potato(potayto) and tomato(tomayto) is how Americans pronounce it. While potato(potahto) and tomato(tomahto) is usually how British people would say it. The two kinds of pronunciations sound different but it’s still the same word with the same meaning. So you can use this to talk about two newly released phones. Your friend may think that these two phones are different. But you think they might look different but the functions are the same. So you can say: potayto potahto or tomayto tomahto. OK, now we are gonna use it in a conversation:

 

 
J: Did you have lunch yet Johnny?
 
C: Not yet. I’m still debating whether to go to the Chinese hotpot or the Japanese hotpot.
 
J: Eh, potato potato. To me they are both hotpot.
 

 

C: To be honest, I think the new cars nowadays are all tomato tomato. They are like the same egg just with different shells. Don’t you think?
 
J: Yeah, but the prices can be pretty different sometimes. Anyway, if you like listening to us, remember to share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

英语中的礼貌用语也是非常多的，很多时候不注意用词，可能会让对方感到尴尬，我们在商务会议中，想要礼貌地结束闲聊开始进入正题，该怎么表达更尊重对方呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. We will be talking about some more commonly used business expressions today, like:
We have a lot to get through today, so…
We have to be out of here by 12, so…
I have another meeting at 11, so…
Just like Part 1 from yesterday, you can also use these when you want to end the small talk and get down to business.
 
C: There are a lot of etiquette rules in English. And if you are not following these rules, you could come out sounding impolite or disrespectful. Especially in business relationships, this is a big no-no. Let’s say that there’s so much work that you are worried about not being able to finish it. After using what we learned yesterday, you can end the small talk with people by saying: I’d love to chat more but we have a lot to get through today, so let’s go through the paperwork now. 

J: Yup, and maybe you don’t have a lot of time so you can also say: It’s been great catching up but I have another meeting at 11, so we gotta make a decision on this now. Let’s try to use this in a conversation:

 

 
C: I heard Katherine made a major mistake on the last project costing the company a quarter million.
 
J: Whoa, that’s some serious stuff. Well, you must tell me more about that later, but I have to be out of here by 12, so we should get started on the process now.
 

 
 
C: Are you paying attention to your etiquette when you speak English? Use these expressions and you will sound more polite.
 
J: Definitely. And don’t forget guys, share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!

英语中的礼貌用语也是非常多的，很多时候不注意用词，可能会让对方感到尴尬，我们在商务会议中，想要礼貌地结束闲聊开始进入正题，该怎么表达更尊重对方呢？

C: Hi guys. I’m Chris.
 
J: And I’m Joy. Today we’ll be talking about some commonly used business expressions, such as:
I’d love to chat more, but…
You must tell me more about that later, but...
It’s been great catching up, but…
You can use these when you want to end the small talk and get down to business.
 
C: Right. These expressions are very useful in business. We already know that you usually start a business meeting with small talk. But you don’t want to do small talk all day long. You have to start talking about work at some point. How can you smoothly end your small talk without sounding rude? You can say: I’d love to chat more, but we’ve gotta talk about our product design. Or maybe you want to tell your client that you are going to another meeting. So you have to end this conversation. So you can tell him or her: It’s been great catching up, but I have another meeting so I have to run. Let’s try to use this in a conversation:

 

 
J: I’m really glad to see the weather warming up. It’s a great time to go for a walk outside.
 
C: Actually I went to a park just outside of the city myself last weekend. It was a really good change of pace.
 
J: You must tell me more about that later, but we should talk about the inventory of the project today. Pete was asking about expenses.
 
C: Yes definitely, let’s clear that up today.
 

 
J: We’d love to tell you more English expressions, but this probably is enough for one day. And there will be more tomorrow!
 
C: That’s right. And if you enjoy our content, remember to share it with people you know! Talk to you next time! Bye!