知识加油站－词汇天地

lspjy

105rich







rich as Croesus   
If you say that someone is as rich as Croesus, you mean that they are very rich. This expression is used in British English.



I made an awful lot of money. he says. I was paying myself ￡40,000 in 1984, and with all the perks was living an ￡80,000 lifestyle. I was getting rich as Croesus.

He may be nearly as rich as Croesus, but that's still not rich enough for him.

strike it rich
If you strike it rich, you suddenly earn or win a large amount of money.



She says the graduates' perception is that commerce offers more opportunities to strike it rich.

I've been thinking, prospecting might be just what we've been looking for: a quick way to strike it rich.

lspjy

106gasp







last gasp1
You can use last gasp before a noun to say that something is achieved at the last possible moment. This expression is used mainly in journalism.

Sachin Tendulkar's explosive talents inspired Yorkshire to a thrilling last gasp victory over Lancashire at Headingley.

Last gasp negotiations by the National Museum of Photography could ensure major new shows by legendary photographers Richard Avedon and Sebasti=a5o Salgado.

the last gasp2  
The very last stage of a long process or period of time can be referred to as the last gasp of it.

The summer of '92 may be looked upon with nostalgia as the last gasp of the live rock concert era.

Eleven thousand years ago, at the last gasp of the ice age, the area was covered with rich, semi-deciduous forest, not dry grassland.

lspjy

107hill







over the hill

If you say that someone is over the hill, you mean that they are no longer young, and are too old to do a particular thing.

It's true some people regard you as probably over the hill at fifty.

If you're a typist or interpreter you might be over the hill at the age of 35, especially if you want to work for the in Brussels.

He looked like an over-the-hill heavyweight just back from a training run.

lspjy

108gloves







the gloves are off  
take the gloves off
If you are talking about a situation in which people have decided to fight or compete aggressively with each other, you can say the gloves are off. If someone takes the gloves off, they get ready to fight or compete with someone else. These expressions are used mainly in journalism.



The gloves are off in the war against anti-anglers as organisations get serious about the threat to their sport.

In the software price war, the gloves are coming off.

The president had said that he'd wait until after the convention to take the gloves off and really begin the campaign.

lspjy

109killing







make a killing
If someone makes a killing, they make a large profit very quickly and easily.

The boss of Britain's top pizza concern made a killing on the market yesterday by selling off a parcel of his shares.

will crack down on speculators who try to make a killing on the by exploiting advance knowledge of poll results.

foundations

shake the foundations of something
If someone or something shakes the foundations of a society or a system of beliefs, or shakes it to its foundations, they cause great uncertainty and make people question their most deeply held beliefs. Other verbs with a similar meaning can be used instead of `shake'.

The new era is shaking the foundations of all Russia's cultural landmarks.

When an American head of state and head of is forced to resign, the country is shaken to its foundations.

The music industry was rocked to its foundations last night when it was revealed that the Midlands' top Tamworth was to close.

lspjy

110hatches







batten down the hatches  

If you batten down the hatches, you prepare for a difficult situation by doing everything you can to protect yourself.



While most companies are battening down the hatches, fearing recession, Blenheim is leading an assault on the US market.

They are obviously battening down the hatches in order to prepare a plan.

lspjy

111cupboard







cupboard love   
In British English, you use cupboard love to refer to the insincere affection shown by children or animals towards someone who they think will give them something that they want.

cat twined himself around her ankles, assuring her of complete agreement. `Cupboard love,' she accused, freeing her ankles. `You'd agree with anyone who could open the fridge or cooker.'