church mouse 贫穷的人

作为吃货的老鼠一般出现在家里的厨房里。如果老鼠生活在教堂里，那不得饿死啊？估计得吃土和蜡烛了

常用as poor as a church mouse来形容一个人一贫如洗，穷的叮当响。

为了弄这期公众号，饭都没来得及吃。I am as hungry as a church mouse.



eat crow 认错（常常是不得已的，伴随着颜面扫地）

在美国，所有的鸟禽当中，乌鸦被认为是最难吃的动物之一。要一个人承认错误就好像逼他吃下一只乌鸦，难以下咽。要一个人承认错误，类似于要他收回他之前说的话（eat one's words收回说过的话，为自己的言行道歉）

His predictions were completely wrong. He has to eat crow.

所以有时候不要夸夸其谈哦，不然你就得eat crow



eat dirt 忍气吞声

被逼吃土那真的是奇耻大辱啊！

He has to eat dirt in front of his boss.

这里介绍另一个用法：eat dirt 脸朝下，常常用来指那些从高处摔下来的人，脸朝下，不就能吃到土了嘛

He fell off the horse and ate dirt.



cash cow 摇钱树（赢利的部门、行业或项目，赚钱的商品）

我们把农场里的奶牛比作摇钱树，而源源不断的牛奶比如money....

This product has always been a cash cow for our company.

听说新上映的速度与激情8获得不错的票房哦

The new blockbuster "Fast and Furious 8" is a read cash cow.



high horse 趾高气扬的架势，摆架子

在以前，有权有势力的人通过骑高头大马来彰显自己高人一等。

常用 be on one's high horse 和 ride one's high horse来表示某人趾高气扬的架势

get off one's high horse：别摆架子了

Don't ride your high horse or youwill lose your best friend.

Get off your high horse. You are not as smart as you think you are.



drowned rat （被大雨淋得像）落汤鸡

一到暴雨的季节，大量的雨水涌进下水道，估计得淹死不少耗子。

常用表达：to look like a drowned rat, as wet as a drowned rat

She arrived home looking like a drowned rat.

Being caught in the storm, he looked like a drowned rat.



mall rat 成天泡商场的年轻人

指一群年轻人，整天无所事事，就去商场待上一整天。这里看看，那里看看，啥也不买，还时不时挑逗一下商场的店员。有些male mall rats 逛来逛去为了看漂亮妹子，有些 female mall rats走来走去为了吸引男生的注意。这类似于商场里的老鼠一样，窜来窜去。

He is a real mall rat. He likes hanging around watching the beautiful girls.



pack rat 囤货狂（指喜欢收集杂物的人）

pack rat是一种生活在北美的长得像老鼠的林鼠，爱好就是收集各种杂物，比如树叶，树枝。

pack rat比喻人时，指那些什么都不肯扔的人，包括一些无用的垃圾。

He is a pack rat. He never throws anything away.