1. break someone’s chops 责骂某人；给某人找麻烦
2. the breaks 好运，特殊的照顾；晦气，丧事
3. break one’s shovel 失宠，不再受欢迎
4. breeze through… 轻松地干完某事
5. bring down the house 博得满堂喝彩
6. bring someone up to speed 向某人通风报信，吹风
7. buddy up to someone 讨好某人，巴结某人
8. make bundles 赚大钱
9. burn someone down 灭某人的威风
10. bust hump 任劳任怨地苦干
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习惯用语
1． like breeze 轻松的
2． a plain sailing 一帆风顺
3． have one’s luck going for one 走运
4． have the Midas touch 手气好，运气好
5． thank one’s lucky stars 感到万幸
6． feel like a million dollars 很开心
7． crop up （问题等的）突然出现
8． be on the gravy train 有赚钱的好运
9． The darkest hour is nearest dawn. 黑暗即将过去，曙光就在前头。
10． keep a stiff upper lip 坚强不屈
11． one’s lot 某人的运气，财运
12． pick someone’s brains 向某人请教
13． wear out one’s welcome 失宠
14． put out a feeler 试探某人的反应
15． have many irons in the fire 同时有很多事要做
16． place more weight on… 重视……
17． odds and ends 零碎的东西
18． make curtain calls 多次谢幕
19． simmer down 镇静下来
20． All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. 劳逸不结合，好人也变呆。
21． crack down on… 制裁……
22． recreational trade 娱乐业
23． the shake-up 大清查
24． have a big drag with… 与……关系很好
25． get the wind 听到风声
26． be caught red-handed 当场被捉获
27． fly-by-night 非正道的
28． be on the up and up 正直的
29． grease the palms of… 贿赂……
30． hit the nail on the head 把话说到点子上
31． the upper notch 上级领导
32． in power 当权
33． a small margin of profit 很小的利润
34． be rolling in money 很有钱
35． be living like fighting cocks 吃香的，喝辣的
36． be as poor as a church’s mouse 穷得叮当想
37． be living from hand to mouth 吃了上顿没下顿
38． be green with envy 极其羡慕
39． make big money 赚大钱
40． rack one’s brains 绞尽脑汁
41． by hook or by crook 不择手段地
42． gang up on… 合伙整治……
43． toils and moils 勤勤恳恳
44． under the table 桌下交易
45． bone up on… 努力干
46． feel sick of… 厌恶……
47． hit someone below the belt 背后使坏
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A: It seems to me that you are carrying the job through like breeze（轻松的）.
B: Yeah. It is a plain sailing（一帆风顺）. Nobody comes and breaks my chops, and everyone seems to be cooperative.
A: You must have had luck going for you（走运）. And you seem to have the Midas touch（手气好）.
B: I thank my lucky stars（感到万幸）. I feel like a million dollars（很开心）.
A: But don’t let success go to your head（冲昏头脑）, or unfortunate things will crop up（突然出现）. It is always that if you get the breaks you’ll prevail.
B: You’re right. And if the sun is not shining on you, nothing goes your way.
A: But I don’t know why I am not on the gravy train（有赚钱的好运）.
B: It’s time for you to take a break. The darkest hour is nearest dawn（黑暗即将过去，曙光就在前头）.
A: I hope I’ll ride on the gravy train（有赚钱的机遇）.
B: Keep a stiff upper lip（坚强不屈）and you’ll soon get the breaks. But now you’ll have to think about the things that may come to your lot（运气）.
A: I know. I’m just thinking about it. I might go and have another talk with Frank and pick his brain（请教）. He has many ideas.
B: But you seem to go to him so often. Take care not to break your shovel with them.
A: I know I will wear out my welcome（失宠）in his place if I often go to see him, but I do need his guidance.
B: Make an appointment before you go and put out a feeler（试探反应）to see if he likes to see you. Make sure that you are welcome.
A: Thank you for reminding me. I’d better think twice before I might break my shovel（失宠）with him.
B: That’s right. But do you think you can work out a project on your own? Maybe you can start doing something now before going to Frank for advice.
A: I’m having several irons in the fire（有很多事情要做）. But I can breeze them through before I start on my new business.
B: Do the first things first. You must place more weight on（重视）things that are more important. This is important. You must have finished doing all the odds and ends（零碎的东西）.
A: Yeah. If not, I wouldn’t be able to go to the concert last night.
B: I know. How was the concert?
A: It was terrific. They brought the house down and they had to make several curtain calls（多次谢幕）before the audience left the hall.
B: I haven’t been able to go to a concert for two years. I really like to simmer down（镇静下来）and relax.
A: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy（劳逸不结合，好人也变呆）. You must make a balance between work and play.
B: You’re right. By the way, do you know anything about the latest crack down on（制裁）the recreational trade（娱乐业）?
A: Yeah. I hear the government started cracking down on the trade last week. Several clubs and recreational centers have been closed. But Mark’s has survived the shake-up（大清查）.
B: There must be someone who brought him up to speed.
A: That’s for sure. He has a big drag with（关系密切）several policemen. They must have informed him of the shake-up.
B: You bet he got the wind（听到风声）before hand, or he would be caught re-handed（当场被抓获） for the things he had been engaged in.
A: A boss of a flight-by-night（不走正道的）company knows how to buddy up to authorities.
B: It’s the thing that everybody does nowadays. But you bet nine out of ten of these people are not on the up andup（非正直的）, or they don’t need to grease the palms of （贿赂） the police.
A: You have bit the nail on the head（把话说到点子上）. By the way, have you someone to buddy up to?
B: If there’s anyone, he must be the upper notch（上级领导）. I’m actually on god terms with（关系很好）some of the upper notches（上边的人）.
A: I see. And I understand that. It’s one of those things that you’ll have to do.
B: But I’m not good at greasing the palms of those in power（当权者）. I’m just keeping properties with them. I need their support, you know?
A: Sure. And you can’t forget their support when you are making bundles.
B: Making bundles? A small margin of profit （很小的利润）, I’d say. I’m not one of those who are rolling in money（很有钱）and living like fighting cocks（吃香喝辣的）.
A: And you’re not one of those who are as poor as a church’s mouse（穷得叮当响）and living from hand to mouth（吃了上顿没下顿）, either.
B: The thing is that many people become green with envy（极其羡慕）at those who are making big money（赚大钱）. Even worse than that. Some people rack their brains（绞尽脑汁）and try every means to burn them down, by hook or by crook（不择手段地）.
A: Thomas is one of those victims. Some people ganged up on（合伙整治）him and finally ruined all his business.
B: Jealousy can be a fatal thing. That has ruined many people who were being greatly envied.
A: There are some rich people who got rich through toils and moils（勤勤恳恳）. They never do anything under the table（桌下的交易）or make money by hook or by crook.
B: That’s true. But other people don’t think of them that way. They just like to burn them down and ruin their lives. They themselves never like to bust hump and bone up on（努力干）their work.
A: It’s one of those evil things, isn’t it?
B: Surely it is. I feel sick of（厌恶）those who are trying to hit other people below the belt（背后使坏）.
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To be continue...................................