1. crack down on… 严惩……
2. crock 不找人喜欢的人（老人）
3. cushy 轻松的工作
4. a tough customer 倔强的家伙
5. cut someone a break 特别照顾某人
6. cut in 插嘴
7. cut it up 仔细分析某事
8. cut-rate 打折扣的，廉价的
9. a dandy idea 特别好的注意
10. a dark horse 黑马
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习惯用语
1. hate someone’s guts 对某人恨之入骨
2. the bone of contention 相争的原因
3. go easy 手下留情
4. Blood is thicker than water . 血浓于水。
5. get on someone’s nerves 使某人心烦意乱
6. get someone’s goat 惹某人生气
7. be at odds with… 与……不和
8. take someone under one’s wings 庇护某人
9. Spare the rod, spoil the child. 孩子不打不成器。
10. give someone too much preference 过分偏爱某人
11. Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌。
12. sow discords 挑拨离间
13. a piece of cake 轻而易举的小事
14. goof off 开小差
15. have the gall 有胆量
16. twiddle one’s thumbs 闲得无聊
17. not give someone a tumble 不理睬某人
18. a hard nut to crack 难对付的家伙
19. take the words out of someone’s mouth 说出某人想说的话
20. the spitting image of… 和某人长得一模一样
21. come hat in hand 必恭必敬
22. a born-loser 废物
23. be toying with the idea of… 盘算着……
24. have another think coming 应该反思一下
25. bargaining chips 讨价的资本
26. ask for the odds 要求照顾
27. over-rated 过分的
28. put one’s foot down 气愤地表示反对
29. poke one’s nose into… 干涉……
30. a big apple of someone’s eye 某人的掌上明珠
31. look up to someone 高看某人一眼
32. can afford 买得起
33. foot the bill 为别人付款
34. pick up the tab 付款
35. Strike while the iron is hot. 趁热打铁。
36. PC 个人电脑
37. bone up on… 专心于……
38. not in the right mood 心情不好
39. get a fright 恐惧感
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A: You seem to hate Bob’s guts（恨之入骨）. What’s the bone of contention（相争的原因）?
B: I must crack down on him. He makes a lot of trouble.
A: Go easy（手下留情）. He’s your own brother. Blood is thicker that water（血浓于水）, you know?
B: I know. But he is always trying to get on my nerves（使人心烦）. I can hardly put up with him.
A: You’ll get mum’s goat（惹……生气）if you are always at odds（不和）with him.
B: Mum’s been taking him under her wings（庇护）. Spare the rod, spoil the child（孩子不打不成器）. It’s mum’s fault to give him too much preference（过分偏爱）.
A: I think it’s your fault. You shouldn’t be so bad to his father-in-law. Love me, love my dog（爱屋及乌）, you know?
B: He is the real bone of contention. His father-in-law is sort of old crock. And he is the very person to sow discords（挑拨离间）between our dad and his father-in-law.
A: What did his father-in-law do? I know he’s a fussy old man.
B: He has been trying to make dad to find a job for his own son. It’s not a piece of cake（并非轻而易举）to find a good job nowadays.
A: What sort of job does his son want?
B: Dad found him a job as a grocery boy, but he often goofed off（开小差）and was soon fired from the job. He even had the gall（有胆量）and said that he preferred a cushy job.
A: What is he good at?
B: He is good for nothing, except for playing or twiddling his thumbs（闲得无聊）.
A: If I were dad, I wouldn’t give him a tumble（不理会）. I feel that Bob’s father-in-law is a hard nut to crack（难对付的家伙）.
B: You have taken the words out of my mouth（说出我想说出的话）. He’s a tough customer, a filthy tough guy.
A: But his daughter is a very nice girl.
B: Jenny is like her mother. In fact, she’s the spitting image（长得一模一样）of her.
A: How could they put up with her father?
B: You never know. They don’t seem to come from the same family.
A: That might be the reason why Bob comes to Jenny hat in hand（必恭必敬）. But Jenny’s brother seems to be a born-loser（废物）.
B: Yes, he is. He is toying with the idea（盘算着）of asking other people to cut him a break in his work.
A: He should have another think coming（应该反思一下）. And he does not have the bargaining chips（讨价还价的资本）for asking for the odds（要求照顾）.
B: Of course he doesn’t. And nobody will cut him a break. One thing I can’t understand is our Dad’s tolerance. I wanted to convince him of his over-rated（过分的）tolerance, but he put his foot down（气愤地表示反对）and insist on my not poking my nose into（干涉）the matter.
A: I have the same feeling. He never allows me to cut in when he is talking.
B: And he gives too much preference（过分偏爱）to Bob and his father-in-law.
A: Yeah. He is trying to please all of them.
B: Have you ever thought about dad’s tolerance?
A: I’ve cut it up and come to the conclusion that he’s actually sick of（讨厌）Bob’s in-laws. But he likes Jenny. She is a big apple in his eye（掌上明珠）.
B: Love me, love the dog（爱屋及乌）. He’s a very sensible kind man.
A: That’s why many people look up to（高看一眼）him. He’s very much respected.
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A: Look! Jenny got a new skirt. It must be an expensive skirt.
B: He bought it last Friday on a cut-rate（打折扣的）.
A: He could afford（买得起）such an expensive skirt?
B: Someone else footed the bill（付款）.
A: But Bob doesn’t seem to be that generous.
B: It’s our dad. He took her to the shop and picked up the tab（付款）.
A: I’m jealous（嫉妒的）. He is too kind to her.
B: You should strike while the iron is hot（趁热打铁）. Go and ask Dad to buy you an item. He may be generous enough to buy you an item, too.
A: That’s a dandy idea. I must ask him to buy me a pair of new shoes.
B: Why don’t you ask him to buy you a PC? You will soon use it at college.
A: Thank you for reminding me. I must ask him to buy me a computer.
B: Did you go and ask dad?
A: No, I haven’t had time. I’m boning up on（专心于）my entrance exam. Besides, dad is not in the right mood（心情不好） these two days.
B: You may ask him after the exam. By the way, are you confident of the exam?
A: I don’t know. I usually don’t do well at exams. I always get a fright（恐惧感）in exams.
B: But you may come as a dark horse out of the exam.
A: I hope so.
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