1. go the extra mile 格外努力
2. go the whole nine yards 竭尽全力
3. go to bat against someone 与某人抗争；反对某人
4. go to bat for someone 支持或帮助某人
5. get up on the wrong side of the End 脾气暴躁；反常；心情烦躁
6. be grabby 贪婪；自私；渴求
7. grandstand play 故意卖弄技巧的动作，哗众取宠
8. gravy train 报酬优厚的， 有发财运气的
9. grease someone’s palm 贿赂某人，收买某人
10. greasy spoon 便宜的小餐馆，快餐店，小吃店
11. be green around the gills 脸色苍白，面带病容
12. the green light 允许
13. groove on something 对某物爱不释手
14. growth 大有可为的； 有利可图的，情势有利的
15. grunge 令人讨厌的；邋遢的
------------------------------------------
习惯用语
1. louse something up 把某事搞得一团糟
2. take one’s shirt off one’s back 竭尽全力帮助他人
3. a born loser 废物
4. a helping hand 帮手
5. credit for… 承认
6. be as firm as a rock 坚如盘石
7. a social butterfly 交际花
8. have designs on… 对……有不良的打算
9. have another think coming 大错特错
10. work to the bones 干活特别卖力气
11. get on someone’s nerves 让某人心里起急，发烦
12. goof off 磨洋工，偷懒
13. play a lone hand 一个人干，单枪匹马
14. drive someone crazy 把某人逼疯
15. jump down someone’s throat 粗暴地对待某人使其受不了
16. go to pieces 身心崩溃
17. make something a hit 使某事大获成功
18. be content with… 满足……
19. play to the gallery 哗众取宠
20. show off… 显示……，夸耀……
21. make bombs 赚大钱，发大财
22. turn the tables 反过手来
23. count the chickens before they are hatched 高兴得太早了
24. have a hunch that… 预感到 ……
25. big shots 大人物
26. butter someone up 巴结某人
27. eat like a wolf 狼吞虎咽
28. a decent meal 一顿不错的饭
29. cost an arm and a leg 宰人，价格很贵
30. pay through the nose 让人敲竹杠
31. pinch pennies 花钱很节俭
32. splurge 挥霍
33. take someone to the cleaners 让人把钱花光
34. have the heart to… 忍心去……
35. keep someone cooling his heels 让某人久等
36. in need of 非常需要
37. have a high temperature 发高烧
38. be big on… 十分喜欢
39. finish doing… 干完……
40. never have enough of… 从不厌烦……
41. a wet blanket 让人扫兴的东西
42. one fly in the ointment 美中不足
43. not go back on one’s words 不食言
44. look forward to… 等待着……
--------------------------------------------------
A: Lora is going the extra mile to be helpful, but you just seemed to be thankless for her willingness to help. Can you be more thankful?
B: What? Thankful for her what? She loused up （搞得一团糟）many things.
A: Listen. She is indeed a nice girl. She would take her shirt off her back（竭尽全力）if you are in need of help, and she had given us a lot of assistance in the past few years. You can’t be so thankless.
B: I know that she would go the whole nine yard if I ask her to help, but the trouble is that she brings trouble more than assistance. She’s a born loser（废物）. I need a helping hand（帮手）, not a born loser.
A: You can’t boast you will never make mistakes. Once in a while （偶尔）she does things the wrong way, but you can tell her what to do. You should give credit for（承认）her willingness to help.
B: A nice girl might be help in some cases, but not in my case. I need someone who is able to go to bat against my opponents, who will be as firm as a rock（坚决地）in carrying out（贯彻，执行）my business policy. Maybe she’s too nice to be helpful.
A: I do have a bone to pick with （和你有争议）you. Do you want a social butterfly（交际花）? A girl who is sociable enough to seduce guys who have designs on（有不良的打算）your business? You must have another think coming（大错特错）!
B: I understand you. I know you’re sympathetic with（同情）her . But you can’t go to bat for her like this. I must consider my own business.
A: You asked me to find someone whom you could trust, and I went the extra mile and had her working to the bones for（干活特别卖力气）you. But you are thankless enough to hurt both of us.
B: I’m sorry, Martha. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just felt that she was too nice to be helpful.
A: One thing I can’t put up with（不能容忍）is that you always seem to have got up on the wrong side of the bed. You have a bone to pick（找岔子）with almost everyone.
B: Don’t you know everyone around me has been getting on my nerves（让我着急）? Your brother Dick gets on my nerves by goofing off（偷懒）at work. Your sister gets on my nerves by lousing up（搞砸）one contract after another, and…
A: I’ve had enough of（听够了）your complaints. Just fire all of them if you think that way. Maybe you enjoy playing a lone hand（一个人干）.
B: Stop getting on my nerves（不要让我着急）, or you will drive me crazy（把我逼疯）.
A: All right, Henry. I don’t want to get on your nerves. But you constantly jump down my throat（让我受不了）. I’m almost going to pieces（身心崩溃）. You have been too grabby these years.
B: What do you mean? Am I selfish? I’m not sweating（出大力）for myself.
A: But don’t you realize that you have put all the emphasis on（把重心放在）your business? Have you ever thought about us? Well, I’d better think about something else. I don’t want to be troubled with all this sort of messy business（乱七八糟的事）.
B: I didn’t and I don’t want to trouble you with anything. I just want efficiency and success. I want to make my business a hit （使大获成功）. And I need efficient employees. My business is more a business than charity.
A: I’m already content with（满足）our income. And you don’t have to have greater ambitions. I don’t want you to make a grandstand play or play to the gallery（哗众取宠）.
B: You’re mistaken（误解了）. I’m doing business, not trying to show off（显示）. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with prosperity.
A: But your business is not a gravy train. The scale is not large enough to be a gravy train. You can’t blame us for not being able to make bombs（发大财）.
B: Maybe I’m not on the gravy train, but sooner or later I will turn the table（反过手来）.
A: Don’t count the chicken before they are hatched（不要高兴得太早了）.
B: I was not boasting. I have a hunch（预感到）that I’m to make it a hit.
A: You can’t achieve greater things without greasing the palms of some big shots（大人物）.
B: I don’t want to butter anyone up（巴结）. I’m no good at giving bribes（贿赂人）. I always rely on my own efforts. I’m confident that I will soon turn the tables.
A: I wish you could succeed. By the way, shall we go and have something to eat. I feel I can eat like a wolf（我快饿死了）now.
B: Let’s go around the corner. There’s a greasy spoon over there. I’d love to have some snacks（吃些小吃）.
A: Some snacks? No! Why can’t you take me to a restaurant and give me a treat? I haven’ had a decent meal（一顿象样的饭）for ages.
B: Going to a restaurant? That will cost me an arm and a leg（宰人）. I don’t want to pay through the nose（让人敲竹杠）.
A: Come on, Henry. You are always pinching pennies （花钱很节省）. Let’s splurge（挥霍）just once.
B: All right. But don’t take me to the cleaners（把钱花光）. I’m not making bundles（赚大钱）yet.
A: Oh, look! The lady over there is looking green around the gills. Let’s help her.
B: I don’t want to have my fingers burnt（自找苦吃）. We’d better not bother.
A: It’s very bad of you. Do you have the heart to（忍心）see a lady suffering?
B: I never do anything unless I’m sure of what I’m doing. If you want to help her, I will give you the green light.
A: All right. I must go and help her .
B: I’ll step in and have a look at the menu.
A: Wait for me and I’ll make the order（点菜）.
B: What did you do with that woman?
A: Sorry to have kept you cooling your heels（让你久等了）. But she was in bad need of（非常需要） help.
B: Was she alone?
A: Yeah. She was alone. She is having a very high temperature（发高烧）. A good guy came along and sent her to the hospital.
B: Well, make your order. Everything seems nice. Oh, look. I bought a very good book from the nearby bookshop.
A: You’re so big on （太喜欢）books.
B: Yeah. I groove on this one. I must finish reading（读完）it within two days. Reading books is not only fun, but also enrich one’s knowledge. I can never get enough of（从不厌烦）reading good books.
A: I agree with you here. Books help add much to the soul. And reading is indeed a growth hobby.
B: That’s right. It’s a great hobby. That’s why I can groove on books.
A: Oh, my God. Look at this grunge. What is it?
B: Well, it must be a fly! It’s a fly.
A: It’s really a wet blanket（让人扫兴的东西）. It spoils our taste.
B: Yeah. It’s indeed a fly in the ointment（美中不足）. But never mind. I might give you another treat some time next month.
A: Don’t go back on your words（说话算话）. I’ll be looking forward to（等着）that.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------