Have you heard the phrase: "get on my nerves?"
What does it mean in American English? Let's find out.
A: It really irritates me when a person's cell phone goes off during a movie!
B: Yeah, me too. It really gets on my nerves.
The human nervous system is a collection of the nerves in our bodies that helps us feel things. When something affects those nerves in a bad way, we can feel strange or troubled. When that happens in a non-physical way, we can say it "gets on my nerves."
Someone else's actions or words can "get on my nerves," if they do it over and over, and you want them to stop.
If you listen to American English, you probably have heard this phrase: "Play it by ear."
What does it mean? let's find out by listening to an American English conversation.
A: Hey, what do you want to do this weekend?
B: I don't know. We could see a movie or have dinner. Why don't we play it by ear?
A: Sure.
"Play it by ear" means you aren't going to make a firm plan, but will decide what to do as you go along.
This idiom has a musical meaning too. When you don't have the written music for a song, but you play the notes that you think you've heard, you "play it by ear."
So when you are in a situation where you make a plan as you go, you're "playing it by ear".
Hear a pin drop
If you have heard American English or watched an American TV show, you probably have heard this:
"Hear a pin drop."
What does this phrase mean?
Let's see whether we can find out by listening to an American English conversation.
A: I can't believe he said that. And then the room was so quite. Nobody said a word.
B: Really?
A: Yeah, I mean it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Pins are small and don't make noise when they fall to the floor. So when you say you can "hear a pin drop," it means that the room is silent. Usually, that's because the people are surprised or excited about something.
off the top of my head
What would you think if you heard this: Off the top of my head.
There is nothing on her head. But let's see if we can find out what she means.
A: Do you know Tom's email address?
B: I couldn't tell you off the top of my head, but I have it in my contacts list on my computer. Can I send it to you later?
A: Sure. That would be great. Thanks.
"Off the top of my head" is a common phrase that means I am trying to remember something, and to give you a quick answer. But if a person's memory is bad, sometimes the information off the top of someone's head is wrong. So it's best to confirm it.
【off the top of one's head】
从字面上看，它是指在我头脑里最先想到的
引申为“不假思索、马上”。
1.I can't tell you the figures off the top of my head,I'll have to check it up.
我无法马上告诉你具体数字，我还得查一下。
2.I can name two famous actors off the top of my head.
我可以随便说出两个有名的演员 。
3.I answered his question off the top of my head.
我没有认真考虑就回答了他的问题。
4.She recited the poem off the top of her head.
她即兴背诵了诗歌。
Off the top of one's head这个习惯用语产生于20世纪50年代， 已经有五十多年历史了。这个习惯用美国人比英国人用得更多。
很多人都喜欢开豪华车。这是一个人在租车公司打听租一辆奔驰500系列的汽车要多少钱。
It's okay if you don't know exactly. I just want a reasonable estimate. So, just OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD, how much would it cost to lease a Mercedes 500SL?
他对租车行的雇员说：你不知道确切价钱也不要紧，我只想要一个大概的估价。 按你估计，租一辆奔驰500SL要多少钱呢？
Ears Are Burning
有人在谈论你
Here's an example when two word used together can sound very painful.
A: Hey, I saw your friend Anna yesterday. She was telling me about your birthday party. And she said that it was the best party that she had been to all year.
B: Wow, that's why my ears were burning.
If people say "my ears were burning," it means someone was talking about them, but that they weren't there to hear it. Imagine a message being sent to you when people are talking about you.
This comes from Ancient Rome, when people believed "burning ears" and other sensations signaled current or future events.
If it was in the right ear, the person was praised. The left ear meant evil may come.
sensation英[senˈseɪʃn]美[sɛnˈseʃən]
n.感觉; 轰动; 知觉; 直觉;
[例句]Floating can be a very pleasantsensation
漂浮会是一种非常惬意的感觉。
[其他]复数：sensations
v.赞美; 称赞( praise的过去式和过去分词 ); 颂扬; 崇拜;
[例句]The American presidentpraisedTurkey for itscourage
美国总统赞扬了土耳其的勇气。
[其他]原型：praise
under the weather
Sometimes American English doesn't seem to make sense, like this:
"I am under the weather."
Under the weather -- what could that mean?
A: Are you okay?
B: Um, not really. I think I'm a little bit under the weather.
A: You should go home and get some rest.
B: Yeah, I think that's a good idea.
If you stand "under the weather," you might have a dark storm cloud over your head, and you might not feel very well.
When you say you are "under the weather," it means you are sick or not feeling well. This phrase comes from sailors at sea. If a ship was in a bad weather and its sailors were sick, the crew would go below deck, to get out from "under the weather" to try to feel better.
crew英[kru:]美[kru]
n.全体船员; 全体乘务员; 一群，一帮;
vt.当（尤指船上的）工作人员; 当（尤指船上的）工作人员;
vi.当船员; 当机务人员;
