Thành ngữ (Idiom), tục ngữ (proverb) và cách diễn đạt (expression) tiếng Anh là một phần quan trọng trong tiếng Anh hàng ngày. Vì thành ngữ không phải lúc nào cũng có nghĩa theo nghĩa đen, bạn sẽ cần tự làm quen với ý nghĩa và cách sử dụng của từng thành ngữ. Tham khảo các thành ngữ tiếng Anh thông dụng trong bài viết dưới đây để giao tiếp tiếng Anh trở nên tự nhiên và tự tin hơn nhé.
Thành ngữ tiếng Anh thông dụng nhất
Những thành ngữ tiếng Anh (Idiom) này cực kỳ phổ biến trong giao tiếp hàng ngày ở Hoa Kỳ. Bạn sẽ nghe thấy chúng trong các bộ phim và chương trình truyền hình và giúp bạn thành thạo giống như người bản xứ.
A blessing in disguise: trong cái rủi có cái may
A good thing that seemed bad at first
→ Losing your job was just a blessing in disguise!
—
A dime a dozen: cái gì đó tầm thường
Something common
→ In Los Angeles, waiters trying to become famous actors are a dime a dozen.
—
Beat around the bush: nói lòng vòng
Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
→ Don’t beat around the bush—just tell me the truth.
—
Better late than never: thà muộn còn hơn không
Better to arrive late than not to come at all
→ After two weeks, I finally got a return phone call from that company. Better late than never, I guess.
—
Bite the bullet: bất chấp làm gì đó
To get something over with because it is inevitable
→ I don’t actually enjoy cleaning, but I bite the bullet and do it so that everything in my house isn’t covered in a thick layer of dust.
—
Break a leg: chúc may mắn
Good luck
→ You all look great in your costumes! Break a leg!
—
Call it a day: dừng làm việc, nghỉ ngơi sau khi làm việc
Stop working on something
→ When we still couldn’t find the source of the discrepancy, we decided to call it a day and revisit it tomorrow.
—
Cut somebody some slack: không phê bình
Don’t be so critical
→ I know I made a mistake, but it’s my first week on the job, so cut me some slack, OK?
—
Cutting corners: làm việc cẩu thả, nhanh chóng bỏ qua các quy tắc
Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
→ Don’t cut corners on this project—it has to be done thoroughly, no matter the cost.
—
Easy does it: chậm lại
Slow down
→ Easy does it, guys—you’re moving a priceless piece of art!
—
Get out of hand: hỗn loạn, mất kiểm soát
Get out of control
→ If your party gets out of hand, the neighbors will call the police.
—
Get your act together: làm việc tốt hơn, thích ứng với hoàn cảnh mới
Work better or leave
→ You need to get your act together and finish packing so that we can leave for the airport on time tomorrow morning.
—
Give someone the benefit of the doubt: tạm tin tưởng
Trust what someone says
→ Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt before we start accusing him. There may be a good explanation for the missing money.
—
Go back to the drawing board: sửa đổi lại, bắt đầu lại
Start over
→ Their latest product was a financial disaster, so they had to go back to the drawing board and come up with a fresh, new idea.
—
Hang in there: không từ bỏ, kiên nhẫn
Don’t give up
→ Hang in there, Mary. Things will work out.
—
Hit the sack: đi ngủ
Go to sleep
→ I have to get up early for work tomorrow, so I think I’d better hit the sack.
—
It’s not rocket science: diễn tả chuyện gì đó không phức tạp, dễ hiểu
It’s not complicated
→ Look, all you need to do is reformat the hard drive on your computer. It isn’t rocket science!
—
Let someone off the hook: không bắt người khác chịu trách nhiệm
To not hold someone responsible for something
→ At first, Sam was suspected of stealing money from the safe, but he was let off the hook after security camera footage showed it was someone else.
—
Make a long story short: nói vắn tắt, nói ngắn gọn
Tell something briefly
→ My friend introduced me to her at a work function a year ago, and, to make a long story short, we’re moving in together next month.
—
Miss the boat: trễ, bỏ lỡ
It’s too late
→ If you don’t call the recruiter back right away, you’re going to miss the boat.
—
No pain, no gain: trải qua khó khăn để đạt thành tựu/ thất bại là mẹ thành công
You have to work for what you want
→ I know these training sessions are hard work, but you’ve got to do it if you want to be a contender for the championship. No pain, no gain!
—
On the ball: làm tốt việc gì đó
Doing a good job
→ I’m so glad that my assistant is always on the ball because I’m too scatterbrained to manage my schedule on my own.
—
Pull someone’s leg: nói đùa với ai đó
To joke with someone
→ Quit pulling my leg, I know there isn’t a Hollywood director calling me right now.
—
Pull yourself together: bình tĩnh
Calm down
→ I hope she pulls herself together soon. We need her to be focused.
—
So far so good: mọi thứ giờ đến giờ vẫn ổn
Things are going well so far
→ We are half finished with our project. So far, so good.
—
Speak of the devil: mới nhắc đã tới
The person we were just talking about showed up!
→ Well, speak of the devil! We were just speaking talking something funny you were saying the other day.
—
That’s the last straw: hết kiên nhẫn
My patience has run out
→ I’ve been a good sport about letting Tom share the credit for my work, but this is the last straw! I’m finally going to expose him for the liar he is.
—
The best of both worlds: vẹn cả đôi đường
An ideal situation
→ We hope that by forming a bipartisan committee we will be able form a body that represents the best of both worlds.
—
Time flies when you’re having fun: thời gian trôi qua thật nhanh
You don’t notice how long something lasts when it’s fun
→ Wow, it’s midnight already? I feel like we just got here. Time flies when you’re having fun!
—
To get bent out of shape: buồn bã
To get upset
→ They stopped inviting him to the gatherings, and he really got bent out of shape about it.
—
To make matters worse: làm vấn đề trở nên tệ hơn
Make a problem worse
→ I heard that Julie is being let go from her job, and to make matters worse, she hasn’t been there long enough to qualify for severance pay!
—
Under the weather: bệnh
Sick
→ Yeah, I was under the weather last week, but I’m feeling much better now.
—
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it: đến đâu hay tới đó
Let’s not talk about that problem right now
→ What will we do if we have another child? -Don’t worry, darling, we’ll cross those bridges when we come to them.
—
Wrap your head around something: hiểu vấn đề gì đó khó hiểu
Understand something complicated
→ Sam tries to wrap her head around snow and freezing temperatures, but she’s always lived in Florida, so real winter is not something she has experienced.
—
You can say that again: hoàn toàn đồng ý
That’s true, I agree
→ You can say that again! It was the hardest test I’ve ever taken.
—
Your guess is as good as mine: không có ý kiến
I have no idea
→ When it comes to the election, your guess is as good as mine as far as who is going to win.
—
Thành ngữ tiếng Anh thông dụng
Những thành ngữ tiếng Anh này được sử dụng khá thường xuyên ở Hoa Kỳ. Bạn có thể không nghe thấy chúng hàng ngày, nhưng chúng sẽ rất quen thuộc với bất kỳ người bản xứ nào. Bạn có thể tự tin sử dụng bất kỳ cách nào trong số chúng khi bối cảnh phù hợp.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: bằng lòng với những gì đang có
What you have is worth more than what you might have later
→ I think I’ll keep my modest winnings rather than wagering them all on the next horse race. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
—
A penny for your thoughts: diễn tả ai đó đang trầm tư suy nghĩ
Tell me what you’re thinking
→ You’ve been awfully quiet tonight, honey—a penny for your thoughts?
—
A penny saved is a penny earned: tiết kiệm một đồng là kiếm được một đồng
Money you save today you can spend later
→ I’m trying not to spend much money right now because, you know what they say, a penny saved is a penny earned.
—
A perfect storm: tình huống tồi tệ có thể xảy ra
The worst possible situation
→ The incumbent mayor’s re-election campaign is getting underway amidst a perfect storm of allegations and news stories about corruption, tax evasion, and racketeering within the city’s government.
—
A picture is worth 1000 words: một bức tranh hơn ngàn lời nói
Better to show than tell
→ The newspaper report carried more pictures of the event than text, since a picture is worth a thousand words.
—
Actions speak louder than words: nói dễ hơn làm
Believe what people do and not what they say
→ Paul made all sorts of promises when he was on the campaign trail. However, actions speak louder than words, so we’ll see how many of those promises he actually keeps.
—
Add insult to injury: làm mọi thứ tồi tệ hơn
To make a bad situation worse
→ I was already late for work and, to add insult to injury, I spilled coffee all over myself.
—
Barking up the wrong tree: hiểu lầm, có hành động sai lầm về gì đó
To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place
→ She thinks it’ll solve the problem, but I think she’s barking up the wrong tree.
—
Birds of a feather flock together: những người có chung sở thích, suy nghĩ
People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)
→ I knew you and John would get along well, seeing as you both enjoy science fiction so much. Birds of a feather flock together.
—
Bite off more than you can chew: cố lầm nhiều hơn có thể
Take on a project that you cannot finish
→ I bit off more than I could chew when I volunteered to manage three little league teams in one season.
—
Break the ice: phá tan bầu không khí căng thẳng
Make people feel more comfortable
→ Everyone was deathly silent after John went ballistic and left the meeting. I tried breaking the ice with a joke, but it didn’t help.
—
By the skin of your teeth: chỉ mới
Just barely
→ Oh man, my car wouldn’t start this morning—I just made it here by the skin of my teeth!
—
Comparing apples to oranges: không nên so sáng hai thứ khác nhau
Comparing two things that cannot be compared
→ Stop comparing apples to oranges—those two companies you’re talking about are completely different.
—
Costs an arm and a leg: đắt, mắc
Very expensive
→ College tuition costs an arm and leg nowadays.
—
Do something at the drop of a hat: làm gì đó không có kế hoạch từ trước
Do something without having planned beforehand
→ Don’t let my mother watch any of those sappy movies—she cries at the drop of a hat.
—
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you: bạn muốn người khác tôn trọng mình thì mình phải tôn trọng người khác trước
Treat people fairly. Also known as “The Golden Rule”
→ Just think for a minute about how you acted. Would you like it if she acted that way toward you? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
—
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: đừng tính trước nếu chưa làm/ Đếm cua trong lỗ
Don’t count on something good happening until it’s happened
→ When my mom heard that I was preparing my campaign before even being nominated, she warned me, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
—
Don’t cry over spilt milk: đừng tiếc những gì đã qua
There’s no reason to complain about something that can’t be fixed
→ Don’t go crying over spilled milk. We already submitted the report, so we can’t fix it now.
—
Don’t give up your day job: đừng từ bỏ công việc/ đam mê
You’re not very good at this
→ Whenever I see a singer who can’t stay in tune, I just want to say, “Don’t give up your day job!”
—
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: đừng nên tập trung vào một thứ, một chỗ
What you’re doing is too risky
→ I know you love Harvard, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket—make sure to apply to several other schools too.
—
Every cloud has a silver lining: trong cái rủi có cái may
Good things come after bad things
→ When I’m going through a hard time, I try to remind myself that every cloud has a silver lining.
—
Get a taste of your own medicine: được đối xử theo cách bạn đối xử với người khác
Get treated the way you’ve been treating others (negative)
→ This team likes to play rough, so I think it’s time they got a taste of their own medicine!
—
Give someone the cold shoulder: làm lơ, lờ đi ai đó
Ignore someone
→ She thinks you started that rumor about her—that’s why she’s been giving you the cold shoulder all day.
—
Go on a wild goose chase: làm điều gì đó vô nghĩa, không mục đích
To do something pointless
→ They said there would be someone in this town who had information about the mafia’s operations, but I’m beginning to think we’ve gone on a wild goose chase.
—
Good things come to those who wait: điều tốt sẽ đến với người kiên nhẫn
Be patient
→ When investing, it pays to be patient. Remember that good things come to those who wait.
—
He has bigger fish to fry: có nhiều việc quan trọng hơn phải làm
He has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now
→ It’s really not worth my time. I’ve got bigger fish to fry!
—
He’s a chip off the old block: con giống cha
The son is like the father
→ Mike’s automotive repair skills really rival those of his father. He’s a chip off the old block!
—
Hit the nail on the head: nói hoặc làm gì đó chính xác
Get something exactly right
→ You really hit the nail on the head with that answer—good job.
—
Ignorance is bliss: tốt hơn hết là không biết gì
You’re better off not knowing
→ Sometimes I just decide to ignore the news for a few days. Ignorance is bliss, I tell you.
—
It ain’t over till the fat lady sings: chưa chắc kết quả cuối cùng, 30 chưa phải là tết
This isn’t over yet
→ We’re losing, but remember: it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.
—
It takes one to know one: người chỉ trích lỗi của bạn cũng có mắc phải lỗi đó
You’re just as bad as I am
→ A: “You’re a real jerk!” B: “Yeah, well, it takes one to know one!”
—
It’s a piece of cake: dễ
It’s easy
→ I thought I was going to fail the test, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!
—
It’s raining cats and dogs: trời mưa to
It’s raining hard
→ We wanted to have a barbecue this weekend, but it’s been raining cats and dogs since Friday evening.
—
Kill two birds with one stone: một mũi tên trúng hai con chim
Get two things done with a single action
→ I might as well kill two birds with one stone and drop off my tax forms while I’m at the mall for the computer part I need.
—
Let the cat out of the bag: tiết lộ bí mật
Give away a secret
→ How did Mom find out we were planning a surprise party for her? Who let the cat out of the bag?
—
Live and learn: rút ra kinh nghiệm
I made a mistake
→ Well, I’ll never try to ride my bike in the snow again—live and learn!
—
Look before you leap: cân nhắc trước khi làm điều gì đó
Take only calculated risks
→ If you deceive your boss now, what do you think will happen if he finds out about it? I mean, look before you leap!
—
On thin ice: gặp rủi ro
On probation. If you make another mistake, there will be trouble
→ You’re on thin ice, Jefferson. If you come in late one more time, you’re fired!
—
Once in a blue moon: hiếm khi
Rarely
→ Peter only comes out for a drink once in blue moon now that he has kids.
—
Play devil’s advocate: tranh cãi
To argue the opposite, just for the sake of argument
→ I’m all for universal health care, but I’ll play devil’s advocate in asking how the government intends to fund such a massive undertaking.
—
Put something on ice: tạm ngừng hoạt động
Put a projet on hold
→ We’ve had to put the sale on ice while we figure out why the website keeps crashing.
—
Rain on someone’s parade: làm hỏng kế hoạch
To spoil something
→ Mom really rained on our parade by chaperoning our school dance.
—
Saving for a rainy day: tiết kiệm tiền cho sau này
Saving money for later
→ I save a portion of my wages each month for a rainy day.
—
Slow and steady wins the race: làm việc chăm chỉ
Reliability is more important than speed
→ Look, I know you’re eager to get all this data entered so you can move on to the next stage of the project, but slow and steady wins the race, OK? We’ll be much worse off if the data has errors in it than if it takes a little longer to get done.
—
Spill the beans: tiết lộ bí mật
Give away a secret
→ We had everything organized for Bruce’s surprise party, but Kate accidentally spilled the beans to him at work.
—
Take a rain check: trì hoãn việc gì đó
Postpone a plan
→ I’m sorry, but I’ll take a rain check for dinner this Saturday. Would next weekend work for you?
—
Take it with a grain of salt: xem xét lại điều gì đó có thể không đúng
Don’t take it too seriously
→ Kevin said that you can get into the club for free if you wear red, but I’m taking it with a grain of salt.
—
The ball is in your court: hãy lên tiếng
It’s your decision
→ Well, they invited you, so the ball is in your court now. Do you want to go out with them or not?
—
The best thing since sliced bread: tin vào điều gì đó mới, sáng tạo
A really good invention
→ These waterproof jeans are the best thing since sliced bread. I don’t have to worry about getting soaked!
—
The devil is in the details: kiểm tra kỹ lưỡng
It looks good from a distance, but when you look closer, there are problems
→ Double check your code—with software, the devil is in the details.
—
The early bird gets the worm: người biết nắm bắt cơ hội vào thời điểm sớm nhất sẽ đạt lợi ích từ nó
The first people who arrive will get the best stuff
→ This market could be very lucrative, but I have a feeling it will only be for those who take advantage of it early on. The early bird get the worm, after all.
—
The elephant in the room: vấn đề lớn
The big issue, the problem people are avoiding
→ The incident has remained something of an elephant in the room within our family.
—
The whole nine yards: mọi thứ
Everything, all the way.
→ I want a traditional wedding, with the cake, the dress—the whole nine yards.
—
There are other fish in the sea: có nhiều sự lựa chọn khác nũa
It’s ok to miss this opportunity. Others will arise.
→ I know you are broken up about Janet leaving you, but there are other fish in the sea.
—
There’s a method to his madness: có mục đích cụ thể nhưng có vẻ hơi điên rồ
He seems crazy but actually he’s clever
→ I know you don’t understand my motivation for this decision, but after the dust settles, you’ll see that there is a method to my madness.
—
There’s no such thing as a free lunch: không có gì là miễn phí
Nothing is entirely free
→ Of course, once you’re signed up to the free program, you have to pay for all sorts of extra services to make it even worth using. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, after all.
—
Throw caution to the wind: liều lĩnh làm gì đó
Take a risk
→ You can’t live life completely reserved, you know. You’ve got to throw caution to the wind every now and then.
—
You can’t have your cake and eat it too: bạn không thể có mọi thứ
You can’t have everything
→ You’re never going to save enough money to buy a house if you keep buying expensive crap you don’t need. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.
—
You can’t judge a book by its cover: không nên đánh giá vẻ bề ngoài
This person or thing may look bad, but it’s good inside
→ This report may look dull, but don’t judge a book by its cover—I will have you riveted by the facts and figures in no time!
—
Thành ngữ và tục ngữ tiếng Anh quen thuộc
Những thành ngữ và tục ngữ tiếng Anh này rất quen thuộc và dễ hiểu đối với người bản xứ, nhưng chúng thường không được sử dụng trong cuộc trò chuyện hàng ngày. Nhưng những thành ngữ dưới đây sẽ giúp tiếng Anh của bạn trở nên phong phú hơn.
A little learning is a dangerous thing: kém tri thức dẫn đến nguy hại
People who don’t understand something fully are dangerous
→ Just because she painted her room by herself, now she thinks she can do the entire house—inside and out! A little learning is a dangerous thing, I tell you.
—
A snowball effect: kết quả/ hậu quả ngày càng tăng theo thời gian
Events have momentum and build upon each other
→ Once the video game hit the market, word of mouth caused a snowball effect that made it the most popular and top grossing game of all time.
—
A snowball’s chance in hell: không có cơ hội
No chance at all
→ That candidate doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning an election in this part of the state.
—
A stitch in time saves nine: làm việc gì đó ngay để không ảnh hưởng sau này
Fix the problem now because it will get worse later
→ You should consider getting your car repaired now before you’re left stranded on the side of the road—a stitch in time saves nine.
—
A storm in a teacup: chuyện bé xé ra to
A big fuss about a small problem
→ If you ask me, these protests are nothing but a storm in a teacup that’s been stoked by a media campaign of misinformation.
—
An apple a day keeps the doctor away: táo tốt cho sức khỏe
Apples are good for you
→ Have an apple for a snack, instead of those chips. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, after all.
—
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: phòng bệnh hơn chữa bệnh
You can prevent a problem with little effort. Fixing it later is harder
→ Unless you want to be violently ill for days, get the flu shot now—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, you know.
—
As right as rain: khỏe mạnh, tốt lành
Perfect
→ I have a broken foot, but once I get my cast off, the doctor says I’ll be as right as rain.
—
Bolt from the blue: điều gây ngạc nhiên
Something that happened without warning
→ We always thought of Michael as a life-long bachelor, so it certainly was a bolt from the blue when he returned from his vacation sporting a wedding ring!
—
Burn bridges: làm điều gì đó không thể duy trì đến tương lai
Destroy relationships
→ She’s young, so I don’t think she realizes that she’ll be burning her bridges if she goes to work for their competitor.
—
Calm before the storm: bình tĩnh trước sự cố hay biến động nào đó
Something bad is coming, but right now it’s calm
→ Oh, this is the calm before the storm—the dinner rush will turn this place into a mad house.
—
Come rain or shine: bất chấp thời tiết
No matter what
→ Pack a poncho because the outdoor concert is happening come rain or shine.
—
Curiosity killed the cat: tò mò khiến bạn gặp rắc rối
Stop asking questions
→ I know curiosity killed the cat, but I can’t stop the investigation until I know where the donations are really going.
—
Cut the mustard: làm tốt việc gì đó
Do a good job
→ That guy looks like he’s 110 years old—there’s no way he’ll be able to cut the mustard stocking shelves all day!
—
Don’t beat a dead horse: đừng tập trung vào việc không liên quan
Move on, this subject is over
→ We’ve all moved on from that problem, so don’t beat a dead horse.
—
Every dog has his day: ai rồi cũng sẽ gặp may mắn/ không ai giàu ba họ, không ai khó ba đời
Everyone gets a chance at least once
→ I know you’re shocked that that dopey kid got a better grade than you, but hey, every dog has his day.
—
Familiarity breeds contempt: thân quá hóa coi thường người khác
The better you know someone the less you like him
→ I’m afraid it’s true when they say that familiarity breeds contempt, because I’ve been stuck with Larry in the apartment all week, and I’m absolutely sick of him.
—
Fit as a fiddle: sức khỏe rất tốt
In good health
→ I just saw Eric recently, and he’s as fit as a fiddle.
—
Fortune favours the bold: thành công và may mắn sẽ đến với người dám nghĩ dám làm/ có gian thì giàu
Take risks
→ Many took the risk to invest in Bitcoin two years ago and got a lot of profits. Fortune really does favor the bold.
—
Get a second wind: có sức sống, năng lượng sau thời gian mệt mỏi
Have more energy after having been tired
→ I’m sorry, but if I don’t get a second wind soon, I’m going to bed.
—
Get wind of something: nghe lời đồn
Hear news of something secret
→ If Mom gets wind of this prank we’re planning, we’ll be grounded for the rest of the summer.
—
Go down in flames: tuột dốc, thất bại một cách mạnh mẽ
Fail spectacularly
→ Despite all the media hype, the major summer blockbuster went down in flames—hardly anyone went to see it while it was in theaters.
—
Haste makes waste: vội vàng sẽ dễ mắc sai lầm/ dục tốc bất đạt
You’ll make mistakes if you rush through something
→ Haste makes waste, so please double-check your measurements before cutting the fabric.
—
Have your head in the clouds: đầu óc như người trên mây/ không tập trung, hay mơ mộng
Not be concentrating
→ He has his head in the clouds while the rest of us are trying to figure out how to fix this!
—
He who laughs last laughs loudest: cười người hôm trước hôm sau người cười
I’ll get you back for what you did
→ He may have won this round, but I’m going to come back in the final. He who laughs last, laughs loudest.
—
Hear something straight from the horse’s mouth: nghe nguồn tin đáng tin cậy
Hear something from the person involved
→ You shouldn’t believe anything you hear about the company unless you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.
—
He’s not playing with a full deck: người không thông minh, không bình thường
He’s dumb
→ A: “Look at that guy talking to himself on the corner.” B: “I reckon he’s not playing with a full deck.”
—
He’s off his rocker: điên loạn
He’s crazy
→ I think Jane’s grandmother is a little off her rocker these days.
—
He’s sitting on the fence: không theo phe ai trong cuộc tranh luận
He can’t make up his mind
→ No, we haven’t chosen an applicant yet—the boss is sitting on the fence.
—
It is a poor workman who blames his tools: thợ vụng đổ lỗi cho đồ nghề/ không làm tốt thì đổ lỗi cho đồ nghề của họ
If you can’t do the job, don’t blame it on others
→ After John spent all day assembling his new desk only to discover it was lopsided, he immediately declared that the package must have contained the wrong pieces. His wife replied, “It’s a poor workman who blames his tools, dear.”
—
It is always darkest before the dawn: rồi mọi thứ sẽ dần tốt đẹp hơn
Things are going to get better
→ When I was lost in depression, friends tried to remind me that it’s always darkest just before the dawn.
—
It takes two to tango: cùng chịu trách nhiệm
One person alone isn’t responsible. Both people are involved
→ Your son blames mine for their fight at school, but it generally takes two to tango.
—
Jump on the bandwagon: chạy theo trào lưu
Follow a trend, do what everyone else is doing
→ I can’t stand these people who just jump on the bandwagon after a win. Where were they last year when the team was terrible?
—
Know which way the wind is blowing: hiểu vấn đề
Understand the situation (usually negative)
→ These politicians know which way the wind is blowing regarding public opinion on the issue, and you can bet they’ll vote accordingly.
—
Leave no stone unturned: tìm kiếm mọi nơi
Look everywhere
→ We left no stone unturned looking for that earring, but we still couldn’t find it. I’m thinking it got thrown out.
—
Let sleeping dogs lie: đừng nhắc lại chuyện trong quá khứ
Stop discussing an issue
→ Oh, don’t mention that fight they had months ago—let sleeping dogs lie!
—
Like riding a bicycle: thành thạo như một thói quen
Something you never forget how to do
→ I was shocked that I instinctually remembered how to knit after all these years. I guess it’s like riding a bicycle.
—
Like two peas in a pod: giống nhau y đúc
They’re always together
→ Those kids have the same wacky sense of humor—they’re truly like two peas in a pod.
—
Make hay while the sun shines: hãy nắm bắt khi có cơ hội
Take advantage of a good situation
→ We finally have the full group assembled, so let’s make hay while the sun shines and get this thing done.
—
On cloud nine: hạnh phúc
Very happy
→ Ever since Mary got her promotion at work, she’s been on cloud nine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier!
—
Once bitten, twice shy: bài học nhớ đời
You’re more cautious when you’ve been hurt before
→ I’ve learned my lesson from dating actors—once bitten, twice shy.
—
Out of the frying pan and into the fire: tránh vỏ dưa, gặp vỏ dừa
Things are going from bad to worse
→ I thought my old job was stressful, but my new one is 10 times worse. It’s like going out of the frying pan and into the fire.
—
Run like the wind: chạy nhanh lên, vội vàng
Run fast
→ Come on, kids, run like the wind out to the car, or else we’re going to be late!
—
Shape up or ship out: thay đổi thái độ làm việc trước khi bị đuổi việc
Work better or leave
→ I’ve warned you about turning up to work late for the last time—you need to shape up or ship out!
—
Snowed under: bận rộn
Busy
→ I’d love to go out to dinner tonight, but I’m totally snowed under at the office right now.
—
That ship has sailed: quá muộn, đánh mất cơ hội
It’s too late
→ If you were hoping to ask Mollie out, that ship has sailed—she’s going to the dance with Peter.
—
The pot calling the kettle black: chỉ trích người khác mà họ cũng từng mắc phải/ Chó chê mèo lắm lông
Someone criticizing someone else he is just as bad
→ You’re judging me for wearing revealing clothing to a party? That’s the pot calling the kettle black, don’t you think?
—
There are clouds on the horizon: có chuyện xấu sắp xảy ra
Trouble is coming
→ Financial analysts believe that the sudden drop in oil prices means that there are clouds on the horizon for the national economy.
—
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones: không nên chỉ trích người cùng lỗi sai với mình
People who are morally questionable shouldn’t criticize others
→ He’s been hounding his opponent for dodging taxes, when it’s public knowledge that he still owes the IRS for years of tax delinquency. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!
—
Through thick and thin: bất chấp mọi khó khăn
In good times and in bad times
→ She’s always been there for me through thick and thin, so I can’t turn my back on her now.
—
Time is money: thời gian là vàng bạc
Work quickly
→ Come on, come on, time is money—tell me what you want already!
—
Waste not, want not: không phung phí thì không túng thiếu
Don’t waste things and you’ll always have enough
→ I plan our meals very carefully each week so that we use almost everything we get in the groceries. Waste not, want not.
—
We see eye to eye: đồng ý
We agree
→ His mother and I don’t see eye to eye about his decision to drop out of college.
—
Weather the storm: vượt qua giai đoạn khó khăn
Go through something difficult
→ That was the hardest year of my life, but in the end I was able to weather the storm with the support of my family.
—
Well begun is half done: chuẩn bị tốt từ đầu sẽ dễ dàng cho về sau/ Đầu xuôi đuôi lọt
Getting a good start is important
→ It sounds like you’ve already gotten a lot of the most arduous work for your thesis done already, so I doubt it will give you too much stress to finish it on time. Well begun is half done, after all.
—
When it rains it pours: việc không may xảy ra sẽ kéo thêm nhiều chuyện xấu khác
Everything is going wrong at once
→ Everyone in my house is sick right now because when it rains, it pours.
—
You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar: lời nói ngọt ngào/ Mật ngọt chết ruồi
You’ll get what you want by being nice
→ I think the kids would visit you more if you were nicer to them. You can catch more flies with honey than you can vinegar, you know.
—
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink: không thể bắt ép người khác
You can’t force someone to make the right decision
→ A: “I just don’t understand. We’ve given him the very best education and introduced him to the right people, but he just won’t pursue a meaningful career.” B: “Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
—
You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs: muốn thành công phải chấp nhận hi sinh
There’s always a cost to doing something
→ If I don’t cut people’s salaries, the company is going to go bankrupt. It’s unfortunate, but you can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
—
Trên đây là một loạt những thành ngữ tiếng Anh thông dụng nhất. Hy vọng bạn sẽ áp dụng và học tập thật tốt.