例句1: Hi, Jim! You look pretty good today. Everybody at the office says hello - we're all pulling for you to pull through this operation and get back to work as soon as you can.
我们要学的下一个习惯用语是: pull your leg. Pull your leg是个古老的习惯用语,至少已经用了一百多年了。人们最初可能是看到有人恶作剧故意把手杖伸在别人的腿脚下使他绊倒摔跤,而得到启发,想出了这个习惯用语。好,让我们通过一个例子来理解这个习惯用语的确切意义。有人一早来上班,发现桌上有一张看来相当正式的通知,于是引起了一段生活中的小插曲:
例句2:This memo told me I was being transferred to Buffalo, where winter is really bad. I was worried when I saw people laughing at me, and I remembered it was April Fool's Day, andI realized my friends are pulling my leg.
我们还要学的一个习惯用语: pull the plug. 其中的plug ,这是电线一端的插头,插进墙上的插座就能得到电力。Pull the plug,当然就是把插头从插座上拔出来,那就是切断电源,或者等于是关了某一电器用具。这是从字面上来解释pull the plug,但是这个习惯用语有什么引伸的意义呢?让我们来看一个例子。这是一家商店的店主在说话,由于经济不景气,商店的生意直线下降。
例句3: Business has been terrible for six months and is getting worse every day. I hate to say this but maybe the best thing to do is pull the plug and just close up shop for good.