(1) top dog：处支配地位者
in the present world, why should a country, often a super power, sometimes act as top dog over other countries?
(2) go to the dogs：堕落；（经济）衰退
no matter a business or a country, if it is not properly managed, it is sure to go to the dogs one day.
(3) do the donkey work：呆板的例常工作
jack is not a person to work with. he will just sit back and let you do the donkey work.
(4) a sitting duck：容易被打击的对象
out in the open, the hunter is a sitting duck for unseen wild animals.
(5) a cold fish：冷漠无情的人
among the guests at the same table was dr wee's wife, who looked unfeeling and was a real cold fish to me .
(6) a fish out of water：如鱼离水；不适应
qi never likes to go to a party, without friends, as he will feel like a fish out of water there.
(7) have other fish to fry：另有更重要的事要干
as i had other fish to fry yesterday, i was forced to decline david's invitation to a dinner.
(8) there are plenty more fish in the sea：可供选择的人或事还很多
since andrew had gone off with another girl friend, laura couldn't care less, knowing that there were plenty more fish in the sea.
(9) cannot say boo to goose：羞怯
when foreign students first came here, they could not say boo to a goose, but there is now no shortage of eloquent speakers and outspoken thinkers.
(10) a wild-goose chase：徒劳的搜索
to look for a pin in the sea? isn't it tantamount to a wild-goose chase?
(11) a guinea pig：被当实验的人或物
whenever there is a research or something innovative, someone or something will be used as a guinea pig.
(12) back the wrong horse：支持失败的一方
many spectators backed the wrong horse by favouring the british team, which lost to the german team.
(13) a dark horse：实力难测的竞争者
no one expected jimmy to win, but he did win. he was a dark horse.
(14) change horses in mid-stream：半途改变主张，或支持另一方
if you support a person, do so from the beginning to the end; don't change horses in mid-stream.
(15) the lion's share of...：最大最好的部分
when the old man died, the eldest son took the lion's share of the inheritance.
(16) the rat race：激烈的竞争
in the rat race of today's world, only the fittest survives.
(17) a snake in the grass：潜伏的敌人
there has often been something suspicious about william's behaviour and he has really turned out to be a snake in the grass.
??? 在一般人的印象中，猴子是聪明的灵长类动物，但是「Monkey」在美国俚语多半形容淘气鬼、捣蛋鬼、呆瓜，或是惊慌、笨拙、不熟练的事情。
据一九九七年出版的美国俚语历史辞典（Historical Dictionary of American Slang）中，有关「猴」子的俗语如下：
「Monkey on my back」：起源于十九世纪晚期，意即芒刺在背、乌烟瘴气挥之不去，令人厌烦不已；到了一九四Ｏ年代则变成对某事成瘾，例如特别是毒瘾等。
「Monkeyshines」，意即恶作剧，它通常以复数呈现，因为猴子耍恶作剧不会只有一次。
「Monkey suit」，意即男士晚礼服，穿上这些正式的大礼服通常会使一些男人看起来像个傻瓜。
「Monkey’s uncle」，意即没想到、让人异外，其出自于一九四八年的电影「往返地狱（Hell and Back）」中，奥迪墨菲说：「如果真能成功的话，那我就成了蓝尾巴的猴子叔叔了。（If it works...,I’m ablue-tailed monkey’s uncle.）」
「Monkey wrench」，直译为螺旋钳工具，而「throw a monkey wrench」即是指一个工人在工作时不小心把螺旋钳掉到正在运转的机器中，使得机器停摆。因此，可以引申为破坏、浇冷水之意。另外，有关猴子的片语，例如「Monkey about」意即胡闹；「Monkey with」是乱搞、瞎弄之意；「Monkey bars」为单杠；「Monkey business」为耍花招、搞鬼等 |
