今天要讲的几个习惯用语其中的关键词是fat。Fat这个词有不少不同的意思也可以用作不同的词性。在今天要学的第一个习惯用语里fat是名词:chew the fat。Chew the fat这个习惯用语沿用至今已经一百多年了。
名词fat是肥肉,chew是咀嚼的意思。当然习惯用语chew the fat意思不会是嚼肥肉,然而它大概真的起源于嚼肥肉的习惯,在还没有口香糖的年代,乡下人闲来没事习惯在嘴里嚼一块肥咸肉,就象现代人嚼口香糖一样,只是无聊时想动动嘴巴。那么如今chew the fat表示什么呢?我们听个例子来体会吧。
这是一个大学生正跟室友在寝室里聊天的时候,又来了个老朋友。
例句-1:Hey, come on in! We're just taking it easy and chewing the fat. Pull up a chair and sit down - do you know any good, juicy gossip to pass along to us?
例句-2:I really want to ask Sally out, but I'm afraid to ask her. She can have her choice of any man in this school - a fat chance she'd ever go out on a date with an ordinary guy like me!
例句-3:Some people have all the luck! I just heard that my college roommate Freddie is in fat city these days - a rich aunt died and left him 20 million dollars.
例句-4:I bumped into Jenny Blank in the street yesterday. And she looks at least ten years younger. She's been to a fat farm and lost twenty pounds. And she says she's feeling great!