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Becky Lee
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English Idioms

                                                                                Business English Lessons

                                                                                        Back Idioms


Learn new expressions in English with these examples:

 

I don't suppose I need to tell you that 'back' can mean the part of your body that you can lie on or, more generally, the opposite of 'front'.

         

          * I've hurt my back and I can't lift anything heavy.
          * You'll find it in the back of the garage.


'Back' is used in lots of idiomatic expressions. How many of them do you know?


If you 'put your back into' something, you work really hard.
         

            * If we want to dig that pond today, we're going to have to really put our backs into it. The ground is so hard.

 

If somebody is giving you orders/nagging you etc., you can ask them to 'get off your back'. This is not very polite!

            * I know you are my boss but could you just get off my back for a bit and let me work in peace?

If you do something well you 'deserve a pat on the back'.

            * He deserves a pat on the back for the way he has got everybody working so hard.

Sometimes people criticize you but not to your face. They talk 'behind your back'.

            * I hate people who won't say anything to your face but talk about you behind your back.

 

Sometimes we agree to do something for somebody if they agree to do something for you – 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'.

            * I'll stand in for you at the meeting if you'll work late for me on Thursday. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

If you stop doing something that you used to do regularly, you 'turn your back on' it.


            * I used to go out to nightclubs every night but I turned my back on all that when I started working for this company.

 

If somebody who is not popular is leaving, you 'won't be sorry to see the back of him'.

            * My boss is getting promoted and moving to Madrid. I won't be sorry to see the back of him. He was always criticizing me.

 If somebody makes you angry, they 'get your back up'.

            * He really gets my back up when he starts saying how women are inferior to men.

 If you are in a very bad situation, you have your 'backs to the wall'.

            * Either this works or the company closes. Our backs are to the wall.


If somebody does something bad to you, you may want to try to 'get your own back'.


            * He played a joke on me but I got my own back by having a lot of horse manure delivered to his house.

Sometimes we try not to worry about things but a small worry remains 'in the back of my mind'.

            * I know he will probably do a good job but in the back of my mind I can't help thinking about the problems he had last year.

If you know something really well, you know it 'like the back of your hand'.

            * I know my way around New York like the back of my hand.

 If criticism has no effect on somebody, it is 'like water off a duck's back'.

            * I told her yet again about being late for meetings but it's like water off a duck's back with her.

 

If a place is very isolated geographically, it is 'in the back of beyond'.

            * They set up their new factory in the back of beyond. There is no airport for two hundred miles.

 If you do not have a major role in an activity, you 'take a back seat'.

            * I don't have the time to do much on this so I suggest I take a back seat and you drive it forward.

 


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2009-08-14 10:19:40 |  浏览 (1238) | 
Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
The best Ethiopian coffee may be compared with the finest coffee in the world. The world "coffee" comes from Kaffa, the name of a small town in Ethiopian.

The most popular legend concerns the goat herder from Kaffa, where the plants still grow wild in the forest hills. After discovering his goats to be excited, almost dancing on their hind legs, he noticed a few mangled brances of the coffee plant which was hung with bright red berries. He tried the berries himself and rushed home to his wife who told him that he must tell the monks. The monks tossed the sinful drug into the flames, an action soon to be followed by the smell we are all so fimilliar with now.

Coffee is the backbone of the economy of Ethiopian, and the coffee ceremony is a part of Ethiopia's social and culture life, as well as a part of the daily routine. The coffee ceremony is a way of communication and a social value in their society. It is a gathering for family and friends. It can be hosted any time of day. Most parts of Ethiopian host a coffee ceremony three times a day.

If you receive an invitation to a coffee ceremony from an Ethiopian, it is a mark of friendship or respect and hospitality.

The ceremony is normally conducted by a young lady wearing a traditional white dress. The preparation takes about three hours to be compete. First, the hostess washes the coffee beans gently by hand. Then, she roasts the coffee beans in a coffee roasting pan on small open fire. When the beans start to pop, the hostess shakes the coffee roasting pan and walks around the room (the beans won't burn). Enjoying the lovely rich coffee aroma and experiencing the sound of roasting is a important part of the ritual. After that, the hostess puts the roasted coffee in a small household tool called "mukecha" for the grinding. At last, she puts the roasted coffee power in a traditional pot called "jebena", then add some water and boil it. Finally, the coffee is realy to drink. Coffee is served in tiny China cups and some snacks are provided as well. It is polite to drink three cups, because the third cup is considered bestowing a belssing.
 
In a world where time has long become a commodity, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony takes us back to a time when value was given to conversation and human relations.
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2009-08-09 02:55:15 |  浏览 (2865) | 
浓缩茶和速溶茶的区别

想请教各位茶师和茶友几个关于茶叶萃取物 - 浓缩茶与速溶茶的具体区别:

我只知道浓缩茶和速溶茶在加工程序上基本上是一致的,但是速溶茶在浓缩后再加人环糊精,然后充入二氧化碳气体, 最后进行干燥。 据我所知浓缩茶和速溶茶两者都可以直接冲饮, 而且都可以用于食品和医药上。

 

希望和大家讨论的问题:

1, 请问两者在质量(包括原料,口感和颜色等等) 上有什么不同?
2, 请问两者的健康利益有什么区别?

3, 请问两者的化学成分是否一致?速溶茶里另加的环糊精和二氧化碳是否与茶叶里本身的化学成分发生变化?

4, 请问哪种可以更适合用于医药上,例外:减肥或者降血压胶囊之类的。

5, 请问两者的价格方面是否差不多?

 

期待着大家的指点和讨论。多谢!

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2009-08-04 12:21:58 |  浏览 (2543) | 
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