Bedeutung: a plain sailing

eine klare Sache

lai Idiom

best laid plans

(See the best-laid plans)

claim to fame

what you have done to cause you to be famous Besides passing math, what's your claim to fame?

get laid

have sex, get her/him into bed Most guys take you out expecting to get laid, right?

laid back

relaxed, casual Lenny's Place is a laid-back kind of restaurant - casual.

laid bare

exposed, open for everyone to see During the trial, details of his personal life were laid bare.

laid off

to be told by the manager that your job is cancelled Billy was laid off because there's not enough work at the plant.

laid up

sick, injured, not able to work Kelly was laid up for two weeks with a very bad cold.

the best-laid plans of mice and men go oft astray

plans are not guaranteed, plans sometimes do not work out "If this boat sinks, we'll say, ""The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft astray."""

chillin' like a villain

no worries

claim

1. to say one allies oneself with a gang or set
2. to claim membership in a gang
3. to say something that is not necessarily true

worship the porcelain goddess

to vomit

complain about

find fault with；utter sth．unfavourable about抱怨；埋怨
The students are always complaining about the bad food．学生总是抱怨伙食不好。

complain of

state that one is suffering from 诉说；诉苦；抱怨
I have nothing to complain of．我没有什么好埋怨的。
Blake is complaining of a headache again．布莱克说自己又患头痛病了。
The patient complained of abdominal pain．病人主诉腹痛。
Workers complain to the boss of their overwork．因为工作过度，工人向老板诉苦。
The goods complained of were immediately exchanged by the manager．经理立即把买主抱怨的商品换了。

plain sailing

easy 不费事；一帆风顺
Life is by no means plain sailing．生活决不是一帆风顺的事。
Revolution is never plain sailing，it's full of twists and turns．革命从来都不是一帆风顺的，而是充满了艰难曲折。

villain of the piece

Idiom(s): villain of the piece

Theme: PEOPLE - NEGATIVE

someone or something that is responsible for something bad or wrong.
• I wondered who told the newspapers about the local scandal. I discovered that Joan was the villain of the piece.
• We couldn't think who had stolen the meat. The dog next door turned out to be the villain of the piece.

stake a claim

Idiom(s): stake a claim (to sth)

Theme: OWNERSHIP - CLAIM

to lay or make a claim for something. (Informal.)
• I want to stake a claim to that last piece of pie.
• You don't need to stake a claim. Just ask politely.

put sth plainly

Idiom(s): put sth plainly

Theme: COMMUNICATION

to state something firmly and explicitly.
• To put it plainly, I want you out of this house immediately.
• Thank you. I think you've put your feelings quite plainly.

plain as the nose on one's face

Idiom(s): (as) plain as the nose on one's face

Theme: OBVIOUSNESS

obvious; clearly evident. (Informal.)
• What do you mean you don't understand? It's as plain as the nose on your face.
• Your guilt is plain as the nose on your face.

plain as day

Idiom(s): (as) plain as day

Theme: CLARITY

clear and understandable.
• The lecture was as plain as day. No one had to ask questions.
• His statement was plain as day.

nothing to complain about

Idiom(s): nothing to complain about

Theme: SATISFACTION

all right. (Folksy. Said in answer to the question "How are you?")
• Bob said he has nothing to complain about.
• BILL: How're you doing, Bob? BOB: Nothing to complain about, Bill. Yourself?

laid-back

Idiom(s): laid-back

Theme: RELAXATION

relaxed and unperplexed by difficulties. (Slang.)
• John is so laidback. Nothing seems to disturb him.
• I wish I could be more laid-back. I get so tense.

in plain language

Idiom(s): in plain language AND in plain English

Theme: SIMPLICITY

in simple, clear, and straightforward language.
• That's too confusing. Please say it again in plain English.
• Tell me again in plain language.
• Please put it into plain language.

explain sth away

Idiom(s): explain sth away

Theme: EXPLANATION

to give a good explanation for something; to explain something so that it seems less important; to make excuses for something.
• This is a very serious matter, and you cannot just explain it away.
• John couldn't explain away his low grades.

explain oneself

Idiom(s): explain oneself

Theme: EXCUSES

to explain what one has said or done or what one thinks or feels. (Formal and polite.)
• Please take a moment to explain yourself. I'm sure we are interested in your ideas.
• Yes, if you give me a moment to explain myself, I think you'll agree with my idea.

best-laid plans of mice and men

Idiom(s): best-laid plans of mice and men AND best-laid schemes of mice and men

Theme: PLANNING

the best thought-out plans of anyone. (Mice and men is fixed order.)
• If a little rain can ruin the best-laid plans of mice and men, think what an earthquake might do!
• The best-laid schemes of mice and men are often disturbed by any small matter.

plain and simple

Idiom(s): pure and simple AND plain and simple

Theme: SIMPLICITY

absolutely; without further complication or elaboration. (Informal. Fixed order.)
• I told you what you must do, and you must do it, pure and simple.
• Will you kindly explain to me what it is, pure and simple, that I am expected to do?
• Just tell me plain and simple, do you intend to go or don't you?
• I explained it to her plain and simple, but she still didn't understand.

in plain English

best-laid schemes of mice and men

Plain as a pikestaff

(UK) If something is as plain as a pikestaff, it is very clear.

Plain as the nose on your face

If something is as plain as the nose on your face, it is very clear and obvious.

Plain Jane

A plain Jane is a woman who isn't particularly attractive.

Proclaim it from the rooftops

If something is proclaimed from the rooftops, it is made as widely known and as public as possible.

claim check|check|claim

n. A ticket needed to get back something. The man at the parking lot gave Mrs. Collins a claim check. The boy put the dry cleaning claim check in his billfold. The man told Mary the pictures would be ready Friday and gave her a claim check.

explain away|explain

v. To explain (something) so that it does not seem true or important. John explained away his unfinished homework by showing the teacher his broken arm in a cast. It is hard to explain away Abraham Lincoln's dream about being dead, which he had a few days before he was shot. The man could not explain away the gun and the marked money from the bank robbery that the police found in his car.

explain oneself|explain

v. phr. 1. To make your meaning plainer; make your first statement clear. When we didn't understand Fritz, he went on to explain himself. 2. To give a good reason for something you did or failed to do which seems wrong. When Jack brought Mary home at three o'clock in the morning, her father asked him to explain himself.

in plain English|English|plain|plain English

adv. phr. Plainly; simply; in clear language. Stop healing around the bush and saying that John "prevaricates"; in plain English he is a liar.

kill the goose that laid the golden egg|egg|golden

To spoil something that is good or something that you have, by being greedy.

A proverb. Mrs. Jones gives you an apple from her tree whenever you go by her house, but don't kill the goose that laid the golden egg by bothering her too much.

laid out|laid|lay out

adj. Arranged. Her house is very conveniently laid out.

laid up|laid|lay out

adj. Sick; confined to bed. I was laid up for a couple of weeks with an ear infection.

lay out|laid|laid out|lavender|lay|lay out in lave

v. phr. 1. To prepare (a dead body) for burial. The corpse was laid out by the undertaker. 2. slang To knock down flat; to hit unconscious. A stiff right to the jaw laid the boxer out in the second round. 3. To plan. Come here, Fred, I have a job laid out for you. 4. To mark or show where work is to be done. The foreman laid out the job for the new machinist. 5. To plan the building or arrangement of; design. The architect laid out the interior of the building. The early colonists laid out towns in the wilderness.
Compare: LAY OFF¹. 6. slang To spend; pay. How much did you have to lay out for your new car? 7. or lay out in lavender slang To scold; lecture. He was laid out in lavender for arriving an hour late for the dance.
Compare: JUMP ON, LAY INTO², LET HAVE IT(1c).

lodge a complaint|complaint|lodge

v. phr. To make a complaint; complain. If our neighbors don't stop this constant noise, I will have to lodge a complaint with the management.

plain Jane|Jane|plain

n. phr. A common or simple looking young woman or girl. When we were in school, Ann was a plain Jane, but she blossomed out and even won the title of Miss Indiana.

plain sailing|plain|sail|sailing|smooth|smooth sai

n. phr. An uncomplicated, unhampered, or easy course. For a graduate of such a famous university as he was, that assignment was plain sailing.

plain white wrapper|plain|white|wrapper

n., slang, citizen's band radio jargon Unmarked police car. There's a plain white wrapper at your rear door! See: BROWN PAPER BAG.

stake a claim|claim|stake

v. phr. 1. To claim ownership of land by driving stakes to show boundaries. The gold hunters staked claims in the West. 2. informal To claim a person or thing as your own by some sign. Usually used with "on". George staked a claim on Dianne by giving her his class ring.

best-laid plans go astray, the

best-laid plans go astray, the
Also, the best-laid schemes go astray. Even very careful designs or projects do not always succeed. For example, Mary spent all afternoon preparing this elaborate dish but forgot the most important ingredient—oh well, the best-laid plans go astray. This particular turn of phrase comes from Robert Burns's poem “To a Mouse” (1786): “The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley [go often astray].” It is so well known that it is often abbreviated to the best-laid plans.

can't complain

can't complain
Used as a response meaning fairly good or well, to questions such as “How are you?” or “How is business?” For example, How've you been?—Can't complain. This term means that nothing serious is wrong. [Mid-1800s]

claim check

claim check
A receipt for property that has been left or deposited, as in Give me your claim check and I'll pick up your laundry for you. This term most often refers to a receipt for such items as laundry (left for washing), clothes (for dry cleaning), a car (for servicing), or baggage (for short-term storage). [First half of 1900s]

complain

complain
see can't complain.

explain

explain
1.
explain away
to state reasons for so as to justify, often by minimizing, or make understandable
2.
explain oneself
1) to make clear what one means
2) to give reasons justifying one's conduct

More Idioms/Phrases

excuse me exert oneself exhibition exile expect expedition expense explain explain away express express oneself extend credit to extent extreme

English Vocalbulary

a point of honour a pointed remark a pondering silence a poor policy a position rather than a rank. A precious mess! a pretty penny a prodigy of learning A promise is a promise! a proper little madam (Br.) a proper little miss a provocative bra a quack doctor a quarter to a quiver full of children a ready-made suit a reel of cotton a rich store of