You can't argue with success => Though you may tell someone they are doing something in a wrong way, you have to stop criticizing them if their method works.
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it => We will not discuss or worry about a future problem. If and when the problem becomes urgent, we will deal with it.
Easy does it => Some things require gentleness for success. One should not push too hard. Force may cause damage
All is well that ends well => If we can come to a successful conclusion, let us forget about the pain and mistakes along the way.
Don't bite off more than you can chew => Do not attempt something too large for you to handle
Pride goes before a fall => Do not be over-confident and careless. Your circumstances may change quickly and the emptiness of your bragging will be exposed.
Better safe than sorry => It is better not to take a risk than to take a risk foolishly.
Winning isn't everything => One may enjoy the process of playing a game whether one wins or not. This traditional proverb is now often heard in the opposite form, Winning isn't everything. It's the only thing!
Don't count your chickens before they are hatched => Do not become too confident of success before you can see that progress is happening.
Be true to yourself => Do not compromise yourself or your beliefs in order to please other people or fit in with a system. Know who you are. Let other people know what you stand for. Do not give in to pressure to conform or to do things you do not agree with.
To each his own => Each individual should be allowed to have his or her own preferences. people will naturally choose different activities, goals, life-s, etc.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going => When situation is difficult, only the determined people can handle it. They don't give up!
Money talks => Wealth has influence. People who make big contributions to political candidates are "talking" to the candidates and expecting them to listen.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush => A thing you already have is worth twice as much as a thing you might get in the future.
One man's meat is another man's poison => Since the same thing may affect different people in different ways, each person must choose the things that will work in his or her particular case
Love makes the world go around => Love is the driving force in all of life. Love makes life worth living. If you understand love,you understand everything about life.
Talk is cheap => Talking is not doing, It is easy to talk about a plan, but this gets little respect untill one takes a risk and puts the plan into action.
Beggars can't be choosers => Beggars have to accept whatever they get. A poor person has very few choices in life. This harsh reply may be used if people complain about the size or quality of a gift.
The one who dies with the most toys wins => This recent, cynical saying makes fun of three common American desires-- competing, accumulating property, and having fun.
Too many cooks spoil the broth => Individual action or action by the smallest group possible is better than consulting a lot of people. Too much consultation will waste time and create problems.
Give him an inch and he'll take a mile => Be careful of presumptuous people who take more initiative than they should. If you do someone a small favor or delegate a little permission or a little power, he or she may take advantage of you.
Silence is consent => Do not stay silent when you see a problem or an injustice. Speak out against it. Say, "Enough is enough." or people will think you do not mind the situation.
Get a life => Do not be so unreasonably critical about tiny things. Find something better to do with your time.
There are two sides to everything => Never assume that all the blame for a conflict lies on one side, especially if you have heard only one side of the story.
Forgive and forget => Conflicts should be resolved and ended, not left alone to cause years of regret, bitterness and pain.
Business and pleasure don't mix => When you work, work. When you play, play. It is inefficient and therefore unwise to try to mix the two.
Make it short and sweet => Speak briefly and to the point. We don't have time for the details
What will be will be => Some things cannot be changed or avoided.
A friend in need is a friend indeed => My true friend is the one who show loyalty to me by helping me when I am in need.
Opposites attract => As positive and negative magnets attract each other, so people of very different types attract each other. For example, a quiet woman marries a very outgoing man. These differences have a mixed effect on the couple, partly making them interested in each other but also leading to miscommunication and conflict.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks => Once habits are learned, it is very hard to change them.
To err is human => It is normal for humans to make mistakes and it is godly (or God-like) to forgive them.
Haste makes waste => Through acting quickly is generally a good thing, acting too quickly may cause troulbe. This proverb is used when someone has done a job carelessly and wrongly. For example, a carpenter in a hurry may cut a board too short and have to throw it away.
Making every minute count => Doing something productive all the time, not letting any time "slip away."
Opportunity only knocks once => Opportunity is like an unexpected stranger passing by. It knocks on someone's door. If the person fails to answer the door, opportunity goes away and knocks on someone else's door. It does not return to the same person.
History repeats itself => There are patterns in history. Nations rise and fall for similar reasons. Nations do not change their ways or learn from the mistakes of others. They repeat them.
Better late than never => Though being on time is better than being late, doing something late is better than giving up or doing nothing
Attitude is everything => A pessimist sees a glass half-empty, An optimist sees it half-full.
Praise when praise is due (sometimes even when it isn't) => Do not criticise beyond necessity and seldom in public. And always precede criticism with a few words of praise.
Turnabout is fair play => If a person is taking advantage of someone else, the situation may change. The one on top may end up on the bottom. Then the one who has turned the tables will say, "I am only doing to you what you did to me.
Happiness is a choice and misery is optional => The way we choose to see the world creates the world we see.
Work smarter, not harder => Get others to do as much as they can for you.
A man may work from sun to sun, but woman's work is never done => Men may have to work long days but they can go home to rest in the evening. Women can never get away from what used to be called "women's work," such as cooking and cleaning.
A good captain goes down with his ship => The captain remains on board his ship even when all hope to save it is lost.
Hindsight is always 20/20 => Looking back on the past, it is easy for anyone to see what should have been done even though it was impossible for anyone to see it at the time. ("20/20 vision" is an eye doctor's term for eyes that see perfectly.)
Let bygones be bygones => Do not bring up an old problem. Pretent it never happened.
Two is company and three is a crowd => This may be used when two people are talking and a third, unwanted person approaches.
The devil made me do it => I am not to blame for what I did. I could not help it. Some power outside of me was forcing me to act in that way. This is playfully used as an excuse by people who know they have done something wrong but want to avoid the penalty.
Home is where the heart is => Home is wherever ones loved ones are. The size or appearance of a house does not make it a home or keep it from being a home.
scrap-newspaper: => 可回收的旧报纸
Let's not have a scrap about it => (咱们别再为这件事抬杠了)；
I decided to scrap my plans => (我决定放弃我的计划)。
You look bushed. => (你看起来很疲倦。)
In a brown study: => 沉思 in a state of deep thought
a lucky dog => (幸运儿)；
top dog => (当权派)；
dog in the manger => (占着茅坑不拉屎)。
to put on the dog => 表示“耍派头；卖弄”，
five by five => 状态良好(in good shape)”或“准备就绪(all set)”。
当话务员请求对方站对我方信号质量做出报告时，five by five可能是一个最令人满意的回答。因为这种报告里的第一个数字表示信号强度，第二个数字表示信号清晰度和抗干扰能力，都是用从1到5的数字大小来衡量的，所以five by five表示“我方设备运行良好，信号很强而且很清晰”。
bender => “狂欢、饮酒作乐”; bend在俚语中指“to drink heavily”(狂饮)。跟bender最相近的词应该是binge(狂闹、狂欢)。
Breakfast => 实际上是个合成词，由break(停止)和fast(绝食；斋戒)合成而来
Kibitzer: => 瞎提建议的人; Harry moved about, kibitzing on conversations here and there.(哈里走来走去，这里插几句，那里讲一阵。)
Have cold feet: => 打退堂鼓 ; The bride got cold feet just before the wedding and ran off.(就在婚礼开始之前，新娘打了退堂鼓，溜了。)
We arrived two hours late at the big blow-out for Charle’s birthday because our car had a blow-out =>第一个 blow-out 是指规模很大的聚会,第二个 blow-out 是指汽车的轮胎炸了。整个句子的意思是:“由于我们车胎炸了,所以我们晚了两个小时才到达查理举行生日宴会的地方。”
Laugh-and-the-world-laughs-with-you。Cry-and-you-cry-alone => 欢乐的时候，朋友都来了，遇到危险和灾难的时候，你就只能独自承担。
belly laugh => 捧腹大笑Say, did you hear Johnny Carson last night? It's hard to be funny five nights a week, but last night was one of his best shows in a long time. He got some great belly laughs trading jokes with his guest star, Bob Hope."
cold feet => 临时上场感到胆怯
Jump in and get your feet wet => 到实践中去学，也可以说是跳到游泳池里学游泳
Out of whack: => 不正常, 紊乱. whack被盗贼们用作“瓜分”，意思是“把盗来的东西分成许多份，以此分赃”。out of whack便可解释成“脱离契约；出乎意料”，也就是“偏轨；不正常”了。
Ducks and drakes: => Ducks and drakes:打水漂”可用“to play ducks and drakes; duck(母鸭)和drake(公鸭); duck-stone
=> 打水漂用的石子;
Having played ducks and drakes with his own money, he wanted to play the same silly game with mine.他把自己的钱挥霍完以后，又要拿我的钱去干那些傻行当。
Adam's Apple: => 喉结
Whip-round: => 凑份子 (大伙儿一起贴钱，以集体的名义为某人买礼物)
Potboiler: => 粗制滥造的作品 sitcom plays that intends to tailor the marker，就可以用pot-boiler来代替。a work of literature as money-makers rather than as works of art(以盈利为目的，缺乏艺术价值的作品)。
Dry run: => 排练 run实质上是消防队的行话，指“出动”，动作一定与“水”没有直接干系
Carry the can: => 代人受过
Turn the table =>主客易地; 扭转形势; 转败为胜
Wearing two hats => 身兼两职 大忙人
Take something with a grain of salt => 对某事有保留、持怀疑态度
You are in for a treat => means you'll like it !"
Speaking of the devil => 说曹操，曹操到 (曹操不是也有"奸雄"的称号吗？)
Do you have a sweet tooth？=> sweet tooth的意思是“爱吃甜食”。
tighten my belt => 是指经济拮据，必须节衣缩食度日
Sleep tight => 睡的好，睡的香
To do business or to operate on a shoestring => 我开始创业时只有极少的资金
put somebody to sleep => 是指终止某人生命，是一种委婉的表达
Say uncle！相当于：Surrender！
She is a has been => 已经过气了，不红了
Knock out => go ahead ，go for it，或者 do as much as you want (like)，or you don't have to ask my permission”.
