04.27.07
skeletons in one’s cupboard
skeletons in one’s cupboard/closet — embarrassing secrets [dict]
On “Four weddings and a Funeral”, Charles is proposing a toast on his friend’s wedding. He starts his speech with: “To my best knowledge, my friend has no skeletons in his cupboard …”
04.26.07
squirm
squirm — To feel or exhibit signs of humiliation or embarrassment [dict]
The global warming is real. When I spent the winter holiday in China a few months ago, I felt it was apparently warmer than before. Something must be done, but the real question is “How”.
The “Kyoto protocol” is an attempt in that direction, but I fail to see that it will work. Leaders are elected by their people to act in the best interest of their nations. When it comes to the choice of doing good for the country or for the rest of the world, the former is just a natural choice. The incentives from rich/poor countries and environmentalists are misaligned — which is the inherent problem with the “Kyoto protocol”. There ought to be a better solution. I was not surprised when reading the below from Economist:
“America and others recognize that climate change is one of the world’s hottest topics, but still squirm when talking about doing something painful to tackle it.”
04.25.07
ticking bomb
ticking bomb — a problematic situation that will eventually become dangerous if not addressed [dict]
On ‘Dante’s peak’, a long-sleeping volcano is about to erupt. Harry refers to the volcano as a “ticking bomb” and urges immidate evacuation. This is indeed a vivid phrase to describe some situation dangerous. Interestingly, while I was looking up this phrase on Internet, I came across the dilemma of “a ticking time bomb scenario“: Is torture justified in the war on terrorism? Talk to your friends, and it will be a though-provoking debate.
04.24.07
make a pass at someone
make a pass at someone — to act toward someone in a way that shows a sexual interest in them [thefreedict]
On “When Harry met Sally”, Sally recalled the day when she first met Harry: “He tried to make a pass at me, and when I said no, he was going with a girlfriend of mine”.
04.19.07
cut it out
cut it out — to stop doing something [dict]
In a scary movie, the scary thing is usually something invisible. On “when a stranger calls”, a serial killer keeps calling a girl, but not speaking a word. After a few such “silent” calls, the girl is freaked out, and shouts over phone: “Whoever this is, it’s not funny. Cut it out.”
04.18.07
hop up
hop up — to excite; make enthusiastic [dict]
On a TV show, a group of friends are rehearsing a play. One guy is apparently excited to get a role. However, he doesn’t follow the script. Instead, he improvises his lines, imitates others’ speaking and makes funny noise. When his friends give him an angry look, he excuses himself: “Sorry, I am hopped up.”
04.16.07
TV dinner
TV dinner — a prepackaged and frozen meal that requires little preparation, also known as frozen dinner, microwave meal or ready meal [wiki]
On “Die Hard”, John McClane was creeping in a narrow tunnel to avoid being captured. He complained to himself: “Now I know what a TV dinner feels like.”
04.13.07
luck out
luck out — to gain success or something desirable through good fortune [dict]
On ‘Friends’, Joey went to audition for a role in “Mac and Cheese”. When Joey learned that the “Cheese” in the show title was actually an acronym for “Computerized Humanoid Electronically Enhanced Secret Enforcer,” he exclaimed in disbelief: “They really lucked out that the initials spell cheese.”
