在美国有很多常见的字眼，总是使学英语的中国人感到不解。在此，举一些例子供读者参考。
1. Head Start：假如这两个字开头的字母是大写，则连在一块是一个专有名词，指的是美国政府为贫穷或弱智的儿童设立的一种练习机构，帮助他们，期望他们在进小学之前能赶上教学进度。也就是：U.S. government tries to give extra － help for those underprivileged children before entering first grade.
比如： Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.
但假如head start的字母是小写，那样就是普通名词了，是指比別人早着手，或领先、 有利，即：advance start or advantage
比如：In order to give his son a head start, the father decided1 to send him to a private kindergarten.（为了让他的儿子有好的开始，他决定把儿子送到私立婴幼儿园去。)
To know more colloquial3 expressions is a head start in learning English.
2. blue blood：是指富豪或出身富家的人
比如：He has blue blood.或He is blue blooded .
Mr. Lin comes from a blue blooded family.
Some people do not want to admit that they have blue blood.
Many blue blooded children attend this private school.
3. bed of roses：意思是称心如意的处境；美好、理想的安乐窝
比如：Life is not always a bed of roses.
Young people think that marriage will be a bed of roses.
4. from soup to nuts：意思是从头到尾，自始至终；或是一应俱全，完整详尽（多半是指物品方面）。
比如：This store sells everything from soup to nuts.
My office is supplied from soup to nuts.
但假如指常识丰富的话，则不需要这个词，而是一般用 from A to Z来表达，。
比如：Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z.
5. real blast：blast 本来是指一阵狂风。但在口语中则是指欢乐，或玩得愉快，非常尽兴
比如：Miss Su had a blast at the party.
I hope our get-together5 will be a blast.
注：blast 前面用 real 形容，是起到加大语气有哪些用途。
6. off-limits：意思是禁止入內；限制进出或不准用，也就是关闭 比如：The library will be off-limits to the public until re-carpeting project is completed.
The teachers have the use of a john that is off-limits to students.（学生不能用教师卫生间。)
或 This bathroom is off-limits to students.
7. next of kin2：是指家人或者近亲。 在美国，所谓亲人也是依每一个人的不同情況而定的，可能是夫妇、爸爸妈妈、儿女，或是叔叔婶婶、表兄弟姐妹。
比如：If a person has a serious car accident, his or her next of kin will be notified.
At the funeral all next of kin were in attendance.
The doctor should discuss the prognosis candidly6 with the next of kin.
All his property will eventually go to his next of kin.
假如kin单独用，用作家属或亲属的总称，则一般后面不加 s。
比如：All my kin attended the family get-together.
8. fair-weather friend：这是指一些只能同安乐而不可以共患难酒肉朋友
比如：A fair-weather friend will not contact you during your time of hardship.
When she ignored him during his financial problem, he knew she was a fair-weather friend.
9. real bomb：在口语里是指在公众场合或舞台上表演失败或表现欠佳。一般与 real 用在一块。
比如：The show was a real bomb, so I cut out early. （这个剧非常糟糕，所以我提前退场了。）（cut out = leave）
假如 bomb 作名词用，意思就是炸弹；作动词，则是轰炸，或失败、非常坏的意思。 比如： A U.S. fighter dropped a bomb over Iraq. （作名词）= A U.S. fighter bombed Iraq. （作动词）
The play has bombed. （这场戏演砸了）
值得注意的是：real bomb有時也指真的的炸弹。比如：
The police found a real bomb in the building. （警察在建筑物中发现了一颗真炸弹）
10. neck and neck：不相上下，难分高低。
比如：The horses came in neck and neck across the finish line. （赛马到达终点时难分上下）
Last year George Bush and Al Gore7 almost remained neck and neck in the race for White House. （去年布什和戈尔在大选中几乎不分上下）
11. through thick and thin：甘苦与共，一同分担艰难困苦
比如：She feels like a fool for sticking with her husband through thick and thin.（
He has walked through thick and thin during the past five years. （过去的五年中，他历尽辛酸)
12. cry wolf：狼来了的假警报。
比如：Don't cry wolf unless you really need help.（除非你真的需要帮助，不然不要发狼来了的假警报)
Crying wolf is not a responsible behavior. （发假警报是不负责任的行为）
Parents should teach their children not to cry wolf. （爸爸妈妈应该教育孩子不要喊狼来了的假警报）
13. banner year：意思是特别得意或特别好的一年（如升官、涨薪、取得奖励等等）
比如：This has been a banner year for Mrs. Lin.（这是林太太最得意的一年）
With a promotion8 and marriage, he really had a banner year in 1998.（1998 年他又升职又结婚，真是很得意）
有时老外也用 banner month，但不需要 banner day。
比如：Mr. A had a banner month at his car dealership9. （A先生这个月的车子卖的非常不错）
14. shell company：这是指假冒或有名无实的公司行号，也就是所谓「皮包」公司。
比如：They used fake receipts from shell companies with no staff or premises10.
Shell companies are illegal in the U.S.
There was no dice he would be able to get this job.
He asked her for more money, but she said no dice to him. （他要她多给些钱，但她说不可以）
I tried to contact Mr. Wang, but no dice.（设法与王先生联络，但徒劳无功）
16. dislocated worker：指失业或正在找工作的人（refers to a person who lost a job or still looking for a job)
比如：There are 200 dislocated workers in our community when the company closed its door.
To avoid being a dislocated worker, one needs a good education with skills. （为了不失业，个人需要同意一些好技能的教育）
17. stick-in-the-mud：这是指一些落伍守旧，循规蹈矩者；或是思想落后，毫无进取心的人，就像陷入泥淖一样。（old fashioned or unprogressive person）（多作名词用)
比如：He is a boring stick-in-the-mud.
Being a stick-in-the-mud, people don't value his opinions.（他是呆头呆脑的，大伙都不看重他的建议）
（注：若是专指老顽固，一般是用 old fogy 或 old foggy；不过 stick-in-the-mud 既可指青年又可指老人）
18. Take chances：意思是冒险，也就是 take a risk 或 take a chance 。反之，take no chances 就是不冒险，非常小心 的意思。
I take no chances =I take no risk
而take chances 则是筹备冒险的意思。
比如： The soldier must take his chances in the battle.
Some people are more prone12 to take chances than others.
19. Dog's life：意思是日常的困境或痛苦的日子
比如：Over the past years she led a dog's life with her alcoholic13 husband.
Many new immigrants in the U.S. initially14 endure a dog's life.
20. En masse：这是法文，意思是全体职员，一同，一块 ， 根据字面意义看，就是 in mass的意思。
比如：The audience applauded en masse upon the completion of his speech.
Employees marched en masse to the company headquarters for pay raise.
21. Con-man：是指骗子或坏蛋 ，专门设法获得别人信赖后再行骗的人。
比如：Be careful of con-men; they may try to rip you off.
Beware of telephone con-men who may solicit15 for a fake charity.
22. Walking dead man：就是身体健康非常差的人。
比如：Due to severe illness, he now becomes a walking dead man.
注意： 这个词只用于第三人称，所以别说：You are a walking dead man，如此是非常不礼貌的。 而且不需要来形容女性，所以不可以说：She is a walking dead woman. 除此之外，也不说：They are walking dead persons 。
23. Take heart：意思是鼓起勇气，振作起来，不要悲观
比如：Take heart, Mr. Chen, things will get better.
We have taken heart from the news of victory.
24. Happy-go-lucky：意思是无忧无虑的，乐天派的
比如：He has been happy-go-lucky all his life.
It is always better being happy-go-lucky versus16 being depressed17.