"A powder keg" nghĩa là gì?

Tập trung vào đi ông, cháy bây giờ -.- Photo by: Alev Takil on Unsplash

"A powder keg" = thùng thuốc súng -> nghĩa là tình huống rất dễ thay đổi đột ngột và trở nên nguy hiểm.

Ví dụ

The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) said a patient had died in a Saskatoon emergency room due to overcrowding (quá tải bệnh nhân) and short staffing. "It's becoming a powder keg of a dangerous situation," said union president Tracy Zambory.

Frothy housing markets, high consumer debt loads and an explosion in alternative mortgage (thế chấp) lending are creating a powder keg that our 43rd Parliament would be wise to defuse. But as Canadians were reminded during this election campaign, our federal politicians are hardly a logical bunch.

Tooke’s one-dimensional characters help the plot (cốt truyện) along by stating only the very obvious (rõ ràng), like “If we lose, we lose the Pacific” and “This place is a powder keg.”

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Cutthroat prices" nghĩa là gì?

"Himalayan blunder" nghĩa là gì?

Sai quá sai. Photo courtesy: The White House

"Himalayan blunder" có từ "blunder" là sai lầm ngớ ngẩn -> sai lầm to lớn, nghiêm trọng.

Ví dụ

Apparently he lost his job because of a Himalayan blunder.

2004 was also its finest hour in Indian politics with the Left (Cánh Tả) parties combining to win as many as 60 seats and massively influencing central government policies. Four years later, the Left withdrew its support to the government on the issue of the Indo-US nuclear deal in what would prove to be yet another Himalayan blunder for the party.

It is inconceivable (không thể hiểu được) that someone like Modi, given his ideological (tư tưởng) grounding (kiến thức căn bản) and his political and diplomatic (ngoại giao) experience, would commit the Himalayan blunder of asking a loose cannon (người thất thường) like Trump to mediate (làm trung gian) between India and Pakistan. Forget Modi, not even a novice (người mới) in politics on the other side of the political spectrum (phân bố) would make this mistake. What is more likely is that when Modi met Trump in Osaka during the G20 summit, the issue of Pulwama and Balakot would have cropped up.

Ngân Nguyễn

Bài trước: "High-handed" nghĩa là gì?

"High-handed" nghĩa là gì?

Chuẩn bị "ăn" nha! Photo courtesy: Stuart Leckenby

"High-handed" = cao tay -> người sử dụng quyền lực mà quan tâm đến ý kiến của người khác; cậy quyền.

Ví dụ

Mr Brown said the planned charges (cáo buộc) were the last straw (cái cuối cùng) for customers already angry over banks' high-handed attitude.

Uganda has protested to Rwanda after two suspected smugglers (người buôn lậu) were shot dead near their common border, saying the response by Rwandan soldiers was high-handed.

Talk about wild cards (nhân tố khó đoán): Bloomberg, a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t Democrat, could have a significant impact on a party said to be lurching (lảo đảo) to the left, further dividing Democrats at a moment when they need to show unity (đoàn kết). Is this what an angry, suspicious (đáng ngờ) nation needs — another billionaire with a history of high-handed management (and allegations of crude (thô lỗ) statements about women) leveraging (tác động) his fortune to win the White House?

Ngân Nguyễn

Bài trước: "Heavy-handed" nghĩa là gì?

"Three-alarm fire" nghĩa là gì?

Ối, toang rồi cả nhà ơi! Photo by Ivan Cujic from Pexels 

"Three-alarm fire" hoặc "five-alarm fire" = đám cháy ba hồi báo động -> đám cháy cực lớn. Nghĩa bóng là ai đó/ điều gì đó căng thẳng/thú vị.

Ví dụ

A three-alarm fire broke out at the top of a building on Washington Street Thursday morning.

A man is dead after a three-alarm fire in Vancouver Tuesday night according to Vancouver Fire Rescue Service.

He described the situation with the incumbent senators (thượng nghị sĩ đương nhiệm) as "a three-alarm fire," as there is growing concern among Republicans that their party could lose control of the Senate and the White House to Democrats in the national election next year.

"... I guess I was surprised by ... more on a personal level like how she's a five-alarm fire of charisma (sức hút). Like sitting down with her and talking with her, and then I would listen to the interviews back later, and I'd be like 'Oh my God, man, ask a question. What is wrong with you?' Like you can't when you're sitting with her," he said.

Thu Phương

Bài trước: "Lone gunman" nghĩa là gì? 

"Cutthroat prices" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by: Kate Trysh on Unsplash

"Cutthroat price" = giá cắt cổ -> nghĩa là cực kì rẻ.

Ví dụ

Apple and Disney will launch rival streaming services next month at cutthroat prices. Apple TV+ will cost $4.99 a month, and Disney+ $6.99 a month. Netflix’ basic plan costs $8.99.

But Wall Street analysts (nhà phân tích) expressed doubt that HBO Max — named for AT&T’s hottest media property, “Game of Thrones” maker HBO — will be able to compete given the cutthroat prices emerging from the streaming wars.

Ahead of the launch of the Vivo S1 an insider has reportedly leaked (rò rỉ) the price of the upcoming addition to the recent row of budget flagship devices, which offer premium features at cutthroat prices.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "A whistle stop tour" nghĩa là gì?

"Heavy-handed" nghĩa là gì?

Bắt lấy cái tay. Photo courtesy: David Galletly

"Heavy-handed" = nặng tay -> vụng về hoặc sử dụng vũ lực để đàn áp quá mức.

Ví dụ

The humour was heavy-handed and, in response to Simon Franks' nervous laugh, Blanche smiled politely.

“This pervasive (lan tràn), heavy-handed behaviour shows the police cannot investigate themselves. Today’s actions again require an urgent independent investigation. The authorities must review their approach to help de-escalate (làm lắng dịu) the situation and prevent more lives being put at risk.

Pressure from the White House for a bilateral (song phương) trade deal with Japan under the threat of punitive (trừng phạt) tariffs (thuế) is further proof of Washington’s heavy-handed approach and willingness (thiện ý) to impose (áp đặt) substantial (đáng kể) political costs on Abe, who has already expended considerable political capital at home in seeking to internationalise and liberalise the Japanese economy.

Ngân Nguyễn

Bài trước: "Hard up" nghĩa là gì?

"Melon head" nghĩa là gì?

Hình hơi Fail. Photo by  Mihai Stefan

"Melon head" = Đầu chanh chua -> Người ngu ngốc, đần độn.

Ví dụ

Mr. Belding: “Screech, you can’t elope (trốn đi theo trai).” Screech: “Who are you calling a cantaloupe (dưa ruột vàng), you melon head?”

“I’m going to hit that big melon head of his,” the unbeaten southpaw (thuận tay trái) bluntly (thẳng thừng) stated ahead of his upcoming middleweight title defense this Saturday at the Dunkin Donuts Center in his Providence (R.I.) hometown. “He has a gigantic (kếch xù, khổng lồ) head! I can hit that sh*t all day with my eyes closed!”

Speaking to the media on Thursday night (Jan 24) after arriving in Singapore from New Zealand, the actor's second-eldest brother Kenny said: "He's the youngest, he's the most loved... we called him xiao gua tou (little melon head). And what you see on television and what you see in all the responses that he has been receiving - all the love and care - that is who he is.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Meth head" nghĩa là gì?

"Meth head" nghĩa là gì?

Hồng nhan bạc phận. Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi

"Meth head" = Tâm trí chất chứa ma túy đá -> Người nghiện và lạm dụng chất kích thích amphetamine và đặc biệt methamphetamine.

Ví dụ

The once “no good meth-head” has gone from life on the fringes of his small hometown to the mayor's office. He was elected in November.

In fact, you know, he's a meth head. You grew up in Idaho. Your father is a Baptist minister, yes? PAUL: Yes. Yeah. Yeah. He's actually retired.

Four months later, a regular meth head once again, I was staying in a homeless shelter (chỗ trú ẩn của người vô gia cư). The homeless shelter had an outdoor smoking area.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Head trip" nghĩa là gì?

"Head trip" nghĩa là gì?

Kéo tôi về với con người xưa với. Photo by Fernando @dearferdo

"Head trip" = Sự vấp ngã, sai sót trong đầu -> Người nếm trải ảo giác do thuốc gây ra; người coi bản ngã/cái tôi quá cao.

Ví dụ

The Geto Boys classic is as much a commentary (bài tường thuật, bình luận) on the downward spiraling psyche (tinh thần, tâm lý) of the drug dealer as it is a disturbing head trip of epic proportions.

Barry Godber's cover art—a man mid-scream, nostrils flared (lỗ mũi lóe sáng), gaze fixed on a horror we can't see—teases a manic (vui buồn thất thường), transformative (biến dạng) head trip.

The trailer suggests the new film is informed by The Twilight Zone‘s wry-twist-of-fate (vòng xoay số phận trớ trêu) format, horror franchises like Saw and Scream, and head-trip mystery thrillers (ly kỳ huyền bí) such as The Game and The Spanish Prisoner.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Head canon" nghĩa là gì?

"Head canon" nghĩa là gì?

Fan cứng của những cuốn tiểu thuyết. Photo by Clay Banks

"Head canon" = "Canon" nghĩa là danh sách các tác phẩm được công nhận là đúng của một tác giả -> "Head canon" là những chi tiết truyện/ý tưởng/quan điểm/giả thuyết do fan tự suy luận ra, chưa hề được tác giả công nhận nhưng dựa trên những chi tiết đã diễn ra trong mạch truyện chính, liên quan đến nhân vật và được hầu hết fandom công nhận. Chính vì mức độ hợp lí của các headcanon mà về sau nếu được tác giả đưa vào mạch truyện chính, thì headcanon có khả năng lớn trở thành canon. Theo nguồn Facebook: Sherlock Holmes x John Watson - Phiên bản truyền hình và điện ảnh

Ví dụ

In my own head-canon. Jurassic Park and The Lost World are their own complete arc, within their own Universe.

So fans must cherish the opportunity to sport the suit and make up their head-canon for Terry roaming the streets of modern-day Gotham City.

My personal head canon? Her friend in the comics Dazzler, the mutant (kết quả của sự thay đổi)/intergalactic (ở giữa thiên hà) pop star taught her how to do a perfect matte lip (môi xỉn màu).

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Cool head" nghĩa là gì?

"A whistle-stop tour" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by: Shot by Cerqueira on Unsplash

"A whistle-stop tour" -> nghĩa là chuyến đi ngắn tới những địa điểm khác nhau.

Ví dụ

BORIS Johnson will go on a whistle-stop tour of the nation immediately because the election (bầu cử) marketing campaign (chiến dịch) turns to the economic system.

Mr Johnson took a whistle-stop tour of businesses in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland using the plane yesterday. And the ticket is likely to have been funded (tài trợ) by Tory donors, as taxpayer cash cannot be used in an election campaign.

I'm also concerned that these bypasses (đường vòng) could affect the number of bed nights in Killarney. If tourists think they can leave Cork in the morning, take in the Lakes, Dingle or the Ring of Kerry in a day and be in Limerick that evening, we could become part of a whistle-stop tour.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Cloak-and-dagger" nghãi là gì?

"Cool head" nghĩa là gì?

Bình tĩnh mà phóng tới. Photo by Jesman fabio

"Cool head" = Cái đầu lạnh -> Khả năng giữ được sự bình tĩnh và lý trí của mình trước một tình huống khó khăn và căng thẳng.

Ví dụ

The Kiwi racer kept a cool head to take ninth place at Sandown, enough to secure the championship (bảo đảm, giữ chức vô địch).

But while the club’s loyal fans currently face a fortnightly (hai tuần một lần) emotional roller-coaster ride, according to experienced back-rower Jacques le Roux there are nothing but cool heads to be found on the other side of the touchline (vạch vôi, đường biên).

When an Amazonian Goddess and an Asgardian God team up, you would not want to be on the receiving end of one of their assaults (cuộc tấn công, đột kích). Thor is an almighty (toàn năng, có quyền lực) warrior with a cool head and incredible strength, much like Wonder Woman. They would have mutual respect (kính trọng nhau) for each other, and no doubt defeat anyone in a fight.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Bud head" nghĩa là gì?

"Bud head" nghĩa là gì?

Lý do đến Việt Nam đơn giản là vì Beer rất rẻ. Photo by  Pablo Rebolledo

"Bud head" = Đầu nở hoa -> Chỉ người hay thường xuyên uống bia.

Ví dụ

Those who knew Lee knew he was a loyal Schaefer bud head and nothing else and he never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Harris came up with the wine bar idea, because he's not a bud head. He also has an interest in wine having passed the wine sommelier (người hầu rượu) test.

If they're not a bud head , dig up a list of the best breweries (nhà máy bia) by state and ask that friend to grab the brewer's flagship (tàu đô đốc) and send it to you.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Beef-head" nghĩa là gì?

"Cloak-and-dagger" nghĩa là gì?

Photo by: Sergiu Nista on Unsplash

"Cloak-and-dagger" = áo choàng và dao găm -> nghĩa là sử dụng hoặc dính líu vào bí mật, lừa bịp, hoặc các hoạt động gián điệp.

Ví dụ

NIGEL Farage has received a cloak-and-dagger approach (lối vào) for a seat in the House of Lords (Thượng viện), we can reveal (tiết lộ). The Brexit Party boss has been sounded out for a peerage by allies of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a source said.

While the Opposition alleged (bị cáo buộc) that the government had a role in the snooping (chõ mũi), the latter brought up the “bugging” of then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s office during the UPA regime in 2011 — is only another version of this cloak-and-dagger drama that’s old hat for Indian politicians.

Cummings’ work in Russia was less cloak and dagger than Thornberry’s letter makes out. Upon graduation (tốt nghiệp) from Oxford - where he studied Russian history - Cummings worked to set up an airline connecting the Russian city of Samara with Vienna in Austria. The airline itself made only one flight and went bust in 1998, when Russia’s rouble (đồng rúp) collapsed (sụp đổ). Sounds like impressive work for a supposed Russian spy.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Grist for the mill" nghĩa là gì?

"Beef-head" nghĩa là gì?

Con bò đầu làng. Photo by Tistio

"Beef-head" = Đầu bò -> Người vụng về đần đần, thô kệch và quê mùa.

Ví dụ

When he was growing up, one of his friends noted that his bushy mane (bờm rậm rạp) of hair resembled (giống với) a slab of meat, and he started calling him "beef head.

I'm quarter (một phần tư) Jamaican so it goes curly. So one of my friends said, 'Look at your head, it looks like a big bit of beef. You've got a beef head.'” .

Beef embraces his nickname. He even has a tattoo (hình xăm) on his shoulder that he calls a "drunken mistake" that says "Beef Head". In fact, the nickname has taken hold, as some of the U.S. Open tournament volunteers put up his name as Beef on the leaderboard in the Wednesday practice round.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Bean head" nghĩa là gì?

"Bean head" nghĩa là gì?

Khi anh ấy lên cơn. Photo by  Ian Noble

"Bean head" = Đầu bã đậu -> Người đần độn và vụng về; người nghiện thuốc lắc hoặc chất kích thích.

Ví dụ

I know as a bean head, agv helmets will not fit me as they don't make the long oval (trái xoan) shape.

Nor will we see him wearing No. 15. But before any of that could happen, he had to pay his parking tickets (vé gửi xe). He called himself a "bean head" for not doing so.

She's a bean head who says she'd use a supervised consumption (việc tiêu thụ được giám sát) site and treatment services site, and she's frustrated there's been little progress (tiến bộ) by the region to open one.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Banana-head" nghĩa là gì?

"Banana-head" nghĩa là gì?

Thế này có phải đã gọi là đầu chuối chưa? Photo by  Nick Fewings

"Banana-head" = Đầu chuối -> Người rất đần độn/ngốc nghếch.

Ví dụ

"The assistant coach (trợ lý huấn luyện viên) [Patrick] Supilie began to shout (hét) - 'it is always the same with you, banana head'.

Her movie star career, and she also gave us one of the best comebacks of all time: "Haven't you bothered me enough, you big banana head?

Oh, wait, didn't another banana head named Dukakis already do that with his idiotic (ngu ngốc) "golden triangle" campaign? Yeah, thought I remembered that. The only problem is that his team later declared the region "the end of the universe" when looking for a place to locate a high tech center.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "Aching heart" nghĩa là gì?

"Lone gunman" nghĩa là gì?

"Còn điều gì chăng chối?" Photo by Tim Savage from Pexels.

"Lone gunman" = tay súng đơn độc -> tay xạ thủ chỉ hành động một mình. Từ này được cho là liên quan đến kẻ ám sát John F. Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald.

Ví dụ

A lone gunman killed a policeman and wounded a civilian (thường dân) in a daring (táo bạo) broad-daylight attack Wednesday in Zamboanga City, the police said.

To be told when I'm sat in the Chair there is a policeman dying outside - and that there could be a lone gunman somewhere in the building - is not anything I ever want to go through again.

The scene was all the more shocking because it was a neighborhood joint, and the night of Nov. 7, 2018, it was packed with young college-age patrons (người bảo trợ) and several off-duty cops, all targeted by a lone gunman.

Thu Phương

Bài trước: "The lady of the house" nghĩa là gì?

"Grist for the mill" nghĩa là gì?

Không ăn được thì để tui ăn cho :) Photo by: Elaine Casap on Unsplash

"Grist for the mill" = lúa cho máy xay -> nghĩa là điều gì ban đầu có vẻ xấu/tồi tệ nhưng cuối cùng lại được vận dụng/sử dụng tốt đẹp.

Ví dụ

Another high-profile spill (rò gỉ) is grist for the mill for environmental groups and landowners opposing the Keystone XL. After all, the same company presiding (chủ trì) over spills from the older Keystone pipeline is the one that has spent years trying to convince (thuyết phục) communities that the Keystone XL Pipeline won’t spill. Multiple incidents from the older pipeline does not inspire confidence.

Then, of course, there’s Aquaman’s search for his dog Salty, which provides far more emotional grist for the mill than it has any right to. Who knew the former (cựu) king of Atlantis had such a soft spot for his canine (chó) companion (bạn)? That’s the hook DeConnick uses to trick readers into her deeper, loftier (cao thượng) game – after all, what kind of monster wouldn’t want to see the lost dog returned home? – and it works like an absolute charm.

All this post-election talk about Alberta separation (tách rời) certainly provides lots of grist for the mill, but I'd like to resist the urge to dig into conservative fragility (mong manh) and libertarian tears for a moment and reflect instead on this idea that Alberta doesn't need Canada.

Ngọc Lân

Bài trước: "Another pair of eyes" nghĩa là gì?

"Aching heart" nghĩa là gì?

Đau đầu vì tiền, điên đầu vì tình. Photo by Nick Herasimenka

"Aching heart" = Trái tim đau đớn -> Cảm giác đau đớn khi mất người mình yêu hoặc người đó sắp xa rời bạn.

Ví dụ

I'm leaving with an aching heart because I will miss everyone. But it's a heart full of love because of you.

I arrived on the singles scene in 2015 with an aching heart and a lot to learn. “Nobody meets in real life anymore,” one friend told me firmly when I suggested a night out on the town, snatching my phone and clicking through to the app store.

Queen B has left the building (again), and the Bravoverse is shaking in its Manolo Blahniks. It's a devastating (tàn phá, đổ vỡ) moment for Bravo fans, but thankfully, these Bravolebrities' reactions to Bethenny Frankel exiting The Real Housewives of New York City will soothe (làm dịu) your aching heart. Bravo stars: They are bummed to see Bethenny go just like us.

Bin Kuan

Bài trước: "A stout heart" nghĩa là gì?