英
文
习
语
如何能够说出一口地道的英语几乎是所有外贸业务员共同关心的话题。
那么在你与国外客户的沟通过程中，你是不是也有过不确定客户想要表达的意思，感觉客户在说谜语的经历呢？
原因是国外客户有时候会使用一些英文习语，所以掌握这些常用习语，可以帮助你在遇到的时候，能准确理解客户想要表达的意思，更加轻松的了解客户需求。
英文沟通常用习语清单
1.Beating around the bush
释义:Talk about something withou giving a direct answer(谈论事情不直接给出答案，拐弯抹角)
例句:The speaker was just beating around the bush and never said anything important.
2.Bend over backwards
释义:Make every effort to achieve something.especially to be fair or helpful(尽全力做某事)
例句:We will bend over backwards if the other party is committed.
3.Caved in to
释义:Submit under pressure; give in(对某件事情进行妥协或作出让步)
例句:After insisting for months, the manager caved in to his demands.
4.Call the shots
释义:To be the person who controls a situation and/or makes the decisions(可以做决定的人)
例句:You're the boss here - you get to call the shots.
5.Changed my mind
释义:Change your decision(改变主意）
例句:When I first met him I didn't like him but I've changed my mind
6.Came in high/low
释义:Charge too much/too little for your services, to ask for a price that is too high/low(收取太多/太少的服务费，报价太高/太低)
例句:The salesman came in high during the negotiations and could not sell his product.
例句:The company came in low with a offer for our product.
7.Find common ground
释义:Agree about something,share opinions orinterests(同意某事，分享观点或兴趣)
例句:The participants seem unable to find common ground on the issue of environment
8.Cover ground
释义:Talk about the important facts and details ofsomething(谈论某些重要的事实或细节)
例句:The questions were endless ang we were unable to cover much ground during the meeting.
9.Drew the line
释义:Set a limit on what one is willing to dooraccept(为自己愿意或接受的事情设定一个限度)
例句:The union was flexible on the salary issue but they drew the line at talking about health benefits.
10.Followed through with
释义:Tobe conseauent with what we agreed,to keep a promise(信守诺言)
例句:Our boss said that wages would improve soon but he never followed through with his promise
11.Got the short end of the stick
释义:To be in a disadvantaged situation, to suffer the bad effects of something(处于劣势或受到某事不好的影响)
例 句:She got the short end of the stic
12.Hard-nosed
释义:Tobe toughstubborn,or uncompromising(态度强硬的、固执的或不妥协的)
例句:My grandfather was such a hard nosed businessman.
13.Has a card up her sleeve
释义:Have a strategy kept secret and in reserve for use when needed(留有对策，以备不时之需)
例句:She has a card up her sleeve if they ever try to fire her, since she knows about all those secret business practices
14.Poker face
释义:A blank,emotionless expression that gives no indication of one's thoughts or intentions(面无表情)
例句:Ikept looking over to see if she was impressed,but she wore a poker face throughout the presentation
15.The upper hand
释义:A position of advantage.power and/or control(处于优势地位或占了上风)
例句:After hours of fierce negotiation the president got the upper hand.
16.Hit me below the belt
释义:Unfairly target someone's weaknes or vulnerabilitv(用卑劣的手段攻击别人)
例句:Iknow she really wants the promotion,but she really hit me below the belt by telling the boss about my personal problems.
17.Holds all the cards
释义:To be in a position of power on control over someone or something else(控制某人或某事)
例句:Management holds all the cards when it comes to the negotiations over jol cuts.
18.In the bag
释义:Certain/Sure to be won,achievec or obtained(+拿九稳)
例句:The election is in the bag
19.Lay my cards on the table
释义:To be frank and outspoken:to reveal something that you have kept hidden,such as your,intentions,opinion etc.(直截了当地指出你的意图、观点)
例句:You deserve honesty.so Im going to lay my cards on the table: I can't offer you this job, but we may have another position that you'd be good for
20.A gentleman's agreement
释义:An arrangement or understanding which is based on the trust of both or all parties,rather than being legally
binding(基于双方信任而没有法律约束力的协议)
例句:We had no contract; it was done by a gentleman's agreement
21.Meet me halfway
释义:Compromise with someone,ofte in an argument or disagreement(在争议或分歧中作出让步)
例句:I'll agree to some of your requests if you'll meet me halfway and allow me to implement some of my ideas
22.On the fence
释义:Undecided: not able to make a decision(不做决定、保持中立或观望态度)
例句:Many consumers are still on the fence,waiting for a less expensiv
23.Play hardball
释义:Tobe firm and determinedin order to get what you want(为了得到你想要的东西而采取强硬手段)
例句:He's a nice guy,but he can play hardball when he needs to
24.Put your foot down
释义:Use vour authority:be inflexible in vour dosition or decision(坚定立场或决定)
例句:As a manager, you have to put you foot down sometimes, or your staff will walk all over you.
25.Second-guessing
释义（1）:Ouestion or doubt someone or somethingretroactively(追根究底的询问或怀疑某人某事)
例句:Why are you second-guessing m now? You agreed with this strategy just yesterday!
释义（2）:Try to anticipate how something will happen or what someone wil do(试着预测某事将如何发生或某人将会做什
例句:He had to second-guess what th environmental regulations would be in five years' time.
26.Sleep on
释义:Postpone a decision until the following day so that one has additional time to consider it.(把决定推迟到第二天这样就有更多的时间来思考)
例句:Why don't you sleep on the offer and let us know your decision in the morning?
27.Stood her ground
释义:Refuse to change your opinion o give in(坚守自己的立场)
例句:I kept trying to get our boss to find a bigger office,but she stood her ground.
28.The ball is in your court
释义:It's your turn to make a decisi takeaction(轮到某人决定或采取行动了)
例句:I've done everything I could.The ball is in your court now
29.Trump card
释义:A resource used to gain an advantage over others, often by being held and then used at an opportune time(杀手询)
例句:Andrea was about to play her trump card -without her signature none of the money could be released
30.Water under the bridge
释义:Problems that someone had in the past that they do not worry about because they happened a long time ago and cannot now be changed(不可改变的既成事实，无法挽回的过去)
例句:Yes,we did have our disagreements but that's water under the bridge now.
31.A mile a minute
释义:Very quickly(很快，飞快)
例句:He talks a mile a minute.
32.Drop me a line
释义:Send me a note or a letter(写信给我)
例句:If you ever come to New York drop me a line
33.Get it off your chest
释义:Say it and feel relieved(一吐为快)
例句:Tell me about it. get it off your chest.
34.I'm all ears
释义:Im daving attention to vou(我正在注意你，洗耳恭听的意思)
例句:“Are you listening to me?""Ye
35.In the loop & out of the loop
释义:Aware(or unaware) of information known to onlyagroup.(消息灵通/不灵通)
例句:Please keep me In the loop/He said we kept him out of the loop.
36.It's like talking to a brick wall
释义:The person is not listening or paying attention.(某人没有在听)
例句:Ive tried to discuss it with her but it's like talking to a brick wall.
37.It's on the tip of my tongue
释义:I can almost remember but not quite.(有印象但是记不清楚，形容话到嘴边一时想不起来)
例句:It's on the tip of my tongue
38.Long story short
释义:To skip boring,unnecessary details.(长话短说)
例句:Anyway.long story short, we're moving to Germany.
39.Off the top of my head
释义:From memory ithout thinking too much(脱口而出)
例句:"How much is the house worth?"Off the top of my head I'd sav around$160.000.
40.Put me on the spot
释义:Thev forced me into a difficult situation / asked me a difficult question(迫使某人陷入困境或向某人提出了困难的问题，形容为难某人)
例句:They put me on the spot when they asked me about my other projects.
41.Spread like wildfire
释义:Circulate very quickly(流通的非常快，多指流言蜚语)
例句:Rumors spread like wildfire when people are excited.
42.Take something with a pinch of salt
释义:Be a bit skeptical about it.(对此有所怀疑)
例句:Take evervthing she savs with a dinch of salt, because she tends to exaggerate.
43.Talking in riddles
释义:Speak in a convoluted/complicated way(说话拐弯抹角)
例句:Stop talking in riddles and tell me what this is about.
44.Touch base
释义:To contact someone for an update(和近期没有联络的人取得联系)
例句:I was just calling to touch base since it's been a few weeks since we last spoke.
45.Word-of-mouth
释义:Spread by people talking about it(通过人们的谈论传播，形容口口相传、口碑)
例句:We get most of our work through word-of-mouth recommendations
