吉的堡-內壢分校

01/09/2026

You know that feeling when you’re trying to remember an answer, solve a difficult problem, or think of the perfect word—but your brain just refuses to cooperate? 🤯🤯🤯

You think and think… and think some more, but the answer is nowhere to be found. The following idiom is perfect for this situation.

●rack one's brains

This idiom means to think very hard to find an answer or solve a problem.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇Gina racked her brains to think of a good birthday gift for her mom.

◇Jason racked his brains trying to solve the difficult math problem.

◇The students racked their brains to come up with a creative idea for the science fair.

Whether you're solving a math problem, trying to remember a name, or thinking of the perfect answer in English class, sometimes you just have to rack your brains and keep thinking. The answer may come upin next second.

每個人可能都曾有過這種經驗：嘗試想起某個答案、想解開一個困難的題目或是去想某個特定單字時，腦子卻拒絕配合、一片空白。🤯🤯🤯

想了又想，期待的靈光一現總是沒有到來。以下英文慣用語正好形容這種搜遍腦子都找不到答案的苦悶感覺。

●rack one's brains 絞盡腦汁

這句英文慣用語的意思是很努力的動腦去想答案或是解決問題。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇Gina racked her brains to think of a good birthday gift for her mom.
Gina絞盡腦汁想要送媽媽一份好生日禮物。

◇Jason racked his brains trying to solve the difficult math problem.
Jason絞盡腦汁試著解出那道難題。

◇The students racked their brains to come up with a creative idea for the science fair.
學生們為了科學展，絞盡腦汁想出一個有創意的點子。

無論是嘗試解數學題、去記起某人的名字，或是想一個在英文課上教過的單字，只要努力動腦，想要的答案可能在下一秒就出現囉。

23/08/2026

Here is a story about Tom. He didn't know how to ride a bike.

One day, he started to practice riding a bike. He fell and hurt his knee. The next day, he tried again. He fell again.

But Tom didn’t give up. After many falls, he finally learned how to ride a bike!

Tom didn’t learn it from a book or a teacher. He learned it from his own mistakes and difficult experiences.

The following idiom can describe this learning process.

●school of hard knocks

This idiom means to learn important lessons from mistakes and difficult experiences. The word "knocks" means setbacks.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇I didn't learn it from a book; I learned it from the school of hard knocks.

◇Sam learned how to fix his computer at the school of hard knocks.

◇Lily failed the math test, but the school of hard knocks taught her not to give up.

Sometimes, life gives us difficult lessons. We fell. We made mistakes. We tried again. We keep trying; then we become stronger.

我們來說說Tom的小故事。他不會騎腳踏車。有一天他開始練習，他跌倒、摔傷膝蓋。第二天他繼續練習，又摔傷了。可是Tom並沒有放棄，經歷多次摔傷與挫折，終於學會騎腳踏車了！

Tom並沒有老師教他騎腳踏車，也不是從書裡學騎腳踏車的技巧，而是從一次次的摔倒經歷與挫折中磨練出來的。

以下英文慣用語可以形容這個學習過程。

●school of hard knocks 從挫折中學習

這句英文慣用語是指一個人從困境與挫折中學習寶貴的知識與技巧。『Knocks』隱喻挫折。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇I didn't learn it from a book; I learned it from the school of hard knocks.
我不是從書本上學會的，而是從一次次的挫折中學會的。

◇Sam learned how to fix his computer at the school of hard knocks.
Sam是在一次次失敗中學會修電腦的。

◇Lily failed the math test, but the school of hard knocks taught her not to give up.
Lily數學考試不及格，但這次挫折教會她不要放棄。

有時候『人生』是位嚴厲的老師。我們會摔倒、會犯錯，然後再鼓起勇氣去嘗試。從挫折中，我們學到寶貴經驗，慢慢的變強、變厲害。

16/08/2026

You join the school basketball team, but you’re not very good. You miss shots, make mistakes, and sometimes feel like giving up.

Instead of quitting, you practice every day. You run, shoot, and train with your teammates. After weeks of hard work, you finally become one of the team’s best players.

There is an idiom to describe this process of becoming the best. Let's take a look.

●earn your way

This idiom describes a person who achieves something through his own hard work or effort.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇Hank earned his way onto the team by practicing every day.

◇The team members earned their way to the championship.

◇You can earn your way to a better life through hard work.

Life doesn’t always give us what we want for free. Sometimes, we have to work for it, learn from our mistakes, and keep moving forward.

It may take time, but every small step counts. Keep going, and earn your way to where you want to be!

終於加入了夢寐以求的籃球隊，但是你目前是隊裡最弱的那個。投球沒進、判斷失誤，種種挫折讓人想放棄。

可是你並沒有放棄，仍然天天訓練。練跑、練投球、請隊友陪練。數個星期之後，你終於成為隊上優秀球員之一。

英文慣用語有一句話可以形容這個努力向上的過程。讓我們來看看吧。

●earn your way 努力爭取

這句話形容一個人努力地去達成一個目標。

讓我們來看看以下例句:

◇Hank earned his way onto the team by practicing every day.
Hank每天練習，靠自己的努力進入了球隊。

◇The team members earned their way to the championship.
隊員們靠自己的努力一路打進冠軍賽。

◇You can earn your way to a better life through hard work.
你可以透過努力工作，靠自己爭取更好的生活。

人生不會一直風平浪靜，會需要付出深刻的努力、從慘痛的教訓中學習、堅持下去的刻苦精神。

有時成功會姍姍來遲，但是每一次的付出都不會白費。只要持續努力，去爭取那個夢寐以求的目標。

10/08/2026

Imagine walking into a party where you don't know anyone.

Everyone is laughing, chatting, and having a great time—but you have no idea what to say or how to join the conversation. You just stand there, feeling awkward and completely out of place.

In English, there is a perfect expression for this feeling. Let's take a look.

●a fish put of water

This idiom describes a person who feels awkward, uncomfortable, or out of place because they are in a new, strange, or unfamiliar environment.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇James looked like a fish out of water in his first Spanish class.

◇Sarah is a fish out of water in the kitchen. She can't even boil an egg!

◇I felt like a fish out of water at the party because I didn't know anyone.

So, the next time you walk into a new place and feel a little awkward, don’t worry—you’re not the only one. 😂😂😂

想像一下這個場景: 走入一個派對會場，但是不認識任何一位參加者。

派對期間，其他人笑著、聊著天、享受歡樂時光，只有你一個人不知道如何加入他們，只能尷尬站在會場一角。

有句英文慣用語能完美詮釋這個感受，讓我們來看看。

●a fish out of water 格格不入

這句話形容一個人在陌生場合，覺得慌張、無措的樣子。

讓我們來看看以下例句:

◇James looked like a fish out of water in his first Spanish class.
James第一次上西班牙文課時看起來非常不自在。

◇Sarah is a fish out of water in the kitchen. She can't even boil an egg!
Sarah在廚房裡常常感到手足無措。她連蛋都不會煮！

◇I felt like a fish out of water at the party because I didn't know anyone.
我在派對上誰都不認識，所以覺得自己格格不入。

下次當你進入一個陌生場所，還覺得很尷尬的時候，換個思路: 或許，你不是唯一一個覺得不自在的人。😂😂😂

03/08/2026

"I'll just Google it for a minute."

Fifteen minutes later, I'm still reading about ancient Egypt. One video became three, then ten. Before I knew it, I was learning how pyramids were built, why cats were sacred, and what people ate 4,000 years ago. I looked at the clock—it was 2 a.m. 😂😂😂

Have you ever started with one simple question and ended up spending hours exploring topic after topic? There's a perfect English idiom for that.

●down the rabbit hole

This idiom describes losing track of time while researching or getting sidetracked by a chain of related, unexpected ideas.

This idiom is related to the novel, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". The story starts with Alice falls into a deep rabbit hole and enters a blizzard world where nothing makes sense.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇My brother went down the rabbit hole learning about ancient Rome.

◇I went down the rabbit hole watching videos about insects.

◇Be careful—you might go down the rabbit hole if you start reading about English idioms.

One click. One video. One simple question.

Then suddenly, it's two hours later, you have twenty new tabs open, and you've become an expert on something you never planned to learn.

So... what rabbit hole have you fallen into recently? Tell us about it in the comments below.

「我就搜尋一下。」

十五分鐘後，仍然在看古埃及相關資料。一個影片看完又再看三個，然後又看了十個古埃及相關影片。回過神來時，已經學到金字塔的建造方式、為何古埃及人崇拜貓、四千年前古埃及人的食譜等等。轉頭看時鐘，已經凌晨兩點了。😂😂😂

有沒有過這樣：只是想搜尋一個詞的意思，結果順著閱讀了許多與其相關的訊息？以下英文慣用語正好形容這個情況。

●down the rabbit hole 著迷 / 深陷其中

這句英文慣用語形容人花長時間忘我的搜尋資料，或是注意力被相關標題吸引。

這句英文慣用語跟《愛麗絲夢遊仙境》這本小說有關。彷彿愛麗絲掉入兔子洞，進入一個光怪陸離的世界。就像對某物著迷，然後越挖掘越忘我。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇My brother went down the rabbit hole learning about ancient Rome.
我哥哥迷上古羅馬歷史，越研究越投入。

◇I went down the rabbit hole watching videos about insects.
我一頭栽進昆蟲影片裡，看個沒完。

◇Be careful—you might go down the rabbit hole if you start reading about English idioms.
要注意喔，當你一開始研究英文慣用語就會越陷越深。

再點一個連結，再看一個影片，再對一個標題感到好奇。回過神來時，兩小時過了，還有二十個分頁待閱讀，自己在短時間內成為了某件事的小專家。

最近你有對什麼事情入迷嗎？在以下留言區分享吧！

26/07/2026

Imaging that you’re talking to a friend about your weekend plans.

“So, what are you doing this Saturday?”

“Well, I was going to visit my grandma, but then I remembered I have a dentist appointment. Speaking of dentists, did you know my cousin is studying to become one? Actually, that reminds me of this funny story about my cousin. Oh, and speaking of my cousin, have you heard that she’s moving to Canada?”

Wait… what were we talking about again? 😂😂😂

We all know someone who can turn a simple conversation into a completely different topic in seconds. The following idiom can exactly describe this kind of person.

●go off at a tangent

This idiom means someone was talking about a topic, then suddenly started talking about a completely new and unrelated topic.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇My aunt and I were talking about baking a cake. She went off at a tangent and spent twenty minutes talking about her childhood.

◇We were discussing our vacation plans when Sarah went off at a tangent about her new job.

◇Sorry, I’m going off at a tangent, but have you ever tried making your own bread?

If you realize you’ve been talking about five different things for the past ten minutes, you can always say: “Sorry, I went off at a tangent!”

想像一下，你正在跟朋友聊週末要做什麼。你問:「欸，你週六要做什麼？」

他說:「我本來要去外婆家的，結果想起來我預約了牙醫看診。說到牙醫，我親戚目前正在讀牙科呢。對啦！你知道她最近要移民去加拿大嗎？」

聊天主題跳來跳去，我們原本在聊什麼？😂😂😂

日常生活中總認識幾個會『跳著』聊天的人，以下英文慣用語恰好用來形容這種思維很跳的人。讓我們來看看。

●go off at a tangent 離題 / 偏離主題

這句英文慣用語是指一個人原本在聊一個話題，然後突然轉另一個全新的、毫無相關的話題。

讓我們來看看以下例句:

◇My aunt and I were talking about baking a cake. She went off at a tangent and spent twenty minutes talking about her childhood.
我跟阿姨本來是在聊烤蛋糕，她突然離題，花了二十分鐘談她的童年。

◇We were discussing our vacation plans when Sarah went off at a tangent about her new job.
我們正在討論度假計畫，Sarah 卻突然聊起她的新工作。

◇Sorry, I’m going off at a tangent, but have you ever tried making your own bread?
抱歉，我離題了，不過你有自己做過麵包嗎？

下次聊天發現自己十分鐘內跳了五個不同話題，你可以說:「Sorry, I went off at a tangent!」(不好意思，我離題了！)

20/07/2026

Ever been on a train or bus during the rush hour? 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 Everyone was standing shoulder to shoulder, and there wasn't even enough room to lift your arm.

The following expression may come in handy.

●packed in like sardines

This idiom means people or things crowded so tightly together in a confined space that they have virtually no room to move.

It refers to how sardines are tightly arranged in an aluminum tin.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇The subway was packed in like sardines during the morning rush hour.

◇Everyone was packed in like sardines at the concert.

◇The elevator was packed in like sardines, so we decided to wait for the next one.

Next time you're on a crowded train, bus, or elevator, you can say: "We're packed in like sardines!"

It's a fun and natural expression that native speakers use all the time. You can include this idiom in your daily conversation.

有沒有在尖峰時間搭火車或是公車的經驗啊？😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 所有人都擠在一起，連稍稍舉起手的空間都沒有。

以下英文慣用語正好形容這個情形。讓我們來看看。

●packed in like sardines 擁擠不堪

這句英文慣用語是指人或是物品在一個小空間內擠成一團，連動一動的空間都沒有的意思。

這句英文慣用語寫實的呈現沙丁魚擠在一個罐頭裡的模樣。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇The subway was packed in like sardines during the morning rush hour.
早上尖峰時段的地鐵總是擁擠不堪。

◇Everyone was packed in like sardines at the concert.
所有人都擁擠在演唱會現場。

◇The elevator was packed in like sardines, so we decided to wait for the next one.
一看電梯裡擠成一團，我們就決定等下一次。

下次要是身處在擁擠的火車、公車、電梯，可以感嘆一句：「We're packed in like sardines!」

這是一句有趣又常見的慣用語，英文母語者也常常用到。你可以把這句英文慣用語加入日常用語的語詞庫中喔。

13/07/2026

The rain had been pouring for hours. The power went out, the wind kept howling, and there was nothing to do but wait.

Sometimes, life feels like that too. You can't stop the storm, and you can't simply walk away from it. All you can do is stay strong until it passes.

The following idiom can exactly describe this situation.

●weather the storm

The idiom describe getting through a difficult situation without giving up.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇Lisa weathered the storm after losing her job and eventually found a better one.

◇The small café weathered the storm during the pandemic.

◇This is only a temporary setback. We'll weather the storm and come back stronger.

Whether you're facing challenges at work, in your relationships, or in life, remember that every storm eventually passes. What matters is having the strength to weather the storm and keep moving forward.

雨下了好幾個小時，風在窗外呼嘯，在斷電的情況下只能在家乾等。有時候人生也是如此，我們無法阻止暴風到來，也無法被動的躲著。在風暴肆虐的當下，我們只能堅強的挺過去。

英文慣用語有一句剛好可以形容這個情形，讓我們來看看。

●weather the storm 渡過難關

這句英文慣用語形容一個人堅強挺過難關，永不輕言放棄。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇Lisa weathered the storm after losing her job and eventually found a better one.
Lisa 熬過了失業低潮，最後找到了一份更好的工作。

◇The small café weathered the storm during the pandemic.
那家小咖啡館在疫情期間挺過了難關。

◇This is only a temporary setback. We'll weather the storm and come back stronger.
這只是暫時的挫折，我們會熬過難關，並以更強大的姿態回歸。

無論現在正經歷工作上的困難、在人際關係上的難關，或是人生的大關卡，要謹記風暴不會一直持續，總是會有撥雲見日的時候。在這種困難時期，最重要的是有毅力抗過風暴，繼續前行的勇氣。

07/07/2026

06/07/2026

Imagine reading a review that only mentions the good parts of a product while leaving out all the complaints. Or watching someone quote only the evidence that supports their opinion and ignore everything else.

It may sound convincing at first—but it's actually cherry-picked information. People will soon find out something is off. What does "cherry-picked" mean? Let's find out.

●cherry-picked

This idiom describes a biased or selective choice of information to make something appear stronger, better, or more convincing than it really is.

Let's look at the following examples:

◇The advertisement cherry-picked customer reviews to make the product seem perfect.

◇If you cherry-pick facts, people may question your credibility.

◇We should look at all the evidence instead of relying on cherry-picked information.

Language isn't just about learning new words—it's about recognizing real-life situations and describing them accurately. Keep practicing, and soon you'll be using this expression like a native speaker!

想像一下，在瀏覽商品的使用評價時，只看到正面評價，沒有一點負面評價。或是，有人刻意說對自己有利的證據，掩蓋其他不利的說詞。

一開始可能聽起來很有說服力，但是這些都是『cherry-picked』訊息，人們很快就會察覺不對勁之處。

所以『cherry-picked』究竟是什麼意思？讓我們來看看。

●cherry-picked 刻意的

這句英文慣用語是指刻意選擇訊息，以營造一個強烈的、較好的或是較有說服力的形象。實際上往往不是如此。

讓我們來看看以下例句：

◇The advertisement cherry-picked customer reviews to make the product seem perfect.
這個廣告特意挑選對產品有利的正面評價，藉此營造一個有完美形象的產品。

◇If you cherry-pick facts, people may question your credibility.
如果你刻意挑選對你有利的說法，人們可能因此質疑你的可信度。

◇We should look at all the evidence instead of relying on cherry-picked information.
與其斷章取義的去解讀，不如全面了解證據後再說。

學語言不光只是背誦單字，還要知道其字義並在日常生活中恰當的使用。我們要持續的練習，就會有越來越接近英文母語者的熟練度喔。