water cooler chat 办公室里闲聊 A water cooler is where people get water to drink in an office. So, water cooler chat is informal talk in the office around the water cooler.

A: Did you watch ‘Lost’ last night on TV?

B: Yes, it was brilliant. What about when….

C: Get back to work you two! There’s too much water cooler chat in this office!

penny-pinching 小气，不愿花钱 If you say someone is penny-pinching, you mean that they don’t want to spend money on things.

adj. unwilling to spend or give money

A: $30? I’m not paying that for a pair of shoes!

B: Don’t be penny-pinching! It’s a really good price.

A: Why are the schools so bad these days?

B: Well, the government has a really penny-pinching approach to education and won’t give schools any money.

penny pincher n. c.

gobsmacked 瞠目结舌is a word you use when you are so surprised about something that you don’t know what to say.

adj. BrE spoken very surprised, pleased, or disappointed

A: I can’t believe Fred is going to be a father.

B: I know. He always talks about how much he hates kids. I was gobsmacked when he told me!

air rage 空中愤怒, 形容乘客在坐飞机的时候易怒易出现暴力的现象 is an expression that means to lose your temper and become angry and violent on a plane.

A: How was your flight?

B: Terrible! One of the passengers got drunk and had an attack of air rage. He tried to hit one of the stewardesses and had to be restrained until the plane landed!

counterfeit 伪造品 means fake, and you can have counterfeit money, or counterfeit goods.

adj. made to look exactly like something else

A: What do you mean you won’t accept this money?

B: Well, sir, I’m afraid it’s counterfeit – look, it’s the wrong colour.

C: Those Vuitton bags are very cheap!

D: Yes, too cheap! They must be counterfeit.

The task force were looking for counterfeit money.

vt. to copy something exactly in order to deceive people

etiquette 礼仪means the formal rules of polite, correct behavior, in a society.

A: Don’t forget – when he gives you his business card, don’t just put it in your pocket. You have to take it with both hands, read it, thank him and then put it in your wallet.

B: Don’t worry. I’ve done business here before, and I know the etiquette.

a blast from the past 过去回忆的唤醒 is used when someone or something reminds you of a memory you’d forgotten

A: I just bumped into an old boyfriend of mine. I haven’t seen him since I was at school! What a blast from the past!