介绍:
1) Whack-a-mole
-In the 1920's America isolate itself from foreign wars, to avoid playing whack-a-mole.
-I've been playing whack-a-mole all afternoon deleting spam and spyware.
-Ms.Grant felt like she was playing whack-a-mole treating her kid's illnesses during blue season
Definition: the practice of repeatedly getting rid of something, only to have more of that thing appear. For example, deleting spammers' e-mail accounts, closing pop-up windows in a web browser, etc.
Etymology: From the carnival / arcade game that involves hitting mechanical moles with a mallet as they pop up from their holes
2) Copycat
-People think there is a copycat killer, because the first killer is in jail.
-It is important to keep the blueprints for the invention secret to prevent copycats.
-The smart student allowed his friend to copycat his homework
Definition: One that closely imitates or mimics another.
Etymology: The expression may have originated from observing the habits of kittens that learned by imitating the behaviour of their mother. Copycat has been in recorded use since at least 1896
3) Sabre-rattling
-Sun Tzu tells us to fear the country that is quiet, and not the one that is sabre-rattling
-The kingdom did a lot of sabre-rattling to deter an attack and increase their position
-Germany sabre-rattled on the Soviet border before attacking
Definition: threatening behaviour which is intended to frighten someone
Etymology: sabres are swords, so if you rattle them, you threaten to attack.
