介绍:
1) Pie in the sky
-Don't hold out for pie in the sky, try to earn the money for a condo in the next 10 years.
-Turning the war torn poor country into a country capable of hosting the Olympics is pie in the sky.
-Rick's plan to set up his own company is pie in the sky
Definition: Refers to a hope for a special reward that is oftentimes unrealistic.
Etymology: This expression was first recorded in 1911 in a rallying song of a union, the International Workers of the World (or "Wobblies"): "Work and pray, live on hay, you'll get pie in the sky when you die."
Examples:
A. She blames others for all her troubles and is expecting some pie in the sky to change her life.
B. When the husband discovered that his wife was a good cook he thought himself lucky. This is pie in the sky for him. He calls this a bonus!
2) Open Pandora's Box
-Don't talk about Aunt Emma's dead husband. You will open Pandora's box.
-The company worried about every decision since they did not want to open Pandora's box.
-The Nation's President did not realize he opened Pandora's box when he legalized gambling.
Definition: Refers to an action that may seem small or innocent, but that turns out to have severely detrimental and far-reaching consequences, similar to opening a can of worms.
Etymology: The "box" was actually a large jar given to Pandora which contained all the evils of the world. She hastened to close the container, but the whole contents had escaped except for one thing that lay at the bottom �C Elpis, usually translated "hope".
Examples:
A. Please don't ask people what their salaries are. If you do, you open a Pandora's box in the office.
B. Mom blamed dad for opening Pandora's box by discussing political issues at the dinner table. The family party has become an oral battlefield.
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