Work like a dog

work like a beaver

work like a mule

work like a Trojan

work like a slave

work like a horse (Dutch)

work like a donkey (Spanish)

work like a cow (Chinese)

work like an ox (French)

industrious like an ant (Polish)

比喻辛苦地工作=work hard

例子

She has an important deadline coming up, so she's been working like a beaver.

You need a vacation. You work like a slave in that kitchen.

I'm too old to work like a horse. I'd prefer to relax more.

dog-tired

=口语里常说的“太累了”或者“累死我了”，也是一种比喻累得像条狗一样。

例子：He usually got home at around seven o'clock, dog-tired after a long day in the office.

a dog and pony show  (American)

=哗众取宠，华而不实（美国人说法）这种秀通常都比较夸张，为了促销或者说服人们做什么事情。通常都是贬义，指人们并不相信他们的话。=a show or other event that has been organized in order to get people's support or to persuade them to buy something; or pretend it is very important but actually it is not.

该术语最初在美国在19世纪末和20世纪初用于指小城镇和农村地区巡回演出的小马戏团。因为表演的时候狗和小马经常同时出场，作为事件的主要吸引力。表演通常在露天场所举行，例如比赛场地或公共场所，这样可以吸引更多人。最臭名昭着的是“Prof. Gentry's Famous Dog & Pony Show,” 当少年Henry Gentry和他的兄弟的表演，他们的行为，最初称为“Gentry’s Equine and Canine Paradox.”开始规模很小，后来演变成一个完整的马戏表演。

例子：The film is part of the dog and pony show the company puts on for the benefit of foreign journalists.

bird-dog (american slang)

最初指猎犬，盯着主人瞄准哪只鸟，然后鸟儿掉下来的时候，就跑过去调走。

1. tv. to supervise someone; to tail someone. 严密监视，盯梢。

Marlowe knew somebody was bird-dogging him, but he was too smart to show it.

美国的俚语里，变成了男人夺人所爱。

2. tv. to take away another man’s girlfriend.

Why’d you have to go and bird-dog me, your best buddy?

英语和汉语一样都有成语，都译成idiom，每个单词你都认识，但是合到一起的意思你不一定知道在讲什么。

除了用法、寓意，有的短语和谚语适合书面说法，有的只在口语中使用，有的涉及比喻，有的源自故事，有的是名人名言，有的英国人说，美国人不说，还有的不同的国家有不同的说法……

所以学短语和谚语是一件很有趣的事。希望你读我的系列文章不仅能够记住这些英文短语和谚语，而且能够从相关的故事中体会到异国文化，一些书本上没有，生活里必知的知识。

未经作者同意不得转载，谢谢！