be caught dead死也不肯

用一句家常老話給騙局開脫，把算計說得像天經地義，荒唐又好笑。

You can't make an omelet without ...

為必須付出代價的事辯解時用；對受害者說會顯得冷血。

You can't have progress without some damage. ／ No gain without pain.

口語

omelet 重讀，without 輕快帶過，eggs 收尾乾脆。

You can't make an omelet without breaking an egg, so we accept some losses. 想成事總得付出代價，所以我們接受一些損失。

一句輕飄飄的話把幫派里人人自危的氣氛說到骨子裡。

You never know who's gonna be next.

形容處境兇險、人人自危時用；安慰病人時說會顯得不祥。

Any one of us could be next. ／ You never know whose turn it is.

口語

never know 連讀，who's gonna 縮成 who's-gonna。

With layoffs going around, you never know who's gonna be next. 裁員風聲一起，誰也不知道下一個輪到誰。

用最狠的否認藏最怕的事，越誇張越顯得心虛。

wouldn't be caught dead doing something

強烈表示絕不做某事時用；正式場合嫌誇張，別對長輩說。

I wouldn't be caught dead there. ／ You'd never catch me in that place.

口語

caught dead 重讀，Chicago 尾音略拖，帶誇張語氣。

I wouldn't be caught dead at that club, but you go ahead. 打死我也不會去那個夜店，不過你去吧。

加碼式回答把荒謬頂到頂，節奏就是笑點。

- You ... with ... on? - I ... with ... on.

跟朋友抬槓加碼時能用；對長輩別用這種頂嘴節奏。

- You eat with your hat on? - I sleep with my hat on. ／ - You work with music on? - I live with music on.

口語

問句上揚，答句以同樣節奏加碼，spats on 重讀。

- You wear socks to bed? - I shower in them too. ——你穿襪子睡覺？——我洗澡也穿。

把兩個俗語攪在一起，預告災難又荒誕。

Something tells me ... is about to hit the fan.

預感要出事時能用；對正在焦慮的人別拿來打趣。

Something tells me the pot is about to boil over. ／ I smell trouble coming.

口語

Something tells me 一帶而過，omelet 重讀，hit the fan 收乾脆。

Something tells me the cake is about to hit the floor. 我有種預感，這蛋糕馬上要扣地上。