令人迷糊的常用英文字眼在美國有許多常用的字眼，往往使學習英語的中國人感到不解。在此，舉一些例子供讀者參考。
1. Head Start：如果這兩個字開頭的字母是大寫，則連在一起是一個專有名詞，指的是美國政府為貧窮或弱智的兒童設立的一種訓練機構，幫助他們，希望他們在進小學之前能趕上教學進度。也就是：U.S. government tries to give extra － help for those underprivileged children before entering first grade. (underprivileged 比 poor 更委婉些)
例如： Many poor parents send their children to Head Start.
但是如果head start的字母是小寫，那么就是普通名詞了，是指比別人早著手，或領先、 有利，即：advance start or advantage
例如：In order to give his son a head start, the father decided to send him to a private kindergarten.（為了讓他的兒子有好的開始，他決定把兒子送到私立幼兒園去。)
To know more colloquial expressions is a head start in learning English. (了解更多的俗語對學習英語有好處。)
2. blue blood：是指有錢人或出身富家的人 (rich or wealthy people)
例如：He has blue blood.或He is blue blooded (person).
Mr. Lin comes from a blue blooded family. (林先生出身豪門。)
Some people do not want to admit that they have blue blood. (有些人不愿承認自己是富家出身。)
Many blue blooded children attend this private school. (許多有錢人家的孩子就讀這所私立學校。)
3. bed of roses：意思是稱心如意的境遇；美好、理想的"安樂窩"(everything seems to be wonderful)
例如：Life is not always a bed of roses. (生活未必都是稱心如意的。)
Young people think that marriage will be a bed of roses. (年輕人都認為婚姻是美好的。)
4. from soup to nuts：意思是從頭到尾，自始至終；或是一應俱全，完整詳盡（多半是指物品方面）。
例如：This store sells everything from soup to nuts. (這家商店出售的貨品一應俱全。)
My office is supplied from soup to nuts. (我辦公室里的用品十分齊全。)
但是如果指知識豐富的話，則不用這個詞，而是通常用 from A to Z來表達，。
例如：Mr. Greenspan knows economics from A to Z. (格林斯潘先生在經濟方面的知識非常豐富。)
5. real blast：blast 本來是指"一陣狂風"。但在口語中則是指歡樂，或玩得愉快，很盡興 (have a good time; usually refers to a party or gathering.)
例如：Miss Su had a (real) blast at the party. (蘇小姐在派對上玩得很痛快。)
I hope our get-together will be a (real) blast. (我希望我們相聚的時光是愉快的。)
注：blast 前面用 real 形容，是起到加強語氣的作用。
6. off-limits：意思是禁止入內；限制進出或不準使用，也就是關閉 (closed or not available)例如：The library will be off-limits to the public until re-carpeting project is completed. (新地毯鋪好之前，圖書館閉館。)
The teachers have the use of a john that is off-limits to students.（學生不得使用教師廁所。) (john小寫的時候才是指廁所。)
或 This bathroom is off-limits to students.
7. next of kin：是指家人或者近親(closest relatives or anyone in the family)。 在美國，所謂"親人"也是依每個人的不同情況而定的，可能是夫婦、父母、兒女，或是叔叔嬸嬸、表兄弟姐妹。
例如：If a person has a serious car accident, his or her next of kin will be notified. (如果遭遇嚴重車禍，當事人的親屬就會接到通知。)
At the funeral all next of kin were in attendance. (所有的親屬都參加了葬禮。)
The doctor should discuss the prognosis candidly with the next of kin. (醫生應該把診斷結果坦白地告知病人家屬。)
All his property will eventually go to his next of kin. (他的所有財產最終都給了他的親人。)
如果"kin"單獨使用，用作家屬或親屬的總稱，則通常后面不加 s。
例如：All my kin attended the family get-together. (我們全家集聚一堂。)
8. fair-weather friend：這是指一些只能同安樂而不能共患難"酒肉"朋友(being friend only during favorable time)
例如：A fair-weather friend will not contact you during your time of hardship. (當你陷入困境的時候，那些酒肉朋友是不會主動聯絡你的。)
When she ignored him during his financial problem, he knew she was a fair-weather friend. (當他經濟緊張時，她對他根本不理不睬；他知道她只在他處于順境的時候才是"朋友"。)
9. real bomb：在口語里是指在公眾場所或舞臺上表演失敗或表現欠佳。通常與 real 用在一起。
例如：The show was a real bomb, so I cut out early. （這個劇很糟糕，所以我提前退場了。）（cut out = leave）
如果 bomb 作名詞用，意思就是炸彈；作動詞，則是轟炸，或失敗、極壞的意思。(very bad) 例如： A U.S. fighter dropped a bomb over Iraq. (一架美國轟炸機往伊拉克扔了一顆炸彈) （作名詞）= A U.S. fighter bombed Iraq. （作動詞）
The play has bombed. （這場戲演砸了）
值得注意的是："real bomb"有時也指"真正的炸彈"。例如：
The police found a real bomb in the building. （警察在建筑物中發現了一顆真炸彈）
10. neck and neck：不相上下，難分高低。(remain tie in any competition)
例如：The horses came in neck and neck across the finish line. （賽馬到達終點時難分上下）
Last year George Bush and Al Gore almost remained neck and neck in the race for White House. （去年布什和戈爾在大選中幾乎不分上下）
(注：也有人寫成：neck-and-neck)
11. through thick and thin：甘苦與共，共同分擔艱難困苦 (go through all adversity)
例如：She feels like a fool for sticking with her husband through thick and thin.（(她覺得和丈夫一起吃苦受罪太傻了)
He has walked through thick and thin during the past five years. （過去的五年中，他歷盡辛酸)
12. cry wolf："狼來了"的假警報。(false alarm; call attention for something which is not true or not serious)
例如：Dont cry wolf unless you really need help.（除非你真的需要幫助，不然不要發"狼來了"的假警報)
Crying wolf is not a responsible behavior. （發假警報是不負責任的行為）
Parents should teach their children not to cry wolf. （父母應該教育孩子不要喊"狼來了"的假警報）
13. banner year：意思是特別得意或特別好的一年（如升官、加薪、贏得獎勵等等）(a wonderful or fantastic year)
例如：This has been a banner year for Mrs. Lin.（這是林太太最得意的一年）
With a promotion and marriage, he really had a banner year in 1998.（1998 年他又升職又結婚，真是非常的得意）
有時老外也用 banner month，但不用 banner day。
例如：Mr. A had a banner month at his car dealership. （A先生這個月的車子賣的很好）
14. shell company：這是指假冒或有名無實的公司行號，也就是所謂「皮包」公司。(fake company; just make it up)
例如：They used fake receipts from shell companies with no staff or premises. (他們的假公司沒有員工和經營場址，卻開出了假收據)
Shell companies are illegal in the U.S. (在美國開皮包公司是犯法的) (company 的復數是 companies）
15. no dice：意思是不可能發生的事情，不會改變的，徒勞的，無用的；也就是"不行"。（something not going to happen; not going to change; absolutely not）（dice本意是骰子，單復數相同）
例如：No dice, I will not change my position on this matter. (不行，我不會對這件事改變立場)
There was no dice he would be able to get this job. (他不可能得到這份工作) (no dice = no way)
He asked her for more money, but she said no dice to him. （他要她多給些錢，但她說不行）
I tried to contact Mr. Wang, but no dice.（設法與王先生聯絡，但是徒勞無功）
16. dislocated worker：指失業或正在找工作的人（refers to a person who lost a job or still looking for a job) (老外為了禮貌含蓄，才有此說法)
例如：There are 200 dislocated workers in our community when the company closed its door. (公司倒閉后，我們社區里有兩百人失業了)
To avoid being a dislocated worker, one needs a good education with skills. （為了不失業，個人需要接受一些良好技能的教育）
17. stick-in-the-mud：這是指一些落伍保守，墨守成規者；或是思想落后，毫無進取心的人，就像陷入泥淖一樣。（old fashioned or unprogressive person）（多作名詞用)
例如：He is a boring stick-in-the-mud. (他是一個循規蹈矩的人)
Being a stick-in-the-mud, people dont value his opinions.（他是呆頭呆腦的，大家都不重視他的意見）
（注：如果是專指"老頑固"，通常是用 old fogy 或 old foggy；不過 stick-in-the-mud 既可指年輕人又可指老人）
18. Take chances：意思是冒險，也就是 take a risk 或 take a chance 。反之，take no chances 就是不冒險，很小心 (to be cautious; careful)的意思。
I take no chances =I take no risk (我很小心)
而take (ones) chances 則是"準備冒險"的意思。
例如： The soldier must take his chances in the battle. (士兵必須時刻準備在戰場上冒生命的危險。)
Some people are more prone to take chances than others. (有些人比其他人更傾向于冒險。)
19. Dogs life：意思是生活中的困境或痛苦的日子 (hard and oppressive time or difficult time in life)
例如：Over the past years she led a dogs life with her alcoholic husband. (在過去的歲月里，她同酒鬼丈夫在一起過著痛苦的生活。)
Many new immigrants in the U.S. initially endure a dogs life. (許多初次到美國的新移民開始都要熬過一段艱苦的日子)
20. En masse：這是法文，意思是全體人員，一同，一起 (As a whole; a large group of people) ， 按照字面意義看，就是 in mass的意思。
例如：The audience applauded en masse upon the completion of his speech. (他的演講博得了全場觀眾的熱烈掌聲。)
Employees marched en masse to the company headquarters for pay raise. (全體員工到公司總部要求加薪。)
21. Con-man：是指騙子或壞蛋 (crook)，專門設法取得他人信任后再行騙的人。(someone who tries to gain your confidence, but later betray you)
例如：Be careful of con-men; they may try to rip you off. (小心那些騙子，他們會騙取你的錢財。)
Beware of telephone con-men who may solicit for a fake charity. (注意那些在利用電話假裝慈善樂捐的騙子。)
(不過通常不用 con-woman，也不用 con-person 或 con-people。)
22. Walking dead man：就是身體健康很差的人。
例如：Due to severe illness, he now becomes a walking dead man. (由于他生了一場大病，所以身體很差。)
注意： 這個詞只用于第三人稱，所以不要說："You are a walking dead man"，這樣是很不禮貌的。 而且不用來形容女人，所以不能說：She is a walking dead woman. 此外，也不說：They are walking dead persons (或 people) 。
23. Take heart：意思是"鼓起勇氣，振作起來，不要悲觀 (cheer up; dont worry; dont let something get you down; be cheerful; dont be discouraged)
例如：Take heart, Mr. Chen, things will get better. (陳先生，不要煩惱，情形會好轉的。)
We have taken heart from the news of victory. (勝利的消息讓我們為之一振。)
24. Happy-go-lucky：意思是無憂無慮的，樂天派的 (not worry about anything; care free)
例如：He has been happy-go-lucky all his life. (他一生都是無憂無慮的樂天派。)
It is always better being happy-go-lucky versus being depressed. (樂觀總比悶悶不樂好。)