※ a dog’s life 過著受折磨的日子
It’s a dog’s life working two jobs and still not making ends meet.
做兩份工作還不能使收支平衡，這日子真不是人過的。
※ bend over backwards 竭盡全力
Larry bent over backwards to be nice to his mother-in-law. He took her out to dinner, drove her around San Francisco, and entertained her every night.
拉里拼命地討好岳母，請她出去吃飯，開車帶她在舊金山兜風，而且每天晚上還陪她消遣。
※ bust a gut 竭盡全力
If you don't bust a gut studying, you won't get into the university.
如果你不卯足勁兒學習，就不可能考入大學。
※ bust one’s buns 盡力而為
Don't bust you buns trying to convince him: he won't listen to anybody.
別費那么大勁兒說服他，他不會聽任何人的勸告。
※ double check 復查，仔細檢查
I don't think I have your book at home, but I’ll double check to make sure.
我想你的書沒在我家，不過我會再仔細檢查一遍來確認一下。
※ elbow grease 費勁的體力活；（尤指）擦拭
It takes a lot of elbow grease to polish a car.
擦亮一部車可要費很大的勁。
※ get (something) off the ground 開始或從事某工作，在某方面取得進展
The new construction has get off the ground with a ten-million-dollar donation.
有了這一千萬美元的捐款，新工程開始取得進展。
※ go the extra mile 竭盡全力，加倍努力
You have to go the extra mile if you want to pass the final exam.
要想通過期末考試，你得格外努力才行。
※ have fingers in every pie 參與許多不同的活動
When it comes to the community volunteerism, he has fingers in every pie.
談到社區的義工活動，他參加的項目可多了。
※ have many irons in the fire （同時有許多事，想立刻做完，但又不知從何做起）忙得不可開交
Don't bother him because he has many irons in the fire.
別打攪他，他要做的事太多，忙得很。
※ hop to it 開始做事
You’d better hop to it if you’re going to finish that job by 5:00.
如果你打算5點鐘完成工作，最好現在就動手。
※ hung up 忙碌，忙得不可開交
I’m all hung up at the office right now. Could we have lunch later this afternoon?
我現在在辦公室忙得要命，我們晚點兒吃午飯好嗎？
※ on the go 活躍地；精神飽滿地；一刻不停跑來跑去地
I’m on the go all the time and don't see my family.
我整天東跑西顛，跟家人都見不上面。
※ on the move 活躍地；精神飽滿地；一刻不停跑來跑去地
The girls at the office are always on the move. Where do they get all their energy?
辦公室里的那些姑娘一刻也靜不下來，她們哪兒來的那么多的精力啊？
※ plug away 努力做（某事）
How long have you been plugging away on that physics problem? Haven’t you solved it yet?
你花了多長時間埋頭解那道物理題？難道還沒有解出來嗎？
※ pound the pavement （指為了某種目標，如找工作等）徘徊街頭，四處奔走
In order to get signatures for a petition drive, the organizer was pounding the pavement.
為了獲得請愿運動的簽名，發動者們四處奔走。
※ pull one’s own weight 工作負責任
During his tenure at the college, Tom always pulled his own weight.
湯姆在大學工作期間，一直很負責。
