He is a teacher who is really on the ball.他是个了不起的老师。a manager who has a lot on the ball很懂行的经理; a student who has nothing on the ball 学得一塌糊涂的学生
另一个说法表示一个人“能干”，可以说hot-shot：The boss would like to hire a hot-shot employee 能干的职员 a hot-shot teacher, 能干的老师，
Ball的第三个用法是having sex：They met, they clicked, they are having a ball.
I am glad you have started the ball rolling.很高兴你把这事推动起来了。
113．Blur 模糊，Taiwan talk is just a blur. 台湾问题的讨论不过是在搅混水。The next hour is a blur to me.接下来的一个小时我就稀里糊涂了。
114．I have worked my butt out.我干活干得筋疲力尽了。中国人“我干这活都掉了两斤肉。”英语里是累得屁股都掉了。
115．Snake oil 江湖郎中开的药 a snake oil salesman, 一个骗子推销商，传销卖的东西基本上都是snake oil。中国的保健品基本上也都是snake oil，中国最有名的snake oil恐怕是脑白金了。
116．I saw several old geezers walking in the street. old geezer老人，老头子（有幽默味道，并不含贬义），表示老头子还有另两种说法：old chap, old stick，这只能熟人之间用，
117． She is angry with me, but I stick to my guns.她对我很愤怒，但我决不让步。stick to one’s guns 表示坚持原则。坚守原则的另一说法是：You need to hold your ground even if some people oppose you.就算有人攻击你，你也一定要坚守立场。
118．A night owl 熬夜的人 He is a night owl. 相当于He likes to burn night oil.
119．Mr. Li never throws anything away, he is a pack rat. 李先生从不扔掉任何东西,他简直是垃圾家。
120．He has been my sidekick for several years.他是我多年的好友。Sidekick 可以是老朋友，也指在关系中处于小弟的位置：I have been his sidekick for many years, now it is time that I break into my own business.我作他的跟班已经好些年了，现在我该自己创业了。
补充112句：
The ball is in your court now.现在球已到你那边了。（意即得由你作次决定了，作出回应了）
Fireball：火球，例如像原子丨弹丨爆炸一般，引申为“成功、热情、精力旺盛”之意。I hope John will join us, he is a fireball.(or he is a ball of fire.)我希望约翰能加入我们，他是个热情旺盛的人。
121. Close but no cigar.差不多就答对了，但尚不能获奖。（大概是答对了就会奖励一支雪茄吧）同样的结构有Thanks but no thanks.如果你谢绝别人要给你提供的帮助或东西时，你可以这么说，“谢谢，但不需要。”
122. three strikes, you are out. 这是一句棒球语，但也开始用在日常生活中，往往意思为：“如果你犯三次，就把你开除。”好些年前，美国曾讨论一个叫“three strikes law”，又叫“habitual offender laws”，该法律主要是针对那些刑事犯罪惯犯，如果一连犯了三次重罪，刑期就得自动延长，甚至是终生监禁，有点中国“严-打”的味道，但也有人指出这法律不合宪法，因为宪法中规定，一罪不二罚。
123. The returns are good but the stakes are high. 回报诱人，但风险极高。
124. Every year, four hundred Americans die from heat stroke. Heat stroke就是中暑，今年中暑的人特别多。
125. I need some back-up from you. 我需要你的支持。Support是书面语，backup是口语。Police: I need backup, I need backup.请求支援，请求支援。Back off, 让开。
126. get out of here. 直接的意思是，滚到一边去吧。也可以意为：得了吧。如果你不同别人的话，也可这么说。
127. I am pulling an all-nighter.熬夜
130. the sticks，这里的sticks 是“树林，深林”的意思。He is a guy in the sticks, how could you expect him to know that? 他住深山老林，他怎么可能知道这事？stick-thin, 或者 as thin as a stick 骨瘦如柴 I remember her as a stick-thin teenager. 我的记忆里，她是个骨瘦如柴的青少年。比较：out of the woods脱离深林，意即“脱离危险”。
128. Let me get my head around this. 让我把这件事想清楚。
129. you need to get your head straight. 你得头脑清醒清醒。
这十句话把我搞得晕头转向，成了支离破碎。不知道天涯的系统出了什么问题。看样子是129句有问题，通不过。
只好改。
I am really pissed off this morning.Why doesn’t the system accept 129?I have to make up another one.
129. you need to get your head straight.
你头脑得清醒清醒了。
131.Streamliner 高速列车，我国最近开通的D字头车就可称为streamliner，另一个词是子丨弹丨头车bullet train，赛车也可以说是streamlined cars；
132.I try to fix Michael up with my sister’s classmate Mary. 我想要撮合Michael与我妹妹的同学Mary成一对。
133.One for the books 值得记一笔的事件，难以置信的事件。
134.You should bypass the mind and go straight to the bloodstream of your listeners.你不要跟听众讲大道理，而应该直接去打动他们的心。Or say: go straight to their gut feeling
135.Many Chinese people like to play devil’s advocate in politics.许多中国人最喜欢在讨论政治时唱反调。play devil’s advocate就是“抬杠”的意思。
136.I don’t like his devil-may-care attitude.我不喜欢他那毫不在乎的态度
137.“恶搞”如何说？spoof, spoofing attack, “When a good product gets spoofed, that is too bad.”
138."I wouldn’t vote for him for dogcatcher" or "He couldn’t run for dogcatcher in this country". Dogcatcher 捕狗员，如有流浪狗在街上，捕狗员的工作就是抓这些狗，这是最低贱的活了。“连捕狗员我都不会选他去当。”（实际意思是：他又如何可以竞选当县长？）
139.出血大甩卖deep discount, blowout sale, 清仓大甩卖closing sale, clearance sale, 减价 on sale, slashed by half,
140.Turnoff, 本意是“关灯”，如果一个人一来就关灯，这个人就是“turnoff”（扫兴）: One of the girls’ biggest turn-offs is guys who are indecisive. 女孩最不喜欢的人就是那些老犹豫不决的男子。A woman who is aggressive is a turnoff to men. 什么事都抢先争赢的女人不受男人的欢迎。Zhang Yimou’s movies are always turnoffs.张艺谋的电影都叫人看不下去。
141. Gotcha. 是got you的口语形式，意思就是“明白”。