Jump in and get your feet wet：到實(shí)踐中去學(xué)習(xí)取得經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
     To get off on the wrong foot：某人一開始就沒給人一個(gè)好印象，或一開始由于某種行為而把事情弄糟了。
     to put your foot in your mouth。無意中說錯(cuò)了話而傷害了別人。
     中國(guó)有句俗話：常在河邊走，哪能不濕鞋。把鞋子弄濕可不是什么好事情，它比喻某些人抵制不了環(huán)境的誘惑而做出不正當(dāng)或者不正經(jīng)的勾當(dāng)。然而，在美國(guó)成語里，把腳弄濕卻是一件好事。比如，許多初學(xué)英語的人都因難為情而不敢開口。于是老師很可能會(huì)這么勸這些學(xué)生: "Jump in and get your feet wet. " Jump in and get your feet wet 這個(gè)俗語的意思就是：到實(shí)踐中去學(xué)習(xí)取得經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
     例如：I know most of you are afraid to embarrass yourselves by trying to speak English. But that's the best way to learn: when you meet an American, try a few words--jump in and get your feet wet.
     我知道你們大多數(shù)人感到用英語來說話很不好意思。不過，當(dāng)你見到美國(guó)人時(shí)，你不妨試著說一點(diǎn)。到實(shí)踐中去學(xué)是的辦法。
     又如：I want to get into politics so I'm volunteering to put up signs for one of the people running for mayor. I don't get paid for it but it's a chance to jump in and get my feet wet.
     我希望將來能夠到政界去工作，所以我現(xiàn)在在幫一個(gè)競(jìng)選市長(zhǎng)的候選人張貼宣傳標(biāo)語。我?guī)退鲞@些事是完全義務(wù)的，是沒有工資的。但是，這是到實(shí)踐中去得到一些經(jīng)驗(yàn)的好機(jī)會(huì)。
     由 foot 組成的俗語在英文里實(shí)在不少，它們的意思有的是正面的，例如：to put one's best foot forward。這是指盡量給人一個(gè)好的印象。那么，有的人一開始就給人一個(gè)壞印象是怎么說的呢？You should say: to get off on the wrong foot。 To get off on the wrong foot，這是指某人一開始就沒給人一個(gè)好印象，或一開始由于某種行為而把事情弄糟了。
     例如：When Joe went to his new job, he got off on the wrong foot--on the first morning he upset his new boss by arriving at the store two hours late. And right now he's out looking for a job again.
     喬找到了一份新的工作，可是他剛開始到那家店里去上班時(shí)就給人一個(gè)壞印象。第一天上班他就晚到兩個(gè)小時(shí)，讓他的老板好不高興?，F(xiàn)在他又在找工作了。
     To get off on the wrong foot 這個(gè)俗語實(shí)際上可以適用于任何情況。例如：I finally got a date with that new girl in class but I sure got off on the wrong foot with her: I had car trouble and got to her place almost two hours late.
     那天我終于和班上新來的那個(gè)女同學(xué)約好了出去玩?？墒?，當(dāng)天我的車出了問題，晚了兩個(gè)小時(shí)才去接她，所以我一開頭就把事情弄糟了。
     有意無意做錯(cuò)事，說錯(cuò)話的情況是很經(jīng)常的。下面我們要講的一個(gè)俗語就是無意中說錯(cuò)了話而傷害了別人。這個(gè)俗語就是：to put your foot in your mouth。
     例如：When Sally told that silly joke about the sailor with one leg she really put her foot in her mouth. She didn't know the man across the dinner table had a brother at home in a wheelchair.
     薩莉吃晚飯時(shí)說了一個(gè)笑話，她拿一個(gè)只有一條腿的水手開玩笑。她可不知道坐在飯桌對(duì)面那個(gè)人的哥哥就是個(gè)殘廢，行動(dòng)都得靠輪椅。
     Sally如果事后了解情況的話肯定會(huì)說：Well, I certainly have put my foot in my mouth.
     又如：I certainly put my foot in my mouth at the party last night when I asked Mister Brown to say hello to his wife for me. Somehow I'd forgotten that his wife died six months ago.
     我昨晚在那個(gè)聚會(huì)上無意中說錯(cuò)了話。我讓布朗先生替我向他的太太問好。不知怎么回事，我忘了他太太已經(jīng)在半年前去世了。