你以为 birthday suit 是生日西装，太天真了！

大家都知道英语中很多短语我们是不能直译的，我们就必须知道多多积累其本土文化，才能真正地了解它的内在含义。

比如这句“birthday suit”是不是很多小伙伴都会搞错呢！

People said to be in their birthday suit are as naked as the day they were born.

所谓的生日西装是指“赤*身*裸*体”，

就像我们出生那天一样。

没错，birthday suit = nakedness

🌰举个例子

The towel fell off, and there he was in his birthday suit!

浴巾掉了，他一丝不挂地出现在那里！

Fold like a cheap suit

Fold 作为动词，意思是“折叠”，而作为名词的意思是“褶痕”。也许因为便宜的西装由于其材料薄而更容易起皱，fold like a cheap suit 的意思是“没什么阻力便服从、屈服或放弃”。（To offer little resistance; to submit, yield, or give up very easily）🌰举个例子The suspect folded like a cheap suit after some pressure from the prosecution, signing a full confession for the crime.在检方的压力下，嫌疑人轻易便屈服了，签署了认罪书。

Suit down to the ground

上面两种用法中，suit 的意思都是“西装、套装”，而 suit 还有“合适”的意思。Suit down to the ground 指“情况非常理想，非常合适”。（to be ideal for one）🌰举个例子I'm cold all the time, so this hot weather really suits me down to the ground.我经常感觉很冷，所以这种炎热的天气真的很适合我。

Clothes make the man

我们常说的“人靠衣装”，在英语中相应的说法是 clothes make the man 。🌰举个例子You can judge a man's character based on his clothing and appearance.你可以根据一个人的衣着和外表来判断他的性格。《哈姆雷特》中，莎士比亚笔下的波洛尼乌斯（Polonius）说过："The apparel oft proclaims the man."Apparel指“(尤指正式场合穿的)衣服，(商店出售的)服装”。前缀 pro + claim = proclaim 意为“宣告、宣扬；明确显示”。虽然与 clothes make the man 用词并不完全一样，但意思都是相通的。🌰举个例子I'm not surprised John was fired for cause—he never dressed professionally, and the clothes make the man.我对约翰被解雇的原因并不感到惊讶——他从来不穿正装，而人靠衣装。

好啦，今天的小知识点，你学会了嘛？