Smell a Rat

feel that something is wrong
       感到不对劲儿

A: How come the front door is open? Didn't you close it before we went shopping?
B: I'm sure I did. I can't understand it.
A: Frankly, I smell a rat.
B: Me, too. I'm convinced that something is definitely wrong here.
A: We'd better call the police.

Go to the Dogs

become run-down

A: Have you seen their house lately? It's really gone to the dogs.
B: It's true that it has become run-down and in serious need of repair, but I'm sure that it can be fixed up to look like new.
A: I guess with a little carpentry work and some paint it could look pretty decent.

继续

       Fishy

Strange and suspicious

When the security guard saw a light in the store after closing hours, it seemed to him that there was something fishy going on. He called the central office and explained to his superior that he thought something strange and suspicious was occurring.

这也是scj自己打出来的吧

嘿嘿，是的，不过字数少不费啥劲。。。

    Take the Bull by the Horns

   Take decisive action in a difficult situation

Julie had always felt that she was missing out on a lot of fun because of her clumsiness on the dance floor. She had been putting off taking lessons, but she finally took the bull by the horns and went to a professional dance studio for help. She was tired of feeling left out and acted decisively to correct the situation.

  Horse of a Different Color

   Quite a different matter

Eric likes to play jokes on his friends, but he makes sure that nobody is hurt by any of his pranks. A prank that hurts someone is a horse of a different color! Being playful is one thing, but hurting someone by one’s prank is quite a different matter.

     Let the Cat Out of the Bag


                Inform beforehand

Bob was going to retire from teaching in June, and the foreign language department was planning on presenting him with some luggage at his retirement dinner. He wasn’t supposed to know about it, but someone let the cat out of the bag. At the dinner Bob acted surprised, even though someone had told him what he was getting before the official presentation.

         For the Birds

    uninteresting and meaningles
    毫无意义的；没趣的；乏味的

They went to a poetry reading, but they got bored and restless. As far as they were concerned, it was for the birds! They left during an intermission because they found the reading totally uninteresting and meaningless.