今天的习语和一些不常见的鸟类有关：
① owl n. 猫头鹰 （元音发音参考how）
② coot n. 白骨顶/黑鸭（元音发音参考b oo t）
③ loon n. 潜鸟（元音发音参考boot）
④ rail n. 秧鸡（元音发音参考tail/pain）
⑤ dodo n.渡渡鸟（重音在前，元音发音参考so）
1. as stewed as an owl
字面意思：像炖熟的猫头鹰一样
实际意义：酩酊大醉
背景知识：在18世纪，猫头鹰与醉酒有关，所谓的煮熟的猫头鹰实际上是一只“醉酒的猫头鹰”。
例句 1：
Do you remember last night at the pub at all? You got as stewed as an owl!
你还记得昨晚在酒吧里吗？你酩酊大醉，活像一只醉酒的猫头鹰。
★If you describe someone as stewed as an owl, you mean they are very drunk. (old-fashioned use)
2. as bald as a coot
字面意思：像白骨顶一样没有头发
实际意义：完全秃头了
背景知识：这种水鸟，头具白色额甲，端部钝圆，身体其余部位均为纯黑或黑褐色，辉亮。
例句 2：
If Tom's hair keeps receding like that, he'll be as bald as a coot by the time he's thirty.
如果Tom一直像那样掉头发，30岁时他就完全秃头了。
★If you describe someone as bald as a coot, you mean they are completely bald as coots are water birds whose heads have the appearance of baldness. However, this doesn't refer to the lack of feathers on the bird's head, but to their white markings.
3. as crazy as a loon
字面意思：像潜鸟一样疯狂
实际意义：疯狂，怪异
背景知识：潜鸟是一种中等或大型水禽，它们雌雄同色，腿部健壮，擅长游泳和潜水；平常浮游于水面，起飞时需在水面助跑后才能飞起；当遇到危险时，常常潜水而逃，或沉入水中仅头露于水面，能下潜到水面以下60公尺(200尺)深处，堪为疯狂之举。
例句 3：
I know some of my students think I'm as crazy as a loon because of my weird teaching methods.
我知道一些学生因为我的教学方法怪异，而认为我有点疯狂。
★If you describe someone as crazy as a loon , you mean they are insane or eccentric , often in a joking way.
4. as skinny as a rail
字面意思：像秧鸡一样皮包骨头
实际意义：瘦小的跟一只鸡一样
背景知识：秧鸡是一种瘦小的沼泽鸟类，平均体长约23厘米，体重约90～95克，体形略似小鸡，但嘴、腿和趾均甚细长，适于涉水。
例句 4：
You want to play football? But you're as skinny as a rail — you'll get creamed!
你想去踢足球？可是你瘦得跟只鸡一样，你会被撞瘪，撞碎的。
★If you describe someone as skinny as a rail , you mean they are extremely thin .
5. as dead as a dodo
字面意思：像渡渡鸟一样死了
实际意义：不存在了，不再有兴趣了
背景知识：渡渡鸟是仅产于印度洋毛里求斯岛上的一种不会飞的鸟，于1681年灭绝。据说是在被人类发现后仅仅200年的时间里，便由于人类的捕杀和人类活动的影响彻底绝灭，堪称是除恐龙之外最著名的已灭绝动物之一。
例句 5-1
Tina bought a new dress yesterday, and the dress has a style as dead a dodo.
Tina昨天买了一件新的连衣裙，不过款式已经过时了。
例句 5-2：
That strange plan of yours is now as dead as a dodo。
你那个奇怪的计划，现在已经没有人对它感兴趣了。
★If you describe something as dead as a dodo, you mean they are no longer existing as the bird dodo is extinct and there is not much known about this bird, though it is often referenced as clumsy and idiotic, making its extinction inevitable.