今天要講的習慣用語都有這樣一個詞nerve。Nerve通常解釋為“神經”，但是它也有“勇氣”的意思。例如在我們要學的第一個習慣用語: get up the nerve裏，它就表示“勇氣”。
例句-1：I'm trying to get up the nerveto walk in and tell my boss I want a 20% raise or I'll look for another job where they'll pay me what I'm really worth.
我打算鼓起勇氣到老闆的辦公室去，告訴他我想加薪百分之二十，否則我就要另謀高就，到願意付給我應得報酬的地方去工作了。
有時候人們用work代替get，成為work up the nerve。我們再看個例子，說話的人很希望向他所鍾情的女孩求婚，但卻一直怯于啟齒。
例句-2：I've been going with Susan for three years and I'm crazy about her! For six months I've been trying to work up the nervetoask her to marry me, but I'm afraid all she'll do is laugh.
我和蘇珊已經約會了三年了，我對她一往情深。最近六個月來我一直想鼓起勇氣開口向她求婚，但我老覺得難以啟齒，因為我怕她會一笑了之。
我們再來學個習慣用語: have got a lot of nerve。在這個習慣用語裏，nerve不再解釋為“神經”或者“勇氣”，而是“魯莽”。
例句-3：You've really got a lot of nervetelling me I spend too much money! Remember, you are the one who goes up to New York every month and brings back a thousand dollars worth of stuff.
你也好意思說我花錢太多？你每個月都得去一次紐約，而且每次總要買一千多美元的東西！
這兒have got a lot of nerve是用來指責對方厚臉皮，或者太魯莽的說法，這個習慣用語通常是爭論中用的。還有一個習慣用語和這個說法意思一樣，而且也常用在爭吵的時候。它是: of all the nerve。Of all the nerve和have got a lot of nerve都可以用來說對方太莽撞甚至厚顏無恥。
例句-4：Of all the nerve! How dare you criticize me for being late in the morning. You're the one who sneak out half an hour early - at least I work a full eight hours every day!
真是大言不慚！你還說我早上遲到？你自己每天提前半小時就回家了，至少我每天都待夠八小時。
美國人還喜歡用chutzpah這個詞來代替nerve指責別人蠻橫或者厚顏無恥，看看下面的例子：
例句-5：The man murdered his father and mother, but at his trial he had the chutzpahto tell the judge that he shouldn't be sent to prison because his parents were dead and he was an orphan.
這人謀害了他的父母，但是在審判中他竟然恬不知恥地對法官說，他不該坐牢，因為他父母雙亡，是個孤兒。