cul de sac: 死胡同，困境
1. a road which is closed at one end, so that there is only one way in and out
2. an unhelpful situation in which you cannot make any more progress
These ideas lead us into a philosophical cul-de-sac.
a grain of salt: 不可全信
A grain of salt is a literal translation of a Latin phrase——"grano salis". A pinch of salt may also be used. The phrase comes from Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia, regarding the discovery of a recipe for an antidote to a poison. In the antidote, one of the ingredients was a grain of salt. Threats involving the poison were thus to be taken "with a grain of salt" and therefore less seriously.
Take his words with a grain of salt. He always exaggerates.
devil's advocate: 唱反调的人
If you play devil's advocate in a discussion or debate, you express an opinion which you may not agree with but which is very different to what other people have been saying, in order to make the argument more interesting.
sniff out:发现, 寻找;
If you sniff out something, you discover it after some searching. (INFORMAL)
Reporters, the shoe-leather characters who sniff out a story, follow it and then edify the rest of us.
brush up：温习，重新学习
If you brush up something or brush up on it, you practise it or improve your knowledge of it.
It could help men brush up on their love letter writing skills.
weigh into:
1. 攻击: physically or verbally attack. 2. begin with enthusiasm and energy:
Neurologists Gilles de la Tourette and Jean-Martin Charcot were famous for their work on hypnosis and hysteria and weighed into the heated legal debate.
grok: <美俚>通过神入作用而理解,体验(神入)
If the graph is hard to grok, or appears tweaked too much, we cease to believe it.
high-tail：快溜迅速撤退
There was absolutely no difference between those who stayed in New Orleans and those who high-tailed it out.
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