1. Spin one's wheels 白忙活,做无用功
You are just spinning your wheels trying to get a raise; the boss is a tightwad.
老板是个吝啬鬼,你想让他涨工资无疑是在做无用功。
释义:
spin:转动
wheel:车轮
疯狂联想:一辆汽车陷入泥浆地里,不管司机怎么发动引擎、踩油门,车轮只是空转。这个短语最适合那种花了精力而又毫无进展的局面。
2. Spread oneself thin 身兼多职,过分劳累
With the end of the year, I have to spread myself thin to work in several departments at the same time.
年终了,我不得不身兼多职同时在几个部门工作。
疯狂联想:某人承担了太多的工作或责任,像个石碾子把他碾得太薄了,分身无术。