| 释义 |
save one's breath save (one's) breathTo spare the effort of saying something, doing something, or making an appeal that will be futile. Save your breath, Tom. There's no way they'll agree to the deal. I was going to complain to the phone company about the extra charges, but I decided to save my breath.See also: breath, savesave one's breathRefrain from arguing about a lost cause, as in You can save your breath; I'm not going to change my mind. This term was also put as save your breath to cool your porridge (or broth), that is, by not blowing on the too hot liquid. The idea of not expending one's breath to say something another person doesn't want to hear dates from the early 1700s. See also: breath, save |