【谚语】Beggars cannot be choosers. 叫花子不能挑肥拣瘦；饥不择食。
【巧妙】I would have preferred a bed, but beggars can’t be choosers so I slept on the sofa. 我本想要张床，但是叫花子不能挑肥拣瘦，所以我就睡在沙发上了。

【谚语】Once bitten, twice shy. 一次被咬，下次胆小；一次上当，下次小心。
【巧用】She certainly won’t swim again―once bitten, twice shy. 她肯定不再游泳了――所谓一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳。

【谚语】It never rains but it pours. 不雨则已，一雨倾盆。/ 灾祸等不发生则已，一发生便接踵而至。
【巧用】First his car broke down, then he lost my key: it never rains but it pours! 先是他的汽车出了故障，接着又丢了钥匙，真是祸不单行!

【谚语】What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. 适用于一人也一定适用于另一人。
【巧用】If you can arrive late then so can I: what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. 你可以迟到，那我也可以晚来：一视同仁嘛。

【谚语】(There is) no smoke without fire. 无火不生烟；谣言也总是事出有因。
【巧用】He’s denied going out for a walk with her, but of course there’s no smoke without fire. 他不承认和她一起出去散过步，但自是空穴来风喽。

【谚语】That’s (just) sour grapes. 吃不到葡萄反而说葡萄酸（用以指某人因得不到某事物而佯称该事物不好）。
【巧用】He says he didn’t want to get that prize, but that’s just sour grapes. 他说自己反正不想获奖，那不过是吃不到葡萄反而说葡萄酸罢了。