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36. Gordian knot: This is an idiom derived from ancient Greek legends. “Gordian” is an adjective form of Gordius, who was a king in Asia Minor in the 4th century BC. He tied together the shafts and yokes of a cart with a rope, creating a knot whose end could not be found; he claimed that whoever could untie this intricate Gordian knot would be able to rule Asia. No one has ever untied this knot. By the 3rd century BC, Alexander the Great drew his sword and swiftly severed that Gordian knot. Since then, the Gordian knot has been used to refer to \"problems that are difficult to solve,\" while \"cutting the Gordian knot\" means resolving complex issues in a decisive manner: The deceased old man did not leave a will, and the distribution of his property was a Gordian knot. The late man had no will, and deciding how to distribute his assets was a serious challenge. The new chief found it so hard to cooperate with his staff members that he decided to cut the Gordian knot by replacing them all. The new manager found it extremely difficult to work together with his subordinates, so he decided to resolve the problem by replacing them all. 37. Gravy train: I’m not sure if you’ve come across the phrase “gravy train,” but in any case, don’t imagine it as some kind of train. One meaning of “gravy” is “a meat juice flavored with flour or similar ingredients” (the juice that comes out of meat during cooking, thickened with flour, etc., to be served with meat and vegetables); this meaning has gradually evolved to refer to “something good”. From the 1860s to the mid-20th century, \"gravy\" was often used as slang in plays, especially comedies, to mean a \"simple character\". Another basic meaning of “gravy” is “money or profit,” and this meaning emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. By around 1910, “gravy” had come to mean “money that is obtained easily and unexpectedly” (profit or benefit, especially if unexpected or easily acquired). Around 1930, this meaning became more specific, referring specifically to “money that is obtained easily through improper means, i.e., ill-gotten money” (money that is unearned or obtained illicitly; graft), and this meaning is still in use today. Gravy train is a phrase formed from the extended meaning of \"gravy,\" meaning \"an opportunity to make a lot of money with little effort, a job that is easy but yields high profits.\" ； “A lucrative position, an easy way to make money” (something that allows many people to earn profits with little effort, and therefore something people want to get involved in). The phrase “ride the gravy train” then refers to the act of seeking out such a lucrative position. Conversely, we use expressions like “fall off the gravy train” or “the gravy train hasn’t derailed” to indicate losing such an easy source of income. However, all of the above are slang expressions; they are not used in formal situations. 38.Greasy spoon: Greasy means greasy, and spoon refers to a ladle, that is, a soup spoon. The words “Greasy” and “spoon” together refer to those small restaurants that are a bit like husband-and-wife run establishments. These small restaurants generally have a limited variety of dishes on their menu, their tableware doesn’t seem to be very clean, and the decoration is simple, but the food tastes good and the prices are fair. Example: “Honey, let me take you out for dinner. But you know I don’t feel like getting dressed up to go to a fancy place. How about just going down the street to that cheap restaurant and getting hamburgers?” It means: “Dear, let me take you out for dinner.” However, I really don’t want to go to those fancy restaurants dressed in a formal way. How about we go to that small restaurant over on the street to eat hamburgers?” Or again: “Mike, you should try the potstickers at that little Chinese restaurant on New York Avenue. It looks like a cheap restaurant, but the potstickers are great and the prices are low.” He said, “Mike, you need to go to that Chinese restaurant on New York Avenue and try their potstickers. That restaurant doesn’t look very good, but their pancake-like dishes taste great and the prices are low. ” 39.Guinea pig For hundreds of years, scientists have conducted experiments on animals in medical research. One of the animals commonly used for experiments is the guinea pig, which is called “guinea pig” in English. When people see this word for the first time, they might think it refers to a pig from West Africa, **Guinea**, but in reality guinea pigs are much smaller than pigs and more similar in appearance to rats. Moreover, the earliest guinea pigs in the United States did not come from Guinea but from Brazil in South America. Later on, the term “guinea pig” gradually acquired other meanings, and was no longer just a name for an animal. Now, the term “guinea pig” usually refers to “an object or person used for a certain experiment.” For example: The army may choose a hundred soldiers as guinea pigs to test drive a new tank (The army might select one hundred soldiers to test a new tank). People who enjoy cooking may like to invite some friends over for a meal, as they want those friends to try their cooking skills, acting in the role of guinea pigs. For example: I must try this new recipe out on someone; will you be my guinea pig? 40. Hand over fist: “Man, he was raking in the cash, hand over fist.” “Hand over fist” means in large quantities and quickly (i.e., amassing wealth). How did “hand over fist” come to mean this? "“Hand over fist” is the prototype of “hand over hand”; initially, its literal meaning was related to sailing, referring to certain tasks performed by sailors involving ropes, such as climbing ropes or using them to pull objects – actions that all required “hand over hand” (pulling by passing the rope from one hand to another). Because of the sailors’ work, “Hand over hand” later came to convey the meaning of “continuous progress” and “steady improvement”. It is often used to describe situations of ships chasing each other, and this phrase takes us one step closer to meaning \"a large number, in a rapid manner\". "When “hand over hand” evolves into “hand over fist,” it’s obvious that when you hold the rope tightly with your hand, it naturally forms a fist, right?