●washed-up a. 不再成功、不行了，且翻身無望的
Unlike her mother who has become washed-up, she did create a sensation in her first show.
與她母親後來星途沉寂不同，她在首場已引起轟動。

●master-stroke n. 絕招
The dime store's buy-one-get-three sale is really a master-stroke, allowing it to gain a larger market share.
那平價店的買一送三大優惠，堪稱高著，使它取得更大的市場占有率。

●a nine days' wonder （能）引起大眾轟動或興奮的人或事，沒多久卻被人遺忘；轟動或受歡迎程度曇花一現。
The new entertainment magazine was just a nine days' wonder.
該新娛樂雜誌令人趨之若鶩，但事過境遷，這熱潮只是曇花一現而已。

●come a cropper 慘敗
The recovering and recycling program of discarded computers has finally come a cropper.
廢棄電腦回收及循環再用計畫最終完全失敗。

●in a groove 因循守舊、一成不變
A man, stuck in a groove, is not able to break fresh ground. He can only become a real trendsetter after getting out of it.
一個墨守成規的人，勢難創新，唯有跳出框框，才能真正開風氣之先。

●in a rut 因循守舊、一成不變
I feel myself being in a rut and losing my life goal.
我發覺自己停滯不前，失去人生目標。
 
在此可稍稍解釋一下"groove"及"rut"兩字：
"groove"是堅硬表面上刻出的坑槽、凹痕等，如以前黑膠唱片上的坑紋、車輪所印下的車轍都是；"be stuck in／ be trapped in／fall in／get into／stay in a groove"就是「長時落入窠臼中而未能從中跳出」。
 
至於"rut"，則專指車輪（印在軟地上的）轍跡，轉喻「刻板不變的生活方式」。故可以說"in a groove"與"in a rut"意思差不多，皆解作「故步自封、一成不變」。