sacred cow：神圣不可侵犯
Sacred cow這個說法源自本世紀初的印度。在印度，牛是神圣的，它們可以在馬路上大搖大擺地走，即使影響交通也無人敢碰它們，由于印度古時候的宗教習慣是保護它們的。但，作為習慣用語，sacred cow是指某個人，或某樣東西，從來沒遭到批評或嘲笑，即使在應該批評的時候也無人敢如此做，就像印度的牛一樣。
One of our biggest sacred cows is the national social security program which pays many older Americans a pension
大家最神圣不可侵犯的項目之一就是為美國老年人提供退休金的全國社會保障計劃。
This has become her sacred cow - nothing can change her schedule rain or shine.
這已經成為她神圣不可侵犯的活動了，啥事都不可以改變她的日程，真是雷打不動。
cash cow：搖錢樹
A cash cow is a business that is very profitable.收益豐厚的項目。
The new movie theater that they just opened by campus is a real cash cow.
學校旁邊新開的那家用電器影院真是個搖錢樹。
Play the lute1 to a cow: 對牛彈琴
也寫作to cast pearls before swine/ preach to deaf ears
指那些說話或寫東西不考慮到聽眾的人。 通常來講，是說話人或作者高估了聽眾或讀者，所以，這則成語嘲諷的主如果聽眾或觀眾，而不是說話者。
to kill the fatted calf2: 熱情款待或者歡迎離家多年的人
Sorry this meal isn't much, John. We didn't have time to kill the fatted calf.
約翰，非常抱歉，飯菜不多，大家來不及設宴歡迎你。
a bull in a china shop: 一只闖進了瓷器店的公牛
to often drop or break things because you move awkwardly or roughly.
牛犢在西方文化中總是是褒義的，公牛的形象則并不是這樣。雖然公牛很勇猛，但它總是表示鹵莽。a bull in a china shop（一只闖進了瓷器店的公牛）表示既笨拙而又有破壞性的人，有時又可以指明顯缺少機智的人。
While the wife was out, the husband tried to cook a meal in the kitchen, but he was just like a bull in a china shop.
老婆外出時，老公想在廚房做飯，結果弄得亂其八糟。
like a bull at a（five-barred）gate：做事情做得非常快，雷厲風行，快刀斬亂麻,
if you do something like a bull at a gate, you do it very quickly.
He wants to finish the shelves today so he's going at them like a bull at a gate.
他想今天把架子做好，所以做得飛快。
The Augean Stable ：奧吉亞斯的牛圈（骯臟的地方，藏垢納穢之所，積弊）
這種說法來源于古希臘神話中關于赫拉克勒斯的英雄傳聞。奧吉亞斯（Augeas）是古希臘西部厄利斯的國王。他有一個很大的牛圈，里面養了2000頭年（一說3000匹馬），30年來未清掃過，糞穢堆積如山，十分骯臟。因此，the Augean stable=very dirty place。在這里，stable除去泛指地址外，還可代表某些不好的的規范，下流的風俗和惡劣的作風等等。由此，大家用the Augean stable這個成語來比喻很地方或長期形成的積弊。它常比to clean, to cleanse3, to reform等動詞連用，表示to bring about a drastic reform in some public evil的意思。
Although they know it is not easy to reform the Augean stables of this sociey, they are still trying to do it
盡管他們了解革除社會積弊很不簡單，但他們仍然盡力去做。
The black Ox has trod on sbs foot: 災禍臨頭/某人已到老年
也寫作The black ox has trampled4 on sbs foot.
I know they have both suffered grief. They have has the black ox tread on their feet
我了解他兩個都遭不幸。他們嘗到了人世的悲痛。
have a cow ：擔憂，不高興，生氣.
I thought he was going to have a cow when I told him I'd lost his key.
我想當我告訴他我弄丟了他的鑰匙時他會非常生氣。
ox-eyed：大雙眼
The ox-eyed goddess joined her husband, noticed the heifer, praised its beauty, and asked whose it was and of what herd5
大眼女神走到老公身邊，注目于那頭小母牛，夸獎它的俊美，又問主人是哪個，是那個牛群。
fowls beak6 and ox buttocks:雞口牛后
preferable to lead in petty position than to follow behind greater leader
寧為雞口，無為牛后已廣為流傳，并讓人們常常用。它比喻寧可在局面小的地方自主，而不愿在局面大的地方聽人支配。
bull market：牛市
所謂牛市，也稱多頭市場，指證券市場行情常見看漲，延續時間較長的大升市。 此處的證券市場，泛指容易見到的股票、債券、期貨、選擇權、外匯、可出售定存單、衍生性金融產品及其它各種證券。
bull point:優勢，略勝一籌
A bull point for the Lancashire and Midland operators is the new monopoly position within the companies' own areas.
對蘭開廈和米律蘭的經營者來講，略勝一籌之處是他們在各自公司經營范圍內所確立的新的壟斷地位。
like a red rag to a bull：使人憤怒的, 讓人極端煩惱的
if a statement or an action is like a red rag to a bull, it makes someone very angry.
For Claire, the suggestion of a women-only committee was like a red rag to a bull.
設立僅有女人的委員會的建議徹底激怒了克萊爾。