VOA词汇掌故2023--'Watch My Dust!'

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning¹ English.

Dust is very small pieces of earth or other matter. It is so fine it floats in the air. And it gets everywhere.

Inside, it covers our floors, our belongings², and other surfaces. Outside, it covers things as well. And a small wind can blow dust into our eyes and mouth.

When we drive a car on dry ground, it can create a dust cloud. And when we run in a foot race, we can kick up a lot of dust, too.

That is why we have the expression eat my dust. It means you are ahead of someone. They are behind you and must deal with the dust you have made.

Sometimes, we also say watch my dust. This means you are so sure of winning that you are telling others they will lose.

We often use these expressions to talk about a race or a competition.

Using the same reasoning, if you leave someone in the dust, you have left them far behind. Again, you have won some kind of competition and you have won big!

However, if something bites the dust, it has failed.

To bite the dust can mean suffering defeat. It can also mean something comes to an early end or is no longer useful. For example, if my old car dies on a long road trip, I can say my car bit the dust. In the past ten years, many technologies have bitten the dust.

Sometimes, this expression means death in battle. But used this way, bite the dust is very informal and not respectful³.

Our last "dust" expression is when the dust settles. In a dust storm, it is very difficult to see. When the dust settles, you can finally see clearly.

So, we use this expression to talk about the calm and clarity⁴ that comes after a big change or time of confusion⁵. We often use it as advice or a warning. It is often a good idea to wait for a situation to calm down before making a big decision.

For example, let's say you are moving to a new city and changing jobs. You will be very busy. So, you can tell your friends that you will contact them when the dust settles. In other words, you will contact them when things calm down.

Words in This Story

informal – adj. suited for use between friends and family but not perhaps professional relationships

clarity – n. the quality of being easily seen or heard

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

3 respectful   

adj.恭敬的，对...表示尊敬的

参考例句：

• He is respectful to his elders.他对长辈很尊敬。
• She received guests with a respectful attitude.她恭恭敬敬地接待了客人。

4 clarity   

n.清澈，透明，明晰

参考例句：

• His writing has great clarity of style.他的写作风格清晰易懂。
• Mozart's music is characterized by its naivety and clarity.莫扎特的音乐特色是纯朴兴清澈。

5 confusion   

n.困惑，迷乱，混淆，混乱，骚乱

参考例句：

• His answers to my questions have only added to my confusion.他对我的问题的回答只是使我更加困惑不解。
• His unexpected arrival threw us into total confusion.他的突然来访使我们完全不知所措。