Against the clock
Forced to hurry to meet a deadline
抢时间，争分夺秒
- The emergency services were working against the clock as the tide began to rise.
开始涨潮了，紧急救援机构正在争分夺秒地工作。
By the book
According to established procedure
照规矩办事
- This is a private deal - we don't have to do everything by the book.
这是笔私下的交易——我们没必要办什么事都循规蹈矩。
Back to the drawing board
Forced to begin something again
（失败后）重新开始，从头再来
- The USA will have to go back to the drawing board after their hiding from the Czech Republic.
而美国队在失掉与捷克队的比赛后，将会重新制定下一轮的作战部署了。
Busman’s holiday
A working vacation
照常工作的节假日
- Uncle Tom spent a busman's holiday working in his office.
汤姆叔叔的假日有名无实，整个假期他都在办公室。
Burn the midnight oil
Working late into the night
工作到深夜；熬夜工作
- If you often burn the midnight oil, you'll burn yourself out.
如果你经常开夜车，会把身体搞垮的。
Back to the salt mines
It’s time for me (us) to go back to work
返回工作岗位
- I'm not excited to get back to the salt mines on Monday.
我对周一回去上班提不起劲来。
Eleventh hour
The last minute
最后一刻，最后时刻
- We only received the signatures at the eleventh hour.
我们在最后一刻才收到签字。
In the works
Under development; coming soon
在筹备中；在完成中
- Changes to the system are already in the works.
对这个系统所做的改变已经在进行了。
Pencil something in
Make tentative arrangements
草拟，初定
- We'll pencil in the dates for the next two meetings and confirm them later.
我们将暂定一下接下来两次会议的日期，稍后再加以确认。
