华人生活在加拿大，日常生活里不论是言谈或阅读，往往遇到一些容易弄错的字眼。如果不加辨别，就会“似懂非懂”，甚至闹出笑话。您有没有曾经因为语言、文化上的不习惯，在日常的英语应用上有过误会/小笑话。下面就是一些平时生活上常见的例子。

　　（1）no standing 与free-standing：no standing 意思是不准在此停车（即使司机还在车上也不行）也就是“don’t stop”或“no car at all”，通常用在大城市交通十分拥挤的地方。至于“on parking”，意思也是不准在此停车，但司机还可以坐在车里一段时间，必要时，可随时移动车子，也就是“you may stay in your car for a short period of time。”

　　例如：Walking along the street, I saw a “no standing” sign.（走在路上，我看到一个“不准停车”的路牌。）In New York City there are many “no standing” signs (posted) on the streets.（在纽约市，路上有许多“不准停车”的牌子。）“No parking” signs sprang up around the school campus.（校园里出现一些“不准停车”的路牌）spring up = appeared(动词时态：spring, sprang, sprung)也就是说：……Signs were put up around……（put up是竖立的意思）但是free-standing是形容词，意思是独立式的，多指为特别用途而盖的单独建筑物或指一大建筑特的某种装饰。（individual or separate building for a specific purpose）

　　例如：There is a new free-standing restaurant near the downtown area.（在市中心区附近有座新的独立餐馆）Mr. A built a free-standing shoe store behind the mall.（A先生在采购中心后面盖了一栋独立鞋店）The free-standing design does not overpower the rest of the buildings surrounding it.（这种独立式的设计，不会影响其他建筑物的外观。）（overpower=distract压倒或扰乱）

　　(2)break the house与housebreak：housebreak（动词时态是：housebroke，housebroken）是指训练狗、猫等宠物，使其能在指定的地点大、小便，以保持家里的卫生（to train pets to live proper hygience at home）

　　例如：The dog (或cat) has been housebroken.或My dog is housebroken.(多半用被动语态)但也有人用主动语态

　　例如：He needs to housebreak his dog (cat). Pet owners should housebreak their dogs and cats.（宠物主人应该训练狗猫的卫生习惯。）或Housebreaking is necessary for cats and dogs.但是“break the house”是指破坏了房子。

　　例如：Accidentally, he broke the house by backing up his car.（他倒车时，意外碰坏了房子。）（broke=damaged）或The house was broken by a hurricane.（风破坏了房子。）但用在赌场（casino）时，又指赢了一大笔钱（won lots of money）

　　例如：The man broke into the house and stole some jewelry.(这里的broke into是指用武力而偷窃=robbed或burglarized)

　　（3）kick off与tip off：kick off意思是指任何事情的正式开始（officially start or begin something）（有时也指球赛）

　　例如：Our school has recently kicked off a mass fundraising campaign.（我们学校最近发动一次大规划的筹款运动）We will kick off the no-smoking drive.（我们将要发动戒烟运动）They are going to kick off the football game tomorrow.（他们明天正式开始足球赛）多半是用主动语态，有时也用被动。

　　例如：The fund –raising campaign was kicked off by a millionaire.（一位百万富翁发起捐款运动）但是，tip off 虽然也指开始，不过多半是指篮球开赛前，裁判开球让两边球员跳球。(the beginning of official basketball game)

　　例如：The players tipped off the basketball game at 2:00 yesterday afternoon.（篮球赛于昨天下午两点开始）注意：to tip（someone）off意思又是通知某人（to inform someone）

　　例如：I will tip him off about this breaking news.（我要告诉他最新消息）（breaking=latest）（有时也用tip off him about……）

　　（4）block out与black out：
　　to block out意思是草拟大纲或订出某种计划（to plan something ahead）

　　例如：Her boss prefers her to block out her annual vacation time.（老板要她订出每年度假的时间）I will have to block out a time for completing my dissertation.（我要订出完成论文的时间）但是black out的意思，多半是指停电（no electricity）

　　例如：There was a black out in our city yesterday.（昨天本市停电）（当名词用）California has experienced many black-outs this year.（今年加州有多次停电的经验）（名词多数）I will voluntarily black out the lights in order to save money on my energy bill.（我为了省电费而自顾关灯）（当动词用）

　　（5）off course与of course：
　　off course意思是偏离方向或越出指定的范围。（out of line or in a wrong direction）

　　例如：The ship was 20 miles off course.（船偏离航向二十英里）He steers this young woman’s life off course.（他误导这位青年女子走上歧途）The marathon runner was of course.（马拉松跑者偏离了指定的路线）（not in the designated area）She felt he was off course in learning English.（她觉得他学习英语偏离正确方向）反之，“on course”就是正确方向（right direction）

　　例如：Mr. Bush is trying to put this country’s economy on course.（布希先生设法使美国经济走上正轨）但是“of course”意思是当然或自然（as a matter of fact）

　　例如：Of course, we will have turkey for Thanksgiving. They, of course, are excellent students in my class.（他们当然是我班上最好的学生）

　　（6）wanted poster与want ad：
　　wanted poster通常是指通缉公告。

　　例如：I saw several FBI wanted posters in the post office.（我在邮局看到几张联邦调查避的通缉布告）或FBI agents are looking for five most wanted (criminals). (criminals可省去)（联邦调查局人员正在通缉五大犯人）（FBI=Federal Bureau of Investigation）但是wand ad多半是指报章杂志所刊登的人找事或事找人的广告。(ad=advertisement)

　　例如：If you need a job, check the want ads in the newspaper.或He got a job through a newspaper want ad.（他从报纸的广告里找到一份工作）至于“help wanted”是指“需要帮手”（need a helper）而“job wanted”系指“需要工作”（need a job）

　　例如：I will put a help wanted ad in our local newspaper（我要找帮手而登广告）He has placed a job wanted ad in the newspaper.（他要找工作而登广告）

　　（7）to tidy up与to tie up：
　　to tidy up意思是整理或清理（to clean up）（动词的时态是：tidy，tidied，tidied）

　　例如：He is tidying up his house (desk, car, etc.) I have tidied up my study (room).(room可省去)（我已清理我的书房）He has to tidy up his office before her husband’s parents come to visit.（在她公婆来访前，她清理房子）

　　例如：His money is all tied up in stocks.（他的钱全部套牢在股票上）My schedule will be tied up tomorrow. Mr. A can not see her right now; he is all tied up.（A先生此刻不能见她，因为他正忙得不可开交。）I was tide up in traffic yesterday.（昨天我塞车）至于“to tie up loose ends”又是一个十分常用的片语，意思是收拾零碎东西或完成某事。（to finish up something）（tie的本意是打捆或打，其动词时态是：tie，tied，tied，tying或tieing）

　　例如：Mr. Lee has to tie up loose ends before moving to New York.（李先生搬到纽约前，必须办完零碎事情。）（诸如打包行李等） Prior to my retirement, I have to tie up loose ends.（我在退休前必须办完一些零碎的事情）

　　（8）to play pool与go to the pool：
　　to play pool意思是打弹子台球（billiards），也叫撞球或落花流水袋台球。

　　例如：Teenagers enjoy playing pool.（青少年喜欢玩撞球）We are going to play pool today.但是to go to the pool意思是去游泳，是指swimming pool

　　例如：I love to go to the pool everyday.（我喜欢每天去游泳）不过pool还有“一群人”的意思（a group of people）

　　例如：We have a pool of good candidates to choose from.（我们有一群候选人可以挑选）There are diverse pools of people listening to the presidential debates.（有不同的人群听着总统候选人的辩论）

　　（9）surgeon general与chief surgeon:
　　Surgeon general是美国公共卫生部部长，也就是掌管美国三军、联邦、州政府大众健康的最高官司员(chief medical officer for the U.S. public health services)(也许因为与美国军队有关，故用“general”)

　　例如：The Surgeon General was appointed by the President of the U.S.(美国公共卫生部部长是由总统任命)但是, chief surgeon 是指一般医院的手术室主任) Normally, the chief surgeon will perform the most delicate operations.(通常手术室主任施行最复杂的手术)

　　（10）in line与on the line：
　　in line有许多意义，但最常用的意思是服从，不越轨，或按次序（obey，control or in the order）

　　例如：The government is trying to keep the price of gas in line（政府正设法控制汽油的价格）The prison guards are keeping the prisoners in line.（监狱的警卫保持犯人不越轨）He is in line for the next promotion.（下次轮到他升级）I am standing in line to buy a movie ticket.（我按次序排队购买电影入场券）反之，out of line就是出格，不妥或举止不当：

　　例如：His opinions are out of line with reality.（他的意见是不合实际的）I am being out of line by suggesting this plan。（我提出这个计划不太妥当）然而，（something）on the line意思又是“以某种事物为赌注或冒险”。

　　例如：Many police have put their lives on the line。（许多警察都冒着生命的危险）（动词多半用put）As a firefighter, he puts his life on the line.也有人用在其他方面：

　　例如：If you continue to be hostile toward me, our friendship will be on the line.（假如你继续与我敌对，我们的友谊就有危险）His job may be on the line of he does not listen to his boss.还有，on-line又是指自动化，电脑化。

　　例如：All the libraries in the U.S. are on-line.（美国所有图书馆都是电脑化）On-line businesses have become very popular.（商业电脑化已很流行）

　　（11）gifted child与exceptional child:
　　gifted child一般是指IQ很高的孩子；美国中、小学也有gifted and talented program（简称G and T program）现在也叫magnet program。但是exceptional child是指特殊儿童，可能是指EQ很高，也可能指low IQ，除非在句子里特别说明，否则一般老外倒认为是智商较低或retarded child。

　　例如：There are many gifted hildren in her class.（她班上有很多智商很高的孩子）Exceptional children need more intense instructions in our educational system. (intense instructions是close attention意思)（我们教育制度需要注意特殊学生的教学）（指低能孩子）或We need more funding for exceptional childrens’ education.（对待特殊教育，我们需要更多的经费。）（指低能孩子）Ivy League universities accept exceptional students.（常春藤名校接受资优学生）He has many exceptional students who scored very high on their SAT.(他有许多SAY成绩很好的资优生)也可以说：On the basketball court, he is an exceptional player.（的篮球场上，他是最好的队员。）注：美国政府对低能孩子的教育，反而十分重视，因为政府希望低能学生也能成为社会有用的份子。(They can be more productive members of society.)