Foreigners say count to ten, not to let you "count to ten", and it is embarrassing to make a mistake

count to ten

count to ten literally means "count to ten",

But when you're angry,

Foreigners say "count to ten" and want you to:

Take a moment to calm down

(Similar to what we often call "take a deep breath, calm down")

Here is an English explanation of this slang:

To take a moment to calm down, especially when angry, before doing anything rash or hasty. Used as an imperative, it can but doesn't necessarily mean to literally count to the number ten.

Before doing anything flippant or hasty, take a moment to calm yourself down, especially when you're angry. Generally used with a command tone, it can but does not necessarily mean literally counting to ten.

Similar to Chinese saying that you should think twice before doing something risky, it is not really thinking about it three times, it means thinking seriously, thinking repeatedly and then making a decision.

example:

Before you tell him what you think of him, count to ten.

Think twice before you tell him what you think of him.

take ten is not "take ten"

Okay, here's the scene

Your boss is in a meeting with you

When he said something, it was over

Say to everyone:

“All right, fellas, take ten.”

What would you think?

All right, comrades, let's pick up ten ???

How does it not feel right?

Take ten here actually means "take a break."

Similar to it is take five

If someone tells you to take five or to take ten, they are telling you to have a five- or ten-minute break from what you are doing.

If someone says take five or take ten, they mean telling you to take a 5 or 10 minute break in between what you're doing.

The players took ten during the long rehearsal.

In the middle of a long rehearsal, the actors rested for ten minutes.

I've been painting all morning, can I please take ten?

I've spent the morning, can I rest for ten minutes?

at sixes and sevens

At sixes and sevens are fixed phrases meaning "messy" or "messy." At sixes and sevens first appeared in the 14th century, referring to the game of dice throwing with all your wealth, the goal is to throw six or seven, the risk is quite high (the name of the game has been lost, so it is not clear why the dice can still throw 7); It was not until the mid-17th century that the meaning of the phrase changed, and most of the meanings were in a very chaotic state.

The kitchen is at sixes and sevens.

This kitchen is a mess.

six and two threes

In one case, the difference between the two can be almost negligible; That is, basically the same, almost. Six and two threes literally, is "one six and two threes", in fact, do arithmetic, you understand that a six is not equal to two threes! Therefore, Six and two threes is also half a pound and eight two, which means that they are comparable to each other. (In ancient times, one pound was equal to sixteen two, so half a pound was equal to eight two)

We can play basketball or badminton，it’s six and two threes to me.

We can play basketball or badminton, and it's the same for me.

Have you learned anything today?

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