English Idioms - 1 Nip It In The Bud Translations: 扼杀在萌芽状态 (?), étouffer/tuer dans l'oeuf Frequency: Seldom Description: "Nip" in this case means to cut something. A bud refers to a bud of a flower (蓓蕾). When you cut a plant near the bud, the plant will stop growing in that direction. To "nip something in the bud" means to stop its growth and control a situation, by ending it early. Examples: "We got a few spam emails from that company, so we decided to nip the problem in the bud by calling their manager and demanding he remove our email from their list". "Our new TV started behaving strangely, so we decided to nip it in the bud by getting a replacement, before it stopped working entirely" Let Nature Take Its Course Translations: 聽其自然, laissez faire la nature Frequency: Seldom Description: "Let nature take its course" is used to describe a situation where we must let time pass and let things happen naturally. This is often used with things like plants or animals, because they are part of nature. Examples: "The plants already have enough food and water. We just have to let nature take its course and hope that they will grow." Possessed (By The Devil) Translations: 走火入魔 Frequency: Seldom Description: We say this jokingly, when someone or something is acting very very crazy. It's often a joke when used for an inanimate object. If something is "possessed" it means some (evil) spirit has entered their mind, and now controls their thinking and behavior. Examples: "Your microwave is making strange noises! I think it's possessed!" Idiom Frequency: Common - used often. might be heard twice in the same day. Seldom - not used very often. might be heard twice in the same week. Rare - almost never used, but most people know what it means.