on the hot seat

[英语俚语]坐立不安

Knowing the new leader will come, he is now on the hot seat.

听说新领导要来，他坐立不安，心神不定。

注解：

seat指座位，hot为灼热的，to be on the hot seat指坐在灼热的椅子上，喻指如坐针毡，心神不定。

under the thumb

[俗]在某人的掌股之下，受控于某人

Some teachers wish to keep their students under their thumbs.

有些老师希望学生们完全处于自己的影响之下。

Tom is unwilling to be under his father’s thumb, so he decided to leave his home.

汤姆不愿意受他爸爸的控制，所以决定离家出走。

注解：

 
under意指在下面，thumb意指大拇指；

under the thumb系指在某人的大拇指底下，喻指被 掌握在某人手中、在某人的控制之下。