习语可以是一个词或短语，要理解习语的意思不能脱离其文化背景。习语一词的含义甚广，其蕴含的意义往往不能从词或词组的字面意思推测而得。习语在所有语言中都很常见。英语习语是日常英语的重要组成部分。在英语的书面语和口语中，存在海量的习语。
儒琴今日习语（Idiom of the Day)
nail your colours to the mast
英文解释
to make it obvious what your opinions or plans are； to defiantly display one’s opinions and beliefs; to show one’s intention to hold on to those beliefs until the end.
中文解释
nail your colours to the mast 该习语里的单词 colours 是旗子（flag）的意思。早期在欧洲海战中，如果一方的战舰桅杆上 Striking the colors （降旗），就标明该战舰要投降，接受战败的意思。
在海战中，人们还习惯将大炮对准敌舰的桅杆开火，从而使敌舰瘫痪。如果一艘船的桅杆全部折断，旗子降下来，船长通常除了投降别无选择。如果船长决定在这条遭到炮击的船上继续战斗，那就把从桅杆降下的旗子再挂在船上残存的桅杆索具上，也就是说 nail your colours to the mast （字面意思：把旗子钉在桅杆上）。而 nail your colours to the mast，引申意思是：绝不投降，继续战斗；明确表态；表明意图；明确宣布自己的观点, 毫不退让。
如果你 nail your colours to the mast，意思是你清楚而公开地陈述你对某事的观点、信仰，坚定自己的立场。
原文举例
It’s time to nail our colours to the mast and condemn this dreadful policy.
是我们下定决心谴责这一可怕政策的时候了
More businesses should nail their political colours to the mast. Silicon Valley is standing up to Trump, but it’s not just tech firms that ought to show moral leadership.
更多的企业应该明确自己的政治观点。硅谷正在对抗特朗普，但应该展现道德领导力的不只是科技公司。
Melissa Cohen, who is originally from South Africa, works as a documentary filmmaker and conservationist. She is said to be very passionate about wildlife and preservation, and a friend told the Daily Mail, “Mel has never been conventional and if there is something anti out there, then she will sign up and nail her colors to the mast. She loves animals and the wild and is fervently anti-poaching and lately she has become very vocal about antisemitism. She is very adventurous and still calls herself ”jungle girl” and loves to travel, always crashing out with old friends.” (thelist.com/ Feb. 13, 202)
梅丽莎·科恩来自南非，是一名纪录片导演和环保主义者。她的一个朋友告诉《每日邮报》说:“梅尔从来都不是一个保守的人，如果有什么反对的东西，她一定会报名，并坚定自己的立场。”她热爱动物和野外，并强烈反对偷猎，最近她对反犹主义的言论也非常响亮。她非常喜欢冒险，至今仍称自己为“丛林女孩”，喜欢旅行，经常和老朋友一起外出。
