The girl has an axe to grind with her boyfriend, because he is alway late for the dates.
这个女孩在生他男朋友的气,因为他总是约会迟到。
这个短语最常见的搭配是“have an axe to grind with sb.”。此用法最早于18世纪出于本杰明·富兰克林(Benjamin Franklin)所写的一则故事。富兰克林幼年时,在自家院子里遇到一个带有斧头的陌生人,那人称赞院子里的磨石(grind stone)很好,想看看好不好用,便让富兰克林转动磨石,而他自己在上面磨斧子。
Kevin:I can't believe it that you couldn't answer the question the teacher raised.
我不相信你回答不了老师提出的问题。
Rose:Of course I could, but I wouldn't.
我当然会,只是我不想回答。
Kevin:But why?
那为什么啊?
Rose:I didn't want to put him in an awkward situation as the question itself was wrong.
我不想使他难堪因为问题本身是错的。
Kevin:Oh my god!So you have an axe to grind.
我的天呐,原来你还另有想法。