wink and nod 暗盤

It means that the speaker was saying one thing in public, but he actually intended something rather different. The gesture of making "a nod and a wink" is a secret sign to your own supporters that tells them you're not being entirely straightforward, or you really mean something different. It's a way to reassure them using coded language that they will understand, but the general public won't.

A "theatrical" nod and wink would be one that's really obvious, so just about everybody will know what he really means - but since he doesn't actually say it outright, he can still deny saying it later if he has to.

shoe in 最有可能得到

shoe in = to be gauranteed OR to be most likely to 

get

He is a shoe-in for the job = He is gauranteed the 

job OR He is most likely to get the job.

paper over something 權宜之計

paper over something also paper something over

to solve a problem temporarily They papered over their disagreements in order to end the meeting on a positive note. She has asolid record of bridging differences between groups, not just papering them over.

tick somebody off 使某人生氣

tick somebody off (spoken) also tick off somebody

to make someone angry It just ticks me off to think that anyone who wants to can read my e-mail. It was only a suggestion, not acriticism, and she didn't think it would tick off everyone at the meeting.

chew over 仔細思考

chew over

vb

1. (tr, adverb) to consider carefully; ruminate on

cut someone slack on something 給一點好處

To cut someone slack on something is to give them a break/do them a favor/give them some leeway

rule of thumb 重要的原則

rule of thumb

n. pl. rules of thumb

A useful principle having wide application but not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable in every situation.