ladies and gentlemen

Reader's Digest 12/1月合併号の記事 'Mind Your Manners' からの引用です。
Q: Can you still address a group as "ladies and gentlemen"? It seems like that might be misconstrued nowadays.
A: I read that announcements on the London Tube now begin with "Hello, everyone." Management says that this new language is more welcoming than "ladies and gentlemem," which they say "belongs to yesterday." These days, "ladies" are more apt to prefer being called women and "gentlemen," men. The beauty of "Hello, everyone" is that it speaks to all of us, including men, women, and those who identify as gender-fluid or nonbinary.

引用文の最後に出てきた "nonbinary" は先日(1/29/2020)取り上げたばかりですね。
・Collins Dictionary: relating to a gender or sexual identity that does not belong to the binary categories of male or female, heterosexual or homosexual

それにしても昔習った（使ったことはありませんが）スピーチを始める前の決まり文句　"ladies and gentlemen" が今や "politically correct" では無いとは！

crone

Somerset Maugham の短編小説 Redを読んでいます。
"Well, when Red came to the island it had recently been visited by one of those epidemics which the white man has brought to the South Seas, and one third of the inhabitants had died. It seems that the girl had lost all her near kin and she lived now in the house of distant cousins. The household consisted of two ancient crones, bowed and wrinkled, two younger women, and a man and a boy.
"crones" でクローン人間を連想したのですが、そんな人間がこんな話に出てくるはずはありません。辞書を見ます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: An old woman who is thin and ugly.: I would not give them to that old crone, despite what she promises you in return.

・Collins Dictionary: A crone is an insulting word for an old woman.: On it, curled up on a patchwork quilt, was an elderly crone in the foetal position.

日本語で言うと婆でしょうか？　婆も確かにやたらには使えない言葉ですね。
クローン人間のクローンは "clone" ですね。rとlの区別は相変わらず苦手です。
・Oxford English Dictionary: An organism or cell, or group of organisms or cells, produced asexually from one ancestor or stock, to which they are genetically identical.: In plants, large genomic DNA clones from one species were mapped by FISH on chromosomes from related species.

walk the talk

The Japan Times Jan.23 の記事からの引用です。
Paternity leave controversy: It’s time to walk the talk

Leading by example, Koizumi and his colleagues in the government may have a chance to change the mindsets of Japanese men about work and fatherhood.
...
Despite the strong push by the government for a more equitable sharing of child-rearing responsibilities, most people are still trapped in the traditional division of work between men and women. That is to say, men belong at work while women belong at home.
小泉大臣が育児休暇を取るとのニュースを話題にした記事で、内容からすると記事表題にある "walk the talk" は有言実行を意味する様ですが、辞書で確認します。
・Collins Dictionary: to put theory into practice: you can talk the talk but can you walk the walk?

・Cambridge English Dictionary: If you say that someone talks the talk but does not walk the walk, you mean that they do not act in a way that agrees with the things they say: When it comes to recycling he talks the talk but he doesn't walk the walk.
"talk the talk" (Oxford: Speak fluently or convincingly about something or in a way intended to please or impress others.)だとどこかの国の口達者な首相を連想しますが、"walk the talk" と、あるいは上記記事の表題で使われている "walk the walk" (Oxford: Suit one's actions to one's words.)だと有言実行になるのですね。

You bet your sweet life

Somerset Maugham の短編小説 Redを読み始めました。
The mate called one of the crew and gave him the order. The captain watched the Kanaka climb and waited for him to speak. But the Kanaka shouted down that he could see nothing but the unbroken line of foam. The captain spoke Samoan like a native, and he cursed him freely.
"Shall he stay up there?" asked the mate.
"What the hell good does that do?" answered the captain. "The blame fool can't see worth a cent. You bet your sweet life I'd find the opening if I was up there."
引用文の最後の箇所ですが、「俺ならサンゴ礁のない開口部を見つけられる」と言っている様なので "You bet your sweet life" は絶対に/必ずの意味だと推測しますが、慣用句の様なので辞書で確認します。
・Farlex Dictionary of Idioms: You can be absolutely certain that something will happen. Sometimes used ironically.: You bet your sweet life I'm going to that concert? I've been saving up for my ticket for months now!

・McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.: Inf. Fig. You can be absolutely certain of something! Mary: Will I need a coat today? Bill: You bet your sweet life! It's colder than an iceberg out there.; Bill: Will you be at the game Saturday? Tom: You bet your boots!

adopted home state

一昨日引用したReader's Digest 12/1月合併号の記事 'Mind Your Manners' の続きの箇所です。
I finally got a different doctor, although I wish I'd just said, "Please call me Steven." And that's my advice to you; Introduce yourself and ask folks to call you by your name (first or last). Learn theirs too. We all need to feel more connected.
One exception: In my adopted home state of North Carolina,just about everyone is "sweetheart."
"adopted home state" 文脈からしてこれは第二の故郷の意味でしょうね。辞書で確認します。
・Merriam-Webster: used or chosen in place of or in preference to an original: her adopted home/country

・Cambridge English Dictionary: An adopted country is one where someone chooses to live although they were not born there: Spain is my adopted country.

millennial / get my knickers in a twist

Reader's Digest 12/1月合併号の記事 'Mind Your Manners' からの引用です。
Q: At doctors' offices or local restaurants, the clerk or cashier--always younger than me--often calls me "honey" or "sweetheart." This burns me up! I don't think it's acceptable for someone younger to speak to me in this manner. What can I say to these people that won't make them feel bad?
A: Hello, generation gap! Believe me, I wasn't happy when millennials started calling me "sir" as soon as the salt exceeded the pepper in my hair, but I didn't umbrage. I figured it was better than, "Hey, you! Old man!" Yes, try to give a young person a break.
But I do get my knickers in a twist when I hear someone use a term of endearment to a client or guest, such as when my own doctor repeatedly called me "muffin" (which was not only unprofessional but also a little bit creepy).
恋人、夫婦間でも相手を "honey" とか "sweetheart" と呼ぶ習慣のない日本人としては興味深い悩み相談ですね。
ところで "millennials" と慣用句らしい "get my knickers in a twist" を調べます。
"millennials":
・Oxford English Dictionary: Denoting people reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century.: most social networking groups are dominated by the millennial generation

・Wiktionary: Of or relating to people born in the last two decades of the 20th century.: the millennial generation; He was suffering from a typical millennial problem: Which is the correct emoji to use?

"get my knickers in a twist":
・Oxford English Dictionary: informal British: Become upset or angry.: The Tories have really got their knickers in a twist over this.

・Urban Dictionary: Agitated, anxious, in a tizz. British, Strine, and New Zealand. Cf. panties in a knot.

イギリス英語ですね。
cf. Strine: Australian English, or the way that Australians pronounce English words

busybody

Reader's Digest １2/１月合併号の記事 'Mind Your Manners!' からの引用です。
I often hear people disparage those who use hadicapped-only parking spots, as if they are cheating. My mother injured her neck in a car accident and has permanent damage in her feet, legs, knees, and hips that makes walking difficult. To a stranger she looks fine, but parking at a distance is a challenge. Does she neet to carry a doctor's note to show busybodies?
"Busybody" は 10/8/2008 に取り上げましたが、語源が気になったので調べました。
WRITING EXPLAINED https://writingexplained.org/idiom-dictionary/busybodyにあった説明を引用します。
This term has a negative connotation and dates all the way back to the 1500s. It comes from the definition of busy meaning meddlesome or prying and body meaning person. Busy in this sense is now obsolete outside of this idiom.
Busybodies could try to pry into the affairs of others in many ways. They could directly ask personal questions to various individuals in an attempt to gain private information. Also, they might ask others for gossip about other individuals and could even spy on people.
Because busybody is not a polite thing to call someone, it is best to avoid doing so.
他人のことにやたらにお節介していたら忙しくなるのは当然ですよね。

kicking over the traces

Somerset Maughamの短編小説 "The Colonel's Lady" から引用します。
"I don't deny that I've had a bit of fun now and then. A man wants it. Women are different."

"We only have men's word for that," said Harry Blane, with a faint smile.

"Evie's absolutely the last woman I'd have suspected of kicking over the traces. I mean, she's a very fastidious, reticent woman. What on earth made her write the damned book?"

大佐の方にも不貞の気配を感じた友人から問われて大佐は男は別だなどと都合の良いことを言っています。
"kicking over the traces" も慣用句の様なので調べます。
・The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms : Break loose from restraint, misbehave. For example, There's always one child who'll kick over the traces as soon as the bell rings. This metaphoric expression alludes to the straps attaching a horse to a vehicle, which the animal sometimes gets a leg over in order to kick more freely and thereby refuse to move forward.

・Longman Dictionary: British English old-fashioned to start behaving badly by refusing to accept any control or rules: But perhaps even misogynists can kick over the traces.

・Cambridge English Dictionary: to behave badly and show no respect for authority

have it out

Somerset Maughamの短編小説 "The Colonel's Lady" からの引用です。
"It's not very pretty to put detectives on one's wife, old boy; and besides, taking for granted for a moment that Evie had an affair, it was a good many years ago and I don't suppose it would be possible to find out a thing. They seem to have covered their tracks pretty carefully."
"I don't care. You put the detectives on. I want to know the truth."
"I won't, George. If you're determined to do that you'd better consult someone else. And look here, even if you got evidence that Evie had been unfaithful to you what would you do with it? You'd look rather silly divorcing your wife because she'd committed adultery ten years ago."

"At all events I could have it out with her."

"You can do that now, but you know just as well as I do that if you do she'll leave you. D'you want her to do that?"

大佐は妻の不倫について友人の弁護士に相談に行き、探偵を雇うことを頼みますが、止めた方が良いとたしなめられています。"I could have it out with her." の個所が分かりません。 "have it out" が慣用句の様なので辞書を見ます。
・Oxford English Dictionary: Attempt to resolve a dispute or misunderstanding by confronting someone and engaging in a frank discussion or argument.: give her the chance of a night's rest before you have it out with her

・Wiktionary: To confront (someone) with a view to settling a conflict.: I'm not standing for this. I'm going to go and have it out with her right now.

・Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: to settle a matter of contention by discussion or a fight: thinks they just need to have it out

if she was a day

William Somerset Maughamの短編小説 "The Colonel's Lady" を読み始めました。
He supposed he'd been in love with her when he asked her to marry him, as least sufficiently in love for a man who wanted to marry and settle down, but with time he discovered that they had nothing much in common. She didn't care about hunting, and fishing bored her. Naturally they'd drifted apart. He had to do her the justice to admit that she'd never bothered him. There'd been no scenes. They had no quarrels. She seemed to take it for granted that he should go his own way. When he went up to London now and then she never wanted to come with him. He had a girl there, well, she wasn't exactly a girl, she was thirty-five if she was a day, but she was blonde and luscious and he only had to wire ahead of time and they'd dine, do a show and spend the night together. Well, a man, a healthy normal man had to have some fun in his life.
"she was thirty-five if she was a day" の "if she was a day" の意味が分からないので辞書を見ます。
OneLookの検索で次の二つの辞書の説明を見つけました。
・Oxford English Dictionary: At least (appended to a statement about a person's age): he must be seventy if he's a day’
・Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary: if he (or she) is a day at least (added to a statement about the age of a person or thing).: 1992 Shashi Tharoor Show Business Lawrence must be fifty if he's a day.
この用法は覚えるしかないですね。