Honest-to-goodness is a warm, informal way — a little old-fashioned, more American than British — of saying something is real, not fake, and often simple and good in a homely way. You almost always put it before a noun.

Honest-to-goodness is a warm, informal wayHonest-to-goodness是一種溫暖、非正式的說法 a little old-fashioned, more American than British帶點老派，比較偏美式而非英式 of saying something is real, not fake用來說某個東西是真的，不是假的 and often simple and good in a homely way而且常常是那種樸實、家常的好。You almost always put it before a noun你幾乎都把它放在名詞前面。

An honest-to-goodness farmer is a real farmer, not someone playing one on TV. Honest-to-goodness soup is the homemade kind, not from a can.

An honest-to-goodness farmer一個honest-to-goodness farmer is a real farmer, not someone playing one on TV是真正的農夫，不是在電視上演農夫的人。Honest-to-goodness soupHonest-to-goodness soup is the homemade kind, not from a can是自家煮的那種湯，不是罐頭湯。

It is a set phrase, like a mild promise that you mean it (“honest to goodness”). You do not build it fresh each time, and you do not use it as a stiff legal word for “honest.” It sounds like a grandparent talking, not like a textbook.

It is a set phrase這是一個固定片語 like a mild promise that you mean it (“honest to goodness”)就像是一個溫和的保證，說你是認真的（「honest to goodness」）。You do not build it fresh each time你不會每次臨時自己組出這個片語 and you do not use it as a stiff legal word for “honest.”你也不會把它當成「honest」的正式法律用語 It sounds like a grandparent talking, not like a textbook它聽起來像祖父母在說話，不像教科書。

A close, stronger cousin is honest-to-God; goodness here is probably a softer stand-in, though you do not need that history to use the phrase.

A close, stronger cousin is honest-to-God一個更接近、語氣更強的親戚是honest-to-God goodness here is probably a softer stand-in這裡的goodness大概是比較柔和的替代說法 though you do not need that history to use the phrase不過你不需要知道這段來歷也能使用這個片語。