A person who will not try anything new, will not join in, and wants everything to stay exactly as it is. Your friends want to try the new restaurant and he says let's go to the usual place; everyone is going swimming and she says she'll sit here and watch. You are calling that person boring and stubborn, so it is not a kind word — though how sharp it feels depends entirely on your voice.

A person who will not try anything new一個不肯嘗試新事物的人 will not join in不肯加入 and wants everything to stay exactly as it is而且希望一切都維持原樣的人。Your friends want to try the new restaurant朋友想去試新餐廳 and he says let's go to the usual place他卻說去老地方就好 everyone is going swimming大家要去游泳 and she says she'll sit here and watch她卻說她要坐在這裡看就好。You are calling that person boring and stubborn你是在說那個人無聊又固執 so it is not a kind word所以這不是一個好聽的詞 though how sharp it feels不過聽起來有多刺 depends entirely on your voice完全看你說話的語氣。

Said to a close friend with a smile, it is teasing. Said about someone behind their back, it is a real complaint.

Said to a close friend with a smile帶著笑對好朋友說的話 it is teasing算是開玩笑。Said about someone behind their back在背後這樣說某人 it is a real complaint就是真的在抱怨了。

It is informal, spoken, and slightly old-fashioned in a comfortable way; it sounds like something a parent or grandparent would say. Note that it points at a person's whole character, not one refusal — you are saying this is what they are always like.

It is informal, spoken這是口語的非正式用語 and slightly old-fashioned in a comfortable way而且帶點讓人覺得親切的老派 it sounds like something a parent or grandparent would say聽起來像父母或祖父母會說的話。Note that it points at a person's whole character要注意這是在說一個人整體的個性 not one refusal不是單一一次的拒絕 you are saying this is what they are always like你是在說這個人一直都是這樣。

The picture inside it is easy: think of a stick pushed into wet mud, standing there, going nowhere, while the water moves past it.

The picture inside it is easy裡面的畫面很簡單 think of a stick pushed into wet mud想像一根棍子插進濕泥巴裡 standing there站在那裡 going nowhere哪裡也去不了 while the water moves past it水卻從旁邊流過去。

The plural is 'stick-in-the-muds'.

The plural is複數是 'stick-in-the-muds''stick-in-the-muds'。