英語 hot 的涵義，有多重意思，用法和搭配，視乎不同情況而異：
1. Hot 熱的，主要指高温度 high in temperature，其用法最普遍；very hot = stifling/sweltering/unbearably hot 天氣酷熱 令人渾身不舒服；boiling/scalding/steaming hot 液體熱得燙手；piping hot food 是熱騰騰的食物；熾熱的金屬可以說 red hot 或 white hot。
2. 辣的，主要指辛辣的食物，spicy, pungent, peppery food, such as a hot Indian curry。
3. 強烈的 = causing strong feelings，多用於強烈的感情，meaning similar to intense, passionate, fervent：血氣方剛，容易激動，hot-blooded；引起爭論的議題 hot issue, hot topic，熱點話題 a hot button。
4. 流行、時髦、走紅、熱門的，意思類同於 very popular, fashionable, in vogue, in demand；最熱門的人選是 hot favourite，賽馬的內部消息是 hot tips，炙手可熱的明星是 hottest properties，人人都想先睹為快的表演節目是 hot ticket。
5. 最新的，new, latest, up to date，倒如 the hot news of a Royal Baby Boy，剛剛出爐的新聞報道 hot off the press，熱辣辣的八卦新聞 latest hot gossip。
Hot 經常和憤怒扯上關係，有 angry 的聯想，someone who has a hot temper becomes angry very easily；hot 也跟 sexual excitement 有關：I’ve got a hot date tonight 我今晚有一個令人激動的約會。hot 這個字，其他生動的流行說法, 多姿多釆：hot bed 温床，hot time 難受的時刻，hot line 熱綫，hot stuff 了不起的人，hot-headed 魯莽的，hot air 夸夸其談的大話，hot potato 棘手的問題，至於 in the hot seat，可以指困境，難負的責任，容易惹麻煩的職位。
Hot 的慣用語：blow hot and cold 冷熱無常；對人對事忽喜忽厭； too hot to handle 某人或某事令你覺得很難懂，難應付，something too difficult to deal with；to sell like hot cakes 熱賣，非常受到顧客歡迎，銷售得很快，if things are going like hot cakes, people are buying a lot of them very fast；the heat is on 感覺到有壓力。
Warm 就比 hot 舒服，給人暖和的，温暖的感覺，warm means slightly hot, especially in a pleasant way: The house is lovely and warm. If you are warm, your body is at a comfortable temperature. Warm is just mild, temperate, agreeable and moderately hot. 你想表達令人感到快樂和滿足的感覺，不妨用 to warm the cockles of someone’s heart。
Heat Up/Warm Up
Heat up 變熱，變暖：
1. to get hot or to become warmer, similar to warm up: the stove takes a while to heat up，例如把飯菜放進微波爐熱一熱：to heat up the dish in a microwave；
2. to grow more animated or combative, similar to hot up，競爭變得白熱化，情況可能出現問題或變得危險：Their argument was heating up, and I was afraid there would be fighting; the situation heats up, it becomes dangerous or full of problems.
Warm up 的用法，比較 heat up 廣泛一些：
1. 加熱 to become warm or warmer，搭配 food, liquid, house, room；e.g. it takes time to warm up a big house in winter；
2. 暖機 to reach the point where the machine can function properly，搭配 engine, motor, car；e.g. let the engine warm up；
3. 熱身 to take exercises to loosen one’s muscles before a game，搭配 athlete, sportsman, footballer；e.g. the runners are having a warm-up before the race；
4. 引起興趣 to make more lively and interested，搭配 audience, spectator, contest, game, party, celebration；the comedian told a few quick jokes to get his audience warmed up。
Heat 的慣用語：運動員同時到達終點的比賽，可以用 in a dead heat，是 finishing a race at exactly the same time 的意思。你一時激動之下，未有考慮過後果的行動或衝口而出的說話 = in the heat of the moment。你對某人或某情境，施加壓力，達到想要的目的，即是 turn up the heat = to force someone to do something, to make a situation more serious by trying harder。
「怕熱便離開廚房」
最後，假如你怕困難或受不住壓力，不如撒手不幹，if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen。1952年美國總統杜魯門，宣佈不再競選時，用過這句成語之後，一直很受歡迎，流傳很廣。If the pressures of some situation are too much for you, you should leave that situation.
本專欄逢周二、五發表
