yardstick
n.衡量标准；评判尺度；准绳
英英释义：
If you use someone or something as a yardstick, you use them as a standard for comparison when you are judging other people or things.
例句：
①There has been no yardstick by which potential students can assess individual schools before signing up for a course.
有意就读的学生在报名参加一门课程前没有任何参照标准去衡量各个学校的水平。
②She had never had a real boyfriend before and so had no yardstick by which to compare Charles's behaviour.
她以前从没有过真正的男朋友，所以没有可参照的标准来对比查尔斯的行为。
《经济学人》一篇政治经济板块的文章也出现了这个表达：
这是一个很好用的写作表达，可以用来替代我们经常说的“standard”~
neck and neck
(尤指选举中)并驾齐驱，难分高低
英英释义：
In a competition, especially an election, if two or more competitors are neck and neck, they are level with each other and have an equal chance of winning.
例句：
①The latest polls indicate that the two main parties are neck and neck .
最近的一次民意测验显示两个主要政党难分高下。
②The party is running neck-and-neck with Labour.
该党和工党目前是旗鼓相当。
动画片《咱们裸熊》也出现了这个表达：
