pan的含义可多啦，除了指“平底锅”外，还可指“蛋糕烤盘，秤盘，抽水马桶，淘金盘”等;用作动词时可表示“严厉批评，淘金”等。
习语揭秘：
1.-Why do you have a long face?
-That’s because I jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. The money problem is driving me crazy。
[点津]
jump out of the frying pan into the fire相当于汉语中的“刚出油锅又跳进火坑”，表示情况不但没有转好，反而更加糟糕。
例：We realize we’ve jumped out of the frying pan into the fire, so we don’t feel relaxed at all. 我们意识到自己刚出油锅又跳进了火坑，所以感觉一点儿都不轻松。
[追根溯源]
这个习惯用语最早出现在十六世纪早期一名英国作家的笔下。他把情况越来越糟比喻成“放在平底锅里用油煎的一条活蹦乱跳的鱼，跳出煎锅却掉进了熊熊炉火中”。
2.-Done! The stone castle is taking shape now。
-Thank you for your help, or it would have gone down the pan。
[点津]
go down the pan是英国俚语，指“被糟蹋，变得无用，成为废物”。
例：If you don’t want it to go down the pan, you’d better do as I told you. 如果你不想它变得毫无用处，你最好照我说的那样做。
3.-Have you heard of the band called "Green Monsters"?
-Yes. It became a hit three years ago, but it was only a flash in the pan。
[点津]
pan在此意为“淘金盘”，在淘金盘里发现有闪光，就表示有金屑在里面。由于淘金盘转速较快，这种闪光只是一闪而过，所以a flash in the pan表示“昙花一现”，比喻美好的事物或成功的人出现的时间很短。
例：During wartime, the peaceful moments like this are nothing but a flash in the pan. 在战争期间，像这样的安宁时刻只不过是昙花一现。
4.-Will you forgive the guy who destroyed your plan?
-I don’t know. It depends on how things pan out。
[点津]
pan out本意为“淘出金子”，引申为“成功，结果是”。
例：Your idea is too ideal. It won’t pan out. 你的想法太理想化，是不会实现的。
[知识拓展]
pancake指“煎饼”，as flat as a pancake指“非常平坦的”。
例：I like going climbing. That’s why I dislike areas that are as flat as a pancake. 我喜欢登山，因此我不喜欢一马平川的地方。
