anything but与nothing but
1. anything but为习语，意为“根本不是”“一点不是”。如：
I’ll do anything but that. 我绝不会干那种事。
The party was anything but a success. 晚会根本不成功。
The fight is anything but finished. 斗争绝没有结束。
The hotel was anything but satisfactory. 这家旅馆一点不让人满意。
注anything but 有时可单独使用。如：
I don’t mean he’s lazy—anything but! 我不是说他懒，他根本不懒。
注anything but不仅可用于事物，也可用于人。如：
He is anything but a poet. 他绝不是诗人。
He was anything but polite. 他根本没有一点礼貌。
2. nothing but也是习语，意为“仅仅”“只”。如：
He’s nothing but a criminal. 他只不过是个罪犯。
He dreams of nothing but going home. 他只想回家。
There is nothing but some waste paper in the desk. 课桌里只有些废纸。
He has nothing but praise for the managers at his company. 对他公司的经理们他只是一味地赞美。