Идиома: give someone a dirty look Перевод: взглянуть на кого-либо с неприязнью, неодобрением Пример: I gave the woman a dirty look when she talked loudly on her cell phone. Я неодобрительно взглянул на женщину, когда она громко разговаривала по своему сотовому.
Идиома: time and time again Перевод: много раз, снова и снова Пример: The teacher told the students time and time again that they must do their homework. Учитель все снова и снова говорил ученикам, что они должны выполнять свои домашние задания.
[hot seat] {n.}, {slang} 1. The electric chair used to cause deathby electrocution in legal executions. Many a man has controlled amurderous rage when he thought of the hot seat. 2. {informal} Aposition in which you can easily get into trouble. A judge in abeauty contest is on the hot seat. If he chooses one … Читать далее
Идиома: get the wind knocked out of someone Перевод: попасть в состояние, когда перехватывает дыхание от удара в область живота Пример: He was standing out on the football field when his opponent tackled him and knocked the wind out of him. Он стоял на футбольном поле, когда его противник выхватил у него мяч, ударив его, … Читать далее
Идиома: yoke around someone’s neck Перевод: обуза, груз, ноша для кого-либо Пример: The complaints from the apartment manager were a yoke around our neck for several weeks. Жалобы от управляющего несколько недель были для нас обузой.
Идиома: a long face Перевод: вытянутая физиономия, кислая мина, недовольное выражение лица Пример: Our boss had a long face when he came into work this morning. У нашего начальника было недовольное выражение лица, когда он пришел на работу сегодня утром.
[flea market] {n. phr.} A place where antiques, second-hand things, and cheap articles are sold, and especially one in the open air. The local antique dealers held a flea market and fair on thehigh-school athletic field. There are many outdoor flea markets inEurope.
[dog’s life] {n. phr.} A life of misery, poverty, and unhappiness. Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, lived a dog’s life inside an empty barrel.
Идиома: all to the good Перевод: быть к лучшему, быть на пользу кому-либо Пример: It was all to the good that my sister quit her job. То, что моя сестра ушла со своей работы, было к лучшему.
[honest broker] {n. phr.} A person hired or appointed to act as anagent in a legal, business, or political situation where impartialadvice is needed in order to settle a dispute. Michael has beenasked to act as an honest broker to settle the argument between theemployees and the management.
[for the devil] or [heck] or [the hell of it] {adv. phr.} For nospecific reason; just for sport and fun. We poured salt into UncleTom’s coffee, just for the heck of it. See: DEVIL OF IT.
[lady friend] {n.} 1. A woman friend. His aunt stays with a ladyfriend in Florida during the winter. 2. A woman who is the lover of aman. — Used by people trying to appear more polite, but not often usedby careful speakers. The lawyer took his lady friend to dinner. Syn.: GIRLFRIEND.
Идиома: play tricks on someone Перевод: обманывать, запутывать, вводить в заблуждение кого-либо Пример: The little boy liked to play tricks on his friends. Маленькому мальчику нравится вводить своих друзей в заблуждение.
[sign in] {v.} To write your name on a special list or in a recordbook to show that you are present. Every worker must sign in whencoming back to work. Teachers go to the office and sign in eachmorning before going to their classrooms. Contrast SIGN OUT.
[cramp one’s style] {v. phr.}, {informal} To limit your natural freedom; prevent your usual behavior; limit your actions or talk. He cramped his style a good deal when he lost his money. Army rules cramped George’s style.
[spitting image] {n.} or [spit and image] {informal} An exactlikeness; a duplicate. John is the spitting image of hisgrandfather. That vase is the spitting image of one I wanted tobuy in Boston. Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
Идиома: set someone or something free Перевод: освободить кого-либо или что-либо Пример: The conservation officers went to the mountains and set the bear free. Люди из охраны окружающей среды пришли в горы и освободили медведя.
Идиома: blow someone’s cover Перевод: раскрыться; выдать себя, свои истинные цели Пример: The police blew the officer’s cover by mistake. Полиция по ошибке раскрыла своего офицера.
[walk on eggs] {v. phr.} To act with utmost caution due to being ina precarious position. Tom has been walking on eggs ever since hestarted working for a new boss in Cincinnati.
[brazen it out] {v. phr.} To pretend you did nothing wrong; be suspected, accused, or scolded without admitting you did wrong; act as if not guilty. The teacher found a stolen pen that the girl had in her desk, but the girl brazened it out; she said someone else must have put it there.
[play into one’s hands] {v. phr.} To be or do something thatanother person can use against you; help an opponent against yourself. In the basketball game, Jerry’s foul played into the opponents’hands. Mary and Bobby both wanted the last piece of cake, butBobby played into Mary’s hands by trying to grab it.
[let on] {v.}, {informal} 1. To tell or admit what you know. — Usually used in the negative. Frank lost a quarter but he didn’tlet on to his mother. 2. To try to make people believe; pretend. The old man likes to let on that he is rich.
Идиома: (to be) half the battle Перевод: большая часть работы Пример: Writing the letters will be half the battle. We can finish the rest of the work next week. Если мы напишем письма, это уже будет полдела. Остальную работу мы можем закончить на следующей неделе.
[at one’s beck and call] or [at the beck and call of] {adj. phr.} Ready and willing to do whatever someone asks; ready to serve at a moment’s notice. A good parent isn’t necessarily always at the child’s beck and call.
[in the swim] {adj. phr.} Doing the same things that other peopleare doing; following the fashion ;busy with what most people are doing. Jim found some collegefriends at the lake that summer, and soon was in the swim of things. Mary went to New York with introductions to writers and artists, and that winter she … Читать далее
Идиома: fit as a fiddle Перевод: абсолютно здоровый; в отличной физической форме Пример: My grandfather is 92 years old but he is as fit as a fiddle. Моему дедушке 92 года, но он в отличной форме.
[make neither head nor tail of] {v. phr.} To be unable to figuresomething out. This puzzle is so complicated that I can makeneither head nor tail of it. Compare: HEADS OR TAILS.
[send one packing] {v. phr.} To fire someone summarily. When theboss caught Smith stealing from the cash register, he sent himpacking. Compare: SEND ONE ABOUT ONE’S BUSINESS.
[last straw] or [straw that breaks the camel’s back] {n. phr.} Asmall trouble which follows other troubles and makes one lose patienceand be unable to bear them. Bill had a bad day in school yesterday. He lost his knife on the way home, then he fell down, and when hebroke a shoe lace, that was … Читать далее
[fat is in the fire] Something has happened that will cause troubleor make a bad situation worse. He found out you took it? Well, thefat’s in the fire now.
[knotty problem] {n. phr.} A very complicated and difficult problemto solve. Doing one’s income tax properly can present a knottyproblem.
[to the contrary] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} With an opposite result oreffect; just the opposite; in disagreement; saying the opposite. Although Bill was going to the movies, he told Joe to the contrary. We will expect you for dinner unless we get word to the contrary. School gossip to the contrary, Mary is not engaged … Читать далее
[shoot one’s wad] {v. phr.} {slang}, {colloquial} 1. To spend allof one’s money. We’ve shot our wad for the summer and can’t buy anynew garden furniture. 2. To say everything that is on one’s mind. Joe feels a lot better now that he’s shot his wad at the meeting.
Идиома: by no means Перевод: никоим образом, ни в коем случае Пример: By no means will I permit my child to play with the new video game. Я ни в коем случае не разрешу своему ребенку играть в новую видеоигру.
Идиома: smooth / clear / plain sailing Перевод: простое, легкое дело, пустяки Пример: After we left the city it was smooth sailing on the highway until we got to our destination. После того, как мы выехали из города, по шоссе ехать было легко, вплоть до нашего места назначения. Once you’ve passed that exam, it will … Читать далее
Идиома: cut to the chase Идиома: cut to the chase разг. Перевод: перейти к самому важному Пример: The lawyer cut to the chase and was able to get all of the information quickly. Адвокат перешел к сути дела и смог быстро получить всю необходимую информацию.
Идиома: start from scratch Перевод: начать с нуля, начать на пустом месте Пример: I lost all of my notes so I had to start from scratch with the project. Я потерял все свои записи, поэтому мне пришлось начать проект с нуля.
[in the can] {adj.}, {slang}, {movie jargon} Ready; finished;completed; about to be duplicated and distributed to exhibitors. Nosneak previews until it’s all in the can! Once my book’s in thecan, I’ll go for a vacation.
Идиома: a man of his word / a woman of her word Перевод: человек слова, хозяин своего слова Пример: He’s always been a man of his word, that I must say. Он всегда был человеком слова, должен признаться.
[deadpan] {adj.}, {adv.}, {slang} With an expressionless or emotionless face; without betraying any hint of emotion. She received the news of her husband’s death deadpan.
Идиома: keep someone or something in mind Перевод: помнить, не забывать кого-либо или что-либо Пример: I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind. Я сказал своим сослуживцам не забывать о том, что время начала работы поменялось.
[know enough to come in out of the rain] {v. phr.} To have goodsense; know how to take care of yourself. — Usually used in thenegative. Bob does so many foolish things that his mother says hedoesn’t know enough to come in out of the rain. Sally may lookstupid, but she knows enough to come … Читать далее
Идиома: on purpose Перевод: намеренно, специально Пример: I think that the woman spilled her drink on purpose. Мне кажется, что эта женщина специально пролила свой напиток.
[such-and-such] {adj. phr.} Being one whose name has been forgottenor whose name does not need to be mentioned. She told me to go tosuch-and-such a street and turn right. Suppose, now, that we havesuch-and-such a group coming to the school, and we don’t have enoughchairs. What do we do then?
[good night] {interj.} 1. Used as a polite phrase when you leavesomeone at night. «Good night!» said Bob as he left Dick’s houseafter the party. «I’ll see you in the morning.» Bill said goodnight to his parents and went upstairs to bed. 2. or [good grief] — Used to show surprise and often some fear … Читать далее
[stand up and be counted] {v. phr.} To be willing to say what youthink in public; let people know that you are for or againstsomething. The equal rights movement needs people who are willingto stand up and be counted. If you disagree with the group, youshould be ready to stand up and be counted.
[coin money] or [mint money] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make a lot of money quickly; profit heavily; gain big profit. Fred coined money with many cigarette vending machines and juke boxes.
[blind as a bat, beetle, mole, owl] {adj. phr.} Anyone who is blind or has difficulty in seeing; a person with very thick glasses. Without my glasses I am blind as a bat.
[dirty old man] {n. phr.} An older man who shows an unhealthy interest in young girls. «Stay away from Uncle Algernon, Sally,» her mother warned. «He is a dirty old man.»
Идиома: the sky is the limit / the sky’s the limit Перевод: не существует предела; беспредельно, неограниченно (о тратах, успехе, потреблении, и т. п.) Пример: The sky is the limit for my friend and his new job. Для моего друга и его новой работы не существует предела в успехе.