Английские идиомы

[prick up one’s ears] {v. phr.}, {informal} To come to interestedattention; begin to listen closely; try to hear. The woman prickedup her ears when she heard them talking about her.

[jerry-built] {adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheapmaterials; easily broken. That jerry-built cabin will blow apart ina strong wind. 2. Done without careful preparation or thought;planned too quickly. When the regular television program didn’tcome on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute.

[in absentia] {adv. phr.}, {formal} When the person is absent. — Used in graduation exercises when presenting diplomas to an absentstudent or during a court case. On Commencement Day, Joe was sickin bed and the college gave him his bachelor’s degree in absentia.

[hang back] or [hang off] or [hang behind] 1. To stay some distancebehind or away, be unwilling to move forward. Mary offered thelittle girl candy, but she was shy and hung back. 2. To hesitate orbe unwilling to do something. Lou wanted Fred to join the club, butFred hung off.

[bubble trouble] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Tire trouble, flat tire. The eighteen wheeler ahead of me seems to have bubble trouble.

[run of luck] {n. phr.} A period of good luck. I had a run ofluck last Saturday when I went fishing and caught seven big troutwithin one hour.

[gone with the wind] {adj. phr.} Gone forever; past; vanished. All the Indians who used to live here are gone with the wind. Joeknew that his chance to get an «A» was gone with the wind when he sawhow hard the test was. Compare: DOWN THE DRAIN.

[pigeonhole] {n.} 1. Small compartment for internal mail in anoffice or a department. «You can just put your late exam into mypigeonhole,» said Professor Brown to the concerned student. 2. One ofthe small compartments in a desk or cabinet. He keeps his cufflinksin a pigeonhole in his desk.

[by leaps and bounds] {adv. phr.} With long steps; very rapidly. Production in the factory was increasing by leaps and bounds. The school enrollment was going up by leaps and bounds.

[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE’S BAD GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE’S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT HALF BAD, ON ONE’S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.

[cut ice] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make a difference; make an impression; be accepted as important. — Usually used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences. When Frank had found a movie he liked, what others said cut no ice with him. Jones is democratic; a man’s money or importance never cuts any ice with him. … Читать далее

[exception proves the rule] Something unusual that does not followa rule tests that rule to see if it is true; if there are too manyexceptions, the rule is no good. — A proverb. Frank is very shortbut is a good basketball player. He is the exception that proves therule.

[turn one’s back on] {v. phr.} To refuse to help He turned his back on his own family when theyneeded help. The poorer nations are often not grateful for ourhelp, but still we can not turn our back on them. Compare: GO BACKON.

[yak-yak] or [yakety-yak] or [yakib-yak] {n.}, {slang} Much talkabout little things; talking all the time about unimportant things. Tom sat behind two girls on the bus and he got tired of their sillyyak-yak.

[fair-haired boy] {n.}, {informal} A person that gets specialfavors; favorite; pet. If he wins the election by a large majority, he will become his party’s fair-haired boy. The local boy playingfirst base could do no wrong; he was the fair-haired boy of the fans. Charles was a good student and behaved very well; he became … Читать далее

[bawl out] {v.}, {informal} To reprove in a loud or rough voice; rebuke sharply; scold. The teacher bawled us out for not handing in our homework. Compare: HAUL OVER THE COALS, LIGHT INTO, TELL A THING OR TWO.

[lose out] {v.} To fail to win; miss first place in a contest; loseto a rival. John lost out in the rivalry for Mary’s hand inmarriage. Fred didn’t want to lose out to the other salesman. Compare: MISS OUT. Contrast: WIN OUT.

[call on the carpet] {v. phr.}, {informal} To call before an authority for a scolding or reprimand. The worker was called on the carpet by the boss for sleeping on the job. The principal called Tom on the carpet and warned him to stop coming to school late.

[want ad] {n.} A small advertisement on a special page in anewspaper that offers employment opportunities and merchandise. «You want a temporary job?» he asked the recent arrival in town. «Goand look at the want ads!»

[sailor collar] {n.} A large square collar like those worn bysailors. Little Timmy’s suit has a sailor collar. Mary’s blousehas a sailor collar.

[breathe easily] or [breathe freely] {v.} To have relief from difficulty or worry; relax; feel that trouble is gone; stop worrying. Now that the big bills were paid, he breathed more easily. His mother didn’t breathe easily until he got home that night.

[nary a] {informal} Not a single; not one; never a. Oneafternoon a large dark cloud came in the sky. John thought it wouldrain so he took his raincoat — but nary a drop fell. John wentfishing but he caught nary a one.

[you don’t say] {interj.}, {informal} — Used to show surprise atwhat is said. Your ring is a real diamond? You don’t say! «Billand Jean are going to get married.» «You don’t say!» Syn.: DO TELL.

[kill two birds with one stone] {v. phr.} To succeed in doing twothings by only one action; get two results from one effort. Motherstopped at the supermarket to buy bread and then went to get Jane atdancing class; she killed two birds with one stone. The historyteacher told us that making an outline kills two … Читать далее

[a friend in need is a friend indeed] A genuine friend on whom one can always depend. — A proverb; often shortened to «a friend in need…» When John’s house burned down, his neighbor Jim helped him and his family with shelter, food and clothing. John said, «Jim, a friend in need is a friend … Читать далее

[live it up] {v. phr.}, {informal} To pursue pleasure; enjoy gamesor night life very much; have fun at places of entertainment. Joehad had a hard winter in lonesome places; now he was in town living itup. The western cowboys usually went to town on Saturdays to liveit up.

[strange to say] {adv. phr.} Not what you might think;surprisingly. — Used for emphasis. Strange to say, Jerry doesn’tlike candy. Strange to say, the Indians didn’t kill Daniel Boone.

[parrot-fashion] {adv.} Like a parrot; by rote memorization andwithout any understanding. The candidate delivered a speech thatwas prepared for him and he read it parrot-fashion.

[swelled head] {n.}, {informal} A feeling that you are veryimportant or more important than you really are. When John won therace, he got a swelled head. Pretty girls shouldn’t get a swelledhead about it. — [swell-headed] {adj. phr.} After he was electedcaptain of the team, Bob became swell-headed. Compare: BIG HEAD.

[call in question] or [call into question] or [call in doubt] {v. phr.} To say may be a mistake; express doubt about; question. Bill called in question Ed’s remark that basketball is safer than football.

[leave no stone unturned] {v. phr.} To try in every way; miss nochance; do everything possible. — Usually used in the negative. Thepolice will leave no stone unturned in their search for the bankrobbers. Compare: ALL OUT, BEND HEAVEN AND EARTH, FINE-TOOTH COMB.

[king’s ransom] {n. phr.} 1. An excessively large sum of moneyextorted by kidnappers to let someone go free. The Smith family hadto pay a kings ransom for the freedom of their seven-year-old son, Tommy. 2. An exorbitant fee one is forced to pay. The realtorsexacted a king’s ransom for that choice lot on the comer.

[place] See: HEART IN THE RIGHT PLACE, HIGH PLACE, IN PLACE, INSTEAD OF or IN PLACE OF, IN THE FIRST PLACE, JUMPING-OFF PLACE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, OUT OF PLACE, PUT INONE’S PLACE, PUT ONESELF IN ANOTHER’S PLACE, TAKE PLACE.

[mark] See: MAKE ONE’S MARK, TOE THE LINE or TOE THE MARK, UP TOTHE MARK at UP TO PAR, WALK THE CHALK or WALK THE CHALK LINE orWALK THE CHALK MARK, WIDE OF THE MARK.

[cloak-and-dagger] {adj.} Of or about spies and secret agents. It was a cloak-and-dagger story about some spies who tried to steal atomic secrets. The book was written by a retired colonel who used to take part in cloak-and-dagger plots. . Compare: BLOOD AND THUNDER.

[speed trap] {n.} A place where police hide and wait to catchdrivers who are going even a little faster than the speed limit. Mr. Jones was caught in a speed trap.

[shove down one’s throat] or [ram down one’s throat] {v. phr.}, {informal} To force you to do or agree to We didn’t want Mr. Bly to speak at our banquet, but theplanning committee shoved him down our throats. The president wasagainst the idea, but the club members rammed it down his throat.

[coffin nail] {n.}, {slang} A cigarette. «I stopped smoking,» Algernon said. «In fact, I haven’t had a coffin nail in well over a year.»

[squeak by] {v. phr.} 1. To barely succeed. He was so poorlyprepared for his bar exam that he barely squeaked by. 2. To clearwith difficulty. The entrance to the corridor in the old Italiancastle was so narrow that I barely managed to squeak by it.

[fuck off] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} 1. Go away! Can’tyou see you’re bothering me? Fuck off! 2. To be lazy. John said «Idon’t feel like working, so I’ll fuck off today.» Compare: BEAT IT, GOOF OFF.

[miss is as good as a mile] It is the same if one fails or missessomething by much or by little. — A proverb. We thought Tom had ahome run but the ball went foul by inches. A miss is as good as amile.

[take pains] {v. phr.} To do something very carefully andthoroughly. She had taken pains to see that her guests hadeverything that they could possibly want. She always takes painswith her appearance.

[not to know the first thing about] {v. phr.} To be totallyignorant about a certain issue. Al assured us that he didn’t knowthe first thing about Mary’s whereabouts.

[God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb] {literary} A person who isalready helpless will not have more trouble; you will not have moretrouble than you can bear. After Mr. Smith lost his job, theSmith’s house caught fire, but the fire was put out before much harmwas done. Mr. Smith said, «God tempers the wind … Читать далее

[many is me] There are a great number of ; manyare the. — Used at the beginning of a sentencewith a singular noun. Many is the man I have lent money to. Many was the time I ate at that restaurant. Compare: MANY A.

[shake in one’s shoes] or [shake in one’s boots] {v. phr.},{informal} To be very much afraid. The robber shook in his bootswhen the police knocked on his door.

[in the line of duty] {adj. phr.} Done or happening as part of ajob. The policeman was shot in the line of duty. The soldierhad to clean his rifle in the line of duty.

[play cat and mouse with] {v. phr.} To tease or fool bypretending to let him go free and then catching him again. Joe’suncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him. The policemandecided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress inthe store.

[in a world of one’s own] or [in a world by oneself] 1. In theplace where you belong; in your own personal surroundings; apart fromother people. They are in a little world of their own in theirhouse on the mountain. 2a. In deep thought or concentration. Maryis in a world of her own when she … Читать далее

[big frog in a small pond] {n. phr.}, {informal} An important person in a small place or position; someone who is respected and honored in a small company, school, or city; a leader in a small group. As company president, he had been a big frog in a small pond, but he was not so … Читать далее