[play down] {v.} To give less emphasis to; make seemless important; divert attention from; draw notice away from. Thenewspaper stories played down the actor’s unattractive past. Asalesman’s job is to emphasize the good points of his merchandise; hemust play down any faults it has.
[win hands down] {v. phr.} To win conclusively and without externalhelp. The opposition was so weak that Dan won the election handsdown.
[survival of the fittest] {n. phr.} The staying alive or in actionof the best prepared; often: idea that those living things best ableto adjust to life survive and those unable to adjust die out. Lifein the old West was often a case of survival of the fittest. Withchanges in the world’s climate, dinosaurs died but … Читать далее
[turn to] {v.} To begin working with much energy. All the boysturned to and cleaned the cabin in a few minutes. Mary turned toand studied for the test. Syn.: FALL TO.
[hatchet man] {n.}, {colloquial} 1. A politician or newspapercolumnist whose job is to write and say unfavorable things about theopposition. Bill Lerner is the hatchet man for the Mayor’s Party;he smears all the other candidates regularly. 2. An executive officerin a firm whose job it is to fire superfluous personnel, cut back onthe budget, etc., … Читать далее
[goal line stand] {n.} A strong defensive effort right in front ofthe goal line. A goal line stand by the home team held the visitorson the two-yard line.
[sponge on] or [off] {v. phr.} To exploit parasitically; dependupon for support. He is already forty years old, but he refuses togo to work and sponges off his retired parents.
[cream of the crop] {n. phr.} The best of a group; the top choice. May Queen candidates were lovely, but Betsy and Nancy were the cream of the crop. The students had drawn many good pictures and the teacher chose the cream of the crop to hang up when the parents came to visit.
[the likes of] {informal} Something like or similar to; somethingof the same kind as. I have never seen the likes of John. Itwas a chocolate sundae the likes of which Mary would never see again.
[listen in] {v.} 1. To listen to a radio broadcast. We foundthem listening in to the president’s speech. 2. To listen to the talkof others, often to talk that is not intended for your ears;eavesdrop. When Mary talked to her boyfriend on the telephone, herlittle brother listened in.
[card] See: CREDIT CARD, FLASH CARD, HOUSE OF CARDS, IN THE CARDS or ON THE CARDS, LAY ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE, PLAY ONE’S CARDS RIGHT, PUT ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE, STACK THE CARDS, TRUMP CARD.
Идиома: take something in good part Идиома: take something in good part Перевод: не обидеться, не рассердиться, принять спокойно (обычно про шутку или критику в свой адрес) Пример: His friends used to call him «Big Ears» but he took it all in good part. Его друзья раньше называли его «большие уши», но он не обижался.
Идиома: lose heart Перевод: падать духом, потерять уверенность, унывать Пример: What a disappointment! It’s enough to make one lose heart. Какое разочарование! Из-за этого можно и упасть духом.
Идиома: have a shot at something Идиома: have a shot at something разг. Перевод: попытаться сделать что-либо, попробовать, сделать попытку Пример: He’s proven himself to be a talented actor and now he’s having a shot at directing his first play. Он доказал, что он талантливый актер, и теперь он пытается срежиссировать свою первую пьесу.
[cat got one’s tongue] You are not able or willing to talk because of shyness. Usually used about children or as a question to children. Tommy’s father asked Tommy if the cat had got his tongue. The little girl had a poem to recite, but the cat got her tongue. Compare: LOSE ONE’S TONGUE.
[on the block] {adj. phr.} To be sold; for sale. The vacanthouse was on the block. Young cattle are grown and sent to marketto be placed on the block.
[talk over] {v.} 1. To talk together about; try to agree about ordecide by talking; discuss. Tom talked his plan over with hisfather before he bought the car. The boys settled their argumentby talking it over. 2. To persuade; make agree or willing; talk andchange the mind of. Fred is trying to talk Bill over … Читать далее
Идиома: under one’s breath Перевод: шепотом, тихим голосом Пример: He was talking under his breath in the movie theater and somebody complained. Он что-то негромко говорил в кинотеатре, и кто-то начал жаловаться.
[give one’s due] {v. phr.} To be fair to, give creditthat deserves. The boxer who lost gave the new championhis due. We should give a good worker his due. Compare: GIVE THEDEVIL HIS DUE.
Идиома: play fair Перевод: делать что-либо по правилам, соблюдать правила Пример: The politician was not playing fair during the election campaign. Этот политик играл не по правилам во время избирательной кампании.
[black sheep] {n.} A person in a family or a community considered unsatisfactory or disgraceful. My brother Ted is a high school dropout who joined a circus; he is the black sheep in our family.
[bump off] {v.}, {slang} To kill in a violent way; murder in gangster fashion. Hoodlums in a speeding car bumped him off with Tommy guns.
[point] See: AT SWORDS’ POINTS, AT THE POINT OF, BESIDE THE POINT, BOILING POINT, CASE IN POINT, COME TO THE POINT, EXTRA POINT, MAKE APOINT, ON THE POINT OF, SORE SPOT or SORE POINT, STRETCH A POINT orSTRAIN A POINT, TALKING POINT.
[lay one’s hands on] or [get one’s hands on] {v. phr.} 1. To seizein order to punish or treat roughly. If I ever lay my hands on thatboy he’ll be sorry. Compare: LAY A FINGER ON. 2. To get possessionof. He was unable to lay his hands on a Model T Ford for the schoolplay. … Читать далее
[if the hill will not come to Muhammad, Muhammad will go to thehill] If one person will not go to the other, then the other must goto him. — A proverb. Grandfather won’t come to visit us, so we mustgo and visit him. If the hill won’t come to Muhammad, then Muhammadwill go to the … Читать далее
Идиома: go to town (on something) Перевод: энергично взяться за дело; делать что-либо быстро, энергично; навалиться, наброситься; расправиться Пример: We went to town last night and finished painting the bedroom. Мы энергично взялись за дело вчера вечером, и закончили красить спальню.
[nose down] {v.}, {of an aircraft} To head down; bring down thenose of. The big airliner began to nose down for a landing. Thepilot nosed the plane down toward the runway.
Идиома: trial by fire Перевод: испытание огнем; проверка чьих-либо способностей, особенно в сложных условиях Пример: Finishing this huge list of chores in time for the wedding is really a trial by fire. Успеть закончить этот огромный список заданий к свадьбе — настоящее испытание огнем.
[carry over] {v.} 1. To save for another time. The store had some bathing suits it had carried over from last year. What you learn in school should carry over into adult life. 2. To transfer from one column, page, or book to another. When he added up the figures, he carried over the total … Читать далее
[palm off] {v.}, {informal} 1. To sell or give bypretending it is something more valuable; to sell or give by trickery. He palmed off his own painting as a Rembrandt. The salesmanpalmed off pine wood floors as oak. Syn.: FOB OFF, PASS OFF. 2. Todeceive by a trick or lie. He palmed his creditors offwith … Читать далее
[blow one’s lines] or [fluff one’s lines] {v. phr.}, {informal} To forget the words you are supposed to speak while acting in a play. The noise backstage scared Mary and she blew her lines.
[if it’s not one thing it’s another] If a certain thing doesn’t gowrong, another most probably will. When John lost his keys and hiswallet, and his car wouldn’t start, he exclaimed in despair, «If it’snot one thing it’s another.» Compare: ONE DAMN THING AFTER ANOTHER.
[button one’s lip] also [zip one’s lip] {v. phr.}, {slang} To stop talking; keep a secret; shut your mouth; be quiet. The man was getting loud and insulting and the cop told him to button his lip. John wanted to talk, but Dan told him to keep his lip buttoned. Syn.: KEEP ONE’S MOUTH SHUT, … Читать далее
[play one’s cards right] or [play one’s cards well] {v. phr.},{informal} To use abilities and opportunities so as to be successful;act cleverly; make the best use of your place or skills. Thatmillionaire started with very little but showed a skill in playing hiscards right. People liked Harold, and he played his cards well — and … Читать далее
[welcome mat] {n.} 1. A mat for wiping your shoes on, often withthe word «welcome» on it, that is placed in front of a door. Motherbought a welcome mat for our new house. 2. {informal} A warm welcome;a friendly greeting. — Used in such phrases as «the welcome mat isout» and «put out the welcome … Читать далее
[fall in] or [into place] {v. phr.} To suddenly make sense; findthe natural or proper place for the missing pieces of a puzzle. When the detectives realized that a second man was seen at the placeof the murder, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place.
[Vietnam syndrome] {n.}, {informal} An attitude in governmentcircles that diplomacy may be more effective in solving localpolitical problems in other countries than the use of military force, stemming from the failure of the U. S. military intervention inVietnam. The pundits of Foggy Bottom display the Vietnam syndromethese days when it comes to Iran.
[into effect] {adv. phr.} Into use or operation. The new rulewas put into effect at once. The judge ordered the old suspendedpenalty into effect.
[hope against hope] {v. phr.} To try to hope when things lookblack; hold to hope in bad trouble. The mother continued to hopeagainst hope although the plane was hours late. Jane hoped againsthope that Joe would call her.
[strong language] {n. phr.} Cursing; swearing. When Ned learnedthat he had been fired, he used some very strong language about hisboss.
[in the driver’s seat] {adv. phr.} In control; having the power tomake decisions. Stan is in the driver’s seat now that he has beenmade our supervisor at the factory.
Идиома: between a rock and a hard place Перевод: находиться в очень трудном положении Пример: We were between a rock and a hard place in our effort to solve the problem. Нам было очень трудно пытаться разрешить эту проблему.
[stop the show] {v. phr.} To elicit such a strong applause from theaudience that the show is interrupted. Pavarotti’s rendition of «Osole mio» always stops the show.
[make a go of] {v. phr.} To turn into a success. He is bothenergetic and highly skilled at trading; he is sure to make a go ofany business that holds his interest.
[nose] See: COUNT HEADS or COUNT NOSES, CUT OFF ONE’S NOSE TO SPITEONE’S FACE, FOLLOW ONE’S NOSE, GO INTO A TAIL SPIN or GO INTO A NOSEDIVE, HARD-NOSED, KEEP ONE’S NOSE CLEAN, KEEP ONE’S NOSE TO THEGRINDSTONE, LEAD BY THE NOSE, LOOK DOWN ONE’S NOSE AT, ON THE NOSE, PAY THROUGH THE NOSE, PUT ONE’S … Читать далее
[take its toll] {v. phr.} To cause loss or damage. The bombs hadtaken their toll on the little town. The budget cut took its tollof teachers.
[go ape] {v. phr.}, {slang} To become highly excited or behave in acrazy way. Amy went ape over the hotel and beautiful beaches. The electric door opener malfunctioned and caused the garage door togo ape.
[talk through one’s hat] {v. phr.}, {informal} To say somethingwithout knowing or understanding the facts; talk foolishly orignorantly. John said that the earth is nearer the sun in summer, but the teacher said he was talking through his hat.
[take up] {v.} 1. To remove by taking in. Use a blotter to takeup the spilled ink. When the vacuum cleaner bag is full, it willnot take up dirt from the rug. 2. To fill or to occupy. All hisevenings were taken up with study. The oceans take up the greaterpart of the earth’s surface. … Читать далее
Идиома: bells and whistles Перевод: «примочки», «модные штучки»; что-либо, что не имеет важной функции, но является приятным дополнением, мелочью Пример: When Horst sold his business he bought a motorhome with all the bells and whistles. Когда Хорст продал свой бизнес, он купил дом на колесах с разными примочками и наворотами.