[come to grief] {v. phr.} To have a bad accident or disappointment; meet trouble or ruin; end badly; wreck; fail. Bill came to grief learning to drive a car. Nick’s hopes for a new house came to grief when the house he was building burned down. The fishing boat came to grief off Cape Cod.
[die in one’s boots] or [die with one’s boots on] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be killed or hanged rather than die in bed. The bad men of the Old West usually died in their boots. The robber said he wanted to die with his boots on.
[make a stab at] {v. phr.} To try doing something at random withoutsufficient preparation. The singer was not familiar with the ariabut she decided to make a stab at it anyhow. Contrast: STAB IN THEBACK, STAB IN THE DARK.
Идиома: beg to differ (with someone) Перевод: вежливо не согласиться с кем-либо Пример: I’m sorry but I beg to differ with you about what happened. Прошу прощения, но я не согласен с вами относительно того, что произошло.
[bring to a head] {v. phr.} To cause some activity to reach the point of culmination. Time is running out, gentlemen, so let us bring this discussion to a head.
[a little] {n.} or {adj.} A small amount ; some. — Usually «a little» is different in meaning from «little», which emphasizes the negative; «a little» means «some»; but «little» means «not much». We say «We thought that the paper was all gone, but a little was left.» But we say, «We thought we still … Читать далее
[not bad] or [not so bad] or [not half bad] {adj.}, {informal}Pretty good; all right; good enough. The party last night was notbad. It was not so bad, as inexpensive vacations go. The showwas not half bad.
[day and night] or [night and day] {adv.} 1. For days without stopping; continually. Syn.: AROUND THE CLOCK. Some filling stations on great highways are open day and night 365 days a year. The three men took turns driving the truck, and they drove night and day for three days. 2. Every day and every … Читать далее
[in and out] {adv. phr.} 1. Coming in and going out often. Hewas very busy Saturday and was in and out all day. 2. See: INSIDEOUT.
[have all one’s buttons] or [have all one’s marbles] {v. phr.},{slang} To have all your understanding; be reasonable. — Usually usedin the negative or conditionally. Mike acts sometimes as if hedidn’t have all his buttons. He would not go to town barefooted ifhe had all his marbles.
[sea legs] {n. phr.} 1. Adjustment to being in a boat that isrocking on the sea. This is my first transatlantic trip so give mea day to get my sea legs before you make me dance. 2. Adjustment to anew job or situation. «I have just been transferred here and Ihaven’t found my sea legs … Читать далее
[seize on] or [upon] {v. phr.} To latch onto. Whenever Herb isin a romantic mood, Irene seizes on it and starts talking aboutmarriage, which is not what Herb had in mind.
Идиома: when least expected Перевод: когда кто-либо совсем не ожидает чего-либо Пример: When least expected the secretary always asks for time off from work. Секретарь всегда отпрашивается с работы, когда этого меньше всего ждешь.
Идиома: put on an act Перевод: притворяться Пример: The girl was putting on an act when she said that she no longer loved her boyfriend. Девушка лишь притворялась, когда она сказала, что больше не любит своего молодого человека.
[stop cold] or [stop dead] or [stop in one’s tracks] {v. phr.},{informal} To stop very quickly or with great force. The hunterpulled the trigger and stopped the deer cold. When I saw Mary onthe street, I was so surprised I stopped dead. The deer heard anoise and he stopped in his tracks.
[mud in your eye] {n. phr.}, {informal} A cheering exclamation whenpeople drink, much like «cheers!» Each time John raised his glasshe said, «Well, here’s mud in your eye!»
Идиома: fair and square Перевод: абсолютно честный, справедливый Пример: The British team won the game fair and square. Британская команда выиграла игру абсолютно справедливо.
[get out] {v. phr.} 1. Leave or depart. «Get out of here!» theteacher shouted angrily to the misbehaving student. «Driver, Iwant to get out by the opera.» 2. To publish; produce. Our pressis getting out two new books on ecology. 3. To escape; leak out. We must not let the news about this secret invention … Читать далее
[cut up] {v.} 1. {informal} To hurt the feelings of; wound. — Usually used in the passive. John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring. 2. {slang} To act funny or rough; clown, Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching. At the party Jim and Ron were … Читать далее
[stand for] {v.} 1. To be a sign of; make you think of; mean. The letters «U. S. A.» stand for «United States of America.» Thewritten sign «=» in an arithmetic problem stands for «equals.» Ourflag stands for our country. The owl stands for wisdom. 2. Tospeak in favor of something, or show that you … Читать далее
[for the most part] {adv. phr.} In general; mostly; most of thetime; commonly; generally. European countries are, for the mostpart, tired of war. Syn.: BY AND LARGE, ON THE WHOLE.
[skid row] {n.} The poor part of a city where men live who have nojobs and drink too much liquor. That man was once rich, but hedrank and gambled too much, and ended his life living on skid row. The Bowery is New York City’s skid row.
[a pretty pass] {n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass.
Идиома: play hard to get Перевод: скромничать и стесняться, строить недотрогу (особенно часто употребляется по отношению к ухаживаниям, флирту) Пример: The young woman was playing hard to get but actually she wanted to go on a date with the young man. Молодая женщина стеснялась и скромничала, хотя на самом деле она хотела пойти на свидание … Читать далее
[try one’s wings] {v. phr.} To try out a recently acquired ability. Marjorie just had her twelfth French lesson and wants to try herwings by speaking with our visitors from Paris.
[means to an end] {n. phr.} An action leading to some end orpurpose. Money for him was just a means to an end; actually hewanted power.
[rest assured] {v. phr.} To be convinced; persuaded; certain andunworried. «Please rest assured,» he said seriously, «that I willkeep all of my promises.»
[en masse] {adv. phr.} As a group; in one big mass or group. — Usedafter the word it modifies. The school turned out en masse to cheerthe returning astronaut.
Идиома: little by little Перевод: постепенно Пример: He broke his leg while skiing but little by little it is getting better. Он сломал ногу, когда катался на лыжах, но постепенно он поправляется.
[brush off] or [give the brush off] {v. phr.} 1. To refuse to hear or believe; quickly and impatiently; not take seriously or think important. John brushed off Bill’s warning that he might fall from the tree. I said that it might rain and to take the bus, but Joe gave my idea the brush … Читать далее
[in substance] {adv. phr.} In important facts; in the main or basicparts; basically; really. In substance the weather report said thatit will be a nice day tomorrow. The two cars are the same insubstance, except one is red and the other is red and white.
[sight unseen] {adv. phr.} Before seeing it; before seeing her, him, or them. Tom read an ad about a car and sent the money for itsight unseen.
[red eye] {n. phr.}, {informal} A night flight. The companyrefused to pay for him to take a more expensive daytime flight, so hehad to come in on the red eye.
Идиома: let it go Перевод: не беспокоиться о чем-либо, оставить что-либо в покое Пример: You should let it go and stop worrying about what she did to you last year. Тебе следует забыть об этом и перестать беспокоиться о том, что она тебе сделала в прошлом году.
Идиома: in line Перевод: в очереди Пример: We stood in line for three hours while waiting for the concert tickets. Мы простояли в очереди три часа, пока ждали билеты на концерт.
[change of heart] {n. phr.} A change in the way one feels or thinks about a given task, idea or problem to be solved. Joan had a change of heart and suddenly broke off her engagement to Tim. Fred got admitted to medical school, but he had a change of heart and decided to go … Читать далее
[fall by the wayside] also [drop by the wayside] {v. phr.} To giveup or fail before the finish. The boys tried to make a 50-milehike, but most of them fell by the wayside. George, Harry, andJohn entered college to become teachers, but Harry and John fell bythe wayside, and only George graduated.
[sand trap] {n.} A low place on a golf course that is filled withsand to stop the ball. The golfer lost four strokes trying to getthe ball out of the sand trap.
[do the trick] {v. phr.}, {informal} To bring success in doing something; have a desired result. Jim was not passing in English, but he studied harder and that did the trick. The car wheels slipped on the ice, so Tom put sand under them, which did the trick. Compare: TURN THE TRICK.
Идиома: nest egg Перевод: деньги, отложенные на будущее; накопления Пример: The man has a large nest egg and will have no financial problems if he leaves his company. У этого человека отложено много денег на будущее, и у него не будет финансовых проблем, если он покинет свою компанию.
[necktie party] {n.}, {slang} A hanging by a mob; lynching. Cattle thieves were stealing the rancher’s cattle, but the cowboyscaught them and had a necktie party. Compare: STRING UP.
[elbow grease] {n.} Exertion; effort; energy. «You’ll have touse a little more elbow grease to get these windows clean,» Mothersaid to Ed.
[smoke like a chimney] {v. phr.}, {informal} To smoke very heavilyand continuously. «If you continue smoking like a chimney» thedoctor told my uncle, «you’ll wind up in the hospital with lungcancer.»
[cross one’s heart] or [cross one’s heart and hope to die] {v. phr.}, {informal} To say that what you have said is surely true; promise seriously that it is true. — Often used by children in the longer form. Children often make a sign of a cross over the heart as they say it, for … Читать далее
Идиома: drive someone up a wall Идиома: drive someone up a wall разг. Перевод: сильно злить, раздражать кого-либо Пример: My neighbor’s constant complaining is driving me up a wall. Мне сильно досаждают постоянные жалобы моего соседа.
[on the loose] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Free to go; not shut in orstopped by anything. The zookeeper forgot to close the gate to themonkey cage and the monkeys were on the loose. All of the seniorswere on the loose on «Senior Skip Day.»
Идиома: such and such Перевод: такой-то; кто-либо, чье имя было забыто или не должно называться, что-либо что не должно назваться Пример: My friend is always trying to borrow such and such from me but I always say no. Мой друг всегда пытается занять у меня что-нибудь, но я всегда отказываю ему.
[cop-out] {n. phr.}, {slang}, {informal} An irresponsible excuse made to avoid something one has to do, a flimsy pretext. Cowe on, Jim, that’s a cheap cop-out, and I don’t believe a word of it!
Идиома: know something from memory Перевод: знать что-либо по памяти Пример: I know most of the telephone numbers from memory. Я знаю большинство телефонных номеров по памяти.
[savings account] {n.} An account in a bank, where people put moneyto save it, and the bank uses the money and pays interest every year. If you leave your money in your savings account for six months or ayear, the bank will pay interest on it. Compare: CHECKING ACCOUNT.