Английские идиомы

[open letter] {n. phr.} A public message in the form of a letteraddressed to a particular person or to a group. There was an openletter to the president of the United States in today’s morningpaper.

[run into] {v.} 1. To mix with; join with. If the paint brush istoo wet, the red paint will run into the white on the house. Thissmall brook runs into a big river in the valley below. 2. To add upto; reach; total. Car repairs can run into a lot of money. Thenumber of people … Читать далее

Идиома: keep a secret Перевод: хранить секрет Пример: I have been trying to keep a secret about my friend’s boyfriend for a long time now. Я уже давно пытаюсь сохранить секрет о молодом человеке моей подруги.

Идиома: take / catch / have forty winks Перевод: соснуть ненадолго, немного вздремнуть Пример: I was very tired so I decided to catch forty winks. Я был очень уставшим, поэтому я решил немного вздремнуть.

[go steady] {v. phr.} To go on dates with the same person all thetime; dale just one person. At first Tom and Martha were notserious about each other, but now they are going steady. Jean wentsteady with Bob for a year; then they had a quarrel and stopped datingeach other. Syn.: KEEP COMPANY. Contrast: PLAY … Читать далее

[in two] {adv. phr.} Into two parts or pieces; into two divisions. John and Mary pulled on the wishbone until it came in two. There was only one piece of cake, but we cut it in two. Syn.: INHALF.

[carry out] {v.} To put into action; follow; execute. The generals were determined to carry out their plans to defeat the enemy. John listened carefully and carried out the teacher’s instructions.

[make one’s mark] {v. phr.} To become known to many people; do wellthe work you started to do; make a reputation. Shakespeare made hismark as a playwright.

[There you go!] 1. Informal way to say, «You are doing it alreadyand you are doing it well.» «Is roller skating hard?» Freddieasked. «No,» Beth replied, «let me show you how to do it. There yougo!» 2. See: THERE or HERE YOU ARE.

[along in years] or [on in years] {adj. phr.} Elderly; growing old. As Grandfather got on in years, he became quiet and thoughtful. Our dog isn’t very playful because it is getting on in years.

[game is not worth the candle] {literary} What is being done is notworth the trouble or cost; the gain is not worth the effort. Idon’t want to walk so far on such a hot day. The game is not worth thecandle.

[slow on the draw] {adj. phr.} Not very smart; having difficultyfiguring things out. Poor Eric doesn’t get very good grades inphysics; when it comes to problem-solving, he is rather slow on thedraw.

[where it’s at] {adv. phr.}, {informal} That which is important;that which is at the forefront of on-going social, personal, orscientific undertakings. Young, talented and black, that’s whereit’s at. We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of people, that’s where it’s at.

Идиома: stick to one’s guns / stand by one’s guns Идиома: stick to one’s guns / stand by one’s guns разг. Перевод: оставаться при своем мнении; стоять на своем Пример: Our boss is sticking to his guns on his decision to fire the store manager. Наш начальник настаивает на своем решении уволить менеджера магазина.

Идиома: live in an ivory tower Перевод: жить «в башне из слоновой кости» (отгородиться от повседневной жизни) Пример: The university professor lives in an ivory tower and does not seem to understand what is going on in the world. Профессор университета живет «в башне из слоновой кости», и, похоже, не понимает, что происходит в мире.

Идиома: get one’s foot in the door Перевод: сделать первый шаг к достижению цели; начать выполнение чего-либо, что приведет к успеху в будущем Пример: I was able to get my foot in the door of the banking industry when I found a job at a bank. Мне удалось начать свой путь в банковской отрасли, когда … Читать далее

[cover one’s tracks] or [cover up one’s tracks] {v. phr.} 1. To hide and not leave anything, especially foot marks, to show where you have been, so that no one can follow you. The deer covered his tracks by running in a stream. 2. {informal} To hide or not say where you have been or … Читать далее

[lay a finger on] {v. phr.} To touch or bother, even a little. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. Don’tyou dare lay a finger on the vase! Suppose Billy fakes his brotherwith him; wilt the mean, tough boy down the street dare lay a fingeron him? If you so much as lay a … Читать далее

[hunky-dory] {adj.} OK; satisfactory; fine. The landlord askedabout our new apartment and we told him that so far everything washunky-dory.

[grow out of] {v. phr.} 1. To outgrow; become too mature for. Asa child he had a habit of scratching his chin all the time, but hegrew out of it. 2. To result from; arise. Tom’s illness grew outof his tendency to overwork and neglect his health.

Идиома: dressed to the nines / dressed to the teeth Перевод: быть очень элегантно одетым; быть одетым очень модно, очень стильно Пример: The movie stars were dressed to the nines during the awards ceremony. Звезды кино были разодеты очень по-модному во время церемонии награждения.

Идиома: the time of one’s life Перевод: очень хорошее время Пример: My cousin had the time of her life when she went to Rome last summer. Когда прошлым летом моя двоюродная сестра ездила в Рим, это было лучшее время в ее жизни.

[no spring chicken] {n. phr.} A person who is no longer young. Even though she is no spring chicken anymore, men still turn theirheads to look at her.

[claim check] {n.} A ticket needed to get back something. The man at the parking lot gave Mrs. Collins a claim check. The boy put the dry cleaning claim check in his billfold. The man told Mary the pictures would be ready Friday and gave her a claim check.

Идиома: a pat on the back Перевод: похвала, поощрение (часто используется в выражении Give someone a pat on the back) Пример: You deserve a pat on the back for keeping your promise. Ты заслуживаешь похвалы за то, что сдержал свое обещание. My boss gave me a pat on the back when I finished the project. … Читать далее

[stone wall] or [brick wall] {adj.} Something hard to overcome; anidea or belief that is hard to change. The students ran into abrick wall when they asked the principal to put off the examination. Dick tried to change Father’s mind about letting him use the carSaturday night, but he was up against a stone wall.

[take with a grain of salt] also [take with a pinch of salt] {v. phr.} To accept or believe only in part; not accept too much. A manwho says he is not a candidate for President should usually have hisstatement taken with a grain of salt. We took Uncle George’sstories of the war with a … Читать далее

[in the market for] {adj. phr.} Wishing to buy; ready to buy. Mr. Jones is in the market for a new car. People are always inthe market for entertainment.

[gone goose] also [gone gosling] {n.}, {slang} A person for whomthere is no hope. Herbert’s grades have been so low that he is agone goose for the year. The man was a gone gosling when apoliceman caught him breaking the store window.

Идиома: the one and only Перевод: один-единственный, уникальный Пример: Yesterday the newspaper published an interview with the one and only inventor of the new DVD player. Вчера в газетах опубликовали интервью с тем самым изобретателем нового DVD плеера.

[moonshine] {n.} Illegally distilled alcoholic beverage made athome, mostly on a farm. Grandpa is at it again in the barn, makingmoonshine out of plums.

Идиома: leave someone high and dry Перевод: бросить кого-либо в трудную минуту, оставить без помощи Пример: The employees were left high and dry when the company went out of business. Служащие оказались в трудной ситуации без всякой помощи, когда компания вышла из бизнеса.

[save one’s neck] or [save one’s skin] {v. phr.}, {slang} To savefrom danger or trouble. The fighter planes saved our skins whilethe army was landing from the ships. Betty saved Tim’s neck bytyping his report for him; without her help he could not have finishedon time.

[lick and a promise] {n. phr.}, {informal} A careless, hasty job;an unsatisfactory piece of work. You didn’t wash your hands. Youjust gave them a lick and a promise. The boys didn’t cut the grassproperly. All it got was a lick and a promise.

[mile markers] {n.}, {slang}, {citizen’s band radio jargon} Smallsigns along interstate highways usually bearing a number. TheSmokey is located at 131 mile marker.

[all wool and a yard wide] {adj. phr.} Of fine character; especially, very generous and kind-hearted. He’s a wonderful brother — all wool and a yard wide.

[alley cat] {n.}, {slang} 1. A stray cat. 2. A person of rather easy-going, or actually loose sexual morals; a promiscuous person. You’ll have no problem dating her; she’s a regular alley cat.

Идиома: augur well for (someone or something) Перевод: предсказывать что-либо хорошее для кого-либо или чего-либо Пример: The poor business conditions do not augur well for the workers. Плохие рабочие условия не сулят рабочим ничего хорошего.

Идиома: not a living soul Перевод: ни одна живая душа, никто Пример: There was not a living soul at the restaurant when I arrived early last night. Когда я вчера вечером пораньше пришел в ресторан, там не было ни души.

[blow into] {v.}, {slang} To arrive at unexpectedly or in a carefree way. Bill blows into college at the last minute after every vacation. Why Tom, when did you blow into town?

[check on someone thing] or [check up on someone thing] {v}. To try to find out the truth or rightness of; make sure of; examine; inspect; investigate. We checked on Dan’s age by getting his birth record. Mrs. Brown said she heard someone downstairs and Mr. Brown went down to check up on it. You … Читать далее

[short-order cook] {n.} A person who prepares food that cooksquickly. Bruce found a summer job as a short-order cook in adrive-in restaurant. The new diner needs another short-ordercook. Compare: SLING HASH.

[run to] {v. phr.} To approximate; reach. It has been estimatedthat the casualties will run to over 300,000 killed by cholera andstarvation in the crowded refugee camps.

[once and for all] {adv. phr.} 1. One time and never again; withoutany doubt; surely; certainly; definitely. Let me say, for once andfor all, you may not go to the party Saturday. For once and forall, I will not go swimming with you. 2. Permanently. Bill and Tomasked the teacher to settle the argument once … Читать далее

[carry coals to Newcastle] {v. phr.} To do something unnecessary; bring or furnish something of which there is plenty. The man who waters his grass after a good rain is carrying coals to Newcastle. Joe was carrying coals to Newcastle when he told the doctor how to cure a cold. .

[press the flesh] {v.}, {slang} To shake hands with total strangersby the hundreds, keeping an artificial smile all the way, in order toraise one’s popularity during political elections. IncumbentGovernor Maxwell was pressing the flesh all day long at six differenthotels. Compare: BABY KISSER.

[beat the drum] {v. phr.} To attract attention in order to advertise something or to promote someone, such as a political candidate. Mrs. Smith has been beating the drum in her town in order to get her husband elected mayor.

Идиома: take it or leave it Перевод: либо да, либо нет; принять что-либо или отказаться от этого Пример: The customer was told to take it or leave it when he began to complain about the product. Когда покупатель начал жаловаться на товар, ему сказали, чтобы он решался, будет он совершать покупку или нет.

Идиома: when push comes to shove / if push comes to shove Перевод: когда ситуация, положение ухудшится; когда до чего-либо дойдет дело Пример: When push comes to shove my friend’s daughter is always able to find a job. Когда дела идут не ладно, дочери моего друга всегда удается найти работу.

[lead on] {v. phr.} To encourage you to believe something untrue ormistaken. Tom led us on to believe that he was a world traveler, but we found out that he had never been outside our state. We wereled on to think that Jeanne and Jim were engaged to be married.