Английские идиомы

[so far] also [thus far] {adv.} Until this time or to this place. The weather has been hot so far this summer. This is a lonelyroad. We have not met another car so far.

[in one’s shoes] also [in one’s boots] {adv. phr.} In or into one’splace or position. How would you like to be in a lion tamer’sboots? Compare: PUT ONESELF IN ANOTHER’S PLACE, STEP INTO ONE’SSHOES.

[skin off one’s nose] {n. phr.}, {slang} Matter of interest, concern, or trouble to you. Normally used in the negative. Go toJake’s party if you wish. It’s no skin off my nose. Grace didn’tpay any attention to our argument. It wasn’t any skin off her nose. You could at least say hello to our visitor. … Читать далее

[dream of] {v.} To think about seriously; think about with the idea of really doing; consider seriously. — Usually used with a negative. I wouldn’t dream of wearing shorts to church.

[upper crust] {n.}, {informal} The richest, most famous, orimportant people in a certain place; the highest class. It is aschool that only the children of the upper crust can afford.

[play off] {v.} 1. To match opposing persons, forces, or interestsso that they balance each other. The girl played off her admirersagainst each other. Britain tried to play off European nationsagainst each other so that she would have a balance of power. 2. Tofinish the playing of The visitors cameback the next Saturday to play … Читать далее

Идиома: wheel and deal Перевод: совершать махинации, обделывать дела Пример: There was a lot of wheeling and dealing going on before they built the new convention center. Было провернуто много махинаций, прежде чем было построено новое здание для собраний.

[beyond reasonable doubt] {adv. phr.}, {formal and legal} Virtually certain; essentially convincing. The judge instructed the jurors to come up with a verdict of guilty only if they were convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Algernon was the perpetrator.

[dwell on] or [dwell upon] {v.} To stay on a subject; not leave something or want to leave; not stop talking or writing about. Joe dwelt on his mistake long after the test was over. Our eyes dwelled on the beautiful sunset. The principal dwelled on traffic safety in his talk. Compare: HARP ON. Contrast: … Читать далее

Идиома: go to the dogs Перевод: ухудшаться, становиться хуже Пример: Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years. За последние десять лет многое в нашем городе стало хуже.

[mama’s boy] {n. phr.}, {informal} A boy who depends too much onhis mother; a sissy. The other boys called Tommy a mama’s boybecause he wouldn’t come out to play unless his mother stayed nearhim.

Идиома: knock on wood Перевод: постучать по дереву (в соответствии с поверьем, что это позволяет предотвратить беду) Пример: I do not think that I will lose my job — knock on wood. Я думаю, что не потеряю свою работу — постучу по дереву.

Идиома: sweep someone off one’s feet Перевод: потрясти, ошеломить кого-либо; моментально покорить кого-либо, влюбить в себя; оставить сильное впечатление Пример: The woman was swept off her feet when she met the young man at the party. Женщина моментально влюбилась, когда встретила молодого человека на вечеринке. Andre is very charming. He will sweep you off your … Читать далее

[through thick and thin] {adv. phr.} Through all difficulties andtroubles; through good times and bad times. The friends werefaithful through thick and thin. George stayed in college throughthick and thin, because he wanted an education.

[Russian roulette] {n.} A game of chance in which one bullet isplaced in a revolver, the cartridge cylinder is spun, and the playeraims the gun at his own head and pulls the trigger. Only a foolwould risk playing Russian roulette.

[fall for] {v.}, {slang} 1. To begin to like very much. Dickfell for baseball when he was a little boy. 2. To begin to love Helen was a very pretty girl and people were notsurprised that Bill fell for her. 3. To believe Nell did not fall for Joe’s story about being a jetpilot.

[beg off] {v.} To ask to be excused. Father told Tom to rake the yard, but Tom tried to beg off. Mrs. Crane accepted an invitation to a luncheon, but a headache made her beg off. Compare: BACK OUT.

[in the right] {adj. phr.} With moral or legal right or truth onyour side; in agreement with justice, truth, or fact; correct. Whenthe cars collided, John was clearly in the right. In going beforehis wife down the stairs, Mr. Franklin was in the right. In manydisputes, it is hard to say who is in the … Читать далее

[fed up] also [fed to the gills] or [fed tothe teeth] {adj. phr.} Having had too much of something; at the end ofyour patience; disgusted; bored; tired. People get fed up withanyone who brags all the time. I’ve had enough of his complaints. I’m fed up. He was fed to the teeth with television and … Читать далее

[step on it] or [step on the gas] {v. phr.} 1. To push down on thegas pedal to make a car go faster. Be very careful when you step onthe gas. Don’t go too fast. Compare: GIVE IT THE GUN. 2. {informal}To go faster; hurry. Step on it, or we’ll be late for school. John … Читать далее

[rock hound] {n.}, {slang} A person who studies and collects rocksfor a hobby. Many young rock hounds grow up to be geologists. Tony is an eager rock hound, and we have rocks all through ourhouse.

[have an eye for] {v. phr.} To be able to judge correctly of; havegood taste in. She has an eye for color and style in clothes. He has an eye for good English usage.

[make one’s way] {v. phr.} 1. To go forward with difficulty; find apath for yourself. They made their way through the crowd. 2. To domany hard things to earn a living; make a life work for yourself. He was anxious to finish school and make his own way in the world. Compare: SHIFT FOR ONESELF.

[get the message] or [get the word] {v. phr.}, {slang} Tounderstand clearly what is meant. The principal talked to thestudents about being on time, and most of them got the message. Mary hinted to her boyfriend that she wanted to break up, but hedidn’t gel the message. Compare: THE PICTURE.

[bum around] {v. phr.}, {slang} To aimlessly wander in no definite direction, like a vagabond. Jim had been bumming around in the desert for three days and nights before he was able to remember how he got there in the first place.

[can’t help but] {informal} also {formal} [cannot but] {v. phr.} To be forced to; can only; must. When the streets are full of melting snow, you can’t help but get your shoes wet. When a friend gave Jim a ticket to the game, he couldn’t help but go. When a close friend dies, you cannot … Читать далее

[waste away] {v.} To become more thin and weak every day. Janeis wasting away with tuberculosis. After Mrs. Barnes died, herhusband wasted away with grief.

[straightlaced] {adj.} Of very strict morals and manners. She isso straightlaced that she won’t even go out with a man unless shesenses that he is serious about her.

[bad shit] {n.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} An unpleasant event or situation, such as a long lasting and unsettled quarrel or recurring acts of vengeance preventing two people or two groups from reaching any kind of reconciliation. There is so much bad shit between the two gangs that I bet there will he more killings this year. … Читать далее

[throw off the track] {v. phr.} To divert; mislead; confuse. Theclever criminals threw the detective off the track by changing theirnames and faces. Contrast: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK.

[on the Q. T.] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Secretly; without anyone’sknowing. George and Paul formed a club on the Q. T. The teachersgot the principal a present strictly on the Q. T.

Владение в совершенстве иностранным языком, а ещё лучше, несколькими языками, всегда в обществе человеку придавало особый статус. Испокон веков полиглоты были особо уважаемыми членами общества. Их всегда ценили, а их мнение всегда было значимым. Даже во времена захватнических войн им всегда сохраняли жизнь, и зачастую они становились толмачами. В определенный период времени существовало расхожее мнение, … Читать далее

[get up on the wrong side of the bed] {v. phr.}, {informal} Toawake with a bad temper. Henry got up on the wrong side of the bedand wouldn’t eat breakfast. The man went to bed very late and gotup on the wrong side of the bed.

[stretch a point] or [strain a point] {v. phr.} To permit somethingdifferent or more than usual; not tell the exact truth or make anexception. Mother stretched a point because it was Christmas timeand let the children stay up later than usual. It’s straining apoint to call Joe a hero just because he saved the kitten … Читать далее

[pull off] {v.}, {informal} To succeed in ; do. Ben Hogan pulled off the impossibleby winning three golf tournaments in one year. The bandits pulledoff a daring bank robbery. Compare: PUT ACROSS.

[mix up] {v.} To confuse; make a mistake about. Jimmy doesn’tknow colors yet; he mixes up purple with blue. Even the twins’mother mixes them up. Compare: MIXED UP.

[keep time] {v. phr.} 1. To show the right time. My watch hasnot kept good time since I dropped it. 2. To keep the beat; keep thesame rhythm; keep in step. Many people are surprised at how welldeaf people keep time with the music when they dance.

Идиома: take somebody under one’s wing(s) Перевод: взять под свое крыло, взять кого-либо под свою опеку, под свое покровительство Пример: One of the older children will usually take a new girl or boy under their wing for the first few weeks. Один из старших ребят обычно берет нового мальчика или девочку под свою опеку на … Читать далее

Идиома: inside joke Перевод: шутка, известная только ограниченному кругу лиц (внутри какой-либо компании, среди друзей, и т. п.) Пример: That must be an inside joke, because it’s not funny at all. Это, должно быть, какая-то местная шутка, потому что мне совсем не смешно.

[blood] See: DRAW BLOOD, FLESH AND BLOOD, IN COLD BLOOD, IN ONE’S BLOOD or INTO ONE’S BLOOD, MAKE ONE’S BLOOD BOIL or MAKE THE BLOOD BOIL, NEW BLOOD, OUT OF ONE’S BLOOD, RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY, SPORTING BLOOD, SWEAT BLOOD, WARM ONE’S BLOOD.

[drawing card] {n.} The most important figure in a multi-person event; the top entertainer during a show; the best professor or researcher at a university, etc. During the concert series Barbra Streisand was the biggest drawing card.

[rhyme or reason] {n. phr.} A good plan or reason; a reasonablepurpose or explanation. — Used in negative, interrogative, orconditional sentences. Don could see no rhyme or reason to the plotof the play. It seemed to Ruth that her little brother had tempertantrums without rhyme or reason.

[take a turn] {v. phr.} To become different; change. Mary’sfever suddenly took a bad turn. The story took an odd turn. Oftenused with «for the better» or «for the worse». In the afternoon theweather took a turn for the better. Suddenly the battle took aturn for the worse.

[go the rounds] {v. phr.} To pass or be told from one person toanother; spread among many people. There is a rumor going therounds that Mr. Norton will be the new superintendent. The storyabout Mr. Cox’s falling into the lake is making the rounds. Syn.: GOAROUND.

Идиома: get one’s hands on someone or something Перевод: найти, достать что-либо, добраться до чего-либо Пример: When I get my hands on a hammer I will help you fix the door. Когда я найду молоток, я помогу тебе починить дверь.

[drop off] {v.} 1. To take part of the way you are going. Joe asked Mrs. Jones to drop him off at the library on her way downtown. 2. To go to sleep. Jimmy was thinking of his birthday party as he dropped off to sleep. 3. To die. The patient dropped off in his … Читать далее

[mug shot] {n. phr.} A police photograph showing the arrestedperson’s full face and profile. «Go over these mug shots,» SergeantO’Malley said, «and tell me if you find the person who held up theliquor store!»

[in at the kill] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Watching or taking part, usually with pleasure, at the end of a struggle; present at thefinish. Frank and John have been quarreling for a long time andtonight they are having a fight. Bill says he wants to be in at thekill, because he is Frank’s friend.

[swear by] {v.} 1. To use as the support or authority that what youare saying is truthful; take an oath upon. A witness swears by theBible that he will tell the truth. In ancient Greece a doctorswore by Apollo, the god of healing, that he would be a good doctor. John swore by his honor … Читать далее

[be in a stew] {v. phr.} To be worried, harassed, upset. Al has been in a stew ever since he got word that his sister was going to marry his worst enemy.