Английские идиомы

[top] See: AT THE TOP OF ONE’S VOICE, BIG TOP, BLOW A FUSE or BLOWONE’S TOP, HARD-TOP, OFF THE TOP OF ONE’S HEAD, ON TOP, ON TOP OF, ONTOP OF THE WORLD, OVER THE TOP.

Идиома: albatross around one’s neck Перевод: тяжелая ноша, серьезная проблема; что-либо, что доставляет неприятности и мешает достичь успеха Пример: The company that he founded in 1983 is now an albatross around his neck, making losses of several hundreds of thousands a year. Компания, которую он основал в 1983 году, теперь доставляет ему кучу проблем, и … Читать далее

[settle up] {v. phr.} To pay up; conclude monetary or othertransactions. «Let’s settle up,» Carol’s attorney said, when shesued Don for a hefty sum of money after their divorce.

[foul play] {n.} Treachery; a criminal act. After they discovered the dead body, the police suspected foul play. «She must have met with foul play,» the chief inspector said whenthey couldn’t find the 12-year-old girl who had disappeared.

[drop in the bucket] {n. phr.} A relatively small amount; a small part of the whole. Our university needs several million dollars for its building renovation project; $50,000 is a mere drop in the bucket.

[give ground] {v. phr.} To go backward under attack; move back;retreat. After fighting for a while the troops slowly began to giveground. Although they were outnumbered by the enemy, the menrefused to give ground. Compare: DRAW BACK, DROP BACK, LOSE GROUND. Contrast: HOLD ONE’S GROUND, STAND OFF, STAND ONE’S GROUND, STAND PAT, STAVE OFF.

[what about] {interrog.} 1. About or concerning what; in connectionwith what. — Often used alone as a question. «I want to talk toyou.» «What about?» Compare: WHAT FOR. 2. See: WHAT OF IT. 3. See:HOW ABOUT.

[eat one out of house and home] {v. phr.} 1. To eat so much as tocause economic hardship. Our teenaged sons are so hungry all thetime that they may soon eat us out of house and home. 2. To overstayone’s welcome. We love Bob and Jane very much, but after two weekswe started to feel … Читать далее

[bite the dust] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To be killed in battle. Captain Jones discharged his gun and another guerrilla bit the dust. 2. To fall in defeat; go down before enemies; be overthrown; lose. Our team bit the dust today.

[College Boards] {n.} A set of examinations given to test a student’s readiness and ability for college. John got a high score on his College Boards. College Boards test both what a student has learned and his ability to learn.

[put to sleep] {v. phr.} 1. To cause to fall asleep. Mother usedto put us to sleep by telling us a good-night story and giving us akiss. 2. To kill with an injection. Dr. Murphy, the veterinarian, put our sick, old dog to sleep.

[on the way] or [on one’s way] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} Coming; goingtoward a place or goal; started. Help was on the way. The trainleft and Bill was on his way to New York. He is well on the way tobecoming a fine mechanic.

[it’s high time] {informal sentence} It is overdue. It is hightime for John Browning to be promoted to full professor; he haswritten a great deal but his books went unnoticed.

[to the manner born] {adj. phr.} At ease with something because oflifelong familiarity with it. She says her English is the bestbecause she is to the manner born.

[cash crop] {n.} A crop grown to be sold. Cotton is a cash crop in the South. They raise potatoes to eat, but tobacco is their cash crop.

[eyes are bigger than one’s stomach] {informal} You want more foodthan you can eat. Annie took a second big helping of pudding, buther eyes were bigger than her stomach. «Your eyes are bigger thanyour stomach,» mother told little Tommy when he piled up food on hisplate.

[eye out] Careful watch or attention; guard. — Used after «keep»,»have» or «with». Keep an eye out. We’re close to Joe’s house. -Usually used with «for». Mary has her eye out for bargains. They went through the woods very quietly, with an eye out forIndians. Compare: LOOK OUT, ON GUARD, ON THE ALERT, ON THE … Читать далее

[this and that] also [this, that, and the other] {n. phr.} Variousthings; different things; miscellaneous things. When the oldfriends met they would talk about this and that. The quilt wasmade of this, that, and the other.

Идиома: on the point of doing something / at the point of doing something Перевод: быть готовым сделать что-либо, собираться вот-вот сделать что-либ Пример: We were on the point of buying a new car when we changed our minds. Мы уже почти купили новую машину, но в последний момент передумали.

[at issue] {adj. phr.} 1. In dispute; to be settled by debate, by vote, by battle, or by some other contest. His good name was at issue in the trial. The independence of the United States from England was at issue in the Revolutionary War. Compare: IN QUESTION. 2. Not in agreement; in conflict; opposing. … Читать далее

[throw out of gear] {v. phr.} 1. To separate the gears of when you want to stop it. When John wanted tostop, he threw the car out of gear and braked sharply. 2. To stop orbother ; confuse; upset. Thewhole country was thrown out of gear by the assassination of thePresident. My mother’s illness threw … Читать далее

Идиома: take it easy on someone or something Перевод: быть помягче в отношении кого-либо или чего-либо; не злоупотреблять чем-либо в отношении чего-либо или кого-либо Пример: I tried to take it easy on the sugar when I was making the fruit punch. Я старался не класть много сахара, когда готовил фруктовый пунш.

[caught short] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Not having enough of something when you need it. Mrs. Ford was caught short when the newspaper boy came for his money a day early. The man was caught short of clothes when he had to go on a trip.

[tie-up] {n.} A congestion; a stoppage of the normal flow oftraffic, business or correspondence. There was a two-hour traffictie-up on the highway. No pay checks were delivered because of themail service tie-up.

[matter-of-fact] {adj.} 1. Simply telling or showing the truth; notexplaining or telling more. The newspaper gave a matter-of-factaccount of the murder trial. 2. Showing little feeling or excitementor trouble; seeming not to care much. When Mary’s father died sheacted in a very matter-of-fact way. He was a very matter-of-factperson.

[urban homesteading] {n.}, {informal} Renovation and occupationthrough cooperative ownership by tenants of previously abandoned cityapartment buildings. Urban homesteading is on the rise in many bigAmerican cities these days.

[variety store] {n.} A store that sells many different kinds ofthings, especially items that are fairly small and in everyday use. I went into a variety store and bought some paint. Five-and-tencent stores are a kind of variety store.

Идиома: make good Перевод: поступить так, как обещано; выполнить обещанное Пример: I want you to make good on your promise. Я хочу, чтобы ты сделал то, что обещал.

Идиома: on pins and needles Перевод: как на иголках; взволнованный, беспокойный Пример: The girl has been on pins and needles all day waiting for the contest to begin. Девушка весь день была как на иголках, пока ждала начала конкурса.

[like hell] {adv.}, {slang}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} 1. With greatvigor. As soon as they saw the cops, they ran like hell. 2.{interj.} Not so; untrue; indicates the speaker’s lack of belief inwhat he heard. Like hell you’re gonna bring me my dough!

[on the strength of] {prep.} With faith or trust in; dependingupon; with the support of. On the strength of Jim’s promise toguide us, we decided to climb the mountain. Bill started arestaurant on the strength of his experience as a cook in the army.

Идиома: far into the night Перевод: глубокая ночь, поздняя ночь Пример: I studied far into the night because I had a big test the next day. Я занимался до глубокой ночи, потому что на следующий день у меня была большая проверочная.

[fan the breeze] {v. phr.} 1. See: SHOOT THE BREEZE. 2. To swingand miss the ball in baseball. The batter tried to hit a home runbut he fanned the breeze.

[turn one’s stomach] {v. phr.}, {informal} To make you feel sick. The smell of that cigar was enough to turn your stomach. Thesight of blood turns my stomach.

[throw down the gauntlet] {v. phr.} To challenge, especially to afight. Another candidate for the presidency has thrown down thegauntlet.

[green power] {n.}, {slang}, {informal} The social prestige orpower money can buy one. In American political elections thecandidates that win are usually the ones who have green power backingthem.

[large order] {n. phr.} Difficult job; a difficult task to fulfill. It is a large order to educate three children in college at thesame time. Compare: TALL ORDER.

[eat like a bird] {v. phr.} To eat very little; have littleappetite. Mrs. Benson is on a diet and she eats like a bird. Alice’s mother is worried about her; she eats like a bird and is verythin. Contrast: EAT LIKE A HORSE.

[give out] {v.} 1. To make known; let it be known; publish. Marygave out that she and Bob were going to be married. 2. To let escape;give. The cowboy gave out a yell. Syn.: GIVE OFF, LET GO. 3. togive to people; distribute. The barber gives out free lollipops toall the children. Compare: HAND OUT, … Читать далее

[iron out] {v.}, {informal} To discuss and reach an agreement about ; find a solution for ; remove. The company and its workers ironed out theirdifferences over hours and pay. The House and Senate ironed outthe differences between their two different tax bills. Compare: MAKEUP.

Идиома: lose one’s touch (with someone or something) Перевод: потерять хватку; потерять способность руководить, управлять кем-либо или чем-либо Пример: I think that the horse trainer is losing her touch with the horses that she is training. Мне кажется, что тренер лошадей теряет способность управлять лошадьми, которых она тренирует.

Идиома: hush money Перевод: взятка; деньги, выплачиваемые за молчание, за неразглашение информации Пример: The politician was arrested for trying to pay hush money to a victim of the scandal. Политик был арестован за то, что пытался дать взятку участнику скандала.

[right-hand man] {v. phr.} A valued and indispensable assistant. The chancellor of the university never goes anywhere without the vicechancellor, his right-hand man, whose judgment he greatly trusts.

[watched pot never boils] If you watch or wait for something to getdone or to happen, it seems to take forever. — A proverb. Jane wasnine months pregnant and Tom hovered over her anxiously. She said,»You might as well go away and play some golf. A watched pot neverboils, you know!»

[lay one’s cards on the table] or [lay down one’s cards] or [putone’s cards on the table] {v. phr.}, {informal} To let someone knowyour position and interest openly; deal honestly; act without trickeryor secrets. In talking about buying the property, Peterson laid hiscards on the table about his plans for it. Some of the graduatesof … Читать далее

[while away] {v.} To make time go by pleasantly or without beingbored; pass or spend. We whiled away the time that we were waitingby talking and playing cards. We whiled away the summer swimmingand fishing.

[laugh on the wrong side of one’s mouth] or [laugh on the otherside of one’s mouth] or [laugh out of the other side of one’s mouth]{v. phr.}, {informal} To be made sorry; to feel annoyance ordisappointment; cry. Paul boasted that he was a good skater, butafter he fell, he laughed out of the other side … Читать далее

[throw away] {v.} 1. To get rid of as unwanted or not needed; junk. Before they moved they threw away everything they didn’t want totake with them. I never save those coupons; I just throw themaway. Syn.: THROW OUT. 2. To waste. The senator criticized thegovernment for throwing away billions on the space program. 3. … Читать далее

Идиома: be up to something Перевод: 1. собираться сделать что-либо, замышлять; 2. быть готовым или способным к чему-либо Пример: I do not know what the boy was up to last night but it was probably something bad. Не знаю, что вчера вечером замышлял этот мальчик, но это, наверное, было что-то плохое. When I got home, … Читать далее

[keep posted] {v. phr.} To receive current information;inform oneself. My associates phoned me every day and kept meposted on new developments in our business.