[in common] {adv. phr.} Shared together or equally; in use orownership by all. Mr. and Mrs. Smith own the store in common. The four boys grew up together and have a lot in common. Theswimming pool is used in common by all the children in theneighborhood. Compare: COMMON GROUND.
Идиома: see things Перевод: видеть то, чего не существует; воображать себе что-либо; видеть галлюцинации Пример: He is always daydreaming and imagining that he is seeing things. Он всегда мечтает и воображает, что видит то, чего нет.
[on one’s chest] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Hidden in your thoughts orfeelings and bothering you; making you feel worried or upset; that issomething you want to talk to someone about. Jane looks unhappybecause she has the quarrel with Susan on her chest. «Well, Dave,»said the coach, «You look sad — what’s on your chest?» Compare: ONONE’S … Читать далее
[take the plunge] {v. phr.} To take a fatal or decisive step;venture. When I asked Don when he and Melissa were going to getmarried, he answered that they’ll take the plunge in September.
[consumer goods] or [consumer items] {n.} Food and manufactured things that people buy for their own use. In time of war, the supply of consumer goods is greatly reduced.
Идиома: hue and cry Перевод: 1. погоня за преступником, сопровождающаяся криками «держи!», «лови!», и т. п. 2. шум, массовый протест, недовольство, возмущение Пример: As if in some old movie, the people were raising hue and cry about the robber running down the street. Как в каком-то старом кино, люди кричали вору, бегущему по улице, «держи … Читать далее
[on hold] {adv. phr.} 1. Left waiting while making a telephonecall. «Sorry sir,» the secretary said, «I’ll have to put you onhold for a minute.» 2. Waiting; temporarily halted. «Put yourmarriage plans on hold, son, and wait until after graduation,» hisfather said seriously.
Идиома: at best Перевод: при самых благоприятных обстоятельствах, в лучшем случае Пример: The doctors said that the man had ten months at best to live. Врачи сказали, что в лучшем случае этому человеку осталось жить десять месяцев.
Идиома: make lemonade out of lemons Перевод: найти выход из трудного положения; улучшить, исправить ситуацию Пример: When Roger’s wife divorced him, he made lemonade out of lemons and started dating again. Когда жена Роджера развелась с ним, он нашел выход из трудного положения, и начал снова встречаться.
[go fly a kite] {v. phr.}, {slang} To go away; leave. Usually usedas a command, to show that you do not accept someone’s ideas. Harrywas tired of John’s advice and told him to go fly a kite. AfterMary stood around telling Sue what was wrong with her dress. Sue toldher to go fly a kite. … Читать далее
Идиома: have a lot on one’s mind Перевод: волноваться, беспокоиться о многом Пример: She has a lot on her mind with her new job and her new boyfriend. Она сейчас много о чем беспокоится со своей новой работой и новым молодым человеком.
[case the joint] {v. phr.}, {slang} 1. To study the layout of a place one wishes to burglarize. The hooded criminals carefully cased the joint before robbing the neighborhood bank. 2. To familiarize oneself with a potential workplace or vacation spot as a matter of preliminary planning. «Hello Fred,» he said. «Are you working here … Читать далее
[catch off guard] {v. phr.} To challenge or confront a person at a time of lack of preparedness or sufficient care. The suspect was caught off guard by the detective and confessed where he had hidden the stolen car.
[call girl] {n.}, {slang} A prostitute catering to wealthy clientele, especially one who is contacted by telephone for an appointment. Rush Street is full of call girls.
[at first] {adv. phr.} In the beginning; at the start. The driver didn’t see the danger at first. At first the job looked good to Bob, but later it became tire some. There was a little trouble at first, but things soon were quiet.
[save face] {v. phr.} To save your good reputation, popularity, ordignity when something has happened or may happen to hurt you; hidesomething that may cause you shame. The policeman was caughtaccepting a bribe; he tried to save face by claiming it was money owedto him. Bill would not play in the game because he knew … Читать далее
[sign of the times] {n. phr.} A characteristic of the times inwhich one lives. It is a sad sign of the times that all the majorlakes and rivers are badly polluted and fish in them are poisoned.
[all but] {adv. phr.} Very nearly; almost. Crows all but destroyed a farmer’s field of corn. The hikers were exhausted and all but frozen when they were found.
[on the level] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Honest and fair; telling thewhole truth. Our teacher respects the students who are on the levelwith her. Joyce wondered if the fortune-teller was on the level.
[devil-may-care attitude] {n. phr.} An attitude of no concern for financial or other loss. «Easy come, easy go,» John said in a devil-may-care attitude when he lost all of his money during a poker game.
[add insult to injury] {v. phr.} 1. To hurt someone’s feelings after doing him harm. He added insult to injury when he called the man a rat after he had already beaten him up. 2. To make bad trouble worse. We started on a picnic, and first it rained, then to add insult to injury, … Читать далее
Идиома: in the meantime Перевод: тем временем, между тем; в промежутке времени Пример: I can’t go to university now so in the meantime I am going to a junior college. Сейчас я не могу поступить в университет, поэтому пока что я пойду в двухгодичный колледж.
[mind like a steel trap] {n. phr.} A very quick and understandingmind, which is quick to catch an idea. Henry is not fond of sports, but he has a mind like a steel trap. A successful lawyer must havea mind like a steel trap.
[curl up] {v.} 1a. To become curly or wavy. Bacon curls up when it is cooked. 1b. To roll oneself into a ball. Tim curled up in bed and was asleep in five minutes. 2. See: FOLD UP.
[at a set time] {prep. phr.} At a particular, pre-specified time. Do we have to eat in this hotel at a set time, or may we come down whenever we want?
[wade through] {v. phr.} To read through something long andlaborious. It took John six months to wade through Tolstoy’s Warand Peace in the original Russian.
[couldn’t care less] {v. phr.}, {informal} To be indifferent; not care at all. The students couldn’t care less about the band; they talk all through the concert. Also heard increasingly as «could care less» .
Идиома: on one’s mind Перевод: в мыслях, на уме Пример: The incident at school was on my mind all week. У меня всю неделю в мыслях крутится случай, который произошел в школе.
Идиома: on the go Перевод: в движении, в работе Пример: I have been on the go since early morning trying to prepare for the meeting. Я с раннего утра весь в делах, пытаюсь подготовиться к собранию.
[beaten path] {n. phr.} The usual route or way of operating that has been conventionally established. If we always follow the beaten path, we’ll never have the courage to try something new.
[straighten up] {v.} To put in order; make neat. Vic had tostraighten up his room before he could go swimming. Mrs. Johnsonstraightened up the house before company came. Compare: PICK UP, SQUARE AWAY.
Идиома: hit it off (with someone) Перевод: быстро подружиться с кем-либо, сразу начать ладить Пример: The two salespeople hit it off and have a very good working relationship now. Двое продавцов сразу подружились друг с другом, и сейчас у них очень хорошие рабочие отношения.
Идиома: have a score to settle (with someone) Перевод: иметь с кем-либо проблемы, нерешенные дела, которые нужно разрешить Пример: I had a score to settle with the soccer coach which I wanted to talk about. У меня с футбольным тренером были некоторые неразрешенные вопросы, о которых я хотел поговорить.
Идиома: call it a day / call it a night Перевод: считать что-либо законченным; закончить работу, и пойти домой Пример: I called it a day and decided to go home early. Я закончил работу и решил пойти домой пораньше.
Идиома: in the red Перевод: неприбыльный, убыточный (противоположное значение — In the black) Пример: The company has been in the red for three years now. Компания является убыточной вот уже три года.
[bend over backward] or [lean over backward] {v. phr.}, {informal} To try so hard to avoid a mistake that you make the opposite mistake instead; do the opposite of something that you know you should not do; do too much to avoid doing the wrong thing; also, make a great effort; try very hard. Instead … Читать далее
[in stitches] {adj. phr.}, {informal} Laughing so hard that thesides ache; in a fit of laughing hard. The comedian was so funnythat he had everyone who was watching him in stitches.
[ruffle feathers] or [ruffle one’s feathers] {v. phr.} Insult ordisturb slightly; offend. The author ruffled some feathers by hisportrait of his hometown.
[heart skip a beat] or [heart miss a beat] 1. The heart leaves outor seems to leave out a beat; the heart beats hard or leaps fromexcitement or strong feeling. — Often considered trite. When Paulsaw the bear standing in front of him, his heart skipped a beat. 2.To be startled or excited from surprise, … Читать далее
[in dispute] {adj. phr.} Disagreed about; being argued. Thepenalty ordered by the referee was in dispute by one of the teams. Everyone in the clans wanted to say something about the subject indispute.
[bring down the house] {v. phr.}, {informal} To start an audience laughing or clapping enthusiastically. The principal’s story was funny in itself and also touched their loyalties, so it brought down the house. The President made a fine speech which brought down the house.
Идиома: beat / turn swords into ploughshares Перевод: перековать мечи на орала; перестать готовиться к войне и начать тратить деньги, ранее затрачиваемые на военные нужды, на улучшение жизни людей Пример: It would have been unrealistic to expect a country like the United States to turn swords into ploughshares the moment the Cold War ended. Было … Читать далее
[give it to] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To give punishment to; beat. The crowd yelled for the wrestler to give it to his opponent. Syn.: LET HAVE IT. 2. To scold. Jerry’s mother gave it to him forcoming home late. Compare: GIVE A PIECE OF ONE’S MIND, LACE INTO. Contrast: CATCH IT.
[bread and butter ] {n. phr.} The usual needs of life; food, shelter, and clothing. Ed earned his bread and butter as a bookkeeper, but added a little jam by working with a dance band on weekends.
[days are numbered] does not have long to live or stay. The days of the old school building are numbered. When a man becomes ninety years old, his days are numbered.
[head above water] {n. phr.} out of difficulty; clear of trouble. How are your marks at school? Are you keeping your head above water? Business at the store is bad. They can’t keep their heads abovewater.
[in the doghouse] {adj. phr.}, {slang} In disgrace or disfavor. Our neighbor got in the doghouse with his wife by coming home drunk. Jerry is in the doghouse because he dropped the ball, and the otherteam won because of that. Compare: DOWN ON.
[shopworn] {adj.} A piece of merchandise that is offered below theusual price because it is slightly damaged or soiled. Althoughshopworn, the jacket was perfectly usable, so he eagerly bought it.
[straw in the wind] {n. phr.} A small sign of what may happen. The doctor’s worried face was a straw in the wind. Thequickly-called meeting of the President and his cabinet was a straw inthe wind.
[as the story goes] {adv. phr.} As the story is told; as one has heard through rumor. As the story goes, Jonathan disappeared when he heard the police were after him.