[off guard] {adj.} In a careless attitude; not alert to comingdanger; not watching. In the second that the boxer was off guard, his opponent landed a knockout punch. Timmy s question caught Jeanoff guard, and she told him the secret before she knew it. Contrast:ON GUARD.
[at length] {adv. phr.} 1. In detail; fully. You must study the subject at length to understand it. The teacher explained the new lesson at length to the students. 2. In the end; at last; finally. The movie became more and more exciting, until at length people were sitting on the edge of their chairs.
Идиома: lay something at someone’s door Перевод: возлагать вину за что-либо на кого-либо; винить кого-либо за что-либо Пример: The error in the notice about the date of our next meeting must be laid at my door. Ошибка в объявлении о дате нашего следующего собрания должна быть возложена на меня.
[split the difference] {v. phr.}, {informal} To settle a moneydisagreement by dividing the difference, each person giving up half. Bob offered $25 for Bill’s bicycle and Bill wanted $35; they splitthe difference.
Идиома: hit-and-run Перевод: дорожное происшествие, когда водитель уезжает с места происшествия Пример: My sister was involved in a hit-and-run accident last Sunday afternoon. В прошлую субботу днем моя сестра попала в дорожное происшествие, и водитель уехал с места аварии.
[on the watch] {adj. phr.} Alert; watchful. The customsinspector was on the watch for diamond smugglers. Mary was on thewatch for bargains at the auction. Compare: EYE OUT, LOOK OUT.
[at best] or [at the best] {adv. phr.} 1. Under the best conditions; as the best possibility. A coal miner’s job is dirty and dangerous at best. We can’t get to New York before ten o’clock at best. Compare: AT MOST. Contrast: AT WORST. 2. In the most favorable way of looking at something; even … Читать далее
[on the side] {adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. In addition to a mainthing, amount or quantity; extra. He ordered a hamburger withonions and French fries on the side. His job at the hospital didnot pay much, so he found another on the side. The cowboys in therodeo competed for prize money and also made bets on … Читать далее
[bone up] {v.}, {informal} To fill with information; try to learn a lot about something in a short time; study quickly. Carl was boning up for an examination. Jim had to make a class report the next day on juvenile delinquency, and he was in the library boning up on how the courts handle it.
[get wind of] {v. phr.} To get news of; hear rumors about; find outabout. The police got wind of the plans to rob the bank. Thecaptain didn’t want the sailors to get wind of where the ship wasgoing.
[for the better] {adj.} or {adv. phr.} With a better result; forsomething that is better. The doctor felt that moving Father to adry climate would be for the better. The new large print in thebook is a change for the better. Compare: TAKE A TURN. Contrast: FORTHE WORSE.
[funny bone] {n.} 1. The place at the back of the elbow that hurtslike electricity when accidentally hit. He hit his funny bone onthe arm of the chair. 2. or {informal} [crazy bone] Sense of humor;understanding jokes. Her way of telling the story tickled his funnybone.
Идиома: beside oneself (with something) Перевод: в крайнем состоянии, в состоянии чего-либо (гнева, страха, расстройства, и т. п.) Пример: I was beside myself with joy. Я был вне себя от радости. Sarah could not speak. She was beside herself with anger. Сара не могла говорить. Она была просто в бешенстве.
[burn up the road] {v. phr.}, {informal} To drive a car very fast. In his eagerness to see his girl again, he burned up the road on his way to see her. Speed demons burning up the road often cause accidents.
[hold one’s end up] or [hold up one’s end] or [keep one’s end up]or [keep up one’s end] {v. phr.}, {informal} To do your share of work;do your part. Mary washed the dishes so fast that Ann, who wasdrying them, couldn’t keep her end up. Susan kept up her end ofthe conversation, but Bill did … Читать далее
Идиома: rat race Перевод: крысиные бега; постоянная спешка, постоянная борьба за успех Пример: The man sometimes finds it too much of a rat race to live and work in a big city. Иногда этому человеку очень трудно жить и работать в постоянной спешке в большом городе.
[off one’s head] {adj. phr.} Crazy; mad. We had no doubt thatthe old man was off his head when we saw him jumping into the lakewith his winter coat on.
[and then some] And a lot more; and more too. It would cost all the money he had and then some. Talking his way out of this trouble was going to take all his wits and then some.
[hard nut to crack] also [tough nut to crack] {n. phr.}, {informal}Something difficult to understand or to do. Tom’s algebra lessonwas a hard nut to crack. Mary found knitting a hard nut to crack. Compare: HARD ROW TO HOE.
[drop out] {v.} To stop attending; quit; stop; leave. In the middle of the race, Joe got a blister on his foot and had to drop out. Teenagers who drop out of high school have trouble finding jobs.
[wash one’s hands of] {v. phr.} To withdraw from or refuse to beresponsible for. We washed our hands of politics long ago. Theschool washed its hands of the students’ behavior during springrecess.
[come along] {v.} To make progress; improve; succeed. He was coming along well after the operation. Rose is coming right along on the piano.
[in store] {adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. Saved up in case of need; readyfor use or for some purpose. If the electricity goes off, we havecandles in store in the closet. The squirrel has plenty of nuts instore for the winter. Compare: IN RESERVE, IN STOCK, ON HAND. 2.Ready to happen; waiting. — Often used … Читать далее
[take one’s time] {v. phr.} To avoid haste; act in an unhurriedway. He liked to take his time over breakfast. It is better totake your time at this job than to hurry and make mistakes.
[camp follower] {n.} 1. A man or woman who goes with an army, not to fight but to sell something. Nowadays camp followers are not allowed as they were long ago. 2. A person who goes with a famous or powerful person or group in hope of profit. A man who runs for president has … Читать далее
[master key] {n. phr.} A key that opens a set of different locks. The building janitor has a master key to all of the apartments inthis building.
[shoot up] {v.} 1. To grow quickly. Billy had always been asmall boy, but when he was thirteen years old he began to shoot up. 2. To arise suddenly. As we watched, flames shot up from the roofof the barn. 3. {informal} To shoot or shoot at recklessly; shoot andhurt badly. The cowboys got drunk … Читать далее
[in step] {adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. With the left or right footstepping at the same time as another’s or to the beat of music; inmatching strides with another person or persons. The long line ofsoldiers marched all in step: Left, right! Left, right! Johnnymarched behind the band in step to the music. 2. In … Читать далее
Идиома: horse around Перевод: валять дурака; играться, дурачиться Пример: The children were horsing around in the school yard when the bell rang for the class. Дети дурачились в школьном дворе, когда зазвонил звонок на урок.
[take a drop] {v. phr.} 1. To indulge in alcoholic drinks. AuntLiz doesn’t really drink; she just takes a drop every now and then. 2. To lose value; decrease in price. Stocks took a big dropyesterday due to the international crisis.
[put across] {v.} 1. To explain clearly; make yourself understood;communicate. He knew how to put his ideas across. Compare: GETACROSS. 2. {informal} To get done successfully; bring tosuccess; make real. He put across a big sales campaign. The newlibrarian put across a fine new library building. Syn.: PUT OVER. Compare: PULL OFF.
[hold one’s peace] {v. phr.}, {formal} To be silent and not speakagainst something; be still; keep quiet. I did not agree with theteacher, but held my peace as he was rather angry. Compare: HOLDONE’S TONGUE
Идиома: make it worth someone’s while (to do something) Перевод: заинтересовать чем-либо кого-либо, чтобы получить помощь, поддержку (как правило, каким-либо корыстным способом) Пример: Our company always makes it worth our while to work on Saturday evenings. Наша компания всегда делает работу в субботу вечером выгодной для нас.
[platonic love] {n. phr.} Great affection toward another personwithout sex. They are platonic lovers; they do everything togetherexcept make love.
Идиома: at random Перевод: наугад, наобум, беспорядочно Пример: The members of the team were chosen at random from among the regular players. Члены команды были наугад выбраны из постоянных игроков.
Идиома: at swords’ points Перевод: на ножах, в ссоре Пример: Judy and her mother-in-law were always at swords’ points. Джуди всегда была на ножах со своей свекровью.
[hang heavy] or [hang heavy on one’s hands] {v. phr.} To passslowly or uninterestingly; be boring with little to do. Thevacation time hung heavy on Dick’s hands because all his friends wereaway at camp. Compare: ON ONE’S HANDS.
[of the same mind] {adv. phr.} In agreement; in consonance. Itis a good thing when father and son are of the same mind regardingbusiness and politics.
Идиома: change one’s mind Перевод: поменять, изменить решение, передумать Пример: My friend changed his mind and said that he would not go to the movie tonight. Мой друг поменял свое решение и сказал, что не пойдет сегодня вечером в кино.
Идиома: few and far between Перевод: немного, мало; нечасто, редко Пример: The gas stations were few and far between on the mountain highway. Заправочные станции на горном шоссе встречались редко.
Идиома: get up on the wrong side of the bed Идиома: get up on the wrong side of the bed Перевод: встать не с той ноги, быть в плохом настроении Пример: My friend got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and will not talk to anyone. Мой друг встал сегодня не … Читать далее
[lash out] {v.} 1. To kick. The horse lashed out at the manbehind him. 2. To try suddenly to hit. The woman lashed out at thecrowd with her umbrella. 3. To attack with words. The senatorlashed out at the administration. The school newspaper lashed outat the unfriendly way some students treated the visiting team.
[have something on the ball] {v. phr.}, {slang}, {colloquial} To besmart, clever; to be skilled and have the necessary know-how. Youcan trust Syd; he’s got a lot on the ball OR he’s got something on theball.
[watch one’s language] {v. phr.} To be careful of how one speaks;avoid saying impolite or vulgar things. «You boys watch yourlanguage,» Mother said, «or you won’t be watching television for awhole week!»
[throw the book at] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give the most severepenalty to for breaking the law or rules. Because it wasthe third time he had been caught speeding that month, the judge threwthe book at him.
Идиома: know better (than to do something) Перевод: сообразить, догадаться не делать что-либо Пример: I told my friend that she should know better than to phone me at 7:00 AM on a Saturday morning. Я сказал своей подруге, что она могла бы догадаться не звонить мне в 7 часов утра в воскресенье.
Идиома: bear in mind Перевод: иметь в виду, принимать во внимание, помнить Пример: We have to bear in mind that the child is only three years old when he does something bad. Когда ребенок делает что-нибудь не так, мы должны помнить, что ему всего три года.
Идиома: a rough guess Перевод: приблизительная оценка, догадка, предположение Пример: I made a rough guess about how many people would come to the party. Я сделал приблизительную оценку того, сколько человек пришло на вечер.
[hopped up] {adj.}, {slang} 1. Doped with a narcotic drug. Police found Jones hiding in an opium den, among other men all hoppedup with the drug. 2. Full of eagerness; excited. Fred was allhopped up about going over the ocean.
Идиома: quick as a wink Перевод: очень быстро Пример: The woman turned around and quick as a wink her purse was stolen. Женщина обернулась, и у нее очень быстро украли сумку.