Английские идиомы

[the other day] {adv. phr.} In the recent past. I saw anincredible parade of elephants along Michigan Avenue the other day onmy way to work.

[at each other’s throats] {prep. phr.} Always arguing and quarreling. Joan and Harry have been at each other’s throats so long that they have forgotten how much they used to love one another.

[swing one’s weight] {v. phr.} To use your personal power to getsomething done The President swings his weight to get laws passed. Mr. Thomas swung his weight to get his son a job with the company.

[on the lam] {adj.} or {adv. phr.}, {slang} Running away, especially from the law; in flight. The bank robber was on the lamfor ten months before the police caught him. — Sometimes used in thephrase «take it on the lam». After a big quarrel with her father, the girl took it on the lam.

[overnight] {adj.} 1. From one evening until the next morning. We could drive from Chicago to Detroit in one day, but it would bemore comfortable if we stayed overnight in a motel. 2. Rapidly. When Tom won the lottery he became a rich man overnight.

Идиома: sow one’s wild oats Перевод: отдавать дань увлечениям молодости, делать глупости в молодости (иногда подразумеваются неразборчивые сексуальные связи) Пример: The man sowed his wild oats when he was a young man. Этот мужчина делал разные глупости, когда был молодым человеком.

Идиома: get one’s money’s worth Перевод: получить в полном объеме то, за что заплачено Пример: I wasn’t disappointed with my purchase; in fact, I can say with confidence that I got my money’s worth. Я не был разочарован в своей покупке — более того, могу с уверенностью сказать, что я в полном объеме получил то, … Читать далее

Идиома: out of commission Перевод: в нерабочем, неисправном состоянии Пример: Something broke down in the engine room, and the whole system was out of commission. Что-то сломалось в машинном отделении, и вся система была в нерабочем состоянии.

Идиома: foot the bill Перевод: оплачивать счет, платить за что-либо Пример: The company will foot the bill for my move to Paris. Компания оплатит мой переезд в Париж.

[wink at] {v.} To allow and pretend not to know about. John was not allowed to stay out late at night, but his parents winked at his being five minutes late. A judgeshould never wink at any law-breaking.

Идиома: stand a chance (of doing something) Перевод: иметь шанс на что-либо Пример: Our team stands a good chance of winning the championship this year. У нашей команды есть хороший шанс выиграть в этом году чемпионат.

Идиома: catch someone red-handed / catch someone flat-footed Перевод: застать кого-либо за выполнением чего-то плохого, незаконного; застать врасплох Пример: I caught him red-handed trying to break into my car. Я застал его врасплох, когда он пытался взломать мою машину.

Идиома: from way back Перевод: с давних пор, долгое время Пример: I know my friend from way back. In fact, we went to elementary school together. Я с давних пор знаю своего друга. Вообще-то, мы вместе ходили в начальную школу.

[push off] or [shove off] {v.} 1. To push a boat away from theshore. Before Tom could reach the boat, Jake had shoved off. 2.{slang} To start; leave. We were ready to push off at ten o’clock, but had to wait for Jill. Jim was planning to stay at the beachall day, but when the … Читать далее

[have lots going for one] {v. phr.} To have abilitiesor qualities that help in achieving one’s goal; assets working inone’s favor. The young woman will surely get the job; she haseverything going for her.

[two-time] {v.}, {slang} To go out with a second boy or girlfriendand keep it a secret from the first. Joan was two-timing Jim withFred. Mary cried when she found that Joe was two-timing her. Compare: DOUBLE-CROSS.

Идиома: off guard Перевод: быть недостаточно бдительным, быть застигнутым врасплох Пример: It caught me off guard when my friend suddenly asked me to lend her some money. Когда моя подруга попросила меня одолжить ей денег, я был застигнут врасплох.

[tail between one’s legs] {n. phr.} State of feeling beaten, ashamed, or very obedient, as after a scolding or a whipping. Thearmy sent the enemy home with their tails between their legs. Theboys on the team had boasted they would win the tournament, but theywent home with their tails between their legs.

Идиома: play possum Перевод: притвориться спящим или мертвым Пример: My friend was playing possum and did not respond to the conversation around him. Мой друг прикинулся спящим, и не отвечал на разговор, который велся вокруг него.

[third world] {n.} 1. The countries not aligned with either theformer U. S. S. R.-dominated Communist bloc or the U. S. A.-dominatedcapitalist countries. New Zealand made a move toward third countrystatus when it disallowed American nuclear submarines in its harbors. 2. The developing nations of the world where the industrial revolutionhas not yet been completed. … Читать далее

Идиома: give someone a break Идиома: give someone a break разг. Перевод: дать кому-либо шанс, не относиться к кому-либо предвзято Пример: We decided to give the woman a break and not complain about her bad manners. Мы решили дать этой женщине шанс и не жаловаться на ее плохие манеры.

[kick the bucket] {v. phr.}, {slang} To die. Old Mr. Joneskicked the bucket just two days before his ninety-fourth birthday. Compare: KICK OFF.

[nose about] or [nose around] {v. phr.}, {informal} To look forsomething kept private or secret; poke about; explore; inquire; pry. In Grandmother’s attic, Sally spent a while nosing about in the oldfamily pictures. The detective was nosing around in the crowdlooking for pickpockets.

Идиома: so what Перевод: выражение безразличия, отсутствие интереса к только что сказанному; может переводиться как «ну и что?», «какая разница», и т. п.; часто используется с восклицательным или вопросительным знаком Пример: So what if she left without saying goodbye. Ну и что с того, что она ушла, не попрощавшись?

[last but not least] {adv. phr.} In the last place but not theleast important. Billy will bring sandwiches, Alice will bringcake, Susan will bring cookies, John will bring potato chips, and lastbut not least, Sally will bring the lemonade.

[legal age] or [lawful age] The age at which a person is allowed todo a certain thing or is held responsible for an action. In moststates the legal age for voting is 27. He could not get a driver’slicense because he was not of lawful age.

[answer the call of nature] or [obey the call of nature] {v. phr.}, {slang} To go to the bathroom to relieve oneself by urinating or defecating. Ted was hiking in the mountains when suddenly he had to answer the call of nature but since there was no bathroom in the woods, he excused himself and … Читать далее

[bring to] {v.} 1. To restore to consciousness; wake from sleep, anesthesia, hypnosis, or fainting. Smelling salts will often bring a fainting person to. Compare: BRING AROUND. 2.To bring a ship or boat to a stop. Reaching the pier, he brought the boat smartly to.

[burn-out] {n.} A point of physical or emotional exhaustion. There are so many refugees all over the world that charitable organizations as well as individuals are suffering from donor burn-out.

[buy out] {v.} 1. To buy the ownership or a share of; purchase the stock of. He bought out several small stockholders. 2. To buy all the goods of; purchase the merchandise of. Mr. Harper bought out a nearby hardware store. Contrast: SELL OUT.

Идиома: at hand / on hand Перевод: под рукой, рядом, в пределах досягаемости Пример: I stopped working because I did not have any tools at hand. Я перестал работать, потому что под рукой у меня не было инструментов. I do not have any aspirin on hand at the moment. В данный момент у меня под … Читать далее

[hunt and peck] {n. phr.}, {informal} Picking out typewriter keysby sight, usually with one or two fingers; not memorizing the keys. Many newspaper reporters do their typing by hunt and peck. — Oftenused, with hyphens, as an adjective. Mr. Barr taught himself totype, and he uses the hunt-and-peck system.

Идиома: have one’s mind in the gutter Перевод: думать или говорить о чем-либо непристойном, неприличном Пример: Why do you tell so many dirt jokes? Do you always have your mind in the gutter? Почему ты постоянно шутишь на неприличные темы? У тебя на уме постоянно что-то непристойное?

[at random] {adv. phr.} With no order, plan, or purpose; in a mixed-up, or thoughtless way. He opened the letters at random. His clothes were scattered about the room at random.

Идиома: after the fact Перевод: после того, как что-либо уже произошло Пример: The man said that he was sorry but it was after the fact. He had already caused many problems. Он извинился, но уже после того, как причинил столько проблем.

[at call] {adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. Ready or nearby for use, help, or service; on request. Thousands of auto insurance agents all over the country are at the insured person’s call, wherever he may travel. 2. At the word of command; at an order or signal. The dog was trained to come at call.

[by oneself] {adv. phr.} 1. Without any others around; separate from others; alone. The house stood by itself on a hill. Tom liked to go walking by himself. Betty felt very sad and lonely by herself. 2. Without the help of anyone else; by your own work only. John built a flying model airplane by … Читать далее

[slip of the pen] {n. phr.} The mistake of writing somethingdifferent from what you should or what you planned. That was a slipof the pen. I meant to write September, not November. I wish youwould forget it. That was a slip of the pen.

[abide by] {v.} To accept and obey; be willing to follow. A basketball player may know he did not foul, but he must abide by the referee’s decision. The members agree to abide by the rules of the club.

[keep cool] {v. phr.} Remain calm; remain unexcited. The mainthing to remember in an emergency situation is to not lose one’s headand keep cool.

[generous to a fault] {adj. phr.} Excessively generous. Generousto a fault, my Aunt Elizabeth gave away all her rare books to her oldcollege.

[heart is in the right place] or [have one’s heart in the rightplace] To be kind-hearted, sympathetic or well-meaning; have goodintentions. All the tramps and stray dogs in the neighborhood knewthat Mrs. Brown’s heart was in the right place. Tom looks veryrough but his heart is in the right place.

[stand up] {v.} 1. To rise to a standing position; get up on yourfeet. A gentleman stands up when a lady enters a room. 2. To bestrong enough to use hard or for a long time. A rocket must bebuilt strongly to stand up under the blast-off. The old car hasalready stood up for twenty … Читать далее

Идиома: risk one’s neck Перевод: рисковать головой Пример: I’m not going to risk my neck climbing over a twenty-foot wall! Я не собираюсь рисковать головой и перелезать через двадцатифутовую стену!

[take one’s measure] or [take the measure of] {v. phr.} To judgethe character, quality, or nature of; try to guess about something — how hard or easy, dangerous or safe, good or bad, etc. The boxerssparred for a while taking each other’s measure. John took themeasure of the cliff before he climbed it. Compare: SIZE … Читать далее

[close the door] or [bar the door] or [shut the door] {v. phr.} To prevent any more action or talk about a subject. The President’s veto closed the door to any new attempt to pass the bill. Joan was much hurt by what Mary said, and she closed the door on Mary’s attempt to apologize. … Читать далее

[ease off] or [ease up] {v.} To make or become less nervous; relax;work easier. When the boss realized that John had been overworking, he eased off his load. With success and prosperity, Mr. Smith wasable to ease off. Compare: LET UP.

[hide one’s light under a bushel] {v. phr.} To be very shy andmodest and not show your abilities or talents; be too modest inletting others see what you can do. When Joan is with her closefriends she has a wonderful sense of humor, but usually she hides herlight under a bushel. Mr. Smith is an … Читать далее

[to the bone] {adv.}, {slang}, {informal} Thoroughly, entirely, tothe core, through all layers. I am dreadfully tired; I’ve worked myfingers to the bone. See: ALSO WORK ONE’S FINGERS TO THE BONE.

[old country] {n. phr.} Primarily Europe, but also any countryother than the United States where one originally came from. Al’swife was born in Chicago but Al himself is from the old country, Ireland.