Идиома: burn the midnight oil Перевод: работать по ночам, засиживаться допоздна (занимаясь или работая) Пример: We burned the midnight oil for three nights in order to study for the exam. Мы три ночи учились подолгу, чтобы подготовиться к экзамену.
Идиома: draw to a close Перевод: заканчиваться, подходить к концу, приближаться к окончанию Пример: The tournament was drawing to a close and everybody was going back home. Чемпионат заканчивался, и все возвращались домой.
[people who live in glass houses should not throw stones] Do notcomplain about other people if you are as bad as they are. — Aproverb. Mary says that Betty is jealous, but Mary is more jealousherself. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
[shoulder to cry on] or [to lean on] {n. phr.} A sympathetic personwho is willing to listen to one’s complaints and troubles. When Kenleft her, Donna needed a shoulder to lean on, and Bob was right thereto fill the role.
[flfty-flfty ] {adv.}, {informal} Equally; evenly. The twoboys divided the marbles they won fifty-fifty. When Dick and Sambought an old car, they divided the cost fifty-fifty.
[end run] {n.} A football play in which a back tries to run aroundone end of the opponent’s line. Smith’s end run scored the winningtouchdown.
Идиома: out of reach Перевод: вне досягаемости Пример: The top of the bookshelf was out of reach and I could not get the dictionary easily. Верхняя полка была вне моей досягаемости, и мне сложно было достать словарь.
[pick a hole in] or [pick holes in] {v. phr.}, {informal} To find amistake in or things wrong with; criticize; blame. The witness saidhe had been walking in the moonlight last Sunday, but the lawyerpicked a hole in what he said by proving that there was no moon andthat it rained Sunday night. Mary is … Читать далее
[pull strings] or [pull wires] {v. phr.}, {informal} To secretlyuse influence and power, especially with people in charge or inimportant jobs to do or get something; make use of friends to gainyour wishes. If you want to see the governor, Mr. Root can pullstrings for you. Jack pulled wires and got us a room at … Читать далее
[go on record] {v. phr.} To make an official statement as opposedto an informal one; say something officially that may be quoted withthe person’s name added for reference. I want to go on record thatI oppose the merger with the firm of Catwallender and Swartvik.
[hang-up] {n.}, {informal} 1. A delay in someprocess. The mail has been late for several days; there must besome hang-up with the trucks somewhere. 2. A neurotic reaction tosome life situation probably stemming from a traumatic shock which hasgone unconscious. Doctor Simpson believes that Suzie’s frigidity isdue to some hang-up about men.
[wear thin] {v.} 1. To become thin from use, wearing, or thepassing of time. My old pair of pants has worn thin at the knees. This old dime has worn very thin. 2. To grow less, or lessinteresting; decrease. The joke began to wear thin when you heardit too many times. The teacher’s patience began … Читать далее
[on the brain] {adj. phr.}, {slang} Filling your thoughts; too muchthought about; almost always in mind. Mary Ann has boys on thebrain. Joe’s hobby is ham radio and he has radio on the brain mostof the time.
[dime store] or [five-and-dime] or [five-and-ten] {n. phr.} A store that sells things that cost little. Charles bought a pencil at the five-and-dime.
Идиома: face the music Перевод: держать ответ; отвечать за свои поступки, действия Пример: The boy must face the music for his actions very soon. Очень скоро мальчику придется держать ответ за свои действия.
[damned if one does, damned if one doesn’t] {adj. phr.} No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won’t. It is a classical case of «damned if I do, damned if I don’t.»
[sit up with] {v. phr.} To be with; particularly to keep someoneill company. Mrs. Brown sat up with her sick husband all night inthe hospital room.
[the lid] {n.}, {slang} Something that holds back or holds out ofsight. The police blew the lid off the gambling operations. John kept the lid on his plans until he was ready to run for classpresident. The chief of police placed the lid on gambling in thetown.
Идиома: on (one’s) guard Перевод: настороже Пример: He has been on guard since he was robbed last month. Он постоянно настороже с тех пор, как в прошлом месяце его ограбили.
[wear down], [wear off] or [wear away] {v.} 1. To remove ordisappear little by little through use, time, or the action ofweather. Time and weather have worn off the name on thegravestone. The eraser has worn off my pencil. The grass hasworn away from the path near the house. 2. To lessen; become lesslittle by … Читать далее
[girl friend] {n.}, {informal} 1. A female friend or companion. Jane is spending the night at her girlfriend’s house. 2. A boy’ssteady girl; the girl or woman partner in a love affair; girl;sweetheart. John is taking his girl friend to the dance. Contrast:BOYFRIEND.
[lose one’s heart] {v. phr.} To fall in love; begin to love. Shelost her heart to the soldier with the broad shoulders and the deepvoice. Bill lost his heart to the puppy the first time he saw it.
[school of hard knocks] {n. phr.} Life outside of school orcollege; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learningfrom work and troubles. He never went to high school; he waseducated in the school of hard knocks.
Идиома: save something for a rainy day Перевод: копить, откладывать что-либо (обычно, деньги) на черный день, на крайний случай Пример: She has a couple of thousand pounds kept aside which she’s saving for a rainy day. У нее есть пара тысяч фунтов, которые она отложила, и хранит на крайний случай.
[chow line] {n.}, {slang} A line of people waiting for food. The chow line was already long when John got to the dining hall. The soldiers picked up trays and got into the chow line.
[line of scrimmage] {n. phr.} An imaginary line on a football fieldparallel to the goal lines where each play except the kickoff begins. The play was stopped at the line of scrimmage.
[end] See: AT LOOSE ENDS, AT ONE’S WITS’ END, BURN THE CANDLE ATBOTH ENDS, GO OFF THE DEEP END, HAIR STAND ON END, HOLD ONE’S END UPor HOLD UP ONE’S END or KEEP ONE’S END UP or KEEP UP ONE’S END, LIVINGEND, LOOSE ENDS, MAKE AN END OF, MAKE ENDS MEET, NO END, NO END … Читать далее
[drag race] {n.}, {slang} An automobile race in which the drivers try to cover a certain distance in the shortest possible time. Drag races are often held on airport landing strips. Holding drag races is a good way to stop teenage hot rod racing on public highways. Compare: DRAG STRIP.
[pass off] {v.} 1. To sell or give by false claims;offer as genuine. The dishonest builder passed offa poorly built house by pretending it was well constructed. Syn.: FOBOFF, PALM OFF. To claim to be someone you are not; pretend to besomeone else. He passed himself off as a doctor until someonechecked his record. 3. … Читать далее
[line of fire] {n. phr.} The path that something fired or throwntakes. When the bandit and the police began to shoot, John wasalmost in their line of fire. Compare: CROSS FIRE.
[lay for] {v.}, {informal} To hide and wait for in order to catchor attack; to lie in wait for. The bandits laid for him along theroad. I knew he had the marks for the exam, so I was laying forhim outside his office.
[get rattled] {v. phr.} To become confused, overexcited, ornervous. The thief got so rattled when he saw the police followinghim that he drove his car into a ditch.
[horse around] {v.}, {slang} To join in rough teasing; play around. They were a hunch of sailors on shore leave, horsing around wherethere were girls and drinks. John horsed around with the dog for awhile when he came in from school.
[bring to bay] {v. phr.} To chase or force into a place where escape is impossible without a fight; trap; corner. The police brought the robber to bay on the roof and he gave up. The fox was brought to bay in a hollow tree and the dogs stood around it barking. Compare: AT BAY.
[pig out] {v. phr.} 1. To eat a tremendous amount of food. «Ialways pig out on my birthday,» she confessed. 2. To peruse; havegreat fun with; indulge in for a longer period of time. «Go to bedand pig out on a good mystery story,» the doctor recommended.
[such that] {conj.} Of a kind or amount that; so great or so littlethat; enough that. There was such a big line at me movie that wehad to wait before we could get in. Jimmy made such noise that hissister told him to be quiet. Mother’s answer was such that shedidn’t say yes and she … Читать далее
[take heart] {v. phr.} To be encouraged; feel braver and want totry. The men took heart from their leader’s words and went on towin the battle. When we are in trouble we can take heart from thefact that things often seem worse than they are. Contrast: LOSEHEART.
[put up with] {v.} To accept patiently; bear. We had to put upwith Jim’s poor table manners because he refused to change. Themother told her children, «I refuse to put up with your tracking inmud!» Compare: STAND FOR.
[stand on one’s own feet] or [stand on one’s own two feet] {v. phr.} To depend on yourself; do things yourself; earn your own living;be independent. After his father died, John had to stand on his ownfeet and earn his own living. You should learn to stand on yourown two feet.
[follow one’s nose] {v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To go straight ahead;continue in the same direction. Just follow your nose and you’llget there. 2. To go any way you happen to think of. Oh, I don’tknow just where I want to go. I’ll just follow my nose and see whathappens.
[hunt down] {v.} 1. To pursue and capture; look hard for an animalor person until found and caught. The police hunted down theescaped prisoner. Compare: TRACK DOWN. 2. To search for until one finds it. Professor Jones hunted down the writtenmanuscript in the Library of Congress. Syn.: TRACK DOWN.
Идиома: ahead of schedule Перевод: заранее; впереди графика, расписания, плана Пример: We finished our work ahead of schedule. Мы закончили работу быстрее, чем было условлено.
[uh-huh] or [um-hum] {adv.}, {informal} Yes. — Used only in speechor when recording dialogue. Are you going to the Fair? Uh-huh. We were in Alaska, um-hum, but that was long before the earthquakes. When I asked for an appointment, the nurse said, «Um-hum, I have anopening at four o’clock on Friday.» Contrast: HUH-UH.
Идиома: bend over backwards / lean over backwards Перевод: лезть из кожи вон; прилагать все усилия для выполнения чего-либо, стараться изо всех сил (обычно используется для описания попыток помочь или угодить кому-либо) Пример: He said he would bend over backwards to help her get a job in the company. Он сказал, что сделает все возможное, … Читать далее
[chicken-livered] {adj.}, {slang}, {colloquial} Easily scared; cowardly. Joe sure is a chicken-livered guy. See: CHICKEN-HEARTED.
[mince words] {v. phr.} To choose words carefully for the sake ofpoliteness or deception. I like people who speak frankly andtruthfully without mincing words.
[in toto] {adv. phr.} As a whole; in its entirety; totally;altogether. The store refused the advertising agency’s suggestionin toto. They bought the newspaper business in toto. Thepaving job was accepted in toto.
[serve notice] {v. phr.} 1. To notify one’s employer in a formal orlegal manner that one is quitting the former’s employment. She gavenotice to her boss that she was quitting because of marriage. 2. Tonotify an employee or a tenant that one no longer needs their servicesor wishes to have them as tenants. The new … Читать далее
Идиома: in particular Перевод: в частности, в особенности Пример: My father likes almost all sports but in particular he loves basketball. Моему отцу нравятся почти все виды спорта, но особенно он обожает баскетбол.
[cop a feel] {v. phr.}, {vulgar}, {avoidable} To attempt to arouse sexually by manual contact, usually by surprise. John talks big for a 16 year old, but all he’s ever done is cop a feel in a dark movie theater. Compare: FEEL UP. Contrast: COP A PLEA.