Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[hold on] <v.> 1. To keep holding tightly; continue to hold strongly. * /As Ted was pulling on the rope, it began to slip and Earl cried, "Hold on, Ted!"/ Syn.: HANG ON. 2. To wait and not hang up a telephone; keep a phone for later use. * /Mr. Jones asked me to hold on while he spoke to his secretary./ 3. To keep on with a business or job in spite of difficulties. * /It was hard to keep the store going during the depression, but Max held on and at last met with success./ 4. <informal> To wait a minute; stop.
– Usually used as a command. * /"Hold on!" John's father said, "I want the car tonight."/
[hold one's breath] <v. phr.> 1. To stop breathing for a moment when you are excited or nervous. * /The race was so close that everyone was holding his breath at the finish./ 2. To endure great nervousness, anxiety, or excitement. * /John held his breath for days before he got word that the college he chose had accepted him./
[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 was drying them, couldn't keep her end up./ * /Susan kept up her end of the conversation, but Bill did not talk very much./ * /Bob said he would lend me his bicycle if I repaired the flat tire, but he didn't keep up his end of the bargain./
[hold one's fire] or [hold fire] <v. phr.> To keep back arguments or facts; keep from telling something. * /Tow could have hurt Fred by telling what he knew, but he held his fire./ * /Mary held fire until she had enough information to convince the other club members./
[hold one's head up] <v. phr.> To show self-respect; not be ashamed; be proud. * /When Mr. Murray had paid off his debts, he felt that he could hold his head up again./
[hold one's horses] <v. phr.>, <informal> To stop; wait; be patient.
– Usually used as a command. May be considered rude. * /"Hold your horses!" Mr. Jones said to David when David wanted to call the police./
[hold one's nose to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE'S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.
[hold one's own] <v. phr.> To keep your position; avoid losing ground; keep your advantage, wealth, or condition without loss. * /Mr. Smith could not build up his business, but he held his own./ * /The team held its own after the first quarter./ * /Mary had a hard time after the operation, but soon she was holding her own./
[hold one's peace] <v. phr.>, <formal> To be silent and not speak against something; be still; keep quiet. * /I did not agree with the teacher, but held my peace as he was rather angry./ Compare: HOLD ONE'S TONGUE
[hold one's temper] or [keep one's temper] <v. phr.> To make yourself be quiet and peaceful; not become angry. * /The meeting will go smoothly if the president keeps his temper./ * /Dave can't keep his temper when he drives in heavy traffic./ Contrast: LOSE ONE'S TEMPER, BLOW ONE'S STACK.
[hold one's tongue] <v. phr.> To be silent; keep still; not talk. May be considered rude. * /The teacher told Fred to hold his tongue./ * /If people would hold their tongues from unkind speech, fewer people would be hurt/
[hold on to] <v. phr.> 1a. or [hold to] To continue to hold or keep; hold tightly. * /When Jane played horse with her father, she held on to him tightly./ * /The teacher said that if we believed something was true and good we should hold on to it./ * /The old man held on to his job stubbornly and would not retire./ 1b. To stay in control of. * /Ann was so frightened that she had to hold on to herself not to scream./ Contrast: LET GO. 2. To continue to sing or sound. * /The singer held on to the last note of the song for a long time./
[hold on to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT.
[holdout] <n.> A rebel who refuses to go with the majority. * /Sam was a lone holdout in town; he refused to sell his old lakefront cottage to make place for a skyscraper./
[hold out] <v. phr.> 1. To put forward; reach out; extend; offer. * /Mr. Ryan held out his hand in welcome./ * /The clerk held out a dress for Martha to try on./ * /The Company held out many fine promises to Jack in order to get him to work for them./ 2. To keep resisting; not yield; refuse to give up. * /The city held out for six months under siege./ Compare: HANG ON, HOLD ON. 3. To refuse to agree or settle until one's wishes have been agreed to. * /The strikers held out for a raise of five cents an hour./ 4. <slang> To keep something from; refuse information or belongings to which someone has a right. * /Mr. Porters partner held out on him when the big payment came in./ * /Mother gave Bobby cookies for all the children in the yard, but he held out on them and ate the cookies himself./ * /John knew that the family would go to the beach Saturday, but he held out on his brother./
[hold out an olive branch] See: BURY THE HATCHET.
[holdover] <n.> 1. A successful movie or theater production that plays longer than originally planned. * /Because of its great popularity. Star Wars was a holdover in most movie theaters./ 2. A reservation not used at the lime intended, but used later. * /They kept my seat at the opera as a holdover because I am a patron./
[hold over] <v.> 1. To remain or keep in office past the end of the term. * /The city treasurer held over for six months when the new treasurer died suddenly./ * /The new President held the members of the Cabinet over for some time before appointing new members./ 2. To extend the engagement of; keep longer. * /The theater held over the feature film for another two weeks./ 3. To delay action on; to postpone: to defer. * /The directors held over their decision until they could get more information./
[hold still] <v. phr.> To remain motionless. * /"Hold still," the dentist said. "This won't hurt you at all."/
[hold the bag] <v. phr.> To be made liable for or victimized. * /We went out to dinner together but when it was time to pay I was left holding the bag./
[hold the fort] <v. phr.> 1. To defend a fort successfully; fight off attackers. * /The little group held the fort for days until help came./ 2. <informal> To keep a position against opposing forces. * /Friends of civil liberties held the fort during a long debate./ 3. <informal> to keep service or operations going * /It was Christmas Eve, and a few workers held the fort in the office./ * /Mother and Father went out and told the children to hold the fort./
[hold the line] <v. phr.> To keep a situation or trouble from getting worse; hold steady; prevent a setback or loss. * /The mayor held the line on taxes./ * /The company held the line on employment./
[hold the stage] [v. phr.] 1. To continue to be produced and to attract audiences. * /"Peter Pan" holds the stage year after year at its annual Christmas showing in London./ 2. To be active in a group; attract attention. * /We had only an hour to discuss the question and Mr. Jones held the stage for most of it./ * /Jane likes to hold the stage at any party or meeting, so she does and says anything./