Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[back number] <n.> Something out of fashion, or out of date. * /Among today's young people a waltz like "The Blue Danube" is a hack number./
[backfire] <v.> To misfire; to have a reverse effect from what was intended. * /Mimi's gossip about the Head of the Department backfired wizen people began to mistrust her./
[backhanded compliment] <n. phr.> A remark that sounds like a compliment but is said sarcastically. * /"Not had for a girl" the coach said, offering a backhanded compliment./
[back of] or [in back of] <prep.> 1. In or at the rear of; to the back of; behind. * /The garage is hack of the house./ * /Our car was in hack of theirs at the traffic light./ 2. <informal> Being a cause or reason for; causing. * /Hard work was back of his success./ * /The principal tried to find out what was back of the trouble on the bus./ 3. <informal> In support or encouragement of; helping, clones will be elected because many powerful men are back of him. * /Get in back of your team by cheering them at the game./
[back out] <v. phr.> 1. To move backwards out of a place or enclosure. * /Bob slowly backed his car out of the garage./ 2. To withdraw from an activity one has promised to carry out. * /Jim tried to back out of the engagement with Jane, but she insisted that they get married./ Compare: BEG OFF, GO BACK ON.
[back seat] See: TAKE A BACK SEAT.
[backseat driver] <n.>, <informal> A bossy person in a car who always tells the driver what to do. * /The man who drove the car became angry with the back seat driver./
[back street] <n.> A street not near the main streets or from which it is hard to get to a main street. * /We got lost in the back streets going through the city and it took us a half hour to find our way again./ Compare: SIDE STREET.
[back talk] <n.> A sassy, impudent reply. * /Such back talk will get you nowhere, young man!/ See: TALK BACK.
[back the wrong horse] <v. phr.> To support a loser. * /In voting for George Bush, voters in 1992 were backing the wrong horse./
[back-to-back] <adv.> 1. Immediately following. * /The health clinic had back-to-back appointments for the new students during the first week of school./ 2. Very close to, as if touching. * /Sardines are always packed in the can back-to-back./ * /The bus was so full that people had to stand back-to-back./
[back to the salt mines] <informal> Back to the job; back to work; back to work that is as hard or as unpleasant as working in a salt mine would be.
– An overworked phrase, used humorously. * /The lunch hour is over, boys. Back to the salt mines!/ * /"Vacation is over," said Billy. "Back to the salt mines."/
[back to the wall] or [back against the wall] <adv. phr.> In a trap, with no way to escape; in bad trouble. * /The soldiers had their backs to the wall./ * /He was in debt and could not get any help; his back was against the wall./ * /The team had their backs to the wall in the second half./ Compare: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, LAST DITCH, ON THE SPOT, UP AGAINST IT.
[back up] <v.> 1. To move backwards. * /The train was backing up./ 2. To help or be ready to help; stay behind to help; agree with and speak in support of. * /Jim has joined the Boy Scouts and his father is backing him up./ * /The principal backs up the faculty./ * /Jim told us what had happened and Bob backed him up./ Compare: BACK OF(3), STAND BY(4). 3. To move behind (another fielder) in order to catch the ball if he misses it. * /The shortstop backed up the second baseman on the throw./
[backward] See: BEND OVER BACKWARD or LEAN OVER BACKWARD; FALL OVER BACKWARDS or FALL OVER ONESELF.
[backward and forward] or [backwards and forwards] <adv. phr.> To the full extent; in all details; thoroughly; completely. * /He understood automobile engines backwards and forwards./ * /He knew basketball rules backwards and forwards./ * /I explained matters to him so that he understood backwards and forwards how it was./
[bacon] See: BRING HOME THE BACON.
[bad] See: GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, IN A BAD WAY, IN BAD, IN ONE'S BAD GRACES, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE'S MOUTH, NOT BAD or NOT SO BAD or NOT HALF BAD, ON ONE'S BAD SIDE, TOO BAD, WITH BAD GRACE.
[bad actor] <n.>, <informal> A person or animal that is always fighting, quarreling, or doing bad things. * /The boy was a bad actor and nobody liked him./
[bad blood] <n.>, <informal> Anger or misgivings due to bad relations in the past between individuals or groups. * /There's a lot of bad blood between Max and Jack; I bet they'll never talk to each other again./ Compare: BAD SHIT.
[bad egg] <n.>, <slang> A ne'er-do-well; good-for nothing; a habitual offender. * /The judge sent the bad egg to prison at last./ Contrast: GOOD EGG.
[bad mouth (someone)] <v.>, <slang> To say uncomplimentary or libelous things about someone; deliberately to damage another's reputation. * /It's not nice to had mouth people./
[bad news] <n.>, <slang> An event, thing, or person which is disagreeable or an unpleasant surprise. * /What's the new professor like?
– He's all bad news to me./
[bad paper] <n.>, <slang> 1. A check for which there are no funds in the bank. 2. Counterfeit paper money. * /Why are you so mad?
– I was paid with some bad paper./
[bad shit] <n.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> An unpleasant event or situation, such as a long lasting and unsettled quarrel or recurring acts of vengeance preventing two people or two groups from reaching any kind of reconciliation. * /There is so much had shit between the two gangs that I bet there will he more killings this year./ Compare: BAD BLOOD.
[bad trip] <n.>, <slang>, <also used colloquially> A disturbing or frightening experience, such as terrifying hallucinations, while under the influence of drugs; hence, by colloquial extension any bad experience in general. * /Why's John's face so distorted?
– He had a bad trip./ * /How was your math exam?
– Don't mention it; it was a bad trip./