Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[bottom dollar] <n.>, <v. phr.>, <informal> One's last penny, one's last dollar. * /He was down to his bottom dollar when he suddenly got the job offer./
[bottom drop out] or [bottom fall out] <v. phr.> <informal> 1. To fall below an earlier lowest price. * /The bottom dropped out of the price of peaches./ 2. To lose all cheerful qualities; become very unhappy, cheerless, or unpleasant. * /The bottom dropped out of the day for John when he saw his report card./ * /The bottom fell out for us when the same ended with our team on the two yard line and six points behind./
[bottom line] <n.>, <informal> (stress on "line") 1. The last word on a controversial issue; a final decision. * /"Give me the bottom line on the proposed merger," said John./ 2. The naked truth without embellishments. * /Look, the bottom line is that poor Max is an alcoholic./ 3. The final dollar amount; for example, the lowest price two parties reach in bargaining about a sale. * /"Five-hundred, " said the used car dealer, "is the bottom line. Take it or leave it."/
[bottom line] <v.>, <informal> (stress on "bottom") To finish; to bring to a conclusion. * /Okay, you guys, let's bottom line this project and break for coffee./
[bottom out] <v. phr.> To reach the lowest point (said chiefly of economic cycles). * /According to the leading economic indicators the recession will bottom out within the next two months./
[bounce] See: GET THE BOUNCE, GIVE THE BOUNCE.
[bound] See: BIND, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS, WITHIN BOUNDS.
[bound for] <adj. phr.> On the way to; going to. * /I am bound for the country club./ * /The ship is bound for Liverpool./
[bound up with] <v. phr.> To be connected; be involved with. * /Tuition at our university is bound up with the state budget./
[bow] See: TAKE A BOW.
[bow and scrape] <v.> To be too polite or obedient from fear or hope of gain; act like a slave. * /The old servant bowed and scraped before them, too obedient and eager to please./
[bowl of cherries] See: BED OF ROSES.
[bowl over] <v.>, <informal> 1. To knock down as if with a bowled ball. * /The taxi hit him a glancing blow and bowled him over./ 2. To astonish with success or shock with misfortune; upset; stun. * /He was bowled over by his wife's sudden death./ * /The young actress bowled over everybody in her first movie./
[bow out] <v.>, <informal> 1. To give up taking part; excuse yourself from doing any more; quit. * /Mr. Black often quarreled with his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company./ * /While the movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out./ 2. To stop working after a long service; retire. * /He bowed out as train engineer after forty years of railroading./
[box] See: IN A BIND or IN A BOX, PENALTY BOX, PRESS BOX, STUFF THE BALLOT BOX, VOICE BOX.
[box office] <n.>, <informal> 1. The place at movies and theaters where tickets may be purchased just before the performance instead of having ordered them through the telephone or having bought them at a ticket agency. * /No need to reserve the seats; we can pick them up at the box office./ 2. A best selling movie, musical, or drama (where the tickets are all always sold out and people line up in front of the box office). * /John Wayne's last movie was a regular box office./ 3. Anything successful or well liked. * /Betsie is no longer box office with me./
[boy] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, FAIR-HAIRED BOY, MAMA'S BOY, OLD BOY, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.
[boyfriend] <n.>, <informal> 1. A male friend or companion. * /"John and his boyfriends have gone to the ball game," said his mother./ 2. A girl's steady date, a woman's favorite man friend; a male lover or sweetheart. * /Jane's new boyfriend is a senior in high school./ Contrast: GIRL FRIEND.
[boys will be boys] Boys are only children and must sometimes get into mischief or trouble or behave too roughly. * /Boys will be boys and make a lot of noise, so John's mother told him and his friends to play in the park instead of the back yard./
[brain] See: BEAT ONE'S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE'S BRAINS OUT, ON THE BRAIN, RACK ONE'S BRAIN, GET ONE'S BRAINS FRIED.
[brain bucket] <n.>, <slang> A motorcycle helmet. * /If you want to share a ride with me, you've got to wear a brain bucket./
[brain drain] <n.>, <informal> 1. The loss of the leading intellectuals and researchers of a country due to excessive emigration to other countries where conditions are better. * /Britain suffered a considerable brain drain to the United States after World War II./ 2. An activity requiring great mental concentration resulting in fatigue and exhaustion * /That math exam I took was a regular brain drain./
[brain-storm] <v.> To have a discussion among fellow researchers or co-workers on a project in order to find the best solution to a given problem. * /Dr. Watson and his research assistants are brain-storming in the conference room./
[brainstorm] <n.> A sudden insight; a stroke of comprehension. * /Listen to me, I've just had a major brainstorm, and I think I found the solution to our problem./
[brain trust] <n.> A group of specially trained, highly intelligent experts in a given field. * /Albert Einstein gathered a brain trust around himself at the Princeton Institute of Advanced Studies./
[brake] See: RIDE THE BRAKE.
[branch off] <v.> To go from something big or important to something smaller or less important; turn aside. * /At the bridge a little road branches off from the highway and follows the river./ * /Martin was trying to study his lesson, but his mind kept branching off onto what girl he should ask to go with him to the dance./
[branch out] <v.> To add new interests or activities; begin doing other things also. * /First Jane collected stamps; then she branched out and collected coins, too./ * /John started a television repair shop; when he did well, he branched out and began selling television sets too./
[brand-new] also [bran-new] <adj.> As new or fresh as when just made and sold by the manufacturer; showing no use or wear. * /He had taken a brand-new car from the dealer's floor and wrecked it./ * /In Uncle Tom's trunk, we found a wedding ring, still in its little satin-lined box, still brand-new./
[brass] See: DOUBLE IN BRASS, GET DOWN TO BRASS TACKS.
[brass hat] <n.>, <slang> 1. A high officer in the army, navy, or air force. * /The brass hats In Washington often discuss important secrets./ 2. Any person who has a high position in business, politics, or other work. * /Mr. Woods, the rich oil man, is a political brass hat./