Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
Adam Makkai
Maya Aleksandrovna Glinberg
A
[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./
[a bit] <n., informal> A small amount; some. * /There's no sugar in the sugar bowl, but you may find a bit in the bag./ * /If the ball had hit the window a bit harder, it would have broken it./ - Often used like an adverb. * /This sweater scratches a bit./ - Also used like an adjective before "less", "more". * /Janet thought she could lose weight by eating a bit less./ * /"Have some more cake?" "Thanks. A bit more won't hurt me."/ - Often used adverbially after verbs in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, sometimes in the form "one bit". * /"Won't your father be angry?" "No, he won't care a bit."/ * /Helen feels like crying, but I'll be surprised if she shows it one bit./ - Sometimes used with "little" for emphasis, also in the emphatic form "the least bit". * /"Wasn't Bob even a little bit sorry he forgot his date?" "No, Bob wasn't the least bit sorry."/ Syn.: A LITTLE. Compare: A FEW. Contrast: A LOT.
[about face] <n.> A sudden change of course or a decision opposite to what was decided earlier. * /Her decision to become an actress instead of a dentist was an about face from her original plans./
[about one's ears] or [around one's ears] <adv. phr.> To or into complete collapse, defeat, or ruin; to the destruction of a person's plans, hopes, or happiness. * /They planned to have factories all over the world but the war brought their plans down about their ears./ * /John hoped to go to college and become a great scientist some day, but when his father died he had to get a job, and John's dreams came crashing around his ears./ Compare: ON ONE'S HEAD.
[about time] <n. phr.> Finally, but later than it should have been; at last. * /Mother said, "It's about time you got up, Mary."/ * /The basketball team won last night. About time./
[about to] 1. Close to; ready to.
– Used with an infinitive. * /We were about to leave when the snow began./ * /I haven't gone yet, but I'm about to./ Compare: GOING TO, ON THE POINT OF. 2. <informal> Having a wish or plan to.
– Used with an infinitive in negative sentences. * /Freddy wasn't about to give me any of his ice-cream cone./ * /"Will she come with us?" asked Bill. "She's not about to," answered Mary./
[above all] <adv. phr.> Of first or highest importance; most especially. * /Children need many things, but above all they need love./ Syn.: FIRST AND LAST.
[above suspicion] <adj. phr.> Too good to be suspected; not likely to do wrong. * /The umpire in the game must be above suspicion of supporting one side over the other./
[absent without leave (AWOL)] <adj.> Absent without permission; used mostly in the military. * /Jack left Fort Sheridan without asking his commanding officer, and was punished for going AWOL./
[absentia] See: IN ABSENTIA.
[Acapulco gold] <n., slang> Marijuana of an exceptionally high quality. * /Jack doesn't just smoke pot, he smokes Acapulco gold./
[accord] See: OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE'S OWN FREE WILL.
[according as] <conj.> 1. Depending on which; whichever. * /You may take an oral or written exam according as you prefer./ 1. Depending on whether; if. * /We will play golf or stay home according as the weather is good or bad./
[according to] <prep.> 1. So as to match or agree with; so as to be alike in. * /Many words are pronounced according to the spelling but some are not./ * /The boys were placed in three groups according to height./ 2. On the word or authority of. * /According to the Bible, Adam was the first man./
[according to one's own lights] <adv. phr.> In accordance with one's conscience or inclinations. * /Citizens should vote according to their own lights./
[account] See: CALL TO ACCOUNT, CHARGE ACCOUNT, LEAVE OUT OF ACCOUNT, ON ACCOUNT, ON ACCOUNT OF, ON ONE'S ACCOUNT, ON ONE'S OWN ACCOUNT, SAVINGS ACCOUNT, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
[ace] See: WITHIN AN ACE OF.
[ace in the hole] <n. phr.> 1. An ace given to a player face down so that other players in a card game cannot see it. * /When the cowboy bet all his money in the poker game he did not know that the gambler had an ace in the hole and would win it from him./ 2. <informal> Someone or something important that is kept as a surprise until the right time so as to bring victory or success. * /The football team has a new play that they are keeping as an ace in the hole for the big game./ * /The lawyer's ace in the hole was a secret witness who saw the accident./ Compare: CARD UP ONE'S SLEEVE.
[Achilles' heel] <n. phr.>, <literary> A physical or psychological weakness named after the Greek hero Achilles who was invulnerable except for a spot on his heel. * /John's Achilles' heel is his lack of talent with numbers and math./
[acid head] <n.>, <slang> A regular user of LSD on whom the hallucinogenic drug has left a visible effect. * /The reason John acts so funny is that he is a regular acid head./
[acid rock] <n.>, <slang> A characteristic kind of rock in which loudness and beat predominate over melody; especially such music as influenced by drug experiences. * /John is a regular acid rock freak./
[acorn] See: GREAT OAKS PROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW.
[acoustic perfume] <n.>, <slang> Sound for covering up unwanted noise, such as music over loudspeakers in a noisy construction area. * /Let's get out of here - this acoustic perfume is too much for my ears./
[acquire a taste for] <v. phr.> To become fond of something; get to like something. * /Jack acquired a taste for ripe cheeses when he went to France./
[across the board] <adv. phr.> 1. So that equal amounts of money are bet on the same horse to win a race, to place second, or third. * /I bet $6 on the white horse across the board./ - Often used with hyphens as an adjective. * /I made an across-the-board bet on the white horse./ 2. <informal> Including everyone or all, so that all are included. * /Thе President wanted taxes lowered across the board./ Often used with hyphens as an adjective. * /Thе workers at the store got an across-the-board pay raise./
[across the tracks] See: THE TRACKS.
[act] See: READ THE RIOT ACT.
[act high and mighty] <v. phr.> To wield power; act overbearingly; order others around; look down on others. * /Paul is an inexperienced teacher and he acts high and mighty with his students./
[actions speak louder than words] What you do shows your character better and is more important than what you say.
– A proverb. * /John promised to help me, but he didn't. Actions speak louder than words./ * /Joe is very quiet, but actions speak louder than words. He is the best player on the team./
[act of faith] <n. phr.> An act or a deed that shows unquestioning belief in someone or something. * /It was a real act of faith on Mary's part to entrust her jewelry to her younger sister's care./
[act of God] <n.> An occurrence (usually some sort of catastrophe) for which the people affected are not responsible; said of earthquakes, floods, etc. * /Hurricane Andrew destroyed many houses in Florida, but some types of insurance did not compensate the victims, claiming that the hurricane was an act of God./ See: FICKLE FINGER OF FATE.