Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[cold turkey] <adv.>, <slang>, <informal> 1. Abruptly and without medical aid to withdraw from the use of an addictive drug or from a serious drinking problem. * /Joe is a very brave guy; he kicked the habit cold turkey./ 2. <n.> An instance of withdrawal from drugs, alcohol, or cigarette smoking. * /Joe did a cold turkey./
[cold war] <n.> A struggle that is carried on by other means and not by actual fighting; a war without shooting or bombing. * /After World War II, a cold war began between Russia and the United States./
[collar] See: HOT UNDER THE COLLAR, ROMAN COLLAR, SAILOR COLLAR.
[collective farm] <n.> A large government-run farm made by combining many small farms. * /The Russian farmers used to live on collective farms./
[collector's item] <n.> Something rare or valuable enough to collect or save. * /Jimmy's mother found an old wooden doll in the attic that turned out to be a collector's item./
[College Boards] <n.> A set of examinations given to test a student's readiness and ability for college. * /John got a high score on his College Boards./ * /College Boards test both what a student has learned and his ability to learn./
[color] See: CHANGE COLOR, GIVE COLOR TO or LEND COLOR TO, HAUL DOWN ONE'S COLORS, HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR, NAIL ONE'S COLORS TO THE MAST, OFF-COLOR or OFF-COLORED, SAIL UNDER FALSE COLORS, SEE THE COLOR OF ONE'S MONEY, SHOW ONE'S COLORS, WITH FLYING COLORS.
[color guard] <n.> A military guard of honor for the flag of a country; also: a guard of honor to carry and protect a flag or banner (as of a club). * /There were four Marines in the color guard in the parade./ * /Bob was picked to be a color guard and to carry the banner of the drum corps at the football game./
[color scheme] <n.> A plan for colors used together as decoration. * /The color scheme for the dance was blue and silver./ * /Mary decided on a pink and white color scheme for her room./
[comb] See: FINE-TOOTH COMB.
[come] See: CHICKENS COME HOME TO ROOST, CROSS A BRIDGE BEFORE ONE COMES TO IT, EASY COME - EASY GO, FIRST COME - FIRST SERVED, GET WHAT'S COMING TO ONE, HAVE IT COMING, HOW COME also HOW'S COME, IF WORST COMES TO WORST, JOHNNY-COME-LATELY, KNOW ENOUGH TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN, KNOW IF ONE IS COMING OR GOING, LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX, SHIP COME IN.
[come about] <v.> To take place; happen, occur. * /Sometimes it is hard to tell how a quarrel comes about./ * /When John woke up he was in the hospital, but he didn't know how that had come about./
[come a cropper] 1. To fall off your horse. * /John's horse stumbled, and John came a cropper./ 2. To fail. * /Mr. Brown did not have enough money to put into his business and it soon came a cropper./ Compare: RIDING FOR A FALL.
[come across] <v.> 1. or [run across] To find or meet by chance. * /He came across a dollar bill in the suit he was sending to the cleaner./ * /The other day I ran across a book that you might like./ * /I came across George at a party last week; it was the first time I had seen him in months./ Compare: COME ON(3), RUN INTO(3b). 2. To give or do what is asked. * /The robber told the woman to come across with her purse./ * /For hours the police questioned the man suspected of kidnapping the child, and finally he came across with the story./
[come again] <v.>, <informal> Please repeat; please say that again.
– Usually used as a command. * /"Harry has just come into a fortune," my wife said. "Come again? " I asked her, not believing it./ * /"Come again," said the hard-of-hearing man./
[come alive] or [come to life] <v.> 1. <informal> To become alert or attentive; wake up and look alive; become active. * /When Mr. Simmons mentioned money, the boys came alive./ * /Bob pushed the starter button, and the engine came alive with a roar./ 2. To look real; take on a bright, natural look. * /Under skillful lighting, the scene came alive./ * /The President came alive in the picture as the artist worked./
[come along] <v.> To make progress; improve; succeed. * /He was coming along well after the operation./ * /Rose is coming right along on the piano./
[come a long way] <v. phr.> To show much improvement; make great progress. * /The school has come a long way since its beginnings./ * /Little Jane has come a long way since she broke her leg./
[come apart at the seams] <v. phr.>, <slang>, <informal> To become upset to the point where one loses self-control and composure as if having suffered a sudden nervous breakdown. * /After his divorce Joe seemed to be coming apart at the seams./
[come around] See: COME ROUND.
[come at] <v.> 1. To approach; come to or against; advance toward. * /The young boxer came at the champion cautiously./ 2. To understand (a word or idea) or master (a skill); succeed with. * /The sense of an unfamiliar word is hard to come at./
[come back] <v.>, <informal> 1. To reply; answer. * /The lawyer came back sharply in defense of his client./ * /No matter how the audience heckled him, the comedian always had an answer to come back with./ 2. To get a former place or position back, reach again a place which you have lost. * /After a year off to have her baby, the singer came back to even greater fame./ * /It is hard for a retired prize fighter to come hack and beat a younger man./
[comeback] <n.>, <v. phr.>, <slang>, <citizen's band radio jargon> A return call. * /Thanks for your comeback./
[come back to earth] or [come down to earth] <v. phr.> To return to the real world; stop imagining or dreaming; think and behave as usual. * /After Jane met the movie star it was hard for her to come back to earth./ * /Bill was sitting and daydreaming so his mother told him to come down to earth and to do his homework./ Compare: COME TO ONE'S SENSES, DOWN-TO-EARTH. Contrast: IN THE CLOUDS.
[come between] <v.> To part; divide; separate. * /John's mother-in-law came to live in his home, and as time passed she came between him and his wife./ * /Bill's hot rod came between him and his studies, and his grades went down./
[come by] <v.> To get; obtain; acquire. * /A good job like that is hard to come by./ * /Money easily come by is often easily spent./ * /How did she come by that money?/
[come by honestly] <v. phr.>, <informal> To inherit (a characteristic) from your parents. * /Joe comes by his hot temper honestly; his father is the same way./