Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[cut off one's nose to spite one's face] <v. phr.> To suffer from an action intended originally to harm another person. * /In walking out and leaving his employer in the lurch, John really cut off his nose to spite his face, since no business wanted to hire him afterwards./
[cut offs] <n.>, <colloquial> Pants cut to the length of shorts and usually left unhemmed so as to look old and worn, e.g., considered cool and elegant. * /Jack always wears cut-offs during the summer./
[cut one's eyeteeth on] See: CUT TEETH(2).
[cut one's losses] <v. phr.> To stop spending time, money, or energy on unprofitable projects and concentrate on what goes well. * /"Just cut your losses, Jim," his father suggested, "and get on with the rest of your life."/
[cut one's teeth on] See: CUT TEETH(2).
[cut one's throat] <v. phr.>, <informal> To spoil one's chances; ruin a person. * /He cut his own throat by his carelessness./ * /The younger men in the company were cutting each other's throats in their eagerness to win success./ * /John cut Freddie's throat with Mary by telling her lies./
[cut out(1)] <v.>, <slang> 1. To stop; quit. * /All right, now let's cut out the talking./ * /He was teasing the dog and Joe told him to cut it out./ Compare: BREAK UP(3). 2. To displace in favor. * /Tony cut Ed out with Mary./ * /John cut out two or three other men in trying for a better job./
[cut out(2)] <adj.> 1. Made ready; given for action; facing. * /Mary agreed to stay with her teacher's children all day; she did not know what was cut out for her./ - Often used in the phrase "have one's work cut out for one." * /If Mr. Perkins wants to become a senator, he has his work cut out fur him./ 2. Suited to; fitted for. * /Warren seemed to be cut out for the law. It was clear very early that Fred was cut out to he a doctor./
[cut rate(1)] <n.> A lower price; a price less than usual. * /Toys are on sale at the store for cut rates./
[cut-rate(2)] <adj.> Sold for a price lower than usual; selling cheap things. * /If you buy cut-rate things, be sure they are good quality first./ * /John's brother bought a cut-rate bicycle at the second-hand store./ * /There is a cut-rate drug-store on the corner./
[cut short] <v.> To stop or interrupt suddenly; end suddenly or too soon. * /Rain cut short the ball game./ * /An auto accident cut short the man's life./ * /When Dick began to tell about his summer vacation the teacher cut him short, saying "Tell us about that another time."/
[cut teeth] <v. phr.> 1. To have teeth grow out through the gums. * /The baby was cross because he was cutting teeth./ 2. or [cut eye teeth] <informal> To learn something very early in life; gain experience; start by learning or doing.
– Used with a possessive, usually used with "on". * /The professional ball player cut his teeth on a baseball bat in the sandlots./ * /Mr. Jones's company is building the new Post Office in town but Mr. Jones cut his eye teeth as a carpenter./
[cut the ground from under] <v. phr.> <informal> To make (someone) fail; upset the plans of; spoil the argument for (a person) in advance. * /Paul wanted to he captain but we cut the ground from under him by saying that Henry was the best player on the team./ * /Several workers applied for the retiring foreman's job, but the owner cut the ground from under them by hiring a foreman from another company./
[cut the mustard] <v. phr.>, <slang> To do well enough in what needs to be done; to succeed. * /His older brothers and sisters helped Max through high school, but he couldn't cut the mustard in college./
[cut-throat] <adj.> Severe; intense; unrelenting. * /There is cut-throat competition among the various software companies today./
[cut to pieces] <v. phr.> 1. To divide into small parts with something sharp; cut badly or completely. * /Baby has cut the newspaper to pieces with scissors./ 2. To destroy or defeat completely. * /The soldiers were cut to pieces by the Indians./ * /When Dick showed his book report to his big sister for correction, she cut it to pieces./
[cut to the bone] <v. phr.> To make (something) the least or smallest possible amount; reduce severely; leave out everything extra or unnecessary from. * /Father cut Jane's allowance to the bone for disobeying him./ * /When father lost his job, our living expenses had to be cut to the bone./
[cut to the quick] <v. phr.> To hurt someone's feelings deeply. * /The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick./
[cut two ways] See: CUT BOTH WAYS.
[cut up] <v.> 1. <informal> To hurt the feelings of; wound. Usually used in the passive. * /John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring./ 2. <slang> To act funny or rough; clown, * /Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching./ * /At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair./ Compare: FOOL AROUND.
D
[dab] See: SMACK-DAB or SMACK-TO DAB.
[dagger] See: CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, LOOK DAGGERS.
[daily dozen] <n.>, <informal> Gymnastic exercises; especially, several different exercises done daily. * /The boys did their daily dozen early each morning./
[daisy] See: PUSH UP DAISIES.
[dam] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.
[damn] See: GIVE A HANG, NOT WORTH A TINKER'S DAMN.
[damned if one does, damned if one doesn't] <adj. phr.> No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. * /No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won't. It is a classical case of "damned if I do, damned if I don't."/
[dance] See: SONG AND DANCE.
[dance to another tune] <v. phr.> To talk or act differently, usually better because things have changed; be more polite or obedient because you are forced to do it. * /Johnny refused to do his homework but punishment made him dance to another tune./ Compare: CHANGE ONE'S TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.
[dander] See: GET ONE'S BACK UP, GET ONE'S DANDER UP or GET ONE'S IRISH UP.
[dandy] See: JIM-DANDY.
[dangerous] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.