Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[drop] See: AT THE DROP OF A HAT, BOTTOM DROP OUT, JAW DROP or JAW DROP A MILE.
[drop a line] <v. phr.> To write someone a short letter or note. * /Please drop me a line when you get to Paris; I'd like to know that you've arrived safely./
[drop back] <v.> To move or step backwards; retreat. * /The soldiers dropped back before the enemy's attack./ * /The quarterback dropped back to pass the football./ Compare: DRAW BACK, FADE BACK, FALL BACK.
[drop by] or [stop by] <v.> 1. or [drop around] To make a short or unplanned visit; go on a call or errand; stop at someone's home. * /Drop by any time you're in town./ * /Mv sister dropped around last night./ * /Don't forget to stop by at the gas station./ Syn.: DROP IN. 2. or [drop into] To stop (somewhere) for a short visit or a short time. * /We dropped by the club to see if Bill was there, but he wasn't./ * /I dropped into the drugstore for some toothpaste and a magazine./
[drop by the wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.
[drop dead] <v.>, <slang> To go away or be quiet; stop bothering someone.
– Usually used as a command, * /"Drop dead!" Bill told his little sister when she kept begging to help him build his model airplane./ * /When Sally bumped into Kate's desk and spilled ink for the fifth time, Kate told her to drop dead./ Compare: BEAT IT, GET LOST.
[drop in] <v.> To make a short or unplanned visit; pay a call. Often used with "on". * /We were just sitting down to dinner when Uncle Willie dropped in./ * /The Smiths dropped in on some old friends on their vacation trip to New York./ Syn.: DROP BY, RUN IN(2).
[drop in the bucket] <n. phr.> A relatively small amount; a small part of the whole. * /Our university needs several million dollars for its building renovation project; $50,000 is a mere drop in the bucket./
[drop name] <v. phr.> To impress people by mentioning famous names. * /He likes to pretend he's important by dropping a lot of names./
[drop off] <v.> 1. To take (someone or something) part of the way you are going. * /Joe asked Mrs. Jones to drop him off at the library on her way downtown./ 2. To go to sleep. * /Jimmy was thinking of his birthday party as he dropped off to sleep./ 3. To die. * /The patient dropped off in his sleep./ 4. or [fall off] To become less. * /Business picked up in the stores during December, but dropped off again after Christmas./ Contrast PICK UP(14).
[dropout] <n.> Someone who did not finish school, high school and college primarily. * /Tim is having a hard time getting a better job as he was a high-school dropout./ * /Jack never got his B.A. as he became a college dropout./
[drop out] <v.> To stop attending; quit; stop; leave. * /In the middle of the race, Joe got a blister on his foot and had to drop out./ * /Teenagers who drop out of high school have trouble finding jobs./
[drown one's sorrows] or [drown one's troubles] <v. phr.>, <informal> To drink liquor to try to forget something unhappy. * /When his wife was killed in an auto accident, Mr. Green tried to drown his sorrows in whiskey./ * /When Fred lost his job and had to give up his new car, he tried to drown his troubles at the nearest tavern./
[drown one's troubles] See: DROWN ONE'S SORROWS.
[drown out] <v.> To make so much noise that it is impossible to hear (some other sound). * /The children's shouts drowned out the music./ * /The actor's words were drowned out by applause./
[drum up] <v.> 1. To get by trying or asking again and again; attract or encourage by continued effort. * /The car dealer tried to drum up business by advertising low prices./ 2. To invent. * /I will drum up an excuse for coming to see you next week./ Syn.: MAKE UP(2), THINK UP.
[dry] See: CUT AND DRIED, HIGH AND DRY.
[dry behind the ears] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Experienced; knowing how to do something. Usually used in the negative. * /John had just started working for the company, and was not dry behind the ears yet./ Compare: KNOW ONE'S WAY AROUND. Contrast: WET BEHIND THE EARS.
[dry out] <v. phr.> To cure an alcoholic. * /A longtime alcoholic. Uncle Steve is now in the hospital getting dried out./
[dry up] <v.> 1. To become dry. * /The reservoir dried up during the four-month drought./ 2. To disappear or vanish as if by evaporating. * /The Senator's influence dried up when he was voted out of office./ 3. <slang> To stop talking.
– Often used as a command. * /"Dry up!" Tony said angrily when his friend told him for the third time that he had made a mistake in his theme./ Syn.: SHUT UP(1).
[dual highway] See: DIVIDED HIGHWAY.
[duck] See: DEAD DUCK, KNEE HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER or KNEE HIGH TO A DUCK, LAME DUCK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK.
[duckling] See: UGLY DUCKLING.
[duck out] <v. phr.> To avoid; escape from something by skillful maneuvering. * /Somehow or other Jack always manages to duck out of any hard work./
[duck soup] <n.>, <slang> 1. A task easily accomplished or one that does not require much effort. * /That history test was duck soup./ 2. A person who offers no resistance; a pushover. * /How's the new history teacher?
– He's duck soup./
[duddy] See: FUDDY-DUDDY.
[due] See: GIVE ONE'S DUE, GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE, IN DUE COURSE at IN GOOD TIME.
[due to] <prep.> Because of; owing to; by reason of. * /His injury was due to his careless use of the shotgun./ * /Joe's application to the University was not accepted due to his failing English./
[dull] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.
[dumb bunny] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> Any person who is gullible and stupid. * /Jack is a regular dumb bunny./
[dumbwaiter] <n.> A small elevator for carrying food, dishes, etc., from one floor to another in hotels, restaurants, or large homes. * /The banquet was delayed because the dumbwaiter broke down and the food had to be carried upstairs by hand./
[dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS or DOWN IN THE MOUTH.
[dust] See: BITE THE DUST, KICK UP A FUSS or KICK UP A DUST, WATCH ONE'S DUST, AFTER THE DUST CLEARS/WHEN THE DUST SETTLES.
[dust off] <v.>, <informal> 1. To get ready to use again. * /Four years after he graduated from school, Tom decided to dust off his algebra book./ 2. To throw a baseball pitch close to. * /The pitcher dusted off the other team's best hitter./ Syn.: BRUSH BACK.
[Dutch] See: BEAT ALL or BEAT THE DUTCH, GO DUTCH, IN DUTCH.
[dutch treat] <n.>, <informal> A meal in a restaurant or an outing at the movies, concert, or theater where each party pays his or her own way. * /"I am willing to accept your invitation," Mary said, "but it will have to be Dutch treat."/
[duty] See: DO DUTY FOR, DOUBLE DUTY, HEAVY DUTY, OFF DUTY, ON DUTY.
[duty bound] <adj. phr.> Forced to act by what you believe is right. * /Abraham Lincoln walked miles once to return a few pennies that he had overcharged a woman because he felt duty bound to do it./ * /John felt duty bound to report that he had broken the window./