Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[flying visit]{n. phr.} A visit of very short duration. •/Tom came to New York for only a flying visit. We had hardly eaten lunch when he had to leave./
[flying saucer] See: U.F.O.
[fly into a rage] or [temper]{v. phr.} To become very angry. •/By the time we mention the name of her ex-husband, she flies into a rage./
[foam at the mouth]{v. phr.}, {slang} To be very angry, like a mad dog. •/By the time Uncle Henry had the third flat tire he was really foaming at the mouth./
[fob off]{v.}, {informal} 1. To get something false accepted as good or real. •/The peddler fobbed off pieces of glass as diamonds./ Syn.: PALM OFF, PASS OFF. 2. To put aside; not really answer but get rid of. •/Her little brother asked where she was going, but she fobbed him off with ah excuse./
[fog] See: IN A FOG.
[foggy bottom]{n.}, {slang} An area in downtown Washington, D.C. where many offices of the Department of State are located; hence figuratively, the U.S. Department of State. •/The press secretary gave us a lot of foggy bottom double-talk about the hostage crisis in the Near East./
[fold up]{v.}, {informal} To collapse; fail. •/The team folded up in the last part of the season./ •/The new restaurant folded up in less than a year./ Compare: FALL APART.
[folk] See: WEE FOLK.
[follow] See: AS FOLLOWS.
[follower] See: CAMP FOLLOWER.
[follow in one’s footsteps] also [follow in one’s tracks]{v. phr.} To follow someone’s example; follow someone exactly, •/He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor./ Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.
[follow one’s heart]{v. phr.} To do what one wishes to do rather than to follow the voice of reason. •/Instead of accepting a lucrative job in his father’s business, Jim followed his heart and became a missionary in the jungle./
[follow one’s nose]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To go straight ahead; continue in the same direction. •/Just follow your nose and you’ll get there./ 2. To go any way you happen to think of. •/Oh, I don’t know just where I want to go. I’ll just follow my nose and see what happens./
[follow out]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To do fully; finish (what you are told to do.) •/The boy followed out the instructions and made a fine model plane./ Compare: FOLLOW THROUGH. 2. To keep working at (something) until it is finished; give (something) your attention until it comes to an end or conclusion. •/The student followed out all the index references in the encyclopedia until he found what he wanted to know./ Compare: FOLLOW UP.
[follow suit]{v. phr.} 1. To play a card of the same color and kind that another player has put down. •/When diamonds were led, I had to follow suit./ 2. To do as someone else has done; follow someone’s example. •/When the others went swimming, I followed suit./
[follow through]{v. phr.} 1. To finish a movement that you have started; continue an action to its natural ending. •/A football passer should follow through after he throws the ball./ 2. To finish an action that you have started. •/Bob drew plans for a table for his mother, but he did not follow through by making it./
[follow up]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To chase or follow closely and without giving up. •/The Indians followed up the wounded buffalo until it fell dead./ 2. Make (one action) more successful by doing something more. •/After Mary sent a letter to apply for a job, she followed it up by going to talk to the personnel manager./ •/The doctor followed up Billy’s operation with x-rays, and special exercises to make his foot stronger./ Compare: FOLLOW OUT, FOLLOW THROUGH(2). 3a. To hunt for (more news about something that has already been in the newspapers, radio or TV news); find more about. •/The day after news of the fire at Brown’s store, the newspaper sent a reporter to follow up Mr. Brown’s future plans./ 3b. To print or broadcast (more news about some happening that has been in the news before). •/The fire story was printed Monday, and Tuesday’s paper followed it up by saying that Mr. Brown planned to build a bigger and better store at the same place./
[follow-up]{n.} Additional work or research by means of which an earlier undertaking’s chances of success are increased. •/I hope you’ll be willing to do a bit of follow-up./
[fond of] Having a liking for; attracted to by strong liking. •/Alan is fond of candy./ •/Uncle Bill was the children’s favorite, and he was fond of them too./
[food for thought]{n. phr.} Something to think about or worth thinking about; something that makes you think. •/The teacher told John that she wanted to talk to his father, and that gave John food for thought./ •/There is much food for thought in this book./
[fool] See: CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH, MAKE A FOOL OF.
[fool and his money are soon parted] A foolish person soon wastes his money. — A proverb, •/Jimmy spends all his pennies for candy. A fool and his money are soon parted./
[fool around] or [mess around] or [play around] or [monkey around]{v.}, {informal} 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. •/If you go to college, you must work, not fool around./ •/The boys fooled around all afternoon in the park./ Compare: CUT UP(2). To treat or handle carelessly. •/Bob cut himself by fooling around with a sharp knife./ •/Suzie says she wishes John would quit playing around with the girls and get married./ 3. or [fiddle around] To work or do something in an irregular or unplanned way; tinker. •/Jimmy likes to monkey around with automobile engines./ •/Alice is fooling around with the piano in her spare time./ Compare: FUCK AROUND.
[fool around] See: MESS AROUND.
[fool away] or [fritter away]{v.}, {informal} To waste foolishly. •/Paul failed history because he fooled away his time instead of studying./ •/The man won a lot of money, but he soon frittered it away and was poor again./
[foolish] See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.
[foolproof]{adj.} So constructed that not even a fool can spoil it; easy. •/This entrance examination is so easy that it is actually foolproof./