Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[law unto oneself]{n. phr.}, {literary} A person who does only what he wishes; a person who ignores or breaks the law when he doesn’t like it. •/Everybody in Germany feared Hitler because he was a law unto himself./ •/Mr. Brown told Johnny that he must stop trying to be a law unto himself./ Compare: TAKE THE LAW INTO ONE’S OWN HANDS.
[lay] See: KILL THE GOOSE THAT LAID THE GOLDEN EGG.
[lay about one]{v. phr.} To hit out in all directions. — Used with a reflexive object: "her", "him", or "them". •/The bandits surrounded the sheriff, but he laid about him so hard, with his gun used as a club, that they stepped back and let him escape./ •/Mrs. Franklin didn’t kill the mouse, but she laid about her so hard with the broom that she scared it away./
[lay a finger on]{v. phr.} To touch or bother, even a little. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. •/Don’t you dare lay a finger on the vase!/ •/Suppose Billy fakes his brother with him; wilt the mean, tough boy down the street dare lay a finger on him?/ •/If you so much as lay a finger on my boy, I’ll call the police./ Compare: LAY HANDS ON, PUT ONE’S FINGER ON.
[lay an egg]{v. phr.}, {slang} To fail to win the interest or favor of an audience. •/His joke laid an egg./ •/Sometimes he is a successful speaker, but sometimes he lays an egg./
[lay aside]{v. phr.} 1. To put off until another time; interrupt an activity. •/The president laid aside politics to turn to foreign affairs./ 2. To save. •/They tried to lay aside a little money each week for their vacation./
[lay at one’s door]{v. phr.}, {literary} To blame (something) on a person. •/The failure of the plan was laid at his door./ Compare: LAY TO(1).
[lay away]{v.} 1. To save. •/She laid a little of her pay away each week./ 2. To bury (a person). — Used to avoid the word "bury", which some people think is unpleasant. •/He was laid away in his favorite spot on the hill./
[lay-away plan]{n.} A plan for buying something that you can’t pay cash for; a plan in which you pay some money down and pay a little more when you can, and the store holds the article until you have paid the full price. •/She could not afford to pay for the coat all at once, so she used the lay-away plan./
[lay bare]{v. phr.} To expose; reveal; divulge. •/During his testimony the witness laid bare the whole story of his involvement with the accused./
[lay by]{v.} To save, especially a little at a time. •/The students laid a little money by every week till they had enough for a trip to Florida./ •/The farmer laid by some of his best corn to use the next year for seed./
[lay down]{v.} 1. To let (something) be taken; give up or surrender (something). •/The general told the troops to lay down their arms./ •/He was willing to lay down his life for his country./ Compare: GIVE UP. 2. To ask people to follow; tell someone to obey; make (a rule or principle). •/The committee laid down rules about the size of tennis courts./ 3. To declare; say positively; say surely; state. •/She laid it down as always true that "a fool and his money are soon parted."/ 4. To store or save for future use, especially in a cellar. •/They laid down several barrels of cider./
[lay down one’s arms]{v. phr.} To cease fighting; surrender. •/The Civil War ended when the Confederate army finally laid down its arms./
[lay down one’s cards] See: LAY ONE’S CARDS ON THE TABLE.
[lay down one’s life]{v. phr.} To sacrifice one’s life for a cause or person; suffer martyrdom. •/The early Christians often laid down their lives for their faith./
[lay down the law]{v. phr.} 1. To give strict orders. •/The teacher lays down the law about homework every afternoon./ 2. To speak severely or seriously about a wrongdoing; scold. •/The principal called in the students and laid down the law to them about skipping classes./ Compare: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF.
[lay eyes on] or [set eyes on]{v. phr.} To see. •/She knew he was different as soon as she laid eyes on him./ •/I didn’t know the man; in fact, I had never set eyes on him./
[lay for]{v.}, {informal} To hide and wait for in order to catch or attack; to lie in wait for. •/The bandits laid for him along the road./ •/I knew he had the marks for the exam, so I was laying for him outside his office./
[lay hands on]{v. phr.} 1. To get hold of; find; catch. •/The treasure hunters can keep any treasure they can lay hands on./ •/If the police can lay hands on him, they will put him in jail./ Compare: LAY ONE’S HAND ON(2). 2. To do violence to; harm; hurt. •/They were afraid that if they left him alone in his disturbed condition he would lay hands on himself./
[lay hold of]{v. phr.} 1. To take hold of; grasp; grab. •/He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore./ 2. To get possession of. •/He sold every washing machine he could lay hold of./ 3. {Chiefly British} To understand. •/Some ideas in this science book are hard to lay hold of./
[lay in]{v.} To store up a supply of; to get and keep for future use. •/Mrs. Mason heard that the price of sugar might go up, so she laid in a hundred pounds of it./ •/Before school starts, the principal will lay in plenty of paper for the students' written work./ Compare: LAY UP.