Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[miss the point]{v. phr.} To be unable to comprehend the essence of what was meant. •/The student didn’t get a passing grade on the exam because, although he wrote three pages, he actually missed the point./
[mistake] See: BY MISTAKE.
[misty-eyed] or [dewey-eyed]{adj. phr.} 1. Having eyes damp with tears; emotional. •/The teacher was misty-eyed when the school gave her a retirement gift./ 2. Of the kind who cries easily; sentimental. •/The movie appealed to dewey-eyed girls./
[mixed bag]{n. phr.} A varied set of people, ideas, objects, or circumstances, including both the good and the bad. •/This report is a mixed bag of opinions./ •/There was a mixed bag of people at the press conference./
[mixed blessing]{n.} Something good that has bad features. •/John’s new bicycle was a mixed blessing. The other boys were always asking John to ride it./
[mixed up]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Confused in mind; puzzled. •/Bob was all mixed up after the accident./ Compare: BALL UP(1). 2. Disordered; disarranged; not neat. •/The papers on his desk were mixed up./ 3. {informal} Joined or connected (with someone or something bad). •/Harry was mixed up in a fight after the game./ •/Mary’s father told her not to get mixed up with the students that always break school rules./
[mix up]{v.} To confuse; make a mistake about. •/Jimmy doesn’t know colors yet; he mixes up purple with blue./ •/Even the twins' mother mixes them up./ Compare: MIXED UP.
[molehill] See: MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.
[moment] See: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.
[Monday] See: BLUE MONDAY.
[money] See: COIN MONEY or MINT MONEY, EASY MONEY, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED, FOR LOVE OR MONEY, IN THE CHIPS or IN THE MONEY, MADE OF MONEY, MARRY MONEY, PUT ONE’S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, RUN FOR ONE’S MONEY, SEE THE COLOR OF ONE’S MONEY, SPENDING MONEY or POCKET MONEY.
[money burns a hole in one’s pocket] See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE’S POCKET.
[money is no object]{informal sentence} The price of something is irrelevant. •/Please show me your most beautiful mink coat; money is no object./
[money to burn]{n. phr.}, {informal} Very much money, more than is needed. •/Dick’s uncle died and left him money to burn./ •/When Joe is twenty-one he will have money to burn./ •/Jean is looking for a husband with money to burn./ Compare: MADE OF MONEY.
[monkey] See: GREASE MONKEY, MAKE A FOOL OF or MAKE A MONKEY OF.
[monkey around] See: FUCK AROUND, HORSE AROUND, MESS AROUND.
[monkey business]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} 1. Any unethical, illegitimate, or objectionable activity that is furtive or deceitful, e.g., undercover sexual advances, cheating, misuse of public funds, etc. •/There is a lot of monkey business going on in that firm; you’d better watch out who you deal with!/ 2. Comical or silly actions; goofing off. •/Come on boys, let’s cut out the monkey business and get down to work!/
[monkey on one’s back]{n. phr.}, {informal} An unsolved or nagging problem. •/"My math course is a real monkey on my back," Jack complained./ Compare: ALBATROSS AROUND ONE’S NECK, MILLSTONE AROUND ONE’S NECK.
[monkey wrench] See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.
[monster] See: GREEN-EYED MONSTER.
[month in, month out] See: DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
[month of Sundays]{n. phr.}, informal A very long time. — Used for emphasis after "for" or "in" and usually with a negative verb. •/I have not had devil’s food cake in a month of Sundays./ •/When he got her first letter, he felt that he had not heard from her for a month of Sundays./ Syn.: DOG’S AGE.
[moon] See: ASK FOR THE MOON or CRY FOR THE MOON, DARK OF THE MOON, FULL OF THE MOON, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, PROMISE THE MOON.
[moonshine]{n.} Illegally distilled alcoholic beverage made at home, mostly on a farm. •/Grandpa is at it again in the barn, making moonshine out of plums./
[mop the floor with] or [mop up the floor with] or [wipe the floor with] or [wipe up the floor with]{v. phr.}, {slang} To defeat very clearly or quickly; to beat badly. •/The bully threatened to mop up the floor with Billy./ •/Our team wiped the floor with the visiting team./
[mop up]{v. phr.} To disperse or liquidate isolated groups or detachments of opposing forces. •/Our forces won the basic battle but there still remain pockets of resistance they must mop up./
[mop up the floor with] See: MOP THE FLOOR WITH.
[more] See: BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.
[more often than not]{adv. phr.} More than half the time; fifty-one or more times out of a hundred; not quite usually, but fairly regularly. •/Nancy comes over on Saturday more often than not./ •/Ben is a fairly good runner. He wins more often than not./