Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[pop in]{v. phr.} To suddenly appear without announcement. •/"Just pop into my office any time you’re on campus," Professor Brown said./
[pop one’s cork] See: BLOW A FUSE, FLY OFF THE HANDLE, LOSE ONE’S MARBLES, LOSE ONE’S TEMPER.
[pop the question]{v. phr.}, {slang} To ask someone to marry you. •/After the dance he popped the question./ •/A man is often too bashful to pop the question./
[popup]{v.} 1. or [bob up] To appear suddenly or unexpectedly; show up; come out. •/Just when the coach thought he had everything under control, a new problem bobbed up./ •/After no one had heard from him for years, John popped up in town again./ 2. To hit a pop fly in baseball. •/Jim popped the pitch up./
[pork] See: SALT PORK.
[port of call]{n. phr.} 1. Any of the ports that a ship visits after the start of a voyage and before the end; a port where passengers or cargo may be taken on or put off; an in-between port. •/Savannah is a port of call for many Atlantic coasting vessels./ 2. A place you visit regularly or often; a stop included on your usual way of going. •/It was an obscure little restaurant which I had made something of a port of call./ •/His home had become one of my regular ports of call in Boston./
[port of entry]{n. phr.} 1. A port where things brought into the country to sell may pass through customs. •/Other ports of entry have been taking business from New York./ 2. A port where a citizen of another country may legally enter a country; a port having passport and immigration facilities. •/Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner./
[position] See: SCORING POSITION.
[possessed of]{adj. phr.}, {formal} In possession of; having; owning. •/He was possessed of great wealth./ •/He was possessed of great self-confidence./
[possum] See: PLAY POSSUM.
[post] See: PROM PILLAR TO POST.
[pot] See: GO TO POT.
[potato] See: HOT POTATO.
[potboiler]{n.} A book, play, or film written for the primary purpose of earning money for the author. •/"Reading a cheap potboiler helps me go to sleep," the professor wryly remarked./
[pot call the kettle black]{informal} The person who is criticizing someone else is as guilty as the person he accuses; the charge is as true of the person who makes it as of the one he makes it against. •/When the commissioner accused the road builder of bribery, the contractor said the pot was calling the kettle black./ •/Bill said John was cheating at a game but John replied that the pot was calling the kettle black./
[potluck] See: TAKE POTLUCK.
[potluck supper] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER.
[potshot]{n.} A direct shot at an easy, stationary target from behind a protected position or camouflage; criticism. •/Modern journalists like to take potshots at the president of the United States./
[pound] See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.
[pound away at]{v. phr.} 1. To attack; criticize. •/In his campaign speeches the candidate kept pounding away at the administration’s foreign policy./ 2. To work industriously. •/Mike was pounding away at the foundation of his new house with shovels and pickaxes./
[pound of flesh]{n. phr.}, {literary} The maximum payment authorized by law. •/He had hoped that Peter would be lenient regarding the interest they had agreed on, but Peter demanded his full pound of flesh./
[pound out]{v. phr.} 1. To play a piece of music very loudly on a percussion instrument. •/The boy was pounding out the tune "Mary had a little lamb" on the marimba./ 2. To flatten something with a hammer. •/The bodyshop uses special hammers to pound out the indentations in the bodies of cars./ 3. To produce a piece of writing on a typewriter in haste and without much care. •/She hurriedly pounded out a letter of recommendation for the foreign graduate student./
[pound the pavement]{v. phr.}, {informal} To walk up and down the streets; tramp about. •/John pounded the pavement looking for a job./ •/Mary and Bill pounded the pavement to find an apartment./
[pour] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.
[pour cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.
[pour it on thick] See: LAY IT ON THICK.
[pour money down the drain]{v. phr.} To spend one’s money unwisely; to waste one’s funds. •/"Stop supporting Harry’s drug habit," Ralph said. "You’re just pouring money down the drain."./
[pour oil on troubled waters]{v. phr.} To quiet a quarrel; say something to lessen anger and bring peace. •/The troops were nearing a bitter quarrel until the leader poured oil on the troubled waters./
[pour out]{v.} 1. To tell everything about; talk all about. •/Mary poured out her troubles to her pal./ 2. To come out in great quantity; stream out. •/The people poured out of the building when they heard the fire alarm./
[powder] See: TAKE A POWDER.
[powder room]{n.} The ladies' rest room. •/When they got to the restaurant, Mary went to the powder room to wash up./