Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[red carpet] See: ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET.
[red cent]{n. phr.} The one-cent coin; a copper coin; very little money. •/Poor Oscar is so broke he doesn’t have a red cent to his name./
[red eye]{adj. phr.} Bloodshot eyes that are strained from too much reading. •/Poor Tim has a red eye; he must have been studying too late again./
[red eye]{n. phr.}, {informal} A night flight. •/The company refused to pay for him to take a more expensive daytime flight, so he had to come in on the red eye./
[red-handed]{adj.} In the very act; while committing a crime or evil action. •/The criminal was caught red-handed while holding up the neighborhood bank at gunpoint./
[red herring]{n. phr.} A false scent laid down in order to deceive; a phony or misleading story designed to cause confusion. •/That story about the president having an affair was a red herring created by the opposition in order to discredit him./
[red-letter day]{n. phr.} A holiday; memorable day (usually printed in red on calendars). •/The Fourth of July is a red-letter day./ •/It was a red-letter day for Felix, when he won the lottery./
[red-light district]{n. phr.} A district of brothels or where prostitutes hang out. •/Most unwisely, the young sailor decided to spend his leave on shore by haunting the red-light districts of the port of call./
[red tape]{n. phr.} Unnecessary bureaucratic routine; needless but official delays. •/If you want to get anything accomplished in a hurry, you have to find someone in power who can cut through all that red tape./
[reel off] See: RATTLE OFF.
[reference] See: IN REFERENCE TO or WITH REFERENCE TO.
[refine on] or [refine upon]{v.} 1. To make better; improve. •/Mary was asked to refine on her first outline to make it clearer and more exact./ 2. To be better than; surpass. •/Modern medical techniques refine on those of the past./
[regain one’s feet]{v. phr.} To get back up again after falling down. •/Tom fell while he skied down the hill but he regained his feet quickly./ Compare: TO ONE’S FEET.
[regard] See: IN REFERENCE TO or IN REGARD TO or WITH REGARD TO.
[regular guy] or [regular fellow]{n.}, {informal} A friendly person who is easy to get along with; a good sport. •/You’ll like Tom. He’s a regular guy./ Syn.: GOOD EGG.
[rein] See: FREE REIN, GIVE REIN TO or GIVE FREE REIN TO.
[relation] See: IN RELATION TO or WITH RELATION TO.
[relative to] 1. On the subject of; about. •/Relative to school athletics, the principal said the students should not allow athletics to interfere with homework./ 2. In comparison with; in proportion to. •/Relative to the size of an ant, a blade of grass is as tall as a tree./
[repeat oneself]{v. phr.} To say the same thing over again, often in the same words; repeat ideas because you forget what you said or because you want to stress their importance. •/Grandfather is forgetful and often repeats himself when he tells a story./ •/A teacher often has to repeat herself several times before her pupils remember what she tells them./
[resign oneself]{v. phr.} To stop arguing; accept something which cannot be changed. •/When Jane’s father explained that he could not afford to buy her a new bicycle, she finally resigned herself to riding the old one./ Compare: GIVE UP.
[resistance] See: LINE OF LEAST RESISTANCE.
[rest] See: LAY TO REST, PARADE REST.
[rest assured]{v. phr.} To be convinced; persuaded; certain and unworried. •/"Please rest assured," he said seriously, "that I will keep all of my promises."/
[rest home] See: CONVALESCENT HOME.
[rest on one’s laurels]{v. phr.} To be satisfied with the success you have already won; stop trying to win new honors. •/Getting an A in chemistry almost caused Mike to rest on his laurels./
[rest on one’s oars]{v. phr.} To stop trying; stop working for a while; rest. •/The man who wants to become a millionaire can never rest on his oars./ •/A high school student who wants to go to college cannot rest on his oars./
[rest room]{n.} A room or series of rooms in a public building which has things for personal comfort and grooming, such as toilets, washbowls, mirrors, and often chairs or couches. •/Sally went to the rest room to powder her nose./ Compare: POWDER ROOM.
[retreat] See: BEAT A RETREAT.
[return] See: IN RETURN.
[return the compliment]{v. phr.} To say or do the same to someone that he has said or done to you; pay someone back. •/Mary said, "I love your new hairdo" and Suzy returned the compliment with "What a pretty dress you’re wearing, Mary."/ •/John punched Jerry in the nose, and Jerry returned the compliment./
[reverse] See: DOUBLE REVERSE, IN REVERSE.
[rev up]{v. phr.}, {informal}, {slang} 1. To press down sharply several times on the accelerator of an idling car in order to get maximum acceleration. •/The race driver revved up his car by pumping his accelerator./ 2. To get oneself ready in order to accomplish a demanding or difficult task. •/The boys were getting all revved up for the football game./ See: PSYCHED UP.