Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[bib] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.
[bide one’s time]{v. phr.} To await an opportunity; wait patiently until your chance comes. •/Refused work as an actor, Tom turned to other work and bided his time./ •/Jack was hurt deeply, and he bided his time for revenge./
[bid fair]{v.}, {literary} To seem likely; promise. •/He bids fair to be a popular author./ •/The day bids fair to be warm./
[big] See: IN A BIG WAY, LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND, LITTLE PITCHERS HAVE BIG EARS, TALK BIG, TOO BIG FOR ONE’S BREECHES, WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA.
[big as life] or [large as life]{adj. phr.} 1. or [life-size] The same size as the living person or thing. •/The statue of Jefferson was big as life./ •/The characters on the screen were life-size./ 2. or [big as life and twice as natural]{informal} In person; real and living. •/I had not seen him for years, but there he was, big as life and twice as natural./
[big cheese] or [big gun] or [big shot] or [big wheel] or [big wig]{n.}, {slang} An important person; a leader; a high official; a person of high rank. •/Bill had been a big shot in high school./ •/John wanted to be the big cheese in his club./ Compare: WHOLE CHEESE.
[big daddy]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The most important, largest thing, person or animal in a congregation of similar persons, animals, or objects. •/The whale is the big daddy of everything that swims in the ocean./ •/The H-bomb is the big daddy of all modern weapons./ •/Al Capone was the big daddy of organized crime in Chicago during Prohibition./
[big deal]{interj.}, {slang}, {informal} (loud stress on the word "deal") Trifles; an unimportant, unimpressive thing or matter. •/So you became college president — big deal!/
[big frog in a small pond]{n. phr.}, {informal} An important person in a small place or position; someone who is respected and honored in a small company, school, or city; a leader in a small group. •/As company president, he had been a big frog in a small pond, but he was not so important as a new congressman in Washington./ Contrast: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.
[bigger than one’s stomach] See: EYES BIGGER THAN ONE’S STOMACH.
[big hand]{n.} Loud and enthusiastic applause. •/When Pavarotti finished singing the aria from Rigoletto, he got a very big hand./
[big head]{n.}, {informal} Too high an opinion of your own ability or importance; conceit. •/When Jack was elected captain of the team, it gave him a big head./ Compare: SWELLED HEAD.
[big house]{n.} A large jail or prison. •/The rapist will spend many years in the big house./
[big lie, the]{n.}, {informal} A major, deliberate misrepresentation of some important issue made on the assumption that a bold, gross lie is psychologically more believable than a timid, minor one. •/We all heard the big lie during the Watergate months./ •/The pretense of democracy by a totalitarian regime is part of the big lie about its government./
[big mouth] or [big-mouthed] See: LOUD MOUTH, LOUD-MOUTHED.
[big shot] or [big wig]{n.} An important or influential person. •/Elmer is a big shot in the State Assembly./
[big stink]{n.}, {slang} A major scandal; a big upheaval. •/I’ll raise a big stink if they fire me./
[big time]{n.}, {informal} 1. A very enjoyable time at a party or other pleasurable gathering. •/I certainly had a big time at the club last night./ 2. The top group; the leading class; the best or most important company. •/After his graduation from college, he soon made the big time in baseball./ •/Many young actors go to Hollywood, but few of them reach the big time./
[big-time]{adj.} Belonging to the top group; of the leading class; important. •/Jean won a talent contest in her home town, and only a year later she began dancing on big-time television./ •/Bob practices boxing in the gym every day; he wants to become a big time boxer./ — Often used in the phrase "big-time operator". •/Just because Bill has a new football uniform he thinks he is a big-time operator./ Compare: SHOW OFF. Contrast: SMALL-TIME.
[big top]{n.} The main tent under which a circus gives its show; the circus and circus life. •/Lillian Leitzel was one of the great stars of the big top./ •/The book tells of life under the big top./
[big wheel]{n.}, {informal} An influential or important person who has the power to do things and has connections in high places. •/Uncle Ferdinand is a big wheel in Washington; maybe he can help you with your problem./
[big yawn]{n.} A very boring person, story or event. •/I love my grandma very much, but the stories she tells sure are a yawn./
[bill] See: CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH, FILL THE BILL.
[bind] See: DUTY BOUND, IN A BIND, MUSCLE BOUND, ROOT-BOUND.
[bingo card]{n.}, {slang} A response card, bound into a periodical, containing numbers keyed to editorial or advertising matter, giving the reader the opportunity to send for further information by marking the numbers of the items he is interested in; such a card can be mailed free of charge. •/Jack thinks he is saving time by filling out bingo cards instead of writing a letter./