Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[stretch of the imagination]{n. phr.} Imaginative attempt or effort. •/By no stretch of the imagination can I see Al as a successful lawyer./
[stride] See: HIT ONE’S STRIDE, TAKE IN STRIDE.
[strike] See: CALLED STRIKE, HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE.
[strike a bargain]{v. phr.} To arrive at a price satisfactory to both the buyer and the seller. •/After a great deal of haggling, they managed to strike a bargain./
[strike a happy medium]{v. phr.} To find an answer to a problem that is halfway between two unsatisfactory answers. •/Mary said the dress was blue. Jane said it was green. They finally struck a happy medium and decided it was blue-green./ •/Two teaspoons of sugar made the cup of coffee too sweet, and one not sweet enough. One heaping teaspoon struck a happy medium./
[strike all of a heap] See: ALL OF A HEAP.
[strikebreaker]{n.} One who takes the place of workers on strike or one who recruits such people. •/The striking workers threw rotten eggs at the strikebreakers./
[strike gold]{v. phr.} 1. To find gold. •/Ted struck gold near an abandoned mine in California./ 2. To find suddenly the answer to an old puzzle. •/Professor Brown’s assistant struck gold when he came up with an equation that explained the irregular motions of a double star./ See: PAY DIRT.
[strike home] See: HIT HOME.
[strike it rich]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. To discover oil, or a large vein of minerals to be mined, or a buried treasure. •/The old prospector panned gold for years before he struck it rich./ 2. To become rich or successful suddenly or without expecting to. •/Everyone wanted to buy one of the new gadgets, and their inventor struck it rich./ •/John did not know that he had a rich Uncle John in Australia. John struck it rich when his uncle left his money to John./ Compare: PAY DIRT(2).
[strike one funny]{v. phr.} To appear or seem laughable, curious, ironic, or entertaining. •/"It strikes me funny," he said, "that you should refuse my invitation to visit my chateau in France. After all, you love both red wine and old castles. "/
[strike one’s colors] See: HAUL DOWN ONE’S COLORS.
[strike one’s fancy]{v. phr.} To please one’s predilections; appeal to one. •/The red tie with the yellow dragon on it happened to strike my fancy, so I bought it./
[strike] or [hit a sour note]{v. phr.} To spoil the mood at a gathering by hearing some bad news. •/The news of Mr. Brown’s sudden illness struck a sour note during our New Year’s Eve party./ Compare: SPIT INTO THE WEDDING CAKE.
[strike out]{v.} 1. To destroy something that has been written or drawn by drawing a line or cross through it or by erasing it. •/John misspelled "corollary. " He struck it out and wrote it correctly./ 2. To begin to follow a new path or a course of action that you have never tried. •/The boy scouts struck out at daybreak over the mountain pass./ •/John quit his job and struck out on his own as a traveling salesman./ 3. To put (a batter) out of play by making him miss the ball three times; also: To be put out of play by missing the ball three times. •/The pitcher struck out three men in the game./ •/The batter struck out twice./ 4. To push out an arm suddenly in a hitting motion. •/The boxer saw his chance and struck out at his opponent’s jaw./
[strike out at]{v. phr.} To attack someone verbally or physically. •/She was so angry that she struck out at him every occasion she got./
[strike the hour]{v. phr.} To mark or toll the hour (said of clocks or bells). •/We heard the church clock strike the hour of two./
[strike up]{v.} 1a. To start to sing or play. •/We were sitting around the camp fire. Someone struck up a song, and we all joined in./ •/The President took his place on the platform, and the band struck up the national anthem./ 1b. To give a signal to start (a band) playing. •/When the team ran on the field, the band director struck up the band./ 2. To bring about; begin; start. •/The policeman struck up a conversation with John while they were waiting for the bus./ •/It did not take Mary long to strike up acquaintances in her new school./
[strike while the iron is hot] See: MAKE HAY WHILE THE SUN SHINES.
[string] See: FIRST STRING, LATCH STRING, ON THE STRING or ON A STRING, PULL STRINGS, PURSE STRINGS, SHOE-STRING CATCH, TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.
[string along]{v.}, {informal} 1. To deceive; fool; lead on dishonestly. •/Mary was stringing John along for years but she didn’t mean to marry him./ •/George told the new boy that he must always call the teacher "Sir," but the new boy soon saw that George was stringing him along./ Compare: ON A STRING. 2. To follow someone’s leadership; join his group. •/Those of you who want to learn about wild flowers, string along with Jake./
[string out]{v.} To make (something) extend over a great distance or a long stretch of time. •/The telephone poles were strung out along the road as far as we could see./ •/Mary and Ann did not have much to say but they did not want to go home. They strung out their gossip for a long time./
[string up]{v.}, {slang} To put a rope around the neck of a person and choke him to death; hang. •/The posse strung up the rustler without a trial./ Compare: NECKTIE PARTY.
[strings attached]{adv. phr.} With some special proviso or condition that is a handicap. •/John inherited a large fortune but with the string attached that he could not touch a penny of it before his 28th birthday./
[strip] See: DRAG STRIP.
[stripe] See: MIDFIELD STRIPE.
[stroke] See: AT A STROKE or AT ONE’S STROKE.
[stroke of luck] See: RUN OF LUCK.