Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[under the table] See: UNDER THE COUNTER.
[under the thumb of] See: UNDER ONE’S THUMB.
[under the weather]{adv. phr.} In bad health or low spirits. •/Mary called in today asking for a sick day as she is under the weather./
[under the wire]{adv. phr.} With a narrow time limit; in the last minute. •/The journalist’s new lead article on Russia was due in press at 5 P.M., and he got it in at 4:57, just under the wire./
[underway]{adv. phr.} In progress; in motion. •/The yearly fund-raising campaign for the renovation of our university campus is already underway./
[under wraps]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Not allowed to be seen until the right time; not allowed to act or speak freely; in secrecy; hidden. — Usually used with "keep". •/We have a new player, hut we are keeping him under wraps until the game./ •/What the President is planning will be kept under wraps until tomorrow./ •/The spy was kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to newspapermen./ Compare: UNDER COVER.
[unknown quantity]{n.} Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. •/What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ •/The new player is still an unknown quantity. We’ll find out how good he is in the game./
[unseen] See: SIGHT UNSEEN.
[until all hours]{adv. phr.} Until very late at night. •/He is so anxious to pass his exams with flying colors that he stays up studying until all hours./
[until hell freezes over]{adv. phr.}, {slang} Forever, for an eternity. •/He can argue until hell freezes over; nobody will believe him./ Contrast: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
[until the last gun is fired] See: TILL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED.
[unturned] See: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.
[up against]{prep. phr.} Blocked or threatened by. •/When she applied to medical school, the black woman wondered whether she was up against barriers of sex and race prejudice./
[up against it]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Faced with a great difficulty or problem; badly in need. •/The Smith family is up against it because Mr. Smith cannot find a job./ •/You will be up against it if you don’t pass the test. You will probably fail arithmetic./ Compare: HARD UP, END OF ONE’S ROPE, BACK TO THE WALL(2).
[up and about] or [around]{adv. phr.} Recovered and able to move about; once again in good health after an illness. •/My sister was ill for several weeks, but is now up and about again./
[up and at them] 1. {adv. phr.} Actively engaged in a task as if doing combat. •/"You want to know whether he will make a diligent worker?" Dick asked. "Well, I can tell you that most of the time he is up and at them like no one else I know."/ 2. {v. phr.} To become aggressively engaged in doing something; (useable as a command). •/Come on, up and at them, you guys. We still have a lot of work to get done./
[up-and-coming]{adj. phr.} Bound toward success; upwardly mobile; progressive; ambitious. •/The newly elected state senator is an up-and-coming young politician who is expected to be highly successful in national politics in the future./
[up a stump]{adj. phr.}, {slang} Stumped; blocked; mixed up or confused in what you are trying to do. •/Jimmy knows how to add and subtract but fractions have him up a stump./
[up a tree]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Hunted or chased into a tree; treed. •/The dog drove the coon up a tree so the hunter could shoot him./ 2. {informal} in trouble; having problems; in a difficulty that it is hard to escape or think of a way out of. •/John’s father has him up a tree in the checker game./ Compare: UP THE CREEK.
[up for grabs]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Available for anyone to try to get; ready to be competed for; there for the taking. •/When the captain of the football team moved out of town, his place was up for grabs./
[up front(1)]{n.}, {slang}, {informal} The managerial section of a corporation or firm. •/Joe Catwallender finally made it (with the) up front./
[up front(2)]{adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Open, sincere, hiding nothing. •/Sue was completely up front about why she didn’t want to see him anymore./
[up in arms]{adj. phr.} 1. Equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight. •/All of the colonies were up in arms against the Redcoats./ Syn.: IN ARMS. 2. Very angry and wanting to fight. •/Robert is up in arms because John said he was stupid./ •/The students were up in arms over the new rule against food in the dormitory./
[up in the air]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} 1. {informal} In great anger or excitement. •/My father went straight up in the air when he heard I damaged the car./ •/The Jones family are all up in the air because they are taking a trip around the world./ Compare: HIT THE CEILING, BLOW A FUSE. 2. also [in midair] Not settled; uncertain; undecided. •/Plans for the next meeting have been left up in the air until Jane gets better./ •/The result of the game was left hanging in midair because it rained before the finish./ Compare: LEAVE HANGING.