Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[bottom line]{n.}, {informal} (stress on "line") 1. The last word on a controversial issue; a final decision. •/"Give me the bottom line on the proposed merger," said John./ 2. The naked truth without embellishments. •/Look, the bottom line is that poor Max is an alcoholic./ 3. The final dollar amount; for example, the lowest price two parties reach in bargaining about a sale. •/"Five-hundred, " said the used car dealer, "is the bottom line. Take it or leave it."/
[bottom line]{v.}, {informal} (stress on "bottom") To finish; to bring to a conclusion. •/Okay, you guys, let’s bottom line this project and break for coffee./
[bottom out]{v. phr.} To reach the lowest point (said chiefly of economic cycles). •/According to the leading economic indicators the recession will bottom out within the next two months./
[bounce] See: GET THE BOUNCE, GIVE THE BOUNCE.
[bound] See: BIND, BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, OUT OF BOUNDS, WITHIN BOUNDS.
[bound for]{adj. phr.} On the way to; going to. •/I am bound for the country club./ •/The ship is bound for Liverpool./
[bound up with]{v. phr.} To be connected; be involved with. •/Tuition at our university is bound up with the state budget./
[bow] See: TAKE A BOW.
[bow and scrape]{v.} To be too polite or obedient from fear or hope of gain; act like a slave. •/The old servant bowed and scraped before them, too obedient and eager to please./
[bowl of cherries] See: BED OF ROSES.
[bowl over]{v.}, {informal} 1. To knock down as if with a bowled ball. •/The taxi hit him a glancing blow and bowled him over./ 2. To astonish with success or shock with misfortune; upset; stun. •/He was bowled over by his wife’s sudden death./ •/The young actress bowled over everybody in her first movie./
[bow out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To give up taking part; excuse yourself from doing any more; quit. •/Mr. Black often quarreled with his partners, so finally he bowed out of the company./ •/While the movie was being filmed, the star got sick and had to bow out./ 2. To stop working after a long service; retire. •/He bowed out as train engineer after forty years of railroading./
[box] See: IN A BIND or IN A BOX, PENALTY BOX, PRESS BOX, STUFF THE BALLOT BOX, VOICE BOX.
[box office]{n.}, {informal} 1. The place at movies and theaters where tickets may be purchased just before the performance instead of having ordered them through the telephone or having bought them at a ticket agency. •/No need to reserve the seats; we can pick them up at the box office./ 2. A best selling movie, musical, or drama (where the tickets are all always sold out and people line up in front of the box office). •/John Wayne’s last movie was a regular box office./ 3. Anything successful or well liked. •/Betsie is no longer box office with me./
[boy] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY, FAIR-HAIRED BOY, MAMA’S BOY, OLD BOY, SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.
[boyfriend]{n.}, {informal} 1. A male friend or companion. •/"John and his boyfriends have gone to the ball game," said his mother./ 2. A girl’s steady date, a woman’s favorite man friend; a male lover or sweetheart. •/Jane’s new boyfriend is a senior in high school./ Contrast: GIRL FRIEND.
[boys will be boys] Boys are only children and must sometimes get into mischief or trouble or behave too roughly. •/Boys will be boys and make a lot of noise, so John’s mother told him and his friends to play in the park instead of the back yard./
[brain] See: BEAT ONE’S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE’S BRAINS OUT, ON THE BRAIN, RACK ONE’S BRAIN, GET ONE’S BRAINS FRIED.
[brain bucket]{n.}, {slang} A motorcycle helmet. •/If you want to share a ride with me, you’ve got to wear a brain bucket./
[brain drain]{n.}, {informal} 1. The loss of the leading intellectuals and researchers of a country due to excessive emigration to other countries where conditions are better. •/Britain suffered a considerable brain drain to the United States after World War II./ 2. An activity requiring great mental concentration resulting in fatigue and exhaustion •/That math exam I took was a regular brain drain./
[brain-storm]{v.} To have a discussion among fellow researchers or co-workers on a project in order to find the best solution to a given problem. •/Dr. Watson and his research assistants are brain-storming in the conference room./
[brainstorm]{n.} A sudden insight; a stroke of comprehension. •/Listen to me, I’ve just had a major brainstorm, and I think I found the solution to our problem./