Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[where] See: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF or TELL ONE WHERE TO HEAD IN.
[wherefore] See: WHY AND WHEREFORE.
[where it’s at]{adv. phr.}, {informal} That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on-going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. •/Young, talented and black, that’s where it’s at./ •/We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of people, that’s where it’s at./
[where the shoe pinches]{n. phr.}, {informal} Where or what the discomfort or trouble is. •/Johnny thinks the job is easy, but he will find out where the shoe pinches when he tries it./ •/The coach said he wasn’t worried about any position except quarterback; that was where the shoe pinched./
[whether one is coming or going] See: KNOW IF ONE IS COMING OR GOING.
[whether --- or] or [whether --- or whether] 1. {coord. conj.} Used to introduce an indirect question. •/You must decide whether you should go or stay./ •/I don’t know whether Jack or Bill is a better player./ Compare: EITHER --- OR(2). Used to show a choice of things, or that different things are possible. •/Whether the bicycle was blue or red, it didn’t matter to Frank./
[which] See: GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY.
[which is which]{n. phr.} Which is one person or thing and which is the other; one from another; what the difference is between different ones; what the name of each one is. •/Joe’s coat and mine are so nearly alike that I can’t tell which is which./ •/Mr. Hadley hadn’t seen his friend’s daughters in such a long time that he couldn’t remember which was which./ Compare: WHAT’S WHAT, WHO’S WHO.
[which was which] See: WHICH is WHICH.
[while] See: AFTER A WHILE or IN A WHILE, ALL THE TIME(1), EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ONCE IN A WHILE.
[while ago]{adv.} At a time several minutes in the past; a few minutes ago; a short time ago. — Used with "a". •/I laid mv glasses on this table a while ago; and now they’re gone./ •/A while ago, Mary was tired and wanted to go home; now she’s dancing with Bob as if she could dance all night./ Compare: JUST NOW(2).
[while away]{v.} To make time go by pleasantly or without being bored; pass or spend. •/We whiled away the time that we were waiting by talking and playing cards./ •/We whiled away the summer swimming and fishing./
[while back]{adv.} At a time several weeks or months in the past. — Used with "a". •/We had a good rain a while back, but we need more now./ •/Grandfather is well now, but a while back he was in the hospital for three weeks./ See: CRACK THE WHIP.
[whip hand] See: UPPER HAND.
[whipping boy]{n. phr.} The person who gets punished for someone else’s mistake. •/"I used to be the whipping boy during my early days at the company," he musingly remembered./
[whip up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To make or do quickly or easily. •/Mary whipped up a lunch for the picnic./ •/The reporter whipped up a story about the fire for his paper./ 2. To make active; stir to action; excite. •/The girls are trying to whip up interest for a dance Saturday night./ Compare: STIR UP, WHOOP IT UP(2).
[whispering campaign]{n.} The spreading of false rumors, or saying bad things, about a person or group, especially in politics or public life. •/A bad man has started a whispering campaign against the mayor, saying that he isn’t honest./
[whistle] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE ON, WET ONE’S WHISTLE.
[whistle a different tune] See: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.
[whistle for]{v.}, {informal} To try to get (something) but fail; look for (something) that will not come. •/Mary didn’t even thank us for helping her, so the next time she needs help she can whistle for it./
[whistle in the dark]{v. phr.}, {informal} To try to stay brave and forget your fear. •/Tom said he could fight the bully with one hand, but we knew that he was just whistling in the dark./ (From the fact that people sometimes whistle when walking in a dark, scary place to keep up their courage.)
[whistle-stop]{n.} A small town where the trains only stop on a special signal. •/President Truman made excellent use of the whistle-stop during his 1948 campaign for the presidency./
[white] See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN BLACK AND WHITE.
[white around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.
[white-collar workers]{n. phr.} Workers employed in offices and at desks as opposed to those who work as manual workers; the middle class. •/It is a well-known fact that white-collar workers are less well organized than unionized manual workers./ Contrast BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS.
[white elephant]{n. phr.} Unwanted property, such as real estate, that is hard to sell. •/That big house of theirs on the corner sure is a white elephant./
[white lie]{n. phr.} An innocent social excuse. •/I am too busy to go to their house for dinner tonight. I will call them and tell a little white lie about having the flu./
[white sale]{n.} The selling, especially at lower prices, of goods or clothing usually made of white cloth. •/Mother always buys many things at the January white sale to save money./
[whitewash]{n.}, {informal} A soothing official report that attempts to tranquilize the public. •/Some people believe that the Warren Commission’s report on the Kennedy assassination was a whitewash./