Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[fish fry]{n.} An outdoor party or picnic at which fish are fried and eaten. •/The guests at the fish fry caught and cooked their own fish./
[fish in muddy] or [troubled waters]{v. phr.} To take advantage of a troubled or confusing situation; seek personal advantage. •/With the police disorganized after the collapse of communism in Europe, many criminals started to fish in troubled waters./
[fish or cut bait]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. Decide what you want to do and stop wasting time; either act now or give someone else a chance or turn. •/Jack couldn’t decide whether to go to college or get a job, so his father told him to fish or cut bait./ •/"Buy the kind of ice cream you want or give someone else in line a chance. Fish or cut bait!"/ Compare: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND. 2. Either try hard and do your best, or quit. •/Frank missed football practice so often that the coach told him to fish or cut bait./
[fish out of water]{n. phr.} A person who is out of his proper place in life; someone who does not fit in. •/Because Ed could not swim, he felt like a fish out of water at the beach./ •/She was the only girl at the party not in a formal dress and she felt like a fish out of water./ Compare: OUT OF ONE’S ELEMENT, OUT OF PLACE.
[fish story]{n. phr.} An unlikely or improbable tale. •/Hunters and fishermen often exaggerate their successes by telling fish stories./
[fist] See: HARD-FISTED.
[fit] See: BY FITS AND STARTS, GIVE PITS, HAVE A FIT or HAVE FITS, IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT, SEE FIT also THINK FIT, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
[fit as a fiddle]{adj. phr.} In very good health. •/The man was almost 90 years old but fit as a fiddle./ •/Mary rested at home for a few weeks after her operation; then she felt fit as a fiddle./
[fit for]{v. phr.} To be suited for; be prepared for. •/"What kind of job is Ted fit for?" the social worker asked./
[fit in with]{v. phr.} To fall into agreement or accord with. •/His plans to take a vacation in early July fit in perfectly with the university schedule./
[fit like a glove]{v. phr.} To fit perfectly. •/Her new dress fits her like a glove./
[fit out] or [fit up]{v.} To give things needed; furnish. •/The soldiers were fitted out with guns and clothing./ •/The government fitted out warships and got sailors for them./ •/The house was fitted out very nicely./ •/He fitted his room up as a photographic laboratory./
[fit the bill] See: FILL THE BILL.
[fit to a T] See: TO A T.
[fit to be tied(1)]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Very angry or upset. •/She was fit to be tied when she saw the broken glass./
[fit to be tied(2)]{adv. phr.}, {substandard} Very hard. — Used for emphasis. •/Uncle Willie was laughing fit to be tied at the surprised look on Mother’s face./
[five o’clock shadow]{n. phr.} A very short growth of beard on a man’s face who did shave in the morning but whose beard is so strong that it is again visible in the afternoon. •/"You have a five o’clock shadow, honey," Irene said, "and we’re going to the opera. Why don’t you shave again quickly?"/
[fix] See: GET A FIX or GIVE SOMEONE A FIX, GET A FIX ON.
[fix someone’s wagon] or [fix someone’s little red wagon]{v. phr.}, {informal} 1. (Said to a child as a threat) to administer a spanking. •/Stop that right away or I’ll fix your (little red) wagon!/ 2. (Said of an adult) to thwart or frustrate another, to engineer his failure. •/If he sues me for slander, I will counter-sue him for malicious prosecution. That will fix his wagon!/
[fix someone up with]{v. phr.}, {informal} To help another get a date with a woman or man by arranging a meeting for the two. •/Say Joe, can you possibly fix me up with someone this weekend? I am so terribly lonesome!/
[fix up]{v. phr.} 1. To repair. •/The school is having the old gym fixed up./ 2. To arrange. •/I think I can fix it up with the company so that John gets the transfer he desires. /3. To arrange a date that might lead to a romance or even to marriage. •/Mary is a great matchmaker; she fixed up Ron and Betty at her recent party./
[fizzle out]{v.}, {informal} 1. To stop burning; die out. •/The fuse fizzled out before exploding the firecracker./ 2. To fail after a good start; end in failure. •/The power mower worked fine for a while but then it fizzled out./ •/The party fizzled out when everyone went home early./
[flag down]{v.}, {informal} To stop by waving a signal flag or as if waving a signal flag. •/The signalman flagged down the freight train./ •/A policeman flagged down the car with his flashlight./
[flakeball] or [flake]{n.}, {slang}, {drug culture} A disjointed, or "flaky" person, who is forgetful and incoherent, as if under the influence of narcotics. •/Hermione is a regular flakeball./ Compare: SPACED OUT.
[flame] See: ADD FUEL TO THE FLAME, GO UP IN FLAMES.
[flanker back]{n.} A football back who can play far to the outside of his regular place. •/The coach is still looking for a speedy boy to play flanker back./