| Idioms, with definitions or synonyms |
Examples |
Translation |
| above board - honest, open |
His business dealings are above board. |
честный, открытый |
| ad-lib - improvise, interpolate |
The actor forgot his lines and ad libbed. |
импровизировать |
| after all - in spite of the situation; nevertheless |
I knew it! After all, I was right! He returned to his hometown after all. |
все-таки, все же; в конце концов |
| against the grain - contrary to someone's feelings, principles |
His plan goes against the grain with her because she doesn't like cheating. |
против чьих-то чувств, принципов, желаний |
| all along - all the time |
I knew about his little secret all along. |
все время, всегда |
| all ears - eager to listen |
I am all ears. |
весь внимание |
| all of a sudden - suddenly |
All of a sudden, he refused to pay. |
неожиданно |
| all the same - no difference |
If it's all the same to you, let's start at two. |
все равно, без разницы |
| all thumbs - clumsy |
He can't fix anything, he's all thumbs. |
неуклюжий, неумелый |
| apple of one's eye - very dear, precious |
Her son is the apple of her eye. |
очень дорогой, драгоценный; зеница ока |
| apple of discord - subject of envy or quarrel |
This question is an apple of discord in our family. |
яблоко раздора |
| as a rule - generally, usually |
As a rule, we offer a 5% discount. |
как правило |
| as far as I know - if I have correct information |
As far as I know, he stayed home all day. |
насколько я знаю |
| as far as someone / something is concerned - concerning; in reference to |
As far as I am concerned, both the book and the movie are good. As far as your report is concerned, we'll discuss it tomorrow. |
что касается кого-то, чего-то |
| as for / as to - concerning; in reference to |
As for me, you can always rely on my support. As for your report, we'll discuss it tomorrow. |
что касается; относительно |
| as well - also, too |
He knows math and physics as well. |
тоже, также |
| at all - (not) in the smallest degree |
He doesn't know French at all. I don't like it at all. |
совсем (не) |
| at first sight - from the first glance, at once; at first glance |
It was love at first sight. At first sight, it seems easy to do. |
с первого взгляда, сразу же; на первый взгляд |
| at odds with - in disagreement with |
He is at odds with everyone. |
не в ладах с кем-то, чем-то |
| at random - without order or plan |
He chose those places at random. |
наугад; без плана |
| at this point - at this time |
At this point, we can't turn back. |
на данном этапе |
| backseat driver - a passenger who tells you how to drive |
His wife is a backseat driver always telling him how to drive. |
пассажир, который указывает водителю, как вести машину |
| ballpark figure - approximate estimate (in figures) |
I can give you only a ballpark figure at this time. |
приблизительная оценка (в цифрах) |
| bark at the moon - do a useless thing; waste time |
Telling him that he is wrong is like barking at the moon. |
лаять на луну; заниматься бесполезным делом |
| bark up the wrong tree - accuse or pursue the wrong person; misdirect one's efforts |
The detective was sure he got a suspect, but he was barking up the wrong tree. |
обвинять, преследовать не того человека; направить усилия не в ту сторону |
| be about to do something - be close to doing something; be on the verge of doing something |
I was about to leave when you called. I was about to open the door, but something stopped me. |
быть готовым сделать что-то; собираться сделать что-то |
| be all in - be extremely tired |
I'm all in; I'd better go to bed now. |
очень устать |
| be back on one's feet - be healthy again or better financially |
He's back on his feet after a long period of debt and unemployment. |
встать на ноги после трудного времени |
| be behind the times - be old-fashioned, outdated |
Some of the managers here are behind the times; their methods are not modern. |
отстать от жизни; быть несовременным, устаревшим |
| be beside oneself - be very upset, nervous, worried |
She was beside herself with worry / with grief. |
быть вне себя от волнения, горя |
| be beside the point - be off the point |
What I said to him privately is beside the point. |
не относится к делу |
| be better off - be in a better situation (financially) |
He'll be better off with a new job. |
быть в лучшей ситуации (материально) |
| be broke - have no money at all; be penniless, bankrupt |
I spent all my money; I'm broke. |
быть без гроша; быть совсем без денег; разориться |
| be cut out to be; be cut out for - be suited for some job |
He is cut out to be a leader. She isn't cut out to be a surgeon. She isn't cut out for teaching. |
подходить для какой-то работы |
| be hard on something or someone - treat roughly |
My son is hard on shoes; they don't last long with him. Life was pretty hard on Tom. |
не беречь что-то, кого-то |
| be high on one's list - be one of the most important things |
A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV is not high on my list. |
быть одной из важных, первоочередных вещей для кого-то |
| be in charge of something - be responsible for |
He is in charge of marketing. |
быть ответственным за что-то |
| be in good health - be healthy |
She is in good health. |
иметь хорошее здоровье |
| be in poor health - be not healthy |
She is in poor health. |
иметь слабое здоровье |
| be in good shape - be physically fit; be in good condition |
He is in good shape because he exercises regularly. |
быть в хорошей форме; быть в хорошем состоянии |
| be in bad shape - be in bad state; be in bad condition |
The patient is in bad shape. His affairs are in bad shape. |
быть в плохом состоянии; быть не в форме, не в порядке |
| be in the red - be in debt |
Our sales were in the red last year. |
быть убыточным |
| be on one's way - be already on the way to some place |
I'm on my way. He is on his way; he'll be here in ten minutes. |
быть уже в пути куда-то |
| be on/at the point of something - be on the verge of something; be close to doing something |
He was on the point of death two years ago. She was on the point of telling him the truth, but his words stopped her. |
быть на грани чего-то; на грани сделать что-то |
| be out of date - be outdated |
This information is out of date. |
быть устаревшим |
| be out of sorts - be in bad temper |
Leave him alone, he's out of sorts today. |
быть не в духе |
| be pressed for time, for money - not to have enough time, money |
I'm pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment. |
не хватать времени, денег и др. |
| be to blame - be responsible for a mistake, for something wrong |
Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up. |
быть виноватым за ошибку, за неправильные действия |
| be touch and go - be risky, dangerous; be uncertain of the result |
He was very sick, and for some time it was touch and go, but he is better now. |
быть рискованным, опасным; на грани; неясно, куда повернется |
| be up and around / about - able to be out of bed after an illness |
He was sick for a month, but now he is up and around. |
встать на ноги; поправиться |
| be up to one's ears in work - be very busy |
I'm up to my ears in work. |
быть по уши в делах, работе |
| be used to something - be accustomed to something |
I'm used to hard work. He's used to hot weather. |
быть привычным к чему-то |
| beat around/about the bush - avoid giving a clear or definite answer |
Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point! |
ходить вокруг да около; не давать определенного ответа |
| beat one's brains out - try hard, make great mental efforts (often unsuccessfully) |
He's been beating his brains out all day trying to find a solution to this problem. |
очень стараться, ломать себе голову (часто безуспешно) |
| before long - soon |
He will understand before long what a terrible mistake he has made. |
скоро, в скором времени |
| big shot - important person |
He is a big shot around here. |
важная персона |
| bite off more than one can chew - try to do more than one can |
I couldn't handle two jobs and family. I really bit off more than I could chew. |
переоценить свои силы; пытаться сделать непосильное |
| bite the bullet - accept painful but necessary action |
Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and to do what's necessary to do. |
стиснуть зубы и терпеть мучительное, но необходимое |
| bite the dust - be killed; die; suffer defeat |
Many of them bit the dust in that war. |
быть убитым; умереть; потерпеть поражение |
| bite the hand that feeds one - repay kindness with evil |
She is so ungrateful! She is biting the hand that feeds her! |
отплатить злом на добро |
| black sheep - a good-for-nothing member of the family |
Their second son is the black sheep of the family; he is good for nothing. |
паршивая овца в семье |
| blind date - a meeting between a man and a woman (who have never met before) arranged by their friends |
She refuses to go on a blind date again because she had bad experience. |
свидание вслепую |
| blow it - lose the chance |
He understood that he blew it. |
потерять шанс |
| bottom line - main result; main factor |
The bottom line is, I don't have enough money. |
главный итог; основной момент |
| break someone's heart - hurt deeply |
The news of her death broke his heart. |
разбить чье-то сердце; сильно огорчить |
| break the ice - overcome awkwardness (e.g., when getting acquainted) |
The party was dull and formal until someone broke the ice with a joke, and we all laughed. |
сломать лед; преодолеть неловкость (например, при первом знакомстве) |
| break the news (to someone) - tell important news |
She broke the news of his accident to his parents. |
сообщить важное известие (кому-то) |
| bring home the bacon - earn the living for one's family |
He works very hard at several places to bring home the bacon. |
обеспечивать свою семью |
| by all means - definitely, certainly |
Do you need my help? - By all means. |
обязательно, конечно |
| by heart - by memorizing |
Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow. |
наизусть |
| by hook or by crook - by any possible means |
She will get what she wants by hook or by crook. |
любым путем, любым способом |
| by oneself (by myself, by himself, etc.) - alone; on one's own |
She spent the evening by herself. He did it all by himself. |
один; в одиночку |
| by the way - incidentally |
By the way, I found the book that you recommended. |
кстати |
| call a halt to something - terminate, stop something |
His father called a halt to his activity. |
остановить, прекратить что-то |
| call a spade a spade - use plain, direct words |
He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade. |
называть вещи своими именами |
| call it a day - consider work finished for the day |
We've been working for ten straight hours. Let's call it a day. |
считать работу законченной на этот день |
| call the roll - call the names (according to some list) |
Their teacher called the roll every day before classes. |
делать перекличку (по списку) |
| call the shots - give orders; be in control of something |
He calls the shots in this company. |
распоряжаться, контролировать что-то |
| call the tune - give orders; be the most important person in some situation |
Since he was paying for it, he called the tune. |
распоряжаться, быть главным в какой-то ситуации |
| carry weight - be important |
His advice always carries weight here. |
иметь вес |
| castles in the air - daydreaming about success |
Instead of working hard, he spends time building castles in the air. |
(строить) воздушные замки |
| catch someone's eye - attract someone's attention |
This picture caught my eye. It caught her eye. |
привлечь чье-то внимание |
| catch one's breath - stop and rest |
I'm too tired to run further. I need to catch my breath. |
перевести дух; остановиться и передохнуть |
| catch someone off guard - catch someone unprepared |
He caught me off guard with his question. |
застать врасплох |
| catch someone red-handed - find someone in the act of doing wrong |
The manager caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing cigarettes. |
поймать за руку, когда делал плохое |
| close call - a narrow escape; a bad thing that almost happened |
The speeding car almost hit the man. That was really a close call. |
был на волосок от; едва избежал; плохое, что едва не случилось |
| come to one's senses - act normally and reasonably again |
He finally came to his senses, began to work hard, and passed his exams. |
придти в себя; взяться за ум |
| come true - become reality |
His dream came true when he met Kate. |
осуществиться |
| cross one's mind - occur to someone |
It never crossed my mind that he might be ill. |
прийти в голову |
| cut corners - 1. take a short-cut; 2. limit one's spending |
He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have to cut corners this week. |
1. срезать углы; идти напрямик; 2. сократить расходы |
| do one's best - try very hard |
I did my best to help him in his work. |
сделать все возможное, все, что в силах |
| do one's bit - do what's needed |
I'll do my bit; you can count on me. |
сделать положенное |
| do someone good - be good for someone |
Fresh air and exercise will do you good. |
принести пользу; пойти на пользу |
| do something behind someone's back - do (harmful) things secretively |
I hate people who do things behind my back. He did it behind my back again. |
делать (вредные) дела за спиной |
| down to earth - practical |
He's quiet, sensible, and down to earth. |
практичный, приземленный |
| draw the line - set a limit; impose a restriction |
I draw the line at spending so much on food. He drew the line for her at $100 a day. |
установить границу дозволенного; положить предел |
| duty calls - must fulfill obligations |
He said, "Duty calls", put on his coat, and left for work. |
долг обязывает |
| easier said than done |
It's easier said than done, but I'll try to do it. |
легче сказать, чем сделать |
| eat one's words - take back one's words |
He had to eat his words after her excellent report. |
брать назад свои слова |
| even so - nevertheless |
I work hard. Even so, I like my job. |
тем не менее |
| every now and then - occasionally |
Every now and then I visit my old aunt. |
время от времени |
| every other - every second one |
She washes her hair every other day. |
через один; каждый второй |
| fall in love (with) - begin to love |
Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight. |
влюбиться (в) |
| fall out of love - stop loving |
They soon fell out of love and divorced. |
разлюбить |
| false alarm - untrue signal; untrue rumor |
I heard that he quit his job, but it was a false alarm. |
ложная тревога |
| a far cry from something - not nearly as good |
His second book wasn't bad, but it was a far cry from his first book. |
далеко не такой хороший, как |
| feel it in one's bones - expect something bad to happen |
I feel it in my bones that something terrible is going to happen. |
нутром чувствовать, что случится плохое |
| feel like doing something - want to do; be inclined to do something |
I feel like going for a walk. I don't feel like working now; I'd rather watch TV. |
быть склонным к занятию чем-то |
| few and far between - rare, scarce |
Her visits are few and far between. |
слишком редкие |
| find fault with someone or something - criticize; complain about |
He finds fault with everybody. She always finds fault with my cooking. |
критиковать кого-то или что-то; придираться |
| first things first - important things come before others |
First things first: how much money do we have to pay right away? |
сначала главное |
| fly off the handle - get angry |
He flew off the handle and yelled at me. |
разозлиться (вдруг) |
| follow in someone's footsteps - do the same thing |
Igor followed in his father's footsteps. He became a doctor too. |
идти по стопам; делать то же самое |
| foot the bill - pay the bill |
Her father footed the bill for the party. |
заплатить по счету |
| for good - forever |
After her death he left town for good. |
навсегда |
| for the time being - for now; at this time |
For the time being, this house is all right for us. |
на данное время |
| frame of mind - mental state |
I can't do it in this frame of mind. |
умонастроение |
| from A to Z - completely; from beginning to end |
He knows this town from A to Z. |
полностью; от начала до конца |
| from now on - now and in the future |
From now on I forbid you to go there. |
впредь |
| from the word go - from the very beginning |
He was lying to all of us from the word go. |
с самого начала |
| get a grip on oneself - take control of one's feelings |
Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself! |
взять себя в руки; контролировать свои чувства |
| get carried away - get too excited and enthusiastic about something |
He got carried away with opening a store and lost most of his money. |
слишком увлечься чем-то |
| get cold feet - be afraid to do something |
He wanted to try it, but he got cold feet at the last moment. |
побояться сделать |
| get even with someone - have one's revenge |
I'll get even with him for everything! |
расквитаться с кем-то |
| get in touch with someone - contact someone |
Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help. |
связаться с кем-то |
| get lost - lose one's way |
She got lost in the old part of town. |
потеряться |
| Get lost! (slang) - Lay off! |
I don't want to see you again. Get lost! |
Исчезни! Уйди! |
| get mixed up - get confused |
I got mixed up, went the wrong way, and got lost. |
перепутать |
| get off someone's back - stop bothering someone |
Stop bothering me! Get off my back! |
перестать приставать; отстать от кого-то |
| get one's foot in the door - get an opportunity; make the first step in something (e.g., in getting a job) |
Nina was able to get her foot in the door because her friend worked in that company. |
получить возможность; сделать первый шаг в чем-то (например, в получении работы) |
| get on one's high horse - behave haughtily towards someone |
Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she gets on her high horse. |
вести себя высокомерно |
| get out of hand - get out of control |
If he gets out of hand again, call me right away. The situation is getting out of hand. |
выйти из-под контроля |
| get rid of someone or something - dispose of; discard |
He got rid of his old useless car. |
избавиться от кого-то или чего-то |
| get to the bottom of something - know deeply |
He usually gets to the bottom of things. |
добраться до сути чего-то |
| get to the point - speak directly about the subject; come to the point |
Please get to the point, I don't have much time now. |
перейти к сути дела; начать говорить по существу |
| Give me a break! - Stop it! Enough! |
Come on, stop it! Give me a break! |
Прекрати! Хватит! |
| give someone a hand - help someone |
Can you give me a hand with cooking? |
помочь кому-то |
| give someone a lift; give someone a ride - take someone to some place by car |
Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche. |
подвезти кого-то куда-то |
| give someone a piece of one's mind - criticize frankly |
She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece of my mind about her carelessness. |
высказать, что на уме; критиковать |
| go back on one's word - break a promise |
First he said he would help me, but then he went back on his word. |
нарушить свое слово, обещание |
| go for it - make an attempt at something new; give it a try |
If I were you, I would go for it. Go for it! Give it a try! |
сделать попытку в чем-то новом; попробовать новое дело |
| go from bad to worse - become much worse |
His business went from bad to worse. |
становиться все хуже |
| go out of one's way - try very hard |
He goes out of his way to please her. |
очень стараться |
| go to one's head - 1. make dizzy; 2. make too proud, conceited |
1. Champagne went to her head right away. 2. His acting success went to his head. |
1. вызвать головокружение; 2. возгордиться - Успех вскружил ему голову. |
| go to pieces - get very upset; fall apart |
She went to pieces when she heard it. |
сильно расстроиться |
| go with the flow - lead a quiet life |
She always goes with the flow. |
плыть по течению; жить без волнений |
| have a ball - have a good time |
Yesterday we had a ball at the party. |
отлично провести время |
| have a bone to pick with someone - complain or discuss something unpleasant |
Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick with you. My mail was lost because of you. |
иметь претензии к кому-то |
| have a sweet tooth - love eating sweet things |
He has a sweet tooth. |
быть сластеной; любить сладкое |
| have a word with someone - talk to someone |
Can I have a word with you? |
поговорить с кем-то |
| have words with someone - argue with someone |
I had words with my coworker today because he used my computer again. |
крупно поговорить с кем-то |
| have it in someone - have the ability |
Laura has it in her to be a good doctor. |
иметь нужные качества |
| have no business doing something - have no right to do something |
You have no business staying here without my permission. |
нечего (вам) здесь делать; незачем здесь находиться и др. |
| have one's back to the wall - be hard-pressed; be on the defensive |
I had no choice, I had my back to the wall. |
быть прижатым к стене, под давлением; вынужден защищаться |
| have one's hands full - be very busy |
He has his hands full with hard work. |
быть очень занятым |
| have one's heart set on something - want something very much |
She has her heart set on going to New York. He has his heart set on Betty. |
очень хотеть чего-то |
| have pull - have influence |
Does he have pull with the director? |
иметь влияние |
| (not) have the heart to do something - (not) have the courage to do something unpleasant |
I don't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't accepted; he'll be so unhappy. |
(не) хватает духа сделать неприятное |
| hit the nail on the head - say exactly the right thing |
You hit the nail on the head when you said that! |
попасть в точку; сказать очень правильную вещь |
| (not) hold it against someone - (not) blame somebody for doing something |
I lost his book, but he doesn't hold it against me. |
(не) держать зло на кого-то |
| Hold it! - Stop! Wait! |
Hold it! I forgot my key. |
Остановитесь! Стойте! |
| hold one's own - maintain oneself in a situation; behave as needed |
He can hold his own in any situation. We need people who can hold their own. |
постоять за себя; утвердиться в чем-то |
| hold one's tongue - keep silent; refrain from speaking |
She can't hold her tongue at all. |
молчать; держать язык за зубами; придержать язык |
| ill at ease - uncomfortable |
She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress. |
не по себе |
| in advance - well before |
He told her about his plan in advance. |
заранее |
| in a nutshell - in a few words |
In a nutshell, my plan is to buy some land. |
кратко, вкратце |
| in care of - write to one person at the address of another person |
I'm going to stay at Tom's house in Chicago. Write to me in care of Tom Gray, 321 Main Street, Chicago, Illinois. |
писать адресату по адресу другого человека (обычно, у которого остановился) |
| in cold blood - mercilessly |
He killed her in cold blood. |
хладнокровно |
| in fact - actually; in reality |
In fact, he works as a manager here. |
фактически; в действительности |
| in general - generally; generally speaking |
In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general. |
в общем; вообще; обычно |
| in hot water - in trouble; in a difficult situation (especially with the law or one's superiors) |
He said a couple of unpleasant things about the boss's wife, and now he is in hot water. |
в беде; в трудном положении (особенно с законом или начальством) |
| in one's element - what one likes |
He's in his element when he's arguing. |
в своей стихии |
| in other words - using other words |
In other words, you left her when she needed your help. |
другими словами |
| in plain English - in simple, frank terms |
I didn't really like the concert. In plain English, the concert was terrible. |
проще говоря; без обиняков |
| the ins and outs - all information about something |
He knows the ins and outs of this business. |
все входы и выходы; вся информация о чем-то |
| in someone's shoes - in another person's position |
I wouldn't want to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and his wife is in the hospital. |
на месте другого; в положении другого |
| in the long run - in the end |
In the long run, it will be better to buy it. |
в конечном счете |
| in the same boat - in the same situation |
Stop arguing with me. We're in the same boat and should help each other. |
в одинаковом положении |
| in the clear - free from blame |
Pay the bill, and you'll be in the clear. |
вне претензий |
| in time (to do something) - early enough; before something begins |
I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class. |
вовремя; заранее, чтобы успеть что-то сделать до начала чего-то |
| it goes without saying - should be clear without words |
It goes without saying that he must pay what he owes right away. |
не стоит и говорить; само собой |
| it's time - should do it right away |
Hurry up, it's time to go. |
пора (сделать что-то) |
| It's worth it. It's not worth it. It's (not) worth buying, visiting, watching, etc. |
Watch this film, it's worth it. Don't buy this coat, it is not worth it. This museum is worth visiting. This film is not worth watching. |
оно того стоит; оно того не стоит; (не) стоит покупать, посещать, смотреть и т.д. |
| jump at the opportunity - accept the opportunity eagerly |
His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter jumped at the opportunity. |
ухватиться за возможность |
| just as soon - prefer; would rather |
I'd just as soon stay home; I'm tired. |
предпочитать; охотно |
| just in case - to be on the safe side |
Take an extra shirt, just in case. |
на всякий случай |
| Just my luck! - Bad luck! Hard luck! |
They lost my job application. Just my luck! |
Мне всегда не везет! |
| keep an eye on someone or something - take care of; watch; look after |
Betty keeps an eye on my children for me. I'll keep an eye on your dog. |
последить за; присмотреть за |
| keep a straight face - try not to laugh |
I tried to keep a straight face but failed. |
стараться не рассмеяться; сохранять невозмутимый вид |
| keep company - accompany |
She keeps me company quite often. |
составить компанию |
| keep in mind - bear in mind; consider; remember |
Keep in mind that he is not going to agree easily. |
иметь в виду; учитывать; помнить |
| keep in touch - keep in contact with someone by calling, visiting, sending messages |
Good-by and don't forget to keep in touch! Keep in touch with us. We may have new openings next week. |
держаться в контакте; поддерживать контакт с кем-то |
| keep one's word - fulfill a promise |
You promised to help me. Keep your word. |
сдержать слово; выполнить обещание |
| keep someone posted - inform someone |
Keep me posted about your plans. |
держать кого-то в курсе событий |
| keep one's fingers crossed - hope that nothing will go wrong |
I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. |
надеяться, что все пройдет гладко |
| kill time - fill time; spend empty time |
I went to the show to kill time. |
убить время |
| not to know the first thing about something - not to have any knowledge about something |
I don't know the first thing about nuclear physics. |
совсем ничего не знать по какой-то теме |
| know the ropes - be very familiar with some business; know the ins and outs |
He knows all the ropes in this company. |
хорошо ориентироваться в чем-то; знать все входы и выходы |
| last-minute notice - a message at the last moment leaving little or no time for preparation |
His arrival was a last-minute notice. We didn't have time to prepare for it. |
сообщение в последний момент, из-за чего мало или нет времени на подготовку |
| lay one's cards on the table - be frank and open |
Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans. |
сказать честно; открыть карты |
| lay one's life on the line - put oneself in a dangerous situation |
He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts. |
ставить свою жизнь на карту; рисковать |
| lead a dog's life - live in misery |
He leads a dog's life. |
влачить жалкое существование |
| leave it at that - stop saying anything else about some matter; leave as it is |
I don't want to argue any further about it, so let's leave it at that. Leave it at that! |
перестать далее упоминать (о предмете спора); оставить как есть |
| leave word - leave a message |
He left word for you to meet him at the airport at six o'clock. |
оставить сообщение |
| let bygones be bygones - forget and forgive bad things in the past |
He said that to you many years ago. Forgive him. Let bygones be bygones. |
не ворошить прошлое; забыть старые обиды |
| let go of something - release the hold |
Let go of my hand, or I'll call the guard. |
отпустить; не держать |
| let (it) go - forget bad experience; return to normal life |
He's still in despair and can't let go. You can't change anything, so let it go. |
забыть, освободиться от тяжелого переживания |
| let one's hair down - be relaxed and informal with other people |
She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down. |
держаться неофициально |
| let someone know - inform someone |
Let me know if you need anything else. |
известить кого-то |
| like father, like son - be like one's parent in something |
Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son! |
какой отец, такой и сын |
| little by little - step by step; bit by bit; gradually |
Little by little, they saved enough money for a new car. |
понемногу, постепенно |
| a long shot - an attempt with little chance of success |
Checking the suspect's aunt was a long shot, but the detective was prepared to try anything. |
попытка с минимальными шансами на успех |
| lose one's temper - become angry |
He loses his temper very often. |
разозлиться |
| lose one's way - get lost |
I lost my way. Can you help me? |
потерять дорогу; сбиться с пути |
| lose track of someone - not to know where someone is |
I lost track of him years ago. |
потерять кого-то из виду |
| lucky break - a lucky chance |
He got his lucky break when he found that job. |
счастливый случай |
| make a living - earn money to provide for one's life; earn a living |
He worked hard. His parents were poor, and he had to make a living somehow. |
зарабатывать на жизнь |
| make allowance(s) for something - take into consideration when judging |
Don't criticize him so hard; make allowance for his inexperience. |
учитывать, делать поправку, скидку на что-то |
| make a point of - be sure to do something |
Make a point of asking about his wife's health. Make it a point to be here by ten o'clock. |
считать обязательным для себя сделать что-то |
| make (both) ends meet - be able to live on the income one has; live within one's means |
He doesn't have much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet. |
сводить концы с концами; жить по средствам |
| make friends - become friends |
Anton makes new friends easily. |
подружиться |
| make fun of someone or something - laugh at; joke about |
He made fun of her German accent. Everyone makes fun of him. |
высмеивать кого-то или что-то |
| not to make head or tail of something - be unable to understand or decipher |
I can't make head or tail of his letter. |
не в состоянии понять или разобрать что-то |
| make no bones about it - say openly, without hesitation |
I'll make no bones about it: I don't like your attitude to our work. |
сказать прямо, не скрывая отношения |
| make room for someone - allow space for someone |
We can make room for one more dog. |
потесниться; освободить место для кого-то |
| make sense - be logical |
What you say makes sense. |
иметь смысл |
| make the most of something - do the best in the given situation |
Let's make the most of our vacation. |
извлечь лучшее из данной ситуации |
| make up one's mind - decide |
Will you go there? Make up your mind. |
принять решение |
| make yourself at home - be comfortable; feel at home |
Come in, please. Make yourself at home. |
будьте как дома |
| a man of his word - a person who keeps promises |
You can depend on his promise to help. He's a man of his word. |
хозяин своего слова; держит слово |
| mean well - have good intentions |
He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me. |
хотеть сделать, как лучше |
| might as well - maybe it's a good idea |
I might as well telephone him now. |
может быть, это неплохая мысль |
| missing person - someone who is lost and can't be located |
The boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person. |
пропавший человек (т.е. разыскивается) |
| meet someone halfway - to settle by a compromise |
He is reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway. |
идти навстречу, на компромисс, на уступки |
| never mind - don't pay attention; don't worry about it; it's not important |
Never mind his words. I'm terribly sorry about it. - Never mind. |
не обращайте внимания; не стоит беспокоиться; неважно |
| no go - impossible, futile, hopeless, useless |
We tried to start the car again and again, but it was no go. |
невозможный, тщетный, безнадежный, бесполезный |
| not a bit - not at all; not in the least |
Are you tired? - Not a bit. |
ничуть, нисколько |
| not to mention - in addition to |
We have three dogs, not to mention two cats. |
не говоря уже о |
| no wonder - not surprising |
He ate three big fish. No wonder he's sick. |
неудивительно, что |
| now and again - occasionally; now and then |
I meet them now and again at the bank. |
время от времени |
| odds and ends - a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers; bits and pieces |
I went to the store because I needed to buy some odds and ends for my kitchen. |
разрозненные мелочи; остатки, обрезки; всякая всячина |
| off the cuff - 1. without preparation; 2. off the record |
1. Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate. 2. This information is off the cuff. |
1. без подготовки; 2. не для публики; неофициально |
| off the point - beside the point |
What I think about him is off the point. |
не относится к делу |
| off the record - not for the public; unofficially |
Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon. |
не для публики; неофициально |
| off the top of one's head - without thinking or calculation; from memory |
I can't give you the figure off the top of my head, but it may be around a thousand. |
без обдумывания или подсчета; без подготовки; по памяти |
| once and for all - decidedly |
You must quit smoking once and for all. |
раз и навсегда |
| on credit - not having to pay cash right away |
He bought a new car on credit. |
в кредит |
| on edge - nervous, irritable |
He's been on edge ever since she left. |
нервный, раздраженный |
| on guard - on the alert |
He's cautious and always on guard. |
настороже, начеку; бдительный |
| on hand - available |
Do you have a calculator on hand? |
под рукой |
| on one hand; on the one hand - considering one side of the question |
On one hand, she knows quite a few poems by heart. On the other hand, she can't remember any dates. |
с одной стороны |
| on one's own (on my own, on his own, etc.) - alone; by oneself; independently |
She likes to live and work on her own. She has been on her own for several years. |
в одиночку; один; самостоятельно |
| on one's toes - alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties |
He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them. |
бдительный, внимательный, собранный |
| on purpose - intentionally |
I didn't do it on purpose; it just happened so. |
нарочно, с целью |
| on second thought - after thinking again |
I'd like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I'd like a window seat. |
подумав; по зрелом размышлении |
| on the alert - on guard |
He's cautious and always on the alert. |
настороже, начеку; бдительный, внимательный |
| on the carpet - called in by the boss for criticism |
Yesterday the boss called him on the carpet for being rude to the coworkers. |
вызвать на ковер |
| on the go - on the move; busy, active |
He is always on the go. |
в движении, на ходу; активный |
| on the chance; on the off chance - in case; unlikely to happen, but there's still a small chance |
On the chance that you don't find him at work, here's his home address. We went there on the off chance of seeing John. |
на случай если; на всякий случай; маловероятно, но все же есть небольшой шанс |
| on the other hand - considering the other side of the question |
I'd like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats. |
с другой стороны |
| on the spot - right there |
I decided to do it on the spot. |
на месте, сразу |
| on the spur of the moment - without previous thought or plan |
He bought this car on the spur of the moment, and now he regrets it. |
под влиянием момента; без обдумывания или плана |
| on the tip of one's tongue - on the verge of saying but unable to remember |
His name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember it. |
вертится на языке; вот-вот вспомню |
| on time - punctually; at the specified time |
Jim is always on time. |
вовремя; в назначенное время |
| out of one's mind - crazy |
If you think so, you're out of your mind. |
сумасшедший |
| out of one's way - away from one's usual route |
I can't give you a lift to the bank; it's out of my way today. |
не по пути |
| out of the question - not to be considered; impossible |
Paying him is out of the question! |
не может быть и речи |
| pack rat - a person who saves lots of unnecessary things |
Why does she keep all those things she never uses? - She is a pack rat. |
тот, кто не выбрасывает старые или ненужные вещи |
| pay attention - note something; be attentive to something |
Pay attention to his words. |
обратить внимание |
| pick a fight - start a quarrel |
He often tries to pick a fight with me. |
начать ссору |
| play one's cards right - choose the right steps in doing something |
If you play your cards right, he'll agree to your plan. |
сыграть правильно; выбрать правильные шаги в каком-то деле |
| pull the wool over someone's eyes - deceive, mislead someone |
Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won't do you any good. |
обмануть, ввести в заблуждение |
| put a damper on something - discourage |
She always puts a damper on my plans. |
охладить пыл |
| put in a word for someone - say positive things about someone |
I'd be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him. |
замолвить словечко |
| put one's best foot forward - try to show one's best qualities; do one's best; do things as quickly as possible |
He put his best foot forward during the interview. Put your best foot forward working at this project. |
стараться показать свои лучшие качества; делать все возможное; выполнять как можно быстрее |
| put one's finger on it - indicate exactly; point out the exact cause, fault, etc. |
I can't put my finger on it. He was able to put his finger on the exact cause of the computer malfunction. |
точно указать причину, ошибку и др.; попасть в точку |
| put one's foot down - object strongly |
Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan. |
решительно воспротивиться |
| put one's foot in it - do or say the wrong thing; make a blunder; make a fool of oneself |
He put his foot in it when he told the boss that his younger daughter wasn't pretty at all. |
сделать или сказать глупость; попасть впросак; сесть в лужу; опростоволоситься |
| quite a bit (of) - much; a lot (of) |
I had quite a bit of trouble with that car. |
много |
| quite a few - many; a lot of |
He wrote quite a few good stories. |
много |
| rack one's brains - strain one's mental abilities |
He racked his brains to solve the puzzle. |
напрячь мозги; ломать голову |
| read between the lines - find or understand the implied meaning |
His books are not easy to understand. You have to read between the lines. |
читать между строк |
| Remember me to your family. - Say hello to your family for me. |
Please remember me to your family. |
Передавайте привет от меня вашей семье. |
| right away - immediately |
It's very important to do it right away. |
сразу же, немедленно |
| ring a bell - remind someone of something familiar but half-forgotten |
Annabel Lee? Yes, it rings a bell, but I can't place it right now. |
напоминает что-то знакомое, но полузабытое |
| rock the boat - make the situation unstable |
Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss the company's spending policy. |
раскачивать лодку; вести к нестабильности |
| rub elbows with; rub shoulders with - spend time together; mingle |
He doesn't rub elbows with the rich and famous. |
близко общаться с кем-то |
| rub it in - embarrass even more by reminding repeatedly of some mistake, failure, etc. |
I know I shouldn't have done it, and I apologized. There is no need to rub it in. |
ставить в еще более неловкое положение напоминаниями об ошибке, неудаче |
| rub someone the wrong way - irritate, annoy; make angry |
His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way. |
раздражать; злить кого-то |
| save face - try to change the negative impression produced |
He said a stupid thing, and then he tried to save face by saying that we misunderstood him. |
сохранить лицо, т.е. пытаться изменить произведенное негативное впечатление |
| save one's breath - stop useless talk |
There's no use talking to him about his spending habits, so save your breath. |
не тратить слова попусту |
| scratch the surface - study something superficially |
He examines all the facts closely. He doesn't just scratch the surface. |
изучать поверхностно |
| search high and low - search everywhere |
I searched high and low for my lost cat. |
искать везде |
| see eye to eye - agree with each other |
They see eye to eye on many things. I don't see eye to eye with him. |
соглашаться друг с другом; сходиться во взглядах |
| see red - become very angry |
She sees red every time she remembers how he lied to her about it. |
приходить в ярость; очень сильно злиться |
| serve someone right - get what someone deserves |
It serves him right that he didn't get that job. He despised all the other candidates. |
поделом кому-то |
| serve one's purpose - be useful for some purpose |
I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose. |
служить цели; отвечать цели; годиться |
| a shot in the dark - a wild guess |
My answer was just a shot in the dark. |
догадка, предположение; ответ наугад, наобум |
| show promise - be promising |
This young actor shows promise. |
подавать надежды |
| sleep on it - postpone a decision till next morning |
Don't make a decision now. Sleep on it. |
отложить решение до следующего утра |
| a slip of the tongue - a mistake |
It was just a slip of the tongue. |
обмолвка (ошибка) |
| slip one's mind - forget |
It slipped my mind that she asked me to do it. |
забыть |
| smell a rat - suspect deceit; suspect that something is wrong |
I'm not sure what it is, but I smell a rat. |
подозревать обман; чуять подвох; чуять недоброе |
| so far - up to now |
So far, I have read three books by Stephen King. |
до сих пор; пока; к настоящему моменту |
| so much the better - it's even better |
If he can pay cash, so much the better. |
еще лучше |
| spill the beans - tell a secret |
Who spilled the beans about our plan? |
проболтаться |
| stand a chance - have a chance (usually, have no chance) |
He doesn't stand a chance of getting it. They don't stand a chance of winning the game. |
иметь шанс (обычно, не иметь шансов) |
| stand to reason - be obvious, logical, naturally true |
It stands to reason that studying spelling will let you improve your writing skills. |
очевидно, что; логично, что |
| straight from the shoulder - frankly, honestly, openly |
Why should you spare his feelings? Give it to him straight from the shoulder. |
честно, откровенно, открыто |
| take a break - stop for rest |
I'm tired; let's take a break. |
сделать перерыв для отдыха |
| take a dim view of something - disapprove of something |
My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise my children. |
не одобрять что-то |
| take advantage of something - use for one's own benefit; to profit from |
We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor. |
воспользоваться возможностью с пользой для себя |
| take a stand (on something) - make a firm decision about something |
People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear weapons. |
занять четкую позицию по какому-то вопросу |
| Take care! - Good-bye and be careful! |
Take care now! See you tomorrow. |
Всего хорошего! Берегите себя. |
| take care of someone or something - look after; see that something is done properly |
Can you take care of my dog while I'm away? Tom takes good care of his car. |
позаботиться о ком-то или чем-то; присмотреть за |
| take hold of something - hold, grasp something |
Take hold of this rope and pull. |
держать, взяться за, схватить |
| take into account - take into consideration; consider |
You must take into account her old age and poor health. |
принять во внимание |
| take it easy - relax; be calm |
Take it easy. Everything will be OK. |
не волнуйся, успокойся |
| take something for granted - accept as given; assume as true |
Mother's love is always taken for granted by children. |
принимать как должное, не требующее доказательства |
| take someone's breath away - surprise or impress someone |
That great view took my breath away. |
захватить дух от впечатления |
| take one's time - do something without hurry |
Don't hurry. Take your time. |
делать что-то не торопясь |
| take someone's word for it - believe |
Take my word for it, he won't go there. |
поверить кому-то на слово |
| take pains - try hard to do it well |
He took pains to make his report perfect. |
прилагать усилия, чтобы сделать хорошо |
| take part in something - participate in something |
Mary is going to take part in the show. |
принять участие в чем-то |
| take place - happen |
The accident took place on Oak Street. |
иметь место, случиться |
| take one's mind off things - distract from fixed ideas or gloomy thoughts |
Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off things. |
отвлечь(ся) от навязчивых идей или мрачных мыслей |
| take steps - take action; take measures |
We need to take steps against it. |
принимать меры |
| take the words right out of someone's mouth - say the same before someone else says it |
I was about to say the same. You took the words right out of my mouth. |
сказать то же самое чуть раньше, чем другой говорящий |
| take time - take a long time |
It takes time to get used to a new place. |
занять много времени |
| take time off - be absent from work |
He took time off to attend the wedding. |
взять отгул |
| take turns - alternate doing something one after another |
We went to Minsk by car. We didn't get tired because we took turns driving |
делать по очереди; меняться местами |
| That's just the point. - That's it. |
That's just the point! I hate this job! |
В этом-то и дело. |
| that will do - it's enough |
Stop reading; that will do for now. |
достаточно |
| not to think much of something - not to think highly of something |
I don't think much of her cooking. |
быть невысокого мнения о чем-то |
| till one is blue in the face - try very hard |
I repeated it till I was blue in the face. |
стараться до посинения |
| to be on the safe side - not to take any chances |
Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side. |
на всякий случай |
| to make a long story short - in short |
To make a long story short, we won. |
короче говоря |
| to say the least - to make the minimum comment about something |
The film was boring and long, to say the least. |
сказать самое малое, что можно сказать |
| try one's hand at something - test one's abilities in something new |
I want to try my hand at painting. She decided to try her hand at writing stories. |
попробовать себя в чем-то новом |
| turn over a new leaf - make a fresh start in life, in work |
He promises to quit alcohol for good and to turn over a new leaf. |
начать заново (жизнь, новое дело) |
| turn the tables - reverse the situation (exchanging places with the opponent) |
He beat me at chess twice last week. But now I hope to turn the tables (on him). |
круто изменить ситуацию (поменявшись местами, ролями с противником) |
| turn the tide - reverse the course of events |
The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant was acquitted of charges. |
резко изменить ход событий; повернуть вспять ход событий |
| twist someone's arm - force someone to agree |
They twisted his arm to sell the house. |
выкручивать руки; давить на кого-то |
| under the weather - feeling a little ill, a little unwell |
I'm a little under the weather today. |
немного нездоровится |
| up-and-coming - showing promise of future success |
He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might help you with your case. |
многообещающий, подающий надежды |
| up in arms - in strong protest against something |
The employees of that company were up in arms about the new restrictions. |
быть против чего-то, протестовать |
| up in the air - undecided, unsettled |
My vacation plans are still up in the air. |
еще не определено |
| up to date - modern, latest, current |
His reports are always up to date. |
современный, с современными данными |
| used to do something - did something regularly in the past but not now |
He used to live on Maple Street. I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don't play it now). |
в прошлом обычно делал это, но теперь нет |
| walk on air - be very happy |
He has been offered a great job. He is walking on air now. |
летать от счастья |
| waste one's breath - speak uselessly, to no purpose |
Don't waste your breath trying to make him do it. He won't change his mind. |
тратить усилия зря; попусту тратить слова |
| watch one's step - behave prudently; be careful |
You have to watch your step in this business. |
поступать благоразумно, осмотрительно |
| wet blanket - a pessimist, a killjoy who dampens enthusiasm and spoils everyone's fun |
Remember what a wet blanket he was last time? Please don't invite him again. |
пессимист, зануда, который гасит энтузиазм и портит всем удовольствие |
| What's the matter? - What is it? |
What's the matter? What happened? |
В чем дело? |
| which way the wind blows - what the real situation is |
He knows which way the wind blows and always acts accordingly. |
какова реальная ситуация |
| white lie - unimportant lie |
A white lie is told to spare someone's feelings. |
невинная ложь |
| word for word - in the same words |
Tell me word for word what he said. |
дословно; слово в слово |
| would rather - prefer |
I'd rather stay home today. |
предпочитать |
| the writing on the wall - a sign of impending trouble |
There was a car accident. Tim said he saw the writing on the wall about the accident. |
предзнаменование надвигающейся беды |
| year in, year out - regularly through the years |
Year in and year out their family went to Lake Deep for summer. |
из года в год; много лет подряд |
| the year round - during the whole year |
He didn't want to stay there (all) the year round. |
круглый год; весь год |