| Идиомы с трактовкой и синонимами |
Перевод |
Пример |
| after all — despite, nevertheless |
все-таки |
I knew it! After all, I was right! |
| all along — all the time |
все время, всегда |
I knew about his little secret all along. |
| all ears — eager to listen |
весь внимание |
I am all ears. |
| all of a sudden — suddenly |
неожиданно |
All of a sudden, he refused to pay. |
| all the same — no difference |
все равно, без разницы |
If it’s all the same to you, let’s start at two. |
| all thumbs — clumsy |
неуклюжий, неумелый |
He can’t fix anything, he’s all thumbs. |
| apple of discord — subject of envy or quarrel |
яблоко раздора |
This question is an apple of discord in our family. |
| as a rule — usually |
как правило |
As a rule, we offer a 5% discount. |
| as far as I am concerned — in my opinion |
что касается меня, по моему мнению |
As far as I am concerned, both the book and the movie are good. |
| as for me/as to me — in my opinion |
по моему мнению |
As for me, you can rely on his support. |
| as well — also, too |
тоже, также |
He knows math, and physics as well. |
| at all — (not) in the smallest degree |
совсем (не) |
He doesn’t know French at all. I don’t like it at all. |
| at random — without order |
наугад, без плана |
He chose those places at random. |
| at this point — at this time |
на данном этапе |
At this point, we can’t turn back. |
| be about to — ready (to do) |
готов сделать |
I was about to leave when you called. |
| be after someone — insist, press |
настаивать, чтобы сделал |
His mother is always after him to study. |
| be all in — be extremely tired |
очень устать |
I’m all in, I’d better go to bed now. |
| be back on one’s feet — healthy again or better financially |
встать на ноги после трудного времени |
He’s back on his feet after a long period of debt and unemployment. |
| beat around the bush — avoid giving a clear/definite answer |
ходить вокруг да около |
Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point! |
| be beside oneself — be very upset, nervous, worried, etc. |
быть вне себя от волнения, горя и др. |
She was beside herself with worry / with grief. |
| be better off — be in a better situation (financially) |
в лучшей ситуации (материально) |
He’ll be better off with a new job. |
| be broke — have no money at all |
быть «на мели» (без денег) |
I spent all my money, I’m broke. |
| be hard on something /someone — treat roughly |
не беречь что-то |
My son is hard on shoes, they don’t last long with him. Life was pretty hard on Tom. |
| be high on one’s list — be one of the most important things |
быть в начале списка нужных вещей |
A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV is not high on my list. |
| be in charge of — be responsible for |
быть ответственным за |
He is in charge of marketing. |
| be in the red — be in debt |
быть убыточным |
Our sales were in the red last year. |
| be into smth. — be interested in |
увлекаться чем-то |
He is into computers. She is into sports. |
| bend over backwards — try hard |
очень стараться |
I bent over backwards to help her. |
| be on one’s way |
Я уже еду. |
I’m on my way. |
| be on the safe side — not to take any chances |
на всякий случай |
Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side. |
| be out of — be without |
нет в наличии |
We are out of bread, cheese, and sugar. |
| be out of shape — be physically unfit |
быть не в форме |
He needs to exercise, he is out of shape. |
| be out of sorts — in bad humor |
не в духе |
Leave him alone, he’s out of sorts today |
| be pressed for time / money — be short of; not have enough |
не хватать времени или денег |
I’m pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment. |
| beside the point — off the point |
не по существу, не относится к делу |
What I said to him privately is beside the point. |
| be to blame — be responsible for a mistake / something wrong |
винить за ошибку, неправильные действия |
Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up. |
| be touch and go — be uncertain of the result |
на грани; неясно, куда повернется |
He was very sick, and for some time it was touch and go, but he is better now. |
| be up against — be opposed by, have problems, be in danger |
иметь серьезные проблемы в чем-то, с чем-то |
Our company is up against serious attempts of hostile takeover. |
| be up and around/about — able to be out of bed after an illness |
встать на ноги, поправиться |
He was sick for a month, but now he is up and around. |
| be up to one’s ears — very busy |
по уши |
I’m up to my ears in work. |
| be up to something — do mischief |
задумать, затеять |
I have to check what the kids are up to. |
| be up to someone — be one’s own decision or responsibility |
на ваше усмотрение, под вашу ответственность |
It’s up to you to decide. It’s up to you to close the office every day at 8 o’clock. |
| be used to — be accustomed to |
быть привычным к |
I’m used to hard work. He’s used to heat. |
| big shot — important person |
важная персона |
He is a big shot around here. |
| bite off more than one can chew — try to do more than one can |
переоценить свои силы |
I couldn’t handle two jobs and family. I really bit off more than I could chew. |
| bite one’s tongue — stop talking |
прикусить язык |
I almost told her, but bit my tongue. |
| bite the dust — die, be defeated |
умереть, падать ниц |
Many of them bit the dust in that war. |
| black sheep — a good-for-nothing member of the family |
паршивая овца |
Their second son is the black sheep of the family, he is good for nothing. |
| blind date — a meeting of a man and woman arranged by friends |
свидание вслепую |
She refuses to go on a blind date again because she had bad experience. |
| blow it — lose the chance |
потерять шанс |
He understood that he blew it. |
| blow over — pass, end |
стихнуть, пройти |
Wait here till his anger blows over. |
| bottom line — main result/factor |
итог, основной момент |
The bottom line is, I don’t have enough money. |
| break into — enter by force |
ворваться (в дом) силой |
The police broke into the robber’s house. |
| break one’s heart — hurt deeply |
разбить сердце |
The news of her death broke his heart. |
| break the ice — overcome shyness in making the first step |
сломать неловкость при знакомстве |
The party was dull until someone broke the ice with a joke and we all laughed. |
| break the news — tell new facts |
сообщить важную новость |
CNN is breaking the news right now. |
| bring home the bacon — earn the living for the family |
обеспечить семью |
He works very hard at several places to bring home the bacon. |
| brush off — give no attention to |
отмахнуться от |
The boss brushed off my project again. |
| brush up on — review |
освежить в памяти |
You need to brush up on the tenses. |
| by all means -definitely, certainly |
обязательно, конечно |
Do you need my help? — By all means. |
| by heart — by memorizing |
наизусть |
Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow. |
| by hook or by crook — by any means possible |
любым путем, любым способом |
She will get what she wants by hook or by crook. |
| by the way — incidentally |
кстати |
By the way, Ann is coming back today. |
| call a spade a spade — use plain, direct words |
называть вещи своими именами |
He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade. |
| call it a day — consider work finished for the day |
считать работу законченной |
We’ve been working for 10 straight hours. Let’s call it a day. |
| call off — cancel |
отменить, отозвать |
The police called off the search. |
| carry out — fulfill |
доводить до конца |
She never carries out her plans. |
| carry weight — be important |
иметь вес |
His advice always carries weight here. |
| cast down — depressed, sad |
повергнуть в уныние |
He was cast down by the bad news. |
| castles in the air — daydreaming about success |
(строить) воздушные замки |
Instead of working hard, he spends time building castles in the air. |
| catch one’s eye — attract attention |
привлечь внимание |
This picture caught my eye. |
| catch one’s breath — stop and rest |
перевести дух |
I can’t run, I need to catch my breath. |
| catch someone off guard — catch someone unprepared |
застать врасплох |
He caught me off guard with his question. |
| catch someone red-handed — find smb. in the act of doing wrong |
поймать за руку, когда делал плохое |
The manager caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing cigarettes. |
| catch up — become not behind |
догнать |
He needs to catch up with the others. |
| close call — a narrow escape, a bad thing that almost happened |
что-то плохое, что едва не случилось |
The speeding car almost hit the man. That was really a close call. |
| come across — meet by chance |
наткнуться на |
I came across that article yesterday. |
| come down with — become ill |
заболеть чем-то |
I’m coming down with a cold. |
| come to one’s senses — start acting reasonably, intelligently |
взяться за ум, придти в себя |
He finally came to his senses, started to work hard, and passed his exams. |
| come true — become reality |
осуществиться |
My dream came true when I met Pat. |
| come up with — suggest |
предложить |
Mike came up with a brilliant idea. |
| count on — depend on |
рассчитывать на |
You can always count on me for help. |
| cut corners — to take a short-cut; to limit one’s spending |
срезать углы; ограничить расходы |
He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have to cut corners this week. |
| cut down on — reduce |
сократить потребление |
You have to cut down on chocolate. |
| cut out to be /cut out for it — have the ability to do something |
быть созданным для какой-то работы |
She isn’t cut out to be a surgeon. He’s cut out to be a leader. |
| do one’s best — try very hard |
сделать все, что смог |
I did my best to help him in his work. |
| do one’s bit — do what’s needed |
сделать положенное |
I’ll do my bit, you can count on me. |
| do over — do again |
сделать заново |
This work is not good, do it over. |
| do someone good — be good for |
принести пользу |
Fresh air and exercise will do you good. |
| do something behind one’s back — do (harmful) things secretively |
делать (вредные) дела за спиной |
I hate people who do things behind my back. He did it behind my back again. |
| do without — live without |
обходиться без |
I’ll have to do without a car for a while. |
| down to earth — practical |
приземленный |
He’s quiet, sensible and down to earth. |
| draw the line — fix a limit |
ограничить (предел) |
He drew the line for her at $100 a day. |
| dress up — put on the best clothes |
нарядиться |
What are you dressed up for? |
| drop off — deliver somewhere |
подвезти до, подбросить до |
Can you drop me off at the bank? |
| drop out — quit (school) |
быть отчисленным |
He dropped out of school last year. |
| duty calls — must fulfill obligations |
долг обязывает |
He said, «Duty calls» and left for work. |
| easier said than done |
легче сказать, чем сделать |
It’s easier said than done, but I’ll try to do it. |
| eat one’s words — take back words |
брать назад слова |
He had to eat his words after her report. |
| even so — nevertheless, but |
тем не менее |
I work hard. Even so, I like my job. |
| every now and then -occasionally |
время от времени |
Every now and then I visit my old aunt. |
| every other — every second one |
через один |
She washes her hair every other day. |
| fall behind — lag behind |
отстать от |
The little boy fell behind the older boys. |
| fall in love — begin to love |
влюбиться |
Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight. |
| fall out of love — stop loving |
разлюбить |
They fell out of love and divorced soon. |
| false alarm — untrue rumor |
ложная тревога |
I heard he quit but it was a false alarm. |
| a far cry from something — very different, almost opposite (neg.) |
далеко не такой хороший, как |
His second book wasn’t bad, but it was a far cry from his first book. |
| feel it in one’s bones — expect something bad to happen |
чувствовать, что случится плохое |
Something bad is going to happen, I feel it in my bones. |
| feel like doing something — want to do, be inclined to do smth. |
быть склонным к занятию чем-то |
I feel like going for a walk. I don’t feel like working now, I’m tired. |
| feel up to — be able to do |
в состоянии сделать |
I don’t feel up to cleaning the house. |
| few and far between — rare, scarce |
слишком редкие |
Her visits are few and far between. |
| find fault with — criticize |
критиковать |
He always finds faults with everybody. |
| find out — learn or discover |
узнать, обнаружить |
I found out that Maria left town. |
| firsthand — directly from the source |
из первых рук, достоверная информация |
You can trust it, it’s firsthand information. |
| first things first — important things come before others |
сначала главное |
First things first: how much money do we have to pay right away? |
| fly off the handle — get angry |
разозлиться (вдруг) |
He flew off the handle and yelled at me. |
| follow in someone’s footsteps — do the same thing |
идти по чьим-то следам, делать то же |
Igor followed in his father’s footsteps, he became a doctor, too. |
| foot in the door — a special opportunity for a job |
получить шанс на работу |
Nina got a foot in the door because her friend works in that company. |
| foot the bill — pay the bill |
заплатить по счету |
Her father footed the bill for the party. |
| for good — forever |
навсегда |
After her death, he left town for good. |
| for the time being — at this time |
на данное время |
For the time being, this house is all right for us. |
| frame of mind — mental state |
умонастроение |
I can’t do it in this frame of mind. |
| from A to Z — completely |
от начала до конца |
He knows this town from A to Z. |
| from now on — now and in the future |
впредь |
From now on, I forbid you to go there. |
| get a grip on oneself — take control of one’s feelings |
контролировать свои чувства |
Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself! |
| get along with — have good relations |
быть в хороших отношениях, ладить |
Ann gets along with most coworkers, but doesn’t get along with Laura. |
| get away with — not be caught after doing wrong |
уйти от наказания |
The police didn’t find the thief. He got away with his crime. |
| get carried away — get too excited and enthusiastic about something |
слишком увлечься чем-то |
He got carried away with opening a store and lost most of his money. |
| get cold feet — be afraid to do |
побояться сделать |
I wanted to try it but got cold feet. |
| get even with — have one’s revenge |
расквитаться с кем-то |
I’ll get even with him for everything! |
| get in touch with — contact |
связаться с кем-то |
Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help. |
| get lost — lose one’s way |
потерять дорогу |
She got lost in the old part of town. |
| Get lost! — Lay off! |
Исчезни! |
I don’t want to see you again. Get lost! |
| get mixed up — get confused |
перепутать |
I got mixed up, went the wrong way and got lost. |
| get off one’s back — leave alone |
отстать от кого-то |
Stop bothering me! Get off my back! |
| get on one’s high horse — behave haughtily towards someone |
вести себя высокомерно |
Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she gets on her high horse. |
| get on (the bus, train, plane) |
сесть на (транспорт) |
I got on the bus on Oak Street. |
| get off (the bus, train, plane) |
сойти с (транспорта) |
I got off the bus at the bank. |
| get out of hand — get out of control |
выйти из-под контроля |
If he gets out of hand again, call me right away. |
| get over — recover after an illness or bad experience |
поправиться, преодолеть что-то |
I can’t get over how rude he was to me. She got over her illness quite quickly. |
| get rid of — dispose of, discard |
избавиться |
He got rid of his old useless car. |
| get together — meet with |
собираться вместе |
My friends and I get together often. |
| get to the bottom — know deeply |
добраться до сути |
He usually gets to the bottom of things. |
| get to the point — get to the matter |
дойти до сути дела |
Get to the point! |
| Give me a break! — spare me |
с меня хватит |
Come on, stop it! Give me a break! |
| give someone a hand — help |
помочь кому-то |
Can you give me a hand with cooking? |
| give someone a lift /a ride — take to some place by car |
подвезти кого-то |
Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche. |
| give someone a piece of one’s mind — criticize frankly |
высказать, что на уме, критиковать |
She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece of my mind about her carelessness. |
| give up — stop doing something, stop trying to do something |
отказаться от чего-то, прекратить попытки |
I gave up smoking. I gave up trying to fix my old car. |
| go back on one’s word — break a promise |
нарушить свое слово, обещание |
First he said he would help me, but then he went back on his word. |
| go for it — try to do a new thing |
пробовать новое дело |
If I were you, I would go for it. |
| go from bad to worse — be worse |
становиться все хуже |
His business went from bad to worse. |
| go out — go to parties, movies |
пойти развлекаться |
Do he and his wife go out often? |
| go out of one’s way -try very hard |
очень стараться |
He goes out of his way to please her. |
| go to one’s head — make too proud |
успех вскружил голову |
His acting success went to his head. |
| go to pieces — get very upset, fall apart |
сильно расстроиться |
She went to pieces when she heard it. |
| go with the flow — lead quiet life |
плыть по течению |
She always goes with the flow. |
| grow on someone — become liked |
постепенно понравиться |
When she knew him more, he grew on her. |
| had better — should |
лучше бы, а то… |
You look ill, you’d better see a doctor. |
| have a ball — have a good time |
отлично провести время |
Yesterday we had a ball at the party. |
| have a bone to pick — complain or discuss something unpleasant |
иметь счеты с кем-то, претензии к кому-то |
Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick with you. My mail was lost because of you. |
| have a word with someone — talk to |
поговорить о чем-то |
Can I have a word with you? |
| have words with someone — argue with someone about something |
крупно поговорить |
I had words with my coworker today because he used my computer again. |
| have it in him — have the ability |
иметь нужные качества |
Laura has it in her to be a good doctor. |
| have no business doing something — have no right to do |
нечего вам здесь делать, быть и др. |
You have no business staying here without my permission. |
| have one’s back to the wall — be hard-pressed, on the defensive |
быть прижатым к стене |
I had no choice, I had my back to the wall. |
| have one’s hands full — very busy |
быть очень занятым |
He has his hands full with hard work. |
| have one’s heart set on something — want something very much |
очень хотеть получить что-то, кого-то |
She has her heart set on going to New York. He has his heart set on Betty. |
| have pull — have influence on |
иметь влияние на |
Does he have pull with the director? |
| (not) have the heart — (not) have the courage to do smth. unpleasant |
(не) хватает духа сделать неприятное |
I don’t have the heart to tell him that he wasn’t accepted, he’ll be so unhappy. |
| high and low — everywhere |
везде (искать и т.д.) |
I searched high and low for my lost cat. |
| hit the nail on the head — say exactly the right thing |
попасть в точку |
You hit the nail on the head when you said our company needs a new director. |
| hit upon something — to discover |
обнаружить ценное |
They hit upon gold. I hit upon a plan. |
| hold it against someone — blame somebody for doing something |
(не) держать зла на кого-то |
I lost his book, but he doesn’t hold it against me. |
| Hold it! — Stop! Wait! |
Остановитесь/Стойте! |
Hold it! I forgot my key. |
| Hold on! — Wait! |
Подождите! |
Hold on! I’ll be back in a minute. |
| hold one’s own — maintain oneself in a situation, behave as needed |
постоять за себя, утвердиться в чем-то |
He can hold his own in any situation. We need men who can hold their own. |
| hold up — rob using a weapon |
грабить с применением оружия |
This bank was held up twice last year. |
|
|
| ill at ease — uncomfortable |
не по себе |
She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress. |
| in advance — well before |
заранее |
He told her about his plan in advance. |
| in a nutshell — in a few words |
кратко, вкратце |
In a nutshell, my plan is to buy land. |
| in care of someone — write to one person at the address of another |
адресату по адресу другого человека (у кого остановился) |
I’m staying at Tom’s house. Write to me in care of Tom Gray, Chicago, Illinois. |
| in cold blood — mercilessly |
хладнокровно |
He killed her in cold blood. |
| in fact — actually, in reality |
фактически |
In fact, he works as a manager here. |
| in general — generally, generally speaking |
в общем, вообще |
In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general. |
| in one’s element — what one likes |
в своей стихии |
He’s in his element when he’s arguing. |
| in other words — using other words |
другими словами |
In other words, you refused to do it for her. |
| in plain English — in simple, frank terms |
проще говоря |
I didn’t really like the concert. In plain English, the concert was terrible. |
| the ins and outs — all info about |
входы и выходы |
He knows the ins and outs of this business. |
| in someone’s shoes — in another person’s position |
на месте другого, в положении другого |
I’d hate to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and his wife is in the hospital. |
| in the long run — in the end |
в конечном счете |
In the long run, it’ll be better to buy it. |
| in the same boat — in the same situation |
в таком же положении |
Stop arguing with me, we’re in the same boat and should help each other. |
| in the clear — free from blame |
вне претензий |
Pay the bill and you’ll be in the clear. |
| in time (to do something) — before something begins |
придти вовремя, чтобы успеть что-то сделать (до начала чего-то) |
I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class. |
| it goes without saying — should be clear without words |
не стоит и говорить, само собой |
It goes without saying that he must pay what he owes right away. |
| It’s on the tip of my tongue. |
вертится на языке |
His name is on the tip of my tongue. |
| it’s time — should do it right away |
пора |
Hurry up, it’s time to go. |
| It’s worth it. / It’s not worth it. It’s (not) worth buying, visiting, watching, etc. |
оно того стоит /оно того не стоит; (не) стоит покупать, посетить, смотреть и т.д. |
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. |
| it will do — it’s enough |
достаточно |
Stop reading, it will do for now. |
| jump at the opportunity/chance — accept the opportunity eagerly |
ухватиться за возможность |
His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter jumped at the opportunity. |
| just as soon — prefer this one |
предпочел бы (это) |
I’d just as soon stay home, I’m tired. |
| just in case — to be on the safe side |
на всякий случай |
Take an extra shirt, just in case. |
| Just my luck! — Bad / Hard luck! |
Мне всегда не везет! |
They lost my job application. Just my luck! |
| keep an eye on — take care of, watch, look after |
последить за, присмотреть за |
Betty keeps an eye on my sons for me. I’ll keep an eye on you! |
| keep a straight face — not to laugh |
стараться не смеяться |
I tried to keep a straight face, but failed. |
| keep company — accompany |
составить компанию |
She keeps me company quite often. |
| keep one’s word — fulfill a promise |
держать слово |
You promised, now keep your word. |
| keep someone posted — inform |
держать в курсе событий |
Keep me posted about your plans. |
| keep your fingers crossed — hope that nothing will go wrong |
надеяться, что все пройдет гладко |
I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? |
| kill time — fill/spend empty time |
убить время |
I went to the show to kill time. |
| (not) know the first thing about — not to have any knowledge about |
ничего не знать по какой-то теме |
I don’t know the first thing about nuclear physics. |
| know the ropes — be very familiar with some business |
знать все ходы и выходы |
He knows all the ropes in this company. |
| last-minute notice — little or no time to prepare for something |
сообщение в последний момент |
His arrival was a last-minute notice, we didn’t have time to prepare for it. |
| lay one’s cards on the table — be frank and open |
сказать честно, открыть карты |
Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans. |
| lay one’s life on the line — put oneself in a dangerous situation |
ставить жизнь на карту |
He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts. |
| lead a dog’s life — live in misery |
вести собачью жизнь |
He leads a dog’s life. |
| lead someone on — make someone believe something that isn’t true |
заставить кого-то поверить неправде |
They suspect that you are leading them on. You led me on! |
| leave it at that — accept reluctantly |
оставить как есть |
Leave it at that, what else can you do? |
| leave word — leave a message |
оставить сообщение |
He left word for you to meet him at the airport at 6. |
| let bygones be bygones — forget and forgive bad things in the past |
не ворошить прошлое |
Why don’t you let bygones be bygones and forget about what he said? |
| let go of — release the hold |
отпустить, не держать |
Let go of my hand or I’ll call the guard. |
| let (it) go — forget bad experience, return to normal life |
освободиться от тяжелого переживания |
He’s still in despair and can’t let (it) go. You can’t change anything, so let it go. |
| let one’s hair down — be relaxed and informal with other people |
держаться неофициально |
She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down. |
| let someone down — disappoint, fail someone |
подвести кого-то |
Don’t let me down this time! |
| let someone know — inform |
известить |
Let me know when you find a job. |
| like father, like son — be like one’s parent in something |
какой отец, такой и сын |
Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son! |
| little by little — step by step |
понемногу |
Little by little, he got used to Tokyo. |
| look for — search for |
искать |
What are you looking for? |
| look forward to — expect with pleasure |
ожидать с нетерпением |
I’m looking forward to your letter. Mary is looking forward to the party. |
| look out — be careful, watch out |
остерегаться |
Look out! The bus is coming! |
| look up — check with /in a dictionary or a reference book |
посмотреть в словаре или справочнике |
If you don’t know this word, look it up in the dictionary. |
| lose one’s temper — become angry |
разозлиться |
He loses his temper very often. |
| lose one’s way — get lost |
потерять дорогу |
I lost my way. Can you help me? |
| lose track of — not to know where someone or something is |
потерять из виду |
I lost track of him years ago. |
| lucky break — a lucky chance |
счастливый случай |
He got his lucky break when he got this job. |
| make a living — earn money to provide for life |
зарабатывать на жизнь |
He works hard. His family is big, and he has to make a living somehow. |
| make allowance for — take into consideration when judging |
учитывать, делать скидку на |
Don’t criticize him so hard, make (an) allowance for his inexperience. |
| make a point of — be sure to do something intentionally |
считать обязательным для себя сделать что-то |
Make a point of asking about his wife. Make it a point to be here by 10. |
| make ends meet — to have and spend only what one earns |
сводить концы с концами |
His doesn’t get much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet. |
| make friends — become friends |
подружиться |
Anton makes new friends easily. |
| make fun of — laugh at, joke about |
высмеивать |
He made fun of her German accent. |
| make no bones about it — say/do openly, without hesitation |
сказать прямо, не скрывая отношения |
I’ll make no bones about it: I don’t like your attitude to work. |
| make room for — allow space for |
освободить место для |
We can make room for one more dog. |
| make sense — be logical |
имеет смысл |
What you say makes sense. |
| make the most of smth — do the best in the given situation |
извлечь лучшее из |
Let’s make the most of our vacation. |
| make up — become friends again |
помириться |
I’m tired of fighting. Let’s make up. |
| make up for smth — compensate |
компенсировать |
I’ll make up for the time you spent on it. |
| make up one’s mind — decide |
принять решение |
When will you go? Make up your mind. |
| make yourself at home — be comfortable, feel at home |
будьте как дома |
Come in please. Make yourself at home. |
| man of his word — one who keeps promises, is dependable |
хозяин своего слова, держит слово |
You can depend on his promise to help. He’s a man of his word. |
| mean well — have good intentions |
хотеть сделать, как лучше |
He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me. |
| might as well — a good idea |
может быть неплохо |
I might as well telephone him now. |
| missing person — someone who is lost and can’t be located |
пропавший человек (в розыске) |
The little boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person. |
| meet someone halfway — compromise with others |
идти на компромисс с кем-то |
He’s reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway, when possible. |
| never mind — it doesn’t matter |
неважно, ничего |
Thank you. — Never mind. |
| not to mention — in addition to |
не говоря уж |
We have three dogs, not to mention two cats. |
| no wonder — not surprising |
неудивительно, что |
He ate three big fish. No wonder he’s sick. |
| now and again — occasionally |
время от времени |
I meet them now and again at the bank. |
|
|
| odds and ends — a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers |
мелочи, остатки, обрезки |
I needed to buy some odds and ends for the kitchen. |
| off the cuff — without preparation |
без подготовки |
Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate. |
| off the point — beside the point |
не относится к делу |
What I think about him is off the point. |
| off the record — not for the public, unofficially |
не для публики, неофициально |
Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon. |
| once and for all — decidedly |
однажды и навсегда |
You must quit smoking once and for all. |
| on credit — not pay cash right away |
в кредит |
He bought a car on credit. |
| on edge — nervous, irritable |
нервный, раздраженный |
He’s been on edge ever since she left. |
| on guard — on the alert |
настороже, бдительный |
He’s cautious and always on guard. |
| on hand — available |
под рукой |
Do you have a calculator on hand? |
| on one’s own — alone, by oneself |
самостоятельно, один, сам по себе |
She likes to live and work on her own. |
| on one’s toes — alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties |
бдительный, собранный |
He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them. |
| on purpose — intentionally |
нарочно, с целью |
I didn’t do it on purpose, it just happened so. |
| on second thought — after thinking again |
по зрелом размышлении |
I’d like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I’d like a window seat. |
| on the alert — on guard |
начеку, настороже |
He’s cautious and always on the alert. |
| on the carpet — called in by the boss for criticism |
вызвать на ковер |
Yesterday the boss called her on the carpet for being rude to the coworkers. |
| on the go — busy, on the move |
в движении, на ходу |
He is always on the go. |
| on the off chance — unlikely to happen, but still |
маловероятно, но на всякий случай |
On the off chance that you don’t find him at work, here’s his home address. |
| on the other hand — considering the other side of the question |
с другой стороны |
I’d like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats better. |
| on the spot — right there |
на месте, сразу |
I decided to do it on the spot. |
| on the spur of the moment — without previous thought / plan |
под влиянием момента |
He bought this car on the spur of the moment, now he regrets it. |
| on time — punctual |
в назначенное время |
Jim is always on time. |
| out of one’s mind — crazy |
сумасшедший |
If you think so, you’re out of your mind. |
| out of one’s way — away from someone’s usual route |
не по пути |
I can’t give you a lift to the bank, it’s out of my way today. |
| out of the question — impossible |
не может быть и речи |
Paying him is out of the question! |
| pack rat — a person who saves lots of unnecessary things |
тот, кто не выбрасывает старые ненужные вещи |
Why does she keep all those things she never uses? — She is a pack rat. |
| pay attention — be attentive |
обратить внимание |
Pay attention to his words. |
| pick a fight — start a quarrel |
начать ссору |
He often tries to pick a fight with me. |
| pick up — take, get |
подобрать, взять |
I’ll pick you up at 7. |
| play one’s cards right — choose the right steps in doing something |
сыграть правильно |
If you play your cards right, he’ll agree to your plan. |
| potluck supper — a surprise meal, where nobody knows what dishes other guests will bring |
ужин вскладчину, никто не знает, что принесут другие |
You know what happened at our last potluck supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese, apples, and beer! |
| pull oneself together — brace oneself, summon your strength |
cобраться с силами |
Stop crying and complaining! You have to pull yourself together now. |
| pull the wool over someone’s eyes — deceive, mislead someone |
обмануть, ввести в заблуждение |
Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won’t do you any good. |
| put a damper on — discourage |
охладить пыл |
She always puts a damper on my plans. |
| put in a word for someone — say positive things about someone |
замолвить словечко |
I’d be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him. |
| put off — postpone |
откладывать |
Don’t put it off till tomorrow. |
| put one’s foot down — object strongly |
решительно воспротивиться |
Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan. |
| put one’s foot in it — do the wrong thing, make a fool of oneself |
сделать/сказать глупость |
He put his foot in it when he told the boss his daughter wasn’t pretty. |
| put up with — accept, tolerate |
мириться с, терпеть |
I can’t put up with your bad work! |
| quite a bit of — much, a lot of |
много |
I had quite a bit of trouble with that car. |
| quite a few — many, a lot of |
много |
He wrote quite a few good stories. |
| rack one’s brain — try hard to think |
напрячь мозги |
He racked his brain to solve the puzzle. |
| read between the lines — find or understand the implied meaning |
читать между строк |
His books are not easy to understand; you have to read between the lines. |
| remember me to — say hello to |
передать привет от |
Please remember me to your family. |
| right away — immediately |
сразу же, немедленно |
It’ very important to do it right away. |
| ring a bell — remind someone of something familiar /half-forgotten |
напоминает что-то знакомое |
Annabel Lee? Yeah, it rings a bell, but I can’t place it right now. |
| rock the boat — make the situation unstable |
раскачивать лодку, вести к нестабильности |
Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss company’s spending policy. |
| rub shoulders with — meet with |
близко общаться с |
He doesn’t rub shoulders with the rich. |
| rub someone the wrong way — irritate, annoy, make angry |
раздражать, злить кого-то |
His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way. |
| run into — meet by chance |
случайно встретить |
I ran into an old friend yesterday. |
| save face — try to change the negative impression produced |
спасать репутацию |
He said a stupid thing and tried to save face by saying he misunderstood me. |
| save one’s breath — stop useless talk |
не трать слова попусту |
There’s no use talking to him about his spending habits, so save your breath. |
| scratch the surface — study something superficially |
изучать поверхностно |
He examines all the facts closely, he doesn’t just scratch the surface. |
| see about — make arrangements for |
позаботиться о чем-то |
I have to see about our plane tickets. |
| see eye to eye — agree |
сходиться в мнении |
We don’t see eye to eye any longer. |
| serve someone right — get what someone deserves |
поделом |
It serves him right that he didn’t get this job, he despised all other candidates. |
| serve one’s purpose — be useful to someone for his purpose |
отвечать цели |
I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose. |
| show promise — be promising |
подавать надежды |
This young actor shows promise. |
| show up — appear |
появиться |
I waited for hours but he didn’t show up. |
| size up — evaluate someone |
оценить, составить мнение |
It took me 5 minutes to size up that man. |
| sleep on it — postpone a decision till next morning |
отложить решение до следующего утра |
Don’t decide now, sleep on it. |
| a slip of the tongue — a mistake |
обмолвка (ошибка) |
It was just a slip of the tongue! |
| slip (from) one’s mind — forget |
забыть |
It slipped my mind what she asked me. |
| smell a rat — suspect something |
подозревать недоброе |
I’m not sure what it is, but I smell a rat. |
| so far — up to now |
до сих пор, пока |
So far, I have read 3 books by King. |
| so much the better — it’s even better |
еще лучше |
If he can pay cash, so much the better. |
| spill the beans — tell a secret |
проболтаться |
Who spilled the beans about our plan? |
| stand a chance — have a chance |
нет шансов |
He doesn’t stand a chance of getting it. |
| stand out — be noticeable |
выделяться |
He stands out in any group of people. |
| stand to reason — be logical |
логично, что |
It stands to reason that he apologized. |
| straight from the shoulder — speak frankly |
честно, откровенно |
Don’t try to spare my feelings, give it to me straight from the shoulder. |
| take a dim view of something — disapprove of something |
не одобрять |
My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise my children. |
| take a break — stop for rest |
сделать перерыв |
Let’s take a break, I’m tired. |
| take advantage of — use for one’s own benefit, to profit from |
воспользоваться возможностью |
We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor. |
| take after — be like one of the parents |
быть похожим на родителей (родителя) |
Tom takes after his father in character, and after his mother in appearance. |
| take a stand on something — make a firm opinion/decision on smth. |
занять четкую позицию, мнение |
People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear weapons. |
| take care of — look after, protect, see that smth. is done properly |
позаботиться о ком-то, чем-то, присмотреть за |
Can you take care of my dog while I’m away? Tom takes good care of his car. |
| take hold of something — take, hold |
взять, держать |
Take hold of this rope and pull. |
| take into account — consider smth. |
принять во внимание |
You must take into account her old age. |
| take it easy — relax, be calm |
не волнуйся |
Take it easy, everything will be OK. |
| take (it) for granted — accept as given |
принимать как должное |
Mother’s love is always taken for granted by children. |
| take one’s breath away |
захватить дух |
That great view took my breath away. |
| take one’s time — do slowly |
делать не торопясь |
Don’t hurry. Take your time. |
| take one’s word for it — believe |
поверить на слово |
Take my word for it, he won’t go there. |
| take pains — try hard to do it well |
прилагать усилия |
He took pains to make his report perfect. |
| take part in smth. — participate in |
принять участие |
Mary is going to take part in the show. |
| take place — happen |
иметь место, случиться |
The accident took place on Oak Street. |
| take someone’s mind off things — distract from fixed ideas/thoughts |
отвлечь от навязчивых мыслей |
Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off things. |
| take steps — take action /measures |
принимать меры |
We need to take steps against it. |
| take the words right out of one’s mouth — say the same before somebody else says it |
сказать то же самое чуть раньше, чем другой говорящий |
I was about to say the same! You took the words right out of my mouth. |
| take time — take a long time |
занять много времени |
It takes time to get used to a new place. |
| take time off — be absent from work |
взять отгул |
He took time off to attend the wedding. |
| take turns — alternate doing something one after another |
делать по очереди, меняться местами |
We went to Minsk by car. We didn’t get tired because we took turns driving |
| talk back — answer rudely |
дерзить |
Don’t talk back to the teacher! |
| talk it over — discuss |
обсудить с кем-то |
I’ll talk it over with my family. |
| tell apart — see the difference |
различить, отличить от |
Can you tell the twins apart? |
| That’s just the point. — That’s it. |
В этом-то и дело. |
That’s just the point! I hate this job! |
| the writing on the wall — a sign of future events (usually, trouble) |
предзнаменование (обычно, беды) |
The plane crashed. Tim said he saw the writing on the wall about this flight. |
| not think much of — think low |
невысокого мнения |
I don’t think much of her cooking. |
| think over — consider carefully |
обдумать |
Think over your answer. Think it over carefully. |
| till one is blue in the face — try hard |
стараться до посинения |
I repeated it till I was blue in the face! |
| to make a long story short — in short |
короче говоря |
To make a long story short, we won. |
| to say the least — to make the minimum comment about smth. |
самое малое, что можно сказать |
The film was boring and long, to say the least. |
| try on — put on new clothes to test them for size or look |
примерить одежду (перед покупкой) |
Try on this leather coat, it’s very good. She tried it on, but it didn’t fit her at all. |
| try one’s hand at something — try |
попробовать себя в |
I want to try my hand at painting. |
| turn on / off — switch on / off |
включить/выключить |
Turn on the radio. Turn off the water. |
| turn out to be — result/end this way |
оказаться |
He turned out to be a very good actor. |
| turn over a new leaf — make a fresh start in life, work, etc. |
начать (жизнь, новое дело) заново |
He promises to turn over a new leaf and quit alcohol for good. |
| turn the tide — reverse the course of events |
повернуть вспять ход событий |
The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant was acquitted of charges. |
| twist one’s arm — make to agree |
выкручивать руки |
They twisted his arm to sell the house. |
| under the weather — feel ill |
нездоровится |
I’m a little under the weather today. |
| up-and-coming — showing promise of future success |
многообещающий, подающий надежды |
He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might help you with your case. |
| up in arms — hostile to, in strong protest against something |
протестовать против, сопротивляться |
The employees are up in arms about the new retirement rules. |
| up in the air — undecided |
еще не определено |
My vacation plans are still up in the air. |
| (not) up to par — equal in standard |
(не) в норме |
His behavior isn’t up to par. |
| used to — did often in the past, but not now |
в прошлом делал, сейчас нет |
I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don’t play it now). |
| walk on air — be very happy |
летать от счастья |
He got the job and is walking on air now. |
| waste one’s breath — speak uselessly, to no purpose |
не трать усилия зря |
Don’t waste your breath trying to make him do it, he won’t change his mind. |
| watch one’s step — be careful |
быть осмотрительным |
Watch your step! |
| watch out — look out, be careful |
остерегаться |
Watch out for that car! Watch out! |
| wet blanket — a kill-joy, who spoils everybody’s fun |
тот, кто портит всем удовольствие |
Remember what a wet blanket he was last time? Please don’t invite him again. |
| What’s the matter? — What is it? |
В чем дело? |
What’s the matter? What happened? |
| which way the wind blows — what the real situation is |
какова реальная ситуация |
He knows which way the wind blows and always acts accordingly. |
| white lie — unimportant lie |
невинная ложь |
A white lie is told to spare your feelings. |
| word for word — in the same words |
дословно, дословный |
Tell me word for word what he said. |
| would rather — prefer |
предпочитать |
I’d rather stay at home today. |
