Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[act one’s age] or [be one’s age] {v. phr.} To do the things that people expect someone of your age to do, not act as if you were much younger than you are. •/Mr. O’Brien was playing tag with the children at the party. Then Mrs. O’Brien said, "Henry! Act your age!" and he stopped./

[actor] See: BAD ACTOR.

[act out]{v.} 1. To show an idea, story, or happening by your looks, talk, and movements. •/He tried to act out a story that he had read./ 2. To put into action. •/All his life he tried to act out his beliefs./

[act up]{v.}, {informal} 1. To behave badly; act rudely or impolitely. •/The dog acted up as the postman came to the door./ 2. To work or run poorly (as a after all machine); skip; miss. •/Thе car acted up because the spark plugs were dirty./

[add fuel to the flame]{v. phr.} To make a bad matter worse by adding to its cause; spread trouble, increase anger or other strong feelings by talk or action. •/By criticizing his son’s girl, the father added fuel to the flame of his son’s love./ •/Bob was angry with Ted and Ted added fuel to the flame by laughing at him./

[add insult to injury]{v. phr.} 1. To hurt someone’s feelings after doing him harm. •/He added insult to injury when he called the man a rat after he had already beaten him up./ 2. To make bad trouble worse. •/We started on a picnic, and first it rained, then to add insult to injury, the car broke down./

[addition] See: IN ADDITION.

[address] See: PUBLIC-ADDRESS SYSTEM.

[add the finishing touches]{v. phr.} To complete; finish. •/Mary’s first novel promised to be excellent; however, her editor suggested that she should add some finishing touches before accepting it./

[add up]{v.} 1. To come to the correct amount. •/The numbers wouldn’t add up./ 2. {informal} To make sense; be understandable. •/His story didn’t add up./

[add up to]{v.} 1. To make a total of; amount to. •/The bill added up to $12.95./ 2. {informal} To mean; result in. •/The rain, the mosquitoes, and the heat added up to a spoiled vacation./

[ad lib]{v. phr.} To improvise; interpolate during speech. •/When the actress forgot her lines during the second act, she had to ad lib in order to keep the show going./

[advance] See: IN ADVANCE or IN ADVANCE OF.

[advantage] See: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, TO ADVANTAGE.

[a few]{n.} or {adj.} A small number (of people or things); some. •/The dry weather killed most of Mother’s flowers, but a few are left./ •/In the store, Mary saw many pretty rings and bracelets, and she wanted to buy a few of them./ •/After the party, we thought that no one would help clean up, but a few couples did./ •/Alice wanted to read a few pages more before she stopped./ — Usually "a few" is different in meaning from "few", which emphasizes the negative; "a few" means "some", but "few" means "not many". •/We thought no one would come to lunch, but a few came./ •/We thought many people would come to lunch, but few came./ But sometimes "a few" is used with "only", and then it is negative. •/We thought many people would come to lunch, but only a few came./ — Sometimes used like an adverb. •/Three students have no seats; we need a few more chairs./ •/If we can set up chairs faster than people come and sit in them, we will soon be a few ahead./ — Sometimes used with "very" for emphasis. •/Uncle Ralph gave away almost all of his sea shells, but he still had a very few left./ Compare: A LITTLE. Contrast: A LOT, QUITE A FEW.

[affair] See: LOVE AFFAIR.

[afoul of]{prep.} 1. In collision with. •/The boat ran afoul of a buoy./ 2. In or into trouble with. •/The thief ran afoul of the night watchman./ •/Speeders can expect to fall afoul of the law sometimes./

[afraid of one’s shadow]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Scared of small or imaginary things; very easily frightened; jumpy; nervous. •/Mrs. Smith won’t stay alone in her house at night; she is afraid of her own shadow./ •/Johnny cries whenever he must say hello to an adult; he is afraid of his own shadow./

[a friend in need is a friend indeed] A genuine friend on whom one can always depend. — A proverb; often shortened to "a friend in need…" •/When John’s house burned down, his neighbor Jim helped him and his family with shelter, food and clothing. John said, "Jim, a friend in need is a friend indeed — this describes you."/

[after a fashion]{adv. phr.} Not very well or properly; poorly. •/He played tennis after a fashion./ •/The roof kept the rain out after a fashion./ Compare: IN A WAY.

[after all]{adv. phr.} 1. As a change in plans; anyway. — Used with emphasis on "after". •/Bob thought he couldn’t go to the party because he had too much homework, but he went after all./ 2. For a good reason that you should remember. — Used with emphasis on "all". •/Why shouldn’t Betsy eat the cake? After all, she baked it./

[after a while]{informal} or [in a while] {adv. phr.} Later, at some time in the future; after a time that is not short and not long. •/"Dad, will you help me make this model plane?" "After a while, Jimmy, when I finish reading the newspaper."/ •/The boys gathered some wood, and in a while, a hot fire was burning./ Syn.: BY AND BY. Contrast: RIGHT AWAY.

[after hours]{adv. or adj. phr.} Not during the regular, correct, or usual time; going on or open after the usual hours. •/The store was cleaned and swept out after hours./ •/The children had a secret after hours party when they were supposed to be in bed./

[after one’s own heart]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Well liked because of agreeing with your own feelings, interests, and ideas; to your liking-agreeable. Used after "man" or some similar word. •/He likes baseball and good food; he is a man after my own heart./ •/Thanks for agreeing with me about the class party; you’re a girl after my own heart./ Compare: SEE EYE TO EYE.

[after the dust clears] or [when the dust settles] {adv. phr.} When a troubling, confusing, or disastrous event is finally over. •/John invited Tim for dinner, but since Tim’s father had just died, he replied, "Thanks. I’d like to come after the dust settles."/

[again] See: COME AGAIN, EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, NOW AND THEN or NOW AND AGAIN, OFF AGAIN, ON AGAIN or ON AGAIN, OFF AGAIN, SOMETHING ELSE AGAIN, THEN AGAIN, TIME AND AGAIN, YOU SAID IT or YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.

[against it] See: UP AGAINST IT.

[against the clock] See: AGAINST TIME.

[against the current] or [against the stream] See: SWIM AGAINST THE CURRENT.

[against the grain]{adv. phr.} 1. Across rather than with the direction of the fibers (as of wood or meat). •/He sandpapered the wood against the grain./ 2. So as to annoy or trouble, or to cause anger or dislike. — Usually follows "go". •/His coarse and rude ways went against the grain with me./ •/It went against the grain with him to have to listen to her gossip./ Compare: RUB THE WRONG WAY.

[against time] or [against the clock] {adv. phr.} 1. As a test of speed or time; in order to beat a speed record or time limit. •/John ran around the track against time, because there was no one else to race against./ 2. As fast as possible; so as to do or finish something before a certain time. •/It was a race against the clock whether the doctor would get to the accident soon enough to save the injured man./ 3. So as to cause delay by using up time. •/The outlaw talked against time with the sheriff, hoping that his gang would come and rescue him./