Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[anchor] See: AT ANCHOR.

[--- and ---] 1. — And is used between repeated words to show continuation or emphasis. •/When the children saw the beautiful Christmas tree they looked and looked./ •/Old Mr, Bryan has known Grandfather for years and years, since they were boys./ •/Billy dived to the bottom of the lake again and again, looking for the lost watch./ •/Everyone wished the speaker would stop, but he talked on and on./ Compare: THROUGH AND THROUGH. 2. — When "and" is used between words with opposite meaning, it often emphasizes how much you mean. •/Mr. Jones worked early and late to earn enough to live./ •/The parents hunted high and low for the lost child./ Compare: DAY AND NIGHT, FROM — TO, INSIDE AND OUT.

[and all]{informal} And whatever goes with it; and all that means. •/We don’t go out much nowadays, with the new baby and all./ •/Jack’s employer provided the tools and all./

[and how!]{interj.}, {informal} Yes, that is certainly right! — Used for emphatic agreement. •/"Did you see the game?" "And how!"/ •/"Isn’t Mary pretty?" "And how she is!"/ Syn.: YOU BET, YOU SAID IT. Compare: BUT GOOD.

[and so forth] or [and so on] And more of the same kind; and further amounts or things like the ones already mentioned. •/The costumes were red, pink, blue, purple, yellow, and so forth./ Compare: WHAT HAVE YOU.

[and the like]{n. phr.} Things of a similar nature. •/I like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the like./ •/When I go out to the beach flake towels, a mat, suntan lotion, and the like./

[and then some] And a lot more; and more too. •/It would cost all the money he had and then some./ •/Talking his way out of this trouble was going to take all his wits and then some./

[and what not] See: WHAT NOT.

[angel dust]{n.}, {slang} Phencyclidine, an addictive hallucinatory narcotic drug extremely dangerous to the users' health, also called PCP. •/Mike has gone from grass to angel dust; he will end up in the morgue./

[another] See: DANCE TO ANOTHER TUNE.

[answer back] See: TALK BACK.

[answer for]{v.} 1. To take responsibility for; assume charge or supervision of. •/The secret service has to answer for the safety of the President and his family./ 2. To say you are sure that (someone) has good character or ability; guarantee: sponsor. •/When people thought Ray had stolen the money, the principal said, "Ray is no thief. I’ll answer for him."/ 3. Take the blame or punishment for. •/When Mother found out who ate the cake, Tom had to answer for his mischief./

[answer one’s calling]{v. phr.} To fulfill one’s destiny in terms of work or profession by doing what one has a talent for. •/Don answered his calling when he became a chiropractor. Susy answered her calling when she became a violinist./

[answer the call of nature] or [obey the call of nature] {v. phr.}, {slang} To go to the bathroom to relieve oneself by urinating or defecating. •/Ted was hiking in the mountains when suddenly he had to answer the call of nature but since there was no bathroom in the woods, he excused himself and disappeared behind the bushes./

[answer to]{v.} To be named; go by a certain name or designation; be accountable. •/When you walk my dog, please remember that he answers to the name "Caesar."/ •/As head of the company she does not have to answer to anyone./

[ante up]{v.}, {informal} To produce the required amount of money in order to close a transaction; to pay what one owes. •/"I guess I’d better ante up if I want to stay an active member of the Association", Max said./

[ants in one’s pants]{n. phr.}, {slang} Nervous over-activity; restlessness. •/Jane can not sit still; she has ants in her pants./ •/You have ants in your pants today. Is something wrong?/

[a number]{n.} A rather large number; numbers. — Used when there arc more than several and fewer than many. •/The parents were invited to see the program, and a number came./ •/We knew the Smiths rattier well; we had visited them a number of times./ — Used like an adjective before "less", "more". •/We have not set up enough folding chairs; we need a number more./ Compare: QUITE A FEW.

[any] See: HARDLY ANY or SCARCELY ANY.

[any number]{n.}, {informal} A large number; many. •/There are any number of reasons for eating good food./ •/Don’t ask George what his excuse is. He can invent any number./ Compare: A LOT, A NUMBER, GOOD MANY.

[any old how] / [any old way] {adv. phr.}, {informal} Doing something in a casual, haphazard, or careless way. •/"John," the teacher said, "you can’t just do your homework any old way; you must pay attention to my instructions!"/

[any port in a storm] Any help is welcome in an emergency. — A proverb. •/The motel we stopped in was nothing to brag about, but we were so exhausted that it was a clear case of any port in a storm./

[anything] See: HAVE NOTHING ON or NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON, IF ANYTHING.

[anything but]{adv. phr.} Quite the opposite of; far from being. •/I don’t mean he’s lazy — anything but!/ •/The boys knew they had broken the rules, and they were anything but happy when they were called to the office./

[anything like] or [anywhere near] {adv.} Nearly. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, often in the negative forms "nothing like" or "nowhere near". •/It’s not anything like as hot today as it was yesterday./ •/Do you think that gold ring is worth anywhere near a hundred dollars?/ •/Today’s game was nowhere near as exciting as yesterday’s game./ •/Studying that lesson should take nothing like two hours./

[anywhere near] See: ANYTHING LIKE or ANYWHERE NEAR.

[any which way] See: EVERY WHICH WAY.

[apart] See: JOKING ASIDE or JOKING APART, POLES APART, TELL APART.

[apart from] or [aside from] {prep. phr.} Beside or besides; in addition to. •/The children hardly see anyone, apart from their parents./ •/Aside from being fun and good exercise, swimming is a very useful skill./ Syn.: EXCEPT FOR, OUTSIDE OF.

[ape] See: GO APE.

[appear] See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[appearance] See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE also MAKE AN APPEARANCE.

[apple] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[applecart] See: UPSET THE APPLECART or UPSET ONE’S APPLECART.

[apple of one’s eye]{n. phr.} Something or someone that is adored; a cherished person or object. •/Charles is the apple of his mother’s eye./ •/John’s first car was the apple of his eye. He was always polishing it./

[apple-pie order]{n. phr.}, {informal} Exact orderly arrangement, neatness; tidy arrangement. •/The house was in apple-pie order./ •/Like a good secretary, she kept the boss’s desk in apple-pie order./

[apple polisher]; [apple polishing] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[approval] See: ON APPROVAL.

[a pretty pass]{n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. •/While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass./

[apron] See: TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.

[apropos of]{prep.}, {formal} In connection with; on the subject of, about; concerning. •/Apropos of higher tuition, Mr. Black told the boy about the educational loans that banks are offering./ •/Mr. White went to see Mr. Richards apropos of buying a car./