Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[to spite one's face] See: CUT OFF ONE'S NOSE TO SPITE ONE'S FACE.

[toss off] <v. phr.> 1. To drink rapidly; drain. * /He tossed off two drinks and left./ 2. To make or say easily without trying or thinking hard. * /She tossed off smart remarks all during dinner./ * /He thinks a reporter should be able to toss off an article every few hours./

[toss one to the sharks] See: THROW ONE TO THE WOLVES.

[toss out] See: THROW OUT.

[total] See: SUM TOTAL.

[to task] See: TAKE TO TASK.

[to terms] See: BRING TO TERMS, COME TO TERMS.

[to that effect] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> With that meaning. * /She said she hated spinach, or words to that effect./ * /When I leave, I will write you to that effect so you will know./

[to the best of one's knowledge] As far as you know; to the extent of your knowledge. * /He has never won a game, to the best of my knowledge./ * /To the best of my knowledge he is a college man, but I may be mistaken./

[to the bitter end] <adv. phr.> To the point of completion or conclusion. - Used especially of a very painful or unpleasant task or experience. * /Although Mrs. Smith was bored by the lecture, she stayed to the bitter end./ * /They knew the war would be lost, but the men fought to the bitter end./

[to the bone] <adv.>, <slang>, <informal> Thoroughly, entirely, to the core, through all layers. * /I am dreadfully tired; I've worked my fingers to the bone./ See: ALSO WORK ONE'S FINGERS TO THE BONE.

[to the bottom] See: GET TO THE BOTTOM OF.

[to the contrary] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> With an opposite result or effect; just the opposite; in disagreement; saying the opposite. * /Although Bill was going to the movies, he told Joe to the contrary./ * /We will expect you for dinner unless we get word to the contrary./ * /School gossip to the contrary, Mary is not engaged to be married./ Compare: ON THE CONTRARY.

[to the effect that] <adj. phr.> With the meaning or purpose; to say that. * /He made a speech to the effect that we would all keep our jobs even if the factory were sold./ * /The new governor would do his best in the office to which he had been elected./

[to the eye] <adv. phr.> As it is seen; as a person or thing first seems; apparently. * /That girl looks to the eye like a nice girl to know, but she is really rather mean./ * /That suit appears to the eye to be a good buy, but it may not be./ Compare: AT FIRST GLANCE.

[to the fore] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Into leadership; out into notice or view; forward. * /The hidden skill of the lawyer came to the fore during the trial./ * /In the progress of the war some new leaders came to the fore./

[to the full] <adv. phr.> Very much; fully. * /The campers enjoyed their trip to the full./ * /We appreciated to the full the teacher's help./ Compare: TO THE HILT.

[to the gallery] See: PLAY TO THE GALLERY.

[to the good] <adv. phr.> On the side of profit or advantage; in one's favor; to one's benefit; ahead. * /After I sold my stamp collection, I was ten dollars to the good./ * /The teacher did not see him come in late, which was all to the good./

[to the grindstone] See: KEEP ONE'S NOSE TO THE GRINDSTONE.

[to the heart] See: GET TO THE HEART OF.

[to the hilt] or [up to the hilt] <adv. phr.> To the limit; as far as possible; completely. * /The other boys on the team told Tom he couldn't quit. They said, "You're in this to the hilt."/ * /The Smith's house is mortgaged up to the hilt./ Compare: HEART AND SOUL, TO THE FULL, UP TO THE --- IN.

[to the kings taste] or [to the queen's taste] <adv. phr.> Perfectly; just as anyone could want it; very satisfactorily. * /The rooms in her new home were painted and decorated to the queen's taste./ * /The soldiers dressed and marched to the king's taste./

[to the letter] <adv. phr.> With nothing done wrong or left undone; exactly; precisely. * /He carried out his orders to the letter./ * /When writing a test you should follow the instructions to the letter./ Compare: TO A T.

[to the manner born] <adj. phr.> At ease with something because of lifelong familiarity with it. * /She says her English is the best because she is to the manner born./

[to the nth degree] <adv. phr.> To the greatest degree possible; extremely; very much so. * /Scales must be accurate to the nth degree./ * /His choice of words was exactly to the nth degree./

[to the point] See: COME TO THE POINT.

[to the punch] See: BEAT TO THE PUNCH.

[to the ribs] See: STICK TO ONE'S RIBS or STICK TO THE RIBS.

[to the salt mines] See: BACK TO THE SALT MINES.

[to the stump] See: TAKE THE STUMP or TAKE TO THE STUMP.

[to the sword] See: PUT TO THE SWORD.

[to the tune of] <adv. phr.>, <informal> To the amount or extent of; in the amount of. * /He had to pay to the tune of fifty dollars for seeing how fast the car would go./ * /When she left the race track she had profited to the tune of ten dollars./

[to the wall] <adv. phr.> Into a place from which there is no escape; into a trap or corner. - Usually used after "drive" or a similar word. * /John's failing the last test drove him to the wall./ * /The score was 12-12 in the last minute of play, but a touchdown forced the visitors to the wall./ * /Bill had to sell his five Great Danes. The high cost of feeding them was driving him to the wall./

[to the wolves] See: THROW TO THE WOLVES.

[to the woods] See: TAKE TO THE WOODS.

[to the world] See: DEAD TO THE WORLD.

[to think of it] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[toto] See: IN TOTO.

[touch] See: COMMON TOUCH, IN TOUCH, LOSE TOUCH, OUT OF TOUCH,

[touch and go] <adj. phr.> Very dangerous or uncertain in situation. * /Our team won the game, all right, but it was touch and go for a while./ * /At one time while they were climbing the cliff it was touch and go whether they could do it./

[touch base with] <v. phr.> To confer or consult with one. * /Before we make a decision, I'd like to touch base with our financial department./

[touch bottom] See: HIT BOTTOM.

[touch off] <v.> 1. To cause to fire or explode by lighting the priming or the fuse. * /The boy touched off a firecracker./ Compare: SET OFF. 2. To start something as if by lighting a fuse. * /The coach's resignation touched off a quarrel./ Compare: SET OFF.

[touch on] or [touch upon] <v.> To speak of or write of briefly. * /The speaker touched on several other subjects in the course of his talk but mostly kept himself to the main topic./ Contrast: DWELL ON.

[touch to the quick] <v. phr.> To hurt someone's feelings very deeply; offend. * /His remark about her lack of education touched her to the quick./

[touchup] <n.> 1. A small repair; a small amount of paint. * /Just a small touchup here and there and your novel may be publishable./ 2. Redoing the color of one's hair. * /My roots are showing; I need a touchup./

[touch up] <v.> 1. To paint over (small imperfections.) * /I want to touch up that scratch on the fender./ * /The woodwork is done, but there are a few places he has to touch up./ 2. To improve with small additions or changes. * /He touched up the photographic negative to make a sharper print./ * /It's a good speech, but it needs a little touching up./ 3. <slang> To talk into lending; wheedle from. * /He touched George up for five bucks./

[tough act to follow] <n. phr.> A speech, performance, or activity of such superior quality that the person next in line feels and thinks that it would be very difficult to match it in quality. * /Sir Lawrence Olivier's performance of Hamlet was a tough act to follow in every sense./

[tough break] See: TOUGH LUCK, TOUGH SHIT.

[tough cat] <n.>, <slang> A man who is very individualistic and, as a result, highly successful with women. * /Joe is a real tough cat, man./

[tough cookie] <n. phr.> An extremely determined, hardheaded person, or someone with whom it is unusually difficult to deal. * /Marjorie is a very pretty girl, but when it comes to business she sure is one tough cookie./

[tough it out] <v. phr.> To live through and endure a trying situation. * /The tourists got lost in the desert without a compass, and they had to tough it out for three days on a single bottle of water./

[tough luck] <n. phr.> An informal way to say that one had that coming; it serves one right. * /So your date didn't show up, eh? Tough luck, fellow./

[tough nut to crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK.

[tough row to hoe] See: HARD ROW TO HOE.

[tough shit] <n. phr.>, <vulgar>, <avoidable> See: HARD CHEESE, TOUGH LUCK.

[tough sledding] See: HARD SLEDDING.

[tourist trap] See: CLIP JOINT.

[to use] See: PUT TO USE.

[tow] See: IN TOW.

[towel] See: THROW IN THE SPONGE or THROW IN THE TOWEL.

[tower of strength] <n. phr.> Someone who is strong, helpful, and sympathetic, and can always be relied on in times of trouble. * /John was a veritable tower of strength to our family while my father was in the war and my mother lay ill in the hospital./

[town] See: GO TO TOWN, ON THE TOWN, PAINT THE TOWN RED.

[town and gown] <n.> The residents of a college town and the students and teachers of the college. * /The senator made a speech attended by both town and gown./ * /There were fights between town and gown./

[toy with an] or [the idea] <v. phr.> To consider an idea or an offer periodically without coming to a decision. * /He was toying with the idea of accepting the company's offer of the vice presidency in Tokyo, but he was unable to decide./

[to your hat] See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT.

[trace] See: KICK OVER THE TRACES also JUMP THE TRACES.

[track] See: COVER ONE'S TRACKS, IN ONE'S TRACKS, INSIDE TRACK, JUMP THE TRACK, KEEP TRACK, LOSE TRACK, MAKE TRACKS, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, ON THE TRACK OF, THE TRACKS.

[track down] <v.> To find by or as if by following tracks or a trail. * /The hunters tracked down game in the forest./ * /She spent weeks in the library tracking the reference down in all their hooks on the subject./ Compare: HUNT DOWN.

[trade] See: CARRIAGE TRADE, HORSE TRADE, TRICKS OF THE TRADE.

[trade in] <v.> To give something to a seller as part payment for another thing of greater value. * /The Browns traded their old car in on a new one./ Syn.: TURN IN(3).

[trade-in] <n.> Something given as part payment on something better. * /The dealer took our old car as a trade-in./ - Often used like an adjective. * /We cleaned up the car at trade-in time./

[trade on] <v.> To use as a way of helping yourself. * /The coach traded on the pitcher's weakness for left-handed batters by using all his southpaws./ * /The senator's son traded on his father's name when he ran for mayor./

[trading stamp] <n.> One of the stamps that you get (as from a store or gas station) because you buy something there; a stamp you get with a purchase and save in special books until you have enough to take to a special store and trade for something you want. * /Mother always buys things in stores where they give trading stamps./

[trail] See: BLAZE A TRAIL, ON THE TRACK OF or ON THE TRAIL OF.

[trail-blazer] See: BLAZE A TRAIL.

[trap] See: MIND LIKE A STEEL TRAP, SAND TRAP, SPEED TRAP.

[travel light] <v. phr.> To travel with very little luggage or with very little to carry. * /Plane passengers must travel light./ * /Tom and Fred traveled light on their camping trip./

[tread on the toes of] or [tread on one's toes] See: STEP ON THE TOES OF or STEP ON ONE'S TOES.

[tread water] <v. phr.> To keep the head above water with the body in an upright position by moving the feet as if walking. * /He kept afloat by treading water./

[treat] See: TRICK OR TREAT.

[tree] See: BARK UP THE WRONG TREE, CAN'T SEE THE WOOD FOR THE TREES, UP A TREE.

[trembling] See: FEAR AND TREMBLING.

[trial] See: ON TRIAL.

[trial and error] <n.> A way of solving problems by trying different possible solutions until you find one that works. * /John found the short circuit by trial and error./ * /The only way Tom could solve the algebra problem was by the method of trial and error./

[trial balloon] <n.> A hint about a plan of action that is given out to find out what people will say. * /John mentioned the class presidency to Bill as a trial balloon to see if Bill might be interested in running./ * /The editorial was a trial balloon to test the public's reaction to a change in the school day./

[trice] See: IN A FLASH also IN A TRICE.

[trick] See: DO THE TRICK, TURN THE TRICK.

[trick of the trade] <n. phr.>, <usually in plural>, <informal> 1. A piece of expert knowledge; a smart, quick, or skillful way of working at a trade or job. * /Mr. Olson spent years learning the tricks of the trade as a carpenter./ * /Any one can learn how to hang wallpaper, but only an expert can show you the tricks of the trade./ 2. A smart and sometimes tricky or dishonest way of doing something in order to succeed or win. * /The champion knows all the tricks of the boxing trade; he knows many ways to hurt his opponent and to get him mixed up./

[trick or treat] <n.> The custom of going from house to house on Halloween asking for small gifts and playing tricks on people who refuse to give. * /When Mrs. Jones answered the doorbell, the children yelled "Trick or treat." Mrs. Jones gave them all some candy./ * /On Halloween Bill and Tom went out playing trick or treat./

[trigger] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER.

[trigger happy] See: QUICK ON THE TRIGGER(1).

[triple threat] <n.> A football player who is able to pass, kick, and run all very well. * /The triple threat halfback was the star of the team./

[tripped out] <adj.>, <slang>, <informal> Incoherent, confused, faulty of speech, illogical; as if under the influence of drugs or alcohol. * /It was hard to make sense of anything Fred said yesterday, he sounded so tripped out./ See: SPACED OUT.

[trip up] <v.> 1. To make (someone) unsteady on the feet; cause to miss a step, stumble, or fall. * /A root tripped Billy up while he was running in the woods, and he fell and hurt his ankle./ 2. To cause (someone) to make a mistake. * /The teacher asked tricky questions in the test to trip up students who were not alert./

[trolley] See: OFF ONE'S ROCKER or OFF ONE'S TROLLEY.

[trot out] <v. phr.> To bring out for inspection; display. * /Don't mention compact disks to Joe, or he'll trot out his entire collection and we'll be stuck here all night./

[trouble] See: BORROW TROUBLE, GO TO THE TROUBLE or TAKE THE TROUBLE.

[troubled waters] See: POUR OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS.

[trousers] See: WEAR THE TROUSERS.

[trowel] See: LAY IT ON.

[truck] See: PANEL TRUCK.

[true] See: COME TRUE, HOLD TRUE, RUN TRUE TO FORM.