Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[turtle] See: TURN TURTLE.

[tut-tut] <interj.>, <informal> Used to express mild disapproval. * /"Tut-tut," said the teacher. "You shouldn't cross the street without looking."/ * /Tut-tut, put that piece of candy back. You've already had three pieces./

[twice] See: BIG AS LIFE(2), LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, THINK TWICE, ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY and BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.

[twice as natural] See: BIG AS LIFE or BIG AS LIFE AND TWICE AS NATURAL.

[twiddle one's thumbs] <v. phr.> To do nothing; be idle. * /I'd rather work than stand around here twiddling my thumbs./

[twist one around one's little finger] also [turn one around one's little finger] or [wrap one around one's finger] <v. phr.> To have complete control over; to be able to make (someone) do anything you want. * /Sue can twist any of the boys around her little finger./ Compare: JUMP THROUGH A HOOP.

[twist one's arm] <v. phr.>, <informal> To force someone; threaten someone to make him do something. - Usually used jokingly. * /Will you dance with the prettiest girl in school? Stop, you're twisting my arm!/ * /I had to twist Tom's arm to make him eat the candy!/

[two] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA or BETWEEN TWO FIRES, TWO CENTS, BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH, CUT BOTH WAYS or CUT TWO WAYS, HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE, IN TWO, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT, PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER, STAND ON ONE'S OWN FEET or STAND ON ONE'S OWN TWO FEET, TELL A THING OR TWO, THING OR TWO.

[two bits] <n.>, <slang> Twenty-five cents; a quarter of a dollar. * /A haircut only cost two bits when Grandfather was young./ Compare: FOUR BITS, SIX BITS.

[two cents] <n.> <informal> 1. Something not important or very small; almost nothing. * /Paul was so angry that he said for two cents he would quit the team./ * /When John saw that the girl he was scolding was lame, he felt like two cents./ 2. or [two cents worth] Something you want to say; opinion. - Used with a possessive. * /The boys were talking about baseball, and Harry put in his two cents worth, even though he didn't know much about baseball./ * /If we want your two cents, we'll ask for it./

[two-faced] <adj.> Insincere; disloyal; deceitful. * /Don't confide too much in him as he has the reputation of being two-faced./ Compare: SPEAK WITH A FORKED TONGUE.

[two's company; three's a crowd] An informal way to express a situation when two people desire privacy and a third one is present. A proverb. * /Beth and Carl wanted to be alone so when Maggie joined them they said, "Two's company; three's a crowd."/

[two strikes against one] <n. phr.>-From baseball. Two opportunities wasted in some undertaking, so that only one chance is left. * /Poor John has two strikes against him when it comes to his love for Frances: first, he is too fat, and, second, he is bald./

[two-time] <v.>, <slang> To go out with a second boy or girlfriend and keep it a secret from the first. * /Joan was two-timing Jim with Fred./ * /Mary cried when she found that Joe was two-timing her./ Compare: DOUBLE-CROSS.

[two to one] See: TEN TO ONE.

[two ways about it] See: NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT.

U

[U.F.O.] <n. phr.> Unidentified Flying Object. * /Some people think that the U.F.O.s are extraterrestrial beings of higher than human development who pay periodic visits to Earth to warn us of our self-destructive tendencies./

[ugly duckling] <n.> An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. * /Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up./

[uh-huh] or [um-hum] <adv.>, <informal> Yes. - Used only in speech or when recording dialogue. * /Are you going to the Fair? Uh-huh./ * /We were in Alaska, um-hum, but that was long before the earthquakes./ * /When I asked for an appointment, the nurse said, "Um-hum, I have an opening at four o'clock on Friday."/ Contrast: HUH-UH.

[um-hum] See: UH-HUH.

[unbosom oneself] <v. phr.> To confess one's personal thoughts or feelings; disclose private information to a confidante. * /Once she was at home with her mother, she unbosomed herself of all her troubles./

[uncertain] See: IN SO MANY WORDS(2). or IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS.

[uncle] See: SAY UNCLE also CRY UNCLE.

[under] See: CUT THE GROUND FROM UNDER, GO UNDER, OUT FROM UNDER, SNOW UNDER.

[under a bushel] See: HIDE ONE'S LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL.

[under a cloud] <adj. phr.> 1. Under suspicion; not trusted. * /Joyce has been under a cloud since her roommate's bracelet disappeared./ * /The butcher is under a cloud because the inspectors found his scales were not honest./ 2. Depressed, sad, discouraged. * /Joe has been under a cloud since his dog died./

[under age] <adj. phr.> Too young; not old enough; below legal age. * /He could not enlist in the army because he was under age./ * /Rose was not allowed to enroll in the Life Saving Course because she was under age./ Contrast: OF AGE(1).

[under arrest] <adj. phr.> Held by the police. * /The man believed to have robbed the bank was placed under arrest./ * /The three boys were seen breaking into the school building and soon found themselves under arrest./

[under construction] <adv. phr.> In the process of being built or repaired. * /It is a good idea to take the train to work while the expressway is under construction./

[under cover] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Hidden; concealed. * /The prisoners escaped under cover of darkness./ * /He kept his invention under cover until it was patented./ Compare: UNDER WRAPS.

[under false colors] See: SAIL UNDER FALSE COLORS.

[under fire] <adv. phr.> Being shot at or being attacked; hit by attacks or accusations; under attack. * /The soldiers stood firm under fire of the enemy./ * /The principal was under fire for not sending the boys home who stole the car./

[under lock and key] <adv. phr.> Secured; locked up; well protected. * /Dad keeps all his valuables under lock and key./

[under one's belt] <adv. phr.>, <informal> 1. In your stomach; eaten; or absorbed. * /Once he had a good meal under his belt, the man loosened his tie and fell asleep./ * /Jones is talkative when he has a few drinks under his belt./ 2. In your experience, memory or possession; learned or gotten successfully; gained by effort and skill. * /Jim has to get a lot of algebra under his belt before the examination./ * /With three straight victories under their belts, the team went on to win the championship./

[under one's breath] <adv. phr.> In a whisper; with a low voice. * /The teacher heard the boy say something under his breath and she asked him to repeat it aloud./ * /I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me./

[under one's hat] See: KEEP UNDER ONE'S HAT.

[under one's heel] <adv. phr.> In one's power or control. * /If one marriage partner always wants to keep the other person under his or her heel, it is not a happy or democratic arrangement and may lead to a divorce./

[under one's nose] or [under the nose of] <adv. phr.>, <informal> In sight of; in an easily seen or noticeable place. * /The thief walked out of the museum with the painting, right under the nose of the guards./ * /When Jim gave up trying to find a pen, he saw three right under his nose on the desk./

[under one's own steam] <adv. phr.>, <informal> By one's own efforts; without help. * /The boys got to Boston under their own steam and took a bus the rest of the way./ * /We didn't think he could do it, but Bobby finished his homework under his own steam./

[under one's skin] See: GET UNDER ONE'S SKIN.

[under one's spell] <adv. phr.> Unable to resist one's influence. * /From the first moment they saw each other, Peter was under Nancy's spell./

[under one's thumb] or [under the thumb] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Obedient to you; controlled by you; under your power. * /The Jones family is under the thumb of the mother./ * /Jack is a bully. He keeps all the younger children under his thumb./ * /The mayor is so popular that he has the whole town under his thumb./ Compare: JUMP THROUGH THE HOOP.

[under one's wing] <adv. phr.> Under the care or protection of. * /Helen took the new puppy under her wing./ * /The boys stopped teasing the new student when Bill took him under his wing./ Compare: IN TOW.

[under orders] <adv. phr.> Not out of one's own desire or one's own free will; obligatorily; not freely. * /"So you were a Nazi prison guard? " the judge asked. "Yes, your Honor," the man answered, "but I was acting under orders and not because I wished to harm anyone."/

[under pain of] See: ON PAIN OF also UNDER PAIN OF.

[under protest] <adv. phr.> Against one's wish; unwillingly. * /"I'll go with you all right," she said to the kidnapper, "but I want it clearly understood that I do so under protest."/

[understand] See: GIVE ONE TO UNDERSTAND.

[under the circumstances] also [in the circumstances] <adv. phr.> In the existing situation; in the present condition; as things are. * /In the circumstances, Father couldn't risk giving up his job./ * /Under the circumstances, the stagecoach passengers had to give the robbers their money./

[under the collar] See: HOT UNDER THE COLLAR.

[under the counter] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Secretly (bought or sold). * /That book has been banned, but there is one place you can get it under the counter./ * /The liquor dealer was arrested for selling beer under the counter to teenagers./ - Also used like an adjective, with hyphens. * /During World War II, some stores kept scarce things hidden for under-the-counter-sales to good customers./

[under the hammer] <adv. phr.> Up for sale at auction. * /The Brights auctioned off the entire contents of their home. Mrs. Bright cried when her pewter collection went under the hammer./ * /The picture I wanted to bid on came under the hammer soon after I arrived./

[under the nose of] See: UNDER ONE'S NOSE.

[under the sun] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> On earth; in the world. Used for emphasis. * /The President's assassination shocked everyone under the sun./ * /Where under the sun could I have put my purse?/

[under the table] See: UNDER THE COUNTER.

[under the thumb of] See: UNDER ONE'S THUMB.

[under the weather] <adv. phr.> In bad health or low spirits. * /Mary called in today asking for a sick day as she is under the weather./

[under the wire] <adv. phr.> With a narrow time limit; in the last minute. * /The journalist's new lead article on Russia was due in press at 5 P.M., and he got it in at 4:57, just under the wire./

[underway] <adv. phr.> In progress; in motion. * /The yearly fund-raising campaign for the renovation of our university campus is already underway./

[under wraps] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Not allowed to be seen until the right time; not allowed to act or speak freely; in secrecy; hidden. - Usually used with "keep". * /We have a new player, hut we are keeping him under wraps until the game./ * /What the President is planning will be kept under wraps until tomorrow./ * /The spy was kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to newspapermen./ Compare: UNDER COVER.

[unknown quantity] <n.> Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. * /What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ * /The new player is still an unknown quantity. We'll find out how good he is in the game./

[unseen] See: SIGHT UNSEEN.

[until all hours] <adv. phr.> Until very late at night. * /He is so anxious to pass his exams with flying colors that he stays up studying until all hours./

[until hell freezes over] <adv. phr.>, <slang> Forever, for an eternity. * /He can argue until hell freezes over; nobody will believe him./ Contrast: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.

[until the last gun is fired] See: TILL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED.

[unturned] See: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.

[up against] <prep. phr.> Blocked or threatened by. * /When she applied to medical school, the black woman wondered whether she was up against barriers of sex and race prejudice./

[up against it] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Faced with a great difficulty or problem; badly in need. * /The Smith family is up against it because Mr. Smith cannot find a job./ * /You will be up against it if you don't pass the test. You will probably fail arithmetic./ Compare: HARD UP, END OF ONE'S ROPE, BACK TO THE WALL(2).

[up and about] or [around] <adv. phr.> Recovered and able to move about; once again in good health after an illness. * /My sister was ill for several weeks, but is now up and about again./

[up and at them] 1. <adv. phr.> Actively engaged in a task as if doing combat. * /"You want to know whether he will make a diligent worker?" Dick asked. "Well, I can tell you that most of the time he is up and at them like no one else I know."/ 2. <v. phr.> To become aggressively engaged in doing something; (useable as a command). * /Come on, up and at them, you guys. We still have a lot of work to get done./

[up-and-coming] <adj. phr.> Bound toward success; upwardly mobile; progressive; ambitious. * /The newly elected state senator is an up-and-coming young politician who is expected to be highly successful in national politics in the future./

[up a stump] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Stumped; blocked; mixed up or confused in what you are trying to do. * /Jimmy knows how to add and subtract but fractions have him up a stump./

[up a tree] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Hunted or chased into a tree; treed. * /The dog drove the coon up a tree so the hunter could shoot him./ 2. <informal> in trouble; having problems; in a difficulty that it is hard to escape or think of a way out of. * /John's father has him up a tree in the checker game./ Compare: UP THE CREEK.

[up for grabs] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Available for anyone to try to get; ready to be competed for; there for the taking. * /When the captain of the football team moved out of town, his place was up for grabs./

[up front(1)] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> The managerial section of a corporation or firm. * /Joe Catwallender finally made it (with the) up front./

[up front(2)] <adj.>, <slang>, <informal> Open, sincere, hiding nothing. * /Sue was completely up front about why she didn't want to see him anymore./

[up in arms] <adj. phr.> 1. Equipped with guns or weapons and ready to fight. * /All of the colonies were up in arms against the Redcoats./ Syn.: IN ARMS. 2. Very angry and wanting to fight. * /Robert is up in arms because John said he was stupid./ * /The students were up in arms over the new rule against food in the dormitory./

[up in the air] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. <informal> In great anger or excitement. * /My father went straight up in the air when he heard I damaged the car./ * /The Jones family are all up in the air because they are taking a trip around the world./ Compare: HIT THE CEILING, BLOW A FUSE. 2. also [in midair] Not settled; uncertain; undecided. * /Plans for the next meeting have been left up in the air until Jane gets better./ * /The result of the game was left hanging in midair because it rained before the finish./ Compare: LEAVE HANGING.