Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[what's the idea] See: WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA.

[what's up] or [what's cooking] also [what's doing] <slang> What is happening or planned; what is wrong. - Often used as a greeting. * /"What's up?" asked Bob as he joined his friends. "Are you going to the movies?"/ * /What's cooking? Why is the crowd in the street?/ * /What's doing tonight at the club?/ * /Hello Bob, what's up?/ Compare: WHAT'S WITH.

[what's what] or [what is what] <n. phr.>, <informal> 1. What each thing is in a group; one thing from another. * /The weeds and the flowers are coming up together, and we can't tell what is what./ 2. All that needs to be known about something; the important facts or skills. * /Richard did the wrong thing, because he is new here and doesn't yet know what's what./ * /When Bob started his new job, it took him several weeks to learn what was what./ * /When it comes to cooking, Jenny knows what's what./ * /Harold began to tell the teacher how to teach the class, and the teacher told him what was what./ Compare: WHICH IS WHICH, WHO'S WHO.

[what's with] or [what's up with] also [what's by] <slang> What is happening to; what is wrong; how is everything; what can you tell me about. * /Mary looks worried. What's with her?/ * /What's with our old friends?/ * /I'm fine. What's with you?/

[what with] <prep.> Because; as a result of. * /I couldn't visit you, what with the snowstorm and the cold I had./ * /What with dishes to wash and children to put to bed, mother was late to the meeting./ Compare: ON ACCOUNT OF.

[wheel] See: BIG CHEESE or BIG WHEEL, GREASE THE WHEELS, PUT ONE'S SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL.

[wheel and deal] <v. phr.>, <slang> To make many big plans or schemes; especially with important people in government and business; in matters of money and influence; handle money or power for your own advantage; plan important matters in a smart or skillful way and sometimes in a tricky, or not strictly honest way. * /Mr. Smith made a fortune by wheeling and dealing on the stock market./ * /The senator got this law passed by wheeling and dealing in Congress./ [wheeler-dealer] <n. phr.>, <slang> A person with power and control. * /The biggest wheeler-dealer in the state has many friends in high places in business and government and is a rich man himself./

[wheelhorse] <n. phr.> A reliable and industrious worker on whom one may depend. * /Jake is such a good worker that he is the wheelhorse of our tiny firm./

[when hell freezes over] <adv. phr.>, <slang> Never. * /I'll believe you when hell freezes over./ Contrast: UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER.

[when it comes to] See: COME TO(4).

[when one's ship comes in] See: SHIP COME IN.

[when push comes to shove] <adv. phr.> A time when a touchy situation becomes actively hostile or a quarrel turns into a fight. * /Can we count on the boss' goodwill, when push comes to shove?/

[when the chips are down] <adv. cl.>, <informal> When the winner and loser of a bet or a game are decided; at the most important or dangerous time. * /Tom hit a home run in the last inning of the game when the chips were down./ * /When the chips were down, the two countries decided not to have war./ (From the fact that in gambling games, a person puts chips or money down in front of him to show that he is willing to risk an amount in a bet.)

[where] See: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF or TELL ONE WHERE TO HEAD IN.

[wherefore] See: WHY AND WHEREFORE.

[where it's at] <adv. phr.>, <informal> That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on-going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. * /Young, talented and black, that's where it's at./ * /We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of people, that's where it's at./

[where the shoe pinches] <n. phr.>, <informal> Where or what the discomfort or trouble is. * /Johnny thinks the job is easy, but he will find out where the shoe pinches when he tries it./ * /The coach said he wasn't worried about any position except quarterback; that was where the shoe pinched./

[whether one is coming or going] See: KNOW IF ONE IS COMING OR GOING.

[whether --- or] or [whether --- or whether[] 1. <coord. conj.> Used to introduce an indirect question. * /You must decide whether you should go or stay./ * /I don't know whether Jack or Bill is a better player./ Compare: EITHER --- OR(2). Used to show a choice of things, or that different things are possible. * /Whether the bicycle was blue or red, it didn't matter to Frank./

[which] See: GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY.

[which is which] <n. phr.> Which is one person or thing and which is the other; one from another; what the difference is between different ones; what the name of each one is. * /Joe's coat and mine are so nearly alike that I can't tell which is which./ * /Mr. Hadley hadn't seen his friend's daughters in such a long time that he couldn't remember which was which./ Compare: WHAT'S WHAT, WHO'S WHO.

[which was which] See: WHICH is WHICH.

[while] See: AFTER A WHILE or IN A WHILE, ALL THE TIME(1), EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ONCE IN A WHILE.

[while ago] <adv.> At a time several minutes in the past; a few minutes ago; a short time ago. - Used with "a". * /I laid mv glasses on this table a while ago; and now they're gone./ * /A while ago, Mary was tired and wanted to go home; now she's dancing with Bob as if she could dance all night./ Compare: JUST NOW(2).

[while away] <v.> To make time go by pleasantly or without being bored; pass or spend. * /We whiled away the time that we were waiting by talking and playing cards./ * /We whiled away the summer swimming and fishing./

[while back] <adv.> At a time several weeks or months in the past. - Used with "a". * /We had a good rain a while back, but we need more now./ * /Grandfather is well now, but a while back he was in the hospital for three weeks./ See: CRACK THE WHIP.

[whip hand] See: UPPER HAND.

[whipping boy] <n. phr.> The person who gets punished for someone else's mistake. * /"I used to be the whipping boy during my early days at the company," he musingly remembered./

[whip up] <v.>, <informal> 1. To make or do quickly or easily. * /Mary whipped up a lunch for the picnic./ * /The reporter whipped up a story about the fire for his paper./ 2. To make active; stir to action; excite. * /The girls are trying to whip up interest for a dance Saturday night./ Compare: STIR UP, WHOOP IT UP(2).

[whispering campaign] <n.> The spreading of false rumors, or saying bad things, about a person or group, especially in politics or public life. * /A bad man has started a whispering campaign against the mayor, saying that he isn't honest./

[whistle] See: BLOW THE WHISTLE ON, WET ONE'S WHISTLE.

[whistle a different tune] See: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[whistle for] <v.>, <informal> To try to get (something) but fail; look for (something) that will not come. * /Mary didn't even thank us for helping her, so the next time she needs help she can whistle for it./

[whistle in the dark] <v. phr.>, <informal> To try to stay brave and forget your fear. * /Tom said he could fight the bully with one hand, but we knew that he was just whistling in the dark./ (From the fact that people sometimes whistle when walking in a dark, scary place to keep up their courage.)

[whistle-stop] <n.> A small town where the trains only stop on a special signal. * /President Truman made excellent use of the whistle-stop during his 1948 campaign for the presidency./

[white] See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN BLACK AND WHITE.

[white around the gills] See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.

[white-collar workers] <n. phr.> Workers employed in offices and at desks as opposed to those who work as manual workers; the middle class. * /It is a well-known fact that white-collar workers are less well organized than unionized manual workers./ Contrast BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS.

[white elephant] <n. phr.> Unwanted property, such as real estate, that is hard to sell. * /That big house of theirs on the corner sure is a white elephant./

[white lie] <n. phr.> An innocent social excuse. * /I am too busy to go to their house for dinner tonight. I will call them and tell a little white lie about having the flu./

[white sale] <n.> The selling, especially at lower prices, of goods or clothing usually made of white cloth. * /Mother always buys many things at the January white sale to save money./

[whitewash] <n.>, <informal> A soothing official report that attempts to tranquilize the public. * /Some people believe that the Warren Commission's report on the Kennedy assassination was a whitewash./

[whitewash something] <v.>, <informal> To explain a major, national scandal in soothing official terms so as to assure the public that things are under control and there is no need to panic. * /Many people in the United States believe that President Kennedy's assassination was whitewashed by the Warren Commission./ See: WHITEWASH.

[whiz] See: GEE WHIZ.

[who] See: SAYS WHO.

[whodunit] <n.> A detective story; a murder story; a thriller. * /Agatha Christie was a true master of the whodunit./

[who is who] See: WHO'S WHO.

[who laughs last laughs best] See: HE LAUGHS BEST WHO LAUGHS LAST.

[whole] See: ALL THE WAY or THE WHOLE WAY, GO THE WHOLE HOG, ON THE WHOLE, WITH A WHOLE SKIN or IN A WHOLE SKIN.

[whole cheese] <slang> or <informal> [whole show] <n.>, <informal> The only important person; big boss. * /Joe thought he was the whole cheese in the game because he owned the ball./ * /You're not the whole show just because you got all A's./ Compare: BIG CHEESE.

[whole hog] See: GO THE WHOLE HOG.

[whole lot] See: A LOT.

[whole show] See: WHOLE CHEESE.

[whoop it up] <v. phr.>, <slang> 1. To make a loud noise; have a noisy celebration; enjoy yourself noisily. * /The team whooped it up after winning the game./ 2. To praise something enthusiastically; encourage enthusiasm or support. - Often used with "for". * /Father wanted to go to the country, but the children whooped it up for the beach./

[who's who] or [who is who] <informal> 1. Who this one is and who that one is; who the different ones in a group of people are or what their names or positions are. * /It is hard to tell who is who in the parade because everyone in the band looks alike./ * /It took the new teacher a few days to remember who was who in the class./ Compare: WHICH IS WHICH. 2. Who the important people are. * /John didn't recognize the champion on television. He doesn't know who is who in boxing./ * /After about a year, Mr. Thompson had lived in this town long enough to know who was who./ Compare: WHAT'S WHAT.

[why and wherefore] <n.> The answer to a question or problem. Usually used in the plural. * /Father told him not to always ask the whys and wherefores when he was told to do something./

[wide] See: FAR AND WIDE, GIVE A WIDE BERTH.

[wide-eyed] See: ROUND-EYED.

[wide of the mark] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Far from the target or the thing aimed at. * /James threw a stone at the cat but it went wide of the mark./ 2. Far from the truth; incorrect. * /You were wide of the mark when you said I did it, because Bill did it./ Contrast: HIT THE BULL'S-EYE, HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.

[widow] See: GOLF WIDOW.

[wiener roast] or [hot dog roast] <n.> A party where frankfurters are cooked and eaten over an outdoor fire. * /For his birthday party, John had a wiener roast in his backyard./ * /Mary's Girl Scout troop had a hot dog roast on their overnight hike./

[wig] See: BIG CHEESE or BIG WIG.

[wild] See: RUN WILD, SOW ONE'S WILD OATS.

[wildcat strike] <n.>, <informal> A strike not ordered by a labor union; a strike spontaneously arranged by a group of workers. * /The garbage collectors have gone on a wildcat strike, but the union is going to stop it./

[wild goose chase] <n. phr.> An absurd and completely futile errand. * /I was on a wild goose chase when I was sent to find a man who never really existed./

[wild pitch] <n.> A pitch in baseball that is so high, so low, or so far from the plate that the catcher cannot catch it and a base runner can move to the next base. * /The runner went to second base on a wild pitch./

[will] See: AT WILL, OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD or OF ONE'S OWN FREE WILL.

[will not hear of] <v. phr.> Will not allow or consider, refuse attention to or permission for. * /I want to go to the show tonight, but I know my mother will not hear of it./ * /Mary needs another day to finish her book report, but the teacher won't hear of any delay./ * /John's father told him he would not hear of his having a car./

[win] See: HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE.

[wind] See: GET WIND OF, GOD TEMPERS THE WIND TO THE SHORN LAMB, GONE WITH THE WIND, IN THE WIND, IT'S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD, SECOND WIND, STRAW IN THE WIND, TAKE THE WIND OUT OF ONE'S SAILS, THREE SHEETS IN THE WIND or THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND, THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND, WAY THE WIND BLOWS or HOW THE WIND BLOWS.

[windbag] <n.> Someone who talks too much; a boring person. * /Uncle Joe goes on and on; he is a boring windbag./

[windfall] <n.> An unexpected gift or gain of sizeable proportion. * /The unexpected retroactive pay raise was a most welcome windfall./

[window] See: GO OUT THE WINDOW.

[window dressing] <n. phr.> An elaborate exterior, sometimes designed to conceal one's real motives. * /All those fancy invitations turned out to be nothing but window dressing./ * /All he really wanted was to be introduced to my influential father-in-law./

[wind up] <v.> 1. To tighten the spring of a machine; to make it work or run. * /Mary wound up the toy car and let it run across the room./ * /He doesn't have to wind up his watch because it is run by a battery./ 2. To make very excited, nervous, upset. - Usually used in the past participle. * /The excitement of her birthday party got Jane all wound up so she could not sleep./ 3. <informal> To bring or come to an end; finish; stop. * /John got two hits and wound his afternoon up with a home run./ * /Before Jim knew it, he had spent all his money and he wound up broke./ * /The boys followed the path to the left and wound up where they started./ Syn.: END UP. Compare: FINISH OFF, TURN OUT(6). 4. To put (your business or personal affairs) in order; arrange; settle. * /Fred wound up his business and personal affairs before joining the Navy./ 5. To swing your arm with the ball just before pitching to a batter. * /The pitcher wound up quickly and then threw a curve./

[wing] See: CLIP ONE'S WINGS, LEFT-WING, ON THE WING, RIGHT-WING, UNDER ONE'S WING.

[win hands down] <v. phr.> To win conclusively and without external help. * /The opposition was so weak that Dan won the election hands down./

[win in a walk] or [win in a breeze] <v. phr.>, <informal> To win very easily; win without having to try hard. * /Joe ran for class president and won in a walk./ * /Our team won the game in a breeze./ Compare: HANDS DOWN.