Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[draw lots] <v. phr.> To select at random from a series in order to determine precedents or apportionment. * /The refugees to be evacuated drew lots on who would get a place on the first airplane out of the besieged city./

[draw near] <v. phr.> To approach; come near. * /The time is drawing near when this century will end and the next will begin./

[draw off] <v. phr.> To drain away; deflect. * /A light flanking attack was made in order to draw off the enemy's fire./

[draw on] <v. phr.> 1. To arrive; approach. * /As midnight drew on, the New Year's Eve party grew louder and louder./ 2. To secure funds from a bank or person. * /Jack kept drawing on his bank account so much that several of his checks bounced./

[draw out] <v. phr.> 1. To take out; remove. * /Johnny drew a dollar out of the bank to buy his mother a present./ * /The hunter drew out his gun and shot the snake./ 2. To make (a person) talk or tell something. * /Jimmy was bashful but Mrs. Wilson drew him out by asking him about baseball./ 3. To make come out; bring out. * /The bell of the ice-cream truck drew the children out of the houses./ * /Mary was drawn out of her silence by Billy's jokes./ 4. To make longer or too long; stretch. * /The Smiths drew out their vacation at the beach an extra week./ * /It was a long drawn out meeting because everybody tried to talk at once./ * /Mary and her mother drew out their goodbyes so long at the bus station that Mary almost missed the bus./

[draw the fire of] See: DRAW OFF.

[draw the line] See: DRAW A LINE.

[draw to a close] <v. phr.> To finish; terminate; come to an end. * /The meeting drew to a close around midnight./

[draw up] <v.> 1. To write (something) in its correct form; put in writing. * /The rich man had his lawyers draw up his will so that each of his children would receive part of his money when he died./ 2. To plan or prepare; begin to write out. * /The two countries drew up a peace treaty after the war ended./ * /Plans are being drawn up for a new school next year./ Compare: WRITE UP. 3. To hold yourself straight or stiffly, especially because you are proud or angry. * /When we said that Mary was getting fat, she drew herself up angrily and walked out of the room./ 4. To stop or come to a stop. * /The cowboy drew up his horse at the top of the hill./ * /A big black car drew up in front of the house./ Syn.: PULL UP.

[dread] See: BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.

[dream of] <v.> To think about seriously; think about with the idea of really doing; consider seriously. - Usually used with a negative. * /I wouldn't dream of wearing shorts to church./

[dressing down] <n.>, <informal> A scolding. * /The sergeant gave the soldier a good dressing down because his shoes were not shined./

[dress a window] See: WINDOW DRESSING.

[dress like a million dollars] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

[dress up] <v.> 1a. To put on best or special clothes. * /Billy hated being dressed up and took off his best suit as soon as he got home from church./ 1b. To put on a costume for fun or clothes for a part in a play. * /Mary was dressed up to play Cinderella in her school play./ 2. To make (something) look different; make (something) seem better or more important. * /A fresh coat of paint will dress up the old bicycle very much./ * /Tommy dressed up the story of what he did on vacation and made it seem twice as interesting as it was./

[dressed fit to kill] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

[dressed like a peacock] See: BEST BIB AND TUCKER.

[dribs and drabs] <n. phr.> Portions; small bits. * /John paid Oliver back what he owed him in dribs and drabs./

[drift off] <v. phr.> 1. To fall asleep, * /He kept nodding and drifting off to sleep while the lecturer was speaking./ 2. To depart; leave gradually. * /One by one, the sailboats drifted off over the horizon./

[drink down] <v. phr.> To drink in one gulp; swallow entirely. * /Steve was so thirsty that he drank down six glasses of orange juice in rapid succession./

[drink in] <v. phr.> To absorb with great interest. * /The tourists stood on the beach drinking in the wonderful Hawaiian sunset./

[drink like a fish] <v. phr.> To drink (alcoholic beverages) in great quantities; to be addicted to alcohol. * /John is a nice guy but, unfortunately, he drinks like a fish./

[drink up] <v. phr.> To finish drinking; empty one's glass. * /"Drink up that cough syrup," the nurse said, "and never mind the taste,"/

[drive] See: LINE DRIVE.

[drive a bargain] <v. phr.> 1. To buy or sell at a good price; succeed in a trade or deal. * /Tom's collie is a champion; it should be easy for Tom to drive a bargain when he sells her puppies./ * /Father drove a hard bargain with the real estate agent when we bought our new house./ 2. To make an agreement that is better for you than for the other person; make an agreement to your advantage. * /The French drove a hard bargain in demanding that Germany pay fully for World War I damages./

[drive a hard bargain] See: DRIVE A BARGAIN.

[drive at] <v.> To try or want to say; mean. - Used in the present participle. * /John did not understand what the coach was driving at./ * /He had been talking for half an hour before anyone realized what he was driving at./

[drive home] <v. phr.> To argue convincingly; make a strong point. * /The doctor's convincing arguments and explanation of his X-ray pictures drove home the point to Max that he needed surgery./

[drive-in] <adj.>/<n.> A kind of movie theater, fast food restaurant, or church, where the customers, spectators, or worshippers do not leave their automobiles but are served the food inside their cars, can watch a motion picture from inside their cars, or can participate in a religious service in their cars. * /Let's not waste time on the road; let's just eat at the next drive-in restaurant./ * /There is a drive-in theater not far from where we live./ * /Max and Hilde go to a drive-in church every Sunday./

[drive like Jehu] <v. phr.>, <informal> To drive very fast, carelessly or recklessly. * /When Joe is late for work, he drives like Jehu./

[drive one ape], [bananas], [crazy], [mad] or [nuts] <v. phr.>, <informal> To irritate, frustrate, or tickle someone's fancy so badly that they think they are going insane. * /"Stop teasing me, Mary," John said. "You are driving me nuts."/ * /"You are driving me bananas with all your crazy riddles," Steve said./

[drive one round the bend] <v. phr.>, <informal> To upset someone so much that they think they are going crazy. * /"Slow down, please," Miss Jones cried. "You are driving me around the bend!"/ Contrast: DRIVE ONE APE, BANANAS, ETC.

[driver] See: BACKSEAT DRIVER.

[drive to the wall] <v. phr.> To defeat someone completely; to ruin someone. * /Poor Uncle Jack was driven to the wall by his angry creditors when his business failed./ Compare: GO TO THE WALL.

[drive someone bananas] or [drive someone nuts] or [drive someone ape] <v. phr.>, <slang> <informal> To excite someone to the point that he or she goes out of his or her mind; to drive someone crazy. * /You're driving me bananas/nuts with that kind of talk!]

[drop] See: AT THE DROP OF A HAT, BOTTOM DROP OUT, JAW DROP or JAW DROP A MILE.

[drop a line] <v. phr.> To write someone a short letter or note. * /Please drop me a line when you get to Paris; I'd like to know that you've arrived safely./

[drop back] <v.> To move or step backwards; retreat. * /The soldiers dropped back before the enemy's attack./ * /The quarterback dropped back to pass the football./ Compare: DRAW BACK, FADE BACK, FALL BACK.

[drop by] or [stop by] <v.> 1. or [drop around] To make a short or unplanned visit; go on a call or errand; stop at someone's home. * /Drop by any time you're in town./ * /Mv sister dropped around last night./ * /Don't forget to stop by at the gas station./ Syn.: DROP IN. 2. or [drop into] To stop (somewhere) for a short visit or a short time. * /We dropped by the club to see if Bill was there, but he wasn't./ * /I dropped into the drugstore for some toothpaste and a magazine./

[drop by the wayside] See: FALL BY THE WAYSIDE.

[drop dead] <v.>, <slang> To go away or be quiet; stop bothering someone. - Usually used as a command, * /"Drop dead!" Bill told his little sister when she kept begging to help him build his model airplane./ * /When Sally bumped into Kate's desk and spilled ink for the fifth time, Kate told her to drop dead./ Compare: BEAT IT, GET LOST.

[drop in] <v.> To make a short or unplanned visit; pay a call. Often used with "on". * /We were just sitting down to dinner when Uncle Willie dropped in./ * /The Smiths dropped in on some old friends on their vacation trip to New York./ Syn.: DROP BY, RUN IN(2).

[drop in the bucket] <n. phr.> A relatively small amount; a small part of the whole. * /Our university needs several million dollars for its building renovation project; $50,000 is a mere drop in the bucket./

[drop name] <v. phr.> To impress people by mentioning famous names. * /He likes to pretend he's important by dropping a lot of names./

[drop off] <v.> 1. To take (someone or something) part of the way you are going. * /Joe asked Mrs. Jones to drop him off at the library on her way downtown./ 2. To go to sleep. * /Jimmy was thinking of his birthday party as he dropped off to sleep./ 3. To die. * /The patient dropped off in his sleep./ 4. or [fall off] To become less. * /Business picked up in the stores during December, but dropped off again after Christmas./ Contrast PICK UP(14).

[dropout] <n.> Someone who did not finish school, high school and college primarily. * /Tim is having a hard time getting a better job as he was a high-school dropout./ * /Jack never got his B.A. as he became a college dropout./

[drop out] <v.> To stop attending; quit; stop; leave. * /In the middle of the race, Joe got a blister on his foot and had to drop out./ * /Teenagers who drop out of high school have trouble finding jobs./

[drown one's sorrows] or [drown one's troubles] <v. phr.>, <informal> To drink liquor to try to forget something unhappy. * /When his wife was killed in an auto accident, Mr. Green tried to drown his sorrows in whiskey./ * /When Fred lost his job and had to give up his new car, he tried to drown his troubles at the nearest tavern./

[drown one's troubles] See: DROWN ONE'S SORROWS.

[drown out] <v.> To make so much noise that it is impossible to hear (some other sound). * /The children's shouts drowned out the music./ * /The actor's words were drowned out by applause./

[drum up] <v.> 1. To get by trying or asking again and again; attract or encourage by continued effort. * /The car dealer tried to drum up business by advertising low prices./ 2. To invent. * /I will drum up an excuse for coming to see you next week./ Syn.: MAKE UP(2), THINK UP.

[dry] See: CUT AND DRIED, HIGH AND DRY.

[dry behind the ears] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Experienced; knowing how to do something. Usually used in the negative. * /John had just started working for the company, and was not dry behind the ears yet./ Compare: KNOW ONE'S WAY AROUND. Contrast: WET BEHIND THE EARS.

[dry out] <v. phr.> To cure an alcoholic. * /A longtime alcoholic. Uncle Steve is now in the hospital getting dried out./

[dry up] <v.> 1. To become dry. * /The reservoir dried up during the four-month drought./ 2. To disappear or vanish as if by evaporating. * /The Senator's influence dried up when he was voted out of office./ 3. <slang> To stop talking. - Often used as a command. * /"Dry up!" Tony said angrily when his friend told him for the third time that he had made a mistake in his theme./ Syn.: SHUT UP(1).

[dual highway] See: DIVIDED HIGHWAY.

[duck] See: DEAD DUCK, KNEE HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER or KNEE HIGH TO A DUCK, LAME DUCK, LIKE WATER OFF A DUCK'S BACK.

[duckling] See: UGLY DUCKLING.

[duck out] <v. phr.> To avoid; escape from something by skillful maneuvering. * /Somehow or other Jack always manages to duck out of any hard work./

[duck soup] <n.>, <slang> 1. A task easily accomplished or one that does not require much effort. * /That history test was duck soup./ 2. A person who offers no resistance; a pushover. * /How's the new history teacher? - He's duck soup./

[duddy] See: FUDDY-DUDDY.

[due] See: GIVE ONE'S DUE, GIVE THE DEVIL HIS DUE, IN DUE COURSE at IN GOOD TIME.

[due to] <prep.> Because of; owing to; by reason of. * /His injury was due to his careless use of the shotgun./ * /Joe's application to the University was not accepted due to his failing English./

[dull] See: ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY.

[dumb bunny] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> Any person who is gullible and stupid. * /Jack is a regular dumb bunny./

[dumbwaiter] <n.> A small elevator for carrying food, dishes, etc., from one floor to another in hotels, restaurants, or large homes. * /The banquet was delayed because the dumbwaiter broke down and the food had to be carried upstairs by hand./

[dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS or DOWN IN THE MOUTH.

[dust] See: BITE THE DUST, KICK UP A FUSS or KICK UP A DUST, WATCH ONE'S DUST, AFTER THE DUST CLEARS/WHEN THE DUST SETTLES.

[dust off] <v.>, <informal> 1. To get ready to use again. * /Four years after he graduated from school, Tom decided to dust off his algebra book./ 2. To throw a baseball pitch close to. * /The pitcher dusted off the other team's best hitter./ Syn.: BRUSH BACK.

[Dutch] See: BEAT ALL or BEAT THE DUTCH, GO DUTCH, IN DUTCH.

[dutch treat] <n.>, <informal> A meal in a restaurant or an outing at the movies, concert, or theater where each party pays his or her own way. * /"I am willing to accept your invitation," Mary said, "but it will have to be Dutch treat."/

[duty] See: DO DUTY FOR, DOUBLE DUTY, HEAVY DUTY, OFF DUTY, ON DUTY.

[duty bound] <adj. phr.> Forced to act by what you believe is right. * /Abraham Lincoln walked miles once to return a few pennies that he had overcharged a woman because he felt duty bound to do it./ * /John felt duty bound to report that he had broken the window./

[duty calls] <n. phr.> One must attend to one's obligations. * /"I'd love to stay and play more poker," Henry said, "but duty calls and I must get back to the office."/

[dwell on] or [dwell upon] <v.> To stay on a subject; not leave something or want to leave; not stop talking or writing about. * /Joe dwelt on his mistake long after the test was over./ * /Our eyes dwelled on the beautiful sunset./ * /The principal dwelled on traffic safety in his talk./ Compare: HARP ON. Contrast: TOUCH ON.

[dyed-in-the-wool] <adj. phr.> Thoroughly committed; inveterate; unchanging. * /He is a died-in-the-wool Conservative Republican./

[dying to] <adj. phr.> Having a great desire to; being extremely eager to. * /Seymour is dying to date Mathilda, but she keeps refusing him./