Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[in a spot] See: ON THE SPOT(2).

[in a trice] See: IN A FLASH.

[in at the kill] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Watching or taking part, usually with pleasure, at the end of a struggle; present at the finish. * /Frank and John have been quarreling for a long time and tonight they are having a fight. Bill says he wants to be in at the kill, because he is Frank's friend./

[in a walk] See: WIN IN A WALK.

[in a way] <adv. phr.> 1. also <informal> [in a kind of way] or <informal> [in a sort of way] To a certain extent; a little; somewhat. * /I like Jane in a way, but she is very proud./ Compare: AFTER A FASHION, MORE OR LESS. 2. In one thing. * /In a way, this book is easier: it is much shorter./

[in awe of] See: STAND IN AWE OF.

[in a while] See: AFTER A WHILE, EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.

[in a whole skin] See: WITH A WHOLE SKIN.

[in a word] See: IN BRIEF.

[in a world of one's own] or [in a world by oneself] 1. In the place where you belong; in your own personal surroundings; apart from other people. * /They are in a little world of their own in their house on the mountain./ 2a. In deep thought or concentration. * /Mary is in a world of her own when she is playing the piano./ Compare: LOSE ONESELF. 2b. <slang> Not caring about or connected with other people in thoughts or actions. - Usually used sarcastically. * /That boy is in a world all by himself. He never knows what is happening around him./

[in a zone] <adv.>, <slang>, <informal> In a daze; in a daydream; in a state of being unable to concentrate. * /Professor Smith puts everyone in a zone./

[in back of] See: BACK OF.

[in bad] <adv. phr.>, <substandard> Out of favor; unpopular; in difficulty; in trouble. * /No, I can't go swimming today. Father told me to stay home, and I don't want to get in bad./ - Usually used with "with". * /Mary is in bad with the teacher for cheating on the test./ * /The boy is in bad with the police for breaking windows./ Contrast: IN GOOD, IN ONE'S FAVOR.

[in bad form] <adv. phr.> Violating social custom or accepted behavior. * /When Bob went to the opera in blue jeans and without a tie, his father-in-law told him that it was in bad form./ Contrast: IN GOOD FORM.

[in behalf of] or [on behalf of] <prep.>, <formal> 1. In place of; as a representative of; for. * /John accepted the championship award on behalf of the team./ 2. As a help to; for the good of. * /The minister worked hard all his life in behalf of the poor./ Compare: IN ONE'S BEHALF IN ONE'S FAVOR.

[in black and white] See: BLACK AND WHITE.

[in brief] or [in short] or [in a word] <adv. phr.> Briefly; to give the meaning of what has been said or written in a word or in a few words; in summary. * /The children could play as long as they liked, they had no work to do, and nobody scolded them; in short, they were happy./ * /The speaker didn't know his subject, nor did he speak well; in brief, he was disappointing./ * /John is smart, polite, and well-behaved. In a word, he is admirable./

[in cahoots with] See: IN LEAGUE WITH.

[in case] <adv. phr.>, <informal> 1. In order to be prepared; as a precaution; if there is need. - Usually used in the phrase "just in case". * /The bus is usually on time, but start early, just in case./ * /The big dog was tied up, but John carried a stick, just in case./ 2. [in case] or [in the event] <conj.> If it happens that; if it should happen that; if; lest. * /Tom took his skates in case they found a place to skate./ * /Let me know in case you're not coming./ * /The night watchman is in the store in case there is ever afire./ * /Keep the window closed in case it rains./ * /I stayed home in case you called./ * /In the event that our team wins, there will be a big celebration./ * /What shall we do in case it snows?/

[in case of] also [in the event of] <prep.> In order to meet the possibility of; lest there is; if there is; if there should be. * /Take your umbrellas in case of rain./ * /The wall was built along the river in case of floods./

[inch] See: BY INCHES, EVERY INCH, GIVE ONE AN INCH AND HE WILL TAKE A MILE, WITHIN AN ACE OF or WITHIN AN INCH OF, WITHIN AN INCH OF ONE'S LIFE.

[inch (one's way) along] <v. phr.> To. proceed slowly and with difficulty. * /When the electricity failed, it took John half an hour to inch his way along the corridors of the office building./

[in character] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. In agreement with a person's character or personality; in the way that a person usually behaves or is supposed to behave; as usual; characteristic; typical; suitable. * /John was very rude at the party, and that was not in character because he is usually very polite./ * /The way Judy comforted the little girl was in character. She did it gently and kindly./ 2. Suitable for the part or the kind of part being acted; natural to the way a character in a book or play is supposed to act. * /The fat actor in the movie was in character because the character he played was supposed to be fat and jolly./ * /It would not have been in character for Robin Hood to steal from a poor man./ Contrast: OUT OF CHARACTER.

[in charge] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, 1. In authority or control; in a position to care for or supervise; responsible. * /If you have any questions, ask the boss. He's in charge./ 2. Under care or supervision. * /The sick man was taken in charge by the doctor./ * /During your visit to the library, you will be in the librarian's charge./ Compare: TAKE CARE OF.

[in charge of] <prep.> 1. Responsible for; having supervision or care of. * /Marian is in charge of selling tickets./ * /The girl in charge of refreshments forgot to order the ice cream for the party./ * /When our class had a play, the teacher put Harold in charge of the stage curtain./ 2. or [in the charge of] Under the care or supervision of. * /Mother puts the baby in the charge of the baby-sitter while she is out./ * /The money was given in charge of Mr. Jackson for safekeeping./

[in check] <adv. phr.> In a position where movement or action is not allowed or stopped; under control; kept quiet or back. * /The boy was too small to keep the big dog in check, and the dog broke away from his leash./ * /The soldiers tried to keep the attacking Indians in check until help came./ * /Mary couldn't hold her feelings in check any longer and began to cry./

[in circles] See: IN A CIRCLE.

[in circulation] or [into circulation] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Going around and doing things as usual; joining what others are doing, * /John broke his leg and was out of school for several weeks, but now he is back in circulation again./ * /Mary's mother punished her by stopping her from dating for two weeks, but then she got hack into circulation./ Contrast: OUT OF CIRCULATION.

[inclined to] <adj. phr.> Having a tendency to; positively disposed toward. * /I am inclined to fall asleep after a heavy meal./

[in clover] or [in the clover] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> In rich comfort; rich or successful; having a pleasant or easy life. * /They live in clover because their father is rich./ * /When we finish the hard part we'll be in the clover./ Compare: BED OF ROSES, LIFE OF RILEY, LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG, ON EASY STREET.

[in cold blood] <adv. phr.> Without feeling or pity; in a purposely cruel way; coolly and deliberately. * /The bank robbers planned to shoot in cold blood anyone who got in their way./ * /The bandits planned to murder in cold blood all farmers in the village by the river./

[in command] <adv. phr.> In control of; in charge. * /Helen is in command of the situation./

[in commission] or [into commission] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. On duty or ready to be put on duty by a naval or military service; in active service. * /The old battleship has been in commission for twenty years./ * /It took many months to build the new bomber, and now it is ready to be put into commission./ 2. In proper condition; in use or ready for use; working; running. * /The wheel of my bicycle was broken, but it is back in commission now./ Compare: IN ORDER(2). Contrast: OUT OF COMMISSION(2).

[in common] <adv. phr.> Shared together or equally; in use or ownership by all. * /Mr. and Mrs. Smith own the store in common./ * /The four boys grew up together and have a lot in common./ * /The swimming pool is used in common by all the children in the neighborhood./ Compare: COMMON GROUND.

[in condition] See: IN SHAPE.

[in consequence] <adv. phr.> As a result; therefore; so. * /Jennie got up late, and in consequence she missed the bus./ * /You studied hard, and in consequence you passed the test./

[in consequence of] <prep.>, <formal> As a result of. * /In consequence of the deep snow, school will not open today./ * /In consequence of his promise to pay for the broken window, Bill was not punished./ Compare: BECAUSE OF, ON ACCOUNT OF.

[in consideration of] <adv. phr.> 1. After thinking about and weighing; because of. * /iN consideration of the boy's young age, the judge did not put him in jail for carrying a gun./ 2. In exchange for; because of; in payment for. * /In consideration of the extra work Joe had done, his boss gave him an extra week's pay./ Compare: IN RETURN.

[in days] or [weeks] or [years to come] <adv. phr.> In the future. * /In the years to come I will be thinking of my father's advice about life./

[in deep] <adj. phr.> Seriously mixed up in something, especially trouble. * /George began borrowing small sums of money to bet on horses, and before he knew it he was in deep./ Compare: DEEP WATER, UP TO THE CHIN IN.

[in deep water] See: DEEP WATER.

[in defiance of] <prep.> Acting against; in disobedience to. * /The girl chewed gum in defiance of the teacher's rule./ * /Bob stayed up late in defiance of the coach's orders./

[in demand] <adj. phr.> Needed; wanted. * /Men to shovel snow were in demand after the snow storm./ * /The book about dogs was much in demand in the library./

[Indian] See: CIGAR-STORE INDIAN.

[Indian giver] <n. phr.> A person who gives one something, but later asks for it back. - An ethnic slur; avoidable. * /John gave me a beautiful fountain pen, but a week later, like an Indian giver, he wanted it back./

[Indian sign] <n.>, <informal> A magic spell that is thought to bring bad luck; curse; jinx; hoo-doo. - Used with "the", usually after "have" or "with"; and often used in a joking way. * /Bill is a good player, but Ted has the Indian sign on him and always beats him./ * /Father says that he always wins our checker games because he has put the Indian sign on me, but I think he is joking./ Compare: GET ONE'S NUMBER.

[Indian summer] <n. phr.> A dry and warm period of time late in the fall, usually in October. * /After the cold and foggy weather, we had a brief Indian summer, during which the temperature was up in the high seventies./

[in dispute] <adj. phr.> Disagreed about; being argued. * /The penalty ordered by the referee was in dispute by one of the teams./ * /Everyone in the clans wanted to say something about the subject in dispute./

[in doubt] <adv. phr.> In the dark; having some question or uncertainty. * /When in doubt about any of the words you're using, consult a good dictionary./

[in due course] or [in due season] or [in due time] See: IN GOOD TIME(2).

[in due season] or [in due time] See: IN GOOD TIME.

[industrial park] <n.> A complex of industrial buildings and/or businesses usually located far from the center of a city in a setting especially landscaped to make such buildings look better. * /The nearest supermarket that sells car tires is at the industrial park twenty miles from downtown./

[in Dutch] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In trouble. * /George got in Dutch with his father when he broke a window./ * /John was in Dutch with his mother because he tore his new jacket./

[in earnest] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Seriously; in a determined way. * /The beaver was building his dam in earnest./ * /Bill did his homework in earnest./ - Often used like a predicate adjective. Sometimes used with "dead", for emphasis. * /Betty's friends thought she was joking when she said she wanted to be a doctor, but she was in dead earnest./

[in effect] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. The same in meaning or result. * /The teacher gave the same assignment, in effect, that she gave yesterday./ * /Helping your mother with the dishes is in effect earning your allowance./ 2. Necessary to obey; being enforced. * /The coach says that players must be in bed by midnight, and that rule is in effect tonight./ Syn.: IN FORCE.

[in effigy] See: HANG IN EFFIGY or BURN IN EFFIGY.

[in error] <adv. phr.> Wrong; mistaken. * /You were in error when you assumed that he would wait for us./

[in evidence] <adj. phr.> Easily seen; noticeable. * /The little boy's measles were very much in evidence./ * /The tulips were blooming; spring was in evidence./

[in fact] also [in point of fact] <adv. phr.> Really truthfully. Often used for emphasis. * /No one believed it but, in fact, Mary did get an A on her book report./ * /It was a very hot day; in fact, it was 100 degrees./ Compare: MATTER OF FACT.

[in favor of] <prep.> On the side of; in agreement with, * /Everyone in the class voted in favor of the party./ * /Most girls are in favor of wearing lipstick./ Compare: IN BACK OF(2).

[in fear and trembling] See: FEAR AND TREMBLING.

[in fear of] <adj. phr.> Fearful of; afraid of. * /They live so close to the border that they are constantly in fear of an enemy attack./

[in for] <prep.>, <informal> Unable to avoid; sure to get. * /The naughty puppy was in for a spanking./ * /On Christmas morning we are in for some surprises./ * /We saw Father looking angrily out of the broken window, and we knew we were in for it./ Compare: HAVE IT IN FOR.

[in force] <adj. phr.> 1. To be obeyed. * /New times for eating meals are now in force./ Syn.: IN EFFECT. 2. In a large group. * /People went to see the parade in force./ Syn.: EN MASSE.

[in front of] prep. Ahead of; before. * /The rabbit was running in front of the dog./ * /A big oak tree stood in front of the building./ Contrast: IN BACK OF(1).

[in full swing] <adj. phr.> Actively going on; in full action. * /The Valentine party was in full swing./ * /All of the children were planting seeds; the gardening project was in full swing./

[in fun] See: FOR FUN.

[in general(1)] <adv. phr.> Usually; very often. * /In general, mother makes good cookies./ * /The weather in Florida is warm in general./ Compare: ON THE WHOLE(2).

[in general(2)] <adj. phr.> Most; with few exceptions. * /Women in general like to shop for new clothes./ * /Boys in general like active sports more than girls do./ Contrast: IN PARTICULAR.

[in glass houses] See: PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN GLASS HOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES.

[in good] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Well liked; accepted. - Used with "with". * /The boy washed the blackboards so that he would get in good with Iris teacher./ * /Although Tom was younger, he was in good with the older boys./ Compare: ON ONE'S GOOD SIDE. Contrast: IN BAD.