Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[in the charge of] See: IN CHARGE OF(2).

[in the chips] <slang> or <informal> [in the money] <adj. phr.> Having plenty of money; prosperous; rich. * /After his rich uncle died, Richard was in the chips./ * /After years of struggle and dependence, air transportation is in the money./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.

[in the circumstances] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

[in the clear] <adj. phr.> 1. Free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult; with nothing to limit action. * /The plane climbed above the clouds and was flying in the clear./ * /Jack passed the ball to Tim, who was in the clear and ran for a touchdown./ 2. <informal> Free of blame or suspicion; not thought to be guilty. * /After John told the principal that he broke the window, Martin was in the clear./ * /Steve was the last to leave the locker room, and the boys suspected him of stealing Tom's watch, but the coach found the watch and put Steve in the clear./ 3. Free of debt; not owing money to anyone. * /Bob borrowed a thousand dollars from his father to start his business, but at the end of the first year he was in the clear./ Syn.: IN THE BLACK.

[in the clouds] <adj. phr.> Far from real life; in dreams; in fancy; in thought. * /When Alice agreed to marry Jim, Jim went home in the clouds./ - Often used with "head", "mind", "thoughts". * /Mary is looking out the window, not at the chalkboard; her head is in the clouds again./ * /A good teacher should have his head in the clouds sometimes, but his feet always on the ground./ Contrast: COME BACK TO EARTH, FEET ON THE GROUND.

[in the clover] See: IN CLOVER.

[in the cold] See: OUT IN THE COLD.

[in the cold light of day] <adv. phr.> After sleeping on it; after giving it more thought; using common sense and looking at the matter unemotionally and realistically. * /Lost night my ideas seemed terrific, but in the cold light of day I realize that they won't work./

[in the dark] <adj. phr.> 1. In ignorance; without information. * /John was in the dark about the job he was being sent to./ * /If the government controls the news, it can keep people in the dark on any topic it chooses./ * /Mary had a letter from Sue yesterday, but she was left in the dark about Sue's plans to visit her./ Contrast: IN THE KNOW. See: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[in the doghouse] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In disgrace or disfavor. * /Our neighbor got in the doghouse with his wife by coming home drunk./ * /Jerry is in the doghouse because he dropped the ball, and the other team won because of that./ Compare: DOWN ON.

[in the door] See: FOOT IN THE DOOR.

[in the driver's seat] <adv. phr.> In control; having the power to make decisions. * /Stan is in the driver's seat now that he has been made our supervisor at the factory./

[in the dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS.

[in the event] See: IN CASE(1).

[in the event of] See: IN CASE OF.

[in the eye] See: LOOK IN THE EYE.

[in the face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE.

[in the face of] <adv. phr.> 1. When met or in the presence of; threatened by. * /He was brave in the face of danger./ * /She began to cry in the face of failure./ 2. Although opposed by; without being stopped by. * /Talking continued even in the face of the teacher's command to stop./ Syn.: IN SPITE OF. Compare: FLY IN THE FACE OF, IN ONE'S FACE. 3. See: FLY IN THE PACE OF.

[in the family] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY.

[in the first place] <adv. phr.> 1. Before now; in the beginning; first. * /You already ate breakfast! Why didn't you tell me that in the first place instead of saying you didn't want to eat?/ * /Carl patched his old football but it soon leaked again. He should have bought a new one in the first place./ 2. See: IN THE PLACE.

[in the flesh] See: IN PERSON.

[in the groove] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Doing something very well; near perfection; at your best. * /The band was right in the groove that night./ * /It was an exciting football game; every player was really in the groove./

[in the hole] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1a. Having a score lower than zero in a game, especially a card game; to a score below zero. * /John went three points in the hole on the first hand of the card game./ 1b. Behind an opponent; in difficulty in a sport or game. * /We had their pitcher in the hole with the bases full and no one out./ Compare: ON THE SPOT. 2. In debt; behind financially. * /John went in the hole with his hot dog stand./ * /It's a lot easier to get in the hole than to get out again./ Compare: IN A HOLE, IN THE RED. Contrast: OUT OF THE HOLE.

[in the know] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Knowing about things that most people do not know about; knowing secrets or understanding a special subject. * /Tina helped Professor Smith make some of the exam questions, and she felt important to be in the know./ * /In a print shop, Mr. Harvey is in the know, but in a kitchen he can't even cook an egg./ Compare: GET WISE. Contrast: IN THE DARK.

[in the lap of luxury] <adv. phr.> Well supplied with luxuries; having most things that money can buy. * /Mike grew up in the lap of luxury./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.

[in the lap of the gods] also [on the knees of the gods] <adv. phr.>, <literary> Beyond human control; not to be decided by anyone. * /Frank had worked hard as a candidate, and as election day came he felt that the result was in the lap of the gods./ * /The armies were evenly matched and the result of the battle seemed to be on the knees of the gods./

[in the least] <adv. phr.> Even a little; in any degree or amount. - Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. * /Sue did not understand physics in the least./ * /Are you in the least interested in sewing?/ * /Mother won't be upset if you come for supper; I'll be surprised if she cares in the least./ * /Mike was not upset in the least by the storm./ * /It is no trouble to help you. Not in the least./ Compare: AT ALL.

[in the line of duty] <adj. phr.> Done or happening as part of a job. * /The policeman was shot in the line of duty./ * /The soldier had to clean his rifle in the line of duty./

[in the long run] <adv. phr.> In the end; in the final result. * /John knew that lie could make a success of the little weekly paper in the long run./ * /You may make good grades by studying only before examinations, but you will succeed in the long run only by studying hard every day./

[in the lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.

[in the main] <adv. phr.>, <formal> In most cases; generally; usually. * /In the main, small boys and dogs are good friends./ * /In the main, the pupils did well on the test./

[in the market for] <adj. phr.> Wishing to buy; ready to buy. * /Mr. Jones is in the market for a new car./ * /People are always in the market for entertainment./

[in the middle] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In between two sides of an argument; caught between two dangers. * /Mary found herself in the middle of the quarrel between Joyce and Ethel./ * /John promised Tom to go fishing, but his father wanted him to help at home. John was in the middle./

[in the middle of nowhere] <adv. phr.> In a deserted, faraway place. * /When my car stopped on the highway in the middle of nowhere, it took forever to get help./

[in the money] See: IN THE CHIPS.

[in the mood (for)] <adj. phr.> 1. Interested in doing something. * /Sorry, I'm just not in the mood for a heavy dinner tonight./ 2. Feeling sexy. * /I am sorry, darling, I am just not in the mood tonight./

[in the mouth] See: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

[in the neck] See: CATCH IT IN THE NECK or GET IT IN THE NECK.

[in the nick of time] <adv. phr.> Just at the right time; barely soon enough; almost too late. * /The doctor arrived in the nick of time to save the child from choking to death./ * /Joe saw the other car in the nick of time./ Compare: IN TIME.

[in the pink] or [in the pink of condition] <adj. phr.>, <informal> In excellent health; strong and well; in fine shape. * /Mr. Merrick had aged well; he was one of those old men who always seem in the pink of condition./ * /After a practice and a rubdown, Joe felt in the pink./

[in the --- place] <adv. phr.> As the (first or second or third, etc.) thing in order or importance; first, second, or third, etc. Used with "first", "second", "third", and other ordinal numbers. * /No, you cannot go swimming. In the first place, the water is too cold; and, in the second place, there is not time enough before dinner./ * /Stealing is wrong, in the first place, because it hurts others, and, in the second place, because it hurts you./ Compare: FOR ONE THING.

[in the prime of life] <adv. phr.> At the peak of one's creative abilities; during the most productive years. * /Poor John lost his job due to restructuring when he was in the prime of his life./

[in the public eye] <adj. phr.> Widely known; often seen in public activity; much in the news. * /The senator's activity kept him in the public eye./ * /A big league ballplayer is naturally much in the public eye./

[in the raw] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. In the simplest or most natural way; with no frills. * /Henry enjoyed going into the woods and living life in the raw./ 2. <informal> Without any clothing; naked. * /In the summer the boys slept in the raw./

[in the red] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> In an unprofitable way; so as to lose money. * /A large number of American radio stations operate in the red./ * /A rich man who has a farm or ranch often runs it in the red, but makes his money with his factory or business./ Contrast: IN THE BLACK. (From the fact that people who keep business records usually write in red ink how much money they lose and in black ink how much money they gain.)

[in the right] <adj. phr.> With moral or legal right or truth on your side; in agreement with justice, truth, or fact; correct. * /When the cars collided, John was clearly in the right./ * /In going before his wife down the stairs, Mr. Franklin was in the right./ * /In many disputes, it is hard to say who is in the right./ Contrast: IN THE WRONG.

[in the rough] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[in the running] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Having a chance to win; not to be counted out; among those who might win. * /At the beginning of the last lap of the race, only two horses were still in the running./ * /A month before Joyce married Hal, three of Joyce's boyfriends seemed to be still in the running./ * /Al was in the running for the trophy until the last hole of the golf tournament./ Contrast: OUT OF THE RUNNING.

[in the saddle] adv. or <adj. phr.> In command; in control; in a position to order or boss others. * /Mr. Park was in the saddle when he had over half the company's stock./ * /Getting appointed chief of police put Stevens in the saddle./

[in the same boat] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In the same trouble; in the same fix; in the same bad situation. * /When the town's one factory closed and hundreds of people lost their jobs, all the storekeepers were in the same boat./ * /Dick was disappointed when Fern refused to marry him, but he knew others were in the same boat./

[in the same breath] <adv. phr.> 1. At the same time; without waiting. * /John would complain about hard times, and in the same breath boast of his prize-winning horses./ * /Jane said Bill was selfish, but in the same breath she said she was sorry to see him leave./ 2. In the same class; in as high a group. - Usually used in the negative with "mention", "speak", or "talk". * /Mary is a good swimmer, but she should not be mentioned in the same breath with Joan./

[in the same place] See: LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE.

[in the sand] See: HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND.

[in the second place] See: IN THE --- PLACE.

[in the short run] <adv. phr.> In the immediate future. * /We are leasing a car in the short run; later we might buy one./ Contrast: IN THE LONG RUN.

[in the soup] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In serious trouble; in confusion; in disorder. * /When his wife overdrew their bank account without telling him, Mr. Phillips suddenly found himself really in the soup./ * /The police misunderstood Harry's night errand, and arrested him, which put him in the soup with the boss./

[in the spotlight] <adv. phr.> In the center of attention, with everybody watching what one is doing. * /It must be difficult for the President to be in the spotlight wherever he goes./ Compare: IN THE LIMELIGHT.

[in the swim] <adj. phr.> Doing the same things that other people are doing; following the fashion (as in business or social affairs); busy with what most people are doing. * /Jim found some college friends at the lake that summer, and soon was in the swim of things./ * /Mary went to New York with introductions to writers and artists, and that winter she was quite in the swim./ Contrast: OUT OF THE SWIM.

[in the third place] See: IN THE --- PLACE.

[in the till] See: ROB THE TILL or HAVE ONE'S HAND IN THE TILL.

[in the twinkling of an eye] See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.

[in the wake of] <prep.>, <literary> As a result of; right after; following. * /Many troubles follow in the wake of war./ * /There were heavy losses of property in the wake of the flood./

[in the way] See: IN ONE'S WAY.

[in the way of] See: PUT IN THE WAY OF.

[in the wind] <adj. phr.> Seeming probable; being planned; soon to happen. * /Changes in top management of the company had been in the wind for weeks./ * /Tom's close friends knew that marriage was in the wind./ Compare: IN THE AIR(1).

[in the works] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In preparation; being planned or worked on; in progress. * /John was told that the paving of his street was in the works./ * /It was reported that the playwright had a new play in the works./ * /The manager told the employees that a raise in wages was in the works./ Compare: UNDER WAY.

[in the world] or [on earth] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Of all possible things; ever. - Usually used for emphasis after words that ask questions, as "who", "why", "what", etc. * /Where in the world did you find that necktie?/ * /The boys wondered how on earth the mouse got out of the cage./ * /Betty could not understand what on earth the teacher meant./

[in the wrong] <adj. phr.> With moral or legal right or truth against you; against justice, truth, or fact; wrong. * /In attacking a smaller boy, Jack was plainly in the wrong./ * /Mary was in the wrong to drink from a finger bowl./ * /Since he had put pennies behind the fuses, Bill was in the wrong when fire broke out./ Compare: OUT OF THE WAY. Contrast: IN THE RIGHT.

[in time] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Soon enough. * /We got to Washington in time for the cherry blossoms./ * /We got to the station just in time to catch the bus./ * /John liked to get to work in good time and talk. to the man who worked on his machine before him./ 2. In the end; after a while; finally. * /Fred and Jim did not like each other at first, but in time they became friends./ 3. In the right rhythm; in step. * /The marchers kept in time with the band./ * /Johnny didn't play his piano piece in time./