Изучая языки, нужно регулярно пополнять свой словарный запас, но, кроме этого, еще нужно вникать в саму суть языка, изучая его устойчивые выражения и фразеологизмы.
Идиомы в английском языке бывают очень специфичны, а бывают на удивление схожи со своими русскими аналогами. Знание этих фраз, конечно, не превратит тебя в настоящего англичанина, но поможет лучше понимать носителей языка и достойно поддерживать с ними любую беседу. «Так Просто!» собрал для тебя 385 разговорных идиом, которые должен знать каждый человек, изучающий английский язык.
Идиомы английского языка
| Идиомы с трактовкой и синонимами | Перевод | Пример |
| after all — despite, nevertheless | все-таки | I knew it! After all, I was right! |
| all along — all the time | все время, всегда | I knew about his little secret all along. |
| all ears — eager to listen | весь внимание | I am all ears. |
| all of a sudden — suddenly | неожиданно | All of a sudden, he refused to pay. |
| all the same — no difference | всё равно, без разницы | If it’s all the same to you, let’s start at two. |
| all thumbs — clumsy | неуклюжий, неумелый | He can’t fix anything, he’s all thumbs. |
| apple of discord — subject of envy or quarrel | яблоко раздора | This question is an apple of discord in our family. |
| as a rule — usually | как правило | As a rule, we offer a 5% discount. |
| as far as I am concerned — in my opinion | что касается меня, по моему мнению | As far as I am concerned, both the book and the movie are good. |
| as for me/as to me — in my opinion | по моему мнению | As for me, you can rely on his support. |
| as well — also, too | тоже, также | He knows math, and physics as well. |
| at all — (not) in the smallest degree | совсем (не) | He doesn’t know French at all. I don’t like it at all. |
| at random — without order | наугад, без плана | He chose those places at random. |
| at this point — at this time | на данном этапе | At this point, we can’t turn back. |
| be about to — ready (to do) | готов сделать | I was about to leave when you called. |
| be after someone — insist, press | настаивать, чтобы сделал | His mother is always after him to study. |
| be all in — be extremely tired | очень устать | I’m all in, I’d better go to bed now. |
| be back on one’s feet — healthy again or better financially | встать на ноги после трудного времени | He’s back on his feet after a long period of debt and unemployment. |
| beat around the bush — avoid giving a clear/definite answer | ходить вокруг да около | Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point! |
| be beside oneself — be very upset, nervous, worried, etc. | быть вне себя от волнения, горя и др. | She was beside herself with worry / with grief. |
| be better off — be in a better situation (financially) | в лучшей ситуации (материально) | He’ll be better off with a new job. |
| be broke — have no money at all | быть «на мели» (без денег) | I spent all my money, I’m broke. |
| be hard on something /someone — treat roughly | не беречь что-то | My son is hard on shoes, they don’t last long with him. Life was pretty hard on Tom. |
| be high on one’s list — be one of the most important things | быть в начале списка нужных вещей | A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV is not high on my list. |
| be in charge of — be responsible for | быть ответственным за | He is in charge of marketing. |
| be in the red — be in debt | быть убыточным | Our sales were in the red last year. |
| be into smth. — be interested in | увлекаться чем-то | He is into computers. She is into sports. |
| bend over backwards — try hard | очень стараться | I bent over backwards to help her. |
| be on one’s way | Я уже еду. | I’m on my way. |
| be on the safe side — not to take any chances | на всякий случай | Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side. |
| be out of — be without | нет в наличии | We are out of bread, cheese, and sugar. |
| be out of shape — be physically unfit | быть не в форме | He needs to exercise, he is out of shape. |
| be out of sorts — in bad humor | не в духе | Leave him alone, he’s out of sorts today |
| be pressed for time / money — be short of; not have enough | не хватать времени или денег | I’m pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment. |
| beside the point — off the point | не по существу, не относится к делу | What I said to him privately is beside the point. |
| be to blame — be responsible for a mistake / something wrong | винить за ошибку, неправильные действия | Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up. |
| be touch and go — be uncertain of the result | на грани; неясно, куда повернется | He was very sick, and for some time it was touch and go, but he is better now. |
| be up against — be opposed by, have problems, be in danger | иметь серьезные проблемы в чем-то, с чем-то | Our company is up against serious attempts of hostile takeover. |
| be up and around/about — able to be out of bed after an illness | встать на ноги, поправиться | He was sick for a month, but now he is up and around. |
| be up to one’s ears — very busy | по уши | I’m up to my ears in work. |
| be up to something — do mischief | задумать, затеять | I have to check what the kids are up to. |
| be up to someone — be one’s own decision or responsibility | на ваше усмотрение, под вашу ответственность | It’s up to you to decide. It’s up to you to close the office every day at 8 o’clock. |
| be used to — be accustomed to | быть привычным к | I’m used to hard work. He’s used to heat. |
| big shot — important person | важная персона | He is a big shot around here. |
| bite off more than one can chew — try to do more than one can | переоценить свои силы | I couldn’t handle two jobs and family. I really bit off more than I could chew. |
| bite one’s tongue — stop talking | прикусить язык | I almost told her, but bit my tongue. |
| bite the dust — die, be defeated | умереть, падать ниц | Many of them bit the dust in that war. |
| black sheep — a good-for-nothing member of the family | паршивая овца | Their second son is the black sheep of the family, he is good for nothing. |
| blind date — a meeting of a man and woman arranged by friends | свидание вслепую | She refuses to go on a blind date again because she had bad experience. |
| blow it — lose the chance | потерять шанс | He understood that he blew it. |
| blow over — pass, end | стихнуть, пройти | Wait here till his anger blows over. |
| bottom line — main result/factor | итог, основной момент | The bottom line is, I don’t have enough money. |
| break into — enter by force | ворваться (в дом) силой | The police broke into the robber’s house. |
| break one’s heart — hurt deeply | разбить сердце | The news of her death broke his heart. |
| break the ice — overcome shyness in making the first step | сломать неловкость при знакомстве | The party was dull until someone broke the ice with a joke and we all laughed. |
| break the news — tell new facts | сообщить важную новость | CNN is breaking the news right now. |
| bring home the bacon — earn the living for the family | обеспечить семью | He works very hard at several places to bring home the bacon. |
| brush off — give no attention to | отмахнуться от | The boss brushed off my project again. |
| brush up on — review | освежить в памяти | You need to brush up on the tenses. |
| by all means -definitely, certainly | обязательно, конечно | Do you need my help? — By all means. |
| by heart — by memorizing | наизусть | Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow. |
| by hook or by crook — by any means possible | любым путем, любым способом | She will get what she wants by hook or by crook. |
| by the way — incidentally | кстати | By the way, Ann is coming back today. |
| call a spade a spade — use plain, direct words | называть вещи своими именами | He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade. |
| call it a day — consider work finished for the day | считать работу законченной | We’ve been working for 10 straight hours. Let’s call it a day. |
| call off — cancel | отменить, отозвать | The police called off the search. |
| carry out — fulfill | доводить до конца | She never carries out her plans. |
| carry weight — be important | иметь вес | His advice always carries weight here. |
| cast down — depressed, sad | повергнуть в уныние | He was cast down by the bad news. |
| castles in the air — daydreaming about success | (строить) воздушные замки | Instead of working hard, he spends time building castles in the air. |
| catch one’s eye — attract attention | привлечь внимание | This picture caught my eye. |
| catch one’s breath — stop and rest | перевести дух | I can’t run, I need to catch my breath. |
| catch someone off guard — catch someone unprepared | застать врасплох | He caught me off guard with his question. |
| catch someone red-handed — find smb. in the act of doing wrong | поймать за руку, когда делал плохое | The manager caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing cigarettes. |
| catch up — become not behind | догнать | He needs to catch up with the others. |
| close call — a narrow escape, a bad thing that almost happened | что-то плохое, что едва не случилось | The speeding car almost hit the man. That was really a close call. |
| come across — meet by chance | наткнуться на | I came across that article yesterday. |
| come down with — become ill | заболеть чем-то | I’m coming down with a cold. |
| come to one’s senses — start acting reasonably, intelligently | взяться за ум, придти в себя | He finally came to his senses, started to work hard, and passed his exams. |
| come true — become reality | осуществиться | My dream came true when I met Pat. |
| come up with — suggest | предложить | Mike came up with a brilliant idea. |
| count on — depend on | рассчитывать на | You can always count on me for help. |
| cut corners — to take a short-cut; to limit one’s spending | срезать углы; ограничить расходы | He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have to cut corners this week. |
| cut down on — reduce | сократить потребление | You have to cut down on chocolate. |
| cut out to be /cut out for it — have the ability to do something | быть созданным для какой-то работы | She isn’t cut out to be a surgeon. He’s cut out to be a leader. |
| do one’s best — try very hard | сделать все, что смог | I did my best to help him in his work. |
| do one’s bit — do what’s needed | сделать положенное | I’ll do my bit, you can count on me. |
| do over — do again | сделать заново | This work is not good, do it over. |
| do someone good — be good for | принести пользу | Fresh air and exercise will do you good. |
| do something behind one’s back — do (harmful) things secretively | делать (вредные) дела за спиной | I hate people who do things behind my back. He did it behind my back again. |
| do without — live without | обходиться без | I’ll have to do without a car for a while. |
| down to earth — practical | приземленный | He’s quiet, sensible and down to earth. |
| draw the line — fix a limit | ограничить (предел) | He drew the line for her at $100 a day. |
| dress up — put on the best clothes | нарядиться | What are you dressed up for? |
| drop off — deliver somewhere | подвезти до, подбросить до | Can you drop me off at the bank? |
| drop out — quit (school) | быть отчисленным | He dropped out of school last year. |
| duty calls — must fulfill obligations | долг обязывает | He said, «Duty calls» and left for work. |
| easier said than done | легче сказать, чем сделать | It’s easier said than done, but I’ll try to do it. |
| eat one’s words — take back words | брать назад слова | He had to eat his words after her report. |
| even so — nevertheless, but | тем не менее | I work hard. Even so, I like my job. |
| every now and then -occasionally | время от времени | Every now and then I visit my old aunt. |
| every other — every second one | через один | She washes her hair every other day. |
| fall behind — lag behind | отстать от | The little boy fell behind the older boys. |
| fall in love — begin to love | влюбиться | Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight. |
| fall out of love — stop loving | разлюбить | They fell out of love and divorced soon. |
| false alarm — untrue rumor | ложная тревога | I heard he quit but it was a false alarm. |
| a far cry from something — very different, almost opposite (neg.) | далеко не такой хороший, как | His second book wasn’t bad, but it was a far cry from his first book. |
| feel it in one’s bones — expect something bad to happen | чувствовать, что случится плохое | Something bad is going to happen, I feel it in my bones. |
| feel like doing something — want to do, be inclined to do smth. | быть склонным к занятию чем-то | I feel like going for a walk. I don’t feel like working now, I’m tired. |
| feel up to — be able to do | в состоянии сделать | I don’t feel up to cleaning the house. |
| few and far between — rare, scarce | слишком редкие | Her visits are few and far between. |
| find fault with — criticize | критиковать | He always finds faults with everybody. |
| find out — learn or discover | узнать, обнаружить | I found out that Maria left town. |
| firsthand — directly from the source | из первых рук, достоверная информация | You can trust it, it’s firsthand information. |
| first things first — important things come before others | сначала главное | First things first: how much money do we have to pay right away? |
| fly off the handle — get angry | разозлиться (вдруг) | He flew off the handle and yelled at me. |
| follow in someone’s footsteps — do the same thing | идти по чьим-то следам, делать то же | Igor followed in his father’s footsteps, he became a doctor, too. |
| foot in the door — a special opportunity for a job | получить шанс на работу | Nina got a foot in the door because her friend works in that company. |
| foot the bill — pay the bill | заплатить по счету | Her father footed the bill for the party. |
| for good — forever | навсегда | After her death, he left town for good. |
| for the time being — at this time | на данное время | For the time being, this house is all right for us. |
| frame of mind — mental state | умонастроение | I can’t do it in this frame of mind. |
| from A to Z — completely | от начала до конца | He knows this town from A to Z. |
| from now on — now and in the future | впредь | From now on, I forbid you to go there. |
| get a grip on oneself — take control of one’s feelings | контролировать свои чувства | Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself! |
| get along with — have good relations | быть в хороших отношениях, ладить | Ann gets along with most coworkers, but doesn’t get along with Laura. |
| get away with — not be caught after doing wrong | уйти от наказания | The police didn’t find the thief. He got away with his crime. |
| get carried away — get too excited and enthusiastic about something | слишком увлечься чем-то | He got carried away with opening a store and lost most of his money. |
| get cold feet — be afraid to do | побояться сделать | I wanted to try it but got cold feet. |
| get even with — have one’s revenge | расквитаться с кем-то | I’ll get even with him for everything! |
| get in touch with — contact | связаться с кем-то | Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help. |
| get lost — lose one’s way | потерять дорогу | She got lost in the old part of town. |
| Get lost! — Lay off! | Исчезни! | I don’t want to see you again. Get lost! |
| get mixed up — get confused | перепутать | I got mixed up, went the wrong way and got lost. |
| get off one’s back — leave alone | отстать от кого-то | Stop bothering me! Get off my back! |
| get on one’s high horse — behave haughtily towards someone | вести себя высокомерно | Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she gets on her high horse. |
| get on (the bus, train, plane) | сесть на (транспорт) | I got on the bus on Oak Street. |
| get off (the bus, train, plane) | сойти с (транспорта) | I got off the bus at the bank. |
| get out of hand — get out of control | выйти из-под контроля | If he gets out of hand again, call me right away. |
| get over — recover after an illness or bad experience | поправиться, преодолеть что-то | I can’t get over how rude he was to me. She got over her illness quite quickly. |
| get rid of — dispose of, discard | избавиться | He got rid of his old useless car. |
| get together — meet with | собираться вместе | My friends and I get together often. |
| get to the bottom — know deeply | добраться до сути | He usually gets to the bottom of things. |
| get to the point — get to the matter | дойти до сути дела | Get to the point! |
| Give me a break! — spare me | с меня хватит | Come on, stop it! Give me a break! |
| give someone a hand — help | помочь кому-то | Can you give me a hand with cooking? |
| give someone a lift /a ride — take to some place by car | подвезти кого-то | Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche. |
| give someone a piece of one’s mind — criticize frankly | высказать, что на уме, критиковать | She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece of my mind about her carelessness. |
| give up — stop doing something, stop trying to do something | отказаться от чего-то, прекратить попытки | I gave up smoking. I gave up trying to fix my old car. |
| go back on one’s word — break a promise | нарушить свое слово, обещание | First he said he would help me, but then he went back on his word. |
| go for it — try to do a new thing | пробовать новое дело | If I were you, I would go for it. |
| go from bad to worse — be worse | становиться все хуже | His business went from bad to worse. |
| go out — go to parties, movies | пойти развлекаться | Do he and his wife go out often? |
| go out of one’s way -try very hard | очень стараться | He goes out of his way to please her. |
| go to one’s head — make too proud | успех вскружил голову | His acting success went to his head. |
| go to pieces — get very upset, fall apart | сильно расстроиться | She went to pieces when she heard it. |
| go with the flow — lead quiet life | плыть по течению | She always goes with the flow. |
| grow on someone — become liked | постепенно понравиться | When she knew him more, he grew on her. |
| had better — should | лучше бы, а то… | You look ill, you’d better see a doctor. |
| have a ball — have a good time | отлично провести время | Yesterday we had a ball at the party. |
| have a bone to pick — complain or discuss something unpleasant | иметь счеты с кем-то, претензии к кому-то | Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick with you. My mail was lost because of you. |
| have a word with someone — talk to | поговорить о чем-то | Can I have a word with you? |
| have words with someone — argue with someone about something | крупно поговорить | I had words with my coworker today because he used my computer again. |
| have it in him — have the ability | иметь нужные качества | Laura has it in her to be a good doctor. |
| have no business doing something — have no right to do | нечего вам здесь делать, быть и др. | You have no business staying here without my permission. |
| have one’s back to the wall — be hard-pressed, on the defensive | быть прижатым к стене | I had no choice, I had my back to the wall. |
| have one’s hands full — very busy | быть очень занятым | He has his hands full with hard work. |
| have one’s heart set on something — want something very much | очень хотеть получить что-то, кого-то | She has her heart set on going to New York. He has his heart set on Betty. |
| have pull — have influence on | иметь влияние на | Does he have pull with the director? |
| (not) have the heart — (not) have the courage to do smth. unpleasant | (не) хватает духа сделать неприятное | I don’t have the heart to tell him that he wasn’t accepted, he’ll be so unhappy. |
| high and low — everywhere | везде (искать и т.д.) | I searched high and low for my lost cat. |
| hit the nail on the head — say exactly the right thing | попасть в точку | You hit the nail on the head when you said our company needs a new director. |
| hit upon something — to discover | обнаружить ценное | They hit upon gold. I hit upon a plan. |
| hold it against someone — blame somebody for doing something | (не) держать зла на кого-то | I lost his book, but he doesn’t hold it against me. |
| Hold it! — Stop! Wait! | Остановитесь/Стойте! | Hold it! I forgot my key. |
| Hold on! — Wait! | Подождите! | Hold on! I’ll be back in a minute. |
| hold one’s own — maintain oneself in a situation, behave as needed | постоять за себя, утвердиться в чем-то | He can hold his own in any situation. We need men who can hold their own. |
| hold up — rob using a weapon | грабить с применением оружия | This bank was held up twice last year. |
| ill at ease — uncomfortable | не по себе | She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress. |
| in advance — well before | заранее | He told her about his plan in advance. |
| in a nutshell — in a few words | кратко, вкратце | In a nutshell, my plan is to buy land. |
| in care of someone — write to one person at the address of another | адресату по адресу другого человека (у кого остановился) | I’m staying at Tom’s house. Write to me in care of Tom Gray, Chicago, Illinois. |
| in cold blood — mercilessly | хладнокровно | He killed her in cold blood. |
| in fact — actually, in reality | фактически | In fact, he works as a manager here. |
| in general — generally, generally speaking | в общем, вообще | In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general. |
| in one’s element — what one likes | в своей стихии | He’s in his element when he’s arguing. |
| in other words — using other words | другими словами | In other words, you refused to do it for her. |
| in plain English — in simple, frank terms | проще говоря | I didn’t really like the concert. In plain English, the concert was terrible. |
| the ins and outs — all info about | входы и выходы | He knows the ins and outs of this business. |
| in someone’s shoes — in another person’s position | на месте другого, в положении другого | I’d hate to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and his wife is in the hospital. |
| in the long run — in the end | в конечном счете | In the long run, it’ll be better to buy it. |
| in the same boat — in the same situation | в таком же положении | Stop arguing with me, we’re in the same boat and should help each other. |
| in the clear — free from blame | вне претензий | Pay the bill and you’ll be in the clear. |
| in time (to do something) — before something begins | придти вовремя, чтобы успеть что-то сделать (до начала чего-то) | I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class. |
| it goes without saying — should be clear without words | не стоит и говорить, само собой | It goes without saying that he must pay what he owes right away. |
| It’s on the tip of my tongue. | вертится на языке | His name is on the tip of my tongue. |
| it’s time — should do it right away | пора | Hurry up, it’s time to go. |
| It’s worth it. / It’s not worth it. It’s (not) worth buying, visiting, watching, etc. | оно того стоит /оно того не стоит; (не) стоит покупать, посетить, смотреть и т.д. | Watch this film, it’s worth it. Don’t buy this coat, it is not worth it. This museum is worth visiting. This film is not worth watching. |
| it will do — it’s enough | достаточно | Stop reading, it will do for now. |
| jump at the opportunity/chance — accept the opportunity eagerly | ухватиться за возможность | His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter jumped at the opportunity. |
| just as soon — prefer this one | предпочел бы (это) | I’d just as soon stay home, I’m tired. |
| just in case — to be on the safe side | на всякий случай | Take an extra shirt, just in case. |
| Just my luck! — Bad / Hard luck! | Мне всегда не везет! | They lost my job application. Just my luck! |
| keep an eye on — take care of, watch, look after | последить за, присмотреть за | Betty keeps an eye on my sons for me. I’ll keep an eye on you! |
| keep a straight face — not to laugh | стараться не смеяться | I tried to keep a straight face, but failed. |
| keep company — accompany | составить компанию | She keeps me company quite often. |
| keep one’s word — fulfill a promise | держать слово | You promised, now keep your word. |
| keep someone posted — inform | держать в курсе событий | Keep me posted about your plans. |
| keep your fingers crossed — hope that nothing will go wrong | надеяться, что все пройдет гладко | I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? |
| kill time — fill/spend empty time | убить время | I went to the show to kill time. |
| (not) know the first thing about — not to have any knowledge about | ничего не знать по какой-то теме | I don’t know the first thing about nuclear physics. |
| know the ropes — be very familiar with some business | знать все ходы и выходы | He knows all the ropes in this company. |
| last-minute notice — little or no time to prepare for something | сообщение в последний момент | His arrival was a last-minute notice, we didn’t have time to prepare for it. |
| lay one’s cards on the table — be frank and open | сказать честно, открыть карты | Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans. |
| lay one’s life on the line — put oneself in a dangerous situation | ставить жизнь на карту | He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts. |
| lead a dog’s life — live in misery | вести собачью жизнь | He leads a dog’s life. |
| lead someone on — make someone believe something that isn’t true | заставить кого-то поверить неправде | They suspect that you are leading them on. You led me on! |
| leave it at that — accept reluctantly | оставить как есть | Leave it at that, what else can you do? |
| leave word — leave a message | оставить сообщение | He left word for you to meet him at the airport at 6. |
| let bygones be bygones — forget and forgive bad things in the past | не ворошить прошлое | Why don’t you let bygones be bygones and forget about what he said? |
| let go of — release the hold | отпустить, не держать | Let go of my hand or I’ll call the guard. |
| let (it) go — forget bad experience, return to normal life | освободиться от тяжелого переживания | He’s still in despair and can’t let (it) go. You can’t change anything, so let it go. |
| let one’s hair down — be relaxed and informal with other people | держаться неофициально | She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down. |
| let someone down — disappoint, fail someone | подвести кого-то | Don’t let me down this time! |
| let someone know — inform | известить | Let me know when you find a job. |
| like father, like son — be like one’s parent in something | какой отец, такой и сын | Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son! |
| little by little — step by step | понемногу | Little by little, he got used to Tokyo. |
| look for — search for | искать | What are you looking for? |
| look forward to — expect with pleasure | ожидать с нетерпением | I’m looking forward to your letter. Mary is looking forward to the party. |
| look out — be careful, watch out | остерегаться | Look out! The bus is coming! |
| look up — check with /in a dictionary or a reference book | посмотреть в словаре или справочнике | If you don’t know this word, look it up in the dictionary. |
| lose one’s temper — become angry | разозлиться | He loses his temper very often. |
| lose one’s way — get lost | потерять дорогу | I lost my way. Can you help me? |
| lose track of — not to know where someone or something is | потерять из виду | I lost track of him years ago. |
| lucky break — a lucky chance | счастливый случай | He got his lucky break when he got this job. |
| make a living — earn money to provide for life | зарабатывать на жизнь | He works hard. His family is big, and he has to make a living somehow. |
| make allowance for — take into consideration when judging | учитывать, делать скидку на | Don’t criticize him so hard, make (an) allowance for his inexperience. |
| make a point of — be sure to do something intentionally | считать обязательным для себя сделать что-то | Make a point of asking about his wife. Make it a point to be here by 10. |
| make ends meet — to have and spend only what one earns | сводить концы с концами | His doesn’t get much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet. |
| make friends — become friends | подружиться | Anton makes new friends easily. |
| make fun of — laugh at, joke about | высмеивать | He made fun of her German accent. |
| make no bones about it — say/do openly, without hesitation | сказать прямо, не скрывая отношения | I’ll make no bones about it: I don’t like your attitude to work. |
| make room for — allow space for | освободить место для | We can make room for one more dog. |
| make sense — be logical | имеет смысл | What you say makes sense. |
| make the most of smth — do the best in the given situation | извлечь лучшее из | Let’s make the most of our vacation. |
| make up — become friends again | помириться | I’m tired of fighting. Let’s make up. |
| make up for smth — compensate | компенсировать | I’ll make up for the time you spent on it. |
| make up one’s mind — decide | принять решение | When will you go? Make up your mind. |
| make yourself at home — be comfortable, feel at home | будьте как дома | Come in please. Make yourself at home. |
| man of his word — one who keeps promises, is dependable | хозяин своего слова, держит слово | You can depend on his promise to help. He’s a man of his word. |
| mean well — have good intentions | хотеть сделать, как лучше | He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me. |
| might as well — a good idea | может быть неплохо | I might as well telephone him now. |
| missing person — someone who is lost and can’t be located | пропавший человек (в розыске) | The little boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person. |
| meet someone halfway — compromise with others | идти на компромисс с кем-то | He’s reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway, when possible. |
| never mind — it doesn’t matter | неважно, ничего | Thank you. — Never mind. |
| not to mention — in addition to | не говоря уж | We have three dogs, not to mention two cats. |
| no wonder — not surprising | неудивительно, что | He ate three big fish. No wonder he’s sick. |
| now and again — occasionally | время от времени | I meet them now and again at the bank. |
| odds and ends — a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers | мелочи, остатки, обрезки | I needed to buy some odds and ends for the kitchen. |
| off the cuff — without preparation | без подготовки | Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate. |
| off the point — beside the point | не относится к делу | What I think about him is off the point. |
| off the record — not for the public, unofficially | не для публики, неофициально | Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon. |
| once and for all — decidedly | однажды и навсегда | You must quit smoking once and for all. |
| on credit — not pay cash right away | в кредит | He bought a car on credit. |
| on edge — nervous, irritable | нервный, раздраженный | He’s been on edge ever since she left. |
| on guard — on the alert | настороже, бдительный | He’s cautious and always on guard. |
| on hand — available | под рукой | Do you have a calculator on hand? |
| on one’s own — alone, by oneself | самостоятельно, один, сам по себе | She likes to live and work on her own. |
| on one’s toes — alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties | бдительный, собранный | He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them. |
| on purpose — intentionally | нарочно, с целью | I didn’t do it on purpose, it just happened so. |
| on second thought — after thinking again | по зрелом размышлении | I’d like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I’d like a window seat. |
| on the alert — on guard | начеку, настороже | He’s cautious and always on the alert. |
| on the carpet — called in by the boss for criticism | вызвать на ковер | Yesterday the boss called her on the carpet for being rude to the coworkers. |
| on the go — busy, on the move | в движении, на ходу | He is always on the go. |
| on the off chance — unlikely to happen, but still | маловероятно, но на всякий случай | On the off chance that you don’t find him at work, here’s his home address. |
| on the other hand — considering the other side of the question | с другой стороны | I’d like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats better. |
| on the spot — right there | на месте, сразу | I decided to do it on the spot. |
| on the spur of the moment — without previous thought / plan | под влиянием момента | He bought this car on the spur of the moment, now he regrets it. |
| on time — punctual | в назначенное время | Jim is always on time. |
| out of one’s mind — crazy | сумасшедший | If you think so, you’re out of your mind. |
| out of one’s way — away from someone’s usual route | не по пути | I can’t give you a lift to the bank, it’s out of my way today. |
| out of the question — impossible | не может быть и речи | Paying him is out of the question! |
| pack rat — a person who saves lots of unnecessary things | тот, кто не выбрасывает старые ненужные вещи | Why does she keep all those things she never uses? — She is a pack rat. |
| pay attention — be attentive | обратить внимание | Pay attention to his words. |
| pick a fight — start a quarrel | начать ссору | He often tries to pick a fight with me. |
| pick up — take, get | подобрать, взять | I’ll pick you up at 7. |
| play one’s cards right — choose the right steps in doing something | сыграть правильно | If you play your cards right, he’ll agree to your plan. |
| potluck supper — a surprise meal, where nobody knows what dishes other guests will bring | ужин вскладчину, никто не знает, что принесут другие | You know what happened at our last potluck supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese, apples, and beer! |
| pull oneself together — brace oneself, summon your strength | cобраться с силами | Stop crying and complaining! You have to pull yourself together now. |
| pull the wool over someone’s eyes — deceive, mislead someone | обмануть, ввести в заблуждение | Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won’t do you any good. |
| put a damper on — discourage | охладить пыл | She always puts a damper on my plans. |
| put in a word for someone — say positive things about someone | замолвить словечко | I’d be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him. |
| put off — postpone | откладывать | Don’t put it off till tomorrow. |
| put one’s foot down — object strongly | решительно воспротивиться | Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan. |
| put one’s foot in it — do the wrong thing, make a fool of oneself | сделать/сказать глупость | He put his foot in it when he told the boss his daughter wasn’t pretty. |
| put up with — accept, tolerate | мириться с, терпеть | I can’t put up with your bad work! |
| quite a bit of — much, a lot of | много | I had quite a bit of trouble with that car. |
| quite a few — many, a lot of | много | He wrote quite a few good stories. |
| rack one’s brain — try hard to think | напрячь мозги | He racked his brain to solve the puzzle. |
| read between the lines — find or understand the implied meaning | читать между строк | His books are not easy to understand; you have to read between the lines. |
| remember me to — say hello to | передать привет от | Please remember me to your family. |
| right away — immediately | сразу же, немедленно | It’ very important to do it right away. |
| ring a bell — remind someone of something familiar /half-forgotten | напоминает что-то знакомое | Annabel Lee? Yeah, it rings a bell, but I can’t place it right now. |
| rock the boat — make the situation unstable | раскачивать лодку, вести к нестабильности | Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss company’s spending policy. |
| rub shoulders with — meet with | близко общаться с | He doesn’t rub shoulders with the rich. |
| rub someone the wrong way — irritate, annoy, make angry | раздражать, злить кого-то | His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way. |
| run into — meet by chance | случайно встретить | I ran into an old friend yesterday. |
| save face — try to change the negative impression produced | спасать репутацию | He said a stupid thing and tried to save face by saying he misunderstood me. |
| save one’s breath — stop useless talk | не трать слова попусту | There’s no use talking to him about his spending habits, so save your breath. |
| scratch the surface — study something superficially | изучать поверхностно | He examines all the facts closely, he doesn’t just scratch the surface. |
| see about — make arrangements for | позаботиться о чем-то | I have to see about our plane tickets. |
| see eye to eye — agree | сходиться в мнении | We don’t see eye to eye any longer. |
| serve someone right — get what someone deserves | поделом | It serves him right that he didn’t get this job, he despised all other candidates. |
| serve one’s purpose — be useful to someone for his purpose | отвечать цели | I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose. |
| show promise — be promising | подавать надежды | This young actor shows promise. |
| show up — appear | появиться | I waited for hours but he didn’t show up. |
| size up — evaluate someone | оценить, составить мнение | It took me 5 minutes to size up that man. |
| sleep on it — postpone a decision till next morning | отложить решение до следующего утра | Don’t decide now, sleep on it. |
| a slip of the tongue — a mistake | обмолвка (ошибка) | It was just a slip of the tongue! |
| slip (from) one’s mind — forget | забыть | It slipped my mind what she asked me. |
| smell a rat — suspect something | подозревать недоброе | I’m not sure what it is, but I smell a rat. |
| so far — up to now | до сих пор, пока | So far, I have read 3 books by King. |
| so much the better — it’s even better | еще лучше | If he can pay cash, so much the better. |
| spill the beans — tell a secret | проболтаться | Who spilled the beans about our plan? |
| stand a chance — have a chance | нет шансов | He doesn’t stand a chance of getting it. |
| stand out — be noticeable | выделяться | He stands out in any group of people. |
| stand to reason — be logical | логично, что | It stands to reason that he apologized. |
| straight from the shoulder — speak frankly | честно, откровенно | Don’t try to spare my feelings, give it to me straight from the shoulder. |
| take a dim view of something — disapprove of something | не одобрять | My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise my children. |
| take a break — stop for rest | сделать перерыв | Let’s take a break, I’m tired. |
| take advantage of — use for one’s own benefit, to profit from | воспользоваться возможностью | We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor. |
| take after — be like one of the parents | быть похожим на родителей (родителя) | Tom takes after his father in character, and after his mother in appearance. |
| take a stand on something — make a firm opinion/decision on smth. | занять четкую позицию, мнение | People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear weapons. |
| take care of — look after, protect, see that smth. is done properly | позаботиться о ком-то, чем-то, присмотреть за | Can you take care of my dog while I’m away? Tom takes good care of his car. |
| take hold of something — take, hold | взять, держать | Take hold of this rope and pull. |
| take into account — consider smth. | принять во внимание | You must take into account her old age. |
| take it easy — relax, be calm | не волнуйся | Take it easy, everything will be OK. |
| take (it) for granted — accept as given | принимать как должное | Mother’s love is always taken for granted by children. |
| take one’s breath away | захватить дух | That great view took my breath away. |
| take one’s time — do slowly | делать не торопясь | Don’t hurry. Take your time. |
| take one’s word for it — believe | поверить на слово | Take my word for it, he won’t go there. |
| take pains — try hard to do it well | прилагать усилия | He took pains to make his report perfect. |
| take part in smth. — participate in | принять участие | Mary is going to take part in the show. |
| take place — happen | иметь место, случиться | The accident took place on Oak Street. |
| take someone’s mind off things — distract from fixed ideas/thoughts | отвлечь от навязчивых мыслей | Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off things. |
| take steps — take action /measures | принимать меры | We need to take steps against it. |
| take the words right out of one’s mouth — say the same before somebody else says it | сказать то же самое чуть раньше, чем другой говорящий | I was about to say the same! You took the words right out of my mouth. |
| take time — take a long time | занять много времени | It takes time to get used to a new place. |
| take time off — be absent from work | взять отгул | He took time off to attend the wedding. |
| take turns — alternate doing something one after another | делать по очереди, меняться местами | We went to Minsk by car. We didn’t get tired because we took turns driving |
| talk back — answer rudely | дерзить | Don’t talk back to the teacher! |
| talk it over — discuss | обсудить с кем-то | I’ll talk it over with my family. |
| tell apart — see the difference | различить, отличить от | Can you tell the twins apart? |
| That’s just the point. — That’s it. | В этом-то и дело. | That’s just the point! I hate this job! |
| the writing on the wall — a sign of future events (usually, trouble) | предзнаменование (обычно, беды) | The plane crashed. Tim said he saw the writing on the wall about this flight. |
| not think much of — think low | невысокого мнения | I don’t think much of her cooking. |
| think over — consider carefully | обдумать | Think over your answer. Think it over carefully. |
| till one is blue in the face — try hard | стараться до посинения | I repeated it till I was blue in the face! |
| to make a long story short — in short | короче говоря | To make a long story short, we won. |
| to say the least — to make the minimum comment about smth. | самое малое, что можно сказать | The film was boring and long, to say the least. |
| try on — put on new clothes to test them for size or look | примерить одежду (перед покупкой) | Try on this leather coat, it’s very good. She tried it on, but it didn’t fit her at all. |
| try one’s hand at something — try | попробовать себя в | I want to try my hand at painting. |
| turn on / off — switch on / off | включить/выключить | Turn on the radio. Turn off the water. |
| turn out to be — result/end this way | оказаться | He turned out to be a very good actor. |
| turn over a new leaf — make a fresh start in life, work, etc. | начать (жизнь, новое дело) заново | He promises to turn over a new leaf and quit alcohol for good. |
| turn the tide — reverse the course of events | повернуть вспять ход событий | The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant was acquitted of charges. |
| twist one’s arm — make to agree | выкручивать руки | They twisted his arm to sell the house. |
| under the weather — feel ill | нездоровится | I’m a little under the weather today. |
| up-and-coming — showing promise of future success | многообещающий, подающий надежды | He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might help you with your case. |
| up in arms — hostile to, in strong protest against something | протестовать против, сопротивляться | The employees are up in arms about the new retirement rules. |
| up in the air — undecided | еще не определено | My vacation plans are still up in the air. |
| (not) up to par — equal in standard | (не) в норме | His behavior isn’t up to par. |
| used to — did often in the past, but not now | в прошлом делал, сейчас нет | I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don’t play it now). |
| walk on air — be very happy | летать от счастья | He got the job and is walking on air now. |
| waste one’s breath — speak uselessly, to no purpose | не трать усилия зря | Don’t waste your breath trying to make him do it, he won’t change his mind. |
| watch one’s step — be careful | быть осмотрительным | Watch your step! |
| watch out — look out, be careful | остерегаться | Watch out for that car! Watch out! |
| wet blanket — a kill-joy, who spoils everybody’s fun | тот, кто портит всем удовольствие | Remember what a wet blanket he was last time? Please don’t invite him again. |
| What’s the matter? — What is it? | В чем дело? | What’s the matter? What happened? |
| which way the wind blows — what the real situation is | какова реальная ситуация | He knows which way the wind blows and always acts accordingly. |
| white lie — unimportant lie | невинная ложь | A white lie is told to spare your feelings. |
| word for word — in the same words | дословно, дословный | Tell me word for word what he said. |
| would rather — prefer | предпочитать | I’d rather stay at home today. |
Зная эти идиомы или хотя бы их значение, ты не будешь чувствовать себя неуютно, разговаривая с носителем английского языка. Ты сможешь смело поддержать беседу и понять всё, что хотел донести до тебя человек.
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