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Григорьева А. И
1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний
От составителя
Фразеологизм, или идиома, – это устойчивое выражение, значение которого не определяется отдельными значениями составляющих его слов.
В настоящем словаре представлено около 1500 русских фразеологизмов с их наиболее точными эквивалентами в британском варианте английского языка, а также около 1500 английских фразеологизмов с их русскими эквивалентами или, при отсутствии соответствующих русских идиом, переводом их значения. Русско-английская часть словаря снабжена дополнительно примерами употребления английских фразеологизмов в современном разговорном языке.
Все фразеологизмы приводятся в алфавитном порядке.
Надеемся, что словарь окажется полезным и удобным для всех, кто будет им пользоваться.
В настоящем словаре представлено около 1500 русских фразеологизмов с их наиболее точными эквивалентами в британском варианте английского языка, а также около 1500 английских фразеологизмов с их русскими эквивалентами или, при отсутствии соответствующих русских идиом, переводом их значения. Русско-английская часть словаря снабжена дополнительно примерами употребления английских фразеологизмов в современном разговорном языке.
Все фразеологизмы приводятся в алфавитном порядке.
Надеемся, что словарь окажется полезным и удобным для всех, кто будет им пользоваться.
Русско-английские идиомы
ад кромешный
(a) hell on earth
The wounded soldiers described the battle as ‘hell on earth’.
альфа и омега
the alpha and omega
ангельское терпение
the patience of Job
You need the patience of Job to deal with customers like that.
Ахиллесова пята
Achilles’ heel; a chink in someone’s armour
His Achilles’ heel is that he always wants to be right.
The lack of experience may be a chink in his armour.
бабушкины сказки
an old wives’ tale
It is an old wives’ tale that drinking milk prevents cold.
бабье лето
an Indian summer
бальзам на душу
music to someone’s ears
What he said was music to my ears.
бедный как церковная крыса
(as) poor as a church mouse
My uncle was as poor as a church mouse.
без всякого преувеличения
to say the least
Her behaviour towards her boss was very rude, to say the least.
без обиняков
straight from the shoulder
John told me, straight from the shoulder, that he was not at all pleased with my work.
бить баклуши
to twiddle one’s thumbs
Don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs. Get down to work!
бить в цель
to hit the mark
His remarks hit the mark perfectly and really provided an important message for the graduating students.
бить мимо цели
to miss the mark
His speech missed the mark and he failed to gain support from the audience.
бить ниже пояса (кого-л.)
to hit someone below the belt; to be below the belt
In the run-up to the election, he won’t hesitate to hit his opponent below the belt.
Her remarks about my money problems were a bit below the belt.
биться головой о стену
to bang one’s head against a brick wall
He was banging his head against a brick wall trying to teach that dog to obey.
биться не на жизнь, а на смерть
to fight tooth and nail
They fought tooth and nail to defend their son against the false accusations.
благодарить судьбу
to thank one’s lucky stars
You can thank your lucky stars that she was there to help you.
блаженное неведение
a fool’s paradise
You are living in a fool’s paradise if you think that the business will recover shortly.
бледный как полотно
(as) white as a sheet
He looked as white as a sheet after the accident.
блуждать в потемках
to be in the dark
I’m totally in the dark about what’s going on.
Бог его знает
God knows!
Will we ever win? – God knows!
боевое крещение
baptism of fire
He was given a very important project to carry out in his first month. It was a real baptism of fire.
Боже мой!
good God/gracious/grief!; oh dear!; dear me!
Good God! You’ve finished the work already!
Oh dear! I’ve lost my keys.
Dear me! I forgot to phone him.
Боже упаси!
God/heaven forbid!
I hope we won’t have any trouble with the car. – God forbid!
бок о бок
side by side
They walked along the river side by side.
более или менее
more or less
The distance is ten miles, more or less.
Have you finished yet? – More or less.
большая шишка
a big cheese/gun/noise/shot/wheel
Bill’s father is quite a big shot in the government.
бояться собственной тени
to be afraid of one’s own shadow
Jane never goes anywhere – she seems to be afraid of her own shadow.
брать быка за рога
to take the bull by the horns
I decided to take the bull by the horns and asked my boss for a holiday.
брать верх (над кем-л./чем-л.)
to get the upper hand (over someone/something)
Our team managed to get the upper hand in the end.
брать голыми руками (кого-л.)
to beat someone hands down
The last time we played chess he beat me hands down.
брать за душу
to tug at the heartstrings
The story of a lost child was one that really pulled at the heartstrings.
брать свои слова обратно
to eat one’s words
You shouldn’t say that to me. I’ll make you eat your words.
брать себя в руки
to get a grip on oneself; to pull oneself together
Come on, get a grip on yourself and tell me what happened.
She started to panic but managed to pull herself together.
брать слово
to take the floor
Mr Smith took the floor to talk about the government’s new plans to reduce unemployment.
браться за ум
to come to one’s senses
John, you should come to your senses and stop gambling.
бросать в лицо (что-л. кому-л.)
to throw something in someone’s face
She was always throwing her husband’s clumsiness in his face.
бросать деньги на ветер
to throw money down the drain
Don’t gamble on the horses. That’s just throwing money down the drain.
бросать камень (в кого-л.)
to throw stones at someone
Many politicians seem to spend too much time throwing stones at each other.
бросать на произвол судьбы (кого-л.)
to leave someone in the lurch
Soon after their son was born he went off and left her in the lurch.
бросать перчатку
to throw down the gauntlet
He threw down the gauntlet by challenging my conclusions.
бросаться в глаза (кому-л.)
to catch someone’s eye; to stick out like a sore thumb
His shiny black car caught my eye.
The dinner is formal; if you wear old jeans you’ll stick out like a sore thumb among all the well-dressed guests.
бряцать оружием
to rattle one’s sabre
He may rattle his sabre at his enemies in public, but then will bend over backwards to agree behind closed doors.
буква закона
the letter of the law
There was the danger that the judge may follow the letter of the law rather than its spirit.
буря в стакане воды
a storm in a teacup
This isn’t a serious problem – just a storm in a teacup.
была не была
here goes
‘Well, here goes!’ shouted the parachutist and jumped out of the plane.
быть беде
the fat is in the fire
The fat’s in the fire now that she has discovered about her husband’s lover.
быть на высоте
to give a good account of oneself
John gave a good account of himself during the match.
быть навеселе
to have had one too many; to have had a few (too many)
He looks as if he has had one too many.
She’s jad a few; you should take her home and put her to bed.
быть на побегушках (у кого-л.)
to fetch and carry (for someone); to be at someone’s beck and call
She is so lazy because her husband is always there to fetch and carry for her.
I had to be at his beck and call 24 hours a day.
быть нечистым на руку
to have light fingers
The employee on the till had light fingers and got fired.
в бегах
on the run
The jail-breakers were on the run from the police.
в глубине души
in one’s heart of hearts
In her heart of hearts, she knew that she wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon.
в здравом уме
in one’s right mind
No one in his right mind would go there.
в интересном положении
in the family way
I’ve heard that Martin’s wife is in the family way.
в кулаке (у кого-л.)
under someone’s thumb; in the palm of someone’s hand; in someone’s pocket
My sister is completely under her husband’s thumb.
The mayor had the local press in the palm of his hand and was never criticised by any of them.
Most of the officials in that country are in the pocket of a few very rich businessmen.
в курсе дела
in the know
Let’s ask Paul. He’s in the know.
в лицо (кому-л.)
to someone’s face
He wouldn’t dare say it to my face!
в лучшем случае
at best
The buses were all late and at best I could only hope to be home before midnight.
в любом случае
in any case/event; at any rate
In any event, I’ll see him on Tuesday.
At any rate we must go tomorrow.
в мгновение ока
in the twinkling of an eye
The new machine can do all the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.
в общем и целом
on the whole; all in all; first and last
On the whole, this was a very good journey.
All in all we haven’t done badly.
She is, first and last, a hard worker.
в объятиях Морфея
in the land of Nod
She was in the land of Nod and I didn’t want to wake her.
в одно ухо входит, а в другое выходит
to go in one ear and out the other
Everything she says to her son seems to go in one ear and out the other.
в одной лодке
in the same boat
When I told her that I was broke she said that she was in the same boat.
в первую очередь
in the first place
In the first place, I don’t have enough money to buy a new house.
в подметки не годиться (кому-л.)
cannot hold a candle to someone
She can’t hold a candle to her mother when it comes to cooking.
в полном разгаре
in full swing
The party was in full swing.
в порядке вещей
all in a day’s work
Dealing with complaints from quests is all in a day’s work to anyone working in a hotel.
в поте лица
by the sweat of one’s brow
I can proudly say that whatever I achieved was by the sweat of my brow.
в своей стихии
in one’s element
She is in her element when she’s singing.
в своем уме
in one’s right mind
You’re not in your right mind! That sounds crazy!
в стельку пьяный
as drunk as a lord
When he came home last night, he was as drunk as a lord.
в ус не дуть
not to give a damn
She was unemployed, but she didn’t give a damn.
в форме
on form
John was back on form and nobody could beat him.
в хороших руках
in good hands
This hospital is excellent – your mother will be in good hands.
в худшем случае
if the worst comes to the worst
If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll have to stay in the hotel for another night.
в чем мать родила
in one’s birthday suit; in the buff/altogether/raw
I used to go down to the beach and swim in my birthday suit.
He always sleeps in the raw.
в шкуре (кого-л.)
in someone’s skin
I wouldn’t want to be in your skin.
важная птица
a big cheese/gun/noise/shot/wheel
She is one of the directors of our company – a big noise.
валится из рук (у кого-л.)
to be all fingers and thumbs
I’m all fingers and thumbs today. Can you thread this needle for me?
валить с ног (кого-л.)
to lay someone low
The blow laid him low.
I was laid low by the flu for about two weeks.
валиться с ног
to be ready/fit to drop; to be on one’s last legs
After walking several miles I was ready to drop.
I worked all day in the garden and felt like I was on my last legs.
валять дурака
to play the fool
My father told me to stop playing the fool and start working hard for my examinations.
вбивать в голову (что-л. кому-л.)
to get something into someone’s head
The teacher couldn’t get the Latin grammar into his pupils’ heads.
вбивать себе в голову
to get it into one’s head
For some reason, he got it into his head that everybody was persecuting him.
вверх дном
upside down
The children turned the house upside down.
вводить в курс дела (кого-л.)
to put someone in the picture
I was new to this project and the manager put me in the picture.
вдоль и поперек (досконально)
inside out; backwards and forwards; through and through
He has lived in London for 30 years and knows the city inside out.
She knows the fashion business backwards and forwards.
I’ve studied his report through and through but couldn’t find any mistakes.
вдоль и поперек (во всех направлениях)
far and wide, the length and breadth of something
The police searched far and wide for the missing girl.
We travelled the length and breadth of the town looking for a good hotel.
вдохнуть жизнь (во что-л.)
to breathe life into something
The new director will help to breathe life into the project.
везет как утопленнику (кому-л.)
just someone’s luck
It was just my luck that the train left five minutes before I got to the station.
верить на слово (кому-л.)
to take someone’s word for it; to take someone on trust
John will be late again. Take my word for it.
He always took his friends on trust.
вертеться как белка в колесе
to be on the go
With three children to look after she is always on the go from morning till night.
вертеться на языке (у кого-л.)
to be on the tip of one’s tongue
What’s the name of that tree? Hold on, it’s on the tip of my tongue.
вертеться под ногами (у кого-л.)
to be under someone’s feet
I can’t cook the dinner with three children under my feet all the time.
верхушка айсберга
the tip of the iceberg
The reported cases of the disease might be only the tip of the iceberg.
вечный сон
the long sleep
вешать голову
to lose heart; to look down in the mouth
Don’t lose heart, even when you’re faced with serious difficulties.
She looked very down in the mouth when I told her that I couldn’t go with her.
взад и вперед
back and forth; to and fro; up and down; backwards and forwards
The lion was pacing back and forth inside the cage.
She walked to and fro in the hospital waiting room.
We’ve been running up and down the street looking for you.
The pendulum was moving slowly backwards and forwards.
взбредать в голову (кому-л.)
to take it into one’s head
Ann took it into her head to become an actress.
взвешивать свои слова
to weigh one’s words
I had to weigh my words carefully before asking my boss for more pay.
видать виды (много испытать)
to see the world; to go through the mill
He had the appearance of a man who has seen the world.
The young soldiers really went through the mill during the first two months of their training.
видать виды (поношенный)
have seen better days
My old hat has seen better days.
видеть насквозь (кого-л.)
to read someone like a book
You won’t deceive me with your lies. I can read you like a book.
видеть свет в конце туннеля
to see the light at the end of the tunnel
видит Бог
honest to God/goodness!
I didn’t break the window, honest to God!
винтика в голове не хватает (у кого-л.)
to have a screw loose; to have bats in the belfry
He must have a screw loose to walk around barefoot.
The poor old woman had bats in the belfry.
висеть на волоске
to hang by a thread
His life was hanging by a thread.
висеть над головой (у кого-л.)
to hang over one’s head
The threat of dismissal hung over my head.
витать в облаках
to have one’s head in the clouds
The new secretary must be in love. She has her head in the clouds most of the time.
вить веревки (из кого-л.)
to twist/wrap someone round one’s little finger
His wife can twist him round her little finger.
владеть собой
to keep one’s temper
You should learn to keep your temper.
власти предержащие
the powers that be
The powers that be have decided to demolish the old building to make space for a car park.
влетать в копеечку (кому-л.)
to cost someone a pretty penny
That house must have cost them a pretty penny.
вместе с водой выплеснуть и ребенка
to throw the baby out with the bath water
I know there are weaknesses in the programme but we shouldn’t act too hastily and throw the baby out with the bath water.
вне себя
beside oneself
She was beside herself with joy when she heard the news about her son.
вносить свою лепту
to do one’s bit
We must all do our bit to finish this job in time.
во весь голос
at the top of one’s voice
He was shouting at the top of his voice.
во весь опор
at full tilt; for all one is worth
The boy was running at full tilt down the street.
I ran to the station for all I was worth to catch the last train.
во все глаза
all eyes
The children were all eyes, taking in every detail of their new house.
во всю мочь
with all one’s might
He struggled with all his might to open the stiff door but it stayed shut.
во всю прыть
like greased lightning; like a bat out of hell
He ran out of the room like greased lightning.
The dog ran after the cat like a bat out of hell.
во плоти
in the flesh
I’ve never seen the Queen in the flesh.
во что бы то ни стало
at all costs; at any price
You must at all costs avoid an argument with your employer.
He was determined to get his freedom at any price.
водить за нос (кого-л.)
to lead someone up the garden path; to take someone for a ride
He never realised that she had been leading him up the garden path.
The people who have invested their money in this project have been taken for a ride.
водой не разольешь
as thick as thieves
Mary and Tom are as thick as thieves. They go everywhere together.
возводить на пьедестал (кого-л.)
to put someone on a pedestal
He has put his wife on a pedestal and won’t listen to a word of criticism against her.
возлагать надежды (на кого-л./что-л.)
to pin one’s hopes on someone/something
We are pinning our hopes on the new advertising campaign.
возродиться из пепла
to rise from the ashes
He bought the firm when it was bankrupt. Now it has risen from the ashes and is in profit.
войти в историю
to go down in history
I’m sure that his name will go down in history.
волк в овечьей шкуре
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
I always suspected that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
волосы становятся дыбом (у кого-л.)
one’s hair stands on end
When the boy heard that sound, his hair stood on end.
вольная птица
(as) free as a bird
He felt as free as a bird when he escaped to his country house.
вооруженный до зубов
armed to the teeth
The robber was armed to the teeth and ready to fight.
I arrived for the interview armed to the teeth with letters of recommendation.
вопрос жизни и смерти
a matter of life and death
Go and get the doctor. Tell him it’s a matter of life and death.
воротить нос (от чего-л.)
to turn one’s nose up at something
She always turns her nose up at my cooking.
ворошить прошлое
to rake over the ashes/coals
Jim has already made an apology for his rude behaviour, so there’s no need to rake over the ashes.
воскрешать в памяти (что-л.)
to call something to mind
I know this actor but I can’t call his name to mind.
воспрянуть духом
to take heart
The soldiers took heart when they heard the news.
вот тебе и раз!
well, did you ever!; I say!
Well, did you ever! Mrs Smith has finally decided to move house.
I say! What a surprise!
впадать в детство
to be in one’s second childhood
He was acting very strange, as if he was in his second childhood.
впадать в немилость
to fall from grace
He was one of the president’s closest advisers for several years but fell from grace when the fraud was discovered.
впадать в уныние
to lose heart
After so many unsuccessful attempts to win the championship, he began to lose heart.
впитать с молоком матери (что-л.)
to imbibe something with one’s mother’s milk
We imbibed a love for music with our mother’s milk.
врать как сивый мерин
to lie through one’s teeth
When he said he was not married he was lying through his teeth but I pretended to believe him.
время от времени
from time to time; (every) now and again/then; (every) once in a while
From time to time he sends me flowers.
I drink coffee every now and then.
We go to the cinema every once in a while.
все до одного
one and all
I would like to invite you to dinner, one and all.
всей душой
with all one’s heart and soul; heart and soul
I hope with all my heart and soul that you will succeed.
He loved her heart and soul.
вставать на колени (перед кем-л.)
to throw oneself at the feet of someone; to go down on one’s hands and knees (to someone)
Do I have to throw myself at your feet to convince you that I’m really sorry?
I won’t go down on my hands and knees to her, no matter how important she is.
вствать с левой ноги
to get out of bed on the wrong side
She must have got out of bed on the wrong side today – she is so grumpy.
вставлять палки в колеса (кому-л.)
to put a spoke in someone’s wheel; to throw a spanner in the works
We disagree about it, but I won’t put a spoke in his wheel.
You threw a spanner in the works supplying me with the wrong information.
всыпать по первое число (кому-л.)
to knock someone into the middle of next week; to give someone hell
My brother promised to knock me into the middle of next week if I crash his car.
His wife gave him hell when he came home late last night.
втирать очки (кому-л.)
to pull the wool over someone’s eyes; to throw dust in someone’s eyes
He tried to pull the wool over my eyes with some feeble explanation.
He only gave this information in order to throw dust in our eyes.
втираться в доверие (кому-л.)
to worm oneself into someone’s confidence
Within a few months he had wormed himself into her confidence and soon he was the only person she trusted.
вторая натура
second nature
It was second nature to Sally to tell everyone else what to do.
входить в долю
to go halves
I went halves with my sister when we bought Mum a birthday present.
входить в курс дела
to learn the ropes
I’ll be able to do my job better once I learn the ropes.
входить в положение (чье-л.)
to put oneself into someone’s shoes
Try putting yourself into my shoes – I really couldn’t help your sister at that time.
вчера родиться
to be born yesterday
You must think I was born yesterday if you expect me to believe that nonsense.
выбивать из колеи (кого-л.)
to put someone off one’s stroke
His tricky questions put me off my stride and I got confused.
выбивать почву из-под ног (у кого-л.)
to cut the ground from under someone’s feet; to pull the rug from under someone
The politician completely cut the ground from under his opponent’s feet.
His girlfriend pulled the rug from under him by going to Spain alone.
выбросить из головы (что-л.)
to get something out of one’s system/mind
He couldn’t get that problem out of his system.
выведенного яйца не стоить
not worth a damn
His opinion isn’t worth a damn.
выводить из равновесия (кого-л.)
to throw someone off balance
The conflicting information threw me off balance.
выводить из себя (кого-л.)
to get someone’s goat; to make someone’s hackles rise
The way she keeps denying the obvious really gets my goat.
His rude remarks made my hackles rise.
выдерживать характер
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The boss stood his ground and refused to accept my resignation.
He wanted me to bend to his wishes, but I stood fast and held back the tears.
John has been asked to withdraw his complaint, but he is sticking to his guns.
выжимать все соки (из кого-л.)
to bleed someone dry
The police fines have bled us dry.
вызывать на ковер (кого-л.)
to have someone on the carpet
The boss will have him on the carpet for causing trouble.
вылетать в трубу
to go bust; to go to the wall
This company he works for has gone bust.
Many small firms went to the wall in the past year.
вылетать из головы (у кого-л.)
to slip someone’s mind
I meant to invite him to lunch, but it slipped my mind.
выносить сор из избы
to wash one’s dirty linen in public
It is unfortunate that his wife has chosen to wash their dirty linen in public.
выпадать на долю (кому-л.)
to fall to someone’s lot
It fell to his lot to tell Paul the bad news about his brother.
выплакать все глаза
to cry one’s eyes out
She cried her eyes out when he married another girl.
выплывать на свет божий
to come to light
All his secrets have come to light.
выпускать из рук (что-л.)
to let something slip through one’s fingers
You will always regret that you have let such an opportunity slip through your fingers.
выпускать пар
to let off steam
Tom’s shouting didn’t mean he was angry with you; he was just letting off steam.
выходить в люди
to make one’s way in the world
He has made his own way in the world – his parents have not helped him at all.
выходить из своей скорлупы
to come out of one’s shell
Nancy was very shy when she first went to school, but since she has made some friends, she has come out of her shell.
выходить из себя
to lose one’s temper/rag; to fly off the handle; to go off the deep end
She lost her temper and shouted at her husband.
My father flew off the handle when he saw my report card.
I knew my father would be angry with me, but I had no idea he’d go off the deep end like this.
выходить сухим из воды
to get off scot free; to land/fall on one’s feet
Mark cheated on the examination and got caught, but he got scot free.
No matter what trouble he gets himself into, he always seems to land on his feet.
гадкий утенок
an ugly duckling
гладить по головке (кого-л.)
to pat someone on the back
You shouldn’t criticise him all the time. Why don’t you pat him on the back occasionally?
гладить против шерсти (кого-л.)
to ruffle someone’s feathers; to rub someone up the wrong way
She always tried not to ruffle his feathers.
He rubbed me up the wrong way and this led to an argument.
глаза полезли на лоб (у кого-л.)
one’s eyes nearly popped out of one’s head
When I heard how much money she was spending on clothes, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
глаза разгорелись (на что-л.)
to set one’s heart on something
I’ve set my heart on having that new dress.
глазом не моргнуть
not to bat an eyelid; not to turn a hair
Tom didn’t bat an eyelid when he was told that his daughter was getting married.
He didn’t turn a hair when a large dog ran straight towards him.
глас вопиющего в пустыне
a voice crying in the wilderness
глупый как пробка
to be dead from the neck up
Her husband was dead from the neck up.
глухой как пень
(as) deaf as a post
He won’t hear us – he’s as deaf as a post.
гнать волну
to make waves
Why do you always have to make waves?
гнать в три шеи (кого-л.)
to throw someone out on one’s ear
If you continue to be so late, the director will throw you out on your ear.
гнуть свою линию
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The referee stood his ground and refused to be intimidated.
The customer stood fast and got a refund on the faulty good he brought back.
She was sticking to her guns and nobody could persuade her to do something against her wishes.
гнуть спину
to break one’s back; to work one’s fingers to the bone
I’m not going to break my back working all day for such low wages.
His parents worked their fingers to the bone so he could have everything he needed.
говорить без обиняков
not to mince matters; to talk turkey
Not to mince matters, he is absolutely useless.
I wanted to discuss his behaviour and I was prepared to talk turkey.
говорить на ветер
to waste one’s breath
You’re wasting your breath. He won’t agree to go with you.
голову даю на отсечение
I’ll eat my hat!
I’ll eat my hat if it wasn’t your little sister who stole my book.
голубая кровь
blue blood
They are very poor, but they have blue blood in their family.
голыми руками
with one’s bare hands
A desperate man can kill a leopard with his bare hands.
гора с плеч
a load off someone’s mind
It is a load off my mind to know that he has solved that problem.
городить чушь
to talk through one’s hat
You’re talking through your hat. You don’t know anything about it.
горькая пилюля
a bitter pill (to swallow)
His betrayal came as a bitter pill to swallow.
горячая линия
a hot line
The society has set up a hot line for people to report sightings of whales and dolphins.
грабеж средь бела дня
daylight robbery
The prices in this shop are unbelievable – it’s daylight robbery.
греть руки
to line one’s pockets; to feather one’s nest
When the company discovered that the director had been lining his pockets with bribes and commissions, he was dismissed.
The mayor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.
гроша медного не стоить
not worth a damn
Your advice isn’t worth a damn.
давать волю (кому-л.)
to give someone free rein
The boss gave me free rein with the new project.
давать волю (чему-л.)
to give something free rein; to give way to something
In writing that book he gave his imagination free rein.
He gave way to anger and yelled at the children.
давать выход (чему-л.)
to give vent to something
June gave vent to her anger and frustration in a furious letter to her husband.
давать жару (кому-л.)
to give someone hell
If he goes to a pub with his friends, his wife gives him hell.
давать на лапу (кому-л.)
to grease someone’s palm
We had to grease the palms of numerous officials before we could renew the licence.
давать от ворот поворот (кому-л.)
to give someone the boot/push/heave-ho/brush-off
My sister has given her latest boyfriend the heave-ho.
давать пищу сплетням
to set tongues wagging
The news of her marriage set tongues wagging through the whole village.
давать себе волю
to let oneself go
She really let herself go at the party and drank far too much beer.
давать тягу
to take to one’s heels; to turn tail and run; to do a bunk
The thief saw me and took to his heels.
Two boys did a bunk during the morning break.
I was so nervous that my only thought was to turn tail and run.
далеко не так
far from it
I thought your wife spoke fluent German. – Far from it – she doesn’t even know how to say ‘hello’.
далеко пойти
to go far
Her son has a talent for painting and I’m sure he will go far.
Дамоклов меч
the sword of Damocles
дать дуба
to kick the bucket; to cash in one’s chips
His children were just waiting for the old man to kick the bucket.
Tony is too young to cash in his chips.
дать урок (кому-л.)
to teach someone a lesson
I decided to teach my neighbour a lesson after I caught him peeping through my windows.
два сапога пара
birds of a feather
I’m sure that Debbie and her boyfriend are birds of a feather.
действовать на нервы (кому-л.)
to get on someone’s nerves; to get under someone’s skin; to drive someone up the wall
Please stop whistling. It’s getting on my nerves.
I can’t stand this woman – she gets under my skin.
Their children always drive me up the wall.
делать вид
to make believe; to put on an act
The children made believe they were pirates and treasure hunters.
I thought he had hurt his foot, but he was only putting on an act.
делать из мухи слона
to make a mountain out of a molehill
Aren’t you making a mountain out of a molehill? I’m sure he’ll give you the money back.
делать посмешище (из кого-л./чего-л.)
make someone/something a laughing stock
It is a silly idea. It will make our university a laughing stock.
делать хорошую мину при плохой игре
to put on a brave face
My brother was disappointed by his failure in the examinations, but he put on a brave face and pretended nothing had happened.
(a) hell on earth
The wounded soldiers described the battle as ‘hell on earth’.
альфа и омега
the alpha and omega
ангельское терпение
the patience of Job
You need the patience of Job to deal with customers like that.
Ахиллесова пята
Achilles’ heel; a chink in someone’s armour
His Achilles’ heel is that he always wants to be right.
The lack of experience may be a chink in his armour.
бабушкины сказки
an old wives’ tale
It is an old wives’ tale that drinking milk prevents cold.
бабье лето
an Indian summer
бальзам на душу
music to someone’s ears
What he said was music to my ears.
бедный как церковная крыса
(as) poor as a church mouse
My uncle was as poor as a church mouse.
без всякого преувеличения
to say the least
Her behaviour towards her boss was very rude, to say the least.
без обиняков
straight from the shoulder
John told me, straight from the shoulder, that he was not at all pleased with my work.
бить баклуши
to twiddle one’s thumbs
Don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs. Get down to work!
бить в цель
to hit the mark
His remarks hit the mark perfectly and really provided an important message for the graduating students.
бить мимо цели
to miss the mark
His speech missed the mark and he failed to gain support from the audience.
бить ниже пояса (кого-л.)
to hit someone below the belt; to be below the belt
In the run-up to the election, he won’t hesitate to hit his opponent below the belt.
Her remarks about my money problems were a bit below the belt.
биться головой о стену
to bang one’s head against a brick wall
He was banging his head against a brick wall trying to teach that dog to obey.
биться не на жизнь, а на смерть
to fight tooth and nail
They fought tooth and nail to defend their son against the false accusations.
благодарить судьбу
to thank one’s lucky stars
You can thank your lucky stars that she was there to help you.
блаженное неведение
a fool’s paradise
You are living in a fool’s paradise if you think that the business will recover shortly.
бледный как полотно
(as) white as a sheet
He looked as white as a sheet after the accident.
блуждать в потемках
to be in the dark
I’m totally in the dark about what’s going on.
Бог его знает
God knows!
Will we ever win? – God knows!
боевое крещение
baptism of fire
He was given a very important project to carry out in his first month. It was a real baptism of fire.
Боже мой!
good God/gracious/grief!; oh dear!; dear me!
Good God! You’ve finished the work already!
Oh dear! I’ve lost my keys.
Dear me! I forgot to phone him.
Боже упаси!
God/heaven forbid!
I hope we won’t have any trouble with the car. – God forbid!
бок о бок
side by side
They walked along the river side by side.
более или менее
more or less
The distance is ten miles, more or less.
Have you finished yet? – More or less.
большая шишка
a big cheese/gun/noise/shot/wheel
Bill’s father is quite a big shot in the government.
бояться собственной тени
to be afraid of one’s own shadow
Jane never goes anywhere – she seems to be afraid of her own shadow.
брать быка за рога
to take the bull by the horns
I decided to take the bull by the horns and asked my boss for a holiday.
брать верх (над кем-л./чем-л.)
to get the upper hand (over someone/something)
Our team managed to get the upper hand in the end.
брать голыми руками (кого-л.)
to beat someone hands down
The last time we played chess he beat me hands down.
брать за душу
to tug at the heartstrings
The story of a lost child was one that really pulled at the heartstrings.
брать свои слова обратно
to eat one’s words
You shouldn’t say that to me. I’ll make you eat your words.
брать себя в руки
to get a grip on oneself; to pull oneself together
Come on, get a grip on yourself and tell me what happened.
She started to panic but managed to pull herself together.
брать слово
to take the floor
Mr Smith took the floor to talk about the government’s new plans to reduce unemployment.
браться за ум
to come to one’s senses
John, you should come to your senses and stop gambling.
бросать в лицо (что-л. кому-л.)
to throw something in someone’s face
She was always throwing her husband’s clumsiness in his face.
бросать деньги на ветер
to throw money down the drain
Don’t gamble on the horses. That’s just throwing money down the drain.
бросать камень (в кого-л.)
to throw stones at someone
Many politicians seem to spend too much time throwing stones at each other.
бросать на произвол судьбы (кого-л.)
to leave someone in the lurch
Soon after their son was born he went off and left her in the lurch.
бросать перчатку
to throw down the gauntlet
He threw down the gauntlet by challenging my conclusions.
бросаться в глаза (кому-л.)
to catch someone’s eye; to stick out like a sore thumb
His shiny black car caught my eye.
The dinner is formal; if you wear old jeans you’ll stick out like a sore thumb among all the well-dressed guests.
бряцать оружием
to rattle one’s sabre
He may rattle his sabre at his enemies in public, but then will bend over backwards to agree behind closed doors.
буква закона
the letter of the law
There was the danger that the judge may follow the letter of the law rather than its spirit.
буря в стакане воды
a storm in a teacup
This isn’t a serious problem – just a storm in a teacup.
была не была
here goes
‘Well, here goes!’ shouted the parachutist and jumped out of the plane.
быть беде
the fat is in the fire
The fat’s in the fire now that she has discovered about her husband’s lover.
быть на высоте
to give a good account of oneself
John gave a good account of himself during the match.
быть навеселе
to have had one too many; to have had a few (too many)
He looks as if he has had one too many.
She’s jad a few; you should take her home and put her to bed.
быть на побегушках (у кого-л.)
to fetch and carry (for someone); to be at someone’s beck and call
She is so lazy because her husband is always there to fetch and carry for her.
I had to be at his beck and call 24 hours a day.
быть нечистым на руку
to have light fingers
The employee on the till had light fingers and got fired.
в бегах
on the run
The jail-breakers were on the run from the police.
в глубине души
in one’s heart of hearts
In her heart of hearts, she knew that she wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon.
в здравом уме
in one’s right mind
No one in his right mind would go there.
в интересном положении
in the family way
I’ve heard that Martin’s wife is in the family way.
в кулаке (у кого-л.)
under someone’s thumb; in the palm of someone’s hand; in someone’s pocket
My sister is completely under her husband’s thumb.
The mayor had the local press in the palm of his hand and was never criticised by any of them.
Most of the officials in that country are in the pocket of a few very rich businessmen.
в курсе дела
in the know
Let’s ask Paul. He’s in the know.
в лицо (кому-л.)
to someone’s face
He wouldn’t dare say it to my face!
в лучшем случае
at best
The buses were all late and at best I could only hope to be home before midnight.
в любом случае
in any case/event; at any rate
In any event, I’ll see him on Tuesday.
At any rate we must go tomorrow.
в мгновение ока
in the twinkling of an eye
The new machine can do all the calculations in the twinkling of an eye.
в общем и целом
on the whole; all in all; first and last
On the whole, this was a very good journey.
All in all we haven’t done badly.
She is, first and last, a hard worker.
в объятиях Морфея
in the land of Nod
She was in the land of Nod and I didn’t want to wake her.
в одно ухо входит, а в другое выходит
to go in one ear and out the other
Everything she says to her son seems to go in one ear and out the other.
в одной лодке
in the same boat
When I told her that I was broke she said that she was in the same boat.
в первую очередь
in the first place
In the first place, I don’t have enough money to buy a new house.
в подметки не годиться (кому-л.)
cannot hold a candle to someone
She can’t hold a candle to her mother when it comes to cooking.
в полном разгаре
in full swing
The party was in full swing.
в порядке вещей
all in a day’s work
Dealing with complaints from quests is all in a day’s work to anyone working in a hotel.
в поте лица
by the sweat of one’s brow
I can proudly say that whatever I achieved was by the sweat of my brow.
в своей стихии
in one’s element
She is in her element when she’s singing.
в своем уме
in one’s right mind
You’re not in your right mind! That sounds crazy!
в стельку пьяный
as drunk as a lord
When he came home last night, he was as drunk as a lord.
в ус не дуть
not to give a damn
She was unemployed, but she didn’t give a damn.
в форме
on form
John was back on form and nobody could beat him.
в хороших руках
in good hands
This hospital is excellent – your mother will be in good hands.
в худшем случае
if the worst comes to the worst
If the worst comes to the worst, we’ll have to stay in the hotel for another night.
в чем мать родила
in one’s birthday suit; in the buff/altogether/raw
I used to go down to the beach and swim in my birthday suit.
He always sleeps in the raw.
в шкуре (кого-л.)
in someone’s skin
I wouldn’t want to be in your skin.
важная птица
a big cheese/gun/noise/shot/wheel
She is one of the directors of our company – a big noise.
валится из рук (у кого-л.)
to be all fingers and thumbs
I’m all fingers and thumbs today. Can you thread this needle for me?
валить с ног (кого-л.)
to lay someone low
The blow laid him low.
I was laid low by the flu for about two weeks.
валиться с ног
to be ready/fit to drop; to be on one’s last legs
After walking several miles I was ready to drop.
I worked all day in the garden and felt like I was on my last legs.
валять дурака
to play the fool
My father told me to stop playing the fool and start working hard for my examinations.
вбивать в голову (что-л. кому-л.)
to get something into someone’s head
The teacher couldn’t get the Latin grammar into his pupils’ heads.
вбивать себе в голову
to get it into one’s head
For some reason, he got it into his head that everybody was persecuting him.
вверх дном
upside down
The children turned the house upside down.
вводить в курс дела (кого-л.)
to put someone in the picture
I was new to this project and the manager put me in the picture.
вдоль и поперек (досконально)
inside out; backwards and forwards; through and through
He has lived in London for 30 years and knows the city inside out.
She knows the fashion business backwards and forwards.
I’ve studied his report through and through but couldn’t find any mistakes.
вдоль и поперек (во всех направлениях)
far and wide, the length and breadth of something
The police searched far and wide for the missing girl.
We travelled the length and breadth of the town looking for a good hotel.
вдохнуть жизнь (во что-л.)
to breathe life into something
The new director will help to breathe life into the project.
везет как утопленнику (кому-л.)
just someone’s luck
It was just my luck that the train left five minutes before I got to the station.
верить на слово (кому-л.)
to take someone’s word for it; to take someone on trust
John will be late again. Take my word for it.
He always took his friends on trust.
вертеться как белка в колесе
to be on the go
With three children to look after she is always on the go from morning till night.
вертеться на языке (у кого-л.)
to be on the tip of one’s tongue
What’s the name of that tree? Hold on, it’s on the tip of my tongue.
вертеться под ногами (у кого-л.)
to be under someone’s feet
I can’t cook the dinner with three children under my feet all the time.
верхушка айсберга
the tip of the iceberg
The reported cases of the disease might be only the tip of the iceberg.
вечный сон
the long sleep
вешать голову
to lose heart; to look down in the mouth
Don’t lose heart, even when you’re faced with serious difficulties.
She looked very down in the mouth when I told her that I couldn’t go with her.
взад и вперед
back and forth; to and fro; up and down; backwards and forwards
The lion was pacing back and forth inside the cage.
She walked to and fro in the hospital waiting room.
We’ve been running up and down the street looking for you.
The pendulum was moving slowly backwards and forwards.
взбредать в голову (кому-л.)
to take it into one’s head
Ann took it into her head to become an actress.
взвешивать свои слова
to weigh one’s words
I had to weigh my words carefully before asking my boss for more pay.
видать виды (много испытать)
to see the world; to go through the mill
He had the appearance of a man who has seen the world.
The young soldiers really went through the mill during the first two months of their training.
видать виды (поношенный)
have seen better days
My old hat has seen better days.
видеть насквозь (кого-л.)
to read someone like a book
You won’t deceive me with your lies. I can read you like a book.
видеть свет в конце туннеля
to see the light at the end of the tunnel
видит Бог
honest to God/goodness!
I didn’t break the window, honest to God!
винтика в голове не хватает (у кого-л.)
to have a screw loose; to have bats in the belfry
He must have a screw loose to walk around barefoot.
The poor old woman had bats in the belfry.
висеть на волоске
to hang by a thread
His life was hanging by a thread.
висеть над головой (у кого-л.)
to hang over one’s head
The threat of dismissal hung over my head.
витать в облаках
to have one’s head in the clouds
The new secretary must be in love. She has her head in the clouds most of the time.
вить веревки (из кого-л.)
to twist/wrap someone round one’s little finger
His wife can twist him round her little finger.
владеть собой
to keep one’s temper
You should learn to keep your temper.
власти предержащие
the powers that be
The powers that be have decided to demolish the old building to make space for a car park.
влетать в копеечку (кому-л.)
to cost someone a pretty penny
That house must have cost them a pretty penny.
вместе с водой выплеснуть и ребенка
to throw the baby out with the bath water
I know there are weaknesses in the programme but we shouldn’t act too hastily and throw the baby out with the bath water.
вне себя
beside oneself
She was beside herself with joy when she heard the news about her son.
вносить свою лепту
to do one’s bit
We must all do our bit to finish this job in time.
во весь голос
at the top of one’s voice
He was shouting at the top of his voice.
во весь опор
at full tilt; for all one is worth
The boy was running at full tilt down the street.
I ran to the station for all I was worth to catch the last train.
во все глаза
all eyes
The children were all eyes, taking in every detail of their new house.
во всю мочь
with all one’s might
He struggled with all his might to open the stiff door but it stayed shut.
во всю прыть
like greased lightning; like a bat out of hell
He ran out of the room like greased lightning.
The dog ran after the cat like a bat out of hell.
во плоти
in the flesh
I’ve never seen the Queen in the flesh.
во что бы то ни стало
at all costs; at any price
You must at all costs avoid an argument with your employer.
He was determined to get his freedom at any price.
водить за нос (кого-л.)
to lead someone up the garden path; to take someone for a ride
He never realised that she had been leading him up the garden path.
The people who have invested their money in this project have been taken for a ride.
водой не разольешь
as thick as thieves
Mary and Tom are as thick as thieves. They go everywhere together.
возводить на пьедестал (кого-л.)
to put someone on a pedestal
He has put his wife on a pedestal and won’t listen to a word of criticism against her.
возлагать надежды (на кого-л./что-л.)
to pin one’s hopes on someone/something
We are pinning our hopes on the new advertising campaign.
возродиться из пепла
to rise from the ashes
He bought the firm when it was bankrupt. Now it has risen from the ashes and is in profit.
войти в историю
to go down in history
I’m sure that his name will go down in history.
волк в овечьей шкуре
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
I always suspected that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
волосы становятся дыбом (у кого-л.)
one’s hair stands on end
When the boy heard that sound, his hair stood on end.
вольная птица
(as) free as a bird
He felt as free as a bird when he escaped to his country house.
вооруженный до зубов
armed to the teeth
The robber was armed to the teeth and ready to fight.
I arrived for the interview armed to the teeth with letters of recommendation.
вопрос жизни и смерти
a matter of life and death
Go and get the doctor. Tell him it’s a matter of life and death.
воротить нос (от чего-л.)
to turn one’s nose up at something
She always turns her nose up at my cooking.
ворошить прошлое
to rake over the ashes/coals
Jim has already made an apology for his rude behaviour, so there’s no need to rake over the ashes.
воскрешать в памяти (что-л.)
to call something to mind
I know this actor but I can’t call his name to mind.
воспрянуть духом
to take heart
The soldiers took heart when they heard the news.
вот тебе и раз!
well, did you ever!; I say!
Well, did you ever! Mrs Smith has finally decided to move house.
I say! What a surprise!
впадать в детство
to be in one’s second childhood
He was acting very strange, as if he was in his second childhood.
впадать в немилость
to fall from grace
He was one of the president’s closest advisers for several years but fell from grace when the fraud was discovered.
впадать в уныние
to lose heart
After so many unsuccessful attempts to win the championship, he began to lose heart.
впитать с молоком матери (что-л.)
to imbibe something with one’s mother’s milk
We imbibed a love for music with our mother’s milk.
врать как сивый мерин
to lie through one’s teeth
When he said he was not married he was lying through his teeth but I pretended to believe him.
время от времени
from time to time; (every) now and again/then; (every) once in a while
From time to time he sends me flowers.
I drink coffee every now and then.
We go to the cinema every once in a while.
все до одного
one and all
I would like to invite you to dinner, one and all.
всей душой
with all one’s heart and soul; heart and soul
I hope with all my heart and soul that you will succeed.
He loved her heart and soul.
вставать на колени (перед кем-л.)
to throw oneself at the feet of someone; to go down on one’s hands and knees (to someone)
Do I have to throw myself at your feet to convince you that I’m really sorry?
I won’t go down on my hands and knees to her, no matter how important she is.
вствать с левой ноги
to get out of bed on the wrong side
She must have got out of bed on the wrong side today – she is so grumpy.
вставлять палки в колеса (кому-л.)
to put a spoke in someone’s wheel; to throw a spanner in the works
We disagree about it, but I won’t put a spoke in his wheel.
You threw a spanner in the works supplying me with the wrong information.
всыпать по первое число (кому-л.)
to knock someone into the middle of next week; to give someone hell
My brother promised to knock me into the middle of next week if I crash his car.
His wife gave him hell when he came home late last night.
втирать очки (кому-л.)
to pull the wool over someone’s eyes; to throw dust in someone’s eyes
He tried to pull the wool over my eyes with some feeble explanation.
He only gave this information in order to throw dust in our eyes.
втираться в доверие (кому-л.)
to worm oneself into someone’s confidence
Within a few months he had wormed himself into her confidence and soon he was the only person she trusted.
вторая натура
second nature
It was second nature to Sally to tell everyone else what to do.
входить в долю
to go halves
I went halves with my sister when we bought Mum a birthday present.
входить в курс дела
to learn the ropes
I’ll be able to do my job better once I learn the ropes.
входить в положение (чье-л.)
to put oneself into someone’s shoes
Try putting yourself into my shoes – I really couldn’t help your sister at that time.
вчера родиться
to be born yesterday
You must think I was born yesterday if you expect me to believe that nonsense.
выбивать из колеи (кого-л.)
to put someone off one’s stroke
His tricky questions put me off my stride and I got confused.
выбивать почву из-под ног (у кого-л.)
to cut the ground from under someone’s feet; to pull the rug from under someone
The politician completely cut the ground from under his opponent’s feet.
His girlfriend pulled the rug from under him by going to Spain alone.
выбросить из головы (что-л.)
to get something out of one’s system/mind
He couldn’t get that problem out of his system.
выведенного яйца не стоить
not worth a damn
His opinion isn’t worth a damn.
выводить из равновесия (кого-л.)
to throw someone off balance
The conflicting information threw me off balance.
выводить из себя (кого-л.)
to get someone’s goat; to make someone’s hackles rise
The way she keeps denying the obvious really gets my goat.
His rude remarks made my hackles rise.
выдерживать характер
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The boss stood his ground and refused to accept my resignation.
He wanted me to bend to his wishes, but I stood fast and held back the tears.
John has been asked to withdraw his complaint, but he is sticking to his guns.
выжимать все соки (из кого-л.)
to bleed someone dry
The police fines have bled us dry.
вызывать на ковер (кого-л.)
to have someone on the carpet
The boss will have him on the carpet for causing trouble.
вылетать в трубу
to go bust; to go to the wall
This company he works for has gone bust.
Many small firms went to the wall in the past year.
вылетать из головы (у кого-л.)
to slip someone’s mind
I meant to invite him to lunch, but it slipped my mind.
выносить сор из избы
to wash one’s dirty linen in public
It is unfortunate that his wife has chosen to wash their dirty linen in public.
выпадать на долю (кому-л.)
to fall to someone’s lot
It fell to his lot to tell Paul the bad news about his brother.
выплакать все глаза
to cry one’s eyes out
She cried her eyes out when he married another girl.
выплывать на свет божий
to come to light
All his secrets have come to light.
выпускать из рук (что-л.)
to let something slip through one’s fingers
You will always regret that you have let such an opportunity slip through your fingers.
выпускать пар
to let off steam
Tom’s shouting didn’t mean he was angry with you; he was just letting off steam.
выходить в люди
to make one’s way in the world
He has made his own way in the world – his parents have not helped him at all.
выходить из своей скорлупы
to come out of one’s shell
Nancy was very shy when she first went to school, but since she has made some friends, she has come out of her shell.
выходить из себя
to lose one’s temper/rag; to fly off the handle; to go off the deep end
She lost her temper and shouted at her husband.
My father flew off the handle when he saw my report card.
I knew my father would be angry with me, but I had no idea he’d go off the deep end like this.
выходить сухим из воды
to get off scot free; to land/fall on one’s feet
Mark cheated on the examination and got caught, but he got scot free.
No matter what trouble he gets himself into, he always seems to land on his feet.
гадкий утенок
an ugly duckling
гладить по головке (кого-л.)
to pat someone on the back
You shouldn’t criticise him all the time. Why don’t you pat him on the back occasionally?
гладить против шерсти (кого-л.)
to ruffle someone’s feathers; to rub someone up the wrong way
She always tried not to ruffle his feathers.
He rubbed me up the wrong way and this led to an argument.
глаза полезли на лоб (у кого-л.)
one’s eyes nearly popped out of one’s head
When I heard how much money she was spending on clothes, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.
глаза разгорелись (на что-л.)
to set one’s heart on something
I’ve set my heart on having that new dress.
глазом не моргнуть
not to bat an eyelid; not to turn a hair
Tom didn’t bat an eyelid when he was told that his daughter was getting married.
He didn’t turn a hair when a large dog ran straight towards him.
глас вопиющего в пустыне
a voice crying in the wilderness
глупый как пробка
to be dead from the neck up
Her husband was dead from the neck up.
глухой как пень
(as) deaf as a post
He won’t hear us – he’s as deaf as a post.
гнать волну
to make waves
Why do you always have to make waves?
гнать в три шеи (кого-л.)
to throw someone out on one’s ear
If you continue to be so late, the director will throw you out on your ear.
гнуть свою линию
to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns
The referee stood his ground and refused to be intimidated.
The customer stood fast and got a refund on the faulty good he brought back.
She was sticking to her guns and nobody could persuade her to do something against her wishes.
гнуть спину
to break one’s back; to work one’s fingers to the bone
I’m not going to break my back working all day for such low wages.
His parents worked their fingers to the bone so he could have everything he needed.
говорить без обиняков
not to mince matters; to talk turkey
Not to mince matters, he is absolutely useless.
I wanted to discuss his behaviour and I was prepared to talk turkey.
говорить на ветер
to waste one’s breath
You’re wasting your breath. He won’t agree to go with you.
голову даю на отсечение
I’ll eat my hat!
I’ll eat my hat if it wasn’t your little sister who stole my book.
голубая кровь
blue blood
They are very poor, but they have blue blood in their family.
голыми руками
with one’s bare hands
A desperate man can kill a leopard with his bare hands.
гора с плеч
a load off someone’s mind
It is a load off my mind to know that he has solved that problem.
городить чушь
to talk through one’s hat
You’re talking through your hat. You don’t know anything about it.
горькая пилюля
a bitter pill (to swallow)
His betrayal came as a bitter pill to swallow.
горячая линия
a hot line
The society has set up a hot line for people to report sightings of whales and dolphins.
грабеж средь бела дня
daylight robbery
The prices in this shop are unbelievable – it’s daylight robbery.
греть руки
to line one’s pockets; to feather one’s nest
When the company discovered that the director had been lining his pockets with bribes and commissions, he was dismissed.
The mayor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.
гроша медного не стоить
not worth a damn
Your advice isn’t worth a damn.
давать волю (кому-л.)
to give someone free rein
The boss gave me free rein with the new project.
давать волю (чему-л.)
to give something free rein; to give way to something
In writing that book he gave his imagination free rein.
He gave way to anger and yelled at the children.
давать выход (чему-л.)
to give vent to something
June gave vent to her anger and frustration in a furious letter to her husband.
давать жару (кому-л.)
to give someone hell
If he goes to a pub with his friends, his wife gives him hell.
давать на лапу (кому-л.)
to grease someone’s palm
We had to grease the palms of numerous officials before we could renew the licence.
давать от ворот поворот (кому-л.)
to give someone the boot/push/heave-ho/brush-off
My sister has given her latest boyfriend the heave-ho.
давать пищу сплетням
to set tongues wagging
The news of her marriage set tongues wagging through the whole village.
давать себе волю
to let oneself go
She really let herself go at the party and drank far too much beer.
давать тягу
to take to one’s heels; to turn tail and run; to do a bunk
The thief saw me and took to his heels.
Two boys did a bunk during the morning break.
I was so nervous that my only thought was to turn tail and run.
далеко не так
far from it
I thought your wife spoke fluent German. – Far from it – she doesn’t even know how to say ‘hello’.
далеко пойти
to go far
Her son has a talent for painting and I’m sure he will go far.
Дамоклов меч
the sword of Damocles
дать дуба
to kick the bucket; to cash in one’s chips
His children were just waiting for the old man to kick the bucket.
Tony is too young to cash in his chips.
дать урок (кому-л.)
to teach someone a lesson
I decided to teach my neighbour a lesson after I caught him peeping through my windows.
два сапога пара
birds of a feather
I’m sure that Debbie and her boyfriend are birds of a feather.
действовать на нервы (кому-л.)
to get on someone’s nerves; to get under someone’s skin; to drive someone up the wall
Please stop whistling. It’s getting on my nerves.
I can’t stand this woman – she gets under my skin.
Their children always drive me up the wall.
делать вид
to make believe; to put on an act
The children made believe they were pirates and treasure hunters.
I thought he had hurt his foot, but he was only putting on an act.
делать из мухи слона
to make a mountain out of a molehill
Aren’t you making a mountain out of a molehill? I’m sure he’ll give you the money back.
делать посмешище (из кого-л./чего-л.)
make someone/something a laughing stock
It is a silly idea. It will make our university a laughing stock.
делать хорошую мину при плохой игре
to put on a brave face
My brother was disappointed by his failure in the examinations, but he put on a brave face and pretended nothing had happened.