Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом - 8000 единиц

[ante up] {v.} , {informal} To produce the required amount of money in order to close a transaction; to pay what one owes. •/ "I guess I’d better ante up if I want to stay an active member of the Association", Max said. /

[ants in one’s pants] {n. phr.} , {slang} Nervous over-activity; restlessness. •/ Jane can not sit still; she has ants in her pants. / •/ You have ants in your pants today. Is something wrong? /

[a number] {n.} A rather large number; numbers. — Used when there arc more than several and fewer than many. •/ The parents were invited to see the program, and a number came. / •/ We knew the Smiths rattier well; we had visited them a number of times. / — Used like an adjective before "less", "more". •/ We have not set up enough folding chairs; we need a number more. / Compare: QUITE A FEW.

[any]See: HARDLY ANY or SCARCELY ANY.

[any number] {n.} , {informal} A large number; many. •/ There are any number of reasons for eating good food. / •/ Don’t ask George what his excuse is. He can invent any number. / Compare: A LOT, A NUMBER, GOOD MANY.

[any old how]/ [any old way] {adv. phr.} , {informal} Doing something in a casual, haphazard, or careless way. •/ "John," the teacher said, "you can’t just do your homework any old way; you must pay attention to my instructions!" /

[any port in a storm]Any help is welcome in an emergency. — A proverb. •/ The motel we stopped in was nothing to brag about, but we were so exhausted that it was a clear case of any port in a storm. /

[anything]See: HAVE NOTHING ON or NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON, IF ANYTHING.

[anything but] {adv. phr.} Quite the opposite of; far from being. •/ I don’t mean he’s lazy — anything but! / •/ The boys knew they had broken the rules, and they were anything but happy when they were called to the office. /

[anything like]or [anywhere near] {adv.} Nearly. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, often in the negative forms "nothing like" or "nowhere near". •/ It’s not anything like as hot today as it was yesterday. / •/ Do you think that gold ring is worth anywhere near a hundred dollars? / •/ Today’s game was nowhere near as exciting as yesterday’s game. / •/ Studying that lesson should take nothing like two hours. /

[anywhere near]See: ANYTHING LIKE or ANYWHERE NEAR.

[any which way]See: EVERY WHICH WAY.

[apart]See: JOKING ASIDE or JOKING APART, POLES APART, TELL APART.

[apart from]or [aside from] {prep. phr.} Beside or besides; in addition to. •/ The children hardly see anyone, apart from their parents. / •/ Aside from being fun and good exercise, swimming is a very useful skill. / Syn.: EXCEPT FOR, OUTSIDE OF.

[ape]See: GO APE.

[appear]See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[appearance]See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE also MAKE AN APPEARANCE.

[apple]See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[applecart]See: UPSET THE APPLECART or UPSET ONE’S APPLECART.

[apple of one’s eye] {n. phr.} Something or someone that is adored; a cherished person or object. •/ Charles is the apple of his mother’s eye. / •/ John’s first car was the apple of his eye. He was always polishing it. /

[apple-pie order] {n. phr.} , {informal} Exact orderly arrangement, neatness; tidy arrangement. •/ The house was in apple-pie order. / •/ Like a good secretary, she kept the boss’s desk in apple-pie order. /

[apple polisher]; [apple polishing]See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[approval]See: ON APPROVAL.

[a pretty pass] {n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. •/ While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass. /

[apron]See: TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.

[apropos of] {prep.} , {formal} In connection with; on the subject of, about; concerning. •/ Apropos of higher tuition, Mr. Black told the boy about the educational loans that banks are offering. / •/ Mr. White went to see Mr. Richards apropos of buying a car. /

[arm]See: GIVE ONE’S RIGHT ARM, KEEP AT A DISTANCE Or KEEP AT ARM’S LENGTH, SHOT IN THE ARM, TAKE UP ARMS, TWIST ONE’S ARM, UP IN ARMS, WITH OPEN ARMS, COST AN ARM AND A LEG.

[arm and a leg] {n.} , {slang} An exorbitantly high price that must be paid for something that isn’t really worth it. •/ It’s true that to get a decent apartment these days in New York you have to pay an arm and a leg. /

[armed to the teeth] {adj. phr.} Having all needed weapons; fully armed. •/ The paratroopers were armed to the teeth. /

[arm in arm] {adv. phr.} With your arm under or around another person’s arm, especially in close comradeship or friendship. •/ Sally and Joan were laughing and joking together as they walked arm in arm down the street. / •/ When they arrived at the party, the partners walked arm in arm to meet the hosts. / Compare: HAND IN HAND.

[around one’s ears]See: ABOUT ONE’S EARS.

[around the clock]also [the clock around] {adv. phr.} For 24 hours a day continuously all day and all night. •/ The factory operated around the clock until the order was filled. / •/ He studied around the clock for his history exam. / —  [round-the-clock] {adj.} •/ That filling station has round-the-clock service. /

[around the corner] {adv. phr.} Soon to come or happen; close by; near at hand. •/ The fortuneteller told Jane that there was an adventure for her just around the corner. /

[arrest]See: UNDER ARREST.

[as]See: FOR AS MUCH AS, IN AS MUCH AS.

[as a last resort] {adv. phr.} In lieu of better things; lacking better solutions. •/ "We’ll sleep in our sleeping bags as a last resort," John said, "since all the motels are full." /

[as a matter of fact] {adv. phr.} Actually; really; in addition to what has been said; in reference to what was said. — Often used as an interjection. •/ It’s not true that I cannot swim; as a matter of fact, I used to work as a lifeguard in Hawaii. / •/ Do you think this costs too much? As a matter of fact, I think it is rather cheap. /

[as an aside] {adv. phr.} Said as a remark in a low tone of voice; used in theaters where the actor turns toward the audience as if to "think out loud." •/ During the concert Tim said to his wife as an aside, "The conductor has no idea how to conduct Beethoven." /

[as a rule] {adv. phr.} Generally; customarily. •/ As a rule, the boss arrives at the office about 10 A.M. /

[as an old shoe]See: COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE, COMMON AS AN OLD SHOE.