Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом - 8000 единиц

[up one’s alley]See: DOWN ONE’S ALLEY.

[up one’s sleeve]or [in one’s sleeve] {adv. phr.} 1. Hidden in the sleeve of one’s shirt or coat and ready for secret or wrongful use. •/ The crooked gambler hid aces up his sleeve during the card game so that he would win. / 2. {informal} Kept secretly ready for the right time or for a time when needed. •/ Jimmy knew that his father had some trick up his sleeve because he was smiling to himself during the checker game. / Compare: CARD UP ONE’S SLEEVE. 3. See: LAUGH UP ONE’S SLEEVE.

[upon oneself]See: TAKE ON ONESELF also TAKE UPON ONESELF.

[upon one’s head]See: ON ONE’S HEAD.

[upon the spot]See: ON THE SPOT(1).

[upper]See: KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP, ON ONE’S UPPERS.

[upper crust] {n.} , {informal} The richest, most famous, or important people in a certain place; the highest class. •/ It is a school that only the children of the upper crust can afford. /

[upper hand]or [whip hand] {n.} Controlling power; advantage. •/ In the third round the champion got the upper hand over his opponent and knocked him out. / •/ The cowboy trained the wild horse so that he finally got the whip hand and tamed the horse. /

[upper story] {n.} 1. A floor or level of a building above the first floor. •/ The apartment house where Gene lives is five stories high and he lives in one of the upper stories. / 2. {slang} A person’s head or brain. •/ Lulu has nobody home in the upper story. / •/ Bill’s sister says he is weak in the upper story. /

[Upsadaisy!]or [Upsee-daisy!]or [Upsy-daisy!] {adv. phr.}  — A popular exclamation used when just about anything is lifted, particularly a small child raised to his or her highchair or bed. •/ "Upsee-daisy!" the nurse said with a smile on her face, as she lifted the baby from its bed. /

[ups and downs] {n. phr.} Vicissitudes; alternating periods between good and bad times; changes in fortune. •/ He is now a wealthy stock trader, but at the beginning of his career he, too, had many ups and downs. /

[upset the applecart]or [upset one’s applecart] {v. phr.} , {informal} To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person’s success or plan for success. •/ John upset the other team’s applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game. / •/ We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don’t let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party. / •/ Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I’ll upset his applecart the first chance I get. / Compare: ROCK THE BOAT.

[upside down] {adv. phr.} Overturned so that the bottom is up and the top is down. •/ The ladybug lay upside down in the sand and was unable to take off. / •/ The problem with this company is that everything is upside down; we need a new C.E.O. /

[upstairs]See: NOBODY HOME UPSTAIRS.

[up the creek]or [up the creek without a paddle] {adj. phr.} , {informal} In trouble or difficulty and unable to do anything about it; stuck. •/ Father said that if the car ran out of gas in the middle of the desert, we would be up the creek without a paddle. / •/ I’ll be up the creek if I don’t pass this history test. / Compare: DEEP WATER, IN THE SOUP, UP A TREE, OUT OF LUCK.

[up tight]or [uptight] {adj.} , {slang} , {informal} Worried, irritated, excessively eager or anxious. •/ Why are you so uptight about getting that job? The more you worry, the less you’ll succeed. /

[up to] {prep.} 1. As far, as deep, or as high as. •/ The water in the pond was only up to John’s knees. / •/ Mary is small and just comes up to Bill’s chest. / •/ The shovel sank in the soft mud all the way up to the handle. / 2. Close to; approaching. •/ The team did not play up to its best today. / •/ Because of the rain, the number of people at the party didn’t come up to the number we expected. / 3. As high as; not more than; as much or as many as. •/ Pick any number up to ten. / •/ There were up to eight fire engines at the fire. / 4. or [up till]or [up until] — Until; till. •/ Up to her fourth birthday, the baby slept in a crib. / •/ Up to now I always thought John was honest. / •/ We went swimming up till breakfast time. / •/ Up until last summer we always went to the beach for our vacation. / 5. Capable of; fit for; equal to; strong or well enough for. •/ We chose Harry to be captain because we thought he was up to the job. / •/ Mother is sick and not up to going out to the store. / 6. Doing or planning secretly; ready for mischief. •/ What are you up to with the matches, John? / •/ Mrs. Watson was sure that the boys were up to no good, because they ran when they saw her coming. / 7. Facing as a duty; to be chosen or decided by; depending on. •/ It’s up to you to get to school on time. / •/ I don’t care when you cut the grass. When you do it is up to you. /

[up-to-date] {adj.} Modem; contemporary; the latest that technology can offer. •/ "I want an up-to-date dictionary of American idioms," Mr. Lee said, "that has all the latest Americanisms in it." / Contrast: STATE-OF-THE-ART.

[up to no good] {adv. phr.} Intending to do something bad; perpetrating an illicit act. •/ We could tell from the look on Dennis the Menace’s face that he was once again up to no good. /

[up to one’s ears] {adv. phr.} Immersed in; covered with. •/ "Around final examination time," Professor Brown explained, "I am always up to my ears in work." /

[up to one’s neck] {adv. phr.} Overwhelmed with; submerged in. •/ "During the summer season in our cottage by the lake," the Allens complained, "we are usually up to our necks in uninvited guests." / Compare: UP TO ONE’S EARS.

[up to par]or {informal} [up to scratch]or {informal} [up to snuff]1. In good or normal health or physical condition. •/ I have a cold and don’t feel up to par. / •/ The boxer is training for the fight but he isn’t up to scratch yet. / 2. or [up to the mark]As good as usual; up to the usual level or quality. •/ The TV program was not up to par tonight. / •/ John will have to work hard to bring his grades up to snuff. / Compare: MEASURE UP.

[up to scratch]See: UP TO FAR.

[up to snuff]See: UP TO PAR.

[up to the chin in]or [in --- up to the chin] {adj. phr.} , {informal} Used also with "ears", "elbows", "eyes" or "knees" instead of "chin", and with a possessive instead of "the". 1. Having a big or important part in; guilty of; not innocent of; deeply in. •/ Was Tom mixed up in that trouble last night? He was up to his ears in it. / •/ Mr. Johnson is up to the eyes in debt. / •/ Mrs. Smith is in debt up to her chin. / Compare: TO THE HILT. 2. Very busy with; working hard at. •/ Bob is up to his neck in homework. / •/ They are up to their elbows in business before Christmas. / 3. Having very much or many of; flooded with. •/ Mary was up to her knees in invitations to go to parties. / Compare: KNEE-DEEP.