Adam Makkai: Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[wheelhorse]{n. phr.} A reliable and industrious worker on whom one may depend. •/ Jake is such a good worker that he is the wheelhorse of our tiny firm. /

[when hell freezes over]{adv. phr.} , {slang} Never. •/ I’ll believe you when hell freezes over. / Contrast: UNTIL HELL FREEZES OVER.

[when it comes to]See: COME TO(4).

[when one’s ship comes in]See: SHIP COME IN.

[when push comes to shove]{adv. phr.} A time when a touchy situation becomes actively hostile or a quarrel turns into a fight. •/ Can we count on the boss' goodwill, when push comes to shove? /

[when the chips are down]{adv. clause} , {informal} When the winner and loser of a bet or a game are decided; at the most important or dangerous time. •/ Tom hit a home run in the last inning of the game when the chips were down. / •/ When the chips were down, the two countries decided not to have war. / (From the fact that in gambling games, a person puts chips or money down in front of him to show that he is willing to risk an amount in a bet.)

[where]See: TELL ONE WHERE TO GET OFF or TELL ONE WHERE TO HEAD IN.

[wherefore]See: WHY AND WHEREFORE.

[where it’s at]{adv. phr.} , {informal} That which is important; that which is at the forefront of on-going social, personal, or scientific undertakings. •/ Young, talented and black, that’s where it’s at. / •/ We send sophisticated machines to Mars instead of people, that’s where it’s at. /

[where the shoe pinches]{n. phr.} , {informal} Where or what the discomfort or trouble is. •/ Johnny thinks the job is easy, but he will find out where the shoe pinches when he tries it. / •/ The coach said he wasn’t worried about any position except quarterback; that was where the shoe pinched. /

[whether one is coming or going]See: KNOW IF ONE IS COMING OR GOING.

[whether --- or]or [whether --- or whether]1. {coord. conj.} Used to introduce an indirect question. •/ You must decide whether you should go or stay. / •/ I don’t know whether Jack or Bill is a better player. / Compare: EITHER --- OR(2). Used to show a choice of things, or that different things are possible. •/ Whether the bicycle was blue or red, it didn’t matter to Frank. /

[which]See: GAME AT WHICH TWO CAN PLAY.

[which is which]{n. phr.} Which is one person or thing and which is the other; one from another; what the difference is between different ones; what the name of each one is. •/ Joe’s coat and mine are so nearly alike that I can’t tell which is which. / •/ Mr. Hadley hadn’t seen his friend’s daughters in such a long time that he couldn’t remember which was which. / Compare: WHAT’S WHAT, WHO’S WHO.

[which was which]See: WHICH is WHICH.

[while]See: AFTER A WHILE or IN A WHILE, ALL THE TIME(1), EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, ONCE IN A WHILE.

[while ago]{adv.} At a time several minutes in the past; a few minutes ago; a short time ago. — Used with "a". •/ I laid mv glasses on this table a while ago; and now they’re gone. / •/ A while ago, Mary was tired and wanted to go home; now she’s dancing with Bob as if she could dance all night. / Compare: JUST NOW(2).

[while away]{v.} To make time go by pleasantly or without being bored; pass or spend. •/ We whiled away the time that we were waiting by talking and playing cards. / •/ We whiled away the summer swimming and fishing. /

[while back]{adv.} At a time several weeks or months in the past. — Used with "a". •/ We had a good rain a while back, but we need more now. / •/ Grandfather is well now, but a while back he was in the hospital for three weeks. / See: CRACK THE WHIP.

[whip hand]See: UPPER HAND.

[whipping boy]{n. phr.} The person who gets punished for someone else’s mistake. •/ "I used to be the whipping boy during my early days at the company," he musingly remembered. /

[whip up]{v.} , {informal} 1. To make or do quickly or easily. •/ Mary whipped up a lunch for the picnic. / •/ The reporter whipped up a story about the fire for his paper. / 2. To make active; stir to action; excite. •/ The girls are trying to whip up interest for a dance Saturday night. / Compare: STIR UP, WHOOP IT UP(2).

[whispering campaign]{n.} The spreading of false rumors, or saying bad things, about a person or group, especially in politics or public life. •/ A bad man has started a whispering campaign against the mayor, saying that he isn’t honest. /

[whistle]See: BLOW THE WHISTLE ON, WET ONE’S WHISTLE.

[whistle a different tune]See: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[whistle for]{v.} , {informal} To try to get (something) but fail; look for (something) that will not come. •/ Mary didn’t even thank us for helping her, so the next time she needs help she can whistle for it. /

[whistle in the dark]{v. phr.} , {informal} To try to stay brave and forget your fear. •/ Tom said he could fight the bully with one hand, but we knew that he was just whistling in the dark. / (From the fact that people sometimes whistle when walking in a dark, scary place to keep up their courage.)

[whistle-stop]{n.} A small town where the trains only stop on a special signal. •/ President Truman made excellent use of the whistle-stop during his 1948 campaign for the presidency. /

[white]See: BLACK AND WHITE, IN BLACK AND WHITE.

[white around the gills]See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.

[white-collar workers]{n. phr.} Workers employed in offices and at desks as opposed to those who work as manual workers; the middle class. •/ It is a well-known fact that white-collar workers are less well organized than unionized manual workers. / Contrast BLUE-COLLAR WORKERS.

[white elephant]{n. phr.} Unwanted property, such as real estate, that is hard to sell. •/ That big house of theirs on the corner sure is a white elephant. /

[white lie]{n. phr.} An innocent social excuse. •/ I am too busy to go to their house for dinner tonight. I will call them and tell a little white lie about having the flu. /

[white sale]{n.} The selling, especially at lower prices, of goods or clothing usually made of white cloth. •/ Mother always buys many things at the January white sale to save money. /

[whitewash]{n.} , {informal} A soothing official report that attempts to tranquilize the public. •/ Some people believe that the Warren Commission’s report on the Kennedy assassination was a whitewash. /

[whitewash something]{v.} , {informal} To explain a major, national scandal in soothing official terms so as to assure the public that things are under control and there is no need to panic. •/ Many people in the United States believe that President Kennedy’s assassination was whitewashed by the Warren Commission. / See: WHITEWASH.