Неизвестен Автор - Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[in shape] or [in condition] In good condition; able to perform well. * /The football team will he in shape for the first game of the season./ * /Mary was putting her French in shape for the lest./ Compare: IN PRACTICE. Contrast: OUT OF SHAPE.

[in short] See: IN BRIEF.

[in short order] Without delay; quickly. * /Johnny got ready in short order after his father said that he could come to the ball game if he was ready in time./

[in short supply] Not enough; in too small a quantity or amount; in less than the amount or number needed. * /The cookies are in short supply, so don't eat them all up./ * /We have five people and only four beds, so the beds are in short supply./

[inside] See: STEP INSIDE.

[inside and out] See: INS AND OUTS, INSIDE OUT(2).

[inside of] In; within; on or in an inside part of; not beyond; before the end of. * /There is a broom inside of the closet./ * /There is a label on the inside of the box./ * /Hand your papers in to me inside of three days./ Contrast: OUTSIDE OF.

[inside out] 1. So that the inside is turned outside. * /Mother turns the stockings inside out when she washes them./ 2. or [inside and out] also [in and out] In every part; throughout; completely. * /David knows the parts of his bicycle inside out./ * /We searched the house inside and out for the kitten./ Compare: BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS, INS AND OUTS, THROUGH AND THROUGH.

[inside track] 1. The inside, shortest distance around a curved racetrack; the place that is closest to the inside fence. * /A big white horse had the inside track at the start of the race./ 2. An advantage due to special connections or information. * /I would probably get that job if I could get the inside track./

[insofar as ] To the extent that; to the point that; as much as. * /You will learn your lessons only insofar as you are willing to keep studying them./

[in so many words] 1. In those exact words. * /He hinted that he thought we were foolish but did not say so in so many words./ 2. or [in no uncertain terms] In an outspoken way; plainly; directly. * /I told him in so many words that he was crazy./ * /Bob was very late for their date, and Mary told Bob in no uncertain terms what she thought of him./ Compare: WORDS OF ONE SYLLABLE.

[in someone else's shoes] See: IN ONE'S SHOES.

[insomuch as] See: INASMUCH AS.

[in spite of] Against the influence or effect of; in opposition to; defying the effect of; despite. * /In spite of the bad storm John delivered his papers on time./ * /In spite of all their differences, Joan and Ann remain friends./

[instance] See: FOR EXAMPLE or FOR INSTANCE.

[in state] See: LIE IN STATE.

[instead of] or [in place of] also [in lieu of] In the place of; in substitution for; in preference to; rather than. * /I wore mittens instead of gloves./ * /The grown-ups had coffee but the children wanted milk in place of coffee./ * /The boys went fishing instead of going to school./ * /The Vice-President talked at the meeting in place of the President, because the President was sick./ * /The magician appeared on the program in lieu of a singer./ Compare: IN PERSON.

[in step] or 1. With the left or right foot stepping at the same time as another's or to the beat of music; in matching strides with another person or persons. * /The long line of soldiers marched all in step: Left, right! Left, right!/ * /Johnny marched behind the band in step to the music./ 2. In agreement; abreast. - Often followed by "with". * /Mary wanted to stay in step with her friends and have a doll too./ Contrast: OUT OF STEP.

[in stitches] , Laughing so hard that the sides ache; in a fit of laughing hard. * /The comedian was so funny that he had everyone who was watching him in stitches./

[in stock] Having something ready to sell dr use; in present possession or supply; to be sold. * /The store had no more red shoes in stock, so Mary chose brown ones instead./ Compare: IN STORE, ON HAND. Contrast: OUT OF STOCK.

[in store] or 1. Saved up in case of need; ready for use or for some purpose. * /If the electricity goes off, we have candles in store in the closet./ * /The squirrel has plenty of nuts in store for the winter./ Compare: IN RESERVE, IN STOCK, ON HAND. 2. Ready to happen; waiting. - Often used in the phrase "hold in store" or "have in store". * /What does the future hold in store for the boy who ran away?/ * /There is a surprise in store for Helen when she gets home./

[in stride] See: TAKE IN STRIDE.

[in substance] In important facts; in the main or basic parts; basically; really. * /In substance the weather report said that it will be a nice day tomorrow./ * /The two cars are the same in substance, except one is red and the other is red and white./

[insult] See: ADD INSULT TO INJURY.

[intent] See: TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.

[in terms of] 1. In the matter of; on the subject of; especially about; about. * /He spoke about books in terms of their publication./ * /What have you done in terms affixing the house?/ * /The children ate a great many hot dogs at the party. In terms of money, they ate $20 worth./ 2. As to the amount or number of. * /We swam a great distance. In terms of miles, it was three./

[in that] For the reason that; because. * /I like the city, but I like the country better in that I have more friends in the country./

[in the air] 1. In everyone's thoughts. * /Christmas was in the air for weeks before./ * /The war filled people's thoughts every day; it was in the air./ Compare: IN THE WIND. 2. Meeting the bodily senses; surrounding you so as to be smelled or felt. * /Spring is in the air./ * /Rain is in the air./ 3. See: LEAVE HANGING, UP IN THE AIR.

[in the back] See: STAB IN THE BACK.

[in the bag] , Sure to be won or gotten; certain. * /Jones had the election in the bag after the shameful news about his opponent came out./ * /We thought we had the game in the bag./ Compare: SEWED UP.

[in the balance] See: HANG IN THE BALANCE.

[in the bargain] or [into the bargain] In addition; besides; also. * /Frank is a teacher, and an artist into the bargain./ * /The heat failed, and then the roof began to leak in the bargain./ Compare: TO BOOT, FOR GOOD MEASURE.

[in the black] or , In a successful or profitable way; so as to make money. * /The big store was running in the black./ * /A business must stay in the black to keep on./ Contrast: IN THE RED.

[in the blood] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY.

[in the bud] See: NIP IN THE BUD.

[in the can] , , Ready; finished; completed; about to be duplicated and distributed to exhibitors. * /No sneak previews until it's all in the can!/ * /Once my book's in the can, I'll go for a vacation./

[in the cards] also [on the cards] , To be expected; likely to happen; foreseeable; predictable. * /It was in the cards for the son to succeed his father as head of the business./ * /John finally decided that it wasn't in the cards for him to succeed with that company./

[in the charge of] See: IN CHARGE OF(2).

[in the chips] or [in the money] Having plenty of money; prosperous; rich. * /After his rich uncle died, Richard was in the chips./ * /After years of struggle and dependence, air transportation is in the money./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.

[in the circumstances] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

[in the clear] 1. Free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult; with nothing to limit action. * /The plane climbed above the clouds and was flying in the clear./ * /Jack passed the ball to Tim, who was in the clear and ran for a touchdown./ 2. Free of blame or suspicion; not thought to be guilty. * /After John told the principal that he broke the window, Martin was in the clear./ * /Steve was the last to leave the locker room, and the boys suspected him of stealing Tom's watch, but the coach found the watch and put Steve in the clear./ 3. Free of debt; not owing money to anyone. * /Bob borrowed a thousand dollars from his father to start his business, but at the end of the first year he was in the clear./ Syn.: IN THE BLACK.

[in the clouds] Far from real life; in dreams; in fancy; in thought. * /When Alice agreed to marry Jim, Jim went home in the clouds./ - Often used with "head", "mind", "thoughts". * /Mary is looking out the window, not at the chalkboard; her head is in the clouds again./ * /A good teacher should have his head in the clouds sometimes, but his feet always on the ground./ Contrast: COME BACK TO EARTH, FEET ON THE GROUND.

[in the clover] See: IN CLOVER.

[in the cold] See: OUT IN THE COLD.

[in the cold light of day] After sleeping on it; after giving it more thought; using common sense and looking at the matter unemotionally and realistically. * /Lost night my ideas seemed terrific, but in the cold light of day I realize that they won't work./

[in the dark] 1. In ignorance; without information. * /John was in the dark about the job he was being sent to./ * /If the government controls the news, it can keep people in the dark on any topic it chooses./ * /Mary had a letter from Sue yesterday, but she was left in the dark about Sue's plans to visit her./ Contrast: IN THE KNOW. See: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[in the doghouse] , In disgrace or disfavor. * /Our neighbor got in the doghouse with his wife by coming home drunk./ * /Jerry is in the doghouse because he dropped the ball, and the other team won because of that./ Compare: DOWN ON.

[in the door] See: FOOT IN THE DOOR.

[in the driver's seat] In control; having the power to make decisions. * /Stan is in the driver's seat now that he has been made our supervisor at the factory./

[in the dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS.

[in the event] See: IN CASE(1).

[in the event of] See: IN CASE OF.

[in the eye] See: LOOK IN THE EYE.

[in the face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE.

[in the face of] 1. When met or in the presence of; threatened by. * /He was brave in the face of danger./ * /She began to cry in the face of failure./ 2. Although opposed by; without being stopped by. * /Talking continued even in the face of the teacher's command to stop./ Syn.: IN SPITE OF. Compare: FLY IN THE FACE OF, IN ONE'S FACE. 3. See: FLY IN THE PACE OF.

[in the family] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY.

[in the first place] 1. Before now; in the beginning; first. * /You already ate breakfast! Why didn't you tell me that in the first place instead of saying you didn't want to eat?/ * /Carl patched his old football but it soon leaked again. He should have bought a new one in the first place./ 2. See: IN THE PLACE.

[in the flesh] See: IN PERSON.

[in the groove] , Doing something very well; near perfection; at your best. * /The band was right in the groove that night./ * /It was an exciting football game; every player was really in the groove./

[in the hole] or , 1a. Having a score lower than zero in a game, especially a card game; to a score below zero. * /John went three points in the hole on the first hand of the card game./ 1b. Behind an opponent; in difficulty in a sport or game. * /We had their pitcher in the hole with the bases full and no one out./ Compare: ON THE SPOT. 2. In debt; behind financially. * /John went in the hole with his hot dog stand./ * /It's a lot easier to get in the hole than to get out again./ Compare: IN A HOLE, IN THE RED. Contrast: OUT OF THE HOLE.

[in the know] , Knowing about things that most people do not know about; knowing secrets or understanding a special subject. * /Tina helped Professor Smith make some of the exam questions, and she felt important to be in the know./ * /In a print shop, Mr. Harvey is in the know, but in a kitchen he can't even cook an egg./ Compare: GET WISE. Contrast: IN THE DARK.