Неизвестен Автор - Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[one-night stand] 1. A single performance given by a traveling company while on a tour. * /After they went bankrupt in the big cities, the traveling jazz quartet played one-night stands in the country./ 2. A brief affair or sexual encounter. * /"With AIDS all around us?" said Jane. "Nobody is having one-night stands anymore."/

[one of these days] or [some of these days] Someday; sometime soon. * /One of these days Herbert will be famous./ * /I'm going to do that sewing some of these days./

[one on the city] , A glass of water (which is provided free of charge, as a free gift from the city). * /What will you have? - Oh, just give me one on the city./

[one's money's worth] A fair return on one's money spent or invested. * /I wouldn't say that the trip was a great bargain, but I feel that we got our money's worth./

[one's own row] See: HOE ONE'S OWN ROW.

[one-two] 1. A succession of two punches, the first a short left, followed by a hard right punch, usually in the jaw. * /Ali gave Frazir the one-two./ 2. Any quick or decisive action which takes the opposition by surprise, thereby ensuring victory. * /He gave us the old one-two and won the game./

[one up] Having an advantage; being one step ahead, * /John graduated from high school; he is one up on Bob, who dropped out./ * /The Platters are one up on their neighbors. They own the only color television set in their neighborhood./

[one-upmanship] , Always keeping ahead of others; trying to keep an advantage. * /No matter what I do, I find that Jim has already done it better. He's an expert at one-upmanship./ * /Jack took the news to the principal while we were still talking about it. He's very quick to practice one-upmanship./ Compare: ONE UP. (The word one-upmanship was made up by a British humorist, Stephen Potter, on the pattern of such words as sportsmanship and workmanship.)

[on faith] Without question or proof. * /He said he was twenty-one years old and the employment agency took him on faith./ * /He looked so honest that we accepted his story on faith./

[on file] Placed in a written or electronic file; on record. * /We are sorry we cannot hire you right now but we will keep your application on file./

[on fire] See: SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.

[on foot] or 1. By walking. * /Sally's bicycle broke and she had to return home on foot./ 2. Being planned. * /The reporter said that a civil rights demonstration was on foot./ * /Plans have been set on foot for a party for Miss Jackson, because she is retiring./

[on guard] Watchful; watching. * /The police warned people to he on guard for pickpockets during the Christmas rush./ * /Two men are on guard at the door./ Contrast: OFF GUARD.

[on hand] 1a. Nearby; within reach. * /Always have your dictionary on hand when you study./ 1b. Here. * /Soon school will end and vacation will be on hand./ 2. Present. * /Mr. Blake's secretary is always on hand when he appears in public./ 3. In your possession; ready. * /The Girl Scouts have plenty of cookies on hand./ * /Tim had no cash on hand to pay for the gas./ Compare: IN STORE.

[on high cotton] See: ON TOP OF THE WORLD also SITTING ON HIGH COTTON.

[on hold] 1. Left waiting while making a telephone call. * /"Sorry sir," the secretary said, "I'll have to put you on hold for a minute."/ 2. Waiting; temporarily halted. * /"Put your marriage plans on hold, son, and wait until after graduation," his father said seriously./

[on ice] or , 1. The same as won; sure to be won. * /The score was 20-10 in the last inning, and our team had the game on ice./ 2. Away for safekeeping or later use; aside. * /You will have to put your vacation plans on ice until your debts are paid./ * /The senator was voted out of office. He is on ice until the next election./

[on in years] See: ALONG IN YEARS.

[onion] See: KNOW ONE'S WAY AROUND(2).

[only] See: HAVE EYES ONLY FOR, IF ONLY.

[on occasion] Sometimes; occasionally. * /We go to New York on occasion./ * /On occasion we feel like celebrating and have a party./ Compare: ONCE IN A WHILE, FROM TIME TO TIME.

[on one hand] Looking at a thing in one of two possible ways; from one point of view. - Usually used with "on the other hand". * /John wants to be a printer or a teacher; on one hand, printing pays better; on the other hand, schools need good teachers./

[on one's account] For your good; because you want to help or please someone. * /Barry studied hard on his mother's account./ * /I hope you didn't bring tea to the picnic just on my account./ * /The teacher stayed in school a little late on Tom's account./ Compare: OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD, ON ACCOUNT OF.

[on one's back] , Making insistent demands of you; being an annoyance or bother. * /My wife has been on my back for weeks to fix the front door screen./ * /I can't get any work done with the children on my back from morning until night./ * /Jim could do a better job if his boss weren't on his back so often./ Contrast: OFF ONE'S BACK.

[on one's bad side] or [on the bad side of one] , Not liked by someone; not friendly with a person. * /Sally's boyfriend got on Father's bad side by keeping Sally out too late after the dance./ Contrast: ON ONE'S GOOD SIDE.

[on one's behalf] See: ON BEHALF OF.

[on one's chest] , Hidden in your thoughts or feelings and bothering you; making you feel worried or upset; that is something you want to talk to someone about. * /Jane looks unhappy because she has the quarrel with Susan on her chest./ * /"Well, Dave," said the coach, "You look sad - what's on your chest?"/ Compare: ON ONE'S MIND. Contrast: OFF ONE'S CHEST,

[on one's coattails] Because of another's merits, success, or popularity. * /Bob and Jim are best friends. When Jim was invited to join a fraternity, Bob rode in on his coattails./ * /Many people vote straight for all the candidates in the same political party. Most people voted for President K., so Governor B. rode in on K.'s coattails./

[on oneself] See: TAKE ON ONESELF.

[on one's feet] 1. Standing or walking; not sitting or lying down; up. * /Before the teacher finished asking the question, George was on his feet ready to answer it./ * /In a busy gasoline station, the attendant is on his feet all day./ Compare: TO ONE'S FEET. Contrast: OFF ONE'S FEET. 2. Recovering; getting better from sickness or trouble. * /Jack is back on his feet after a long illness./ * /Susan was on her feet soon after the operation./ * /The bank loaned the store money to get it back on its feet after the fire./ 3. See: LAND ON ONE'S FEET, STAND ON ONE'S OWN FEET, THINK ON ONE'S FEET.

[on one's good behavior] Behaving right to make a good impression. * /While his father was around the boy was on his good behavior, but when the father left the boy soon got into mischief./ * /The minister is coming to dinner, and Mother wants us to be on our good behavior./

[on one's good side] or [on the good side of one] , Friendly with someone; liked by a person. * /John thought that he would get a good grade if he got on the good side of the teacher./ * /Successful workers stay on the good side of their bosses./ Contrast: ON ONE'S BAD SIDE.

[on one's hands] or In your care or responsibility; that you must do something about. * /Mrs. Blake left her five children with me while she shopped. I could not get anything done with the children on my hands./ * /After everyone bought tickets to the dance, the club treasurer had over $100 on his hands./ * /The electricity went off while Mother was cooking supper, and she had a problem on her hands./ * /I had time on my hands before the bus came, so I bought a newspaper to read./ Contrast: OFF ONE'S HANDS. See: SIT ON ONE'S HANDS. Compare: HANG HEAVY or HANG HEAVY ON ONE'S HANDS.

[on one's head] or [upon one's head] On one's self. * /When the school board fired the superintendent of schools, they brought the anger of the parents upon their heads./ * /Billy had been naughty all day, but he really brought his parents' anger down on his head by pushing his little sister into a mud puddle./ Compare: ABOUT ONE'S EARS.

[on one's heel] See: TURN ON ONE'S HEEL.

[on one's high horse] , 1. Acting as if you are better than others; being very proud and scornful. * /Martha was chairman of the picnic committee, and at the picnic she was on her high horse, telling everyone what to do./ * /Mrs. Jones asked to see a less expensive hat. The salesgirl got up on her high horse and said the shop did not sell cheap merchandise./ 2. Refusing to be friendly because you are angry; in a bad temper. * /Joe was on his high horse because he felt Mary wasn't giving him enough attention./ Contrast: OFF ONE'S HIGH HORSE.

[on one's honor] Bound by one's honesty; trusted. * /The students were not supervised during the examination. They were on their honor not to cheat./ * /The house father put the boys on their honor not to smoke in the dormitory./

[on one's knees] 1. Pleading; begging very hard. * /The boys were on their knees for hours before their parents agreed to their camping plans./ * /The Jacksons won't contribute to the Red Cross unless you get on your knees./ 2. In a very weak condition; near failure. * /When the graduates of the school heard that it was on its knees they gave money generously so that it would not close./

[on one's last legs] Failing; near the end. * /The blacksmith's business is on its last legs./ * /The dog is old and sick. He is on his last legs./ Compare: ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, ON ONE'S KNEES(2).

[on one's mind] In one's thoughts. * /I'm glad you want to talk about this. It's been on my mind for weeks./ * /What's on your mind?/ Compare: IN MIND.

[on one's nerves] See: GET ON ONE'S NERVES.

[on one's own] With no help from others. * /It is a happy day when you're allowed to drive a car on your own./ * /Being on your own may be a frightening experience./ Compare: GO IT(2).

[on one's own account] or [on one's own hook] 1. For yourself; as a free agent; independently. * /After they had picked out the class gift, members of the committee did some shopping on their own account./ 2. See: OF ONE'S OWN ACCORD.

[on one's own feet] See: STAND ON ONE'S OWN FEET.

[on one's own hook] See: ON ONE'S OWN ACCOUNT.

[on one's own time] During one's free time; not during working or school hours. * /If you want to play football, you'll have to do it on your own time./

[on one's part] or [on the part of one] 1. Of or by you; of someone's. * /When Miss Brown said I was a good student, that was pure kindness on her part./ * /The other team blamed their defeat on unfairness on the part of the referee./ 2. See: FOR ONE'S PART.

[on one's shoulders] or In your care; as your responsibility. * /The success of the program rests on your shoulders./ * /He acts as if he had the cares of the world on his shoulders./

[on one's toes] , Alert; ready to act. * /The successful ball player is always on his toes./ Compare: HEADS-UP, ON THE BALL.

[on one's uppers] , Very poor. * /Mr. White had been out of work for several months and was on his uppers./ Compare: DOWN ON ONE'S LUCK.

[on one's way] See: ON THE WAY.

[on pain of] also [under pain of] , At the risk of; under penalty of. * /The workers went on strike on pain of losing their jobs./ * /The rebels had to swear under pain of death never to confess where their comrades were hiding./

[on paper] or Judging by appearances only and not by past performance; in theory; theoretically. * /On paper, the American colonies should have lost the Revolutionary War./ * /The football team lost many games, even though they looked good on paper./

[on pins and needles] , Worried; nervous. * /Jane's mother was on pins and needles because Jane was very late getting home from school./ * /Many famous actors are on pins and needles before the curtain opens for a play./