Неизвестен Автор - Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[on purpose] For a reason; because you want to; not accidentally. * /Jane did not forget her coat; she left it in the locker on purpose./ * /The clown fell down on purpose./

[on record] 1. An official or recorded statement or fact; said for everyone to know. * /We do not know when the famous writer was born, but the date of his death is on record./ * /The two candidates went on television to put their ideas on record./ 2. Known to have said or done a certain thing. - Usually used with "as". * /The mayor went on record as opposing a tax raise./ * /The governor is on record as favoring the new highway./ * /That congressman is on record as an enemy of waste in government./ Contrast: OFF THE RECORD.

[on sale] Selling for a special low price. * /Tomato soup that is usually sold for sixty cents a can is now on sale for fifty cents./ * /John and Mary couldn't sell all of the lemonade at twenty cents a cup so they have it on sale for ten cents a cup./

[on schedule(1)] As planned or expected; at the right time. * /The school bus arrived at school on schedule./ * /The four seasons arrive on schedule each year./ Compare: ON TIME.

[on schedule(2)] Punctual; as planned. * /The new airline claims to have more on schedule arrivals than the competition./

[on season] See: HIGH SEASON. Contrast: OFF SEASON.

[on second thought] See: SECOND THOUGHT.

[on sight] See: AT SIGHT.

[on table] See: WAIT AT TABLE or WAIT ON TABLE.

[on the air] or Broadcasting or being broadcast on radio or TV. * /His show is on the air at six o'clock./ * /The ball game is on the air now./

[on the alert] Alert; watchful; careful. * /Campers must be on the alert for poison ivy and poison oak./ * /Drivers must be on the alert for traffic signals./ Compare: ON ONE'S TOES.

[on the average] See: ON AN AVERAGE.

[on the back] See: PAT ON THE BACK.

[on the ball] , 1. Paying attention and doing things well. - Used after "is" or "get". * /Ben is really on the ball in school./ * /The coach told Jim he must get on the ball or he cannot stay on the team./ Compare: GET WITH IT, HEADS-UP, KEEP ONE'S EYE ON THE BALL. 2. That is a skill or ability; making you good at things. Used after "have". * /John will succeed in life; he has a lot on the ball./ * /The coach was eager to try out his new team and see what they had on the ball./

[on the bandwagon] , In or into the newest popular group or activity; in or into something you join just because many others are joining it. - Often used after "climb", "get", or "jump". * /When all George's friends decided to vote for Bill, George climbed on the bandwagon too./ See: JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.

[on the barrelhead] See: CASH ON THE BARRELHEAD.

[on the beam] or 1. (Of an airplane) In the radio beam that marks the path to follow between airports; flying in the right direction. * /A radio signal tells the pilot of an airplane when he is flying on the beam./ 2. Doing well; just right; good or correct. * /Kenneth's answer was right on the beam./ Contrast: OFF THE BEAM.

[on the bench] 1. Sitting in a law court as a judge. * /Judge Wyzanski is on the bench this morning./ 2. Sitting among the substitute players. * /The coach had to keep his star player on the bench with a sprained ankle./ Compare: BENCH WARMER.

[on the blink] Faulty; malfunctioning; inoperative. * /I need to call a competent repairman because my computer is on the blink again./

[on the block] To be sold; for sale. * /The vacant house was on the block./ * /Young cattle are grown and sent to market to be placed on the block./

[on the brain] , Filling your thoughts; too much thought about; almost always in mind. * /Mary Ann has boys on the brain./ * /Joe's hobby is ham radio and he has radio on the brain most of the time./

[on the brink of] Facing a new event that's about to happen. * /"I am on the brink of a new discovery," our physics professor proudly announced./

[on the button] , At the right place; at the heart of the matter. * /John's remark was right on the button./ Compare: ON THE DOT.

[on the cards] See: IN THE CARDS.

[on the carpet] See: CALL ON THE CARPET.

[on the cheap] Inexpensively; on a tight budget. * /She buys most of her clothes on the cheap in secondhand stores./

[on the chin] See: TAKE IT ON THE CHIN.

[on the contrary] Exactly the opposite; rather; instead. * /The principal thought that the children went to the zoo; on the contrary, they went to the bakery./ * /"You don't like football, do you?" "On the contrary, I like it very much."/ Compare: TO THE CONTRARY.

[on the cuff] or , Agreeing to pay later; to be paid for later; on credit. * /Peter lost the money that Mother gave him to buy meat, and the store would not let him have meat on the cuff./ * /Many people buy cars and television sets on the cuff./

[on the dole] Drawing unemployment benefits. * /When Jim lost his job he got on the dole and is still on it./

[on the dot] also [on the button] , Exactly on time; not early and not late. * /Susan arrived at the party at 2:00 P.M. on the dot./ * /Ben's plane arrived on the dot./

[on the double!] Hurry up! * /"Let's go! On the double!" the pilot cried, as he started up the engine of the small plane./

[on the eve of] Just before (an event). * /On the eve of the election, the president proposed a plan to cut taxes./

[on the face of it] Apparently; as it seems. * /On the face of it, Joe's claim that he can swim five miles is true./ * /His statement that he is a millionaire is, on the face of it, false./

[on the fence] or Not able, or not wanting to choose; in doubt; undecided. - Often used with "sit". * /Jack sat on the fence for a week last spring before he finally joined the track team instead of the baseball team./ * /Mrs. Jones has decided to vote for the Democrats, but Mr. Jones is still on the fence./ See: FENCE-SITTER or FENCE-SITTING.

[on the fly(1)] 1. While in the air; in flight. * /The bird caught a bug on the fly./ * /Joe was called out because the catcher caught the ball on the fly./ 2. Between other activities; while busy with many things. * /The president was so busy that he had to dictate letters on the fly./ * /John is very busy, and people who want to talk to him have to catch him on the fly./ Compare: ON THE GO, ON THE WING(2).

[on the fly(2)] , Busy; going somewhere in a hurry; going about doing things. * /Getting the house ready for the visitors kept Mother on the fly all day./ * /The housekeeper of our school is always on the fly./

[on the go] , Active and busy. * /Successful businessmen are on the go most of the time./ * /Healthy, happy people are usually on the go./ Compare: ON THE MOVE.

[on the heels of] Just after; following (something, especially an event). - Often used with "hard" for emphasis. * /Hard on the heels of the women's liberation parade, homosexuals declared a "gay pride week."/

[on the hog] See: LIVE HIGH OFF THE HOG or EAT HIGH ON THE HOG.

[on the hour] Each time the hour has zero minutes and zero seconds. * /The uptown bus goes past the school on the hour./ * /The woman must take her pill on the hour./

[on the house] , Paid for by the owner. * /At the opening of the new hotel, the champagne was on the house./ * /Oscar was the first customer at the diner, so his lunch was on the house./

[on the increase] See: ON THE WAX. Contrast: ON THE DECREASE, ON THE WANE.

[on the job] , Working hard; not wasting time. * /Joe was on the job all of the time that he was at work./ * /The school paper came out on time because the editors were on the job./

[on the knees of the gods] See: IN THE LAP OF THE GODS.

[on the lam] or , Running away, especially from the law; in flight. * /The bank robber was on the lam for ten months before the police caught him./ - Sometimes used in the phrase "take it on the lam". * /After a big quarrel with her father, the girl took it on the lam./

[on the level] , Honest and fair; telling the whole truth. * /Our teacher respects the students who are on the level with her./ * /Joyce wondered if the fortune-teller was on the level./

[on the line] See: LAY ON THE LINE or PUT ON THE LINE.

[on the lips] See: HANG ON THE WORDS OF or HANG ON THE LIPS OF.

[on the lookout] Watching closely. * /The little boy was on the lookout for his father./ * /Forest rangers are always on the lookout for forest fires./ * /The doctor is on the lookout for a new secretary./

[on the loose] , Free to go; not shut in or stopped by anything. * /The zookeeper forgot to close the gate to the monkey cage and the monkeys were on the loose./ * /All of the seniors were on the loose on "Senior Skip Day."/

[on the make] , 1. Promiscuous or aggressive in one's sexual advances. * /I can't stand Murray; he's always on the make./ 2. Pushing to get ahead in one's career; doing anything to succeed. * /The new department head is a young man on the make, who expects to be company president in ten years./

[on the map] See: PUT ON THE MAP.

[on the market] For sale. * /In the summer many fresh vegetables are on the market./ * /The Goodwins put their house on the market in January, but they did not sell it till August./

[on the mend] Healing; becoming better. * /John's broken leg is on the mend./ * /Mary's relationship with Joan is on the mend./

[on die money] Exactly right; exactly accurate. * /Algernon won the lottery; the numbers he picked were right on the money./ Compare: ON THE NOSE.

[on the move] or 1. Moving around from place to place; in motion. * /It was a very cold day, and the teacher watching the playground kept on the move to stay warm./ * /It was vacation time, and the highways were full of families on the move./ 2. Moving forward; going somewhere. * /The candidate promised that if people would make him president, he would get the country on the move./

[on the nose] , Just right; exactly. * /Stanley hit the ball on the nose./ * /The airplane pilot found the small landing field on the nose./

[on the other foot] See: SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT.

[on the other hand] Looking at the other side; from another point of view. - Used to introduce an opposite or different fact or idea. * /Jim wanted to go to the movies; his wife, on the other hand, wanted to stay home and read./ * /Mr. Harris may still want a boy to mow his lawn; on the other hand, he may have found someone to do it./ Compare: ON ONE HAND.

[on the outs] , Not friendly; having a quarrel. * /Mary and Sue were on the outs./ * /Being on the outs with a classmate is very upsetting./ Syn.: AT ODDS.

[on the point of] Ready to begin; very near to. - Usually used with a verbal noun. * /The coach was on the point of giving up the game when our team scored two points./ * /The baby was on the point of crying when her mother finally came home./ Compare: ABOUT TO, AT THE POINT OF.

[on the Q.T.] , Secretly; without anyone's knowing. * /George and Paul formed a club on the Q.T./ * /The teachers got the principal a present strictly on the Q.T./ (from quiet.)

[on the road] or 1. Traveling; moving from one place to another. * /When we go on vacation, we take a lunch to eat while on the road./ * /Mr. Smith is on the road for his insurance company./ 2. Changing; going from one condition to another. * /Mary was very sick for several weeks, but now she is on the road to recovery./ * /Hard study in school put John on the road to success./

[on the rocks] 1. Wrecked or ruined. * /Mr. Jones' business and marriage were both on the rocks./ 2. With ice only. * /At the restaurant, Sally ordered orange juice on the rocks./

[on the ropes] or 1. Against the ropes of a boxing ring and almost not able to stand up. * /The fighter was on the ropes and could hardly lift his gloves./ 2. Almost defeated; helpless; near failure. * /The new supermarket took most of the business from Mr. Thomas's grocery, and the little store was soon on the ropes./