Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[miss the point] {v. phr.} To be unable to comprehend the essence of what was meant. •/ The student didn’t get a passing grade on the exam because, although he wrote three pages, he actually missed the point. /

[mistake]See: BY MISTAKE.

[misty-eyed]or [dewey-eyed] {adj. phr.} 1. Having eyes damp with tears; emotional. •/ The teacher was misty-eyed when the school gave her a retirement gift. / 2. Of the kind who cries easily; sentimental. •/ The movie appealed to dewey-eyed girls. /

[mixed bag] {n. phr.} A varied set of people, ideas, objects, or circumstances, including both the good and the bad. •/ This report is a mixed bag of opinions. / •/ There was a mixed bag of people at the press conference. /

[mixed blessing] {n.} Something good that has bad features. •/ John’s new bicycle was a mixed blessing. The other boys were always asking John to ride it. /

[mixed up] {adj. phr.} , {informal} Confused in mind; puzzled. •/ Bob was all mixed up after the accident. / Compare: BALL UP(1). 2. Disordered; disarranged; not neat. •/ The papers on his desk were mixed up. / 3. {informal} Joined or connected (with someone or something bad). •/ Harry was mixed up in a fight after the game. / •/ Mary’s father told her not to get mixed up with the students that always break school rules. /

[mix up] {v.} To confuse; make a mistake about. •/ Jimmy doesn’t know colors yet; he mixes up purple with blue. / •/ Even the twins' mother mixes them up. / Compare: MIXED UP.

[molehill]See: MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.

[moment]See: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.

[Monday]See: BLUE MONDAY.

[money]See: COIN MONEY or MINT MONEY, EASY MONEY, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED, FOR LOVE OR MONEY, IN THE CHIPS or IN THE MONEY, MADE OF MONEY, MARRY MONEY, PUT ONE’S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, RUN FOR ONE’S MONEY, SEE THE COLOR OF ONE’S MONEY, SPENDING MONEY or POCKET MONEY.

[money burns a hole in one’s pocket]See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE’S POCKET.

[money is no object] {informal sentence} The price of something is irrelevant. •/ Please show me your most beautiful mink coat; money is no object. /

[money to burn] {n. phr.} , {informal} Very much money, more than is needed. •/ Dick’s uncle died and left him money to burn. / •/ When Joe is twenty-one he will have money to burn. / •/ Jean is looking for a husband with money to burn. / Compare: MADE OF MONEY.

[monkey]See: GREASE MONKEY, MAKE A FOOL OF or MAKE A MONKEY OF.

[monkey around]See: FUCK AROUND, HORSE AROUND, MESS AROUND.

[monkey business] {n.} , {slang} , {informal} 1. Any unethical, illegitimate, or objectionable activity that is furtive or deceitful, e.g., undercover sexual advances, cheating, misuse of public funds, etc. •/ There is a lot of monkey business going on in that firm; you’d better watch out who you deal with! / 2. Comical or silly actions; goofing off. •/ Come on boys, let’s cut out the monkey business and get down to work! /

[monkey on one’s back] {n. phr.} , {informal} An unsolved or nagging problem. •/ "My math course is a real monkey on my back," Jack complained. / Compare: ALBATROSS AROUND ONE’S NECK, MILLSTONE AROUND ONE’S NECK.

[monkey wrench]See: THROW A MONKEY WRENCH.

[monster]See: GREEN-EYED MONSTER.

[month in, month out]See: DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

[month of Sundays] {n. phr.} , informal A very long time. — Used for emphasis after "for" or "in" and usually with a negative verb. •/ I have not had devil’s food cake in a month of Sundays. / •/ When he got her first letter, he felt that he had not heard from her for a month of Sundays. / Syn.: DOG’S AGE.

[moon]See: ASK FOR THE MOON or CRY FOR THE MOON, DARK OF THE MOON, FULL OF THE MOON, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, PROMISE THE MOON.

[moonshine] {n.} Illegally distilled alcoholic beverage made at home, mostly on a farm. •/ Grandpa is at it again in the barn, making moonshine out of plums. /

[mop the floor with]or [mop up the floor with]or [wipe the floor with]or [wipe up the floor with] {v. phr.} , {slang} To defeat very clearly or quickly; to beat badly. •/ The bully threatened to mop up the floor with Billy. / •/ Our team wiped the floor with the visiting team. /

[mop up] {v. phr.} To disperse or liquidate isolated groups or detachments of opposing forces. •/ Our forces won the basic battle but there still remain pockets of resistance they must mop up. /

[mop up the floor with]See: MOP THE FLOOR WITH.

[more]See: BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.

[more often than not] {adv. phr.} More than half the time; fifty-one or more times out of a hundred; not quite usually, but fairly regularly. •/ Nancy comes over on Saturday more often than not. / •/ Ben is a fairly good runner. He wins more often than not. /

[more or less] {adv. phr.} 1. Somewhat; rather; mostly; fairly. •/ Earl made some mistakes on the test, but his answers were more or less right. / •/ Ed is more or less intelligent. / •/ Betty believes more or less in fairies. / Compare: IN A WAY. 2. About; nearly; not exactly, but almost. •/ The new building cost more or less what the builder figured. / •/ It is a mile, more or less, from his home to the school. / •/ He has wanted to date her more or less since he first saw her. / Compare: OR SO.

[more than] {adv.} Over what you might expect; very. •/ They were more than glad to help. / •/ He was more than upset by the accident. / Contrast: LESS THAN.

[more than one can chew]See: BITE OFF MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.

[more than one could shake a stick at] {adj. phr.} , {informal} Very many; a great many; more than you can count. •/ There were more people at the game than you could shake a stick at. / •/ I had more assignments for homework than I could shake a stick at. /

[more the merrier] {n. phr.} The more people who join in the fun, the better it will be. — Used in welcoming more people to join others in some pleasant activity. •/ Come with us on the boat ride; the more the merrier. /

[morning after] {n.} , {slang} The effects of drinking liquor or staying up late as felt the next morning; a hangover. •/ One of the troubles of drinking too much liquor is the morning after. / •/ Mr. Smith woke up with a big headache and knew it was the morning after. /

[Moses]See: HOLY CATS or HOLY MOSES.

[moss]See: ROLLING STONE GATHERS NO MOSS.

[most]See: AT MOST, MAKE THE MOST OF.

[mother]See: TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.

[motion]See: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS.

[mountain]See: MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.

[mouse]See: PLAY CAT AND MOUSE WITH.

[mouth]See: BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN ONE’S MOUTH, BUTTER WOULDN’T MELT IN ONE’S MOUTH, BY WORD OF MOUTH, DOWN IN THE DUMPS or DOWN IN THE MOUTH, FOAM AT THE MOUTH, HEART IN ONE’S MOUTH, KEEP ONE’S MOUTH SHUT, LAUGH ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ONE’S MOUTH, LEAVE A BAD TASTE IN ONE’S MOUTH, LIVE FROM HAND TO MOUTH, LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH, MAKE ONE’S MOUTH WATER, MELT IN ONE’S MOUTH, PUT ONE’S FOOT IN IT or PUT ONE’S FOOT IN ONE’S MOUTH, PUT WORDS INTO ONE’S MOUTH, SHOOT OFF ONE’S MOUTH, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH, TAKE THE BIT IN ONE’S MOUTH, TAKE THE BREAD OUT OF ONE’S MOUTH.

[mouthful]See: SAY A MOUTHFUL.

[mouth-watering] {adj.} Smelling or looking very good to eat. •/ It was a mouth-watering meal. /

[move]See: GET A MOVE ON, ON THE MOVE.

[move a muscle] {v. phr.} To move even a very little. — Used in negative sentences and questions and with "if". •/ The deer stood without moving a muscle until the hunter was gone. / •/ The girls were so startled that they did not move a muscle. / •/ You’re sitting right where you were when I left! Have you moved a muscle? / •/ The robber said he would shoot the bank worker if he moved a muscle. /

[move heaven and earth] {v. phr.} To try every way; do everything you can. •/ Joe moved heaven and earth to be sent to Washington. / Compare: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.

[move in on] {v. phr.} , {slang} , {colloquial} To take over something that belongs to another. •/ He moved in on my girlfriend and now we’re not talking to each other. /

[movement]See: LABOR MOVEMENT.

[moving spirit] {n. phr.} The main figure behind a business or an activity; the one who inspires the others. •/ Mr. Smith is the moving spirit behind our expansion plans. /

[much]See: AS MUCH AS, FOR AS MUCH AS, MAKE MUCH OF, SO MUCH, SO MUCH FOR, THINK A GREAT DEAL OF or THINK MUCH OF.

[much as]See: AS MUCH AS(1).

[much less] {conj.} And also not; and even less able or likely to. — Used after a negative clause. •/ I never even spoke to the man, much less insulted him. / •/ John couldn’t even pick up the box, much less carry it upstairs. / •/ George can hardly understand arithmetic, much less algebra. / Compare: LET ALONE, NOT TO MENTION.

[mud]See: NAME IS MUD, STICK-IN-THE-MUD.

[mud in your eye] {n. phr.} , {informal} A cheering exclamation when people drink, much like "cheers!" •/ Each time John raised his glass he said, "Well, here’s mud in your eye!" /

[mug shot] {n. phr.} A police photograph showing the arrested person’s full face and profile. •/ "Go over these mug shots," Sergeant O’Malley said, "and tell me if you find the person who held up the liquor store!" /

[Muhammad]See: IF THE HILL WON’T COME TO MUHAMMAD, THEN MUHAMMAD MUST COME TO THE HILL.

[mull over] {v. phr.} To consider; think over. •/ He mulled over the offer for some time, but finally rejected it. /

[mum is the word]You must keep the secret; keep silent; don’t tell anyone. — Often used as an interjection. •/ We are planning a surprise party for John and mum is the word. / •/ "Mum is the word!" the robber captain told his men. /