Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[the three R’s] {n. phr.} (W)riting, reading, and (a)rithmetic, the three basic skills of an elementary education. •/ Barry has completed the three R’s, but otherwise he has had little formal education. /

[the ticket] {n.} Exactly what is needed. — Often used with "just". •/ This airtight locker is just the ticket for storing your winter clothes. /

[the tracks] {n.} The line between the rich or fashionable part of town and the poor or unfashionable part of town. •/ The poor children knew they would not be welcome on the other side of the tracks. / •/ Mary’s mother did not want her to date Jack, because he came from across the tracks. / — Often used in the expression "the wrong side of the tracks". •/ The mayor was born on the wrong side of the tracks, but he worked hard and became successful. /

[the whole way]See: ALL THE WAY.

[the wiser] {adj.} Knowing about something which might be embarrassing of knowing. — Usually used with "nobody" or "no one". •/ Mary took the teacher’s book home by mistake, but early the next morning she returned it with nobody the wiser. /

[the works] {n. plural} , {slang} 1. Everything that can be had or that you have; everything of this kind, all that goes with it. •/ When the tramp found $100, he went into a fine restaurant and ordered the works with a steak dinner. / 1b. See: SHOOT THE WORKS. 2. Rough handling or treatment; a bad beating or scolding; killing; murder. — Usually used with "get" or "give". •/ The boy said that Joe was going to get the works if he ever came back to that neighborhood again. / •/ The newspaper gave the police department the works when they let the burglars get away. / •/ The gangster told his friend he would give him the works if he double-crossed him. / Compare: THE BUSINESS.

[they]See: LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.

[thick]See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER, LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK, THROUGH THICK AND THIN.

[thicker]See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.

[thin]See: INTO THIN AIR, OUT OF THIN AIR, SIT ON THIN ICE, SPREAD ONESELF TOO THIN, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, WEAR THIN.

[thing]See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING, DO ONE’S THING or DO ONE’S OWN THING, FIRST THINGS COME FIRST, FOR ONE THING, SEE THINGS, SURE THING, TAKE IT EASY or TAKE THINGS EASY, TELL A THING OR TWO.

[thing or two] {n. phr.} , {informal} 1. Facts not generally known, or not known to the hearer or reader; unusual or important information. •/ Mary told Joan a thing or two about Betty’s real feelings. / 2. A lot; much. •/ Bob knows a thing or two about sailing. / Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO.

[Things are looking up!]Informal way to say that conditions are improving. •/ Things are looking up at our university as the governor promised a 5% salary raise. /

[think]See: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[think a great deal of]or [think a lot of]also [think much of] {v. phr.} To consider to be very worthy, valuable, or important; to esteem highly. •/ Mary thinks a great deal of Tim. / •/ The teacher thought a lot of Joe’s project. / — The phrase "think much of" is usually used in negative sentences. •/ Father didn’t think much of Paul’s idea of buying a goat to save lawn mowing. / Contrast: THINK LITTLE OF.

[think a lot of]See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think aloud]or [think out loud] {v.} To say what you are thinking. •/ "I wish I had more money for Christmas presents," Father thought aloud. "What did you say?" said Mother. Father answered, "I’m sorry. I wasn’t talking to you. I was thinking out loud." /

[think better of] {v.} To change your mind about; to consider again and make a better decision about. •/ John told his mother he wanted to leave school, but later he thought better of it. / Compare: SECOND THOUGHT, THINK TWICE.

[Think big!] {v. phr.} , {informal} To believe in one’s ability, purpose, or power to perform or succeed. •/ Be confident; be positive; tell yourself you are the greatest; above all, think big! /

[think fit]See: FIT.

[thinking cap]See: PUT ON ONE’S THINKING CAP.

[think little of] {v. phr.} Think that (something or someone) is not important or valuable. •/ John thought little of Ted’s plan for the party. / •/ Joan thought little of walking two miles to school. / Contrast: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think much of]See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think nothing of] {v. phr.} To think or consider easy, simple, or usual. •/ Jim thinks nothing of hiking ten miles in one day. /

[think nothing of it] {v. phr.} , {informal} Used as a courteous phrase in replying to thanks. /"Thank you very much for your help." "Think nothing of it."/ Compare: YOU’RE WELCOME.

[think on one’s feet] {v. phr.} To think quickly; answer or act without waiting; know what to do or say right away. •/ A good basketball player can think on his feet. / •/ Our teacher can think on his feet; he always has an answer ready when we ask him questions. /

[think out] {v.} 1. To find out or discover by thinking; study and understand. •/ Andy thought out a way of climbing to the top of the pole. / Compare FIGURE OUT, WORK OUT. 2. To think through to the end; to understand what would come at last. •/ Bill wanted to quit school, but he thought out the matter and decided not to. /

[think out loud]See: THINK ALOUD.

[think over] {v.} To think carefully about; consider; study. •/ When Charles asked Betty to marry him, she asked him for time to think it over. / •/ Think over what we studied in history this year and write a lesson on the thing that interested you most. / Compare: MAKE UP ONE’S MIND, SEE ABOUT.

[think piece] {n.} , {slang} 1. The human brain. •/ Lou’s got one powerful think piece, man. / 2. Any provocative essay or article that, by stating a strong opinion, arouses the reader to think about it and react to it by agreeing or disagreeing. •/ That article by Charles Fenyvesi on Vietnamese refugees in the Washington Post sure was a think piece! /

[think tank] {n.} A company of researchers who spend their time developing ideas and concepts. •/ The government hired a think tank to study the country’s need for coins, and was advised to stop making pennies. /

[think twice] {v.} To think again carefully; reconsider; hesitate. •/ The teacher advised Lou to think twice before deciding to quit school. / Compare: THINK BETTER OF.

[think up] {v.} To invent or discover by thinking; have a new idea of. •/ Mary thought up a funny game for the children to play. /

[third base] {n.} The base to be touched third in baseball. •/ He reached third base standing up on a long triple. /

[third class] {n.} 1. The third best or highest group; the class next after the second class. •/ Mary won the pie-making contest in the third class, for the youngest girls. / 2. Mail that is printed, other than magazines and newspapers that are published regularly, and packages that are not sealed and weigh less than a pound. •/ The company uses third class to mail free samples of soap. / 3. The least expensive class of travel. •/ I couldn’t afford anything better than the third class on the ship coming home from France. / Compare: FIRST CLASS, SECOND CLASS.

[third-class(1)] {adj.} Belonging to the third class; of the third highest or best class. •/ Much advertising is sent by third-class mall. / •/ I bought a third-class airline ticket to Hawaii. /

[third-class(2)] {adv.} By third class. •/ How did you send the package? Third class. / •/ We traveled third-class on the train. /

[third degree] {n. phr.} A method of severe grilling used to extract information from an arrested suspect. •/ "Why give me the third degree?" he asked indignantly. "All I did was come home late because I had a drink with my friends." /

[third sex] {n.} , {euphemism} , {slang} , {informal} Homosexual individuals who are either men or women. •/ Billy is rumored to belong to the third sex. /

[third world] {n.} 1. The countries not aligned with either the former U.S.S.R.-dominated Communist bloc or the U.S.A.-dominated capitalist countries. •/ New Zealand made a move toward third country status when it disallowed American nuclear submarines in its harbors. / 2. The developing nations of the world where the industrial revolution has not yet been completed. •/ Africa and the rest of the third world must be freed from starvation and illiteracy. /

[this]See: OUT OF THIS WORLD.

[this and that]also [this, that, and the other] {n. phr.} Various things; different things; miscellaneous things. •/ When the old friends met they would talk about this and that. / •/ The quilt was made of this, that, and the other. /

[this, that, and the other]See: THIS AND THAT.

[this is how the cookie crumbles]or [that’s how the cookie crumbles] {v. phr.} , {informal} That’s how things are; that’s life. •/ It’s too bad about John and Mary getting divorced, but then that’s how the cookie crumbles. /

[thither]See: HITHER AND THITHER.

[thorn in the flesh]or [thorn in one’s side] {n. phr.} Something that causes stubborn trouble; a constant bother; a vexation. •/ The new voter organization soon became the biggest thorn in the senator’s side. / •/ The guerrilla band was a thorn in the flesh of the invaders. /

[though]See: AS IF or AS THOUGH.

[thought]See: FOOD FOR THOUGHT, PENNY FOR ONE’S THOUGHTS, PERISH THE THOUGHT, SECOND THOUGHT.

[thousand]See: BY THE DOZEN or BY THE THOUSAND.

[thrash out] {v. phr.} To discuss fully; confer about something until a decision is reached. •/ They met to thrash out their differences concerning how to run the office. /

[thread]See: HANG BY A THREAD.

[threat]See: TRIPLE THREAT.

[three-ring circus] {n.} A scene of much confusion or activity. •/ The street was a three-ring circus of cars, people, noise, and lights. / •/ It is a three-ring circus to watch that silly dog play. /