Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[year]See: ALONG IN YEARS or ON IN YEARS.

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

[year-round]or [year-around] {adj.} Usable, effective, or operating all the year. •/ Colorado is a year-round resort; there is fishing in the summer and skiing in the winter. /

[yellow around the gills]See: GREEN AROUND THE GILLS.

[yellow-bellied] {adj.} , {slang} Extremely timid, cowardly. •/ Joe Bennett is a yellow-bellied guy, don’t send him on such a tough assignment! /

[yellow journalism] {n. phr.} Cheap and sensational newspaper writing; inflammatory language designed to stir up popular sentiment against another country. •/ Yellow journalism is hardly ever truly informative. /

[yellow-livered] {adj.} Cowardly. •/ The young boy greatly resented being called yellow-livered and started to fight right away. /

[yeoman service] {n. phr.} Help in time of need; serviceable and good assistance. •/ Sam was pressed into yeoman service in organizing our annual fundraiser for cerebral palsy victims. /

[yes-man] {n.} , {informal} A person who tries to be liked by agreeing with everything said; especially, someone who always agrees with a boss or the one in charge. •/ John tries to get ahead on his job by being a yes-man. /

[yesterday]See: BORN YESTERDAY.

[yon]See: HITHER AND THITHER or HITHER AND YON.

[yoo-hoo] {interj.}  — Used as an informal call or shout to a person to attract his attention. •/ Louise opened the door and called "Yoo-hoo, Mother — are you home?" / See: ALL RIGHT FOR YOU, I’M TELLING YOU, SAYS WHO or SAYS YOU, THAT’S --- FOR YOU, WHAT HAVE YOU.

[you bet]or [you bet your boots]or [you bet your life] {informal} Most certainly; yes, indeed; without any doubt. — Used to declare with emphasis that a thing is really so. •/ Do I like to ski? You bet your life I do. / •/ You bet I will be at the party. / •/ You can bet your boots that Johnny will come home when his money is gone. / Compare: BET ONE’S BOTTOM DOLLAR.

[you can say that again]See: YOU SAID IT.

[you can’t teach an old dog new tricks]It is very hard or almost impossible to train an older person to acquire some new skill. — A proverb. •/ You’ll never teach your grandfather how to do his income tax on a personal computer. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. /

[you don’t say] {interj.} , {informal}  — Used to show surprise at what is said. •/ Your ring is a real diamond? You don’t say! / •/ "Bill and Jean are going to get married." "You don’t say!" / Syn.: DO TELL.

[your]See: HANG ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD ON TO YOUR HAT or HOLD YOUR HAT, YOU BET YOUR BOOTS or YOU BET YOUR LIFE.

[you’re telling me] {interj.} , {informal}  — Used to show that a thing is so clear that it need not be said, or just to show strong agreement. •/ "You’re late." "You’re telling me!" / Compare: YOU BET, YOU SAID IT.

[you said it]or [you can say that again] {interj.} , {slang}  — Used to show strong agreement with what another person has said. •/ "That sure was a good show." "You said it!" / •/ "It sure is hot!" "You can say that again!" / Compare: SAY A MOUTHFUL.

[you tell 'em] {interj.} , {slang}  — Used to agree with or encourage someone in what he is saying. •/ The drunk was arguing with the bartenders and a man cried, "You tell 'em!" /

[yours truly] {adv. phr.} 1. Signing off at the end of letters. •/ Yours truly, Tom Smith. / 2. I, the first person singular pronoun, frequently abbreviated as t.y. •/ As t.y. has often pointed out… / •/ T.y. is not really interested in the offer. /

[yum-yum] {interj.} , {informal}  — Used usually by or to children, to express great delight, especially in the taste of food. •/ "Yum-Yum! That pie is good!" /

[zero hour] {n.} 1. The exact time when an attack or other military action is supposed to start. •/ Zero hour for the bombers to take off was midnight. / 2. The time when an important decision or change is supposed to come; the time for a dangerous action. •/ It was zero hour and the doctor began the operation on the man. / •/ On the day of the championship game, as the zero hour came near, the players grew nervous. /

[zero in on] {v.} 1. To adjust a gun so that it will exactly hit (a target); aim at. •/ Big guns were zeroed in on the enemy fort. / •/ American missiles have been zeroed in on certain targets, to be fired if necessary. / 2. {slang} To give your full attention to. •/ The Senate zeroed in on the Latin-American problems. / •/ Let’s zero in on grammar tonight. /

[zip one’s lip]See: BUTTON ONE’S LIP.

[zone defense] {n.} A defense in a sport (as basketball or football) in which each player has to defend a certain area. •/ The coach taught his team a zone defense because he thought his players weren’t fast enough to defend against individual opponents. /

[zonk out] {v. phr.} , {slang} 1. To fall asleep very quickly. •/ Can I talk to Joe? — Call back tomorrow, he zonked out. / 2. To pass out from fatigue, or alcohol. •/ You won’t get a coherent word out of Joe, he has zonked out. /

[zoom in] {v. phr.} 1. To rapidly close in on (said of airplanes and birds of prey). •/ The fighter planes zoomed in on the enemy target. / 2. To make a closeup of someone or something with a camera. •/ The photographer zoomed in on the tiny colibri as it hovered over a lovely tropical flower. /