Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[fizzle out] {v.} , {informal} 1. To stop burning; die out. •/ The fuse fizzled out before exploding the firecracker. / 2. To fail after a good start; end in failure. •/ The power mower worked fine for a while but then it fizzled out. / •/ The party fizzled out when everyone went home early. /

[flag down] {v.} , {informal} To stop by waving a signal flag or as if waving a signal flag. •/ The signalman flagged down the freight train. / •/ A policeman flagged down the car with his flashlight. /

[flakeball]or [flake] {n.} , {slang} , {drug culture} A disjointed, or "flaky" person, who is forgetful and incoherent, as if under the influence of narcotics. •/ Hermione is a regular flakeball. / Compare: SPACED OUT.

[flame]See: ADD FUEL TO THE FLAME, GO UP IN FLAMES.

[flanker back] {n.} A football back who can play far to the outside of his regular place. •/ The coach is still looking for a speedy boy to play flanker back. /

[flare up] {v.} 1. To burn brightly for a short time especially after having died down. •/ The fire flared up again and then died. / 2. To become suddenly angry. •/ The mayor flared up at the reporter’s remark. / •/ The mother flared up at her children. / 3. To begin again suddenly, especially for a short time after a quiet time. •/ Mr. Gray’s arthritis flared up sometimes. / •/ Even after they had conquered the country, revolts sometimes flared up. /

[flare-up] {n.} The reoccurrence of an infection or an armed conflict. •/ He had a flare-up of his arthritis. / •/ There was a bad flare-up of hostilities in some countries. /

[flash]See: IN A FLASH.

[flash card] {n.} A card with numbers or words on it that is used in teaching, a class. •/ The teacher used flash cards to drill the class in addition. /

[flash in the pan] {n. phr.} , {slang} A person or thing that starts out well but does not continue. •/ The new quarterback was a flash in the pan. / •/ Mary got 100 on the first test in arithmetic but it was just a flash in the pan because she failed in arithmetic. /

[flat]See: FALL FLAT, IN NO TIME or IN NOTHING FLAT, LEAVE FLAT.

[flat as a pancake] {adj. phr.} Very level; very flat; having no mountains or hills. •/ A great part of the American Midwest is as flat as a pancake. /

[flat broke]See: STONE-BROKE.

[flatfoot] {n.} , {slang} , {derogatory} A policeman. •/ "What does Joe do for a living? — He’s a flatfoot." /

[flat-footed] {adj.} , {informal} 1. Straightforward; forthright; direct; outright. •/ The governor issued a flat-footed denial of the accusation. / •/ He came out flat-footed against the idea. / 2. Not ready; not prepared; — usually used with "catch". •/ The teacher’s question caught Tim flat-footed. / •/ Unexpected company at lunch time caught Mrs. Green flat-footed. /

[flat-out] {adv. phr.} , {informal} 1. Without hiding anything; plainly; openly. •/ The student told his teacher flat-out that he was not listening to her. / 2. At top speed; as fast as possible. •/ He saw two men running flat-out from the wild rhinoceros. /

[flatter oneself]To be sure of your own talent or skill; highly confident. •/ I flatter myself that I am a better swimmer than he is. /

[flea in one’s ear] {n. phr.} , {informal} An idea or answer that is not welcome; an annoying or surprisingly sharp reply or hint. •/ I’ll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more. /

[flea market] {n. phr.} A place where antiques, second-hand things, and cheap articles are sold, and especially one in the open air. •/ The local antique dealers held a flea market and fair on the high-school athletic field. / •/ There are many outdoor flea markets in Europe. /

[flesh]See: IN PERSON also IN THE FLESH, NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL also NEITHER FISH, FLESH, NOR FOWL, PRESS THE FLESH, THORN IN THE FLESH.

[flesh and blood] {n.} 1. A close relative (as a father, daughter, brother); close relatives. Used in the phrase "one’s own flesh and blood". •/ Such an answer from her — and she’s my own flesh and blood, too! / 2. The appearance of being real or alive. •/ The author doesn’t give his characters any flesh and blood. / 3. The human body. •/ Before child labor laws, small children often worked 50 or 60 hours a week in factories. It was more than flesh and blood could bear. /

[flesh out] {v.} , {informal} 1. To add to; make fuller, bigger, or longer. •/ The author fleshed out his story by adding more about his war experiences. / 2. also [flesh up]To become heavier, put on weight, or flesh. •/ He lost weight after his illness but is beginning to flesh out again. / See: FILL OUT.

[flesh up]See: FLESH OUT(2).

[fling oneself at]See: THROW ONESELF AT.

[fling oneself at someone’s head]See: THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE’S HEAD.

[flip-flop(1)] {v.} , {informal} To alternate the positions of; exchange the places of; switch. •/ The football coach had one play in which he flip-flopped his left halfback and fullback. /

[flip-flop(2)] {n.} , {informal} A complete change; a switch from one thing to an entirely different one. •/ John wanted to be a carpenter like his father, but when he saw the print shop he did a flip-flop and now he’s learning printing. /

[flip-flop(3)] {adj. phr.} , {informal} Involving or using a change from one of two places, positions, or alternatives to the other. •/ The machine was controlled by a flip-flop switch. / •/ The football coach hoped to surprise his opponents by using a flip-flop offense. /

[flip one’s lid]also [flip one’s wig] {slang} 1. To lose one’s temper. •/ When that pushy salesman came back Mom really flipped her lid. / Compare: BLOW A FUSE. 2. To lose your mind; become insane. •/ When he offered me three times the pay I was getting, I thought he had flipped his lid. / 3. To become unreasonably enthusiastic. •/ She flipped her lid over a hat she saw in the store window. / •/ He’s flipped his lid over that new actress. /

[flip out] {v. phr.} , {slang} , {informal} To go insane, to go out of one’s mind. •/ A is impossible to talk to Joe today — he must have flipped out. /

[flock]See: BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER.

[floor]See: GROUND FLOOR, MOP THE FLOOR WITH, WALK THE FLOOR.

[floor one] {v. phr.} To overwhelm; astound; nonplus. •/ John’s sudden announcement that he would retire floored all of us in the office. /

[floorwalker] {n.} A section manager in a department store. •/ To exchange this pair of shoes, you must first get the floorwalker’s approval. /

[flop]See: FLIP-FLOP.

[flower child] {n.} , {slang} , {informal} 1. A young person who believes in nonviolence and carries flowers around to symbolize his peace-loving nature. •/ Flower children are supposed to be nonviolent, but they sure make a lot of noise when they demonstrate! / 2. Any person who cannot cope with reality. •/ "Face facts, Suzie, stop being such a flower child!" /

[flower power] {n.} , {slang} The supposed power of love and nonviolence as intended to be used by members of the anti-culture to change American society. •/ The young people were marching for flower power. /

[fluff one’s lines]See: BLOW ONE’S LINES.

[fluff stuff] {n.} , {slang} , {citizen’s band radio jargon} Snow. •/ We can expect some fluff stuff this afternoon. /

[flunk out] {v. phr.} To have to withdraw from school or college because of too many failing grades. •/ Fred flunked out of college during his junior year. /

[flush it] {v. phr.} , {slang} 1. To fail (something). •/ I really flushed it in my math course. / 2. {interj.} , {used imperatively} Expression registering refusal to believe something considered stupid or false. •/ "You expect me to buy that story? Flush it!" /

[fly]See: BIRD HAS FLOWN, GO FLY A KITE, MAKE THE FEATHERS FLY, MAKE THE FUR FLY, ON THE FLY, POP FLY, SACRIFICE FLY.

[fly at one’s throat] {v. phr.} To attack you suddenly with great anger. •/ When Tom called Dick a bad name, Dick flew at his throat. /

[fly ball] {n.} A baseball hit high into the air. •/ He hit an easy fly ball to center field. /

[fly blind] {v. phr.} 1. To fly an airplane by instruments alone. •/ In the heavy fog he had to fly blind. / 2. {informal} To do something without understanding what you are doing. •/ I’m glad the car runs now; I was flying blind when I fixed it. / •/ He’s flying blind when he talks about philosophy. /

[fly-by-night(1)] {adj.} Set up to make a lot of money in a hurry, then disappear so people can’t find you to complain about poor work, etc.; not trustworthy; not reliable. •/ Mrs. Blank bought her vacuum cleaner from a new company; when she tried to have it fixed, she found it was a fly-by-night business. /

[fly-by-night(2)] {n.} , {informal} 1. A company that sells many cheap things for a big profit and then disappears. •/ A dependable company honors its guarantees, but a fly-by-night only wants your money. / 2. A person who does not pay his bills, but sneaks away (as at night.) •/ Hotels are bothered by fly-by-nights. /

[fly by the seat of one’s pants] {v. phr.} , {slang} To fly an airplane by feel and instinct rather than with the help of the instruments. •/ Many pilots in World War I had to fly by the seat of their pants. /

[flying]See: WITH FLYING COLORS.

[flying high] {adj.} , {slang} Very happy; joyful. •/ Jack was flying high after his team won the game. / Compare: IN THE CLOUDS, ON TOP OP THE WORLD.

[flying start]See: GET OFF TO A FLYING START.

[flying tackle] {n.} , {informal} A tackle made by jumping through the air at the person to be tackled. •/ Most football coaches don’t want their players to make flying tackles. / •/ The policeman stopped the burglar with a flying tackle. /