Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[flying wedge] {n.} , {informal} 1. An offensive formation in football in which players link arms and line up to form a "V" with the ball carrier in the middle. •/ The flying wedge was so dangerous and hurt so many players that rules have forbidden it for over 50 years. / 2. A group (as of guards or policemen) who use a "V" formation to help someone get through a crowd. •/ Police had to form a flying wedge to get the movie star through the crowd of autograph hunters. /

[fly in the face of]or [fly in the teeth of] {v. phr.} To ignore; go against; show disrespect or disregard for. •/ You can’t fly in the face of good business rules and expect to he successful. / •/ Floyd’s friends tried to help him, but he flew in the teeth of their advice and soon became a drunkard. /

[fly in the ointment] {n. phr.} , {informal} An unpleasant part of a pleasant thing; something small that spoils your fun. •/ We had a lot of fun at the beach; the only fly in the ointment was George’s cutting his foot on a piece of glass. / •/ Your new job sounds too good to be true — interesting work, high pay, short hours. Isn’t there any fly in the ointment? /

[fly off the handle] {v. phr.} , {informal} To become very angry. •/ John flew off the handle whenever Mary made a mistake. / •/ The children’s noise made the man next door fly off the handle. / Syn.: LOSE ONE’S TEMPER.

[fly the coop] {v. phr.} , {slang} To leave suddenly and secretly; run away. •/ The robbers flew the coop before the police arrived. / •/ His partner flew the coop with all the money. /

[flying visit] {n. phr.} A visit of very short duration. •/ Tom came to New York for only a flying visit. We had hardly eaten lunch when he had to leave. /

[flying saucer]See: U.F.O.

[fly into a rage]or [temper] {v. phr.} To become very angry. •/ By the time we mention the name of her ex-husband, she flies into a rage. /

[foam at the mouth] {v. phr.} , {slang} To be very angry, like a mad dog. •/ By the time Uncle Henry had the third flat tire he was really foaming at the mouth. /

[fob off] {v.} , {informal} 1. To get something false accepted as good or real. •/ The peddler fobbed off pieces of glass as diamonds. / Syn.: PALM OFF, PASS OFF. 2. To put aside; not really answer but get rid of. •/ Her little brother asked where she was going, but she fobbed him off with ah excuse. /

[fog]See: IN A FOG.

[foggy bottom] {n.} , {slang} An area in downtown Washington, D.C. where many offices of the Department of State are located; hence figuratively, the U.S. Department of State. •/ The press secretary gave us a lot of foggy bottom double-talk about the hostage crisis in the Near East. /

[fold up] {v.} , {informal} To collapse; fail. •/ The team folded up in the last part of the season. / •/ The new restaurant folded up in less than a year. / Compare: FALL APART.

[folk]See: WEE FOLK.

[follow]See: AS FOLLOWS.

[follower]See: CAMP FOLLOWER.

[follow in one’s footsteps]also [follow in one’s tracks] {v. phr.} To follow someone’s example; follow someone exactly, •/ He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor. / Compare: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON.

[follow one’s heart] {v. phr.} To do what one wishes to do rather than to follow the voice of reason. •/ Instead of accepting a lucrative job in his father’s business, Jim followed his heart and became a missionary in the jungle. /

[follow one’s nose] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To go straight ahead; continue in the same direction. •/ Just follow your nose and you’ll get there. / 2. To go any way you happen to think of. •/ Oh, I don’t know just where I want to go. I’ll just follow my nose and see what happens. /

[follow out] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To do fully; finish (what you are told to do.) •/ The boy followed out the instructions and made a fine model plane. / Compare: FOLLOW THROUGH. 2. To keep working at (something) until it is finished; give (something) your attention until it comes to an end or conclusion. •/ The student followed out all the index references in the encyclopedia until he found what he wanted to know. / Compare: FOLLOW UP.

[follow suit] {v. phr.} 1. To play a card of the same color and kind that another player has put down. •/ When diamonds were led, I had to follow suit. / 2. To do as someone else has done; follow someone’s example. •/ When the others went swimming, I followed suit. /

[follow through] {v. phr.} 1. To finish a movement that you have started; continue an action to its natural ending. •/ A football passer should follow through after he throws the ball. / 2. To finish an action that you have started. •/ Bob drew plans for a table for his mother, but he did not follow through by making it. /

[follow up] {v. phr.} , {informal} 1. To chase or follow closely and without giving up. •/ The Indians followed up the wounded buffalo until it fell dead. / 2. Make (one action) more successful by doing something more. •/ After Mary sent a letter to apply for a job, she followed it up by going to talk to the personnel manager. / •/ The doctor followed up Billy’s operation with x-rays, and special exercises to make his foot stronger. / Compare: FOLLOW OUT, FOLLOW THROUGH(2). 3a. To hunt for (more news about something that has already been in the newspapers, radio or TV news); find more about. •/ The day after news of the fire at Brown’s store, the newspaper sent a reporter to follow up Mr. Brown’s future plans. / 3b. To print or broadcast (more news about some happening that has been in the news before). •/ The fire story was printed Monday, and Tuesday’s paper followed it up by saying that Mr. Brown planned to build a bigger and better store at the same place. /

[follow-up] {n.} Additional work or research by means of which an earlier undertaking’s chances of success are increased. •/ I hope you’ll be willing to do a bit of follow-up. /

[fond of]Having a liking for; attracted to by strong liking. •/ Alan is fond of candy. / •/ Uncle Bill was the children’s favorite, and he was fond of them too. /

[food for thought] {n. phr.} Something to think about or worth thinking about; something that makes you think. •/ The teacher told John that she wanted to talk to his father, and that gave John food for thought. / •/ There is much food for thought in this book. /

[fool]See: CHILDREN AND FOOLS SPEAK THE TRUTH, MAKE A FOOL OF.

[fool and his money are soon parted]A foolish person soon wastes his money. — A proverb, •/ Jimmy spends all his pennies for candy. A fool and his money are soon parted. /

[fool around]or [mess around]or [play around]or [monkey around] {v.} , {informal} 1. To spend time playing, fooling, or joking instead of being serious or working; waste time. •/ If you go to college, you must work, not fool around. / •/ The boys fooled around all afternoon in the park. / Compare: CUT UP(2). To treat or handle carelessly. •/ Bob cut himself by fooling around with a sharp knife. / •/ Suzie says she wishes John would quit playing around with the girls and get married. / 3. or [fiddle around]To work or do something in an irregular or unplanned way; tinker. •/ Jimmy likes to monkey around with automobile engines. / •/ Alice is fooling around with the piano in her spare time. / Compare: FUCK AROUND.

[fool around]See: MESS AROUND.

[fool away]or [fritter away] {v.} , {informal} To waste foolishly. •/ Paul failed history because he fooled away his time instead of studying. / •/ The man won a lot of money, but he soon frittered it away and was poor again. /

[foolish]See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.

[foolproof] {adj.} So constructed that not even a fool can spoil it; easy. •/ This entrance examination is so easy that it is actually foolproof. /

[fool’s paradise]See: LIVE IN A FOOL’S PARADISE.

[foot]See: AT ONE’S FEET, COLD FEET, DEAD ON ONE’S FEET, DRAG ONE’S FEET, FROM HEAD TO FOOT, GET OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT, GET ONE’S FEET WET, HAND AND FOOT, KEEP ONE’S FEET, KNOCK OFF ONE’S FEET, LAND ON ONE’S FEET, LET GRASS GROW UNDER ONE’S FEET, ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, ON FOOT, ON ONE’S FEET, PLAY FOOTSIE, PUT ONE’S BEST FOOT FORWARD, PUT ONE’S FOOT DOWN, PUT ONE’S FOOT IN IT, SET FOOT, SHOE ON THE OTHER FOOT, STAND ON ONE’S OWN FEET, SWEEP OFF ONE’S FEET, THINK ON ONE’S FEET, THROW ONESELF AT SOMEONE’S FEET.

[footed]See: FLAT FOOTED.

[foot in the door] {n. phr.} , {informal} The first step toward getting or doing something; a start toward success; opening. •/ Don’t let Jane get her foot in the door by joining the club or soon she’ll want to be president. /

[footstep]See: FOLLOW IN ONE’S FOOTSTEPS.

[foot the bill] {v. phr.} To cover the expenses of; pay for something. •/ The bride’s father footed two-thirds of the bill for hix daughter’s wedding. / Compare: PICK UP THE TAB.

[footloose and fancy-free] {adj. phr.} Free and free to do what one wants (said of unmarried men). •/ Ron is a merry bachelor and seems to enjoy greatly being footloose and fancy-free. /

[for a fall]See: RIDING FOR A FALL.

[for all]1. In spite of; even with, despite. — Used for contrast. •/ For all his city ways, he is a country boy at heart. / •/ There may be mistakes occasionally, but for all that, it is the best book on the subject. / •/ For all his money, he was very unhappy. / 2. also [for aught]To the extent that. — Used like a negative with "care" and "know". •/ For all I care, you can throw it away. / •/ For all he knows, we might be in Boston. / Compare: AS FAR AS(2), ONCE AND FOR ALL.

[for all one cares] {adv. phr.} In the opinion of one who is not involved or who does not care what happens. •/ For all Jane cares, poor Tom might as well drop dead. /

[for all one is worth]With all of your strength; as hard as you can. •/ Roger ran for all he was worth to catch the bus. /

[for all one knows] {adv. phr.} According to the information one has; probably. •/ For all we know, Ron and Beth might have eloped and been married in a French chateau. /