Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[ants in one’s pants] {n. phr.} , {slang} Nervous over-activity; restlessness. •/ Jane can not sit still; she has ants in her pants. / •/ You have ants in your pants today. Is something wrong? /

[a number] {n.} A rather large number; numbers. — Used when there arc more than several and fewer than many. •/ The parents were invited to see the program, and a number came. / •/ We knew the Smiths rattier well; we had visited them a number of times. / — Used like an adjective before "less", "more". •/ We have not set up enough folding chairs; we need a number more. / Compare: QUITE A FEW.

[any]See: HARDLY ANY or SCARCELY ANY.

[any number] {n.} , {informal} A large number; many. •/ There are any number of reasons for eating good food. / •/ Don’t ask George what his excuse is. He can invent any number. / Compare: A LOT, A NUMBER, GOOD MANY.

[any old how]/ [any old way] {adv. phr.} , {informal} Doing something in a casual, haphazard, or careless way. •/ "John," the teacher said, "you can’t just do your homework any old way; you must pay attention to my instructions!" /

[any port in a storm]Any help is welcome in an emergency. — A proverb. •/ The motel we stopped in was nothing to brag about, but we were so exhausted that it was a clear case of any port in a storm. /

[anything]See: HAVE NOTHING ON or NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON, IF ANYTHING.

[anything but] {adv. phr.} Quite the opposite of; far from being. •/ I don’t mean he’s lazy — anything but! / •/ The boys knew they had broken the rules, and they were anything but happy when they were called to the office. /

[anything like]or [anywhere near] {adv.} Nearly. — Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences, often in the negative forms "nothing like" or "nowhere near". •/ It’s not anything like as hot today as it was yesterday. / •/ Do you think that gold ring is worth anywhere near a hundred dollars? / •/ Today’s game was nowhere near as exciting as yesterday’s game. / •/ Studying that lesson should take nothing like two hours. /

[anywhere near]See: ANYTHING LIKE or ANYWHERE NEAR.

[any which way]See: EVERY WHICH WAY.

[apart]See: JOKING ASIDE or JOKING APART, POLES APART, TELL APART.

[apart from]or [aside from] {prep. phr.} Beside or besides; in addition to. •/ The children hardly see anyone, apart from their parents. / •/ Aside from being fun and good exercise, swimming is a very useful skill. / Syn.: EXCEPT FOR, OUTSIDE OF.

[ape]See: GO APE.

[appear]See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[appearance]See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE also MAKE AN APPEARANCE.

[apple]See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[applecart]See: UPSET THE APPLECART or UPSET ONE’S APPLECART.

[apple of one’s eye] {n. phr.} Something or someone that is adored; a cherished person or object. •/ Charles is the apple of his mother’s eye. / •/ John’s first car was the apple of his eye. He was always polishing it. /

[apple-pie order] {n. phr.} , {informal} Exact orderly arrangement, neatness; tidy arrangement. •/ The house was in apple-pie order. / •/ Like a good secretary, she kept the boss’s desk in apple-pie order. /

[apple polisher]; [apple polishing]See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[approval]See: ON APPROVAL.

[a pretty pass] {n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. •/ While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass. /

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

[apropos of] {prep.} , {formal} In connection with; on the subject of, about; concerning. •/ Apropos of higher tuition, Mr. Black told the boy about the educational loans that banks are offering. / •/ Mr. White went to see Mr. Richards apropos of buying a car. /

[arm]See: GIVE ONE’S RIGHT ARM, KEEP AT A DISTANCE Or KEEP AT ARM’S LENGTH, SHOT IN THE ARM, TAKE UP ARMS, TWIST ONE’S ARM, UP IN ARMS, WITH OPEN ARMS, COST AN ARM AND A LEG.

[arm and a leg] {n.} , {slang} An exorbitantly high price that must be paid for something that isn’t really worth it. •/ It’s true that to get a decent apartment these days in New York you have to pay an arm and a leg. /

[armed to the teeth] {adj. phr.} Having all needed weapons; fully armed. •/ The paratroopers were armed to the teeth. /

[arm in arm] {adv. phr.} With your arm under or around another person’s arm, especially in close comradeship or friendship. •/ Sally and Joan were laughing and joking together as they walked arm in arm down the street. / •/ When they arrived at the party, the partners walked arm in arm to meet the hosts. / Compare: HAND IN HAND.

[around one’s ears]See: ABOUT ONE’S EARS.

[around the clock]also [the clock around] {adv. phr.} For 24 hours a day continuously all day and all night. •/ The factory operated around the clock until the order was filled. / •/ He studied around the clock for his history exam. / —  [round-the-clock] {adj.} •/ That filling station has round-the-clock service. /

[around the corner] {adv. phr.} Soon to come or happen; close by; near at hand. •/ The fortuneteller told Jane that there was an adventure for her just around the corner. /

[arrest]See: UNDER ARREST.

[as]See: FOR AS MUCH AS, IN AS MUCH AS.

[as a last resort] {adv. phr.} In lieu of better things; lacking better solutions. •/ "We’ll sleep in our sleeping bags as a last resort," John said, "since all the motels are full." /

[as a matter of fact] {adv. phr.} Actually; really; in addition to what has been said; in reference to what was said. — Often used as an interjection. •/ It’s not true that I cannot swim; as a matter of fact, I used to work as a lifeguard in Hawaii. / •/ Do you think this costs too much? As a matter of fact, I think it is rather cheap. /

[as an aside] {adv. phr.} Said as a remark in a low tone of voice; used in theaters where the actor turns toward the audience as if to "think out loud." •/ During the concert Tim said to his wife as an aside, "The conductor has no idea how to conduct Beethoven." /

[as a rule] {adv. phr.} Generally; customarily. •/ As a rule, the boss arrives at the office about 10 A.M. /

[as an old shoe]See: COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE, COMMON AS AN OLD SHOE.

[as --- as ---] — Used with an adjective or adverb in a comparison or with the effect of a superlative. •/ John is as tall as his father now. / •/ I didn’t do as badly today as I did yesterday. / •/ John’s father gave him a hard job and told him to do as well as possible. / •/ The sick girl was not hungry, but her mother told her to eat as much as she could. / — Also used in the form "so --- as" in some sentences, especially negative sentences. •/ This hill isn’t nearly so high as the last one we climbed. / — Often used in similes (comparisons that are figures of speech). •/ The baby mouse looked as big as a minute. / •/ Jim’s face was red as a beet after he made the foolish mistake. / — Most similes in conventional use are cliches, avoided by careful speakers and writers.

[as best one can] {adv. phr.} As well as you can; by whatever means are available; in the best way you can. •/ The car broke down in the middle of the night, and he had to get home as best he could. / •/ George’s foot hurt, but he played the game as best he could. / •/ The girl’s mother was sick, so the girl got dinner as best she could. /

[as catch can]See: CATCH AS CATCH CAN.

[as far as]or [so far as] {adv. phr.} 1. To the degree or amount that; according to what, how much, or how far. •/ John did a good job as far as he went, but he did not finish it. / •/ So far as the weather is concerned, I do not think it matters. / •/ As far as he was concerned, things were going well. / 2. To the extent that; within the limit that. •/ He has no brothers so far as I know. / Compare: FOR ALL(2).

[as far as that goes]or [as far as that is concerned]or [so far as that is concerned]also [so far as that goes] {adv. phr.} While we are talking about it; also; actually. •/ You don’t have to worry about the girls. Mary can take care of herself, and as far as that goes, Susan is pretty independent, too. / •/ I didn’t enjoy the movie, and so far as that is concerned, I never like horror movies. / Syn.: FOR THAT MATTER, IN FACT. Compare: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[as follows]A list of things that come next; what is listed next. — Followed by a colon. •/ My grocery list is as follows: bread, butter, meat, eggs, sugar. / •/ The names of the members are as follows: John Smith, Mary Webb, Linda Long, Ralph Harper. / •/ The route is as follows: From City Hall go south on Main Street to Elm Street, east on Elm to 5th Street, and south on 5th two blocks to the school. /

[as for] {prep.} 1. In regard to; speaking of; concerning. •/ We have plenty of bread, and as for butter, we have more than enough. / 2. Speaking for. •/ Most people like the summer but as for me, I like winter much better. / Compare: FOR ONE’S PART.

[as good as] {adv. phr.} Nearly the same as; almost. •/ She claimed that he as good as promised to marry her. / •/ He as good as called me a liar. / •/ We’ll get to school on time, we’re as good as there now. / •/ The man who had been shot was as good as dead. / — Often used without the first "as" before adjectives. •/ When the car was repaired, it looked good as new. /

[as good as a mile]See: MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE.

[as good as one gets]See: GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS.

[as good as one’s promise]See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD.

[as good as one’s word]or [good as one’s word] {adj. phr.} Trustworthy; sure to keep your promise. •/ The coach said he would give the players a day off if they won, and he was as good as his word. / •/ We knew she was always good as her word, so we trusted her. /