Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[jackpot]See: HIT THE JACKPOT.

[jack-rabbit start] {n.} , {informal} A very sudden start from a still position; a very fast start from a stop. •/ Bob made a jack-rabbit start when the traffic light turned green. /

[Jack Robinson]See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.

[jack up] {v.} 1. To lift with a jack. •/ The man jacked up his car to fit a flat tire. / 2. {informal} To make (a price) higher; raise. •/ Just before Christmas, some stores jack up their prices. /

[jailbait] {n.} , {slang} A girl below the legal age of consent for sex; one who tempts you to intimacy which is punishable by imprisonment. •/ Stay away from Arabella, she is a jailbait. /

[jailbird] {n.} , {informal} A convict; someone who is in jail or has been recently released from prison. •/ Because Harry was a jailbird, it was understandably hard for him to find a job after being imprisoned. /

[jake flake] {n.} , {slang} A boring person whose company is usually not wanted. •/ Please don’t invite Turner, he is a jake flake. /

[jar on] {v. phr.} To irritate. •/ The constant construction noise was beginning to jar on the nerves of the members of the meeting. /

[jaw]See: GLASS JAW.

[jawbreaker] {n.} 1. A large piece of hard candy or bubblegum. •/ Billy asked his mother for a quarter to buy some jawbreakers and a chocolate bar. / 2. [informal]A word or name that is hard to pronounce. •/ His name, Nissequogue, is a real jawbreaker. /

[jaw drop]or [jaw drop a mile] {informal} Mouth fall wide open with surprise. — Used with a possessive. •/ Tom’s jaw dropped a mile when he won the prize. /

[jaws tight] {adj.} , {slang} , {informal} Angry; uptight; tense. •/ Why are you getting your jaws so tight? /

[jazz up] {v.} , {slang} To brighten up; add more noise, movement, or color; make more lively or exciting. •/ The party was very dull until Pete jazzed it up with his drums. /

[Jehu]See: DRIVE LIKE JEHU.

[jerk]or [jerker]See: SODA JERK or SODA JERKER.

[jerry-built] {adj.} 1. Built poorly or carelessly of cheap materials; easily broken. •/ That jerry-built cabin will blow apart in a strong wind. / 2. Done without careful preparation or thought; planned too quickly. •/ When the regular television program didn’t come on, a jerry-built program was substituted at the last minute. /

[Jesus boots]or [Jesus shoes] {n.} , {slang} Men’s sandals, particularly as worn by hippies and very casually dressed people. •/ I dig your Jesus boots, man, they look cool. /

[jig’s up]See: GAME’S UP.

[jim-dandy] {n.} , {slang} Something wonderful; something very good. •/ Tommy’s new boat is really a jim-dandy! I wish I had one like it. /

[jink]See: HIGH JINKS.

[job]See: DO A JOB ON, FALL DOWN ON THE JOB, LIE DOWN ON THE JOB, ON THE JOB.

[Joe Doakes] {n.} A name used informally for the average man. •/ Let us say that Joe Doakes goes to the movies three times a year. / Compare: MAN IN THE STREET, SO-AND-SO.

[John Doe] {n.} A name used for an unknown person, especially in police and law business. •/ The alarm went out for a John Doe who stole the diamonds from the store. /

[John Hancock]or [John Henry] {n.} , {informal} Your signature; your name in writing. •/ The man said, "Put your John Hancock on this paper." / •/ Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver’s license. /

[Johnny-come-lately] {n.} Someone new in a place or group; newcomer; also: a new person who takes an active part in group affairs before tlie group has accepted him; upstart. •/ Everybody was amazed when a Johnny-come-lately beat the old favorite in the race. / •/ When it looked as though Mr. Brown had a good chance of winning, many Johnny-come-latelies began to support him. /

[Johnny-on-the-spot] {adj. phr.} At the right place when needed; present and ready to help; very prompt; on time. •/ A good waterboy is always Johnny-on-the-spot. / •/ The firemen were Johnny-on-the-spot and put out the fire in the house soon after it started. / Compare: ON THE JOB.

[John Q. Public] {n.} A name used informally for the average citizen. •/ It is John Q. Public’s duty to vote at each election. / Compare: JOE DOAKES.

[join forces]or [join hands] {v. phr.} To get together for the same aim; group together for a purpose; unite. •/ The students and the graduates joined forces to raise money when the gym burned down. / •/ The American soldiers joined hands with the British in the war against Germany. / Compare: THROW IN ONE’S LOT WITH.

[join hands]See: JOIN FORCES.

[joint]See: CLIP JOINT, PUT ONE’S NOSE OUT OF JOINT.

[joke]See: CRACK A JOKE.

[joking apart]See: JOKING ASIDE.

[joking aside]or [joking apart] {v. phr.} , {informal} No fooling; without exaggerating: seriously. •/ Joking aside, although the conditions were not very comfortable, we had a wonderful time. / •/ Joking apart, there must have been over a hundred people in the room. /

[Jones]See: KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES.

[jot down] {v. phr.} To quickly commit to writing; make a quick note of something. •/ Let me jot down your address so that I can send you a postcard from Europe. /

[judgment seat] {n.} A place where you are judged; a place where justice and punishment are given out. •/ Mrs. Smith is so bossy, she always acts as though she is in the judgment seat. /

[jug-eared] {adj.} With ears that stick out like the handles of a jug. •/ Tommy was a redheaded, freckle-faced, jug-eared boy. /

[juice]See: STEW IN ONE’S OWN JUICE.

[juice dealer] {n.} , {slang} An underworld money lender who charges exorbitant fees to his clientele and frequently collects payment by physical force. •/ No matter how broke you are, never go to a juice dealer. /

[jump]See: GET THE JUMP ON or HAVE THE JUMP ON, GO JUMP IN THE LAKE, NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO TURN or NOT KNOW WHICH WAY TO JUMP.

[jump all over]See: JUMP ON.

[jump at] {v.} To take or accept quickly and gladly. •/ Johnny jumped at the invitation to go swimming with his brother. / Compare: TAKE UP(7).

[jump bail]or [skip bail] {v. phr.} , {informal} To run away and fail to come to trial, and so to give up a certain amount of money already given to a court of law to hold with the promise that you would come. •/ The robber paid $2000 bail so he wouldn’t be put in jail before his trial, but he jumped bail and escaped to Mexico. / •/ The man skipped bail because he was afraid the court might put him in jail for a long time. /

[jump ball] {n.} The starting of play in basketball by tossing the ball into the air between two opposing players, each of whom jumps and tries to hit the ball to a member of his own team. •/ Two players held onto the ball at the same time and the referee called a jump ball. /

[jump down one’s throat] {v. phr.} To suddenly become very angry at someone; scold severely or angrily. •/ The teacher jumped down Billy’s throat when Billy said he did not do his homework. /

[jump from the frying pan into the fire]See: OUT OP THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE.

[jumping-off place] {n. phr.} 1. A place so far away that it seems to be the end of the world. •/ Columbus' sailors were afraid they would arrive at the jumping-off place if they sailed farther west. / •/ So you visited Little America? That sounds like the jumping-off place! / 2. The starting place of a long, hard trip or of something difficult or dangerous. •/ The jumping-off place for the explorer’s trip through the jungle was a little village. /

[jump on]or [jump all over]or [land on]or [land all over] {v. phr.} , {informal} To scold; criticize; blame. •/ Tom’s boss jumped all over Tom because he made a careless mistake. / •/ Janice landed on Robert for dressing carelessly for their date. / •/ "I don’t know why Bill is always jumping on me; I just don’t understand him," said Bob. / Compare: FIND FAULT, GET ON, LAY OUT(7).

[jump on the bandwagon]or [get on the bandwagon] {v. phr.} , {informal} To join a popular cause or movement. •/ At the last possible moment, the senator jumped on the winning candidate’s bandwagon. /

[jump out of one’s skin] {v. phr.} , {informal} To be badly frightened; be very much surprised. •/ The lightning struck so close to Bill that he almost jumped out of his skin. / Compare: HAIR STAND ON END.

[jump pass] {n.} A pass (as in football or basketball) made by a player while jumping. •/ The Bruins scored when the quarterback tossed a jump pass to the left end. /

[jump the gun]also [beat the gun] {v. phr.} 1. To start before the starter’s gun in a race. •/ The runners were called back because one of them jumped the gun. / 2. {informal} To start before you should; start before anyone else. •/ The new students were not supposed to come before noon, but one boy jumped the gun and came to school at eight in the morning. / •/ The students planned to say happy birthday to the principal when the teacher raised her hand, but Sarah jumped the gun and said it when he came into the room. /

[jump the traces]See: KICK OVER THE TRACES.

[jump the track] {v. phr.} 1. To go off rails; go or run the wrong way. •/ The train jumped the track and there was a terrible accident. / •/ The pulley of the clothesline jumped the track and Mother’s washing fell down. / 2. {informal} To change from one thought or idea to another without plan or reason; change the thought or idea you are talking about to something different. •/ Bob didn’t finish his algebra homework because his mind kept jumping the track to think about the new girl in class. / Compare: OFF THE TRACK.

[jump through a hoop] {v. phr.} , {informal} To do whatever you are told to do; obey any order. •/ Bob would jump through a hoop for Mary. / Compare: TWIST AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER, UNDER ONE’S THUMB.