Анна Григорьева - 1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний

to go down in history

I’m sure that his name will go down in history.

волк в овечьей шкуре

a wolf in sheep’s clothing

I always suspected that he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

волосы становятся дыбом(у кого-л.)

one’s hair stands on end

When the boy heard that sound, his hair stood on end.

вольная птица

(as) free as a bird

He felt as free as a bird when he escaped to his country house.

вооруженный до зубов

armed to the teeth

The robber was armed to the teeth and ready to fight.

I arrived for the interview armed to the teeth with letters of recommendation.

вопрос жизни и смерти

a matter of life and death

Go and get the doctor. Tell him it’s a matter of life and death.

воротить нос(от чего-л.)

to turn one’s nose up at something

She always turns her nose up at my cooking.

ворошить прошлое

to rake over the ashes/coals

Jim has already made an apology for his rude behaviour, so there’s no need to rake over the ashes.

воскрешать в памяти(что-л.)

to call something to mind

I know this actor but I can’t call his name to mind.

воспрянуть духом

to take heart

The soldiers took heart when they heard the news.

вот тебе и раз!

well, did you ever!; I say!

Well, did you ever! Mrs Smith has finally decided to move house.

I say! What a surprise!

впадать в детство

to be in one’s second childhood

He was acting very strange, as if he was in his second childhood.

впадать в немилость

to fall from grace

He was one of the president’s closest advisers for several years but fell from grace when the fraud was discovered.

впадать в уныние

to lose heart

After so many unsuccessful attempts to win the championship, he began to lose heart.

впитать с молоком матери(что-л.)

to imbibe something with one’s mother’s milk

We imbibed a love for music with our mother’s milk.

врать как сивый мерин

to lie through one’s teeth

When he said he was not married he was lying through his teeth but I pretended to believe him.

время от времени

from time to time; (every) now and again/then; (every) once in a while

From time to time he sends me flowers.

I drink coffee every now and then.

We go to the cinema every once in a while.

все до одного

one and all

I would like to invite you to dinner, one and all.

всей душой

with all one’s heart and soul; heart and soul

I hope with all my heart and soul that you will succeed.

He loved her heart and soul.

вставать на колени(перед кем-л.)

to throw oneself at the feet of someone ; to go down on one’s hands and knees (to someone )

Do I have to throw myself at your feet to convince you that I’m really sorry?

I won’t go down on my hands and knees to her, no matter how important she is.

вствать с левой ноги

to get out of bed on the wrong side

She must have got out of bed on the wrong side today – she is so grumpy.

вставлять палки в колеса(кому-л.)

to put a spoke in someone’s wheel; to throw a spanner in the works

We disagree about it, but I won’t put a spoke in his wheel.

You threw a spanner in the works supplying me with the wrong information.

всыпать по первое число(кому-л.)

to knock someone into the middle of next week; to give someone hell

My brother promised to knock me into the middle of next week if I crash his car.

His wife gave him hell when he came home late last night.

втирать очки(кому-л.)

to pull the wool over someone’s eyes; to throw dust in someone’s eyes

He tried to pull the wool over my eyes with some feeble explanation.

He only gave this information in order to throw dust in our eyes.

втираться в доверие(кому-л.)

to worm oneself into someone’s confidence

Within a few months he had wormed himself into her confidence and soon he was the only person she trusted.

вторая натура

second nature

It was second nature to Sally to tell everyone else what to do.

входить в долю

to go halves

I went halves with my sister when we bought Mum a birthday present.

входить в курс дела

to learn the ropes

I’ll be able to do my job better once I learn the ropes.

входить в положение(чье-л.)

to put oneself into someone’s shoes

Try putting yourself into my shoes – I really couldn’t help your sister at that time.

вчера родиться

to be born yesterday

You must think I was born yesterday if you expect me to believe that nonsense.

выбивать из колеи(кого-л.)

to put someone off one’s stroke

His tricky questions put me off my stride and I got confused.

выбивать почву из-под ног(у кого-л.)

to cut the ground from under someone’s feet; to pull the rug from under someone

The politician completely cut the ground from under his opponent’s feet.

His girlfriend pulled the rug from under him by going to Spain alone.

выбросить из головы(что-л.)

to get something out of one’s system/mind

He couldn’t get that problem out of his system.

выведенного яйца не стоить

not worth a damn

His opinion isn’t worth a damn.

выводить из равновесия(кого-л.)

to throw someone off balance

The conflicting information threw me off balance.

выводить из себя(кого-л.)

to get someone’s goat; to make someone’s hackles rise

The way she keeps denying the obvious really gets my goat.

His rude remarks made my hackles rise.

выдерживать характер

to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns

The boss stood his ground and refused to accept my resignation.

He wanted me to bend to his wishes, but I stood fast and held back the tears.

John has been asked to withdraw his complaint, but he is sticking to his guns.

выжимать все соки(из кого-л.)

to bleed someone dry

The police fines have bled us dry.

вызывать на ковер(кого-л.)

to have someone on the carpet

The boss will have him on the carpet for causing trouble.

вылетать в трубу

to go bust; to go to the wall

This company he works for has gone bust.

Many small firms went to the wall in the past year.

вылетать из головы(у кого-л.)

to slip someone’s mind

I meant to invite him to lunch, but it slipped my mind.

выносить сор из избы

to wash one’s dirty linen in public

It is unfortunate that his wife has chosen to wash their dirty linen in public.

выпадать на долю(кому-л.)

to fall to someone’s lot

It fell to his lot to tell Paul the bad news about his brother.

выплакать все глаза

to cry one’s eyes out

She cried her eyes out when he married another girl.

выплывать на свет божий

to come to light

All his secrets have come to light.

выпускать из рук(что-л.)

to let something slip through one’s fingers

You will always regret that you have let such an opportunity slip through your fingers.

выпускать пар

to let off steam

Tom’s shouting didn’t mean he was angry with you; he was just letting off steam.

выходить в люди

to make one’s way in the world

He has made his own way in the world – his parents have not helped him at all.

выходить из своей скорлупы

to come out of one’s shell

Nancy was very shy when she first went to school, but since she has made some friends, she has come out of her shell.

выходить из себя

to lose one’s temper/rag; to fly off the handle; to go off the deep end

She lost her temper and shouted at her husband.

My father flew off the handle when he saw my report card.

I knew my father would be angry with me, but I had no idea he’d go off the deep end like this.

выходить сухим из воды

to get off scot free; to land/fall on one’s feet

Mark cheated on the examination and got caught, but he got scot free.

No matter what trouble he gets himself into, he always seems to land on his feet.

гадкий утенокan ugly duckling

гладить по головке(кого-л.)

to pat someone on the back

You shouldn’t criticise him all the time. Why don’t you pat him on the back occasionally?

гладить против шерсти(кого-л.)

to ruffle someone’s feathers; to rub someone up the wrong way

She always tried not to ruffle his feathers.

He rubbed me up the wrong way and this led to an argument.

глаза полезли на лоб(у кого-л.)

one’s eyes nearly popped out of one’s head

When I heard how much money she was spending on clothes, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

глаза разгорелись(на что-л.)

to set one’s heart on something

I’ve set my heart on having that new dress.

глазом не моргнуть

not to bat an eyelid; not to turn a hair

Tom didn’t bat an eyelid when he was told that his daughter was getting married.

He didn’t turn a hair when a large dog ran straight towards him.

глас вопиющего в пустынеa voice crying in the wilderness

глупый как пробка

to be dead from the neck up

Her husband was dead from the neck up.

глухой как пень

(as) deaf as a post

He won’t hear us – he’s as deaf as a post.

гнать волну

to make waves

Why do you always have to make waves?

гнать в три шеи(кого-л.)

to throw someone out on one’s ear

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