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

to know what is what

You don’t have to worry about him – he knows what’s what.

золотая середина

a happy medium

You can surely find some happy medium between exercising all the time and doing nothing.

золотое дно

a gold-mine

The report represents a gold-mine of useful information.

золотое правило

the golden rule

The golden rule of teaching is to be clear.

золотое сердце

a heart of gold

His wife is a lovely woman. She has a heart of gold.

золотой телецthe golden calf

зондировать почву

to put out feelers

I wanted to get a new job, so I put out some feelers with our competitors.

и глазом не успел моргнуть

before you can say Jack Robinson

I’ll catch a train and be there before you can say Jack Robinson.

и дело с концом

that’s that

You are not going to the party alone, and that’s that.

И не говорите!

you are telling me

It’s hot today, isn’t it? – You’re telling me.

(и) туда и сюда

back and forth; up and down; to and fro; backwards and forwards

The wind moved the leaves gently back and forth.

We’ve been driving up and down the street looking for you.

She walked to and fro in the room waiting for the news.

The pendulum was moving slowly backwards and forwards.

играть в кошки-мышки(с кем-л.)

to play cat and mouse with someone

If you continue to play cat and mouse with your boyfriend, he’ll break up with you.

играть вторую скрипку

to play second fiddle

He was tired of playing second fiddle to his older brother.

играть на руку(кому-л.)

to play into someone’s hands

I had an uncomfortable feeling that by leading my men into the valley I had played into the enemy’s hands.

играть с огнем

to play with fire

She knew she was playing with fire by having an affair with her boss.

Иди к черту!Go to hell!

идти в ногу(с чем-л./кем-л.)

to keep pace with something/someone

It is difficult to keep pace with current fashions.

идти в ногу со временем

to move with the times

If we don’t move with the times, our customers will go elsewhere.

идти в огонь и воду

to go through fire and water

He would go through fire and water to help us.

идти на боковую

to hit the hay/sack

I think I’ll hit the hay now.

идти на поправку

to be on the mend

She has been very ill, but she’s on the mend now.

идти навстречу(кому-л.)

to meet someone halfway

The problem would be solved if you could meet us halfway.

идти напролом

to stop at nothing

My sister will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

идти насмарку

to come to nothing; to go down the drain; to go by the board

His plans to buy a new house came to nothing when he found out how much it would cost.

All my hard work went down the drain when the boss changed his priorities.

We didn’t have enough money so the holiday plans went by the board.

идти по линии наименьшего сопротивления

to take the line of least resistance

My brother always takes the line of least resistance with his wife and he does whatever she prefers.

идти по ложному следу

to bark up the wrong tree

You are barking up the wrong tree if you think it was Hugh who stole your watch.

идти по проторенной дорожке

to keep to the beaten track

The director decided to keep to the beaten track and not try any new ideas.

идти по стопам(кого-л.)

to follow in someone’s footsteps

He is following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a teacher.

идти под гору

to go downhill

The business is going downhill. We lose money every month.

идти с молотка

to come under the hammer

His coin collection will come under the hammer next week.

идти своей дорогой

to go one’s own way

He didn’t want to listen to his parents and was determined to go his own way.

из вторых рук

at second hand

I heard the news at second hand.

из кожи лезть вон

to go out of one’s way; to bend/lean over backwards;

to move heaven and earth

He went out of his way to help his friends.

I bent over backwards to please the old man, but he wasn’t at all grateful.

She moved heaven and earth to get the job.

из любви к искусству

for love

She volunteers at the hospital for love.

из огня да в полымя

out of the frying pan into the fire

He left his job because he wanted more freedom, but in his new one he has to work overtime – out of the frying pan into the fire!

из первых рук

at first hand

I got the news at first hand.

из первых уст

straight from the horse’s mouth

I got that story straight from the horse’s mouth.

из ряда вон выходящий

out of this world

The cake she cooked was out of this world.

изливать душу

to pour out one’s heart

She came to my room and poured out her heart to me about her unhappy marriage.

изо всей силы

with all one’s might; for all one is worth

He pushed with all his might but the gate remained firmly closed.

He swam towards the shore for all he was worth.

изо дня в день

day after day; day by day; day in, day out

He wears the same clothes day after day.

In November it gets colder day by day.

Day in, day out she had to look after the old man.

из-под (самого) носа

from under someone’s nose

The money was stolen from under his nose.

из-под полы

under the counter

The shop was not licensed to sell alcohol though its owner was selling whisky under the counter.

иметь голову на плечах

to have a good head on one’s shoulder

He can be trusted with anything – he’s got a good head on his shoulder.

иметь зуб(на кого-л.)

to have it in for someone ; to have a bone to pick with someone

I don’t know why Carol has it in for me – I’ve always been nice to her.

I have a bone to pick with my neighbour.

искать иголку в стоге сена

to look for a needle in a haystack

His office was in a mess. Trying to find that document was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

искры из глаз посыпались(у кого-л.)

to see stars

I hit my head against the door and saw stars.

искушать судьбу

to tempt providence

To climb that cliff would be to tempt providence.

испокон веков

from time immemorial

The family has lived in this house from time immemorial.

испустить дух

to breathe one’s last; to give up the ghost

Mr. Johnson breathed his last yesterday.

The old man sighed and gave up the ghost.

My car has given up the ghost.

К черту!Damn it!

каждый встречный

any Tom, Dick, and Harry

You can’t go out with any Tom, Dick, and Harry you happen to meet!

как бельмо на глазу(у кого-л.)

to be a thorn in someone’s flesh/side

His sister had been a thorn in his flesh for many years, always criticising his manners and way of life.

как в воду кануть

to vanish/disappear into thin air

One day, without any warning, he disappeared into thin air.

как в воду опущенный

down in the dumps/mouth

Nancy has been down in the dumps ever since her dog died.

как в темном лесу

in the dark; (all) at sea

He might know what he was talking about, but the rest of us were completely in the dark.

When it comes to theoretical physics, I am all at sea.

как вкопанный

rooted to the spot

He shouted to her to run, but she stood rooted to the spot.

как говорится

as they say; as the saying goes

The examination was, as they say, as easy as pie.

Married life is, as the saying goes, not all beer and skittles.

как гром среди ясного неба

like a bolt from the blue

The news of his resignation came as a bolt from the blue.

как две капли воды

like two peas in a pod

The sisters are like two peas in a pod.

как красная тряпка для быка

like a red rag to a bull

Don’t talk to him about his son because it’s like a red rag to a bull.

как на (горячих) угольях

like a cat on hot bricks; on pins and needles; on tenterhooks

She was like a cat on hot bricks before her examination.

She was on pins and needles waiting for any news.

I’ve been on tenterhooks the whole morning waiting for my examination results.

как ошпаренный

like a bat out of hell; like a shot

She ran out of the room like a bat out of hell.

The boy saw me and ran like a shot.

как пить дать

(as) sure as eggs is eggs; (as) sure as hell

As sure as eggs is eggs, he’ll be back again next week asking for another loan of money.

It’s going to rain tonight, sure as hell.

как по мановению волшебной палочки

with a wave of one’s magic wand

She thought that he could put things right with a wave of his magic wand.

как рыба в воде

in one’s element

She is in her element when she is organising a party.

как с гуся вода

like water off a duck’s back

There is no point scolding that boy for his dishonesty – it’s like water off a duck’s back.

как сельди в бочке

packed like sardines

The bus was so full we were packed like sardines. I could hardly move my arms.

как сквозь землю провалиться

to vanish/disappear into thin air

The bank robbers seem to have disappeared into thin air.

как слон в посудной лавке

like a bull in a china shop

He accidentally knocked over the lamp – he really is like a bull in a china shop.

как снег на голову

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