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

out of the blue

His parents arrived out of the blue yesterday. We didn’t know they were in the area.

как сыр в масле кататься

to live in clover

She married a wealthy man and lived in clover for the rest of her life.

как угорелая кошка

like a scalded cat

She ran like a scalded cat when she saw a ghost.

Какая муха тебя укусила?What’s eating you?

каменное сердце

a heart of stone

You won’t get any sympathy from George – he has a heart of stone.

камень на шее(для кого-л.)

a millstone round someone’s neck

She regarded her brother-in-law as nothing but a millstone round her neck.

камень преткновения

a stumbling block

The scheme would be excellent, but money is the main stumbling block in any project of this size.

камень с души свалился(у кого-л.)

a load off someone’s mind

It’s a load off my mind to know that they’ve arrived safely.

камня на камне не оставить(от чего-л.)

to tear something to bits/pieces

The new director tore my work to bits.

капля в море

a drop in the ocean

Ted has offered us some money but it will be a drop in the ocean compared to what we need.

карточный домик

a house of cards

When her husband left her for another woman her whole life fell down around her like a house of cards.

кислая мина

a long face

The children pulled a long face when she told them that she couldn’t take them to the cinema.

китайская грамота(для кого-л.)

double Dutch (to someone ); all Greek (to someone )

I couldn’t understand a single word – it was all double Dutch to me.

He tried to explain how a computer worked, but it was all Greek to me.

книга за семью печатями

a closed book

Trigonometry is a closed book to me.

когда рак на горе свиснет

when hell freezes over; when pigs fly

I’ll believe his story when hell freezes over.

Will we ever receive a reward for all this hard work? – Certainly, when pigs fly.

кожа да кости

skin and bones; a bag of bones

He was all skin and bones after his illness.

When I saw her last, she was just a bag of bones.

комок в горле стоит(у кого-л.)

to have a lump in one’s throat

When I hear the national anthem, I have a lump in my throat.

комок нервов

a bag of nerves

Since the burglary Grace has been a bag of nerves.

короче говоря

to cut a long story short

Well, to cut a long story short, they found the island and the treasure.

корчить рожу

to make/pull a face

She pulled a face when it cost more than she expected.

коту под хвост

down the drain

We’ll have to start again – several months’ work down the drain.

краем глаза

out of the corner of one’s eye

I only saw the accident out of the corner of my eye.

край света

the back of beyond

After living in the capital, this town seems like the back of beyond.

красивый как картинка

(as) pretty as a picture

My little daughter is as pretty as a picture.

красный как рак

as red as a beetroot

When somebody talks about women, he goes as red as a beetroot.

краше в гроб кладут

to look like death warmed up

The poor girl looked like death warmed up.

крепкий орешек

a hard nut (to crack)

You will find him a hard nut to crack.

He tinkered with the broken car engine for hours; it was a very hard nut to crack.

кричать благим матом

to scream blue murder

The baby screamed blue murder when I put him to bed.

кричать на всех перекрестках(о чем-л.)

to shout something from the rooftops

She was in love and wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

кровь стынет в жилах(у кого-л.)

one’s blood runs cold

Her blood ran cold as she heard someone moving in the shadows.

крокодиловы слезы

crocodile tears

She is only crying crocodile tears – she never liked the old man and she’s not sorry he’s dead.

кроткий как ягненок

(as) meek as a lamb

He never complains about overwork, he’s as meek as a lamb.

кружить голову(кому-л.) (вызывать восторг)

to turn someone’s head; to go to someone’s head

Tom’s promotion has turned his head and he hardly talks to us now.

She is a famous actress; I only hope her success will not go to her head.

кружить голову(кому-л.) (влюблять в себя)

to sweep someone off one’s feet

The young girl was swept off her feet by a handsome stranger.

крыша над головой(у кого-л.)

a roof over one’s head

Our new house was not a palace, but at least we had a roof over our heads.

кто знает

you never can tell

It sounded like a promise, but you never can tell – he might change his mind later.

купаться в золоте

to be in the money; to be made of money; to have money to burn

She’s in the money now since her rich uncle has died.

Sorry, I can’t lend you fifty pounds. I’m not made of money, you know.

The only people who can afford to pay such a huge sum of money for a new suit are rich people with money to burn.

лебединая песня

( one’s ) swan song

The singer’s performance in London last week proved to be his swan song.

легкий как перышко

(as) light as a feather

Of course I can carry the suitcase. It’s as light as a feather.

легок на помине

Talk of the devil!

John always keeps us waiting. Shall we go? Oh, talk of the devil, here he is coming along the road!

легче легкого

(as) easy as pie; (as) easy as falling off a log

It was the easiest job I’ve ever done. It was as easy as pie.

He said writing songs was as easy as falling off a log for him.

лезть в бутылку

to fly off the handle

There’s no need to fly off the handle. I only wanted to explain how I felt.

лезть в петлю

to put one’s head in a noose; to put one’s head on the block; to risk one’s neck

By openly voting against the director, she’s put her head in a noose.

He put his head on the block by admitting that he was the one who made the mistake.

He was aware that in joining the military expedition he was risking his neck.

лезть на рожон

to stick one’s neck out; to ask for trouble/it

He has had the courage to stick his head out and speak the truth.

Stop talking to the boss that way, Pete. You’re just asking for trouble.

лезть на стенку

to go up the wall

She’ll go up the wall if she finds out you’ve been smoking.

летающая тарелкаa flying saucer

лечь костьми

to lay down one’s life

He would lay down his life in the service of his country.

лизать пятки(кому-л.)

to lick someone’s boots

It’s disgusting the way she licks her boss’ boots all the time.

лить воду на мельницу(кого-л.)

to play into someone’s hands

By discussing his plans openly the politician was playing into the hands of the opposition.

лить как из ведра

to come down in buckets; to rain cats and dogs

I’m not going out in this rain – it’s coming down in buckets.

It’s raining cats and dogs outside tonight.

лицом к лицу

face to face

He came face to face with his enemy.

лишиться рассудка

to be/go out of one’s mind

She must be out of her mind to talk like that to the new director.

ловить каждое слово(кого-л.)

to hang upon someone’s words

Margaret is full of admiration for her husband and hangs upon his words.

ловить на слове(кого-л.)

to take someone at one’s word

When I said that I would like them to visit us in Spain they took me at my word and arrived at our villa two weeks later with all their children.

ловить рыбу в мутной воде

to fish in troubled waters

During the war, this company had been fishing in troubled waters selling goods to both sides.

ложиться под нож

to go under the knife

I have to go under the knife next week.

ложка дегтя в бочке меда

a fly in the ointment

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. The only fly in the ointment was the bad weather.

ломать (себе) голову

to rack one’s brains

She racked her brains all morning, but couldn’t remember where she put the key.

ломать комедию

to put on an act

She is putting on an act. I don’t believe she has hurt her knee.

ломать копья(с кем-л.)

to cross swords (with someone )

The last time we crossed swords I had to admit that I was wrong.

любой ценой

at all costs; at any price

He must at all costs avoid being seen.

She was willing to carry out her plan at any price.

мальчик для битья

a whipping boy

Our director always has to have a whipping boy for his mistakes.

манна небесная

manna from heaven

Helen was very bored in hospital and welcomed the books brought in by a friend as manna from heaven.

марать руки

to dirty one’s hands

Do you think I would hit someone like your brother? I wouldn’t dirty my hands on him.

мастер на все руки

a jack of all trades

Bill will take on any piece of work he is offered, from plumbing to gardening – he’s a jack of all trades.

мастер своего дела

an old hand

He is an old hand at repairing watches.

махнуть рукой(на кого-л./что-л.)

to give someone/something up as a bad job

I could not persuade him to go to university, and finally gave it up as a bad job.

I gave him up as a bad job when he failed to keep his word.

между молотом и наковальней

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