1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний - [15]

without rhyme or reason

Three men attacked Joe without rhyme or reason.

ни свет ни заря

bright and early

She got up bright and early.

ни слуху ни духу (о ком-л./чем-л.)

neither hide nor hair of someone/something

I thought I left the documents on the table, but I couldn’t find either hide nor hair of them.

ни то ни се

betwixt and between

The dinner we had yesterday at the restaurant was betwixt and between.

ниже пояса

below the belt

I think it was a bit below the belt to embarrass her in front of other guests.

никоим образом

by no means; not by a long chalk

I was by no means certain that they would sign the contract.

I haven’t yet finished the work by a long chalk.

ничего особенного

nothing to write home about

The concert was nothing to write home about.

ничего подобного

nothing of the kind

Isn’t your son a doctor? – Nothing of the kind – he is an actor.

нож в спину

a stab in the back

I trusted him, so it was quite a stab in the back for me when he offered the job to someone else.

носить на руках (кого-л.)

to think the world of someone

He thinks the world of his wife and gives her lots of presents.

носиться в воздухе

to be in the air

There was tension in the air.

нужно как собаке пятая нога (кто-л./что-л.)

to need something/someone like one needs a hole in the head

I need this extra work like I need a hole in the head.

нюхом чуять

to feel it in one’s bones

She knew Adam would marry her daughter. She felt it in her bones.

обагрять руки кровью (чьей-л.) to have ( someone’s ) blood on one’s hands

обводить вокруг пальца (кого-л.)

to take someone for a ride

The boy is so dumb everybody takes him for a ride.

обдавать холодом (кого-л.)

to give someone the cold shoulder

I thought that Lucy and I were friends, but when I greeted her this morning she gave me the cold shoulder.

обжечь себе пальцы

to get one’s fingers burnt

I got my fingers burnt by investing money in your friend’s company.

ободрать как липку (кого-л.)

to take someone to the cleaners

I have been completely taken to the cleaners; I haven’t a penny left.

оборотная сторона медали

the other side of the coin

One must look at the other side of the coin.

обретать второе дыхание

to get one’s second wind

Jack became very tired while jogging, but after a while he got his second wind.

одним махом

in one fell swoop

The guests ate all the snacks in one fell swoop.

одним миром мазаны

to be tarred with the same brush; to be cut from the same cloth

I don’t believe all these politicians – they are all tarred with the same brush.

She and her husband are cut from the same cloth.

одним словом

in a word

In a word, he was lying.

одного поля ягода

birds of a feather; two of a kind

I think that he and his girlfriend are birds of a feather.

The sisters are two of a kind, they like the same things.

одному Богу известно

God/heaven knows

She never had any money. How she lived, God knows.

оказаться на высоте положения

to rise to the occasion

It was a difficult task, but she rose to the occasion.

осиное гнездо a hornet’s nest

оставить в покое (кого-л.)

to get off someone’s back

I’m tired of your criticism. Why don’t you get off my back and let me do my work!

оставляет желать лучшего

to leave a lot to be desired

His wife’s cooking leaves a lot to be desired.

оставлять в дураках (кого-л.)

to make a fool of someone

He made a fool of me by pretending to be a capable musician, but he couldn’t play a note.

острый язычок

a sharp tongue

She was known for her sharp tongue.

от «а» до «я»

from ‘A’ to ‘Z’

He knows his job from ‘A’ to ‘Z’.

от всего сердца

from the bottom of one’s heart; with all one’s heart and soul

The boy was very helpful and I thanked him from the bottom of my heart.

She loves her husband with all her heart and soul.

от горшка два вершка

knee-high to a grasshopper

I haven’t seen your brother since he was knee-high to a grasshopper.

от греха подальше

out of harm’s way

She parked her car off the road – out of harms way.

от силы

at the most; at the (very) outside

It will take two hours at the most to get there.

It’ll take 45 minutes, an hour at the very outside.

отбиваться от рук

to get out of hand

‘Don’t let the children get out of hand!’ Mother warned me.

отбирать хлеб (у кого-л.)

to take the bread out of someone’s mouth

If he opens his shop next door to mine, he’ll be taking the bread out of my mouth.

отводить душу

to pour out one’s heart

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

отдавать Богу душу to meet one’s maker

отдавать должное (кому-л./чему-л.)

to do justice to someone/something

The meal was well cooked and we did justice to it.

отдавать жизнь

to lay down one’s life

He was ready to lay down his life for his country.

отдавать концы

to kick the bucket; to turn up one’s toes

I was so ill, I thought I was going to kick the bucket.

The dog turned up his toes last night. He was nearly fifteen years old.

отдавать сердце (кому-л.)

to lose one’s heart to someone

She lost her heart to the new teacher.

отделять плевелы от пшеницы to separate the wheat from the chaff

открывать глаза (кому-л. на что-л.)

to open someone’s eyes to something

I opened her eyes to her husband’s unfaithfulness.