Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц - [12]

[apart] See: JOKING ASIDE or JOKING APART, POLES APART, TELL APART.

[apart from] or [aside from]{prep. phr.} Beside or besides; in addition to. •/The children hardly see anyone, apart from their parents./ •/Aside from being fun and good exercise, swimming is a very useful skill./ Syn.: EXCEPT FOR, OUTSIDE OF.

[ape] See: GO APE.

[appear] See: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL AND HE APPEARS.

[appearance] See: PUT IN AN APPEARANCE also MAKE AN APPEARANCE.

[apple] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[applecart] See: UPSET THE APPLECART or UPSET ONE’S APPLECART.

[apple of one’s eye]{n. phr.} Something or someone that is adored; a cherished person or object. •/Charles is the apple of his mother’s eye./ •/John’s first car was the apple of his eye. He was always polishing it./

[apple-pie order]{n. phr.}, {informal} Exact orderly arrangement, neatness; tidy arrangement. •/The house was in apple-pie order./ •/Like a good secretary, she kept the boss’s desk in apple-pie order./

[apple polisher]; [apple polishing] See: POLISH THE APPLE.

[approval] See: ON APPROVAL.

[a pretty pass]{n. phr.} An unfortunate condition; a critical state. •/While the boss was away, things at the company had come to a pretty pass./

[apron] See: TIED TO ONE’S MOTHER’S APRON STRINGS.

[apropos of]{prep.}, {formal} In connection with; on the subject of, about; concerning. •/Apropos of higher tuition, Mr. Black told the boy about the educational loans that banks are offering./ •/Mr. White went to see Mr. Richards apropos of buying a car./

[arm] See: GIVE ONE’S RIGHT ARM, KEEP AT A DISTANCE Or KEEP AT ARM’S LENGTH, SHOT IN THE ARM, TAKE UP ARMS, TWIST ONE’S ARM, UP IN ARMS, WITH OPEN ARMS, COST AN ARM AND A LEG.

[arm and a leg]{n.}, {slang} An exorbitantly high price that must be paid for something that isn’t really worth it. •/It’s true that to get a decent apartment these days in New York you have to pay an arm and a leg./

[armed to the teeth]{adj. phr.} Having all needed weapons; fully armed. •/The paratroopers were armed to the teeth./

[arm in arm]{adv. phr.} With your arm under or around another person’s arm, especially in close comradeship or friendship. •/Sally and Joan were laughing and joking together as they walked arm in arm down the street./ •/When they arrived at the party, the partners walked arm in arm to meet the hosts./ Compare: HAND IN HAND.

[around one’s ears] See: ABOUT ONE’S EARS.

[around the clock] also [the clock around]{adv. phr.} For 24 hours a day continuously all day and all night. •/The factory operated around the clock until the order was filled./ •/He studied around the clock for his history exam./ — [round-the-clock]{adj.} •/That filling station has round-the-clock service./

[around the corner]{adv. phr.} Soon to come or happen; close by; near at hand. •/The fortuneteller told Jane that there was an adventure for her just around the corner./

[arrest] See: UNDER ARREST.

[as] See: FOR AS MUCH AS, IN AS MUCH AS.

[as a last resort]{adv. phr.} In lieu of better things; lacking better solutions. •/"We’ll sleep in our sleeping bags as a last resort," John said, "since all the motels are full."/

[as a matter of fact]{adv. phr.} Actually; really; in addition to what has been said; in reference to what was said. — Often used as an interjection. •/It’s not true that I cannot swim; as a matter of fact, I used to work as a lifeguard in Hawaii./ •/Do you think this costs too much? As a matter of fact, I think it is rather cheap./

[as an aside]{adv. phr.} Said as a remark in a low tone of voice; used in theaters where the actor turns toward the audience as if to "think out loud." •/During the concert Tim said to his wife as an aside, "The conductor has no idea how to conduct Beethoven."/

[as a rule]{adv. phr.} Generally; customarily. •/As a rule, the boss arrives at the office about 10 A.M./

[as an old shoe] See: COMFORTABLE AS AN OLD SHOE, COMMON AS AN OLD SHOE.

[as --- as ---] — Used with an adjective or adverb in a comparison or with the effect of a superlative. •/John is as tall as his father now./ •/I didn’t do as badly today as I did yesterday./ •/John’s father gave him a hard job and told him to do as well as possible./ •/The sick girl was not hungry, but her mother told her to eat as much as she could./ — Also used in the form "so --- as" in some sentences, especially negative sentences. •/This hill isn’t nearly so high as the last one we climbed./ — Often used in similes (comparisons that are figures of speech). •/The baby mouse looked as big as a minute./ •/Jim’s face was red as a beet after he made the foolish mistake./ — Most similes in conventional use are cliches, avoided by careful speakers and writers.

[as best one can]{adv. phr.} As well as you can; by whatever means are available; in the best way you can. •/The car broke down in the middle of the night, and he had to get home as best he could./ •/George’s foot hurt, but he played the game as best he could./ •/The girl’s mother was sick, so the girl got dinner as best she could./

[as catch can] See: CATCH AS CATCH CAN.

[as far as]