Π§ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΡ ΠΎΠ½Π»Π°ΠΉΠ½ Β«Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ²Π°ΡΡ Π°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΡ ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΠΎΠΌ: 8000 Π΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½ΠΈΡΒ». Π‘ΡΡΠ°Π½ΠΈΡΠ° 154
ΠΠ²ΡΠΎΡ Adam Makkai
[two-faced]{adj.} Insincere; disloyal; deceitful. β’/Donβt confide too much in him as he has the reputation of being two-faced./ Compare: SPEAK WITH A FORKED TONGUE.
[twoβs company; threeβs a crowd] An informal way to express a situation when two people desire privacy and a third one is present.βββA proverb. β’/Beth and Carl wanted to be alone so when Maggie joined them they said, "Twoβs company; threeβs a crowd."/
[two strikes against one]{n. phr.}-From baseball. Two opportunities wasted in some undertaking, so that only one chance is left. β’/Poor John has two strikes against him when it comes to his love for Frances: first, he is too fat, and, second, he is bald./
[two-time]{v.}, {slang} To go out with a second boy or girlfriend and keep it a secret from the first. β’/Joan was two-timing Jim with Fred./ β’/Mary cried when she found that Joe was two-timing her./ Compare: DOUBLE-CROSS.
[two to one] See: TEN TO ONE.
[two ways about it] See: NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT.
U
[U.F.O.]{n. phr.} Unidentified Flying Object. β’/Some people think that the U.F.O.s are extraterrestrial beings of higher than human development who pay periodic visits to Earth to warn us of our self-destructive tendencies./
[ugly duckling]{n.} An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. β’/Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up./
[uh-huh] or [um-hum] {adv.}, {informal} Yes.βββUsed only in speech or when recording dialogue. β’/Are you going to the Fair? Uh-huh./ β’/We were in Alaska, um-hum, but that was long before the earthquakes./ β’/When I asked for an appointment, the nurse said, "Um-hum, I have an opening at four oβclock on Friday."/ Contrast: HUH-UH.
[um-hum] See: UH-HUH.
[unbosom oneself]{v. phr.} To confess oneβs personal thoughts or feelings; disclose private information to a confidante. β’/Once she was at home with her mother, she unbosomed herself of all her troubles./
[uncertain] See: IN SO MANY WORDS(2). or IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS.
[uncle] See: SAY UNCLE also CRY UNCLE.
[under] See: CUT THE GROUND FROM UNDER, GO UNDER, OUT FROM UNDER, SNOW UNDER.
[under a bushel] See: HIDE ONEβS LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL.
[under a cloud]{adj. phr.} 1. Under suspicion; not trusted. β’/Joyce has been under a cloud since her roommateβs bracelet disappeared./ β’/The butcher is under a cloud because the inspectors found his scales were not honest./ 2. Depressed, sad, discouraged. β’/Joe has been under a cloud since his dog died./
[under age]{adj. phr.} Too young; not old enough; below legal age. β’/He could not enlist in the army because he was under age./ β’/Rose was not allowed to enroll in the Life Saving Course because she was under age./ Contrast: OF AGE(1).
[under arrest]{adj. phr.} Held by the police. β’/The man believed to have robbed the bank was placed under arrest./ β’/The three boys were seen breaking into the school building and soon found themselves under arrest./
[under construction]{adv. phr.} In the process of being built or repaired. β’/It is a good idea to take the train to work while the expressway is under construction./
[under cover]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Hidden; concealed. β’/The prisoners escaped under cover of darkness./ β’/He kept his invention under cover until it was patented./ Compare: UNDER WRAPS.
[under false colors] See: SAIL UNDER FALSE COLORS.
[under fire]{adv. phr.} Being shot at or being attacked; hit by attacks or accusations; under attack. β’/The soldiers stood firm under fire of the enemy./ β’/The principal was under fire for not sending the boys home who stole the car./
[under lock and key]{adv. phr.} Secured; locked up; well protected. β’/Dad keeps all his valuables under lock and key./
[under oneβs belt]{adv. phr.}, {informal} 1. In your stomach; eaten; or absorbed. β’/Once he had a good meal under his belt, the man loosened his tie and fell asleep./ β’/Jones is talkative when he has a few drinks under his belt./ 2. In your experience, memory or possession; learned or gotten successfully; gained by effort and skill. β’/Jim has to get a lot of algebra under his belt before the examination./ β’/With three straight victories under their belts, the team went on to win the championship./
[under oneβs breath]{adv. phr.} In a whisper; with a low voice. β’/The teacher heard the boy say something under his breath and she asked him to repeat it aloud./ β’/I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me./
[under oneβs hat] See: KEEP UNDER ONEβS HAT.
[under oneβs heel]{adv. phr.} In oneβs power or control. β’/If one marriage partner always wants to keep the other person under his or her heel, it is not a happy or democratic arrangement and may lead to a divorce./
[under oneβs nose] or [under the nose of] {adv. phr.}, {informal} In sight of; in an easily seen or noticeable place. β’/The thief walked out of the museum with the painting, right under the nose of the guards./ β’/When Jim gave up trying to find a pen, he saw three right under his nose on the desk./
[under oneβs own steam]{adv. phr.}, {informal} By oneβs own efforts; without help. β’/The boys got to Boston under their own steam and took a bus the rest of the way./ β’/We didnβt think he could do it, but Bobby finished his homework under his own steam./
[under oneβs skin] See: GET UNDER ONEβS SKIN.
[under oneβs spell]{adv. phr.} Unable to resist oneβs influence. β’/From the first moment they saw each other, Peter was under Nancyβs spell./
[under oneβs thumb] or [under the thumb] {adj.} or {adv. phr.} Obedient to you; controlled by you; under your power. β’/The Jones family is under the thumb of the mother./ β’/Jack is a bully. He keeps all the younger children under his thumb./ β’/The mayor is so popular that he has the whole town under his thumb./ Compare: JUMP THROUGH THE HOOP.
[under oneβs wing]{adv. phr.} Under the care or protection of. β’/Helen took the new puppy under her wing./ β’/The boys stopped teasing the new student when Bill took him under his wing./ Compare: IN TOW.
[under orders]{adv. phr.} Not out of oneβs own desire or oneβs own free will; obligatorily; not freely. β’/"So you were a Nazi prison guard? " the judge asked. "Yes, your Honor," the man answered, "but I was acting under orders and not because I wished to harm anyone."/
[under pain of] See: ON PAIN OF also UNDER PAIN OF.
[under protest]{adv. phr.} Against oneβs wish; unwillingly. β’/"Iβll go with you all right," she said to the kidnapper, "but I want it clearly understood that I do so under protest."/
[understand] See: GIVE ONE TO UNDERSTAND.
[under the circumstances] also [in the circumstances] {adv. phr.} In the existing situation; in the present condition; as things are. β’/In the circumstances, Father couldnβt risk giving up his job./ β’/Under the circumstances, the stagecoach passengers had to give the robbers their money./
[under the collar] See: HOT UNDER THE COLLAR.
[under the counter]{adv. phr.}, {informal} Secretly (bought or sold). β’/That book has been banned, but there is one place you can get it under the counter./ β’/The liquor dealer was arrested for selling beer under the counter to teenagers./βββAlso used like an adjective, with hyphens. β’/During World War II, some stores kept scarce things hidden for under-the-counter-sales to good customers./
[under the hammer]{adv. phr.} Up for sale at auction. β’/The Brights auctioned off the entire contents of their home. Mrs. Bright cried when her pewter collection went under the hammer./ β’/The picture I wanted to bid on came under the hammer soon after I arrived./
[under the nose of] See: UNDER ONEβS NOSE.
[under the sun]{adj.} or {adv. phr.} On earth; in the world.βββUsed for emphasis. β’/The Presidentβs assassination shocked everyone under the sun./ β’/Where under the sun could I have put my purse?/
[under the table] See: UNDER THE COUNTER.
[under the thumb of] See: UNDER ONEβS THUMB.
[under the weather]{adv. phr.} In bad health or low spirits. β’/Mary called in today asking for a sick day as she is under the weather./
[under the wire]{adv. phr.} With a narrow time limit; in the last minute. β’/The journalistβs new lead article on Russia was due in press at 5 P.M., and he got it in at 4:57, just under the wire./
[underway]{adv. phr.} In progress; in motion. β’/The yearly fund-raising campaign for the renovation of our university campus is already underway./
[under wraps]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} Not allowed to be seen until the right time; not allowed to act or speak freely; in secrecy; hidden.βββUsually used with "keep". β’/We have a new player, hut we are keeping him under wraps until the game./ β’/What the President is planning will be kept under wraps until tomorrow./ β’/The spy was kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to newspapermen./ Compare: UNDER COVER.
[unknown quantity]{n.} Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. β’/What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ β’/The new player is still an unknown quantity. Weβll find out how good he is in the game./
[unseen] See: SIGHT UNSEEN.
[until all hours]{adv. phr.} Until very late at night. β’/He is so anxious to pass his exams with flying colors that he stays up studying until all hours./
[until hell freezes over]{adv. phr.}, {slang} Forever, for an eternity. β’/He can argue until hell freezes over; nobody will believe him./ Contrast: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
[until the last gun is fired] See: TILL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED.
[unturned] See: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.
[up against]{prep. phr.} Blocked or threatened by. β’/When she applied to medical school, the black woman wondered whether she was up against barriers of sex and race prejudice./
[up against it]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Faced with a great difficulty or problem; badly in need. β’/The Smith family is up against it because Mr. Smith cannot find a job./ β’/You will be up against it if you donβt pass the test. You will probably fail arithmetic./ Compare: HARD UP, END OF ONEβS ROPE, BACK TO THE WALL(2).
[up and about] or [around] {adv. phr.} Recovered and able to move about; once again in good health after an illness. β’/My sister was ill for several weeks, but is now up and about again./
[up and at them] 1. {adv. phr.} Actively engaged in a task as if doing combat. β’/"You want to know whether he will make a diligent worker?" Dick asked. "Well, I can tell you that most of the time he is up and at them like no one else I know."/ 2. {v. phr.} To become aggressively engaged in doing something; (useable as a command). β’/Come on, up and at them, you guys. We still have a lot of work to get done./
[up-and-coming]{adj. phr.} Bound toward success; upwardly mobile; progressive; ambitious. β’/The newly elected state senator is an up-and-coming young politician who is expected to be highly successful in national politics in the future./
[up a stump]{adj. phr.}, {slang} Stumped; blocked; mixed up or confused in what you are trying to do. β’/Jimmy knows how to add and subtract but fractions have him up a stump./
[up a tree]{adv.} or {adj. phr.} 1. Hunted or chased into a tree; treed. β’/The dog drove the coon up a tree so the hunter could shoot him./ 2. {informal} in trouble; having problems; in a difficulty that it is hard to escape or think of a way out of. β’/Johnβs father has him up a tree in the checker game./ Compare: UP THE CREEK.