Π§ΠΈΡΠ°ΡΡ ΠΎΠ½Π»Π°ΠΉΠ½ Β«Π‘Π»ΠΎΠ²Π°ΡΡ Π°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠ°Π½ΡΠΊΠΈΡ ΠΈΠ΄ΠΈΠΎΠΌ: 8000 Π΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½ΠΈΡΒ». Π‘ΡΡΠ°Π½ΠΈΡΠ° 98
ΠΠ²ΡΠΎΡ Adam Makkai
[nervous prostration]{n.} An illness of the mind that makes you feel very tired, worried, and bored, and that often causes headaches, upset stomach, and other sickness. β’/Aunt Jane said that taking care of us children all day was enough to give any woman nervous prostration./
[nest] See: FEATHER ONEβS NEST, STIR UP A HORNETβS NEST.
[nest egg]{n.} Savings set aside to be used in the future. β’/Herb says he doesnβt have to worry about his old age because he has a nest egg in the bank./
[never] See: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER, IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS, LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE.
[never mind]{v. phr.} Donβt trouble about it; donβt worry about it; forget it; skip it.βββUsually used in speaking or when writing dialogue. β’/Never mind preparing a picnic lunch; weβll find a lunchstand when we get to the beach./ β’/"What did you say?" "Oh, never mind."/ β’/"What about money?" "Never mind that. Iβll take care of it."/
[never say die]{v. phr.} Donβt quit; donβt be discouraged. β’/"Never say die!" John said, as he got on his feet and tried to ice skate again./
[new] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new blood]{n.} Something or someone that gives new life or vigor, fresh energy or power. β’/New blood was brought into the company through appointment of younger men to important positions./
[new broom sweeps clean] A new person makes many changes.βββA proverb. β’/The new superintendent has changed many of the school rules. A new broom sweeps clean./
[Newcastle] See: CARRY COALS TO NEWCASTLE.
[new deal]{n.}, {informal} 1. A complete change; a fresh start. β’/People had been on the job too long; a new deal was needed to get things out of the old bad habits./ 2. Another chance. β’/The boy asked for a new deal after he had been punished for fighting in school./
[newfangled]{adj.} Newly invented or contrived; excessively complex. β’/Dorothy felt that many newfangled gadgets in Kateβs all-electric kitchen werenβt really necessary./
[new leaf] See: TURN OVER A NEW LEAF.
[new lease on life]{n. phr.} A new chance to live; an improved manner of living. β’/After his illness and his retirement, living in Hawaii was a new lease on life./
[new man]{n.} A person who has become very much better. β’/Diet and exercise made a new man of him./
[new money]{n. phr.} People who have become rich recently. β’/Since Bobbyβs father invented a new computer component, Bobby and his family are new money./ Contrast: OLD MONEY.
[newshawk]{n.} A newspaper reporter. β’/There are always a lot of newshawks following the president./
[next door]{adv.} or {adj.} 1. In or to the next house or apartment. β’/He lived next door to me./ β’/She telephoned next door to ask about John./ β’/The house next door caught fire./ 2. Very close.βββUsed with "to". β’/The sick man was next door to death./ β’/Printing secrets about our countryβs missiles is next door to treason./
[next to(1)]{adv.} Almost; nearly. β’/It was next to impossible to believe that in a month the grass would be green and flowers would be blooming./ β’/It was next to unthinkable that the boy would steal./
[next to(2)]{prep.} Just after; second to. β’/Next to his family, baseball was his greatest love./ β’/Next to pizza, Bob liked hamburger best./
[next to nothing]{n. phr.} Very little; almost nothing. β’/They gave me next to nothing for my old car when I traded it in for a new one./ β’/When he first started to work, Mr. Black earned next to nothing./
[nice Nelly(1)] or [nice Nellie] {n.}, {informal} Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig. β’/We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldnβt fight./
[nice Nelly(2)] or [nice Nellie] {adj.}, {informal} Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. β’/Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular at school./
[Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.
[nick] See: IN THE NICK OF TIME.
[nigger in the woodpile]{n. phr.}, {slang} Something unexpected that changes a situation; a hidden factor or trick.βββRacist and offensive, but commonly used in the past. β’/I knew there had to be a nigger in the woodpile, because the man was being much too generous./ β’/When the salesman gave him an extra tire for his bike, the boy suspected a nigger in the woodpile./
[night] See: FLY-BY-NIGHT, MAKE A NIGHT OF IT.
[night and day] See: DAY AND NIGHT.
[nightcap]{n.} A good-night drink; a drink taken just before bedtime. β’/Letβs have a nightcap and then go to sleep./ β’/Would you like to come up to my place for a nightcap?/
[night letter]{n.} A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. β’/I waited until after six oβclock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./
[night life]{n. phr.} Entertainment at night. β’/People in the city are able to find more night life than those who live in the country./
[night owl]{n. phr.} One who sleeps during the day and stays up or works during the night. β’/Tom hardly ever sleeps at night; he prefers to work by lamp light and has become a regular night owl./ Compare: GRAVEYARD SHIFT.
[nine] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ON CLOUD NINE.
[nine-to-five job]{n. phr.} A typical office job that starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M. with a one-hour lunch break at 12 noon or 1 P.M. β’/We professors are not too well paid but I could never get used to a nine-to-five job./
[ninety] See: GAY NINETIES.
[nip and tuck]{adj. or adv.}, {informal} Evenly matched; hard fought to the finish. β’/The game was nip and tuck until the last minute./ β’/A was a nip and tuck race right to the finish line./ β’/The two salesmen fought nip and tuck for the contract all the way./ Compare: NECK AND NECK.
[nip in the bud]{v. phr.} To check at the outset; prevent at the start; block or destroy in the beginning. β’/The police nipped the plot in the bud./ β’/The teacher nipped the disorder in the bud./
[no account(1)]{adj.} Of no importance. β’/The lowly clerkβs opinion is of no account in this matter./
[no account(2)]{n. phr.} A person of low social station. β’/Fred was first considered a no account but he soon proved himself to be a person of great ability./
[nobody] See: ITβS AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD.
[nobody home]{slang} 1. Your attention is somewhere else, not on what is being said or done here; you are absent-minded. β’/The teacher asked him a question three times but he still looked out the window. She gave up, saying, "Nobody home."/ 2. You are feeble-minded or insane. β’/He pointed to the woman, tapped his head, and said, "Nobody home."/
[nobodyβs fool]{n. phr.} A smart person; a person who knows what he is doing; a person who can take care of himself. β’/In the classroom and on the football field, Henry was nobodyβs fool./ Contrast: BORN YESTERDAY.
[nod] See: LAND OF NOD.
[nodding acquaintance]{n.} Less than casual acquaintance. β’/I have never spoken to the chancellor; we have only a nodding acquaintance./
[no deal] or [no dice] or [no go] or [no sale] or [no soap] {slang} Not agreed to; refused or useless; without success or result; no; certainly not.βββUsed in the predicate or to refuse something. β’/Billy wanted to let Bob join the team, but I said that it was no deal because Bob was too young./ β’/"Let me have a dollar." "No dice!" answered Joe./ β’/I tried to get Mary on the telephone but it was no go./ β’/"Letβs go to the beach tomorrow." "No sale, I have my music lesson tomorrow."/ β’/I asked Dad for a new bicycle but it was no soap./ Compare: NOTHING DOING, NO USE.
[no doubt]{adv.} 1. Without doubt; doubtless; surely; certainly. β’/No doubt Susan was the smartest girl in her class./ 2. Probably. β’/John will no doubt telephone us if he comes to town./
[no end]{adv.}, {informal} 1. Very much; exceedingly. β’/Jim was no end upset because he couldnβt go swimming./ 2. Almost without stopping; continually. β’/The baby cried no end./
[no end to] or {informal} [no end of] So many, or so much of, as to seem almost endless; very many or very much. β’/There was no end to the letters pouring into the post office./ β’/Bob and Dick became close friends and had no end of fun together./
[no frills]{n. phr.} A firm or product that offers no extras; a generic product that carries no expensive label. β’/We went on a no frills trip to Europe with few luxuries./
[noggin] See: USE ONEβS HEAD or USE ONEβS NOGGIN.
[no go] See: NO DEAL.
[no good]{adj. phr.} Not satisfactory; not adequate; not approved. β’/"Thatβs no good," I told him when he began to cry./ β’/He was no good at arithmetic./ β’/He tried appealing to the manβs pride, but it did no good./
[no great shakes]{adj.}, {informal} Mediocre; unimportant. β’/Joe Wilson is no great shakes./
[no hard feelings]{n. phr.} A lack of resentment or anger; a state of peace and forgiveness. β’/"No hard feelings," he said. "You should feel free to make constructive criticism any time."/
[no kidding]{n. phr.} Without jokes or teasing; honestly spoken. β’/"You actually won the lottery?" Dick asked. "No kidding," Joe replied. "I really did."/
[no longer]{adv.} Not any more; not at the present time. β’/He could no longer be trusted and they had to let him go./ β’/The shore was no longer in sight./
[no love lost]{n. phr.} Bad feeling; ill will. β’/Bob and Dick both wanted to be elected captain of the team, and there was no love lost between them./ β’/There was no love lost between the sales and the accounting departments./
[no matter] 1. Not anything important. β’/I wanted to see him before he left but itβs no matter./ 2. It makes no difference; regardless of. β’/She was going to be a singer no matter what difficulties she met./ β’/He had to get the car fixed no matter how much it cost./ β’/No matter what you try to do, it is important to be able to speak well./ β’/You canβt go in no matter who you are./ β’/Mary wanted to get to school on time, no matter if she went without breakfast./
[no matter what]{adv. phr.} Under any circumstances. β’/We will go to Europe this summer, no matter what./ β’/Charles had decided to go to the football game and he felt he must go no matter what./ Compare: COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.
[nonce] See: FOR THE TIME BEING also FOR THE NONCE.
[none] See: HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE, HAVE NONE OF.
[none too]{adv.} Not very; not at all. β’/The doctor arrived none too soon as Lucyβs fever was alarmingly high./
[nonsense] See: STUFF AND NONSENSE.
[nonstarter]{n.} An idea, plan, or project that doesnβt work or is obviously no good. β’/His plan to start a new private school is a nonstarter because he is unable to organize anything./
[noodle] See: USE ONEβS HEAD or USE ONEβS NOODLE.
[no picnic]{n. phr.} Something arduous; something that requires great effort to accomplish. β’/It is no picnic to climb Mount Everest./ Contrast: A PIECE OF CAKE, A CINCH, EASY AS APPLE PIE.
[nor] See: NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL, NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, NEITHER HIDE NOR HAIR.
[no sale] See: NO DEAL.