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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 тарелка a 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

between a rock and a hard place; between the devil and the deep blue sea

Trying to please both his wife and his mother he finds himself between a rock and a hard place.

I couldn’t make up my mind. I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

между нами говоря

between you and me; between ourselves; between you, me and the gatepost

Between you and me, I think he made up the whole story.

Between ourselves, he is having trouble with his wife.

Between you, me and the gatepost, I don’t believe his words.

между Сциллой и Харибдой between Scylla and Charybdis

мелкая сошка

small fry

The boss is too snobbish to greet the small fry.

мерить взглядом (кого-л.)

to look someone up and down

She looked me up and down and I knew she thought I was improperly dressed for the party.

мертвого разбудит

loud enough to wake the dead

The noise was loud enough to wake the dead.

мертвый сезон

the off season

This town is very quiet in the off season.

место под солнцем

a place in the sun

John worked very hard to earn his place in the sun.

метать бисер перед свиньями

to cast pearls before swine

She tried to show the beauty of Latin poetry to her students but it was just casting pearls before swine.

минута в минуту

on the dot

She promised to come at nine o’clock on the dot.

молоко на губах не обсохло

to be still wet behind the ears

He has no experience of the job – he is still wet behind the ears.

молочные реки и кисельные берега

a land of milk and honey

Many people regard the United States as a land of milk and honey.

мороз по коже пробежал (у кого-л.)

a shiver down someone’s spine

Every time I hear that song, I feel a shiver down my spine.

мочиться против ветра

to piss against the wind

To argue with the director is like pissing against the wind.

мутить воду

to muddy the waters

I found different definitions in other dictionaries which only muddied the waters further.

мухи не обидит

wouldn’t hurt a fly

My dog barks a lot, but really he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

на верху блаженства

on top of the world

Daniel is on top of the world – he’s just got a new job.

на вес золота

worth one’s weight in gold

She is a good secretary. She is worth her weight in gold.

на всякий случай

to be on the safe side

We should come to the station at least an hour before the train leaves, just to be on the safe side.

на глазах (у кого-л.)

before someone’s (very) eyes

The boy stole the sweets before my very eyes.

на голову выше (кого-л.)

head and shoulders above someone

Mary thinks her husband stands head and shoulders above any other man.

на голом месте

from scratch

His house was destroyed by fire and he had to start building again from scratch.

на каждом шагу

at every turn

He encountered unexpected difficulties at every turn.

на коленях

on bended knees

He was willing to go to her on bended knees to ask forgiveness.

на месте (кого-л.)

in someone’s shoes

If I were in your shoes I wouldn’t trust him.

на ногах

on one’s feet

The doctor has been on his feet all day long in the operating room.

на ножах (с кем-л.)

at daggers drawn (with someone ); at loggerheads (with someone )

They’ve been at daggers drawn with their neighbours for years.

The government and the trade unions were often at loggerheads.

на носу

(a)round the corner; close/near at hand

Winter is just around the corner. Are you prepared?

The exams are close at hand.

на первый взгляд

at first sight; on the face of it

At first sight, the problem appeared quite simple, but it actually turned out to be very difficult.

On the face of it, her husband is clearly in the wrong, but do we know the whole story?

на плохом счету (у кого-л.)

in someone’s bad/black books

I don’t know what I’ve done to get into his bad books.

на своих двоих

on shanks’s pony

My car didn’t start and I had to go the whole way on shanks’s pony.

на свой страх и риск

at one’s own risk

But remember that the sea is dangerous. You swim at your own risk.

на седьмом небе

in seventh heaven; on cloud nine

The girl was in seventh heaven with her new toy.

Peter has been on cloud nine since his engagement to Mary.

на уме (у кого-л. что-л.)

to have something on one’s mind

I could see he had something on his mind.

на хорошем счету (у кого-л.)

in someone’s good books

Paul has been in the manager’s good books since he increased last year’s sales.

на худой конец

if the worst comes to the worst; as a last resort

If the worst comes to the worst, we could always sell the car.

If we can’t get the money in any other way, I suppose we could, as a last resort, borrow from your rich uncle.

на черный день

for a rainy day

I put aside a little money each month for a rainy day.

набивать карман

to line one’s pockets

The agent has been lining his pockets with the profits for the last three years.

набивать руку (в чем-л.)

to get the hang of something ; to get one’s hand in (at something )

The task seemed difficult at first, but after a few weeks I got the hang of it.

It won’t take you long to get your hand in at the game.

навострить уши

to prick up one’s ears

He pricked up his ears when they mentioned his name.

навязнуть в зубах

to be sick and tired of someone/something ; to be sick to death of someone/something

I’m sick and tired of hearing about your new car.

I’m sick to death of her complaints.

нагонять тоску (на кого-л.)

to give someone the hump

He really gives me the hump with his boring stories.

надевать маску

to play a part

Don’t let him fool you – he’s just playing a part.

надрывать душу (кому-л.)

to break someone’s heart

The boy really broke his mother’s heart when he run away from home.