Idioms, with definitions or synonyms

Examples

Translation

lay one's cards on the table - be frank and open

Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans.

сказать честно, открыть карты

lay one's life on the line - put oneself in a dangerous situation

He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts.

ставить жизнь на карту

lead a dog's life - live in misery

He leads a dog's life.

влачить жалкое существование

leave it at that - stop saying anything else about some matter, leave as it is

I don't want to argue any further about it, so let's leave it at that. Leave it at that!

перестать далее упоминать (о предмете спора), оставить как есть

leave word - leave a message

He left word for you to meet him at the airport at six o'clock.

оставить сообщение

let bygones be bygones - forget and forgive bad things in the past

He said that to you many years ago. Forgive him. Let bygones be bygones.

не ворошить прошлое, забыть старые обиды

let go of something - release the hold

Let go of my hand, or I'll call the guard.

отпустить, не держать

let (it) go - forget bad experience; return to normal life

He's still in despair and can't let go. You can't change anything, so let it go.

освободиться от тяжелого переживания

let one's hair down - be relaxed and informal with other people

She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down.

держаться неофициально

let someone know - inform someone

Let me know when you find a job.

известить кого-то

like father, like son - be like one's parent in something

Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son!

какой отец, такой и сын

little by little - step by step; bit by bit; gradually

Little by little, they saved enough money for a new car.

понемногу, постепенно

a long shot - an attempt with little chance of success

Checking the suspect's aunt was a long shot, but the detective was prepared to try anything.

попытка с минимальными шансами на успех

lose one's temper - become angry

He loses his temper very often.

разозлиться

lose one's way - get lost

I lost my way. Can you help me?

потерять дорогу

lose track of someone - not know where someone is

I lost track of him years ago.

потерять кого-то из виду

lucky break - a lucky chance

He got his lucky break when he found that job.

счастливый случай

make a living - earn money to provide for life

He works hard. His family is large, and he has to make a living somehow.

зарабатывать на жизнь

make allowance(s) for something - take into consideration when judging

Don't criticize him so hard, make allowance for his inexperience.

учитывать, делать поправку, скидку на что-то

make a point of - be sure to do something intentionally

Make a point of asking about his wife's health. Make it a point to be here by ten o'clock.

считать обязательным для себя сделать что-то

make ends meet - to have little money to live on

His doesn't get much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet.

сводить концы с концами

make friends - become friends

Anton makes new friends easily.

подружиться

make fun of someone / something - laugh at, joke about

He made fun of her German accent. Everyone makes fun of him.

высмеивать кого-то, что-то

not make head or tail of something - be unable to understand or decipher

I can't make head or tail of his letter.

не в состоянии понять, разобрать что-то

make no bones about it - say / do openly, without hesitation

I'll make no bones about it: I don't like your attitude to work.

сказать прямо, не скрывая отношения

make room for someone - allow space for someone

We can make room for one more dog.

потесниться, освободить место для кого-то

make sense - be logical

What you say makes sense.

иметь смысл

make the most of something - do the best in the given situation

Let's make the most of our vacation.

извлечь лучшее из данной ситуации

make up one's mind - decide

Will you go there? Make up your mind.

принять решение

make yourself at home - be comfortable, feel at home

Come in please. Make yourself at home.

будьте как дома

a man of his word - a person who keeps promises

You can depend on his promise to help. He's a man of his word.

хозяин своего слова, держит слово

mean well - have good intentions

He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me.

хотеть сделать, как лучше

might as well - maybe it's a good idea

I might as well telephone him now.

может быть неплохо

missing person - someone who is lost and can't be located

The little boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person.

пропавший человек (т.е. разыскивается)

meet someone halfway - compromise with someone

He's reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway when possible.

идти на компромисс с кем-то

never mind - don't worry about it

I'm terribly sorry. - Never mind.

неважно, ничего, не беспокойтесь

no go - impossible, futile, useless

We tried to start the car again and again, but it was no go.

бесполезный, безнадежный, тщетный

not a bit - not at all, not in the least

Are you tired? - Not a bit.

ничуть

not to mention - in addition to

We have three dogs, not to mention two cats.

не говоря уж

no wonder - not surprising

He ate three big fish. No wonder he's sick.

неудивительно, что

now and again - occasionally; now and then

I meet them now and again at the bank.

время от времени

odds and ends - a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers; bits and pieces

I went to the store because I needed to buy some odds and ends for my kitchen.

разрозненные мелочи; остатки, обрезки; всякая всячина

off the cuff - without preparation

Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate.

без подготовки

off the point - beside the point

What I think about him is off the point.

не относится к делу

off the record - not for the public; unofficially

Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon.

не для публики; неофициально

off the top of one's head - without thinking or calculation; impromptu; from memory

I can't give you the figure off the top of my head, but it may be around a thousand.

без обдумывания или подсчета; без подготовки; по памяти

once and for all - decidedly

You must quit smoking once and for all.

раз и навсегда

on credit - not pay cash right away

He bought a car on credit.

в кредит

on edge - nervous, irritable

He's been on edge ever since she left.

нервный, раздраженный

on guard - on the alert

He's cautious and always on guard.

настороже, начеку; бдительный

on hand - available

Do you have a calculator on hand?

под рукой

on one hand / on the one hand - considering one side of the question

On one hand, she knows quite a few poems by heart. On the other hand, she can't remember any dates.

с одной стороны

on one's own (on my own, on his own, etc.) - alone; by oneself; independently

She likes to live and work on her own. She has been on her own for several years.

один; сам по себе; самостоятельно

on one's toes - alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties

He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them.

бдительный, внимательный, собранный

on purpose - intentionally

I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened so.

нарочно, с целью

on second thought - after thinking again

I'd like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I'd like a window seat.

подумав, по зрелом размышлении

on the alert - on guard

He's cautious and always on the alert.

настороже, начеку; бдительный, внимательный

on the carpet - called in by the boss for criticism

Yesterday the boss called her on the carpet for being rude to the coworkers.

вызвать на ковер

on the go - on the move; busy, active

He is always on the go.

в движении, на ходу; активный

on the off chance - unlikely to happen, but a small chance still exists

On the off chance that you don't find him at work, here's his home address.

маловероятно, но все же есть небольшой шанс

on the other hand - considering the other side of the question

I'd like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats.

с другой стороны

on the spot - right there

I decided to do it on the spot.

на месте, сразу

on the spur of the moment - without previous thought or plan

He bought this car on the spur of the moment, and now he regrets it.

под влиянием момента, без обдумывания

on the tip of one's tongue - on the verge of saying but unable to remember

His name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember it.

вертится на языке, вот-вот вспомню

on time - punctually, at the specified time

Jim is always on time.

вовремя, в назначенное время

out of one's mind - crazy

If you think so, you're out of your mind.

сумасшедший

out of one's way - away from one's usual route

I can't give you a lift to the bank, it's out of my way today.

не по пути

out of the question - not to be considered, impossible

Paying him is out of the question!

не может быть и речи

pack rat - a person who saves lots of unnecessary things

Why does she keep all those things she never uses? - She is a pack rat.

тот, кто не выбрасывает старые или ненужные вещи

pay attention - note something, be attentive to something

Pay attention to his words.

обратить внимание

pick a fight - start a quarrel

He often tries to pick a fight with me.

начать ссору

play one's cards right - choose the right steps in doing something

If you play your cards right, he'll agree to your plan.

сыграть правильно, выбрать правильные шаги в каком-то деле

potluck supper - a surprise meal where nobody knows what dishes other guests will bring

You know what happened at our last potluck supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese, apples, and beer!

ужин вскладчину; никто не знает, что принесут другие

pull the wool over someone's eyes - deceive, mislead someone

Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won't do you any good.

обмануть, ввести в заблуждение

put a damper on something - discourage

She always puts a damper on my plans.

охладить пыл

put in a word for someone - say positive things about someone

I'd be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him.

замолвить словечко

put one's best foot forward - try to show one's best qualities; do one's best; do things as quicky as possible

He put his best foot forward during the interview. Put your best foot forward working at this project.

стараться показать свои лучшие качества; делать все возможное; выполнять как можно быстрее

put one's finger on it - indicate exactly; point out the exact cause, fault, name, etc.

I can't put my finger on it. He was able to put his finger on the exact cause of the computer malfunction.

точно указать причину, ошибку, название и др.; попасть в точку

put one's foot down - object strongly

Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan.

решительно воспротивиться

put one's foot in it / into it; put one's foot in one's mouth - do or say the wrong thing; make a blunder; make a fool of oneself

He put his foot in it when he told the boss that his younger daughter wasn't pretty at all.

сделать или сказать глупость; попасть впросак; сесть в калошу; опростоволоситься

quite a bit (of) - much, a lot of

I had quite a bit of trouble with that car.

много, сильно

quite a few - many, a lot of

He wrote quite a few good stories.

много

rack one's brain - try hard to think

He racked his brain to solve the puzzle.

напрячь мозги

read between the lines - find or understand the implied meaning

His books are not easy to understand; you have to read between the lines.

читать между строк

Remember me to your family. - Say hello to your family for me.

Please remember me to your family.

Передавайте привет от меня вашей семье.

right away - immediately

It' very important to do it right away.

сразу же, немедленно

ring a bell - remind someone of something familiar but half-forgotten

Annabel Lee? Yes, it rings a bell, but I can't place it right now.

напоминает что-то знакомое, но полузабытое

rock the boat - make the situation unstable

Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss the company's spending policy.

раскачивать лодку, вести к нестабильности

rub elbows with / rub shoulders with - meet with, spend time together, mingle

He doesn't rub elbows with the rich and famous.

близко общаться с кем-то

rub it in - to embarrass even more by reminding repeatedly of some mistake, failure, etc.

I know I shouldn't have done it, and I apologized. There is no need to rub it in.

ставить в еще более неловкое положение напоминаниями об ошибке, неудаче

rub someone the wrong way - irritate, annoy, make angry

His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way.

раздражать, злить кого-то

save face - try to change the negative impression produced

He said a stupid thing, and then he tried to save face by saying he misunderstood me.

сохранить лицо, т.е. пытаться изменить произведенное негативное впечатление