Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[load the bases] or [fill the bases] <v. phr.> To get men on all three bases in baseball. * /The Mets loaded the bases with two singles and a base on balls./ * /Don hit a home run with the bases loaded./
[loaf] See: HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NONE or HALF A LOAF IS BETTER THAN NO BREAD.
[loan shark] <n. phr.> A money lender who charges excessive interest. * /Why go to a loan shark when you can borrow from the bank at the legal rate?/
[local yokel] <n.>, <slang>, <citizen's hand radio jargon> City police officer, as opposed to state police or highway patrol. * /There's a local yokel westbound on the move./
[lock] See: SCALP LOCK.
[lock, stock, and barrel] <n. phr.> Everything; completely. * /The robbers emptied the whole house - lock, stock, and barrel./ Compare: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER.
[lock the barn door after the horse is stolen] To be careful or try to make something safe when it is too late.
– A proverb. * /After Mary failed the examination, she said she would study hard after that. She wanted to lock the barn door after the horse was stolen./
[lock up] <v. phr.>, <slang> To be assured of success. * /How did your math test go?
– I locked it up, I think./
[lodge a complaint] <v. phr.> To make a complaint; complain. * /If our neighbors don't stop this constant noise, I will have to lodge a complaint with the management./
[loggerhead] See: AT LOGGERHEADS.
[loin] See: GIRD UP ONE'S LOINS.
[lone wolf] <n.> A man who likes to work or live alone. * /The man who paints a picture or establishes a business is often a lone wolf; so is the criminal outlaw./ * /Jones is a good pitcher, but he is a lone wolf./
[long] See: AT LAST or AT LONG LAST, BEFORE LONG, COME A LONG WAY, IN THE LONG RUN, NO LONGER, SO LONG, THE LONG AND THE SHORT.
[long and short of it] <n. phr.> The essence; the whole story in a nutshell. * /The long and short of it is that he is lazy and doesn't really want to find a job./
[long ball] <n.> A baseball hit far enough to be a home run. * /The White Sox need a player who can hit the long ball./
[long face] <n.> A sad look; disappointed look. * /He told the story with a long face./ - Often used in the phrase "pull a long face". * /Don't pull a long face when I tell you to go to bed./
[longhair(1)] 1. <n.>, <slang> A male hippie. * /Who's that longhair?
– It's Joe./ 2. An intellectual who prefers classical music to jazz or acid rock. * /Catwallender is a regular longhair; he never listens to modern jazz./
[longhair(2)] <adj.>, <slang> Pertaining to classical art forms, primarily in dancing and music. * /Cut out that longhair Mozart Symphony and put on a decent pop record!/
[long haul] or [long pull] <n.>, <informal> 1. A long distance or trip. * /It is a long haul to drive across the country./ Contrast SHORT HAUL. 2. A long length of time during which work continues or something is done; a long time of trying. * /A boy crippled by polio may learn to walk again, but it may be a long haul./ - Often used in the phrase "over the long haul". * /Over the long haul, an expensive pair of shoes may save you money./ Contrast: SHORT HAUL.
[long pull] See: LONG HAUL.
[long shot] <n.> 1. A bet or other risk taken though not likely to succeed. * /The horse was a long shot, but it came in and paid well./ * /Jones was a long shot for mayor./ * /The business long shot that succeeds often pays extremely well./ 2. See: BY A LONG SHOT.
[long-winded] <adj.> Tedious; overlong; given to too much talking. * /Everyone was bored by the old man's long-winded stories./
[look] See: DIRTY LOOK.
[look after] also [see after] <v.> To watch over; attend to. * /John's mother told him to look after his younger brother./ * /When he went to Europe, Mr. Jenkins left his son to see after the business./ Syn.: TAKE CARE OF(1). Compare: LOOK OUT(3).
[look a gift horse in the mouth] To complain if a gift is not perfect.
– A proverb. Usually used with a negative. * /John gave Joe a baseball but Joe complained that the ball was old. His father told him not to look a gift horse in the mouth./
[look alive] <v.> Act lively; be quick; wake up and work; be busy; hurry.
– Often used as a command. * /"Look alive there," the boss called./
[look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth] See: BUTTER WOULDN'T MELT IN ONE'S MOUTH.
[look as if one has come out of a bandbox] <v. phr.>, <informal> To look very clean and fresh; look as if you had just had a bath and put on all-new clothing. * /In spite of the long, hot train ride, Jody arrived looking as if she had come out of a bandbox./ * /After a day at the rodeo we were all dusty and tired except for Hope, who looked as if she'd come out of a bandbox./
[look at] <v.> To have a way of thinking or feeling toward; think about something in a certain way. * /Is he a hero or a villain? That depends on how you look at it./ * /Depending on how you looked at it, the tea party could be called a pleasure or a bore./
[look at the world through rose-colored glasses] or [see with rose-colored glasses] <v. phr.> To see everything as good and pleasant; not see anything hard or bad. * /When Jean graduated from high school, she looked at the world through rose-colored glasses./ * /If you see everything through rose-colored glasses, you will often be disappointed./
[look back] <v.> To review the past; think of what has happened. * /As John looked back, his life seemed good to him./ * /Murphy looked back on his early struggles as having made him feel especially alive./ * /When Ed applied for a job and asked the school to recommend him, the principal looked back over his records./
[look bleak] <v.> To indicate misfortune; appear threatening or ruinous. * /As prices dropped lower and lower, things looked bleak for Henry's company./ * /Many witnesses gave testimony against Jerry and his case looked bleak./ * /The future looked bleak when Father got hurt and could not work./
[look daggers] <v. phr.> To show anger with a look; express hate or enmity by a look or stare; look fiercely. * /The other driver looked daggers at Morris for turning in before him./ * /Mary did not dare talk back to her father, but she looked daggers./