Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[mind like a steel trap] <n. phr.> A very quick and understanding mind, which is quick to catch an idea. * /Henry is not fond of sports, but he has a mind like a steel trap./ * /A successful lawyer must have a mind like a steel trap./
[mind one's own business] <v. phr.> To not interfere in the affairs of others. * /He finally got tired of her criticism and told her to mind her own business./
[mind one's p's and q's] <v. phr.> To be very careful what you do or say; not make mistakes. * /When the principal of the school visited the class the students all minded their p's and q's./ * /If you wish to succeed you must mind your p's and q's./ (From the old U.S. Navy when sailors marked on a board in the bar how many Pints and Quarts of liquor they had taken. It was bad manners to cheat.) Syn.: WATCH ONE'S STEP.
[mind-reader] See: READ ONE'S MIND.
[mind you] <v. phr.>, <informal> I want you to notice and understand. * /Mind you, I am not blaming him./
[mine] See: BACK TO THE SALT MINES, RUN OF THE MILL or RUN OF THE MINE.
[mine of information] <n. phr.> A person, a book, etc., that is a valuable source of information. * /A dictionary can be a mine of information./ * /He is a mine of information on the stock market./
[minority leader] <n. phr.> The leader of the political party that has fewer votes in a legislative house. * /The minority leader of the Senate supported the bill./ * /The minority leader in the House of Representatives held a caucus./ Compare: MAJORITY LEADER.
[mint money] See: COIN MONEY.
[minutes of the meeting] <n. phr.> The notes taken by the recording secretary; of an official body or an association recording of what was said and transacted during the given session. * /"Shall we accept the minutes of our last meeting as read by the secretary?" the chairman asked./
[misfire] <v.> To fail to appeal; fall flat. * /The standup comic's jokes misfired with the audience./ Compare: GO OVER LIKE A LEAD BALLOON.
[miss] See: HEART SKIP A BEAT or HEART MISS A BEAT.
[miss a trick] <v. phr.> To fail to see, hear, or notice something of even the slightest importance. * /He never misses a trick when it comes to the stock market./
[miss by a mile] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To shoot at something and be far from hitting it; not hit near. * /Jack's first shot missed the target by a mile./ 2. To be very wrong; be far from right. * /Lee tried to guess on the examination, but his answers missed by a mile./ 3. To fail badly; not succeed at all. * /John Brown wanted to be governor but in the election he missed by a mile./
[missing link] n. 1. Something needed to complete a group; a missing part of a chain of things. * /A 1936 penny was the missing link in John's collection of pennies./ * /The detective hunted for the fact that was the missing link in the case./ 2. An unknown extinct animal that was supposed to be a connection between man and lower animals. * /The missing link would be half man and half ape./
[miss is as good as a mile] It is the same if one fails or misses something by much or by little.
– A proverb. * /We thought Tom had a home run but the ball went foul by inches. A miss is as good as a mile./
[Missouri] See: FROM MISSOURI.
[miss out] <v.>, <informal> To fail; lose or not take a good chance; miss something good. * /Jim's mother told him he missed out on a chance to go fishing with his father because he came home late./ * /You missed out by not coming with us; we had a great time./ Compare: LOSE OUT.
[miss the boat] also [miss the bus] <v. phr.>, <informal> To fail through slowness; to put something off until too late; do the wrong thing and lose the chance. * /Mr. Brown missed the boat when he decided not to buy the house./ * /In college he didn't study enough so he missed the boat and failed to pass./ * /Ted could have married Lena but he put off asking her and missed the boat./
[miss the point] <v. phr.> To be unable to comprehend the essence of what was meant. * /The student didn't get a passing grade on the exam because, although he wrote three pages, he actually missed the point./
[mistake] See: BY MISTAKE.
[misty-eyed] or [dewey-eyed] <adj. phr.> 1. Having eyes damp with tears; emotional. * /The teacher was misty-eyed when the school gave her a retirement gift./ 2. Of the kind who cries easily; sentimental. * /The movie appealed to dewey-eyed girls./
[mixed bag] <n. phr.> A varied set of people, ideas, objects, or circumstances, including both the good and the bad. * /This report is a mixed bag of opinions./ * /There was a mixed bag of people at the press conference./
[mixed blessing] <n.> Something good that has bad features. * /John's new bicycle was a mixed blessing. The other boys were always asking John to ride it./
[mixed up] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Confused in mind; puzzled. * /Bob was all mixed up after the accident./ Compare: BALL UP(1). 2. Disordered; disarranged; not neat. * /The papers on his desk were mixed up./ 3. <informal> Joined or connected (with someone or something bad). * /Harry was mixed up in a fight after the game./ * /Mary's father told her not to get mixed up with the students that always break school rules./
[mix up] <v.> To confuse; make a mistake about. * /Jimmy doesn't know colors yet; he mixes up purple with blue./ * /Even the twins' mother mixes them up./ Compare: MIXED UP.
[molehill] See: MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLEHILL.
[moment] See: ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.
[Monday] See: BLUE MONDAY.
[money] See: COIN MONEY or MINT MONEY, EASY MONEY, FOOL AND HIS MONEY ARE SOON PARTED, FOR LOVE OR MONEY, IN THE CHIPS or IN THE MONEY, MADE OF MONEY, MARRY MONEY, PUT ONE'S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, RUN FOR ONE'S MONEY, SEE THE COLOR OF ONE'S MONEY, SPENDING MONEY or POCKET MONEY.
[money burns a hole in one's pocket] See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET.
[money is no object] <informal sentence> The price of something is irrelevant. * /Please show me your most beautiful mink coat; money is no object./
[money to burn] <n. phr.>, <informal> Very much money, more than is needed. * /Dick's uncle died and left him money to burn./ * /When Joe is twenty-one he will have money to burn./ * /Jean is looking for a husband with money to burn./ Compare: MADE OF MONEY.