Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[not to know one from Adam] <v. phr.> To not know a person; be unable to recognize someone. * /I have no idea who that guy is that Jane just walked in with; I don't know him from Adam./
[not to know the first thing about] <v. phr.> To be totally ignorant about a certain issue. * /Al assured us that he didn't know the first thing about Mary's whereabouts./
[not to know what to make of] <v. phr.> To be unable to decipher; be unable to identify; not know how to decide what something really is. * /I got a mysterious letter asking me to meet Santa Claus at 6 P.M. at the supermarket. Is this a joke? I don't know what to make of it./
[not to know whether one is coming or going] <v. phr.> To be completely confused. * /He was so perplexed he didn't know whether he was coming or going./ Compare: AT SEA(2).
[not to lift a finger] <v. phr.> To not help in the slightest degree. * /"My husband won't lift a finger to help me," she complained, "although we have 12 people coming for dinner."/
[not to mention] or [not to speak of] or [to say nothing of] Without ever needing to speak of; in addition to; besides.
– Used to add something to what you have said or explained. * /Dave is handsome and smart not to mention being a good athlete./ * /They have three fine sons, not to speak of their two lovely daughters./ * /Sally takes singing and dancing lessons to say nothing of swimming and tennis lessons./ Compare: LET ALONE, TO SPEAK OF.
[not to speak of] See: NOT TO MENTION.
[not to touch (something) with a ten-foot pole] <v. phr.> To consider something completely undesirable or uninteresting. * /Some people won't touch spinach with a ten-foot pole./ * /Kids who wouldn't touch an encyclopedia with a ten-foot pole love to find information with this computer program./
[not worth a dime] See: NOT WORTH A TINKER'S DAMN.
[not worth a hill of beans] See: NOT WORTH A TINKER'S DAMN.
[not worth a red cent] See: NOT WORTH A TINKER'S DAMN.
[not worth a tinker's damn] or not [worth a tinker's dam] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not worth anything; valueless. * /As a bricklayer he was not worth a tinker's damn./ * /I am not familiar with the subject so my opinion would not be worth a tinker's dam./
[no two ways about it] <n. phr.> No other choice; no alternative. * /The boss said there were no two ways about it; we would all have to work late to finish the job./
[no use] <n.> 1. No purpose; no object; no gain. * /There's no use in crying about your broken bicycle./ * /Bob said, "Let's try again." Dick answered, "It's no use."/ 2. Bad opinion; no respect; no liking.
– Usually used after "have". * /He had no use for dogs after a dog bit him./ * /Jimmy had no use for arithmetic because it was hard for him./
[no use crying over spilled milk] or [no use crying over spilt milk] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.
[now] See: EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, HERE AND NOW, JUST NOW.
[now and then] or [now and again] <adv. phr.> Not often; not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. * /Now and then he goes to a ball game./ * /The maid broke a dish now and then./ Syn.: AT TIMES, FROM TIME TO TIME, ONCE IN A WHILE. Compare: EVERY NOW AND THEN, OFF AND ON.
[nowhere] See: OUT OF NOWHERE.
[nowhere near] See: ANYTHING LIKE.
[now --- now] <coord. adv.> Sometimes... sometimes; by turns; at one time... then at another.
– Often used with adjectives that are very different or opposite, especially to show change. * /The weather changed every day; it was now hot, now cool./ * /The band played different songs, now fast, now slow; now soft, now loud./ * /Billy ran so quickly he seemed to be all over the field; he was now here and now there./
[no way] <adv.> Not at all; never; under no circumstances. * /Do you think I will do the house chores alone? No way!/
[no wonder] also [small wonder] <adj.> Not surprising; to be expected. * /It is no wonder that the children love to visit the farm./ * /The Browns didn't go to the fair. Small wonder - they dislike large noisy crowds./
[now or never] <adv. phr.> Exclusively at the present time. * /Mike said, "Now that Paul has resigned, there is a perfect place for you. It is now or never!"/
[now that] <conj.> Since; because; now. * /Now that dinner is ready, wash your hands./ * /You came early, but now that you're here, take off your coat./ Syn.: INASMUCH AS.
[nth] See: TO THE NTH DEGREE.
[nuisance] See: PUBLIC NUISANCE.
[nuke] <v.> To fix any meal in a microwave oven. * /When we are in a hurry, we nuke some beef./
[nuke a tater] <v. phr.> 1. To bake a potato in a microwave oven. * /"We have no time for standard baked potatoes in the oven," she said. "We'll just have to nuke a tater."/
[null and void] <adj.> Not worth anything; no longer valid. * /Both the seller and the buyer agreed to forget about their previous contract and to consider it null and void./
[number] See: A NUMBER, ANY NUMBER, DAYS ARE NUMBERED, GET ONE'S NUMBER, HOT NUMBER, QUITE A FEW or QUITE A NUMBER.
[number among] <v. phr.> Consider as one of; consider to be a part of. * /I number Al among my best friends./
[number one(1)] or [Number One(1)] <n. phr.>, <informal> Yourself; your own interests; your private or selfish advantage. Usually used in the phrase "look out for number one". * /He was well known for his habit of always looking out for number one./
[number one(2)] <adj. phr.> 1. Of first rank or importance; foremost; principal. * /He is easily America's number one golfer./ 2. Of first grade; of top quality; best. * /That is number one western steer beef./
[nurse] See: VISITING NURSE.
[nurse a drink] <v. phr.>, <informal> To hold a drink in one's hand at a party, pretending to be drinking it or taking extremely small sips only. * /John's been nursing that drink all evening./
[nurse a grudge] <v. phr.> To keep a feeling of envy or dislike toward some person; remember something bad that a person said or did to you, and dislike the person because of that. * /Torn nursed a grudge against John because John took his place on the basketball team./ * /Mary nursed a grudge against her teacher because she thought she deserved a better grade in English./