Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
Шрифт:
[sawed-off] <adj.>, <informal> Shorter than usual; small of its kind. * /The riot police carried sawed-off shotguns./ * /Jimmy was a sawed-off, skinny runt./
[saw wood] also <Southern> [saw gourds] <v. phr.>, <slang> To breathe loudly through the nose while sleeping; snore. * /John was sawing wood./ * /In Alabama a boy who snores saws gourds./
[say] See: DARE SAY, GO WITHOUT SAYING, I'LL SAY, NEVER SAY DIE, NOT TO MENTION or TO SAY NOTHING OF, STRANGE TO SAY, THAT IS or THAT IS TO SAY, YOU DON'T SAY, YOU SAID IT or YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN.
[say a mouthful] 1. <v. phr.>, <slang> To say something of great importance or meaning; say more by a sentence than the words usually mean.
– Usually in past tense. * /Tom said a mouthful when he guessed that company was coming to visit. A dozen people came./ 2. <v. phr.>, <informal> To vent one's honest opinion, even in anger. * /He sure said a mouthful when he told his boss what was wrong with our business./ Contrast: GET AN EARFUL.
[say one's peace] or [speak one's piece] <v. phr.> To say openly what you think; say, especially in public, what you usually say or are expected to say. * /John told the boss that he thought he was wrong and the boss got angry. He said, "You've said your little piece, so go on home."/ * /Every politician got up and said his piece about how good the mayor was and then sat down./
[says who] or [says you] <v. phr.>, <slang> I don't believe or accept that.
– An expression of rebuff often used to make fun of someone or oppose him. * /"I am the strongest boy on the block." "Says you./" * /"That brook is full of trout." "Says who? I never saw anybody catch trout there."/ * /"You can't take Mary to the party she's my girl." "Says who?"/
[say-so] <n.> Approval; permission; word. * /Father got angry because I took his new car out without his say-so./
[say the word] <v. phr.>, <informal> To say or show that you want something or agree to something; show a wish, willingness, or readiness; give a sign; say yes; say so. * /Just say the word and I will lend you the money./ * /I will do anything you want; just say the word./ * /If you get tired of those pictures, say the word./
[say uncle] also [cry uncle] <v. phr.>, <informal> To say that you surrender; admit that you have lost; admit a defeat; give up. * /Bob fought for five minutes, but he had to say uncle./ * /The bully twisted Jerry's arm and said, "Cry uncle."/ * /The other team was beating us, but we wouldn't say uncle./ Compare: GIVE IN.
[scale] See: TO SCALE.
[scale down] <v.> To make smaller or less; decrease. * /John scaled down each boy's share of food after a bear robbed the camp./ * /Tom built a scaled down model of the plane./ Compare: CUT DOWN.
[scandal sheet] <n.> A newspaper that prints much shocking news and scandal. * /Bob wanted to find out who won the election, but he could find only a scandal sheet./ * /The scandal sheet carried big headlines about the murder./
[scarcely any] See: HARDLY ANY.
[scarcely ever] See: HARDLY EVER.
[scaredy-cat] or [scared-cat] See: FRAIDY-CAT.
[scare away] or [off] <v. phr.> To cause to flee; frighten away. * /Jake is a confirmed bachelor; the best way to scare him off is to start talking about marriage./
[scare out of one's wits] or [scare stiff] or [scare the daylights out of] <v. phr.>, <informal> To frighten very much. * /The owl's hooting scared him out of his wits./ * /The child was scared stiff in the dentist's chair./ * /Pete's ghost story scared the daylights out of the smaller boys./
[scare to death] See: TO DEATH.
[scare up] or [scrape up] <v.>, <informal> To find, collect, or get together with some effort when needed. * /The boy scared up enough money to go to college./ * /"Will you stay for supper?" she asked. "I can scare up enough for us all."/ * /He managed to scrape up the money for his speeding fine./
[scene] See: BEHIND THE SCENES.
[scent] See: THROW OFF THE SCENT.
[schedule] See: ON SCHEDULE.
[scheme] See: COLOR SCHEME.
[school] See: TELL TALES OUT OF SCHOOL.
[school of hard knocks] <n. phr.> Life outside of school or college; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learning from work and troubles. * /He never went to high school; he was educated in the school of hard knocks./
[score] See: SETTLE A SCORE also WIPE OUT AN OLD SCORE, THE SCORE.
[scot-free] <adj. phr.> Without punishment; completely free. * /In spite of his obvious guilt, the jury acquitted him and he got off scot-free./
[scotch broth] <n.> A thick barley soup with vegetables and mutton or beef. * /Mother cooked a hearty scotch broth for dinner./
[Scott] See: GREAT GODFREY or GREAT SCOTT.
[scout] See: GOOD EGG or GOOD SCOUT.
[scout around] <v. phr.> To search for; look around. * /When we first came to town, we had to scout around for a suitable apartment./
[scrape] See: BOW AND SCRAPE.
[scrape the bottom of the barrel] <v. phr.>, <informal> To use or take whatever is left after the most or the best has been taken; accept the leftovers. * /At first they took out quarters, but they had so little money that they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and paid with nickels and pennies for their lunch./ * /The garage owner had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find a qualified mechanic to work for him./
[scrape together] <v. phr.> To quickly assemble, usually from scanty ingredients. * /We were so hungry we had to scrape together some lunch from all kinds of frozen leftovers./
[scrape up] See: SCARE UP.
[scratch] See: FROM SCRATCH, PUT ONE'S MONEY ON A SCRATCHED HORSE, UP TO PAR or UP TO SCRATCH.
[scratch around for] <v. phr.> To search randomly for something. * /If you scratch around for a more reliable used car, maybe you'll feel more confident on the road./