Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[turn over a new leaf] <v. phr.> To start afresh; to have a new beginning. * /"Don't be sad, Jane," Sue said. "A divorce is not the end of the world. Just turn over a new leaf and you will soon be happy again."/ Compare: CLEAN SLATE.
[turn over in one's grave] See: TURN IN ONE'S GRAVE.
[turn over in one's mind] <v. phr.> To carefully consider. * /I will have to turn it over in my mind whether to accept the new job offer from Japan./
[turn tail] <v. phr.>, <informal> To run away from trouble or danger. * /When the bully saw my big brother, he turned tail and ran./
[turn the clock back] <v. phr.> To return to an earlier period. * /Mother wished she could turn the clock back to the days before the children grew up and left home./ * /Will repealing the minimum wage for workers under age eighteen turn the clock back to the abuses of the last century?/
[turn the other cheek] <v. phr.> To let someone do something to you and not to do it in return; not hit back when hit; be patient when injured or insulted by someone; not try to get even. * /Joe turned the other cheek when he was hit with a snowball./
[turn the scales] <v. phr.> To affect the balance in favor of one party or group against the other. * /It could well be that the speech he made turned the scales in their favor./
[turn the tables] <v. phr.> To make something happen just the opposite of how it is supposed to happen. * /The boys turned the tables on John when they took his squirt gun away and squirted him./
[turn the tide] <v. phr.> To change what looks like defeat into victory. * /We were losing the game until Jack got there. His coming turned the tide for us, and we won./ Compare: TIP THE SCALES.
[turn the trick] <v. phr.>, <informal> To bring about the result you want; succeed in what you plan to do. * /Jerry wanted to win both the swimming and diving contests, but he couldn't quite turn the trick./ Compare: DO THE TRICK.
[turn thumbs down] <v. phr.> To disapprove or reject; say no. Usually used with "on". * /The company turned thumbs down on Mr. Smith's sales plan./ * /The men turned thumbs down on a strike at that time./
[turn to] <v.> To begin working with much energy. * /All the boys turned to and cleaned the cabin in a few minutes./ * /Mary turned to and studied for the test./ Syn.: FALL TO.
[turn turtle] <v. phr.> To turn upside down. * /The car skidded on the ice and turned turtle./
[turn up] <v.> 1. To find; discover. * /The police searched the house hoping to turn up more clues./ 2. To appear or be found suddenly or unexpectedly. * /The missing boy turned up an hour later./ * /A man without training works at whatever jobs turn up./ Compare: SHOW UP(3).
[turn up one's nose at] <v. phr.> To refuse as not being good enough for you. * /He thinks he should only get steak, and he turns up his nose at hamburger./
[turn up one's toes] <v. phr.>, <slang> To die. * /One morning the children found that their pet mouse had turned up his toes, so they had a funeral for him./ Compare: PUSH UP THE DAISIES.
[turtle] See: TURN TURTLE.
[tut-tut] <interj.>, <informal> Used to express mild disapproval. * /"Tut-tut," said the teacher. "You shouldn't cross the street without looking."/ * /Tut-tut, put that piece of candy back. You've already had three pieces./
[twice] See: BIG AS LIFE(2), LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE, THINK TWICE, ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY and BURNT CHILD DREADS THE FIRE.
[twice as natural] See: BIG AS LIFE or BIG AS LIFE AND TWICE AS NATURAL.
[twiddle one's thumbs] <v. phr.> To do nothing; be idle. * /I'd rather work than stand around here twiddling my thumbs./
[twist one around one's little finger] also [turn one around one's little finger] or [wrap one around one's finger] <v. phr.> To have complete control over; to be able to make (someone) do anything you want. * /Sue can twist any of the boys around her little finger./ Compare: JUMP THROUGH A HOOP.
[twist one's arm] <v. phr.>, <informal> To force someone; threaten someone to make him do something.
– Usually used jokingly. * /Will you dance with the prettiest girl in school? Stop, you're twisting my arm!/ * /I had to twist Tom's arm to make him eat the candy!/
[two] See: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA or BETWEEN TWO FIRES, TWO CENTS, BIRD IN THE HAND IS WORTH TWO IN THE BUSH, CUT BOTH WAYS or CUT TWO WAYS, HAVE TWO STRIKES AGAINST ONE, IN TWO, KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT, PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER, STAND ON ONE'S OWN FEET or STAND ON ONE'S OWN TWO FEET, TELL A THING OR TWO, THING OR TWO.
[two bits] <n.>, <slang> Twenty-five cents; a quarter of a dollar. * /A haircut only cost two bits when Grandfather was young./ Compare: FOUR BITS, SIX BITS.
[two cents] <n.> <informal> 1. Something not important or very small; almost nothing. * /Paul was so angry that he said for two cents he would quit the team./ * /When John saw that the girl he was scolding was lame, he felt like two cents./ 2. or [two cents worth] Something you want to say; opinion.
– Used with a possessive. * /The boys were talking about baseball, and Harry put in his two cents worth, even though he didn't know much about baseball./ * /If we want your two cents, we'll ask for it./
[two-faced] <adj.> Insincere; disloyal; deceitful. * /Don't confide too much in him as he has the reputation of being two-faced./ Compare: SPEAK WITH A FORKED TONGUE.
[two's company; three's a crowd] An informal way to express a situation when two people desire privacy and a third one is present. A proverb. * /Beth and Carl wanted to be alone so when Maggie joined them they said, "Two's company; three's a crowd."/
[two strikes against one] <n. phr.>-From baseball. Two opportunities wasted in some undertaking, so that only one chance is left. * /Poor John has two strikes against him when it comes to his love for Frances: first, he is too fat, and, second, he is bald./