Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[under pain of] See: ON PAIN OF also UNDER PAIN OF.
[under protest] <adv. phr.> Against one's wish; unwillingly. * /"I'll go with you all right," she said to the kidnapper, "but I want it clearly understood that I do so under protest."/
[understand] See: GIVE ONE TO UNDERSTAND.
[under the circumstances] also [in the circumstances] <adv. phr.> In the existing situation; in the present condition; as things are. * /In the circumstances, Father couldn't risk giving up his job./ * /Under the circumstances, the stagecoach passengers had to give the robbers their money./
[under the collar] See: HOT UNDER THE COLLAR.
[under the counter] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Secretly (bought or sold). * /That book has been banned, but there is one place you can get it under the counter./ * /The liquor dealer was arrested for selling beer under the counter to teenagers./ - Also used like an adjective, with hyphens. * /During World War II, some stores kept scarce things hidden for under-the-counter-sales to good customers./
[under the hammer] <adv. phr.> Up for sale at auction. * /The Brights auctioned off the entire contents of their home. Mrs. Bright cried when her pewter collection went under the hammer./ * /The picture I wanted to bid on came under the hammer soon after I arrived./
[under the nose of] See: UNDER ONE'S NOSE.
[under the sun] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> On earth; in the world. Used for emphasis. * /The President's assassination shocked everyone under the sun./ * /Where under the sun could I have put my purse?/
[under the table] See: UNDER THE COUNTER.
[under the thumb of] See: UNDER ONE'S THUMB.
[under the weather] <adv. phr.> In bad health or low spirits. * /Mary called in today asking for a sick day as she is under the weather./
[under the wire] <adv. phr.> With a narrow time limit; in the last minute. * /The journalist's new lead article on Russia was due in press at 5 P.M., and he got it in at 4:57, just under the wire./
[underway] <adv. phr.> In progress; in motion. * /The yearly fund-raising campaign for the renovation of our university campus is already underway./
[under wraps] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Not allowed to be seen until the right time; not allowed to act or speak freely; in secrecy; hidden.
– Usually used with "keep". * /We have a new player, hut we are keeping him under wraps until the game./ * /What the President is planning will be kept under wraps until tomorrow./ * /The spy was kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to newspapermen./ Compare: UNDER COVER.
[unknown quantity] <n.> Someone or something whose value and importance are not known, especially in a certain situation, time or place; a new and untested person or thing. * /What we would find if we could fly to the moon is an unknown quantity./ * /The new player is still an unknown quantity. We'll find out how good he is in the game./
[unseen] See: SIGHT UNSEEN.
[until all hours] <adv. phr.> Until very late at night. * /He is so anxious to pass his exams with flying colors that he stays up studying until all hours./
[until hell freezes over] <adv. phr.>, <slang> Forever, for an eternity. * /He can argue until hell freezes over; nobody will believe him./ Contrast: WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER.
[until the last gun is fired] See: TILL THE LAST GUN IS FIRED.
[unturned] See: LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED.
[up against] <prep. phr.> Blocked or threatened by. * /When she applied to medical school, the black woman wondered whether she was up against barriers of sex and race prejudice./
[up against it] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Faced with a great difficulty or problem; badly in need. * /The Smith family is up against it because Mr. Smith cannot find a job./ * /You will be up against it if you don't pass the test. You will probably fail arithmetic./ Compare: HARD UP, END OF ONE'S ROPE, BACK TO THE WALL(2).
[up and about] or [around] <adv. phr.> Recovered and able to move about; once again in good health after an illness. * /My sister was ill for several weeks, but is now up and about again./
[up and at them] 1. <adv. phr.> Actively engaged in a task as if doing combat. * /"You want to know whether he will make a diligent worker?" Dick asked. "Well, I can tell you that most of the time he is up and at them like no one else I know."/ 2. <v. phr.> To become aggressively engaged in doing something; (useable as a command). * /Come on, up and at them, you guys. We still have a lot of work to get done./
[up-and-coming] <adj. phr.> Bound toward success; upwardly mobile; progressive; ambitious. * /The newly elected state senator is an up-and-coming young politician who is expected to be highly successful in national politics in the future./
[up a stump] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Stumped; blocked; mixed up or confused in what you are trying to do. * /Jimmy knows how to add and subtract but fractions have him up a stump./
[up a tree] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Hunted or chased into a tree; treed. * /The dog drove the coon up a tree so the hunter could shoot him./ 2. <informal> in trouble; having problems; in a difficulty that it is hard to escape or think of a way out of. * /John's father has him up a tree in the checker game./ Compare: UP THE CREEK.
[up for grabs] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Available for anyone to try to get; ready to be competed for; there for the taking. * /When the captain of the football team moved out of town, his place was up for grabs./
[up front(1)] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> The managerial section of a corporation or firm. * /Joe Catwallender finally made it (with the) up front./
[up front(2)] <adj.>, <slang>, <informal> Open, sincere, hiding nothing. * /Sue was completely up front about why she didn't want to see him anymore./