Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)
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[first stone] See: CAST THE FIRST STONE.
[first string(1)] <n.>, <informal> 1. The best group of players on a team; first team; A team. * /Dick loved basketball and practiced hard until he was put on the first string./ 2. The best group of workers. * /Tom learned his trade so well that his boss soon called him one of his first string./
[first-string] <adj.>, <informal> 1. On the starting team or A team. * /He was the first-string quarterback./ 2. Of the best quality; foremost. * /He was the least expensive of the city's first-string lawyers./
[first thing off the bat] <adv. phr.> Immediately; at once. * /He called home from Paris first thing off the bat as he stepped off the plane./
[first things first] Other things must wait until the most important and necessary things are done. * /Study your lessons before you go out to play. First things first./
[fish] See: COLD FISH, KETTLE OF FISH, NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL, NOT THE ONLY FISH IN THE SEA, OTHER FISH TO FRY.
[fish-and-chips] <n. phr.> Fried fish and french fried potatoes. * /The family went to a drive-in restaurant and had fish-and-chips./
[fish for] <v.>, <informal> To try to get or to find out (something), by hinting or by a roundabout way to try to lead someone else to give or tell you what you want by hinting. * /Jerry was always fishing for an invitation to Bob's house./ * /Near examination time, some of the students fish for information./
[fish for a compliment] <v, phr.> To try to make someone pay a compliment. * /When Jim showed me his new car, I could tell that he was fishing for a compliment./
[fish fry] <n.> An outdoor party or picnic at which fish are fried and eaten. * /The guests at the fish fry caught and cooked their own fish./
[fish in muddy] or [troubled waters] <v. phr.> To take advantage of a troubled or confusing situation; seek personal advantage. * /With the police disorganized after the collapse of communism in Europe, many criminals started to fish in troubled waters./
[fish or cut bait] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. Decide what you want to do and stop wasting time; either act now or give someone else a chance or turn. * /Jack couldn't decide whether to go to college or get a job, so his father told him to fish or cut bait./ * /"Buy the kind of ice cream you want or give someone else in line a chance. Fish or cut bait!"/ Compare: MAKE UP ONE'S MIND. 2. Either try hard and do your best, or quit. * /Frank missed football practice so often that the coach told him to fish or cut bait./
[fish out of water] <n. phr.> A person who is out of his proper place in life; someone who does not fit in. * /Because Ed could not swim, he felt like a fish out of water at the beach./ * /She was the only girl at the party not in a formal dress and she felt like a fish out of water./ Compare: OUT OF ONE'S ELEMENT, OUT OF PLACE.
[fish story] <n. phr.> An unlikely or improbable tale. * /Hunters and fishermen often exaggerate their successes by telling fish stories./
[fist] See: HARD-FISTED.
[fit] See: BY FITS AND STARTS, GIVE PITS, HAVE A FIT or HAVE FITS, IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT, SEE FIT also THINK FIT, SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
[fit as a fiddle] <adj. phr.> In very good health. * /The man was almost 90 years old but fit as a fiddle./ * /Mary rested at home for a few weeks after her operation; then she felt fit as a fiddle./
[fit for] <v. phr.> To be suited for; be prepared for. * /"What kind of job is Ted fit for?" the social worker asked./
[fit in with] <v. phr.> To fall into agreement or accord with. * /His plans to take a vacation in early July fit in perfectly with the university schedule./
[fit like a glove] <v. phr.> To fit perfectly. * /Her new dress fits her like a glove./
[fit out] or [fit up] <v.> To give things needed; furnish. * /The soldiers were fitted out with guns and clothing./ * /The government fitted out warships and got sailors for them./ * /The house was fitted out very nicely./ * /He fitted his room up as a photographic laboratory./
[fit the bill] See: FILL THE BILL.
[fit to a T] See: TO A T.
[fit to be tied(1)] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Very angry or upset. * /She was fit to be tied when she saw the broken glass./
[fit to be tied(2)] <adv. phr.>, <substandard> Very hard.
– Used for emphasis. * /Uncle Willie was laughing fit to be tied at the surprised look on Mother's face./
[five o'clock shadow] <n. phr.> A very short growth of beard on a man's face who did shave in the morning but whose beard is so strong that it is again visible in the afternoon. * /"You have a five o'clock shadow, honey," Irene said, "and we're going to the opera. Why don't you shave again quickly?"/
[fix] See: GET A FIX or GIVE SOMEONE A FIX, GET A FIX ON.
[fix someone's wagon] or [fix someone's little red wagon] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. (Said to a child as a threat) to administer a spanking. * /Stop that right away or I'll fix your (little red) wagon!/ 2. (Said of an adult) to thwart or frustrate another, to engineer his failure. * /If he sues me for slander, I will counter-sue him for malicious prosecution. That will fix his wagon!/
[fix someone up with] <v. phr.>, <informal> To help another get a date with a woman or man by arranging a meeting for the two. * /Say Joe, can you possibly fix me up with someone this weekend? I am so terribly lonesome!/
[fix up] <v. phr.> 1. To repair. * /The school is having the old gym fixed up./ 2. To arrange. * /I think I can fix it up with the company so that John gets the transfer he desires. /3. To arrange a date that might lead to a romance or even to marriage. * /Mary is a great matchmaker; she fixed up Ron and Betty at her recent party./
[fizzle out] <v.>, <informal> 1. To stop burning; die out. * /The fuse fizzled out before exploding the firecracker./ 2. To fail after a good start; end in failure. * /The power mower worked fine for a while but then it fizzled out./ * /The party fizzled out when everyone went home early./