Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
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[new man]{n.} A person who has become very much better. •/Diet and exercise made a new man of him./
[new money]{n. phr.} People who have become rich recently. •/Since Bobby’s father invented a new computer component, Bobby and his family are new money./ Contrast: OLD MONEY.
[newshawk]{n.} A newspaper reporter. •/There are always a lot of newshawks following the president./
[next door]{adv.} or {adj.} 1. In or to the next house or apartment. •/He lived next door to me./ •/She telephoned next door to ask about John./ •/The house next door caught fire./ 2. Very close. — Used with "to". •/The sick man was next door to death./ •/Printing secrets about our country’s missiles is next door to treason./
[next to(1)]{adv.} Almost; nearly. •/It was next to impossible to believe that in a month the grass would be green and flowers would be blooming./ •/It was next to unthinkable that the boy would steal./
[next to(2)]{prep.} Just after; second to. •/Next to his family, baseball was his greatest love./ •/Next to pizza, Bob liked hamburger best./
[next to nothing]{n. phr.} Very little; almost nothing. •/They gave me next to nothing for my old car when I traded it in for a new one./ •/When he first started to work, Mr. Black earned next to nothing./
[nice Nelly(1)] or [nice Nellie]{n.}, {informal} Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig. •/We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldn’t fight./
[nice Nelly(2)] or [nice Nellie]{adj.}, {informal} Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. •/Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular at school./
[Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.
[nick] See: IN THE NICK OF TIME.
[nigger in the woodpile]{n. phr.}, {slang} Something unexpected that changes a situation; a hidden factor or trick. — Racist and offensive, but commonly used in the past. •/I knew there had to be a nigger in the woodpile, because the man was being much too generous./ •/When the salesman gave him an extra tire for his bike, the boy suspected a nigger in the woodpile./
[night] See: FLY-BY-NIGHT, MAKE A NIGHT OF IT.
[night and day] See: DAY AND NIGHT.
[nightcap]{n.} A good-night drink; a drink taken just before bedtime. •/Let’s have a nightcap and then go to sleep./ •/Would you like to come up to my place for a nightcap?/
[night letter]{n.} A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. •/I waited until after six o’clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./
[night life]{n. phr.} Entertainment at night. •/People in the city are able to find more night life than those who live in the country./
[night owl]{n. phr.} One who sleeps during the day and stays up or works during the night. •/Tom hardly ever sleeps at night; he prefers to work by lamp light and has become a regular night owl./ Compare: GRAVEYARD SHIFT.
[nine] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ON CLOUD NINE.
[nine-to-five job]{n. phr.} A typical office job that starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M. with a one-hour lunch break at 12 noon or 1 P.M. •/We professors are not too well paid but I could never get used to a nine-to-five job./
[ninety] See: GAY NINETIES.
[nip and tuck]{adj. or adv.}, {informal} Evenly matched; hard fought to the finish. •/The game was nip and tuck until the last minute./ •/A was a nip and tuck race right to the finish line./ •/The two salesmen fought nip and tuck for the contract all the way./ Compare: NECK AND NECK.
[nip in the bud]{v. phr.} To check at the outset; prevent at the start; block or destroy in the beginning. •/The police nipped the plot in the bud./ •/The teacher nipped the disorder in the bud./
[no account(1)]{adj.} Of no importance. •/The lowly clerk’s opinion is of no account in this matter./
[no account(2)]{n. phr.} A person of low social station. •/Fred was first considered a no account but he soon proved himself to be a person of great ability./
[nobody] See: IT’S AN ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NOBODY GOOD.
[nobody home]{slang} 1. Your attention is somewhere else, not on what is being said or done here; you are absent-minded. •/The teacher asked him a question three times but he still looked out the window. She gave up, saying, "Nobody home."/ 2. You are feeble-minded or insane. •/He pointed to the woman, tapped his head, and said, "Nobody home."/