Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[cow college]{n.}, {slang} 1. An agricultural college; a school where farming is studied. •/A new, bigger kind of apple is being grown at the cow college./ 2. A new or rural college not thought to be as good as older or city colleges. •/John wanted to go to a big college in New York City, not to a cow college./
[cows tail]{n.}, {dialect} A person who is behind others. •/John was the cow’s tail at the exam./ •/Fred was always the old cow’s tail for football practice./
[cozy up]{v.}, {slang} To try to be close or friendly; try to be liked. — Usually used with "to". •/John is cozying up to Henry so he can join the club./
[crack] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK or TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.
[crack a book]{v. phr.}, {slang} To open a book in order to study. — Usually used with a negative. •/John did not crack a book until the night before the exam./ •/Many students think they can pass without cracking a book./
[crack a bottle]{v. phr.} To open a new bottle of alcoholic beverage. •/On birthdays it is customary to crack a bottle and offer one’s best wishes./
[crack a joke]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make a joke; tell a joke. •/The men sat around the stove, smoking and cracking jokes./
[crack a smile]{v. phr.}, {informal} To let a smile show on one’s face; permit a smile to appear. •/Bob told the whole silly story without even cracking a smile./ •/Scrooge was a gloomy man, who never cracked a smile./ •/When we gave the shy little boy an ice cream cone, he finally cracked a smile./
[crack down]{v. phr.}, {informal} To enforce laws or rules strictly; require full obedience to a rule. •/After a speeding driver hit a child, the police cracked down./ — Often used with "on". •/Police suddenly cracked down on the selling of liquors to minors./ •/The coach cracked down on the players when he found they had not been obeying the training rules./
[crack of dawn]{n. phr.} The time in the morning when the sun’s rays first appear. •/The rooster crows at the crack of dawn and wakes up everybody on the farm./
[cracked up]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Favorably described or presented; praised. — Usually used in the expression "not what it’s cracked up to be". •/The independent writer’s life isn’t always everything it’s cracked up to be./ •/In bad weather, a sailing cruise isn’t what it’s cracked up to be./
[cracking] See: GET CRACKING — at GET GOING(2).
[crackpot]{n.}, {attrib. adj.}, {informal} 1. {n.} An eccentric person with ideas that don’t make sense to most other people. •/Don’t believe what Uncle Noam tells you — he is a crackpot./ 2. {attrib. adj.} •/That’s a crackpot idea./
[crack the whip]{v. phr.}, {informal} To get obedience or cooperation by threats of punishment. •/If the children won’t behave when I reason with them, I have to crack the whip./
[crack up]{v.} 1. To wreck or be wrecked; smash up. •/The airplane cracked up in landing./ •/He cracked up his car./ 2. {informal} To become mentally ill under physical or mental overwork or worry. •/He had kept too busy for years, and when failures came, he cracked up./ •/It seemed to be family problems that made him crack up./ 3. Burst into laughter or cause to burst into laughter. •/That comedian cracks me up./
[cradle] See: ROB THE CRADLE.
[cradle robber], [cradle robbing] See: ROB THE CRADLE.
[cramp] See: WRITER’S CRAMP.
[cramp one’s style]{v. phr.}, {informal} To limit your natural freedom; prevent your usual behavior; limit your actions or talk. •/He cramped his style a good deal when he lost his money./ •/Army rules cramped George’s style./
[crash dive]{n.} A sudden dive made by a submarine to escape an enemy; a dive made to get deep under water as quickly as possible. •/The captain of the submarine told his crew to prepare for a crash dive when he saw the enemy battleship approaching./
[crash-dive]{v.} 1. To dive deep underwater in a submarine as quickly as possible. •/We shall crash-dive if we see enemy planes coming./ 2. To dive into (something) in an airplane. •/When the plane’s motor was hit by the guns of the enemy battleship, the pilot aimed the plane at the ship and crash-dived into it./
[crash the gate]{v. phr.}, {slang} To enter without a ticket or without paying; attend without an invitation or permission. •/Bob got into the circus without paying. He crashed the gate./ •/Three boys tried to crash the gate at our party but we didn’t let them in./
[craw] See: STICK IN ONE’S CRAW.
[crawl up] See: RIDE UP.
[crazy] or [mad] or [nuts about]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Excessively fond of; infatuated with. •/Jack is totally nuts about Liz, but she is not too crazy about him./