Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

Makkai Adam

[cut short]{v.} To stop or interrupt suddenly; end suddenly or too soon. •/Rain cut short the ball game./ •/An auto accident cut short the man’s life./ •/When Dick began to tell about his summer vacation the teacher cut him short, saying "Tell us about that another time."/

[cut teeth]{v. phr.} 1. To have teeth grow out through the gums. •/The baby was cross because he was cutting teeth./ 2. or [cut eye teeth]{informal} To learn something very early in life; gain experience; start by learning or doing. — Used with a possessive, usually used with "on". •/The professional ball player cut his teeth on a baseball bat in the sandlots./ •/Mr. Jones’s company is building the new Post Office in town but Mr. Jones cut his eye teeth as a carpenter./

[cut the ground from under]{v. phr.}{informal} To make (someone) fail; upset the plans of; spoil the argument for (a person) in advance. •/Paul wanted to he captain but we cut the ground from under him by saying that Henry was the best player on the team./ •/Several workers applied for the retiring foreman’s job, but the owner cut the ground from under them by hiring a foreman from another company./

[cut the mustard]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do well enough in what needs to be done; to succeed. •/His older brothers and sisters helped Max through high school, but he couldn’t cut the mustard in college./

[cut-throat]{adj.} Severe; intense; unrelenting. •/There is cut-throat competition among the various software companies today./

[cut to pieces]{v. phr.} 1. To divide into small parts with something sharp; cut badly or completely. •/Baby has cut the newspaper to pieces with scissors./ 2. To destroy or defeat completely. •/The soldiers were cut to pieces by the Indians./ •/When Dick showed his book report to his big sister for correction, she cut it to pieces./

[cut to the bone]{v. phr.} To make (something) the least or smallest possible amount; reduce severely; leave out everything extra or unnecessary from. •/Father cut Jane’s allowance to the bone for disobeying him./ •/When father lost his job, our living expenses had to be cut to the bone./

[cut to the quick]{v. phr.} To hurt someone’s feelings deeply. •/The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick./

[cut two ways] See: CUT BOTH WAYS.

[cut up]{v.} 1. {informal} To hurt the feelings of; wound. — Usually used in the passive. •/John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring./ 2. {slang} To act funny or rough; clown, •/Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching./ •/At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair./ Compare: FOOL AROUND.

D

[dab] See: SMACK-DAB or SMACK-TO DAB.

[dagger] See: CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, LOOK DAGGERS.

[daily dozen]{n.}, {informal} Gymnastic exercises; especially, several different exercises done daily. •/The boys did their daily dozen early each morning./

[daisy] See: PUSH UP DAISIES.

[dam] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.

[damn] See: GIVE A HANG, NOT WORTH A TINKER’S DAMN.

[damned if one does, damned if one doesn’t]{adj. phr.} No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. •/No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won’t. It is a classical case of "damned if I do, damned if I don’t."/

[dance] See: SONG AND DANCE.

[dance to another tune]{v. phr.} To talk or act differently, usually better because things have changed; be more polite or obedient because you are forced to do it. •/Johnny refused to do his homework but punishment made him dance to another tune./ Compare: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.

[dander] See: GET ONE’S BACK UP, GET ONE’S DANDER UP or GET ONE’S IRISH UP.

[dandy] See: JIM-DANDY.

[dangerous] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.

[dare say]{v. phr.} To think probable; suppose; believe. — Used in first person. •/Mary is unhappy now but I dare say she will be laughing about this tomorrow./ •/There is no more ice cream on the table, but I dare say we can find some in the kitchen./

[dare one to do something]{v. phr.} To challenge someone to do something. •/"I dare you to jump off that rock into the sea," Fred said to Jack./

[dark] See: IN THE DARK, SHOT IN THE DARK, WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[darken one’s door] or [darken the door] To appear, as in a doorway; enter someone’s home or establishment. — Used in negative imperative sentences especially with "never" and "again". •/If you leave this house now, never darken my door again./ •/After a son shamed his father by having to go to prison, the father told him never to darken his door again./

[dark horse]{n.}, {informal} A political candidate little known to the general voting public; a candidate who was not expected to run. •/Every once in a while a dark horse candidate gets elected President./

[dark of the moon]{n. phr.}, {literary} A time when the moon is not shining or cannot be seen. •/A was the dark of the moon when the scouts reached camp and they had to use flashlights to find their tents./ Contrast: FULL OF THE MOON.