Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц
Шрифт:
[die off]{v.} To die one at a time. •/The flowers are dying off because there has been no rain./
[die on the vine] or [wither on the vine]{v. phr.} To fail or collapse in the planning stages. •/The program for rebuilding the city died on the vine./
[die out]{v.} To die or disappear slowly until all gone. •/This kind of bird is dying out./ •/If you pour salt water on grass, it dies out./ •/The American colonists started colleges so that learning would not die out./
[difference] See: MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE.
[different] See: SING A DIFFERENT TUNE or WHISTLE A DIFFERENT TUNE.
[dig down]{v.}, {slang} To spend your own money. •/The school let the club use the bus and driver free for their trip, but they had to dig down to pay for gas and meals./ •/"So you broke Mrs. Brown’s window?" Tom’s father said, "You’ll have to dig down and pay for it,"/
[dig in]{v.}, {informal} 1. To dig ditches for protection against an enemy attack. •/The soldiers dug in and waited for the enemy to come./ 2a. To go seriously to work; work hard. •/John dug in and finished his homework very quickly./ 2b. To begin eating. •/Mother set the food on the table and told the children to dig in./
[dig out]{v.} 1. To find by searching; bring out (something) that was put away. •/Jack dug his sled out of the cellar./ •/The newspaper printed an old story dug out of their records./ Compare: DIG UP. 2. {informal} To escape. — Usually used with "of". Often used in the phrase "dig oneself out of a hole." •/The pitcher dug himself out of a hole by striking the batter out./
[dig up]{v.}, {informal} To find or get (something) with some effort. •/Sue dug up some useful material for her English composition./ •/Jim asked each boy to dig up twenty-five cents to pay for the hot dogs and soda./ Compare: DIG OUT.
[dilemma] See: HORNS OF A DILEMMA.
[dim] See: TAKE A DIM VIEW OF.
[dime a dozen]{adj. phr.}, {informal} Easy to get and so of little value; being an everyday thing because there are many of them; common. •/Mr. Jones gives A’s to only one or two students, but in Mr. Smith’s class, A’s are a dime a dozen./
[dime store] or [five-and-dime] or [five-and-ten]{n. phr.} A store that sells things that cost little. •/Charles bought a pencil at the five-and-dime./
[dine out]{v. phr.} To not eat at home but to go to a restaurant. •/"Let’s dine out tonight, honey," she said to her husband. "I am tired of cooking dinner every night."/ See: EAT OUT.
[dint] See: BY DINT OF.
[dip into]{v. phr.} 1. To scan or sample lightly and briefly (said of printed materials). •/I didn’t get a chance to read all of War and Peace, but I dipped into it here and there./ 2. To take money out of a savings account or a piggy bank. •/I am sorry to have to say that I had to dip into the piggy bank; I took out $6.75./
[dirt] See: EAT DIRT, HIT THE DIRT, PAY DIRT.
[dirt cheap]{adj.} Extremely inexpensive. •/The apartment we are renting is dirt cheap compared to other apartments of similar size in this neighborhood./
[dirty] See: AIR ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC or WASH ONE’S DIRTY LINEN IN PUBLIC.
[dirty look]{n.}, {informal} A look that shows dislike. •/Miss Parker sent Joe to the principal’s office for giving her a dirty look./
[dirty old man]{n. phr.} An older man who shows an unhealthy interest in young girls. •/"Stay away from Uncle Algernon, Sally," her mother warned. "He is a dirty old man."/
[dirty one’s hands] or [soil one’s hands]{v. phr.} To lower or hurt one’s character or good name; do a bad or shameful thing. •/The teacher warned the children not to dirty their hands by cheating in the examination./ •/I would not soil my hands by going with bad people and doing bad things./
[dirty story]{n. phr.} An improper or obscene story. •/Uncle Bill is much too fond of telling dirty stories in order to embarrass his friends./
[dirty trick]{n. phr.} A treacherous action; an unfair act. •/That was a dirty trick John played on Mary when he ran away with her younger sister./
[disappear] or [evaporate] or [vanish into thin air]{v. phr.} To disappear quickly, without leaving a trace. •/Money seems to disappear into thin air these days./ •/Jack just vanished into thin air before the meeting had started./
[discretion] See: THROW CAUTION TO THE WINDS also THROW DISCRETION TO THE WINDS.
[discretion is the better part of valor]{literary} When you are in danger or trouble, good sense helps more than foolish risks; it is better to be careful than to be foolishly brave. — A proverb. •/When you are facing a man with a knife, discretion is the better part of valor./
[dish] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER.