Текст книги "1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний"

His honesty does him credit.

делать шиворот-навыворот

to put the cart before the horse

Isn’t it rather putting the cart before the horse to buy the furniture when you haven’t yet moved to your new house?

держать (свое) слово

to keep one’s word

You must keep your word if you promised to help him.

держать в ежовых рукавицах (кого-л.)

to keep a tight rein on someone; to rule someone with a rod of iron

The teacher kept a tight rein on his students.

His wife rules him with a rod of iron.

держать в неведении (кого-л.)

to keep someone in the dark

Peter kept his wife in the dark about his plans to buy a new car.

держать в руках (кого-л./что-л.)

to have someone/something in the palm of one’s hand

The politician has the local press in the palm of his hand.

держать в узде (кого-л./что-л.)

to keep a tight rein on someone/something

She had to keep a tight rein on her feelings.

держать на почтительном расстоянии (кого-л.)

to keep someone at arm’s length

Jack wanted to know my sister better, but she kept him at arm’s length.

держать на коротком поводке (кого-л.)

to have someone on a string

He has his poor wife on a string – she always does what he says.

держать под каблуком (кого-л.)

to have someone in the palm of one’s hand

My sister has her husband in the palm of her hand.

держать порох сухим

to keep one’s powder dry

We must act cautiously and keep our powder dry.

держать рот на замке

to keep one’s mouth shut; to button one’s lip(s)

Will he keep his mouth shut about the mistake we made?

Button your lip about me being late for work.

держать руку на пульсе

to keep one’s finger on the pulse

My father has retired from the company now, but he still likes to keep his finger on the pulse.

держать ухо востро

to keep/have one’s ear to the ground; to keep one’s eyes open; to keep a weather eye open

If you keep your ear to the ground you’ll soon find a good job.

Keep your eyes open and see if you can learn something.

A crisis is boiling up. Keep a weather eye open.

держать хвост пистолетом

to keep one’s chin up

Keep your chin up – things will get better.

держать язык за зубами

to hold one’s tongue; to keep mum

I don’t think he can be trusted to hold his tongue.

Please keep mum about my plans to go into medicine.

держаться за юбку (кого-л.)

to be tied to someone’s apron-strings

He can’t make any decisions himself because he is tied too much to his mother’s apron-strings.

держаться на ниточке

to hang by a thread

His chances to win the election were hanging by a thread.

детские игрушки

child’s play; kids’ stuff

My brother is an experienced mountaineer, so climbing that mountain was child’s play to him.

Making chairs is kid’s stuff to my father.

дешевле пареной репы

dirt cheap

He got that computer dirt cheap.

до второго пришествия

till kingdom come

I don’t want to wait till kingdom come for you to decide what to do.

до кончиков ногтей

to one’s fingertips

He is an artist to his fingertips.

до мозга костей

to the backbone; through and through

Your brother is a gentleman to the backbone.

She is a liar through and through.

до поры до времени

for the time being

I am staying at the hotel for the time being.

доводить до белого каления (кого-л.)

to make someone see red; to make someone’s blood boil

The sight of reporters standing outside her house made Helen see red.

His words really made my blood boil.

дойти до ручки

to be at the end of one’s tether

I am at the end of my tether, and if I hear that noise again, I’ll scream.

доходить до ушей (чьих-л.)

to come to someone’s ears

It has come to our ears that you have bought a new house.

дрожать как осиновый лист

to shake like a leaf

The boy stood in the corner shaking like a leaf.

дурной глаз

the evil eye

Nothing is going right for him – he is sure somebody put the evil eye on him.

дух захватывает (у кого-л.)

to take someone’s breath away

The girl was so beautiful she took my breath away.

душа нараспашку (у кого-л.)

to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve

I think she was really disappointed about your absence, but she is not a person who wears her heart on her sleeve.

душа общества

the life and soul of the party

He is so quiet at work that you’d never think he was the life and soul of the party last night.

душа ушла в пятки (у кого-л.)

to have one’s heart in one’s boots; one’s heart sank to one’s boots

I had my heart in my boots when I went to see the director.

When I saw his face, my heart sank to my boots.

души не чаять (в ком-л.)

to think the world of someone

She thinks the world of her husband.

дым коромыслом

all hell breaks loose

All hell broke loose in the house when the children started to play cowboys and Indians.

дырявая голова

to have a head/memory like a sieve

I can’t remember her name – I’ve got a memory like a sieve.

дышать на ладан (быть при смерти)

to have one foot in the grave

His children treat him as though he has one foot in the grave.

дышать на ладан (существовать последние дни)

to be on one’s last legs

My fridge is on its last legs – I’ve had it twenty years.

если бы да кабы

if wishes were horses, beggars would ride

если уж на то пошло

come to that

I haven’t seen Judy for a long time. Come to that, I haven’t seen her husband either.

ехать в Тулу со своим самоваром

to carry coals to Newcastle

Taking her flowers would be like carrying coals to Newcastle – she grows flowers in her own garden.

ждать, откуда ветер подует

to see how the wind blows; to see which way the cat jumps

Before we tell them about our plans, I think we should see which way the wind blows.

My husband always waits to see which way the cat is going to jump before making a decision.

жечь корабли

to burn one’s boats

I’ve burnt my boats by telling my boss that I was leaving, but I haven’t got another job.

Жив курилка!

there is life in the old dog yet

жив-здоров

safe and sound; alive and kicking

Her son returned safe and sound from the war.

The last time I saw John, he was alive and kicking.

живого места не оставить (на ком-л.)

to beat someone black and blue; to beat the living daylights out of someone

The man beat Tom black and blue for stealing.

If you do that again, I’ll beat the living daylights out of you.

жить как кошка с собакой

to lead a cat and dog life

She and her brother lead a cat and dog life. They are always quarrelling.

жить не по средствам

to live beyond one’s means

No wonder the Browns are deeply in debt; they have been living beyond their means for years.

жребий брошен

the die is cast

I’m not sure that I’ll find a better job but the die is cast – I’ve told my boss I wanted to leave.

за спиной (у кого-л.)

behind someone’s back

She has been saying unpleasant things about you behind your back.

за деревьями леса не видеть

not to see the wood for the trees

When people get stressed they often can’t see the wood for the trees.

за здорово живешь

for kicks

The boy said that he had stolen the car just for kicks.

за плечами (у кого-л.)

under one’s belt

Gerald has a lot of experience under his belt.

за решеткой

behind bars

He spent five years behind bars after being convicted of forgery.

забот полон рот (у кого-л.)

to have one’s hands full; to have a lot on one’s plate

He has her hands full looking after four children.

Sorry, I can’t help you – I’ve got too much on my plate at the moment.

заводить волынку

to harp on the same string

I wish you’d stop harping on the same string every time I light a cigarette. I won’t give up smoking.

заговаривать зубы (кому-л.)

to spin someone a yarn

He managed to spin me a yarn about being ill to explain his lateness.

загонять в угол (кого-л.)

to box someone into a corner

Her convincing arguments quickly boxed me into a corner.

задавать головомойку (кому-л.)

to haul someone over the coals

The teacher hauled the boy over the coals for being late for school.

задавать тон

to set the pace; to call the tune

His work sets the pace for future experiments.

The secretary calls the tune in the office.

задевать за живое (кого-л.)

to cut someone to the quick; to hit/touch a (raw) nerve

Her angry words cut me to the quick.

I think I touched a nerve when I asked him about his children.

задирать нос

to put on airs and graces

Because they have a big house she is always putting on airs and graces.

закатывать истерику

to have/throw a fit

She’ll have a fit when she knows you’ve broken her vase.

закидывать удочку

to put out feelers

They put out feelers to see if anyone was interested in buying the shop.

закон джунглей

the law of the jungle

закрывать глаза (на что-л.)

to close one’s eyes to something; to turn a blind eye to something

She chose to close her eyes to her son’s rude behaviour.

The director always turned a blind eye to her mistakes in order to prevent trouble.

закрыть лавочку

to shut up shop; to put up the shutters

They’d worked hard all morning and at half past three they decided to shut up shop and go home.

During the war many shops had to put up the shutters.

закусить удила

to take the bit between one’s teeth

There was a lot of work to be finished, so he took the bit between his teeth and stayed late at the office.

зализывать раны

to lick one’s wounds

Tom was still licking his wounds from his marriage break-up.

заметать следы

to cover one’s tracks

The criminals have covered their tracks very cleverly.

замолвить словечко (за кого-л.)

to put in a good word for someone

My father is going to put in a good word for me in the hope that the boss will give me another chance.

запеть на другой лад

to change one’s tune

She said she liked travelling by car, but when she saw the road she changed her tune.

запретный плод

forbidden fruit

Forbidden fruit is always the most desirable.

заразительный смех

an infectious laugh

His laugh was so infectious that we all joined in.

заснуть вечным сном

to be called to one’s eternal rest

застигать врасплох (кого-л.)

to take someone by surprise; to catch someone with one’s pants/trousers down

The news took us by surprise.

He asked me where I’d been last night and I was caught with my pants down.

застигать на месте преступления (кого-л.)

to catch someone red-handed; to catch someone in the act

The police caught the burglars red-handed.

The thief was caught in the act of breaking into the shop.

затаить дыхание

to hold one’s breath

She held her breath as she watched the attempt to save the drowning child.

заткнуть за пояс (кого-л.)

to run rings round someone; to put someone to shame

Jane is good at French but her brother David can run rings round her – he can speak Dutch and German as well.

I thought I was in good shape for this race but my friend Tom, who was much older than me, put me to shame.

затыкать рот (кому-л.)

to shut someone’s mouth

They threatened to shut his mouth if he talks to the police.

затянуть пояс потуже

to tighten one’s belt

If the crisis gets worse, we shall just have to tighten our belts.

заходить (слишком) далеко

to go too far; to overstep the mark

He has always been a bully but this time he went too far and even his parents were ashamed of him.

You overstepped the mark when you shouted at the director.

звонить во все колокола

to shout it from the rooftops

If I’d known you were going to shout it from the rooftops, I wouldn’t have told you about my work.

здоров как бык

(as) sound as a bell

At the age of eighty her grandfather was as sound as a bell.

зеленая улица

the green light

The government gave the green light to the minister’s plan for the new road.

злой как черт

(as) cross as two sticks; like a bear with a sore head

The man was as cross as two sticks when his wife left without waiting for him.

When my brother has to get up early, he’s like a bear with a sore head.

змея подколодная

a snake in the grass

Don’t be deceived by his friendliness – he’s a real snake in the grass.

знать в лицо (кого-л.)

to know someone by sight

I know Gregory by sight but I’ve never met him.

знать свое дело

to know one’s stuff/onions

He is a good worker and knows his stuff. I’d be sorry if he left our company.

We’ve worked with him in the past. He is a man who knows his onions.

знать как свои пять пальцев (что-л.)

to know something like the back of one’s hand; to know something inside out

He knew Manchester like the back of his hand.

He is a very good plumber who knows his job inside out.

знать свое место

to know one’s place

I knew my place and kept silent.

знать, что к чему

to know what is what

You don’t have to worry about him – he knows what’s what.

золотая середина

a happy medium

You can surely find some happy medium between exercising all the time and doing nothing.

золотое дно

a gold-mine

The report represents a gold-mine of useful information.

золотое правило

the golden rule

The golden rule of teaching is to be clear.

золотое сердце

a heart of gold

His wife is a lovely woman. She has a heart of gold.

золотой телец

the golden calf

зондировать почву

to put out feelers

I wanted to get a new job, so I put out some feelers with our competitors.

и глазом не успел моргнуть

before you can say Jack Robinson

I’ll catch a train and be there before you can say Jack Robinson.

и дело с концом

that’s that

You are not going to the party alone, and that’s that.

И не говорите!

you are telling me

It’s hot today, isn’t it? – You’re telling me.

(и) туда и сюда

back and forth; up and down; to and fro; backwards and forwards

The wind moved the leaves gently back and forth.

We’ve been driving up and down the street looking for you.

She walked to and fro in the room waiting for the news.

The pendulum was moving slowly backwards and forwards.

играть в кошки-мышки (с кем-л.)

to play cat and mouse with someone

If you continue to play cat and mouse with your boyfriend, he’ll break up with you.

играть вторую скрипку

to play second fiddle

He was tired of playing second fiddle to his older brother.

играть на руку (кому-л.)

to play into someone’s hands

I had an uncomfortable feeling that by leading my men into the valley I had played into the enemy’s hands.

играть с огнем

to play with fire

She knew she was playing with fire by having an affair with her boss.

Иди к черту!

Go to hell!

идти в ногу (с чем-л./кем-л.)

to keep pace with something/someone

It is difficult to keep pace with current fashions.

идти в ногу со временем

to move with the times

If we don’t move with the times, our customers will go elsewhere.

идти в огонь и воду

to go through fire and water

He would go through fire and water to help us.

идти на боковую

to hit the hay/sack

I think I’ll hit the hay now.

идти на поправку

to be on the mend

She has been very ill, but she’s on the mend now.

идти навстречу (кому-л.)

to meet someone halfway

The problem would be solved if you could meet us halfway.

идти напролом

to stop at nothing

My sister will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

идти насмарку

to come to nothing; to go down the drain; to go by the board

His plans to buy a new house came to nothing when he found out how much it would cost.

All my hard work went down the drain when the boss changed his priorities.

We didn’t have enough money so the holiday plans went by the board.

идти по линии наименьшего сопротивления

to take the line of least resistance

My brother always takes the line of least resistance with his wife and he does whatever she prefers.

идти по ложному следу

to bark up the wrong tree

You are barking up the wrong tree if you think it was Hugh who stole your watch.

идти по проторенной дорожке

to keep to the beaten track

The director decided to keep to the beaten track and not try any new ideas.

идти по стопам (кого-л.)

to follow in someone’s footsteps

He is following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a teacher.

идти под гору

to go downhill

The business is going downhill. We lose money every month.

идти с молотка

to come under the hammer

His coin collection will come under the hammer next week.

идти своей дорогой

to go one’s own way

He didn’t want to listen to his parents and was determined to go his own way.

из вторых рук

at second hand

I heard the news at second hand.

из кожи лезть вон

to go out of one’s way; to bend/lean over backwards;

to move heaven and earth

He went out of his way to help his friends.

I bent over backwards to please the old man, but he wasn’t at all grateful.

She moved heaven and earth to get the job.

из любви к искусству

for love

She volunteers at the hospital for love.

из огня да в полымя

out of the frying pan into the fire

He left his job because he wanted more freedom, but in his new one he has to work overtime – out of the frying pan into the fire!

из первых рук

at first hand

I got the news at first hand.

из первых уст

straight from the horse’s mouth

I got that story straight from the horse’s mouth.

из ряда вон выходящий

out of this world

The cake she cooked was out of this world.

изливать душу

to pour out one’s heart

She came to my room and poured out her heart to me about her unhappy marriage.

изо всей силы

with all one’s might; for all one is worth

He pushed with all his might but the gate remained firmly closed.

He swam towards the shore for all he was worth.

изо дня в день

day after day; day by day; day in, day out

He wears the same clothes day after day.

In November it gets colder day by day.

Day in, day out she had to look after the old man.

из-под (самого) носа

from under someone’s nose

The money was stolen from under his nose.

из-под полы

under the counter

The shop was not licensed to sell alcohol though its owner was selling whisky under the counter.

иметь голову на плечах

to have a good head on one’s shoulder

He can be trusted with anything – he’s got a good head on his shoulder.

иметь зуб (на кого-л.)

to have it in for someone; to have a bone to pick with someone

I don’t know why Carol has it in for me – I’ve always been nice to her.

I have a bone to pick with my neighbour.

искать иголку в стоге сена

to look for a needle in a haystack

His office was in a mess. Trying to find that document was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

искры из глаз посыпались (у кого-л.)

to see stars

I hit my head against the door and saw stars.

искушать судьбу

to tempt providence

To climb that cliff would be to tempt providence.

испокон веков

from time immemorial

The family has lived in this house from time immemorial.

испустить дух

to breathe one’s last; to give up the ghost

Mr. Johnson breathed his last yesterday.

The old man sighed and gave up the ghost.

My car has given up the ghost.

К черту!

Damn it!

каждый встречный

any Tom, Dick, and Harry

You can’t go out with any Tom, Dick, and Harry you happen to meet!

как бельмо на глазу (у кого-л.)

to be a thorn in someone’s flesh/side

His sister had been a thorn in his flesh for many years, always criticising his manners and way of life.

как в воду кануть

to vanish/disappear into thin air

One day, without any warning, he disappeared into thin air.

как в воду опущенный

down in the dumps/mouth

Nancy has been down in the dumps ever since her dog died.

как в темном лесу

in the dark; (all) at sea

He might know what he was talking about, but the rest of us were completely in the dark.

When it comes to theoretical physics, I am all at sea.

как вкопанный

rooted to the spot

He shouted to her to run, but she stood rooted to the spot.

как говорится

as they say; as the saying goes

The examination was, as they say, as easy as pie.

Married life is, as the saying goes, not all beer and skittles.

как гром среди ясного неба

like a bolt from the blue

The news of his resignation came as a bolt from the blue.

как две капли воды

like two peas in a pod

The sisters are like two peas in a pod.

как красная тряпка для быка

like a red rag to a bull

Don’t talk to him about his son because it’s like a red rag to a bull.

как на (горячих) угольях

like a cat on hot bricks; on pins and needles; on tenterhooks

She was like a cat on hot bricks before her examination.

She was on pins and needles waiting for any news.

I’ve been on tenterhooks the whole morning waiting for my examination results.

как ошпаренный

like a bat out of hell; like a shot

She ran out of the room like a bat out of hell.

The boy saw me and ran like a shot.

как пить дать

(as) sure as eggs is eggs; (as) sure as hell

As sure as eggs is eggs, he’ll be back again next week asking for another loan of money.

It’s going to rain tonight, sure as hell.

как по мановению волшебной палочки

with a wave of one’s magic wand

She thought that he could put things right with a wave of his magic wand.

как рыба в воде

in one’s element

She is in her element when she is organising a party.

как с гуся вода

like water off a duck’s back

There is no point scolding that boy for his dishonesty – it’s like water off a duck’s back.

как сельди в бочке

packed like sardines

The bus was so full we were packed like sardines. I could hardly move my arms.

как сквозь землю провалиться

to vanish/disappear into thin air

The bank robbers seem to have disappeared into thin air.

как слон в посудной лавке

like a bull in a china shop

He accidentally knocked over the lamp – he really is like a bull in a china shop.

как снег на голову

out of the blue

His parents arrived out of the blue yesterday. We didn’t know they were in the area.

как сыр в масле кататься

to live in clover

She married a wealthy man and lived in clover for the rest of her life.

как угорелая кошка

like a scalded cat

She ran like a scalded cat when she saw a ghost.

Какая муха тебя укусила?

What’s eating you?

каменное сердце

a heart of stone

You won’t get any sympathy from George – he has a heart of stone.

камень на шее (для кого-л.)

a millstone round someone’s neck

She regarded her brother-in-law as nothing but a millstone round her neck.

камень преткновения

a stumbling block

The scheme would be excellent, but money is the main stumbling block in any project of this size.

камень с души свалился (у кого-л.)

a load off someone’s mind

It’s a load off my mind to know that they’ve arrived safely.

камня на камне не оставить (от чего-л.)

to tear something to bits/pieces

The new director tore my work to bits.

капля в море

a drop in the ocean

Ted has offered us some money but it will be a drop in the ocean compared to what we need.

карточный домик

a house of cards

When her husband left her for another woman her whole life fell down around her like a house of cards.

кислая мина

a long face

The children pulled a long face when she told them that she couldn’t take them to the cinema.

китайская грамота (для кого-л.)

double Dutch (to someone); all Greek (to someone)

I couldn’t understand a single word – it was all double Dutch to me.

He tried to explain how a computer worked, but it was all Greek to me.

книга за семью печатями

a closed book

Trigonometry is a closed book to me.

когда рак на горе свиснет

when hell freezes over; when pigs fly

I’ll believe his story when hell freezes over.

Will we ever receive a reward for all this hard work? – Certainly, when pigs fly.

кожа да кости

skin and bones; a bag of bones

He was all skin and bones after his illness.

When I saw her last, she was just a bag of bones.

комок в горле стоит (у кого-л.)

to have a lump in one’s throat

When I hear the national anthem, I have a lump in my throat.

комок нервов

a bag of nerves

Since the burglary Grace has been a bag of nerves.

короче говоря

to cut a long story short

Well, to cut a long story short, they found the island and the treasure.

корчить рожу

to make/pull a face

She pulled a face when it cost more than she expected.

коту под хвост

down the drain

We’ll have to start again – several months’ work down the drain.

краем глаза

out of the corner of one’s eye

I only saw the accident out of the corner of my eye.

край света

the back of beyond

After living in the capital, this town seems like the back of beyond.

красивый как картинка

(as) pretty as a picture

My little daughter is as pretty as a picture.

красный как рак

as red as a beetroot

When somebody talks about women, he goes as red as a beetroot.

краше в гроб кладут

to look like death warmed up

The poor girl looked like death warmed up.

крепкий орешек

a hard nut (to crack)

You will find him a hard nut to crack.

He tinkered with the broken car engine for hours; it was a very hard nut to crack.

кричать благим матом

to scream blue murder

The baby screamed blue murder when I put him to bed.

кричать на всех перекрестках (о чем-л.)

to shout something from the rooftops

She was in love and wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

кровь стынет в жилах (у кого-л.)

one’s blood runs cold

Her blood ran cold as she heard someone moving in the shadows.

крокодиловы слезы

crocodile tears

She is only crying crocodile tears – she never liked the old man and she’s not sorry he’s dead.

кроткий как ягненок

(as) meek as a lamb

He never complains about overwork, he’s as meek as a lamb.

кружить голову (кому-л.) (вызывать восторг)

to turn someone’s head; to go to someone’s head

Tom’s promotion has turned his head and he hardly talks to us now.

She is a famous actress; I only hope her success will not go to her head.

кружить голову (кому-л.) (влюблять в себя)

to sweep someone off one’s feet

The young girl was swept off her feet by a handsome stranger.

крыша над головой (у кого-л.)

a roof over one’s head

Our new house was not a palace, but at least we had a roof over our heads.

кто знает

you never can tell

It sounded like a promise, but you never can tell – he might change his mind later.

купаться в золоте

to be in the money; to be made of money; to have money to burn

She’s in the money now since her rich uncle has died.

Sorry, I can’t lend you fifty pounds. I’m not made of money, you know.

The only people who can afford to pay such a huge sum of money for a new suit are rich people with money to burn.

лебединая песня

(one’s) swan song

The singer’s performance in London last week proved to be his swan song.

легкий как перышко

(as) light as a feather

Of course I can carry the suitcase. It’s as light as a feather.

легок на помине

Talk of the devil!

John always keeps us waiting. Shall we go? Oh, talk of the devil, here he is coming along the road!

легче легкого

(as) easy as pie; (as) easy as falling off a log

It was the easiest job I’ve ever done. It was as easy as pie.

He said writing songs was as easy as falling off a log for him.

лезть в бутылку

to fly off the handle

There’s no need to fly off the handle. I only wanted to explain how I felt.

лезть в петлю

to put one’s head in a noose; to put one’s head on the block; to risk one’s neck

By openly voting against the director, she’s put her head in a noose.

He put his head on the block by admitting that he was the one who made the mistake.

He was aware that in joining the military expedition he was risking his neck.

лезть на рожон

to stick one’s neck out; to ask for trouble/it

He has had the courage to stick his head out and speak the truth.

Stop talking to the boss that way, Pete. You’re just asking for trouble.

лезть на стенку

to go up the wall

She’ll go up the wall if she finds out you’ve been smoking.

летающая тарелка

a flying saucer

лечь костьми

to lay down one’s life

He would lay down his life in the service of his country.

лизать пятки (кому-л.)

to lick someone’s boots

It’s disgusting the way she licks her boss’ boots all the time.

лить воду на мельницу (кого-л.)

to play into someone’s hands

By discussing his plans openly the politician was playing into the hands of the opposition.

лить как из ведра

to come down in buckets; to rain cats and dogs

I’m not going out in this rain – it’s coming down in buckets.

It’s raining cats and dogs outside tonight.

лицом к лицу

face to face

He came face to face with his enemy.

лишиться рассудка

to be/go out of one’s mind

She must be out of her mind to talk like that to the new director.

ловить каждое слово (кого-л.)

to hang upon someone’s words

Margaret is full of admiration for her husband and hangs upon his words.

ловить на слове (кого-л.)

to take someone at one’s word

When I said that I would like them to visit us in Spain they took me at my word and arrived at our villa two weeks later with all their children.

ловить рыбу в мутной воде

to fish in troubled waters

During the war, this company had been fishing in troubled waters selling goods to both sides.

ложиться под нож

to go under the knife

I have to go under the knife next week.

ложка дегтя в бочке меда

a fly in the ointment

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. The only fly in the ointment was the bad weather.

ломать (себе) голову

to rack one’s brains

She racked her brains all morning, but couldn’t remember where she put the key.

ломать комедию

to put on an act

She is putting on an act. I don’t believe she has hurt her knee.

ломать копья (с кем-л.)

to cross swords (with someone)

The last time we crossed swords I had to admit that I was wrong.

любой ценой

at all costs; at any price

He must at all costs avoid being seen.

She was willing to carry out her plan at any price.

мальчик для битья

a whipping boy

Our director always has to have a whipping boy for his mistakes.

манна небесная

manna from heaven

Helen was very bored in hospital and welcomed the books brought in by a friend as manna from heaven.

марать руки

to dirty one’s hands

Do you think I would hit someone like your brother? I wouldn’t dirty my hands on him.

мастер на все руки

a jack of all trades

Bill will take on any piece of work he is offered, from plumbing to gardening – he’s a jack of all trades.

мастер своего дела

an old hand

He is an old hand at repairing watches.

махнуть рукой (на кого-л./что-л.)

to give someone/something up as a bad job

I could not persuade him to go to university, and finally gave it up as a bad job.

I gave him up as a bad job when he failed to keep his word.

между молотом и наковальней

between a rock and a hard place; between the devil and the deep blue sea

Trying to please both his wife and his mother he finds himself between a rock and a hard place.

I couldn’t make up my mind. I was caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

между нами говоря

between you and me; between ourselves; between you, me and the gatepost

Between you and me, I think he made up the whole story.

Between ourselves, he is having trouble with his wife.

Between you, me and the gatepost, I don’t believe his words.