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

Fear lent me wings.

придавить подушку

to get one’s head down

I’ll get my head down for a bit before going out again.

придерживать коней

to hold one’s horses

Hold your horses! I need to tell you something before you go.

придерживать язычок

to hold one’s tongue; to shut one’s mouth

Hold your tongue! You can’t talk to your parents that way.

Oh, shut your mouth and stop telling me what to do!

прикладываться к бутылке

to hit the bottle

Since her husband left her she’s been hitting the bottle.

прикусить язык

to bite one’s tongue

I wanted to tell him that he was wrong, but I bit my tongue.

приложить руку (к чему-л.)

to have a hand in something

I was glad to have a hand in arranging the Christmas party.

принимать близко к сердцу (что-л.)

to take something to heart

You shouldn’t take his angry words to heart.

принимать за чистую монету (что-л.)

to take something at face value

He promised to send back the money, and we took his word at face value.

принимать меры

to take steps

The government took steps to protect local industries.

приносить плоды

to bear fruit

I hope your idea bears fruit.

приподнимать завесу (над чем-л.)

to take the wraps off something; to blow the lid off something

They decided to take the wraps off their new invention.

The newspaper article blew the lid off the government’s plan to raise taxes.

прислушиваться к голосу разума

to listen to reason

Please listen to reason, and don’t do something you’ll soon regret.

пристать как банный лист (к кому-л.)

to stick/cling (to someone) like a leech

The dog clung to us like a leech wherever we went.

присутствие духа

presence of mind

притча во языцех

the talk of the town

It’ll be the talk of the town in a few days, and there is no need to keep the secret any longer.

приходить в голову (кому-л.)

to come into someone’s head; to cross someone’s mind

She said the first thing that came into her head.

It crossed my mind that the shop would be closed at five o’clock.

приходить в себя (образумиться; прийти в сознание)

to come to one’s senses

Pete, come to your senses. You’re being quite stupid.

She fainted and when she came to her senses, she was in a hospital bed.

пробовать свои силы (в чем-л.)

to try one’s hand (at something)

I want to try my hand at making bread.

проглотить пилюлю

to swallow one’s pride

She had to swallow her pride and admit her mistake to the teacher.

продрогнуть до костей

to be chilled/frozen to the marrow

Where is Tom? He’s been gone for twenty minutes. I’m chilled to the marrow.

проливать свет (на что-л.)

to shed/throw light on something

His statement has shed some light on the problem.

промокнуть до нитки

to be soaked to the skin

Come in and dry off. You must be soaked to the skin.

промочить горло

to wet one’s whistle

I need a drink to wet my whistle.

пропускать мимо ушей (что-л.)

to turn a deaf ear to something

The man turned a deaf ear to my advice.

проскакивать между пальцами

to slip through one’s fingers

A policeman tried to follow me, but I managed to slip through his fingers.

против своей воли

under protest

I’ll go with you, but I want you to write down that I do so under protest.

протягивать руку помощи (кому-л.)

to give/lend someone a (helping) hand

He was always ready to give me a helping hand every time I needed it.

протянуть ноги

to turn up one’s toes

The old man may turn up his toes any day.

проще простого

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

It’s as easy as pie. I can explain the whole thing in a minute.

Passing the driving test was as easy as falling off a log.

прятать голову под крыло

to bury one’s head in the sand

He was burying his head in the sand, refusing to face up to his problems.

пускать в ход (что-л.)

to bring something into play

Even bringing into play all the resources available wouldn’t solve the problem.

пускать корни

to take root; to put down roots

His ideas have taken root in the society.

I wanted to get married and put down roots in this town.

пуститься наутек

to take to one’s heels; to turn tail and run

The little girl said hello and then took to her heels.

As I went towards the director’s office imagining a reprimand, my only thought was to turn tail and run.

путать все карты (кому-л.)

to upset the applecart; to spike someone’s guns

She has really upset the applecart by going on holiday two weeks earlier than we agreed.

I was hoping to have a quiet evening but the children spiked my guns by coming home early.

работать до седьмого пота

to work one’s guts out; to sweat blood

Why should I work my guts out for such a low salary?

Jack sweated blood to finish his work on time.

работать как ломовая лошадь

to work like a horse

I’m tired, I’ve been working like a horse all day.

Ради Бога!

for goodness’/heaven’s/God’s/Christ’s sake!

For God’s sake, stop making that noise!

разбивать сердце (кому-л.)

to break someone’s heart

If he leaves her, it’ll break her heart.

разбить лед

to break the ice

I was quite nervous, but Paul broke the ice by offering me a drink.

разбить наголову (кого-л.)

to wipe the floor with someone

Did your team win? – Yes, we wiped the floor with them!

раздавить бутылочку

to crack a bottle

On their tenth wedding anniversary they cracked a bottle with their friends.

размять ноги

to stretch one’s legs

We’ve been sitting here all the evening. Let’s go out for a walk and stretch our legs.

разносить в пух и прах (кого-л./что-л.)

to tear someone/something to bits/pieces; to pull someone/something to pieces

The teacher tore his work to bits.

My article was pulled to pieces by the editor.

разрубить Гордиев узел

to cut the Gordian knot

рай земной

(a) heaven on earth

He says that his new job is heaven on earth.

ранняя пташка

an early bird

My husband was always an early bird. He got up at 6 o’clock every day of the week.

раскачивать лодку

to rock the boat

Don’t criticise the director in front of the customers; you won’t help by rocking the boat.

раскидывать мозгами

to rack one’s brains

A man waved his hand at me. I waved back, racking my brains to remember who he was.

раскрывать карты

to put one’s cards on the table; to show one’s cards

Why don’t you put your cards on the table, so we could make a decision?

I wouldn’t show your cards if I were you. It is better to keep your intentions to yourself.

расправлять крылья

to spread one’s wings

You can’t keep your son at home forever – you must encourage him to spread his wings.

рассеивать опасения (чьи-л.)

to put/set someone’s mind at rest

Your friend is not going to be fired. You can put his mind at rest on that score.

Рассказывай это своей бабушке!

Tell it to the marines!

He has a yacht? Tell it to the marines!

рвать и метать

to rant and rave; to blow one’s top

If I’m even ten minutes late, the boss starts ranting and raving about my laziness.

My husband blew his top when I told him about the car.

рвать на себе волосы

to tear one’s hair out

She has been tearing her hair out over the accounts.

рваться в бой

to champ at the bit

The new supercomputer is complete and scientists are champing at the bit to use it.

редкая птица

a rare bird

He was that rare bird – an artist and a scientist.

рубить сук, на котором сидишь

to cut one’s own throat

Can’t you see that you are just cutting your own throat in turning your back on him?

ругаться на чем свет стоит

to swear like a trooper

He swore like a trooper when he found out what had happened.

руки-крюки

butter-fingers

That’s the third time you’ve dropped the pan. Butter-fingers!

Руки прочь!

Hands off!

Hands off my cakes!

руки связаны (у кого-л.)

one’s hands are tied

Sorry, but I can’t do anything without your father’s permission – my hands are tied.

руки чешутся (у кого-л.)

one’s fingers itch

My fingers were itching to play the new piano.

рукой подать

close/near at hand; (within) a stone’s throw

The station is near at hand.

Our house was within a stone’s throw of the lake.

рыть себе могилу

to dig one’s own grave

She has dug her own grave. She shouldn’t have done all the housework herself.

с головы до ног

from top to toe; from head to foot/toe

A pleasant warmth overtook her from top to toe.

He was dressed in white from head to foot.

с закрытыми глазами

with one’s eyes closed

I know my way to this house so well that I could take you there with my eyes closed.

с легким сердцем

with a light heart

I came home with a light heart. I had paid off my creditors at last.

с маху

with all one’s might

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

с открытыми глазами

with one’s eyes open

He went into it with his eyes open, so he can’t complain now of having been cheated.

с пеленок

from the cradle

They know each other from the cradle.

с первого взгляда

at first sight

She fell in love with him at first sight.

с пылу с жару

piping hot

I like the food being served piping hot.

с точностью часового механизма

like clockwork

We got there without the least difficulty. It all went like clockwork.

с тяжелым сердцем

with a heavy heart

She left the letter unfinished and went off with a heavy heart.

сбивать спесь (с кого-л.)

to take/bring someone down a peg or two; to cut someone down to size

He is too big-headed. He ought to be taken down a peg or two.

She was beginning to forget her position. I had to cut her down to size.

сбрасывать с пьедестала (кого-л.)

to knock someone off one’s pedestal

The party leader was knocked off his pedestal by the newspaper’s reports about his private life.

сбывать с рук (кого-л./что-л.)

to get someone/something off one’s hands

The thief got the diamonds off his hands.

свободный как ветер

(as) free as the wind

He felt as free as the wind when he escaped from prison.

сводить в могилу (кого-л.)

to be the death of someone

Drink will be the death of him.

сводить концы с концами

to make both ends meet

He had to work overtime to make both ends meet.

сводить с ума (кого-л.)

to drive someone up the wall

When Alice talks about her new boyfriend, she drives me up the wall.

сводить счеты (с кем-л.)

to settle accounts with someone; to settle a score with someone; to get even with someone

He has insulted me in front of my friends. I intend to settle accounts with him.

I’ve lost a lot of money because of his bad advice, so I have a score to settle with him.

He has been waiting for months to get even with her, and now he saw his chance.

свой парень

one of the boys

I really like Tom. He is one of the boys.

связанный по рукам и ногам

bound/tied hand and foot

I’ll have to go without a holiday this year. I am tied hand and foot to my work.

святая святых

the holy of holies

This room is my husband’s holy of holies, which visitors are rarely permitted to enter.

сглаживать острые углы

to paper over the cracks

The politician didn’t succeed in papering over the cracks in his party’s ideas on unemployment.

сдавать в архив (кого-л.)

to put/send someone out to grass

At the age of fifty five my uncle was put out to grass and now he has nothing to do all day.

сделать отбивную котлету (из кого-л.)

to make mincemeat of someone; to beat someone black and blue

The politician has made mincemeat of all his political opponents.

The neighbour threatened to beat the boy black and blue for stealing his apples.

сделать себе имя

to make a name for oneself

His brother has made a name for himself in literature.

секрет полишинеля

an open secret

It was an open secret in the office that the director was in love with his secretary.

семимильными шагами

by leaps and bounds

Since I was taking private lessons, my knowledge of English has improved by leaps and bounds.

сердце кровью обливается (у кого-л.)

one’s heart bleeds for someone

He looked desperate, and my heart bled for him.

сесть в лужу

to fall flat on one’s face; to make a fool of oneself; to have egg on one’s face

Having no experience, Alice fell flat on her face when she tried to run a shop.

He didn’t follow my advice and made a fool of himself at the party.

The criminals have got away with no trouble at all; the police have egg on their faces today.

сжигать за собой мосты

to burn one’s bridges

I changed my mind about giving up my job, but I had burnt my bridges by resigning my position in the company.

сидеть в печенках

to be sick to death of someone/something; to be sick and tired of someone/something

I’m sick to death of his complaints.

I’m sick and tired of your dogs. They bark too much.

сидеть как на иголках

to be on pins and needles; to be on tenterhooks

She was on pins and needles all day yesterday waiting for the results of the X-rays.

I’ve been on tenterhooks the whole morning waiting for the news.

сидеть между двумя стульями

to sit on the fence

John preferred to sit on the fence during the quarrel rather than show support for one side or the other.

сидеть на бобах

not to have a bean

I’d love to go with you but I haven’t a bean until I get paid.

сидеть сложа руки

to sit on one’s hands; to twiddle one’s thumbs

They need our help. We can’t sit on our hands.

Don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs. Get busy!

сильные мира сего

the powers that be

сказать пару теплых слов (кому-л.)

to give someone a piece of one’s mind

Andy has treated his wife rather roughly and I’ll give him a piece of my mind when I see him.

скользить по поверхности

to scratch the surface

Your research only scratches the surface of the problem.

скользкий как уж

(as) slippery as an eel

I wouldn’t do business with him, if I were you – he is as slippery as an eel.

сколько душе угодно

to one’s heart’s content

Come to our restaurant and eat and drink to your heart’s content!

скрежетать зубами

to gnash one’s teeth

Michael gnashed his teeth when he saw the damage to his car.

скрещивать мечи (с кем-л.)

to cross swords (with someone)

He is a hot-tempered man, few people are willing to cross swords with him.

слабый на голову

soft/weak in the head

You must be soft in the head if you think I will believe that story.

слава Богу

thank God/goodness/heaven(s)/the Lord

Thank heavens it didn’t rain.

слепая курица

(as) blind as a bat

He must be as blind as a bat not to have seen us.

словно аршин проглотить

(as) stiff as a poker; bolt upright

She sat upright, stiff as a poker, while the policeman asked her about her son.

When I heard of his arrival, I sat bolt upright with surprise.

слово в слово

word for word

I repeated this conversation word for word.

сломать себе шею

to break one’s neck

One day he’ll break his neck in that car of his.

служить и нашим и вашим

to serve two masters; to have a foot in both camps; to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds

Sooner or later you’ll have to choose between the two parties – you cannot serve two masters indefinitely.

John wanted to keep friendly with both the workers and their boss, so he had to have a foot in both camps.

He works for our company during the day and for our competitors during the evening; he must realise that he can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

слышно, как муха пролетит

you could hear a pin drop

When I came into the house I was impressed by the silence. You could hear a pin drop.

слюнки потекли (у кого-л.)

one’s mouth waters

At the sight of the food my mouth watered.

сматывать удочки

to take to one’s heels; to beat/hop it

When I saw him coming I took to my heels.

Now beat it, before she calls the police.

смешивать с грязью (кого-л./что-л.)

to drag someone/something through the mud/mire; to throw mud/dirt at someone

His behaviour is causing our family name to be dragged through the mud.

I’m not going to let that man throw mud at us and then get away with this.

смеяться в кулак

to laugh up one’s sleeve

I trusted her, but now I believe that all the time she was laughing up her sleeve.

смеяться в лицо (кому-л.)

to laugh in someone’s face

I told Martin that it was his fault, but he laughed in my face.

смотреть в лицо (чему-л.)

to look something in the face

She couldn’t look the truth in the face.

смотреть в оба (за кем-л./чем-л.)

to keep an eye open for someone/something; to keep one’s eyes peeled/skinned for someone/something; to keep an eye on someone/something

The police were asked to keep an eye open for the little boy who had got lost in the shop.

He moved along the road very slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for wild animals.

You must keep an eye on that boy. He isn’t to be trusted on his own.

смотреть волком (на кого-л.)

to look daggers at someone

She looked daggers at her husband for being rude to her friends.

смотреть (прямо) в глаза (кому-л.)

to look someone in the face; to look someone (straight) in the eye

I was so ashamed that I couldn’t look him in the face.

Look me straight in the eye and say that you are happy there.

смотреть сверху вниз (на кого-л.)

to look down one’s nose (at someone)

She hates us. She thinks we look down our noses at her.

смотреть сквозь пальцы (на что-л.)

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

Mary adored her son and always turned a blind eye to his misbehaviour.

She preferred to close her eyes to all his shortcomings.

смотреть сквозь розовые очки (на что-л.)

to look at something through rose-tinted spectacles

He sees everything through rose-tinted spectacles when he visits the village, but he would feel different if he had to live there.

снимать шляпу (перед кем-л.)

to take off one’s hat to someone

It was a brilliant idea. I take off my hat to you.

со всеми потрохами

lock, stock, and barrel

When they moved to London, they were obliged to sell the house and all their possessions, lock, stock and barrel.

со всех ног

at full pelt

The boy was running at full pelt down the street.

со своей стороны

for one’s part

For my part, I have no reason to doubt his words.

собака на сене

a dog in the manger

Don’t be such a dog in the manger – you didn’t want to read that book until I asked to borrow it from you.

собачья жизнь

a dog’s life

It’s a dog’s life, working all day long in the open air; there is no money in it, either.

собраться с духом

to screw up one’s courage

She screwed up her courage and told her husband that she was leaving him.

собраться с мыслями

to gather one’s wits

I needed a bit of time to gather my wits.

собственной персоной

in the flesh

Is your brother here? – Yes, he’s here, in the flesh.

совать свой нос (во что-л.)

poke one’s nose into something

I don’t want your sister poking her nose into my affairs.

совсем другая история

a different story; a horse of a different colour

Her plays are quite boring, but her songs – that’s a different story.

I’m asking this not for myself but for my father. – For your father? That’s a horse of a different colour.

соль земли

the salt of the earth

I think that people who live in rural areas are the backbone of society, the salt of the earth.

сомкнуть ряды

to close ranks

The journalists closed ranks, and no information was made available.

сорить деньгами

to spend money like water

You will never be able to buy a new car – you spend money like water.

сослужить хорошую службу (кому-л.)

to stand someone in good stead; to do someone a good turn

His knowledge of French will stand him in good stead if he wants to get a job in a French company.

He did me a good turn by warning me of the coming storm.

сохранять присутствие духа

to keep a stiff upper lip

She suffered a lot, but kept a stiff upper lip throughout her ordeal.

спасать положение

to save the day

There was nowhere to hold the exhibition, but Beryl saved the day by offering the use of her office.

спасать свою шкуру

to save one’s own skin/neck

He is an evil man who has lied to save his own neck.

спать без задних ног

to sleep like a log; to be dead to the world

The bed was very comfortable and I slept like a log.

He won’t hear anything – he is lying on his bed, dead to the world.

спать сном праведника

to sleep the sleep of the just

спокоен как скала

as steady as a rock

All his friends were shaking with fear, but Tom was as steady as a rock.

спускать с лестницы (кого-л.)

to throw someone out on one’s ear

If you come home drunk again, I will throw you out on your ear.

спуститься с неба на землю

to come down to earth

Your thoughts are far away. Come down to earth.

сражаться с ветряными мельницами

to tilt at windmills

Why do you always attack the government policy? You are tilting at windmills.

средь бела дня

in broad daylight

The thief broke into the shop in broad daylight.

ставить все на одну карту

to put all one’s eggs in one basket

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In case plan A fails, keep plan B updated.

ставить крест (на ком-л./чем-л.)

to give someone/something up as a bad job

After failing the driving test three times, I gave it up as a bad job.

ставить на место (кого-л.)

to put someone in one’s place; to cut someone down to size

He started to criticise her work, but she soon put him in his place.

Your secretary has been too rude lately. It’s time someone cut her down to size.

ставить с ног на голову (что-л.)

to stand/turn something on its head

She stood the whole idea on its head.

ставить себя на место (чье-л.)

to put oneself in someone’s place

I know he was acting foolishly, but put yourself in his place.

ставить точки над i

to dot the i’s and cross the t’s

After very careful negotiations we dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.

становиться на ноги (выздороветь)

to be back on one’s feet

He looks quite well; he’ll be back on his feet again in a week.

становиться на ноги (стать самостоятельным)

to stand on one’s own two feet; to find one’s feet

As soon as he had enough money to stand on his own two feet he left home and moved to London.

When he was released from prison, Margaret helped him find his feet again.

становиться на свои места

to fall into place

She explained how the results were obtained, and then things started to fall into place.

становиться на сторону (кого-л.)

to take someone’s part/side

You know she’s the one who’s wrong. I thought I could at least rely on you to take my part.

становиться поперек горла (кому-л.)

to stick in someone’s throat

It sticks in my throat to have to take orders from your mother.

становиться поперек пути (кому-л.)

to stand in someone’s way

If you want to live away from home, I won’t stand in your way.

стараться изо всех сил

to do one’s (level) best

The girl was bad at English, but she did her level best to pass the exam.

старо как мир

(as) old as Adam; (as) old as the hills

That song is as old as Adam. Even my grandmother knows it.

Many of his stories are written in the first person singular. That is a literary convention which is as old as the hills.

стезя добродетели

the straight and narrow

I couldn’t believe that such a nice man, who had kept to the straight and narrow all his life, had done such a thing.

стереть в мелкий порошок (кого-л./что-л.)

to make mincemeat of someone/something

He was a formidable opponent – a man who made mincemeat of any ideas that contradicted his own.

стиснуть зубы

to grit one’s teeth

The fireman gritted his teeth and entered the burning building.

стоять комом в горле (у кого-л.)

to stick in someone’s throat

I longed to tell him the truth, but the words stuck in my throat.

стоять на перепутье

to be at the crossroads

We were at the crossroads; we had to decide very soon whether to stay in England or emigrate.

стоять на своем

to hold/stand one’s ground, to stick to one’s guns

The woman stood her ground and refused to withdraw her complaint.

He was determined to stick to his guns.

стоять над душой (у кого-л.)

to breathe down someone’s neck

I can’t work with you breathing down my neck all the time.

стоять одной ногой в могиле

to have one foot in the grave, to be at death’s door

Stop treating your father as though he has one foot in the grave!

I was very distressed to hear that the old woman was at death’s door.

страшный как смертный грех

(as) ugly as sin

Her new boyfriend is as ugly as sin.

стреляный воробей

an old hand

I’m an old hand and know what I’m talking about.

строить воздушные замки

to build castles in the air

I am afraid that all Neil’s ideas will come to nothing; he is always building castles in the air.

строить глазки (кому-л.)

to make eyes at someone

He didn’t like that his wife was making eyes at his friends.

Стыд и срам!

Shame on you!

Shame on you! You should never talk to your father like this.

Сущий вздор!

Stuff and nonsense!

It is a very strong team. – Stuff and nonsense! We could beat them easily.

схватить простуду

to catch a cold

I caught a cold and had to stay in bed for several days.

сходить на нет

to come to nothing

I am afraid that all his plans to buy a new flat will come to nothing when he finds out how much it will cost.

сходить с ума

to be/go out of one’s mind; to lose one’s marbles

You lent him your new laptop? You must be out of your mind.

You gave the police a false address? Have you lost your marbles?

сыграть в ящик

to kick the bucket

The old man is very ill; I think he might kick the bucket tomorrow.

сыпать соль на рану (кому-л.)

to rub salt into someone’s wounds

He humiliated me in front of my friends and then, to rub salt into my wounds, he began to laugh at my tears.

сыт по горло (чем-л.)

to be fed up to the back teeth (with something); to have a bellyful (of something)

He was fed up to the back teeth with his wife’s complaints and decided to leave her.

She has been telling me her love stories the whole day. I’ve had a bellyful of them.

так и надо (кому-л.)

to serve someone right

He’s been sick. – It serves him right for drinking so much.

так или иначе

one way or another

One way or another I’m going to finish this job before Christmas.

так сказать

so to speak

такие вот дела

that’s that

Well, that’s that. No more work till next week.

там и тут

here and there

We went here and there looking for flowers.

таскать каштаны из огня (для кого-л.)

pull the chestnuts out of the fire (for someone)

I don’t know why I should pull the chestnuts out of the fire for him. I’m not going to do it again.

творить чудеса

to work/do wonders

The new medicine works wonders for indigestion.

темная лошадка

a dark horse

терять голову (растеряться)

to lose one’s head

Her brother was not a man to lose his head in an emergency.

терять голову (из-за кого-л.) (влюбиться)

to have a crush on someone

He has had a crush on her ever since they met last winter.

терять дар речи

to lose one’s tongue

Tell me who is responsible for this mess. Have you lost your tongue?

терять из виду (кого-л.)

to lose sight of someone

I lost sight of him in the crowd.

терять лицо

to lose face

He was jealous but he could not admit it without losing his face.

терять нить (чего-л.)

to lose the thread (of something)

I fell asleep half way through the film and lost the thread of the story.

тише воды ниже травы

(as) quiet as a mouse, (as) meek as a lamb

She was as quiet as a mouse, answering only when spoken to.

My sister never complains about the way she’s treated by her employer, she’s as meek as a lamb.

только пятки сверкают

to show a clean pair of heels

The girl showed a clean pair of heels after I found her stealing the sweets.

только через мой труп

over my dead body

If you want to marry that man, it’ll be over my dead body.

топтаться на месте

to mark time; to tread water

People here don’t have much money to spend, so the business is just marking time until the economy improves.

I’ve done nothing but tread water for the last two weeks.

тот свет

the next world; the other side

трезвый как стеклышко

(as) sober as a judge

Are you drunk? – No, I’m as sober as a judge.

трещать по швам

to come/fall apart at the seams

It seems that the whole arrangement is just coming apart at the seams.

трогать пальцем (кого-л.)

to lay a finger on someone

If you lay a finger on her, you will regret it.

тронуться умом

to be/go out of one’s mind; to lose one’s marbles

You paid so much money for that heap of junk? Are you out of your mind?

I may seem old to you young people, but I haven’t lost my marbles yet.

турусы на колесах

a cock-and-bull story

She told me a cock-and-bull story about having to work late.

тыкать носом (кого-л.)

to rub someone’s nose in it

Please stop talking about that letter. I feel bad enough already without you rubbing my nose in it all the time.

тютелька в тютельку

to a T; to the letter

That new dress suits you to a T.

I followed the instructions to the letter, and it still doesn’t work.

тянуть кота за хвост

to beat about the bush; to hum and haw, to um and aah

Come on, don’t beat about the bush and tell me what you want.

She hummed and hawed for months before actually deciding to buy a new car.

My sister always ums and aahs before taking a decision.

у черта на куличках

in the middle of nowhere; in the back of beyond

His parents lived in a village in the middle of nowhere.

I felt as if I was in the back of beyond, yet it was only two minutes drive to the motorway.

убивать время

to kill time

The train was late, so I read a newspaper to kill time.

убивать двух зайцев

to kill two birds with one stone

You can kill two birds with one stone by working and studying at the same time.

ударять в голову (кому-л.)

to go to someone’s head

He was tired and the wine he had drunk was going to his head.

указывать на дверь (кому-л.)

to show someone the door

He was rude to my wife and I simply showed him the door.

улыбаться во весь рот

to smile from ear to ear

‘I’m so happy to see you,’ she said smiling from ear to ear.

умывать руки

to wash one’s hands of someone/something

The boy is self-willed and unruly. From now on I wash my hands of him.

уничтожать в зародыше (что-л.)

to nip something in the bud

Cannabis cultivation is an increasing problem which must be nipped in the bud.

упрямый как осел

(as) stubborn as a mule

Diana will never change her mind – she is as stubborn as a mule.

упускать из виду (что-л.)

to lose sight of something

He always loses sight of the important things.

уступать место (чему-л.)

to give way to something

Summer gave way to autumn.

утереть нос (кому-л.)

to be one up on someone; to get the better of someone

She was delighted with her new dress. She likes to be one up on her friends.

He was always letting somebody get the better of him when it came to business deals.

утечка мозгов

brain drain

Britain suffered a brain drain because wages in America were so much higher.

утопать в роскоши