Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц) - неизвестен Автор

[play ostrich] <v. phr.> To refuse to face painful facts or unpleasant truths. * /She plays ostrich when it comes to her husband's drinking problem./

[play politics] <v. phr.> To make secret agreements for your own gain; handle different groups for your own advantage. * /In order to get elected, he had to play politics with both the unions and the bosses./ * /Mary always gets what she wants by playing office politics./

[play possum] <v. phr.>, <informal> 1. To pretend to be asleep. * /Johnny seemed to be fully asleep, but his mother knew that he was playing possum./ 2. To stay quiet for self-protection; try to escape attention by inactivity. * /The rabbit played possum under the bushes, hoping the hunter would not see him./ * /Bob played possum when the teacher looked around./

[play safe] or [play it safe] <v. phr.>, <informal> To be very careful; accept small gains or none to avoid loss; avoid danger for the sake of safety. * /He got tired as the game went on, and began to play safe./ * /Tom didn't know what the other driver would do, so he played it safe and stopped his own car./

[play second fiddle] <v. phr.>, <informal> To act a smaller part; follow another's lead; be less noticed. * /His wife had the stronger mind and he played second fiddle to her./ * /During the tournament, lessons played second fiddle to basketball./

[play the devil with] or [play hob with] <v. phr.>, <informal> To cause confusion in; upset. * /Uncle Bob's unexpected visit played the devil with our own plans to travel./ * /Mother's illness played hob with our party./

[play the field] <v. phr.>, <informal> To date many different people; not always have dates with the same person. * /Al had a steady girlfriend, but John was playing the field./ * /Jim was crazy about Mary, but she was still playing the field./ Contrast: GO STEADY.

[play the game] <v. phr.>, <informal> To obey the rules; do right; act fairly. * /"That's not playing the game," we told him when he wanted to desert his wife./ * /"Oh, let's play the game," he said, when his partner suggested a way to keep from paying some of their debts./ * /Your parents want you to play the game in life./

[play the market] <v. phr.> To try to make money on the stock market by buying and selling stocks, * /John lost all his savings playing the market./ * /Sometimes Mr. Smith makes a lot of money when he plays the market, and sometimes he loses./

[play to the gallery] <v. phr.> To try to get the approval of the audience. * /Whenever John recites in class he seems to be playing to the gallery./ * /The lawyer for the defense was more interested in playing to the gallery than in winning the case./ Compare: SHOW OFF.

[play tricks on] <v. phr.> To make another the victim of some trick or joke. * /Al got angry when his classmates played a trick on him by hiding his clothes while he was swimming./

[play up] <v.> To call attention to; talk more about; emphasize. * /The coach played up the possibilities, and kept our minds off our weaknesses./ * /The director played up the woman's glamor to conceal her lack of acting ability./

[play upon] See: PLAY ON.

[play up to] <v. phr.>. <slang> 1. To try to gain the favor of, especially for selfish reasons; act to win the approval of; try to please. * /He played up to the boss./ 2. To use (something) to gain an end; to attend to (a weakness). * /He played up to the old lady's vanity to get her support./

[play with fire] <v. phr.> To put oneself in danger; to take risks. * /Leaving your door unlocked in New York City is playing with fire./ * /The doctor told Mr. Smith that he must watch his diet if he doesn't want to play with fire./ Compare: SKATE ON THIN ICE.

[plough] or [plow through] <v. phr.> Pass through laboriously. * /Saw had to plough through hundreds of pages of American history to get ready for his test./

[plow] See: PUT ONE'S HAND TO THE PLOW.

[plow into] <v.> 1. To attack vigorously. * /He plowed into his work and finished it in a few hours./ 2. To crash into with force. * /A truck plowed into my car and smashed the fender./

[pluck up] <v.> 1. To have (courage) by your own effort; make yourself have (courage). * /In spite of failure, he plucked up heart to continue./ * /He plucked up courage when he saw a glimmer of hope./ 2. To become happier; feel better; cheer up. * /He plucked up when his wife recovered./

[pluck up one's courage] See: SCREW UP ONE'S COURAGE.

[plug away] See: PEG AWAY.

[plug in] <v. phr.> To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by putting its plug into a receptacle or hole. * /The integrated circuit has multiplied the number of small radios that need not be plugged in./

[plug into] <v.> To connect (an electrical appliance) to a power wire by inserting its plug into a receptacle or hole. * /He thought he had left the lamp plugged into the wall, and so was puzzled when it wouldn't light that night./

[plume oneself] <v. phr.>, <literary> To be proud of yourself; boast. * /He plumed himself on having the belle of the ball as his date./ * /He plumed himself on his successful planning in the election./ * /She plumed herself on the grace with which she sat on a horse./ Compare: PRIDE ONESELF.

[plunk down] <v.>, <informal> 1. To drop down; fall. * /After walking a mile we plunked down on a bench to rest./ 2. To drop something noisily or firmly. * /He plunked the heavy suitcase down at the station./ 3. To pay out, primarily an excessive amount * /I had to plunk down $55 for a concert ticket./

[please] See: AS YOU PLEASE.

[pocket] See: BURN A HOLE IN ONE'S POCKET, LINE ONE'S POCKETS.

[pocket money] See: SPENDING MONEY.

[pocket one's pride] See: SWALLOW ONE'S PRIDE.

[point] See: AT SWORDS' POINTS, AT THE POINT OF, BESIDE THE POINT, BOILING POINT, CASE IN POINT, COME TO THE POINT, EXTRA POINT, MAKE A POINT, ON THE POINT OF, SORE SPOT or SORE POINT, STRETCH A POINT or STRAIN A POINT, TALKING POINT.

[point-blank] <adv.> Straightforwardly; bluntly; directly. * /Sue refused point-blank to discuss marriage with Sam./

[point of view] <n.> Attitude; opinion. * /From the American point of view, Fidel Castro is a bad neighbor to have./

[point out] <v.> 1. To show by pointing with the finger; point to; make clear the location of. * /The guide pointed out the principal sights of the city./ 2. To bring to notice; call to attention; explain. * /The policeman pointed out that the law forbids public sale of firecrackers./ * /The school secretary pointed out that the closing date for making applications had passed./

[point up] <v.> To show clearly; emphasize. * /The increase in crime points up the need for greater police protection./ * /Johnny's report card points up his talent for math./

[poison-pen] <adj.> Containing threats or false accusations; written in spite or to get revenge, and usually unsigned. * /Mrs. Smith received a poison-pen letter telling her that her husband was untrue./ * /To get revenge on Mary, Alice wrote a poison-pen letter to the teacher and signed Mary's name to it./

[poke] See: PIG IN A POKE, TAKE A PUNCH AT or TAKE A POKE AT.

[poke around] or [poke about] <v.> 1. To search about; look into and under things. * /The detective poked around in the missing man's office./ 2. To move slowly or aimlessly; do little things. * /He didn't feel well, and poked around the house./

[poke fun at] See: MAKE FUN OF.

[poles apart] <adj.> Completely different. * /The two brothers were poles apart in personality./ * / It was hard for the members to make any decisions because their ideas were poles apart./

[polish off] <v.>, <informal> 1. To defeat easily. * /The Dodgers polished off the Yankees in four straight games in the 1963 World Series./ 2. To finish completely; finish doing quickly, often in order to do something else. * /The boys were hungry and polished off a big steak./ * /Mary polished off her homework early so that she could watch TV./

[polish the apple] <v. phr.>, <slang> To try to make someone like you; to try to win favor by flattery. * /Mary polished the apple at work because she wanted a day off./ * /Susan is the teacher's pet because she always polishes the apple./ - [apple polisher] <n.>, <slang> A person who is nice to the one in charge in order to be liked or treated better; a person who does favors for a superior. * /Jane is an apple polisher. She is always helping the teacher and talking to him./ * /Joe is an apple-polisher. He will do anything for the boss./ Compare: EAGER BEAVER, YES-MAN. - [apple polishing] <n.>, <slang> Trying to win someone's good-will by small acts currying favor; the behavior of an apple polisher. * /When John I brought his teacher flowers, everyone thought he was apple polishing./

[politics] See: PLAY POLITICS.

[pond] See: LITTLE FROG IN A BIG POND.

[pool] See: CAR POOL.

[pooped out] <adj.>, <slang> Worn out; exhausted. * /Everyone was pooped out after the hike./ * /The heat made them feel pooped out./

[poor as a church mouse] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Penniless; broke; extremely poor. * /The newly arrived boat people were poor as church mice./

[poor-mouth] <v.> To be constantly complaining about one's poverty; keep saying how one cannot afford the better things in life. * /Uncle Jack indulges in an awful lot of poor-mouthing, but we know that he has half a million dollars stashed away in a secret savings account./

[pop] See: EYES POP OUT.

[pop fly] <n.> A baseball batted high into the air but not very far from the plate. * /The batter hit a pop fly to the shortstop./

[pop in] <v. phr.> To suddenly appear without announcement. * /"Just pop into my office any time you're on campus," Professor Brown said./

[pop one's cork] See: BLOW A FUSE, FLY OFF THE HANDLE, LOSE ONE'S MARBLES, LOSE ONE'S TEMPER.

[pop the question] <v. phr.>, <slang> To ask someone to marry you. * /After the dance he popped the question./ * /A man is often too bashful to pop the question./

[popup] <v.> 1. or [bob up] To appear suddenly or unexpectedly; show up; come out. * /Just when the coach thought he had everything under control, a new problem bobbed up./ * /After no one had heard from him for years, John popped up in town again./ 2. To hit a pop fly in baseball. * /Jim popped the pitch up./

[pork] See: SALT PORK.

[port of call] <n. phr.> 1. Any of the ports that a ship visits after the start of a voyage and before the end; a port where passengers or cargo may be taken on or put off; an in-between port. * /Savannah is a port of call for many Atlantic coasting vessels./ 2. A place you visit regularly or often; a stop included on your usual way of going. * /It was an obscure little restaurant which I had made something of a port of call./ * /His home had become one of my regular ports of call in Boston./

[port of entry] <n. phr.> 1. A port where things brought into the country to sell may pass through customs. * /Other ports of entry have been taking business from New York./ 2. A port where a citizen of another country may legally enter a country; a port having passport and immigration facilities. * /Airports have joined seaports as ports of entry for the visiting foreigner./

[position] See: SCORING POSITION.

[possessed of] <adj. phr.>, <formal> In possession of; having; owning. * /He was possessed of great wealth./ * /He was possessed of great self-confidence./

[possum] See: PLAY POSSUM.

[post] See: PROM PILLAR TO POST.

[pot] See: GO TO POT.

[potato] See: HOT POTATO.

[potboiler] <n.> A book, play, or film written for the primary purpose of earning money for the author. * /"Reading a cheap potboiler helps me go to sleep," the professor wryly remarked./

[pot call the kettle black] <informal> The person who is criticizing someone else is as guilty as the person he accuses; the charge is as true of the person who makes it as of the one he makes it against. * /When the commissioner accused the road builder of bribery, the contractor said the pot was calling the kettle black./ * /Bill said John was cheating at a game but John replied that the pot was calling the kettle black./

[potluck] See: TAKE POTLUCK.

[potluck supper] See: COVERED-DISH SUPPER.

[potshot] <n.> A direct shot at an easy, stationary target from behind a protected position or camouflage; criticism. * /Modern journalists like to take potshots at the president of the United States./

[pound] See: PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH.

[pound away at] <v. phr.> 1. To attack; criticize. * /In his campaign speeches the candidate kept pounding away at the administration's foreign policy./ 2. To work industriously. * /Mike was pounding away at the foundation of his new house with shovels and pickaxes./

[pound of flesh] <n. phr.>, <literary> The maximum payment authorized by law. * /He had hoped that Peter would be lenient regarding the interest they had agreed on, but Peter demanded his full pound of flesh./

[pound out] <v. phr.> 1. To play a piece of music very loudly on a percussion instrument. * /The boy was pounding out the tune "Mary had a little lamb" on the marimba./ 2. To flatten something with a hammer. * /The bodyshop uses special hammers to pound out the indentations in the bodies of cars./ 3. To produce a piece of writing on a typewriter in haste and without much care. * /She hurriedly pounded out a letter of recommendation for the foreign graduate student./

[pound the pavement] <v. phr.>, <informal> To walk up and down the streets; tramp about. * /John pounded the pavement looking for a job./ * /Mary and Bill pounded the pavement to find an apartment./

[pour] See: IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS.

[pour cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.

[pour it on thick] See: LAY IT ON THICK.

[pour money down the drain] <v. phr.> To spend one's money unwisely; to waste one's funds. * /"Stop supporting Harry's drug habit," Ralph said. "You're just pouring money down the drain."./

[pour oil on troubled waters] <v. phr.> To quiet a quarrel; say something to lessen anger and bring peace. * /The troops were nearing a bitter quarrel until the leader poured oil on the troubled waters./

[pour out] <v.> 1. To tell everything about; talk all about. * /Mary poured out her troubles to her pal./ 2. To come out in great quantity; stream out. * /The people poured out of the building when they heard the fire alarm./

[powder] See: TAKE A POWDER.

[powder room] <n.> The ladies' rest room. * /When they got to the restaurant, Mary went to the powder room to wash up./

[power behind the throne] <n. phr.> The person with the real power backing up the more visible partner (usually said about the wives of public figures). * /It is rumored that the First Lady it the power behind the throne in the White House./

[practice] See: IN PRACTICE also INTO PRACTICE, MAKE A PRACTICE OF, OUT OF PRACTICE.