1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний

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.