1500 русских и 1500 английских идиом, фразеологизмов и устойчивых словосочетаний

глаза полезли на лоб (у кого-л.)

one’s eyes nearly popped out of one’s head

When I heard how much money she was spending on clothes, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

глаза разгорелись (на что-л.)

to set one’s heart on something

I’ve set my heart on having that new dress.

глазом не моргнуть

not to bat an eyelid; not to turn a hair

Tom didn’t bat an eyelid when he was told that his daughter was getting married.

He didn’t turn a hair when a large dog ran straight towards him.

глас вопиющего в пустыне a voice crying in the wilderness

глупый как пробка

to be dead from the neck up

Her husband was dead from the neck up.

глухой как пень

(as) deaf as a post

He won’t hear us – he’s as deaf as a post.

гнать волну

to make waves

Why do you always have to make waves?

гнать в три шеи (кого-л.)

to throw someone out on one’s ear

If you continue to be so late, the director will throw you out on your ear.

гнуть свою линию

to stand/hold one’s ground; to stand firm/fast; to stick to one’s guns

The referee stood his ground and refused to be intimidated.

The customer stood fast and got a refund on the faulty good he brought back.

She was sticking to her guns and nobody could persuade her to do something against her wishes.

гнуть спину

to break one’s back; to work one’s fingers to the bone

I’m not going to break my back working all day for such low wages.

His parents worked their fingers to the bone so he could have everything he needed.

говорить без обиняков

not to mince matters; to talk turkey

Not to mince matters, he is absolutely useless.

I wanted to discuss his behaviour and I was prepared to talk turkey.

говорить на ветер

to waste one’s breath

You’re wasting your breath. He won’t agree to go with you.

голову даю на отсечение

I’ll eat my hat!

I’ll eat my hat if it wasn’t your little sister who stole my book.

голубая кровь

blue blood

They are very poor, but they have blue blood in their family.

голыми руками

with one’s bare hands

A desperate man can kill a leopard with his bare hands.

гора с плеч

a load off someone’s mind

It is a load off my mind to know that he has solved that problem.

городить чушь

to talk through one’s hat

You’re talking through your hat. You don’t know anything about it.

горькая пилюля

a bitter pill (to swallow)

His betrayal came as a bitter pill to swallow.

горячая линия

a hot line

The society has set up a hot line for people to report sightings of whales and dolphins.

грабеж средь бела дня

daylight robbery

The prices in this shop are unbelievable – it’s daylight robbery.

греть руки

to line one’s pockets; to feather one’s nest

When the company discovered that the director had been lining his pockets with bribes and commissions, he was dismissed.

The mayor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.

гроша медного не стоить

not worth a damn

Your advice isn’t worth a damn.

давать волю (кому-л.)

to give someone free rein

The boss gave me free rein with the new project.

давать волю (чему-л.)

to give something free rein; to give way to something

In writing that book he gave his imagination free rein.

He gave way to anger and yelled at the children.

давать выход (чему-л.)

to give vent to something

June gave vent to her anger and frustration in a furious letter to her husband.

давать жару (кому-л.)

to give someone hell

If he goes to a pub with his friends, his wife gives him hell.

давать на лапу (кому-л.)

to grease someone’s palm

We had to grease the palms of numerous officials before we could renew the licence.