Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[next door]{adv.} or {adj.} 1. In or to the next house or apartment. •/He lived next door to me./ •/She telephoned next door to ask about John./ •/The house next door caught fire./ 2. Very close. — Used with "to". •/The sick man was next door to death./ •/Printing secrets about our country’s missiles is next door to treason./

[next to(1)]{adv.} Almost; nearly. •/It was next to impossible to believe that in a month the grass would be green and flowers would be blooming./ •/It was next to unthinkable that the boy would steal./

[next to(2)]{prep.} Just after; second to. •/Next to his family, baseball was his greatest love./ •/Next to pizza, Bob liked hamburger best./

[next to nothing]{n. phr.} Very little; almost nothing. •/They gave me next to nothing for my old car when I traded it in for a new one./ •/When he first started to work, Mr. Black earned next to nothing./

[nice Nelly(1)] or [nice Nellie]{n.}, {informal} Someone who acts too good to be true; a prude; a prig. •/We took him for a nice Nelly when he wouldn’t fight./

[nice Nelly(2)] or [nice Nellie]{adj.}, {informal} Too careful not to say or do anything wrong or improper; too proper; prudish. •/Her nice Nelly behavior made her unpopular at school./

[Nick] See: FULL OF THE OLD NICK.

[nick] See: IN THE NICK OF TIME.

[nigger in the woodpile]{n. phr.}, {slang} Something unexpected that changes a situation; a hidden factor or trick. — Racist and offensive, but commonly used in the past. •/I knew there had to be a nigger in the woodpile, because the man was being much too generous./ •/When the salesman gave him an extra tire for his bike, the boy suspected a nigger in the woodpile./

[night] See: FLY-BY-NIGHT, MAKE A NIGHT OF IT.

[night and day] See: DAY AND NIGHT.

[nightcap]{n.} A good-night drink; a drink taken just before bedtime. •/Let’s have a nightcap and then go to sleep./ •/Would you like to come up to my place for a nightcap?/

[night letter]{n.} A telegram sent at night at a cheaper rate and delivered in the morning. •/I waited until after six o’clock in the evening before sending the telegram home because I can say more for the same price in a night letter./

[night life]{n. phr.} Entertainment at night. •/People in the city are able to find more night life than those who live in the country./

[night owl]{n. phr.} One who sleeps during the day and stays up or works during the night. •/Tom hardly ever sleeps at night; he prefers to work by lamp light and has become a regular night owl./ Compare: GRAVEYARD SHIFT.

[nine] See: CAT HAS NINE LIVES, ON CLOUD NINE.

[nine-to-five job]{n. phr.} A typical office job that starts at 9 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M. with a one-hour lunch break at 12 noon or 1 P.M. •/We professors are not too well paid but I could never get used to a nine-to-five job./

[ninety] See: GAY NINETIES.