Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[one man’s meat is another man’s poison] What is good for one person is not necessarily good for another. — A proverb, •/Even though Jeff likes to swim in ice cold water, his brother Tun hates it. This is understandable, however, because one’s man’s meat is another man’s poison./ Contrast: WHAT’S SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE IS SAUCE FOR THE GANDER.

[on end]{adj. phr.} Seemingly endless. — Used with plural nouns of time. •/Judy spent hours on end writing and rewriting her essay./ •/During July and August there was no rain for weeks on end./

[one-night stand]{n. phr.} 1. A single performance given by a traveling company while on a tour. •/After they went bankrupt in the big cities, the traveling jazz quartet played one-night stands in the country./ 2. A brief affair or sexual encounter. •/"With AIDS all around us?" said Jane. "Nobody is having one-night stands anymore."/

[one of these days] or [some of these days]{adv. phr.} Someday; sometime soon. •/One of these days Herbert will be famous./ •/I’m going to do that sewing some of these days./

[one on the city]{n.}, {slang} A glass of water (which is provided free of charge, as a free gift from the city). •/What will you have? — Oh, just give me one on the city./

[one’s money’s worth]{n. phr.} A fair return on one’s money spent or invested. •/I wouldn’t say that the trip was a great bargain, but I feel that we got our money’s worth./

[one’s own row] See: HOE ONE’S OWN ROW.

[one-two]{n.} 1. A succession of two punches, the first a short left, followed by a hard right punch, usually in the jaw. •/Ali gave Frazir the one-two./ 2. Any quick or decisive action which takes the opposition by surprise, thereby ensuring victory. •/He gave us the old one-two and won the game./

[one up]{adj. phr.} Having an advantage; being one step ahead, •/John graduated from high school; he is one up on Bob, who dropped out./ •/The Platters are one up on their neighbors. They own the only color television set in their neighborhood./

[one-upmanship]{v.}, {informal} Always keeping ahead of others; trying to keep an advantage. •/No matter what I do, I find that Jim has already done it better. He’s an expert at one-upmanship./ •/Jack took the news to the principal while we were still talking about it. He’s very quick to practice one-upmanship./ Compare: ONE UP. (The word one-upmanship was made up by a British humorist, Stephen Potter, on the pattern of such words as sportsmanship and workmanship.)

[on faith]{adv. phr.} Without question or proof. •/He said he was twenty-one years old and the employment agency took him on faith./ •/He looked so honest that we accepted his story on faith./

[on file]{adv. phr.} Placed in a written or electronic file; on record. •/We are sorry we cannot hire you right now but we will keep your application on file./

[on fire] See: SET THE WORLD ON FIRE.