Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[step inside]{v.} To come or go inside. •/Mother invited the callers to step inside./

[step into]{v.} 1. To come or go into. •/The taxi stopped, and we stepped into it./ •/Mr. Jones called to his secretary to step into his office./ 2. To begin to do, undertake. •/When the star became sick, his understudy stepped into his part./ •/When Bill graduates from college, he will step into a job in his father’s bank./

[step into one’s shoes]{v. phr.} To do what someone else usually does after he has stopped doing it. •/When Bill’s father died, Bill had to step into his father’s shoes to support his mother./ •/A coach trains the junior varsity to step into the shoes of the members of the varsity team when they graduate./ •/When the boss retires, his son will step into his shoes./ Compare: IN ONE’S SHOES.

[step off]{v.} 1. To walk or march quickly. •/The drum major lowered his baton and the band stepped off./ 2. or [pace off]. To measure by taking a series of steps in a line. •/The farmer stepped off the edge of the field to see how much fencing he would need./ •/The referee stepped off a five-yard penalty against our team./

[step on it] or [step on the gas]{v. phr.} 1. To push down on the gas pedal to make a car go faster. •/Be very careful when you step on the gas. Don’t go too fast./ Compare: GIVE IT THE GUN. 2. {informal} To go faster; hurry. •/Step on it, or we’ll be late for school./ •/John is a slow starter, but he can step on the gas when it looks as if he might lose the race./ •/Lee was wasting time at breakfast and his father told him to step on it or they would miss the bus./

[step on one’s toes] or [tread on one’s toes]{v. phr.} To do something that embarrasses or offends someone else. •/If you break in when other people are talking, you may step on their toes./ •/Mary is pretty, and she often treads on the toes of the girls by stealing their boyfriend./

[step on the gas] See: STEP ON IT.

[step out]{v. phr.} 1. To go out, particularly socially, as on a date. •/Paul said to Sylvia, "You look so dressed up tonight — you must be stepping out, eh?"/ 2. To leave for a short period during the work day to go to the lavatory or to get a cup of coffee. (Frequently said by secretaries over the phone.) •/"May I speak to Mr. Kotz?" Roy asked. "I’m sorry, sir. He just stepped out for a minute," the secretary answered./

[step out on]{v. phr.} To be unfaithful to one’s marriage partner or steady lover. •/It is rumored that he has been stepping out on his wife. That’s why she’s so upset./

[stepped up]{adj.} Carried on at a faster or more active rate; increased. •/To fill the increase in orders, the factory had to operate at a stepped-up rate./