Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[wait on] or [wait upon]{v.} 1. To serve. •/Sue has a summer job waiting on an invalid./ •/The clerk in the store asked if we had been waited upon./ 2. {formal} To visit as a courtesy or for business. •/We waited upon the widow out of respect for her husband./ •/John waited upon the President with a letter of introduction./ 3. To follow. •/Success waits on hard work./

[wait on hand and foot]{v. phr.} To serve in every possible way; do everything for (someone). •/Sally is spoiled because her mother waits on her hand and foot./ •/The gentlemen had a valet to wait on him hand and foot./ Compare: HAND AND FOOT.

[wait on table] See: WAIT AT TABLE.

[wait up]{v. phr.} To not go to bed until a person one is worried about comes home (said by parents and marriage partners). •/My mother always waited up for me when I went out as a young student./ •/She always waits up for her husband when he’s out late./

[wait upon] See: WAIT ON.

[wake] See: IN THE WAKE OF.

[walk] See: WIN IN A WALK.

[walk all over] See: WALK OVER.

[walk a tightrope]{v. phr.} To be in a dangerous or awkward situation where one cannot afford to make a single mistake. •/"When we landed on the moon in 1969," Armstrong explained, "we were walking a tightrope till the very end."/

[walk away with] or [walk off with]{v.} 1. To take and go away with; take away; often: steal. •/When Father went to work, he accidentally walked off with Mother’s umbrella./ •/How can a thief walk off with a safe in broad daylight?/ 2. To take, get, or win easily. •/Jim walked away with all the honors on Class Night./ •/Our team walked off with the championship./

[walking dictionary]{n. phr.} A person highly knowledgeable in matters of language use. •/If you want to know what "serendipity" means, ask my Uncle Fred. He is a professor of English and is also a walking dictionary./

[walking encyclopedia]{n. phr.} A polymath; a person very well versed in a number of different disciplines. •/My uncle is a veritable walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of World War II./ Contrast: WALKING DICTIONARY.

[walking papers] or [walking orders] also [walking ticket]{n.}, {informal} A statement that you are fired from your job; dismissal. •/The boss was not satisfied with Paul’s work and gave him his walking papers./ •/George is out of work. He picked up his walking ticket last Friday./

[walk off with] See: WALK AWAY WITH.

[walk of life]{n. phr.} Way of living; manner in which people live. •/Many rich people have yachts; people in their walk of life can afford them./ •/The banker did not want his son to marry a girl in a different walk of life./ •/People from every walk of life enjoy television./ Compare: THE TRACKS.

[walk on air]{v. phr.}, {informal} To feel happy and excited. •/Sue has been walking on air since she won the prize./ •/His father’s compliment left Jed walking on air./ Compare: ON CLOUD NINE, ON TOP OF THE WORLD.