Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[as good as a mile] See: MISS IS AS GOOD AS A MILE.

[as good as one gets] See: GIVE AS GOOD AS ONE GETS.

[as good as one’s promise] See: AS GOOD AS ONE’S WORD.

[as good as one’s word] or [good as one’s word] {adj. phr.} Trustworthy; sure to keep your promise. •/The coach said he would give the players a day off if they won, and he was as good as his word./ •/We knew she was always good as her word, so we trusted her./

[as hard as nails]{adj. phr.} Very unfeeling; cruel, and unsympathetic. •/Uncle Joe is as hard as nails; although he is a millionaire, he doesn’t help his less fortunate relatives./

[aside] See: JOKING ASIDE, SET ASIDE.

[aside from] See: APART FROM.

[aside of]{prep.}, {dialect} Beside; by the side of. •/Mary sits aside of her sister on the bus./

[as if] or [as though] {conj.} 1. As (he, she, it) would if; in the same way one would if seeing to show. •/The baby laughed as if he understood what Mother said./ •/The book looked as though it had been out in the rain./ •/The waves dashed on the rocks as if in anger./ 2. That. •/It seems as if you are the first one here./

[as if one has come out of a bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.

[as is]{adv.} Without changes or improvements; with no guarantee or promise of good condition. — Used after the word it modifies. •/They agree to buy the house as is./ •/He bought an old car as is./ Compare: AT THAT(1).

[as it were]{adv. phr.} As it might be said to be; as if it really were; seemingly. — Used with a statement that might seem silly or unreasonable, to show that it is just a way of saying it. •/In many ways children live, as it were, in a different world from adults./ •/The sunlight on the icy branches made, as it were, delicate lacy cobwebs from tree to tree./ Compare: SO TO SPEAK.

[ask] See: FOR THE ASKING.

[ask for]{v.}, {informal} To make (something bad) likely to happen to you; bring (something bad) upon yourself. •/Charles drives fast on worn-out tires; he is asking for trouble./ •/The workman lost his job, but he asked for it by coming to work drunk several times./ Compare: HAVE IT COMING, SERVE RIGHT, SIGN ONE’S OWN DEATH WARRANT.

[ask for one’s hand]{v. phr.} To ask permission to marry someone. •/"Sir," John said timidly to Mary’s father, "I came to ask for your daughter’s hand."/

[ask for the moon] or [cry for the moon] {v. phr.} To want something that you cannot reach or have; try for the impossible. •/John asked his mother for a hundred dollars today. He’s always asking for the moon./ Compare: PROMISE THE MOON.

[asleep at the switch]{adj. phr.} 1. Asleep when it is one’s duty to move a railroad switch for cars to go on the right track. •/The new man was asleep at the switch and the two trains crashed./ 2. {informal} Failing to act promptly as expected, not alert to an opportunity. •/When the ducks flew over, the boy was asleep at the switch and missed his shot./

[as likely as not]{adv. phr.} Probably. •/As likely as not, he will disappear forever./