Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[black and white]{n. phr.} 1. Print or writing; words on paper, not spoken; exact written or printed form. •/He insisted on having the agreement down in black and white./ •/Mrs. Jones would not believe the news, so Mr. Jones showed her the article in the newspaper and said, "There it is in black and white."/ 2. The different shades of black and white of a simple picture, rather than other colors. •/He showed us snapshots in black and white./

[black-and-white]{adj.} Divided into only two sides that are either right or wrong or good or bad, with nothing in between; thinking or judging everything as either good or bad. •/Everything is black-and-white to Bill; if you’re not his friend, you are his enemy./ •/The old man’s religion shows his black-and-white thinking; everything is either completely good or completely bad./

[black day]{n.} A day of great unhappiness; a disaster. •/It was a black day when our business venture collapsed./

[black eye]{n.} 1. A dark area around one’s eye due to a hard blow during a fight, such as boxing. •/Mike Tyson sported a black eye after the big fight./ 2. Discredit. •/Bob’s illegal actions will give a black eye to the popular movement he started./

[blackout]{n.} 1. The darkening of a city curing an air raid by pulling down all curtains and putting out all street lights. •/The city of London went through numerous blackouts during World War II./ 2. A cessation of news by the mass media. •/There was a total news blackout about the kidnapping of the prime minister./

[black out]{v.} 1. To darken by putting out or dimming lights, •/In some plays the stage is blacked out for a short time and the actors speak in darkness./ •/In wartime, cities are blacked out to protect against bombing from planes./ 2. To prevent or silence information or communication; refuse to give out truthful news. •/In wartime, governments often black out all news or give out false news./ •/Dictators usually black out all criticism of the government./ •/Some big games are blacked out on television to people who live nearby./ 3. {informal} To lose consciousness; faint. •/It had been a hard and tiring day, and she suddenly blacked out./

[black sheep]{n.} A person in a family or a community considered unsatisfactory or disgraceful. •/My brother Ted is a high school dropout who joined a circus; he is the black sheep in our family./

[blame] See: TO BLAME.

[blank check]{n.} 1. A bank check written to a person who can then write in how much money he wants. •/John’s father sent him a blank check to pay his school bills./ 2. {informal} Permission to another person to do anything he decides to do. •/The teacher gave the pupils a blank check to plan the picnic./

[blanket] See: WET BLANKET.

[blast off]{v.} 1. To begin a rocket flight. •/The astronaut will blast off into orbit at six o’clock./ 2. Also [blast away] {informal} To scold or protest violently. •/The coach blasted off at the team for poor playing./