Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[upon the spot] See: ON THE SPOT(1).

[upper] See: KEEP A STIFF UPPER LIP, ON ONE’S UPPERS.

[upper crust]{n.}, {informal} The richest, most famous, or important people in a certain place; the highest class. •/It is a school that only the children of the upper crust can afford./

[upper hand] or [whip hand] {n.} Controlling power; advantage. •/In the third round the champion got the upper hand over his opponent and knocked him out./ •/The cowboy trained the wild horse so that he finally got the whip hand and tamed the horse./

[upper story]{n.} 1. A floor or level of a building above the first floor. •/The apartment house where Gene lives is five stories high and he lives in one of the upper stories./ 2. {slang} A person’s head or brain. •/Lulu has nobody home in the upper story./ •/Bill’s sister says he is weak in the upper story./

[Upsadaisy!] or [Upsee-daisy!] or [Upsy-daisy!] {adv. phr.} — A popular exclamation used when just about anything is lifted, particularly a small child raised to his or her highchair or bed. •/"Upsee-daisy!" the nurse said with a smile on her face, as she lifted the baby from its bed./

[ups and downs]{n. phr.} Vicissitudes; alternating periods between good and bad times; changes in fortune. •/He is now a wealthy stock trader, but at the beginning of his career he, too, had many ups and downs./

[upset the applecart] or [upset one’s applecart] {v. phr.}, {informal} To ruin a plan or what is being done, often by surprise or accident; change how things are or are being done, often unexpectedly; ruin or mix up another person’s success or plan for success. •/John upset the other team’s applecart by hitting a home run in the last inning and we won the game./ •/We are planning a surprise party for Bill, so don’t let Mary upset the applecart by telling him before the party./ •/Frank thinks he is going to be the boss, but I’ll upset his applecart the first chance I get./ Compare: ROCK THE BOAT.

[upside down]{adv. phr.} Overturned so that the bottom is up and the top is down. •/The ladybug lay upside down in the sand and was unable to take off./ •/The problem with this company is that everything is upside down; we need a new C.E.O./

[upstairs] See: NOBODY HOME UPSTAIRS.

[up the creek] or [up the creek without a paddle] {adj. phr.}, {informal} In trouble or difficulty and unable to do anything about it; stuck. •/Father said that if the car ran out of gas in the middle of the desert, we would be up the creek without a paddle./ •/I’ll be up the creek if I don’t pass this history test./ Compare: DEEP WATER, IN THE SOUP, UP A TREE, OUT OF LUCK.

[up tight] or [uptight] {adj.}, {slang}, {informal} Worried, irritated, excessively eager or anxious. •/Why are you so uptight about getting that job? The more you worry, the less you’ll succeed./