Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[in the cards] also [on the cards] <adj. phr.>, <informal> To be expected; likely to happen; foreseeable; predictable. * /It was in the cards for the son to succeed his father as head of the business./ * /John finally decided that it wasn't in the cards for him to succeed with that company./

[in the charge of] See: IN CHARGE OF(2).

[in the chips] <slang> or <informal> [in the money] <adj. phr.> Having plenty of money; prosperous; rich. * /After his rich uncle died, Richard was in the chips./ * /After years of struggle and dependence, air transportation is in the money./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.

[in the circumstances] See: UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

[in the clear] <adj. phr.> 1. Free of anything that makes moving or seeing difficult; with nothing to limit action. * /The plane climbed above the clouds and was flying in the clear./ * /Jack passed the ball to Tim, who was in the clear and ran for a touchdown./ 2. <informal> Free of blame or suspicion; not thought to be guilty. * /After John told the principal that he broke the window, Martin was in the clear./ * /Steve was the last to leave the locker room, and the boys suspected him of stealing Tom's watch, but the coach found the watch and put Steve in the clear./ 3. Free of debt; not owing money to anyone. * /Bob borrowed a thousand dollars from his father to start his business, but at the end of the first year he was in the clear./ Syn.: IN THE BLACK.

[in the clouds] <adj. phr.> Far from real life; in dreams; in fancy; in thought. * /When Alice agreed to marry Jim, Jim went home in the clouds./ - Often used with "head", "mind", "thoughts". * /Mary is looking out the window, not at the chalkboard; her head is in the clouds again./ * /A good teacher should have his head in the clouds sometimes, but his feet always on the ground./ Contrast: COME BACK TO EARTH, FEET ON THE GROUND.

[in the clover] See: IN CLOVER.

[in the cold] See: OUT IN THE COLD.

[in the cold light of day] <adv. phr.> After sleeping on it; after giving it more thought; using common sense and looking at the matter unemotionally and realistically. * /Lost night my ideas seemed terrific, but in the cold light of day I realize that they won't work./

[in the dark] <adj. phr.> 1. In ignorance; without information. * /John was in the dark about the job he was being sent to./ * /If the government controls the news, it can keep people in the dark on any topic it chooses./ * /Mary had a letter from Sue yesterday, but she was left in the dark about Sue's plans to visit her./ Contrast: IN THE KNOW. See: WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

[in the doghouse] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In disgrace or disfavor. * /Our neighbor got in the doghouse with his wife by coming home drunk./ * /Jerry is in the doghouse because he dropped the ball, and the other team won because of that./ Compare: DOWN ON.

[in the door] See: FOOT IN THE DOOR.

[in the driver's seat] <adv. phr.> In control; having the power to make decisions. * /Stan is in the driver's seat now that he has been made our supervisor at the factory./

[in the dumps] See: DOWN IN THE DUMPS.

[in the event] See: IN CASE(1).

[in the event of] See: IN CASE OF.

[in the eye] See: LOOK IN THE EYE.

[in the face] See: BLUE IN THE FACE, LOOK IN THE EYE or LOOK IN THE FACE, SLAP IN THE FACE, STARE IN THE FACE.

[in the face of] <adv. phr.> 1. When met or in the presence of; threatened by. * /He was brave in the face of danger./ * /She began to cry in the face of failure./ 2. Although opposed by; without being stopped by. * /Talking continued even in the face of the teacher's command to stop./ Syn.: IN SPITE OF. Compare: FLY IN THE FACE OF, IN ONE'S FACE. 3. See: FLY IN THE PACE OF.

[in the family] See: RUN IN THE BLOOD or RUN IN THE FAMILY.

[in the first place] <adv. phr.> 1. Before now; in the beginning; first. * /You already ate breakfast! Why didn't you tell me that in the first place instead of saying you didn't want to eat?/ * /Carl patched his old football but it soon leaked again. He should have bought a new one in the first place./ 2. See: IN THE PLACE.

[in the flesh] See: IN PERSON.

[in the groove] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Doing something very well; near perfection; at your best. * /The band was right in the groove that night./ * /It was an exciting football game; every player was really in the groove./

[in the hole] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1a. Having a score lower than zero in a game, especially a card game; to a score below zero. * /John went three points in the hole on the first hand of the card game./ 1b. Behind an opponent; in difficulty in a sport or game. * /We had their pitcher in the hole with the bases full and no one out./ Compare: ON THE SPOT. 2. In debt; behind financially. * /John went in the hole with his hot dog stand./ * /It's a lot easier to get in the hole than to get out again./ Compare: IN A HOLE, IN THE RED. Contrast: OUT OF THE HOLE.

[in the know] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Knowing about things that most people do not know about; knowing secrets or understanding a special subject. * /Tina helped Professor Smith make some of the exam questions, and she felt important to be in the know./ * /In a print shop, Mr. Harvey is in the know, but in a kitchen he can't even cook an egg./ Compare: GET WISE. Contrast: IN THE DARK.

[in the lap of luxury] <adv. phr.> Well supplied with luxuries; having most things that money can buy. * /Mike grew up in the lap of luxury./ Compare: ON EASY STREET, WELL-TO-DO.

[in the lap of the gods] also [on the knees of the gods] <adv. phr.>, <literary> Beyond human control; not to be decided by anyone. * /Frank had worked hard as a candidate, and as election day came he felt that the result was in the lap of the gods./ * /The armies were evenly matched and the result of the battle seemed to be on the knees of the gods./

[in the least] <adv. phr.> Even a little; in any degree or amount.
– Used in negative, interrogative, and conditional sentences. * /Sue did not understand physics in the least./ * /Are you in the least interested in sewing?/ * /Mother won't be upset if you come for supper; I'll be surprised if she cares in the least./ * /Mike was not upset in the least by the storm./ * /It is no trouble to help you. Not in the least./ Compare: AT ALL.

[in the line of duty] <adj. phr.> Done or happening as part of a job. * /The policeman was shot in the line of duty./ * /The soldier had to clean his rifle in the line of duty./

[in the long run] <adv. phr.> In the end; in the final result. * /John knew that lie could make a success of the little weekly paper in the long run./ * /You may make good grades by studying only before examinations, but you will succeed in the long run only by studying hard every day./

[in the lurch] See: LEAVE IN THE LURCH.