Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[in the main] <adv. phr.>, <formal> In most cases; generally; usually. * /In the main, small boys and dogs are good friends./ * /In the main, the pupils did well on the test./

[in the market for] <adj. phr.> Wishing to buy; ready to buy. * /Mr. Jones is in the market for a new car./ * /People are always in the market for entertainment./

[in the middle] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In between two sides of an argument; caught between two dangers. * /Mary found herself in the middle of the quarrel between Joyce and Ethel./ * /John promised Tom to go fishing, but his father wanted him to help at home. John was in the middle./

[in the middle of nowhere] <adv. phr.> In a deserted, faraway place. * /When my car stopped on the highway in the middle of nowhere, it took forever to get help./

[in the money] See: IN THE CHIPS.

[in the mood (for)] <adj. phr.> 1. Interested in doing something. * /Sorry, I'm just not in the mood for a heavy dinner tonight./ 2. Feeling sexy. * /I am sorry, darling, I am just not in the mood tonight./

[in the mouth] See: LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH.

[in the neck] See: CATCH IT IN THE NECK or GET IT IN THE NECK.

[in the nick of time] <adv. phr.> Just at the right time; barely soon enough; almost too late. * /The doctor arrived in the nick of time to save the child from choking to death./ * /Joe saw the other car in the nick of time./ Compare: IN TIME.

[in the pink] or [in the pink of condition] <adj. phr.>, <informal> In excellent health; strong and well; in fine shape. * /Mr. Merrick had aged well; he was one of those old men who always seem in the pink of condition./ * /After a practice and a rubdown, Joe felt in the pink./

[in the --- place] <adv. phr.> As the (first or second or third, etc.) thing in order or importance; first, second, or third, etc. Used with "first", "second", "third", and other ordinal numbers. * /No, you cannot go swimming. In the first place, the water is too cold; and, in the second place, there is not time enough before dinner./ * /Stealing is wrong, in the first place, because it hurts others, and, in the second place, because it hurts you./ Compare: FOR ONE THING.

[in the prime of life] <adv. phr.> At the peak of one's creative abilities; during the most productive years. * /Poor John lost his job due to restructuring when he was in the prime of his life./

[in the public eye] <adj. phr.> Widely known; often seen in public activity; much in the news. * /The senator's activity kept him in the public eye./ * /A big league ballplayer is naturally much in the public eye./

[in the raw] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> 1. In the simplest or most natural way; with no frills. * /Henry enjoyed going into the woods and living life in the raw./ 2. <informal> Without any clothing; naked. * /In the summer the boys slept in the raw./

[in the red] <adv.> or <adj. phr.>, <informal> In an unprofitable way; so as to lose money. * /A large number of American radio stations operate in the red./ * /A rich man who has a farm or ranch often runs it in the red, but makes his money with his factory or business./ Contrast: IN THE BLACK. (From the fact that people who keep business records usually write in red ink how much money they lose and in black ink how much money they gain.)

[in the right] <adj. phr.> With moral or legal right or truth on your side; in agreement with justice, truth, or fact; correct. * /When the cars collided, John was clearly in the right./ * /In going before his wife down the stairs, Mr. Franklin was in the right./ * /In many disputes, it is hard to say who is in the right./ Contrast: IN THE WRONG.

[in the rough] See: DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH.

[in the running] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Having a chance to win; not to be counted out; among those who might win. * /At the beginning of the last lap of the race, only two horses were still in the running./ * /A month before Joyce married Hal, three of Joyce's boyfriends seemed to be still in the running./ * /Al was in the running for the trophy until the last hole of the golf tournament./ Contrast: OUT OF THE RUNNING.

[in the saddle] adv. or <adj. phr.> In command; in control; in a position to order or boss others. * /Mr. Park was in the saddle when he had over half the company's stock./ * /Getting appointed chief of police put Stevens in the saddle./

[in the same boat] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> In the same trouble; in the same fix; in the same bad situation. * /When the town's one factory closed and hundreds of people lost their jobs, all the storekeepers were in the same boat./ * /Dick was disappointed when Fern refused to marry him, but he knew others were in the same boat./

[in the same breath] <adv. phr.> 1. At the same time; without waiting. * /John would complain about hard times, and in the same breath boast of his prize-winning horses./ * /Jane said Bill was selfish, but in the same breath she said she was sorry to see him leave./ 2. In the same class; in as high a group.
– Usually used in the negative with "mention", "speak", or "talk". * /Mary is a good swimmer, but she should not be mentioned in the same breath with Joan./

[in the same place] See: LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE IN THE SAME PLACE.

[in the sand] See: HIDE ONE'S HEAD IN THE SAND.

[in the second place] See: IN THE --- PLACE.

[in the short run] <adv. phr.> In the immediate future. * /We are leasing a car in the short run; later we might buy one./ Contrast: IN THE LONG RUN.

[in the soup] <adj. phr.>, <slang> In serious trouble; in confusion; in disorder. * /When his wife overdrew their bank account without telling him, Mr. Phillips suddenly found himself really in the soup./ * /The police misunderstood Harry's night errand, and arrested him, which put him in the soup with the boss./

[in the spotlight] <adv. phr.> In the center of attention, with everybody watching what one is doing. * /It must be difficult for the President to be in the spotlight wherever he goes./ Compare: IN THE LIMELIGHT.

[in the swim] <adj. phr.> Doing the same things that other people are doing; following the fashion (as in business or social affairs); busy with what most people are doing. * /Jim found some college friends at the lake that summer, and soon was in the swim of things./ * /Mary went to New York with introductions to writers and artists, and that winter she was quite in the swim./ Contrast: OUT OF THE SWIM.

[in the third place] See: IN THE --- PLACE.

[in the till] See: ROB THE TILL or HAVE ONE'S HAND IN THE TILL.

[in the twinkling of an eye] See: BEFORE ONE CAN SAY JACK ROBINSON.

[in the wake of] <prep.>, <literary> As a result of; right after; following. * /Many troubles follow in the wake of war./ * /There were heavy losses of property in the wake of the flood./

[in the way] See: IN ONE'S WAY.

[in the way of] See: PUT IN THE WAY OF.

[in the wind] <adj. phr.> Seeming probable; being planned; soon to happen. * /Changes in top management of the company had been in the wind for weeks./ * /Tom's close friends knew that marriage was in the wind./ Compare: IN THE AIR(1).