Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[not worth a tinker's damn] or not [worth a tinker's dam] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not worth anything; valueless. * /As a bricklayer he was not worth a tinker's damn./ * /I am not familiar with the subject so my opinion would not be worth a tinker's dam./

[no two ways about it] <n. phr.> No other choice; no alternative. * /The boss said there were no two ways about it; we would all have to work late to finish the job./

[no use] <n.> 1. No purpose; no object; no gain. * /There's no use in crying about your broken bicycle./ * /Bob said, "Let's try again." Dick answered, "It's no use."/ 2. Bad opinion; no respect; no liking.
– Usually used after "have". * /He had no use for dogs after a dog bit him./ * /Jimmy had no use for arithmetic because it was hard for him./

[no use crying over spilled milk] or [no use crying over spilt milk] See: CRY OVER SPILLED MILK.

[now] See: EVERY NOW AND THEN or EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, HERE AND NOW, JUST NOW.

[now and then] or [now and again] <adv. phr.> Not often; not regularly; occasionally; sometimes. * /Now and then he goes to a ball game./ * /The maid broke a dish now and then./ Syn.: AT TIMES, FROM TIME TO TIME, ONCE IN A WHILE. Compare: EVERY NOW AND THEN, OFF AND ON.

[nowhere] See: OUT OF NOWHERE.

[nowhere near] See: ANYTHING LIKE.

[now --- now] <coord. adv.> Sometimes... sometimes; by turns; at one time... then at another.
– Often used with adjectives that are very different or opposite, especially to show change. * /The weather changed every day; it was now hot, now cool./ * /The band played different songs, now fast, now slow; now soft, now loud./ * /Billy ran so quickly he seemed to be all over the field; he was now here and now there./

[no way] <adv.> Not at all; never; under no circumstances. * /Do you think I will do the house chores alone? No way!/

[no wonder] also [small wonder] <adj.> Not surprising; to be expected. * /It is no wonder that the children love to visit the farm./ * /The Browns didn't go to the fair. Small wonder - they dislike large noisy crowds./

[now or never] <adv. phr.> Exclusively at the present time. * /Mike said, "Now that Paul has resigned, there is a perfect place for you. It is now or never!"/

[now that] <conj.> Since; because; now. * /Now that dinner is ready, wash your hands./ * /You came early, but now that you're here, take off your coat./ Syn.: INASMUCH AS.

[nth] See: TO THE NTH DEGREE.

[nuisance] See: PUBLIC NUISANCE.

[nuke] <v.> To fix any meal in a microwave oven. * /When we are in a hurry, we nuke some beef./

[nuke a tater] <v. phr.> 1. To bake a potato in a microwave oven. * /"We have no time for standard baked potatoes in the oven," she said. "We'll just have to nuke a tater."/

[null and void] <adj.> Not worth anything; no longer valid. * /Both the seller and the buyer agreed to forget about their previous contract and to consider it null and void./

[number] See: A NUMBER, ANY NUMBER, DAYS ARE NUMBERED, GET ONE'S NUMBER, HOT NUMBER, QUITE A FEW or QUITE A NUMBER.

[number among] <v. phr.> Consider as one of; consider to be a part of. * /I number Al among my best friends./

[number one(1)] or [Number One(1)] <n. phr.>, <informal> Yourself; your own interests; your private or selfish advantage. Usually used in the phrase "look out for number one". * /He was well known for his habit of always looking out for number one./

[number one(2)] <adj. phr.> 1. Of first rank or importance; foremost; principal. * /He is easily America's number one golfer./ 2. Of first grade; of top quality; best. * /That is number one western steer beef./

[nurse] See: VISITING NURSE.

[nurse a drink] <v. phr.>, <informal> To hold a drink in one's hand at a party, pretending to be drinking it or taking extremely small sips only. * /John's been nursing that drink all evening./

[nurse a grudge] <v. phr.> To keep a feeling of envy or dislike toward some person; remember something bad that a person said or did to you, and dislike the person because of that. * /Torn nursed a grudge against John because John took his place on the basketball team./ * /Mary nursed a grudge against her teacher because she thought she deserved a better grade in English./

[nursing home] See: CONVALESCENT HOME.

[nut] See: HARD NUT TO CRACK or TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.

[nut case] <n. phr.> A very silly, crazy, or foolish person. * /I am going to be a nut case if I don't go on a vacation pretty soon./

[nuts about] See: CRAZY ABOUT.

[nuts and bolts of] <n. phr.> The basic facts or important details of something. * /"Ted will he an excellent trader," his millionaire grandfather said, "once he learns the nuts and bolts of the profession."/

[nutshell] See: IN A NUTSHELL.

[nutty as a fruitcake] <adj. phr.>, <slang> Very crazy; entirely mad. * /He looked all right, as we watched him approach, but when he began to talk, we saw that he was as nutty as a fruitcake./

O

[oak] See: GREAT OAKS FROM LITTLE ACORNS GROW.

[oars] See: REST ON ONE'S OARS.

[oath] See: TAKE OATH.

[oats] See: FEEL ONE'S OATS, SOW ONE'S WILD OATS.

[obey the call of nature] See: ANSWER THE CALL OF NATURE.

[occasion] See: ON OCCASION.

[occupy oneself] <v. phr.> To make oneself busy with. * /Having retired from business, he now occupies himself with his stamp collection./

[oddball] <n.>, <slang>, <informal> An eccentric person; one who doesn't act like everyone else. * /John is an oddball - he never invites anyone./

[odd jobs] <n. phr.> Work that is not steady or regular in nature; small, isolated tasks. * /Dan does odd jobs for his neighbors, barely making enough to eat./

[odds] See: BY ALL ODDS.

[odds and ends] <n. phr.> Miscellaneous items; remnants. * /After the great annual clearance sale there were only a few odds and ends left in the store./

[odds are against] <v. phr.> The likelihood of success is not probable; the chances of success are poor. * /The odds are against her getting here before Monday./

[odds-on] <adj.>, <informal> Almost certain; almost sure; probable. * /Ed is the odds-on choice for class president, because he has good sense and good humor./