Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[other fish to fry] <n. phr.>, <informal> Other things to do; other plans. * /They wanted John to be the secretary, but he had other fish to fry./ * /Mary was invited to the party but she refused because she had other fish to fry./

[other side of the tracks] See: WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS.

[out and about] See: UP AND ABOUT.

[out-and-out] <adj.> Extreme; complete; thorough. * /The candidate was an out-and-out conservative./ * /It was out-and-out robbery to charge twice the usual price for eggs just because they were scarce./ Compare: THROUGH AND THROUGH.

[out at the elbows] <adj. phr.> Poorly or shabbily dressed. * /Roy walks around out at the elbows, but it's not because he is penniless, but more in imitation of a certain style./

[out back] <adv. phr.> In one's backyard. * /On the Fourth of July they were out back making preparations for their holiday barbecue./

[outback] <n.> 1. The remote and uncultivated wilderness areas of Australia or New Zealand, with very few inhabitants. * /Mike and Barbara roughed it in the Australian outback for nearly two years./ 2. Any remote, sparsely populated region. * /Tom's old ranch in Texas is next to an arid outback./

[out cold] <adv.> or <adj.>, <informal> Unconscious; in a faint. * /The ball hit Dick in the head and knocked him out cold for ten minutes./ * /They tried to lift Mary when she fell down, but she was out cold./ Syn.: OUT LIKE A LIGHT(2). Compare: PASS OUT.

[outer space] <n.> What is outside of the earth's air. * /An astronaut cannot live without oxygen when he goes into outer space./

[out for] <prep.> Joining, or planning to join; taking part in; competing for a place in. * /John is out for the basketball team./ * /Mary is going out for the school newspaper./ Compare: TRY OUT.

[out from under] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Free from something that worries you; seeing the end; finished.
– Usually used with "be" or "get". * /Mary had so much to do in the new house she felt as though she would never be out from under./ * /John had so many debts, he couldn't get out from under./

[out in force] <adv. phr.> Present in very large numbers; en masse. * /On the Fourth of July the police cars are out in force in the Chicago area./

[out in left field] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Far from the right answer; wrong; astray. * /Johnny tried to answer the teacher's question but he was way out in left field./ * /Susan tried to guess what the surprise was but she was way out in left field./ 2. Speaking or acting very queerly; crazy. * /The girl next door was always queer, but after her father died, she was really out in left field and had to go to a hospital./ Compare: OUT OF ONE'S HEAD.

[out in the cold] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Alone; not included. * /All the other children were chosen for parts in the play, but Johnny was left out in the cold./ * /Everybody made plans for Christmas Day and Mary found herself out in the cold./ Compare: HIGH AND DRY.

[out in the open] See: COME OUT IN THE OPEN.

[out like a light] <adj. phr.>, <informal> 1. Fast asleep; to sleep very quickly. * /Tom got so much fresh air and exercise that he went out like a light as soon as he lay down./ * /As soon as the lights were turned off, Johnny was out like a light./ 2. In a faint; unconscious. * /Johnny was hit by a ball and went out like a light./ * /After she read that Tom had married another girl Jean was out like a light for several minutes./ Compare: OUT COLD.

[out loud] <adv. phr.> In an ordinary speaking voice and not whispering or talking quietly; so everybody can hear; aloud. * /The teacher read the final grades out loud./ * /Mary spoke out loud so the people standing nearby would hear./ * /Sometimes I find it helpful to think out loud./

[out of] <prep.> 1a. From the inside to the outside of. * /John took the apple out of the bag./ * /Get out of the car!/ * /The teacher has gone out of town./ 1b. In a place away from. * /No, you can't see Mr. Jones; he is out of the office today./ * /Our house is ten miles out of town./ 2. From a particular condition or situation; not in; from; in a way changed from being in. * /The drugstore is going out of business./ * /The sick man is out of danger at last./ * /Bob is never out of trouble./ 3. Beyond the range of. * /The plane is out of sight now./ * /If you can't swim, don't go out of your depth./ 4. From (a source). * /Mother asked Billy who started the fight, but she couldn't get anything out of him./ * /The teacher gave a test to see what the students got out of the lesson./ * /Mr. Jones made a fortune out of cotton./ 5. Because of; as a result of. * /Mary scolded Joan out of jealousy./ * /The cat ran away out of fear of the dog./ 6. Without; not having. * /The store is out of coffee./ * /John's father is out of work./ 7. From (a material). * /The house is built out of stone./ * /His suit is made out of cotton and is cool./ 8. From among. * /The man picked Joe out of the crowd./ * /Our team won eight out of ten games last season./

[out of a bandbox] See: LOOK AS IF ONE HAS COME OUT OF A BANDBOX.

[out of account] See: LEAVE OUT OF ACCOUNT.

[out of a clear sky] or [out of a clear blue sky] See: OUT OF THE BLUE.

[out of action] <adv. phr.> Useless; crippled; damaged so as to be quiescent. * /American bombers put Nazi heavy industry out of action during World War II./ * /When I broke my leg I was out of action for the entire football season./

[out of all proportion] <adv. phr.> Disproportionate; lopsided. * /The news coverage of the sensational celebrity double murder has grown out of all proportion, obscuring the international news./

[out of bounds] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Outside of the boundary lines in a game; not on or inside the playing field. * /Bill thought he had scored a touchdown, but he had stepped out of bounds before he reached the goal line./ 2. Outside of a circumscribed area for a certain kind of work, such as construction or military site. * /The principal told the students that the new gymnasium being built on the school grounds was out of bounds./ * /The captain's cabin is out of bounds to the passengers on the ship./ Contrast: WITHIN BOUNDS. 3. Outside of safe or proper limits; not doing what is proper; breaking the rules of good behavior. * /John was out of bounds when he called Tom a liar in the meeting./ * /His request for a 25% salary raise was totally out of bounds./

[out of breath] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Not breathing easily or regularly; gasping; panting. * /The fat man was out of breath after climbing the stairs./ * /The mile run left Bill out of breath./

[out of character] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> 1. Not in agreement with a person's character or personality; not in the way that a person usually behaves or is expected to behave; not usual; unsuitable; uncharacteristic. * /Mary is a nice girl. Her fit of temper was out of character./ 2. Not in character; unsuitable for a part or character. * /It isn't always out of character for a young actor to play an old man, if he is a good actor./ Contrast: IN CHARACTER.

[out of circulation] <adj. phr.>, <informal> Not out in the company of friends, other people, and groups; not active; not joining in what others are doing. * /John has a job after school and is out of circulation with his friends./ Contrast: IN CIRCULATION.

[out of commission] <adj. phr.> 1. Retired from active military service; no longer on active duty. * /When the war was over, many warships were placed out of commission./ Contrast: IN COMMISSION(1). 2. Not in use or not working; so that it cannot work or be used. * /The strike put the airline out of commission for a week./ * /John will have to walk to the store. His bicycle is out of commission./ Compare: OUT OF ORDER. Contrast: IN COMMISSION(2).

[out of condition] See: OUT OF SHAPE or OUT OF CONDITION.

[out of date] <adj. phr.> Old fashioned; superseded; no longer valid; too old to be used. * /Father's suit is out of date; he needs a new one./ * /The news magazines in the doctor's office were all out of date./

[out of fashion] <adj. phr.> Having passed from vogue; out of the current mode. * /The miniskirt is now out of fashion in most quarters, but it may very well come back some day./

[out of gas] <adv. phr.> 1. Out of fuel (said of automobiles). * /Be sure you don't run out of gas when you go on a long distance trip by car./ 2. Rundown; depleted of energy; in poor physical condition. * /Mary said she had to take a break from her job as she was running totally out of gas./