Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[the whole way] See: ALL THE WAY.

[the wiser] <adj.> Knowing about something which might be embarrassing of knowing.
– Usually used with "nobody" or "no one". * /Mary took the teacher's book home by mistake, but early the next morning she returned it with nobody the wiser./

[the works] <n. plural>, <slang> 1. Everything that can be had or that you have; everything of this kind, all that goes with it. * /When the tramp found $100, he went into a fine restaurant and ordered the works with a steak dinner./ 1b. See: SHOOT THE WORKS. 2. Rough handling or treatment; a bad beating or scolding; killing; murder. Usually used with "get" or "give". * /The boy said that Joe was going to get the works if he ever came back to that neighborhood again./ * /The newspaper gave the police department the works when they let the burglars get away./ * /The gangster told his friend he would give him the works if he double-crossed him./ Compare: THE BUSINESS.

[they] See: LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MAY.

[thick] See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER, LAY IT ON or LAY IT ON THICK, THROUGH THICK AND THIN.

[thicker] See: BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.

[thin] See: INTO THIN AIR, OUT OF THIN AIR, SIT ON THIN ICE, SPREAD ONESELF TOO THIN, THROUGH THICK AND THIN, WEAR THIN.

[thing] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING, DO ONE'S THING or DO ONE'S OWN THING, FIRST THINGS COME FIRST, FOR ONE THING, SEE THINGS, SURE THING, TAKE IT EASY or TAKE THINGS EASY, TELL A THING OR TWO.

[thing or two] <n. phr.>, <informal> 1. Facts not generally known, or not known to the hearer or reader; unusual or important information. * /Mary told Joan a thing or two about Betty's real feelings./ 2. A lot; much. * /Bob knows a thing or two about sailing./ Compare: TELL A THING OR TWO.

[Things are looking up!] Informal way to say that conditions are improving. * /Things are looking up at our university as the governor promised a 5% salary raise./

[think] See: COME TO THINK OF IT.

[think a great deal of] or [think a lot of] also [think much of] <v. phr.> To consider to be very worthy, valuable, or important; to esteem highly. * /Mary thinks a great deal of Tim./ * /The teacher thought a lot of Joe's project./ - The phrase "think much of" is usually used in negative sentences. * /Father didn't think much of Paul's idea of buying a goat to save lawn mowing./ Contrast: THINK LITTLE OF.

[think a lot of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think aloud] or [think out loud] <v.> To say what you are thinking. * /"I wish I had more money for Christmas presents," Father thought aloud. "What did you say?" said Mother. Father answered, "I'm sorry. I wasn't talking to you. I was thinking out loud."/

[think better of] <v.> To change your mind about; to consider again and make a better decision about. * /John told his mother he wanted to leave school, but later he thought better of it./ Compare: SECOND THOUGHT, THINK TWICE.

[Think big!] <v. phr.>, <informal> To believe in one's ability, purpose, or power to perform or succeed. * /Be confident; be positive; tell yourself you are the greatest; above all, think big!/

[think fit] See: FIT.

[thinking cap] See: PUT ON ONE'S THINKING CAP.

[think little of] <v. phr.> Think that (something or someone) is not important or valuable. * /John thought little of Ted's plan for the party./ * /Joan thought little of walking two miles to school./ Contrast: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think much of] See: THINK A GREAT DEAL OF.

[think nothing of] <v. phr.> To think or consider easy, simple, or usual. * /Jim thinks nothing of hiking ten miles in one day./

[think nothing of it] <v. phr.>, <informal> Used as a courteous phrase in replying to thanks. /"Thank you very much for your help." "Think nothing of it."/ Compare: YOU'RE WELCOME.

[think on one's feet] <v. phr.> To think quickly; answer or act without waiting; know what to do or say right away. * /A good basketball player can think on his feet./ * /Our teacher can think on his feet; he always has an answer ready when we ask him questions./

[think out] <v.> 1. To find out or discover by thinking; study and understand. * /Andy thought out a way of climbing to the top of the pole./ Compare FIGURE OUT, WORK OUT. 2. To think through to the end; to understand what would come at last. * /Bill wanted to quit school, but he thought out the matter and decided not to./

[think out loud] See: THINK ALOUD.

[think over] <v.> To think carefully about; consider; study. * /When Charles asked Betty to marry him, she asked him for time to think it over./ * /Think over what we studied in history this year and write a lesson on the thing that interested you most./ Compare: MAKE UP ONE'S MIND, SEE ABOUT.

[think piece] <n.>, <slang> 1. The human brain. * /Lou's got one powerful think piece, man./ 2. Any provocative essay or article that, by stating a strong opinion, arouses the reader to think about it and react to it by agreeing or disagreeing. * /That article by Charles Fenyvesi on Vietnamese refugees in the Washington Post sure was a think piece!/

[think tank] <n.> A company of researchers who spend their time developing ideas and concepts. * /The government hired a think tank to study the country's need for coins, and was advised to stop making pennies./

[think twice] <v.> To think again carefully; reconsider; hesitate. * /The teacher advised Lou to think twice before deciding to quit school./ Compare: THINK BETTER OF.

[think up] <v.> To invent or discover by thinking; have a new idea of. * /Mary thought up a funny game for the children to play./

[third base] <n.> The base to be touched third in baseball. * /He reached third base standing up on a long triple./

[third class] <n.> 1. The third best or highest group; the class next after the second class. * /Mary won the pie-making contest in the third class, for the youngest girls./ 2. Mail that is printed, other than magazines and newspapers that are published regularly, and packages that are not sealed and weigh less than a pound. * /The company uses third class to mail free samples of soap./ 3. The least expensive class of travel. * /I couldn't afford anything better than the third class on the ship coming home from France./ Compare: FIRST CLASS, SECOND CLASS.

[third-class(1)] <adj.> Belonging to the third class; of the third highest or best class. * /Much advertising is sent by third-class mall./ * /I bought a third-class airline ticket to Hawaii./

[third-class(2)] <adv.> By third class. * /How did you send the package? Third class./ * /We traveled third-class on the train./

[third degree] <n. phr.> A method of severe grilling used to extract information from an arrested suspect. * /"Why give me the third degree?" he asked indignantly. "All I did was come home late because I had a drink with my friends."/