Словарь американских идиом (8000 единиц)

[under a cloud] <adj. phr.> 1. Under suspicion; not trusted. * /Joyce has been under a cloud since her roommate's bracelet disappeared./ * /The butcher is under a cloud because the inspectors found his scales were not honest./ 2. Depressed, sad, discouraged. * /Joe has been under a cloud since his dog died./

[under age] <adj. phr.> Too young; not old enough; below legal age. * /He could not enlist in the army because he was under age./ * /Rose was not allowed to enroll in the Life Saving Course because she was under age./ Contrast: OF AGE(1).

[under arrest] <adj. phr.> Held by the police. * /The man believed to have robbed the bank was placed under arrest./ * /The three boys were seen breaking into the school building and soon found themselves under arrest./

[under construction] <adv. phr.> In the process of being built or repaired. * /It is a good idea to take the train to work while the expressway is under construction./

[under cover] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Hidden; concealed. * /The prisoners escaped under cover of darkness./ * /He kept his invention under cover until it was patented./ Compare: UNDER WRAPS.

[under false colors] See: SAIL UNDER FALSE COLORS.

[under fire] <adv. phr.> Being shot at or being attacked; hit by attacks or accusations; under attack. * /The soldiers stood firm under fire of the enemy./ * /The principal was under fire for not sending the boys home who stole the car./

[under lock and key] <adv. phr.> Secured; locked up; well protected. * /Dad keeps all his valuables under lock and key./

[under one's belt] <adv. phr.>, <informal> 1. In your stomach; eaten; or absorbed. * /Once he had a good meal under his belt, the man loosened his tie and fell asleep./ * /Jones is talkative when he has a few drinks under his belt./ 2. In your experience, memory or possession; learned or gotten successfully; gained by effort and skill. * /Jim has to get a lot of algebra under his belt before the examination./ * /With three straight victories under their belts, the team went on to win the championship./

[under one's breath] <adv. phr.> In a whisper; with a low voice. * /The teacher heard the boy say something under his breath and she asked him to repeat it aloud./ * /I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me./

[under one's hat] See: KEEP UNDER ONE'S HAT.

[under one's heel] <adv. phr.> In one's power or control. * /If one marriage partner always wants to keep the other person under his or her heel, it is not a happy or democratic arrangement and may lead to a divorce./

[under one's nose] or [under the nose of] <adv. phr.>, <informal> In sight of; in an easily seen or noticeable place. * /The thief walked out of the museum with the painting, right under the nose of the guards./ * /When Jim gave up trying to find a pen, he saw three right under his nose on the desk./

[under one's own steam] <adv. phr.>, <informal> By one's own efforts; without help. * /The boys got to Boston under their own steam and took a bus the rest of the way./ * /We didn't think he could do it, but Bobby finished his homework under his own steam./

[under one's skin] See: GET UNDER ONE'S SKIN.

[under one's spell] <adv. phr.> Unable to resist one's influence. * /From the first moment they saw each other, Peter was under Nancy's spell./

[under one's thumb] or [under the thumb] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> Obedient to you; controlled by you; under your power. * /The Jones family is under the thumb of the mother./ * /Jack is a bully. He keeps all the younger children under his thumb./ * /The mayor is so popular that he has the whole town under his thumb./ Compare: JUMP THROUGH THE HOOP.

[under one's wing] <adv. phr.> Under the care or protection of. * /Helen took the new puppy under her wing./ * /The boys stopped teasing the new student when Bill took him under his wing./ Compare: IN TOW.

[under orders] <adv. phr.> Not out of one's own desire or one's own free will; obligatorily; not freely. * /"So you were a Nazi prison guard? " the judge asked. "Yes, your Honor," the man answered, "but I was acting under orders and not because I wished to harm anyone."/

[under pain of] See: ON PAIN OF also UNDER PAIN OF.

[under protest] <adv. phr.> Against one's wish; unwillingly. * /"I'll go with you all right," she said to the kidnapper, "but I want it clearly understood that I do so under protest."/

[understand] See: GIVE ONE TO UNDERSTAND.

[under the circumstances] also [in the circumstances] <adv. phr.> In the existing situation; in the present condition; as things are. * /In the circumstances, Father couldn't risk giving up his job./ * /Under the circumstances, the stagecoach passengers had to give the robbers their money./

[under the collar] See: HOT UNDER THE COLLAR.

[under the counter] <adv. phr.>, <informal> Secretly (bought or sold). * /That book has been banned, but there is one place you can get it under the counter./ * /The liquor dealer was arrested for selling beer under the counter to teenagers./ - Also used like an adjective, with hyphens. * /During World War II, some stores kept scarce things hidden for under-the-counter-sales to good customers./

[under the hammer] <adv. phr.> Up for sale at auction. * /The Brights auctioned off the entire contents of their home. Mrs. Bright cried when her pewter collection went under the hammer./ * /The picture I wanted to bid on came under the hammer soon after I arrived./

[under the nose of] See: UNDER ONE'S NOSE.

[under the sun] <adj.> or <adv. phr.> On earth; in the world. Used for emphasis. * /The President's assassination shocked everyone under the sun./ * /Where under the sun could I have put my purse?/

[under the table] See: UNDER THE COUNTER.

[under the thumb of] See: UNDER ONE'S THUMB.

[under the weather] <adv. phr.> In bad health or low spirits. * /Mary called in today asking for a sick day as she is under the weather./

[under the wire] <adv. phr.> With a narrow time limit; in the last minute. * /The journalist's new lead article on Russia was due in press at 5 P.M., and he got it in at 4:57, just under the wire./

[underway] <adv. phr.> In progress; in motion. * /The yearly fund-raising campaign for the renovation of our university campus is already underway./

[under wraps] <adv.> or <adj. phr.> Not allowed to be seen until the right time; not allowed to act or speak freely; in secrecy; hidden.
– Usually used with "keep". * /We have a new player, hut we are keeping him under wraps until the game./ * /What the President is planning will be kept under wraps until tomorrow./ * /The spy was kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to newspapermen./ Compare: UNDER COVER.